Strawberry Hemingway

No one probably knows this, but it turns out that late great novelist Ernest Hemingway was something of a "Partier".  At the famed La Floridita bar in Havana Hemingway loved ordering the daiquiris and over time began adjusting them to his own tastes with the addition of Maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice.  There are many variations of this classic and bartenders love tweaking the original formula.  Here's my take in slow-mo via Johnny Auer's iPhone4.  Anyway, I think it was a 4 could've been a 3.

We start with the tart Green Acres strawberries I picked up at the GCM on Wednesday.  And then we muddle.

Then I add white rum, Smith and Cross Navy Proof Rum (my addition) Maraschino Liqueur, cane syrup, lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice and shake vigorously.  Double strain and garnish with a lime and a strawberry.

Then stand behind the drink, lean on the bar and have a friend take a picture of you all blurred out on his iPhone4 (or 3).  Come try one if you live in the area.  Cheers!

Today at Green City....Strawberries and People!

Currently, it is around 95 degrees everyday here in Chicago.  Which means people are actually out doing stuff like going to Farmer's Markets.

Unfortunately, this weather also means people are out doing stuff like this...

 
Wait...actually catfish noodling is pretty cool I take it back.  But be careful out there it is not legal in all states!

The aggressive arrival of summer means a whole lotta good things at the market.  I had been told before I even got to the GCM that Mick Klug had some amazing strawberries.  When I got there they were all sold out.  Not a big deal as Seedling, Green Gate Garden, and Green Acres all had amazing strawberries.   I had met Beth who (along with her husband Brett) runs Green Acres some years ago when I worked at Nightwood.  Their farm's story is really cool and I wanna share it with you now in a little section I call....

                         Meet the Farmers

Green Acres, owned by Beth and Brent Eccles, has a unique history. Beth’s grandfather, a Japanese immigrant, moved to Indiana in the late 1930s and began a small truck farm, selling Asian vegetables to restaurants and stores in Chicago’s Chinatown. His son, Ben, took over the farming operation in 1969 and continued his father’s wholesale business for the next 35 years. Beth and her husband, Brent, began farming in 1996. Meeting Abby Mandel at the Best of the Midwest Market inspired the couple to bring their sustainably raised food to farmer's markets in Chicago. Expanding on the Asian vegetable niche, they also grow more than 500 varieties of heirloom vegetables, fruits, and specialty greens. With two daughters, Beth and Brent are proud to continue the family tradition of farming.  (Bio from Green City Market Website)

 

Their strawberries are really tart but in a good way with an earthy sweetness.  I am thinking both gin and whiskey could work well...or maybe genever the slightly funky product of Holland to pair with these berries for my weekly Market Cocktail. 

One final note.  When you find yourself at Green City make sure to go to the back to Hoosier Mama Pie Company and get yourself a sausage hand pie.  Like my buddy Michael Simon would say, "These Pies are Baller!"

Gio's Julep

Right off the bat I found that the Green Gate Garden peppermint and Fernet Branca were indeed a very good match.  The menthol found in each made them partners.  The problem, however, is that while I like Fernet hot and out of any vessel clean or dirty...others find it kind of cloying and strong.  I don't really make drinks for myself but rather the nice people that come in and pay for them.  You can get clientele that never drink gin to pledge allegiance to the juniper plant (and the Queen of England for that matter) if you make a gin cocktail that's balanced.  Such is the case with every spirit outside of Rumple Minze.  Is Rumple Minze one word or two?  I am glad I don't know the answer.   Anyway,  I began to try to balance the Fernet and mint with other ingredients.  Fortunately, I have no shortage of taste testers and sampling my "experiments" has a very positive effect on my staff's disposition.  Especially, a certain hostess who's critiques of good, better, and best help quite a bit.  In the end sweet and spicy ginger beer and the late addition of Carpano Antica were the key(s).  So for your face I present Gio's Julep....

Muddled Green Gate Garden Peppermint

Crushed Ice

Fernet Branca

Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

Lemon Juice

Sugar

Ginger Beer

Peppermint to Garnish

The name is short for Giovanni and hints at this libation's Italian roots.  This cocktail is also in honor of a food runner from The Gage named Gio who is actually not Italian at all and calls me Presidente Clinton.  I gave him Fernet one night for his shift drink and he proclaimed it to be..."good". 

Here Comes the Sun.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the GCM last week.  You see after weeks of cold weather we had this torrential downpour and although I tried to get to the market I got drenched hailing a cab.  The weather was so bad last week that even the vendors at the market shut it down early.  But this week the mood at the GCM was considerably different.  The weather was actually nice and it was busy! Of course there was the requisite bongo playing to keep everybody in the mood......

However,  months of unseasonably cold weather can't get instantly tempered by a few days of sunshine.  There was still a lot of asparagus(es?), rhubarb, and mountains of arugula.  But now, we have some cool baby vegetables and finally I am starting to see some bulk herbs.  Daniel Fagerstrom of Green Gate Garden had some of the coolest looking wares on hand.

This peppermint is beautiful and I snatched it up immediately.  Cocktails with mint seem like a no brainer but even as Daniel was bagging it up I knew it might be a challenge.  To some folks mint is mint.  But there are many different types and even sub-categories of this green herb.  At a basic level the mint you and I enjoy in a mojito or julep is most often spearmint (which has many different types itself) which is a little sweeter and more pungent.  Peppermint can be said to be a little more sharp and definitely more herbaceous.  Also, as Daniel pointed out, peppermint is where menthol is actually derived, not spearmint.  One of my favorite liqueurs is Fernet Branca and it is known for its heavy dose of menthol.  Maybe some type of Italian Julep will work here?  Can't wait to find out.  Oh, and Happy Birthday Nancy Von Tolley!