Poker Night: A Foolproof Cocktail Formula

Poker night. It's an institution worldwide, but seems to be especially common amongst American males as a form of bonding. It consists of cards, snacking, comradery and drinking, and while it may remain a bit of a mystery to girlfriends as to why this is such hallowed ground, there is no debating the social role of poker.

And just like many other cultural traditions, it takes place around the table. Food & drink is a must, and we always prepare a little something special when it's time for poker at our house. You can find great "poker food" all over the web, but going beyond beer into the cocktail realm is a tad more mystifying.

Well, I am going to introduce a secret weapon to your arsenal that may or may not help your poker game: the Campari formula.

Campari is an Italian liqueur that dates back to the mid-1800s. It's a bright red bitter that is made by infusing alcohol and water with a variety of herbs. With a lovely spicy, bitter taste, it is often enjoyed alone, over ice. I, however, find it a bit strong for my tastes when served solo. Enter Campari as cocktail game-changer. Its unique flavor profile gives it an incredible quality as a bonding agent in cocktails.  It brings together grain alcohols, liqueurs and fruit juices in a very special way.  Not a math person? Here's one formula you can (and should) remember:

1.5 oz spirits + .5 oz liqueur + .5 oz citrus juice + .5 oz Campari.

This combo of spirits (gin, tequila, whiskey, vodka), juice (lemon, lime, grapefruit), and liqueur (Cointreau, Chartreuse, Southern Comfort, Drambuie, whatever) could be lethal and ill-advised. But there's something about the Campari that has the ability to draw them all together in perfect harmony and create a balanced cocktail that could be at home on any fancy-pants cocktail menu.

As I type this, I can't believe I'm making this secret public. Now everyone will know I'm not a super mixologist. Oh, well. Don't believe me? I put this theory to the test and blindfoldedly selected three liqueurs, three spirits, and three fruits from my fridge and cabinet and randomly matched them in order to create a cocktail for the boys and their poker snacks. The surprise? All of them were good. Here goes the results:

Random pairing #1: Bulleit Bourbon + Cointreau + Lime. This was a manly cocktail if there ever was one. With the bite of whiskey present in a strong way, the Cointreau brought an unexpectedly delicious orange note into the mix.

Random pairing #2: Jose Cuervo Tequila, Licor 43 (vanilla and citrus), Lemon. There is no way this should be good. Tequila mixed with vanilla and Campari (along with the typical citrus suspects)? Oh yes, oh yes it was. This was my personal fave.

Random pairing #3 (and the poker party taste test winner): Tanqueray gin, Drambuie, grapefruit. Wow. The whisky liqueur played so well off of the gin and grapefruit (which for me is a cherished combo anyway).  This one is worth a whorl any night you need a quick drink. Sometimes a little structure allows you to be even more creative.

And here you have it, in its shining glory, the winning cocktail from the experiment. It appears that this combination is fairly unique, so I feel entitled to name it: Poker Night Pote. (From the Spanish potear which basically means to go around drinking all night).

La Gintonería : Now Open

The gintonic craze here in San Sebastián has reached new heights. Enter La Gintonería, a new bar in Gros that, as its name suggests, devotes itself to the preparation of everyone's favorite refreshing cocktail, the gintonic.

Selection: 61 gins, as well as extensive collections of other liqueur, such as all three Balvenie whiskies.

Default tonic: Schweppes premium line.

Location: Gros. The corner of Dunas Kalea y Zabaleta.

Vibe: Definitely a summery place. This small place feels twice as large thanks to its tall ceilings, and feels four times as large when the doors are open. There's a TV over the doors (new tennis viewing spot?) that was tuned to soccer.

Sample clientele: Four of the hipsters behind San Sebastián's coolest furniture studio, three 60-something men finishing their neighborhood route, three nondescript 30-something guys, and a father, mother and daughter.

Price: Our gintonics were 9 euros apiece, but they were made with premium gins.

We tried two new (to me) gins that came at the recommendation of the owner, after I told him my favorite gins: Magellan and Caorunn.  Magellan is a French gin that has iris flower root, he explained, and Caorunn is Scottish(!). Before serving, the owner/bartender dropped a few dots of grapefruit bitters (in both glasses) and allowed us to smell. Then the drinks were garnished with three (!) lime peels and one lemon. Pretty, but a bit too much citrus when I really wanted to taste the different gins. I need to go back to see if the garnishes differ for different gins. They were accompanied with gummies and potato chips, which is always a welcome touch for a neighborhood bar.

Because, did I mention, this place is right below my house. Uh-oh.

A Copa Con...Bob Worboys

Today's installment in the "A Copa Con..." series is an Englishman made good in the French side of Basque Country. Well, if not made good, at least MAKING good (great) beer.  Bob Worboys is the founder, head brewer, driver, office manager, and any other titles you care to invent at his business Etxeko Bob's. It's truly one of the only artisan microbreweries in the area, and it's growing slowly but surely in the small French village of Hasparren.

What do you do?

I make beer. I founded Etxeko Bob's about seven years ago.

How did you end up brewing, when your career had you in the marketing/TV industry in England?

I got very drunk one night, and I woke up and I was here. No, just kidding. I fell in love with the Pays Basque. I wanted to actually do something where you're working with high-quality raw products, to add value.

Can you compare beer making to, say, winemaking?

If you look through the chain, it's more, especially in terms of raw materials, than grapes. It's a continuous activity. We're producing all year. Right now we're trying to build up stock for the summer.

Is there a secret to brewing beer?

You're only working with four things: malts, water, hops and yeast.

At the end of the day, I hate to say it, but it's true: beer is 90% water. When I first opened I didn't talk about 'the water comes from the mountain' because I didn't think it was important. Because you can modify water. Before, long ago, it wasn't safe to drink.

What's it like, being a producer in the Basque Country?

There is a huge sense of pride in things that come from this area. If you're producing a locally made product, you'll have, to a certain extent, a market.

So has it been smooth sailing since you began seven years ago?

No. Because all beers here are so homogenous, you would just order a beer. People would say to me, 'the problem with your beer is it's got too much taste'.

Would you change anything about your journey?

The reason I came here is because I like the Basque Country. Five years was when I really felt I turned the corner. It's complicated at the moment, with the economy.

What's exciting right now for Etxeko Bob's?

At Mugaritz I worked with them on a menu. I began to think: how can we find alliances? How can we find things that go with this beer? We got right back to the basics. Rather than trying to match a beer with a dish, let's look at developing dishes with ingredients you use to make beer.  You're building awareness, and everybody wins.

Thanks to Bob for the wonderful visit and interview. Leave us a comment on the above topics, and if you're in the area, you've got to try his beer!

How The Spanish Gin Tonic Won Me Over

Cultural hubris is such a dangerous thing.

Exhibit A: for nearly a year, it prevented me from enjoying what is one of life's greatest pleasures: the Spanish gin and tonic. Aka the gintonic (pronounced yeenTOEneek).

You see, my problem was that I failed to recognize that this cocktail is not synonymous with our gin and tonic. Yes, the ingredients are the same. But it is a cousin at best....how else do you explain the totally different drinking experience? 

Start with THE TIME.  I'll never forget, early in my Spanish sojourn, calling a Basque friend of mine at the 5 o'clock hour. With a gin and tonic in hand. "Qué haces?" he says. "Drinking a gin and tonic," I say. "A estas horas? Estás loca?" He couldn't believe it. Because a gintonic is for after a meal, after dessert, after coffee, to end it all, be it a long, luxurious lunch or a weeknight dinner out.

Then, THE GLASS. Spaniards always use either a big, bulbous glass similar to one of those obnoxious wine glasses, or a cider glass. I used to prefer the latter, just to keep a low profile. Now I feel natural with one of these wacky glasses in hand.

Then, the GIN. This should be obvious, and of all the things that separate a gintonic from a gin and tonic, this is the least different. In the states there is a good selection of gin, just as in Spain. But....I would wager that of bars of the same level, Spanish ones have a wider selection of gins.

Next, the GARNISH. Another sore point for me, as many bars use lemon instead of lime in Spain, which I find apalling. However, the citrus they do use they use it well. Instead of a slice, which practically demands that you squeeze it into the drink, you get a piece of the skin. No pulp, just skin. And, should you be in a bar that is of a slightly higher level, you could potentially get juniper berries as an additional garnish. One more level up, you might be getting different garnishes for different gins: cucumber for Hendrick's, strawberries for Brockman's.

Then, the all important METHOD OF PREPARATION. In the US: ice, gin, tonic from a spout straight in the glass, lime slice on cup. IN SPAIN, when it's done right, the gintonic goes a little something like this: Pour gin in glass. Add garnish, take your sweet time to give said garnish time to mix a bit with the gin. If the garnish is an herb, give it a slap or two to get the oils flowing. Add huge ice cubes to glass. Pour tonic in, slowly, using something such as a long handled spoon to break the bubbles.

Finally THE TONIC. A point that is still iffy on both terrains. In the US, you are likely to get tonic from a spout. That tonic will be Schweppes, if you're lucky, and made with corn syrup. In Spain, you will probably get Schweppes, made with real sugar, from a bottle, since there is a glass trading program that gives them money back every time they recycle a glass. The difference in taste is impressive. Fever Tree is the second most common tonic, which makes me very happy. It's the darling of Imbibers Who Care worldwide, from Boucherie in New Orleans to Vinateria en Donostia. Only slightly sweet, citrusy, never overpowering. Just wonderful. Drink in gallons. Also love Stirrings. See 'How to Mess Up a Gin & Tonic'.

After two years, my professional opinion has evolved to be: gin and tonic: YUCK. gintonic: mmmmm.

365 tuesdays

I'm always looking for the best vermouth. And I've found one, hand-selected by Dani Corman, that's for sale in his store Essencia. Vermouth del Montsant, del Cooperative Agrícola del Masroig, is a bitter, serious vermouth, with aromas of clove and Christmas. Don't even think about adding orange or olive. 

Part of 365cities project.