Amazon.com Review
Fall into Cooking Featured Recipe from Speakeasy by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric: Mata Hari The Mata Hari best exemplifies the creative process utilized at Employees Only of taking classic ideas and modernizing them through an expression of big flavors and culinary technique. Inspired by the luscious brandy classic Sidecar, the Mata Hari blends Cognac with chai-infused sweet vermouth and fresh pomegranate juice to introduce soft tannins and exotic spice. Rose hips adorn this cocktail which awaken the olfactory senses, alluding to what comes next. Stunning to look at, seductive on the nose, and vibrant on the pallet, the Mata Hari is one of the first and most popular cocktails at Employees Only. --Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric
Makes one drink
Ingredients
1¼ ounces Louis Royer Force 53 VSOP cognac
1 ounce Chai-Infused Sweet Vermouth
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ ounce pomegranate juice
½ ounce simple syrup
3 dried organic rose buds, for garnish
Pour the cognac, vermouth, juices, and syrup into a mixing glass. Add large cold ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with rose buds.
Dominant flavors: deep red pomegranates with roses on the nose
Body: rich, full mouthfeel
Dryness: medium
Complexity: high
Accentuating or contrasting flavors: chai, cinnamon, and clove interweave
Finish: lingering, black tea, spicy
From Publishers Weekly
Kosmas and Zaric (You Didn't Hear It from Us), owners of Employees Only, a not-so-hidden take on a Manhattan speakeasy, offer instruction on recreating classic drinks and stirring up some modern variations. Fresh ingredients are their mainstay, but since the focus is on old-school cocktails, fewer intense flavor combinations arise than what might be found in a more contemporary collection of artisanal concoctions. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's curious, for instance, to learn that the Manhattan, circa 1882, contained more vermouth than it did rye, while its modern version calls for a bourbon to vermouth ratio of 2 to 1. Among the 90 offerings, there are some that one would proudly order across a crowded bar, such as the New York Sour with its shakeup of 101-proof rye, lemon juice, and dry red wine. Others would best be acquired on the down low, like the Monkey Gland, a cocktail of absinthe, gin, orange juice, and Grenadine. There is also the Amelia, a sequel to the Cosmopolitan, starring blackberry puree and elderflower liqueur. For the more literary minded, there is the Hemingway daiquiri, a supposed favorite of Papa's, wherein grapefruit juice finds harmony with rum and maraschino liqueur. (Oct.) (c)
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