STUFF that doesn't suck
with a shot of Rabbit Hole.
Yet another confession.
Natalie’s whole story is bit of a rabbit hole.
It's weird to confess this like I watch 90 Day Fiancé and enjoy it or something.
But, here it is,
I have never had a classic martini before.
No, not an espresso martini or an appletini. I've had both during the big smoking martini craze. No, thank you. I mostly drink wine and beer and two cocktails. I love a Negroni and am pretty obsessed with good gin and tonics. Sounds like gin then is my spirit, spirit.
fruity martinis were all the rage
Gin is a distilled spirit made from grain and flavored with botanicals. It is most noted for its pine flavor that comes from juniper berries. Botanicals are used during distillation. So it's infused, and I love infused stuff! Along with juniper berries, distillers have used almond, angelica, anise, cassia, coriander, fennel, and citrus peels. I am crazy over all those flavors, except I don't know what the hell angelica is.
Hold on.
From The Gin is In—
"Angelica archangelica is native to a large portion of subarctic Europe and Northern Hemisphere. The plants can be quite tall, growing up to 8 or 9 feet. The plant comes from the same family as celery, fennel, and caraway."
Ok, yeah, I like all that stuff.
There are a fair amount of MN gins, but I have only had one, Prairie Handcrafted Gin. Though the tasting notes are big juniper notes (LOVE) and light floral notes (ok), it seems floral forward to me. Unfortunately, I don't think Prairie Gin is my gin.
juniper berries
Then there is the tonic. An equally important player in a gin and tonic. I usually have Hyvee or Schweps or whatever that comes in diet available cuz, I’m trying to drop a few pounds. But, my personal fave is Fever Tree. Lately, they have been going down fancy street adding extra flavors. I just want the original, which I believe is Indian. Just pine trees, lime, fizz and the bitterness from tonic. That bitterness comes from quinine.
Quinine comes from the bark of the cinchona tree, found in South America. It gives the tonic a bitter flavor. From Mixology.EU "it is said that while suffering an attack of malaria, a Spanish soldier fell unconscious into a pond lined by cinchona trees. Having managed not to drown, when he awoke, he was healthy again. Another persistent legend claims that in 1638 the Countess of Chinchón was saved by the daughter of a local tribal chief. Despite a lack of historical proof for this, it seems the tree was named after the countess anyway. What is verified is that quinine was the only effective treatment for malaria until the middle of the last century."
fancy tonics
Back to that martini, sorry.
Mostly because sugar-free Hyvee tonic is really not that great, and I'm trying to cut out sugar, and a restaurant never has diet tonic... I thought maybe I should just drink gin. Yep, the booze alone, straight up! James Bond style. I've always thought the idea of a martini is pretty glamorous.
So, after contemplating this for some time. I decided it was time to order my first martini. But where? I'm not going to order a martini at Beetles Bar and Grill. Sorry, no dis intended; it just doesn't seem like a classic martini sort of place. I go there for wings, Corona light, and popcorn. Figuring out how I would experience my first martini was a conundrum. I needed to go somewhere where the food was classic too. I need to see an old guy behind the bar; sigh, Michaels is closed.
Then last July, the stars aligned, and I had my first martini.
chilled, stirred, olives please
I've said it before: I am pretty snobby about food. There's very little that "wows" me.
But it was JZ's birthday. He always supports my forever quest for the dish that will be the one I talk about for years to come. He goes along for the ride and even enjoys it. He'll be the first to tell you how much he loves Spoon and Stable, my favorite restaurant.
Oh man… don't even get me started on the Sunchoke Soup with Puffed Farro, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, and Apple Butter. Wait, I need a minute.
Oh! Update: we are going to Spoon and Stable next week for my birthday, Woohoo!
I knew JZ would love a classic birthday dinner. In particular, onion rings, rare ribeye or prime rib, scalloped potatoes, and a butterscotch sundae (in a tin dish).
not a LeeAnn dinner nor a JZ choice but at least he loved his company
The Hubble House kept crossing my mind and then getting immediately scratched off.
But I had no other ideas. Remember, Michaels is closed. Sigh.
When presented with this predicament, I then analyzed my last visit. Was it really that bad? I took my mom there a couple years ago. We arrived for dinner promptly at 4:45. I ordered a glass of wine and scoured the menu; I ruled out 99% of it. Well, not the onion rings; we ordered those. They were nicely cooked, with a light batter, thin slices, and perfectly crunchy. But not a lick of salt. Adding it at this point doesn't work. The onion rings must be fresh from the fryer for the salt to adhere. I munched on them anyway, hoping for more. I added ketchup and stared at the menu, finally deciding on Canadian Walleye Almondine. It has seriously been years since I uttered those words. Now looking back on it, the walleye was nicely prepared. The melted butter was served on the side. I drizzled some over each bite, and the walleye stayed nice and crunchy. Sadly, though the texture was impressing me, the walleye cooked properly; there was zero seasoning, so zero flavor. My mother was more than happy. As I glanced around the room, I realized maybe they added salt after 6:30 pm. This crowd appeared very low sodium and possibly a little high maintenance.
After critiquing my last visit, I decided, well, let's give the Hubbell House a whirl. So, I took JZ out for his birthday. When we were seated, I grabbed the wine list to make my wine selection. Something caught my eye. A Hubbell House Special, A Classic Martini with Hendricks Gin. I hesitated, feeling oddly nervous. When I ordered, JZ looked over the top of his menu… I was just hoping I didn't have to make any more decisions, like shaken or stirred. I don't know my preferences yet! All she wanted to know was olives or onions? Olives, of course, I love olives!
The drink arrived looking seductive in the iced-down glass. Three big olives leaned against the glass, like Don Draper all 50s like, arms crossed, cigarette in mouth,. I took a tiny sip. Oh! I like this!
Hendricks gin has crisp, floral, cucumber, rose, and balanced tasting notes. But there's that floral note I was trying to stay away from. There was no mention of juniper. But, my goodness. I really loved this new sophisticated cocktail choice. The olives were crisp and cold, and I tried not to eat them all at once. I wondered if I should have ordered it dirty, but this was just round one.
I didn't order another. I was holding out for wine with dinner. So with that in mind. I ordered the classic petit fillet, medium. I never order steak. I hoped it would be a proper medium seared hard on the outside, still juicy pink in the center. And it did not disappoint. Even better, it was seasoned! So here I was, Joan from Mad Men, sipping my martini and eating steak.
taking Mom again next week!
I've had one other martini since then. This time I got some questions. My gin choices were limited, so I stuck with Hendricks,
"Would you like it with a vermouth rinse?"
"Oh, yes, of course." Trying to sound like that's the way I always order it.
"Do you like it a little dirty?"
"No, thanks." (I don't actually don't know that yet,)
"But olives, please!"
I don't think he was going to offer cocktail onions.
That martini was good, but it didn't change my life. So, now I am on a quest. What gin is my gin? Do I want more than a vermouth wash, and do I want to make it a little dirty? I don't know yet, so please advise if anyone has suggestions. The bigger problem is, who can pull off this classic? Next time I am invited to the Country Club, I'll try it there. That seems like a place that could make a martini.
JZ finished his birthday dinner with a butterscotch sundae, no tin dish. One issue it wasn't butterscotch, it was caramel. I'm also on a mad quest to find an authentic butterscotch sauce, and I'll let you know when I do.
PS- there's a classic steak house we ran into a few years ago that was quite impressive. Georges in New Ulm. I've wanted to return. I bet they can make a mean martini.
I'll report back.