The Pete Seeger/Lee Hays song says, “If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning.  I’d hammer in the evening.  All over this land.”   This is why they were great song writers but lousy neighbours.  You’re going to hammer in the morning AND the evening?  How many pictures are you hanging?  If I was their neighbour and I had a hammer, I’d trade it for a cocktail shaker, and make these two terrific tool time tipples just to cope with the endless cacophony.  The Rusty Nail and the Velvet Hammer!

Both of these drinks are taken from Trader Vic’s Pacific Island Cookbook which was published by Doubleday and Company, Inc. way back in 1968.  50 years ago this very night (if you happen to be reading this on that anniversary.  I have no idea what month or day it actually came out.)

They are listed in the “Drinks” section under “San Francisco Favorites” and with any luck, they will soon be among your favorites too.

Let’s start with the Rusty Nail.  Only two ingredients are required here.  Scotch and Drambuie. Drambuie is a scotch based liqueur that also has honey, herbs and spices.  Nothing wrong with that!

Rusty Nail
-this recipe from Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook, 1968.

1 ounce scotch
1/2 ounce Drambuie

Pour into an old-fashioned glass with cracked ice and stir.

This drink seems to call for big leather chairs, dim lighting and high bookshelves.  Maybe even a cigar in the vicinity.  You don’t have to smoke it, you just have to see it.  Try making this sweetish, scotchy drink and you’ll see what I mean.  We made it with a single malt scotch called Royal Brackla.  It is a fantastic single malt and probably too good to use in a mixed drink but what the heck.  The scotch itself is not a big smoky, peaty campfire tasting scotch, but instead a little sweeter, smooth and has flavours of caramel, fruit and butter.  That’s what so great about this drink.  You can try it with all sorts of different scotches and each time the drink will be different.

Next up is the Velvet Hammer.  Trader Vic says this is an after dinner drink and it probably would suit that time of the evening very well.  Especially with all that hammering from Pete Seeger!  If you like Terry’s Chocolate Orange, you’re probably going to like this drink as well.  It calls for evaporated milk which is milk that has had 60% of it’s water removed.  It’s thicker consistency makes for a really delightful creaminess.  As a bonus, if you add 60% water back to it, you’ve got milk!  Magic!

Velvet Hammer
-this recipe from Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook, 1968.

3/4 ounce evaporated milk
1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
1/2 ounce Cointreau

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker.  Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Serve as an after dinner drink.

Mmmm, mmmm, good.  Not too orangey, not too chocolately, not too creamy and not too boozy.  Just about perfect.  The drink is as white as snow too. You could even grate a some chocolate on top for a little contrast. Maybe pull this drink out at a black and white themed party, or Christmas. 
Actually, just make it tonight and see what you think of it.  We thought it was great!

Yes, the Velvet Hammer was just about perfect, and then Fred had an idea.  What if we added Drambuie to the Velvet Hammer?  What would that be like?  And just like that, a brand new drink was created live on the show!  The Drambuie, gave the drink a light golden colour, and added a neat touch of spice. 
We named it on the spot and we now present to you, our loyal readers/listeners, the Rusty Hammer!

The Rusty Hammer
by the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure 2018

3/4 ounce Drambuie
3/4 ounce evaporated milk
1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
1/2 ounce Cointreau

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker.  Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Look at it's creamy, golden hue.  What a happy occurrence.  Please make one and then leave a comment with your thoughts on this drink. 

Until next time, be a Gentleman of Elegant Leisure and . . . TIP BIG!



Oh!  Here's a clip of the show itself to tantalize you to listen to the whole thing!

It was Negroni Week again and you know what that means!  Negroni's in all of there wonderful incarnations.  Check out their website right here

We've got two of them for you this week.

First up is the Phony Negroni by Cocktail Builder.  This one uses Aperol instead of Campari and whole bunch of citrus juice!

The Phony Negroni

1 1/2 oz of Gin
1/2 oz of Aperol
1/2 oz of sweet vermouth
1 oz of grapefruit juice
1/2 oz of Lime Juice
1/4 oz of Orange Juice
1/4 oz of simple syrup
2 dash of orange bitters

Shake all ingredients. Strain into collins glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with an orange wedge speared with a Luxardo cherry.

It's not a Negroni but it's so close.  If anything, it's an entry level Negroni.  With all the fruit juice in it, it tames what little bitterness comes through from the vermouth and the Aperol.  A little comes back in though with the big hit of grapefruit juice.  It's still a little sweeter than your average Negroni.  It's very refreshing and would make a hot summer night quite bearable.

Up next it the big Negroni mistake.  The Negroni Sbagliato.  Apparently, the bartender who was making the drink, grabbed sparkling wine instead of gin.  The rest, as they say, is history!

Negroni Sbagliato

1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. lightly sparkling wine
Tools: mixing spoon
Glass: rocks
Garnish: orange wheel

Combine vermouth and Campari in an ice-filled glass. Top with sparkling wine, stir to combine and garnish.

It's so great when a mistake works out as well as this drink does.  The Negroni flavour comes through but it's just a little softer with the bubbly instead of the gin.  The Campari and the vermouth still carry the day.  Try it on your friends.

You may want to bring your tool kit for out next episode.  No spoilers though.  See you next time!


Check out the opening moments of this weeks show right here!

That's right, a couple of the Gents went to Portland for a few days and brought back wonders from the far . . . not east . .  but maybe wonders of the central Pacific coast?  But inland?  You get the idea. 
.
The great thing about the city of Portland is that no matter where you go, you're going to have good food and good drink. The people are really nice too! On their first night, Gents Fred and Jason popped into Clyde Common. The first drink that jumped out at Jason was called, "Bourban Renewal". Great name right? Upon returning home, Jason found the recipe on line at jeffreymorgenthaler.com
Jeff is the bar manager at Clyde Common and created this drink to commemorate a band that his business partner was in.  You can read about it right here. 

Bourbon Renewal
by Jeffrey Morgenthaler 2004

2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce creme de cassis
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge, or, if in season, fresh currants.


Does this not look like a wonderful thing?  Make it!  It is!  Creme de Cassis is black currant liqueur. and couples so nicely with the tartness from the lemon. It's a zingy bourbon blast and it would be the perfect drink to drink all summer long. So we will. Please check out Jeff's website for more recipes and also have a look at his new stuff that's available from Cocktail Kingdom.

On their final night in Portland, Gentleman Fred wasn't feeling very well, but that didn't stop him from ordering a Paloma at the Matador.  It did stop him from drinking it however.  Since the Gents were recreating drinks from the trip, Fred thought he should whip up a Paloma for us to try and as a second chance for himself.
This is the way he did it:
 
Paloma

2 ounces Ilegal Mezcal Joven
2 ounces grapefruit juice
1.5 ounces lime juice
½ ounce agave syrup
Club soda
Pinch of salt
 
Shake in a cocktail shaker and pour into a Collins glass with a few cubes of fresh ice.  Top with 2 to 3 ounces of chilled club soda
¼ round grapefruit slice garnish
 
Fred adds , "In Mexico they usually use Tequila and Jarritos grapefruit soda, but I couldn’t find any and we always prefer original flavours.  This is still a bit tart – you could up the sugar (agave) to get a sweeter cocktail.  Simple syrup can be used instead of agave."

This drink is another winner.  The only thing a little tricky for the average drinker in this drink is the inclusion of Mezcal.  Tequila and Mezcal are both made from agave but the process is different.  While the agave for tequila is roasted in above ground ovens, the agave for tequila is roasted over hot coals in earthen pits.  This smoky cooking environment carries over in to the spirit and the smoke comes through in a big way.  Big enought that if one wasn't prepared for the smoke, one could be a little put off.  If you're concerned, make the drink with Tequila and prepare to have a new favourite drink.  Either way this sweet and sour, fizzy grapefruit cocktail is a great way to use either spirit.  If you'd like to know more about the relationship between Tequila and Mezcal, click right here.

Finally, if you'd like to recreate the G of EL road trip on your own, here is a list of all the spots we hit!

Kalama McMenamins - This is actually in Washington state, but it's right on the way!
Clyde Common - Excellent cocktails and food in the Ace Hotel in Portland
Rum Club - Stop in here for all your rum cocktail needs.  Try the daily punch.
Eastside Distilling - Here the Gents sampled a little bit of everything.  You should too.
Kenny and Zukes - A hot dog for breakfast?  Yes.  Now. 
Cheryl's on 12th - A breakfast sandwich made out of an apple fritter?  This is the place!
Tasty n Alder - Come for the biscuits.  FRESH BISCUITS!
Hale Pele - Everything a tiki bar should be.  Excellent drinks.  Fire effects.  Smoke!
Salt and Straw - All kinds of wonderful ice cream.  We went twice.
Powell's Books - Almost every book you've ever wanted.  Like the library at Alexandria with sales!
The Matador - Mexican food in a great environment.  Check out the giant windows!
The Kennedy School - Nobody does it better than the McMenamin brothers.  Multiple bars, a movie theatre and a soaking pool and a hotel all in an old elementary school.  Perfect.
Burgermaster - We went to the one in Mount Vernon.  Try the Tom and Jerry milkshake.
Fat Pie - Three iconic pizza styles in fantastic Fairhaven, Washington.
Nick's Coney Island - I wish I had an Old-Fashioned Dog right now.  Love that slaw!

See you next time!