She-Wolf

This week we are offering up the works of a long-time Greatest Drink supporter and contributor.

Cheers, Diane! And congrats for your Diners, Drive-ins and Dives appearance!

The Recipe:

- A 4 count of Gin, (the original She Wolf prefers Hendricks, but feel free to use the gin of your choice,)

- 2 count of St-Germain

- 1 ½ count of Campari

- Top with Tonic Water

- Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Joe's notes: This week's Greatest Drink in the World was concocted by Diane "Dee Dee" Wolf. Dee Dee and her husband Lee "Squire" Wolf own and run The Lobster Shanty restaurant here in Salem. After spending the day schlepping about in the Shanty's kitchen, Dee Dee will come into The Passage Lounge for her favorite libation, the She Wolf. Dee Dee prefers to use Hendricks gin in her She Wolf; I think it is fine to use Tanqueray or some other quality gin. The reason I give the option is that Hendricks can be quite expensive and with the combination of Campari and St-Germain it is quite possible that the subtleties of flavor in Hendricks would be lost.

Quite often Lee and Dee Dee are joined in the Passage by Lee's brother "Young" Kevin. (Wolfs often travel in packs).

This coming Monday night, (September 27, 2010,) The Lobster Shanty is going to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Hosted by Guy Fieri on the Food Network!

So sit back, mix yourself a She Wolf and join me in congratulating the Shanty Crew on their television debut.

One last thing, If Lee continues to say "We were raised by Wolfs" I am going to start calling him and his brother Rom and Rem .

Enjoy!

Chris's notes: Y'know, as a fairly regular fixture at the Passage, I have seen the Wolf pack come in, order their usuals and drain them fairly zealously on a number of occasions. But I always thought they were drinking something fruity, and sweet. I mean, C'MON! Look at that thing: All bright red and icy and just shouting, "Drink me, I am so refreshing!"

I imagined it to have a strong cranberry component, or some other ruby red juice found just inside of Joe's reach for just such a purpose.

"DAMN FOOL!" I chastise myself for my naïveté in thinking for even a moment that this bunch of foodies, restauranteurs and cocktail aficionados would embrace anything so commonplace. Of course, I found out about this drink in the best possible way: Joe put it in front of me!

Joe reminded me of the forthcoming Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episode and suggested this as a way to tie in with the local buzz.

As I said, I expected something fruity. When I sipped the She Wolf I was more than pleasantly surprised, I was a bit shocked. Pleasantly shocked, though!

Campari has a way of doing that to me. It has such a dominant flavor of bitterness, I just love it. The sharpness of the Gin and the soft flowery sweetness of the St-Germain blend nicely to sand off the edges off the She Wolf to bring it easily into TGDitWTW standards!

Incidentally, one of The Lobster Shanty's own signature cocktails, The Lobstertini, is scheduled to appear Monday night! It has the honor of accompanying the Shanty's (highly recommended,) Pan-Seared Mozzarella appetizer. Other Shanty offerings discussed will be their Marinated Steak Tips, and the Shanty's renowned Pulled Pork, warranting, I am told, Guy Fieri's patented move, "The Hunch."

Perhaps if Mr. Fieri returns to Salem, he could review the She Wolf on his show! There really isn't enough cocktail-based television on the airwaves these days...

Uh-oh, Joe! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Call the networks! I'm prepping the pitch!!!

-------------------------------------

-------------------------------------

Please forgive me. I can never resist making the Video of the Week somehow related. Here now, The B-52s.

The Negroni

Whilst meditatively strolling through the orchard of his life, Joe stops once again at the the legendary Tree of Classic Cocktails. After considerable scrutiny, (and, being a giant of a man, no need for a stepladder,) he cautiously reaches up into its branches picks the next offering for The Greatest Drink In The World... This Week; The Negroni.

The Recipe:

Mix straight into an ice-filled glass:

- a 2 count gin

- a 2 count Campari

- 1.5 count sweet vermouth

- Stir. Add a small slice of fresh orange.

(It can also be shaken and served as a Martini.)

Joe's Notes: The Negroni is a definitely a drink that will surprise and delight you. The combination of gin with the sweetness of vermouth is balanced with the bitter taste of Campari. I have heard it said that Campari is an acquired taste. Although I would somewhat agree with that, I believe that for many people the fact that Campari with its vibrant red color fools them into believing that it is going to be a sweet drink. After all, most red things, strawberries, grenadine and the such, are sweet.

Many years ago when I was just a lad, Campari had huge success in an advertising campaign in England. The adverts premise was of a beautiful young lady (Lorraine Chase) sitting in the grounds of an English manor house. She is being woo'd by a very posh and upper class young man. "Have you truly been wafted here from paradise" He asks." Nah, Luton Airport!" she replies in a very strong working-class cockney accent.

Campari Luton Airpor..
Watch the ad...

These three words boosted sales of Campari in the UK as well as making a "star" of Miss Chase, which, by the way, she still enjoys some thirty years later.

Why, you may ask yourself, should this have such an impact? I believe the answer to this lies in the fact that we can all have two sides to our personality. I don't mean this in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or the 'crazy person-on-the-bus' way. I mean it more in the Mr. Miyagi and Yin and Yang way. We like to be surprised, we like to know what to expect. The success of the movie "The Sixth Sense" was down to the surprise ending. (I won't give away the ending for those three people that haven't yet seen it.)

Similarly, we know the ending to any romantic comedy featuring the lovely Meg Ryan even before the movie has even started. Yet many are still very successful. (Largely due to my wife and her friends.)

The couple sitting on Oprah's couch telling their success of sixty years of marriage. "He is reliable, I know what he is going to say even before he says it sometimes" The audience laughs a knowing laugh." "She is a great cook and still a great lover," the audience stifle a gag, but applaud anyway. "He can still surprise me even after sixty years!" To this the audience give the loudest applause (although many are hoping she is not referring to the whole "lover" thing.)

So sit back and get your bartender to mix you a Negroni and contemplate the Yin and Yang in your life.

Enjoy

Chris's Notes: According to Wikipedia, the biggest truck-stop on the information superhighway, the Negroni was created by bartender Fosco Scarselli in 1919. He came up with it, (and it subsequently named it,) for Italian Count Camillo Negroni, who was looking to strengthen up his favorite drink, The Americano, (Bitters, vermouth, and soda,) which Fosco did by adding gin. Count Negroni dug it so much he ordered it exclusively and his family-owned distillery soon after produced a ready-made version of the drink, called Antico Negroni.

The cheek! Meanwhile, what did poor Fosco Scarselli get? "Avvitato!"

But it was none other than the great Orson Welles who is credited with one of the first reports of the cocktail in 1947. To the Coshocton Tribune he described the this "new drink," The Negroni, by saying, "The Bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other!"

So deep. That guy probably could have started a blog of his own!!!

Cin cin, Signor Welles!

Token "Only Somewhat Related Video:" Luton Airport by Cats U.K.