School Your Friends in Food
Diners today want to know more about what’s on their plate and in their glass, so we went to food school this week. Read up, and then drop some knowledge on your friends during your next night out.
Craft Cocktails with Trevor Frye
Craft cocktails are getting as complex as a Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle, so we brought in an expert. Trevor Frye is the ringleader of Dram & Grain—the reservations-only cocktail den inside Jack Rose Dining Saloon. We chatted with him from Portland Cocktail Week where he’s taking classes to get even craftier.
Q. Why is my bartender slapping around those herbs?
A. “Two botanicals that need to be spanked are mint and basil. When you muddle them, it breaks down their molecular composition and they become bitter. Smacking them brings out brighter flavor.”
Q. Is there a tiny bush in my drink?
A. “No. A ‘shrub’ is a mixture of a fruit, vegetable or spice that’s combined with vinegar and sugar. Vinegar acts as a preservative. Its purpose is often to displace citrus in a cocktail.”
Q. What the heck is fat-washing?
A. “You can get a lot of cool flavor from animal fat; the most common is probably bacon-washed bourbon. It’s an infusion that requires an ice bath afterwards, which allows the fat to congeal and be scraped off, leaving behind only flavor. Done right, it’s awesome.”
