The Philadelphia City Paper's Meal Ticket Blog – 07.29.2009
Recipes from last night’s ROOT mix-off at Silk City
Fifteen of the city’s most notorious tenders bar took their talents to the mat last night for the Art in the Age ROOT cocktail competition. ROOT, developed by Stephen Grasse and covered by City Paper’s Trey Popp back in June, is a liquid imagining of the direction American spirits could have taken had they not had their roll halted by Prohibition.
A distinguished panel of judges, including Art Etchells of Foobooz, Victor Fiorillo of Philadelphia Magazine, noted sommelier and author Marnie Old and Southwark general manager George Costa, evaluated the competitor’s offerings on taste, presentation and originality.
Oyster House head bartender Katie Loeb took the day, winning a $400 Art in the Age gift certificate with her “Dr. Hadley’s ROOT Restorative”– a blend of ROOT with Laird’s Bonded Applejack, Benedictine, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters and freshening mint leaves and lime juice. Read Katie’s winning recipe below; every contestant’s recipe appears after the jump.
Katie Loeb (Oyster House)
“Dr. Hadley’s ROOT Restorative”
.5 oz. Demerara simple syrup
6 large mint leaves
1.25 oz. Lairds Bonded (100 proof) Applejack
1.0 oz. ROOT Liqueur
.5 oz. Benedictine
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
2 dashes Fee Brother’s Aztec Chocolate bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish: Mint sprig Muddle mint in simple syrup. Add ice and other ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a spanked mint sprig.
Anders Larson (700 Club)
“unknown”
1 oz ROOT
1 oz clear rum
1/2 oz lemon juice
Mint, lemongrass, lavender, ginger, smoked tea.
Mint garnish
Lauren Phillips (Alfa)
“Bamba Shack”
1 1/2 oz ROOT
1/2 oz spiced rum
1 oz Creme Coconut
Pineapple juice
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
Fresh nutmeg
Shake all ingredients and pour into a Hurricane glass. Top with a dash more fresh nutmeg and garnish with an umbrella.
Robert Cutler (Chris’ Jazz Café)
“Rootbeer Barrel”
2 oz ROOT
2 oz brandy or cognac
Tablespoon of Chantilly Cream
Splash of Creme DE Cacao
Dash of Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Shavings
Wash glass with Creme de cacao. Add root, brandy, Chantilly, and vanilla extract to a shaker of ice. Shake vigorously. Strain contents into cocktail glass. Garnish with Chantilly rim and chocolate shavings.
Colin Shearn (Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company)
“Dr. Maloney’s Restorative Elixir”
2 oz. ROOT
1 oz. Punt E Mes
.5 oz. Campari
5 dashes Vieux Carre
3 dashes orange bitters
stir/strain/coupe
orange twist
Adrian Cane (London Grill)
“Dr’s Orders”
1.5 oz ROOT
2 oz Cuvee de Cordoz from Brooklyn
4 drops orange bitters
2 oz Dr Pepper
1/4 oz Vieux Carre Absinthe
Rachel Brind (Mary Oaks)
“Steeped in Mystery”
1 pt. ROOT
1 pt. Jacquin’s creme de cacao
2 pts. Godiva white chocolate liqueur
2 pts. Earl Grey tea (cold)
grated fresh ginger
Chilled and served up in a cocoa-powder rimmed martini glass with John & Kira’s Ginger and Bergamot dark chocolate truffles as garnishes.
Dave Marks (N. 3rd)
“Ginger Root Sling”
1 oz ROOT
1 oz Blue Coat Gin
1/2 oz Cherry Liqueur
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 Lime
Spl Angostura Bitters
Spl Grenadine
Served on rocks in a goblet, garnished with a lime wedge.
Christian Gaal (Noble: An American Cookery)
“Pennsyltucky Smash”
1 oz. ROOT
1 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
shaken on crushed ice with 7-10 smacked mint leaves. Serve in rocks glass, garnish with mint sprig
Andres Sanchez (Positano Coast)
“Black Mamba”
1 1/2 oz. Square One
1 oz. ROOT
1.5 oz. Black berry Boiron puree
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. Black plum pepper syrup
Garnish with lemon thyme
Stan Butovetskiy (PYT)
“R.Y.T”-(Rooty Young Thing)
2 oz. ROOT
1/4 oz. Van Stoli
1/2 oz. Cointreu
3/8 oz. Bailey’s
Dash of bitters
3/8 oz. Simple Syrup
Lemon twist
Adam Kanter (Rum Bar)
“Root Mango Lassi”
1.5 oz ROOT
1 oz El Dorado rum cream
4 oz mango nectar
.5 oz cardamon syrup
Fresh nutmeg to garnish
Indhira Torres (Silk City)
“Fresa Frisa”
1 oz. Root
1 oz. St. Germain
splash fresh lemon
splash sugar
1 Strawberries muddled
1 Lychee muddled
Splash of club soda
On the Rocks
Doug Fitz (Snack Bar)
“Root 76”
1 1/2 oz. Jim Beam
1 oz. ROOT
1/2 oz. Chartreuse
teaspoon brown sugar
3 to 4 oz of the combined teas (a little more of the caramel than mint)
Stephen Siebert (Village Whiskey)
“The Home Team”
1 oz. ROOT
1 oz. Pikesville Rye infused with German carafa malt and goldings hops
1/2 oz. fair trade cane sugar simple syrup
2 oz. heavy cream
2 barspoons Los Dazantes Mezcal
Dash chocolate mole bitters
combine all and stir in crushed ice to chill. Garnish with licorice stick and microplaned nutmeg.
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The Philadelphia City Paper’s Meal Ticket Blog
