Lifestyle: Black Velvet

We owe the recipe for Black Velvet to the passing of Britain's Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, in 1861. It was drunk in place of champagne at Brooks as a sign of mourning. I wasn't mourning when I first had it as an undergraduate years ago but despite that oversight have remained fond of the way the ingredients complement each other.

Making the drink couldn't be easier but the Black Velvet is not a one person drink unless that person is a serious alcoholic. The bartender should have enough thirsty people around to consume bottles of champagne in their entirety so as not to waste any.

To make a black velvet, pour half a glass of Guiness stout down the side of a champagne flute to minimize the head. Then top it up with iced Brut poured slowly over an upside down teaspoon. The spoon helps the champagne to run down the sides of the glass rather than splashing into the stout and mixing with it. The two liquids should remain separate layers, creating a visual affect and a purer pair of tastes.

I first enjoyed the drink at lunch with a bowl of bouillabaisse and I heartily recommend the combination.

Lifestyle: The Rye Manhattan

Rye was the original American whiskey, but largely disappeared after Prohibition. According to one story, all the distillers moved to new lives in the midwest and when Prohibition ended they began distilling corn as it was more available. And that's supposed to be how we got so much bourbon.

At any rate, rye is enjoying another turn in the sun these days, thanks in part to the renewed popularity of the Manhattan, my drink of the season.

Mind you, a man must to take care to avoid fake Manhattans. The limited availability of rye caused some bartenders to begin building a version using bourbon and that's a mistake. Bourbon is too sweet.

The classic recipe is:

2 oz rye
1 oz red vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake well over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive (a cherry is also too sweet).

Try one when cocktail hour next rolls around.

Lifestyle: Cocktail Recipes

I was recently pointed to a version of what should eventually become the 21st century's replacement for my well thumbed hard copy bartender's guide. M.esquire.com is Esquire magazine's new site for mobile devices, and it thoughtfully includes 18 of the more important cocktail recipes that frantic hosts can access from their Blackberrys and iPhones.

Today the site is not quite ready to replace the thousand plus recipes in Mittie Hellmich's Ultimate Bar Book. But it'll come in handy should a man hear "I've got fresh mint. Why don't you mix us a couple of Mojitos while I slip into something more comfortable?" at his date's apartment.