Celebrity Sips

James Bond

This is the first Celebrity Sips devoted to a fictional character. However, if there is any fictional, fantastical character to fit the bill, it’s James Bond. From the marvelous mind of writer, Ian Fleming, came the man men want to be and the man women want to… well, you get the picture.

Fleming first created the Bond character in 1953 and wrote numerous novels and short stories featuring him. James Bond exploded into icon status in American pop-culture when first personified by none-other than swoon-inducing Sean Connery in 1962. Subsequent actors portraying British Agent 007 include: George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

Today, the world waits with baited breath and giddy anticipation to see actor Daniel Craig take on the legendary role in the twenty first official film, Casino Royale.

The modern return to classic glamour permeates all levels today’s hip-factor, and epitomized in the way we drink. In honor of Casino Royale, Smirnoff Vodka Cocktail Consultant, Cameron Bogue brings back the original Vesper Martini, named for Bond girl, Vesper Lynd (portrayed by Eva Green). Vodka is a long-standing staple in the world of Fleming-style espionage entertainment. The Bond character first called for a vodka martini at the Casino Royale-les-Eaux in the original novel, Casino Royale, and bottles of Smirnoff Vodka are seen in the first Bond flick, Dr. No, in 1962.

In our recent interview, Bogue points out, “Before Bond ordered his martini “shaken,” cocktails were stirred.” Cameron indicates that James Bond’s sophisticated and assertive style influenced pop-culture to such an extent that the current generation of bartenders and mixologists shake their cocktails.

So fellas, before heading off to the cinema tonight, stir up a little pre-film fun with Cameron’s version of these classic cocktails, and impress your date. After all, no girl can resist a Bond-man!

Classic 007 Martini
1 1/4 oz. Smirnoff® Vodka
Splash of dry vermouth
Shake well with ice, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Cameron says: “Classic and smooth, just like Bond himself. Master making this martini and it is easy to make your own variations.”

The Vesper
3/4 oz. Gordon’s Gin
1/4 oz. Smirnoff® Vodka
Splash of Lillet Blanc or dry vermouth
Shake well with ice, and serve in a martini glass garnished with a large thin slice of lemon peel.

Cameron says: “The best of both worlds for those enjoy both vodka and gin martinis. Bond ordered his martinis with a lemon peel garnish, but you can also garnish with a maraschino cherry, orange or olive.”


Smirnoff® Modern Martini
1 oz. Smirnoff® Vodka
1/4 oz. Triple Sec
1/4 oz. Pinot Grigio
Shaken, not stirred and served up with flamed orange zest for garnish.

Cameron says: “Many classic cocktails use sherry or vermouth for acid balance. I wanted to use ingredients available in every bar so I decided to try Pinot Grigio. And, flamed orange zest is a classic garnish.”

Shut Up and Drink Your Sushi

Do you remember this Reeses peanut butter cup commercial?

“You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!
You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!”

Now, substitute "sushi" for "peanut butter" and "cocktail" for "chocolate" and you are close to describing the concept behind Mixologist, Cameron Bogue’s new cocktail.

It is one of the most crazy (as in crazy cool) things I have seen, heard about or tried in a long time.

As Grand Prize winner of Smirnoff Vodka’s cocktail competition, last year, he became their official company Mixologist for a 12+ month term. With that time drawing to a close, I was intrigued to hear some of the cocktail trends he has come across during his travels around the world.

Among the many fun things he is trying out, his Deconstructed Mixology is particularly intriguing.

A Vegas resident, Bogue was in LA a couple of weeks ago. During our meeting at a divey bar in Los Feliz, Cameron asked if I’d like to try one of his new cocktails and referenced a sushi tray which has been sitting on the table throughout our chat. Baffled, I watched him pull off the plastic lid, and hold it out to me, offering me a piece of what looked like tuna.

“This is the cocktail?” I incredulously marveled.

Ok… I apologize in advance for not being able to explain all the technical jargon Cameron pulled out while he was explaining how he did this. Frankly, I was so busy being blown away at how neat (yes, NEAT) this was that I only half heard. (Lord knows, I don't intend to try it at home, anyway…)

Basically, the “rice” is lychee puree, the tuna is made from Smirnoff’s new blueberry (antioxidants!) vodka. He used other flavored vodkas for the other kinds of sushi. He even used alcohol-soaked apple slices to create something that looks like ginger. The ingredients all together make one big martini – type drink.

All I can say is “Wow.”

Reeses ain’t got nothing on this guy.

*Photo courtesy of Sminoff vodka

Mixology Monday - A Little Sustenance with the Sauce...

You Won't Leave This Party Hungry!

Wow! What an awesome response to MixMo! This is the first time I’ve hosted one, and I have to admit that it was a little daunting to come up with a theme. So, I went with my heart (or maybe it was my stomach…) and chose a topic which increasingly intrigues me…

Cocktail and food pairings are a creative way to individualize each person’s dining experience. For example, four dinner companions may order four very different meals – in fact, so different that one bottle of wine wouldn’t work for every meal. I’m sure you’ll all be impressed with the many mout-watering suggestions below. Pull up a chair, tie a napkin around your neck, grab a glass and hold on tight! It’s MixMo!

I always like to begin a dinner party with a little bubbly. The “pop” of a champagne cork always sets the mood! I recently created a cocktail for the launch of Napa’s Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé. (I'll be getting a professional photo of this cocktail but haven’t yet, so I “borrowed” this pic from Starchefs, as it looks a teesy bit, kinda sorta similar.)

Cocktail: Bouquet of Rosé

1/2 ounce Scence Rose Nectar
4 ounces Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé
spritz of rose water
Sprig of fresh lavender

Spritz a chilled champagne bowl* (or martini glass) with rose water. Pour in rose nectar and Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé.

Aromatic Garnish: Lay a sprig of fresh lavender across the top of the glass.
*Because aromatics are an essential ingredient in this cocktail, a wide-mouthed glass is preferable.

Pairing: The LA launch party began at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and it was served with wonderful little lobster canapés, oysters and mini truffle risottos.

Drumroll Please... Here are everyone's submissions for a tasty meal from around the globe (including an encore performance). Cheers! Skol! Prost! Salud! (and Bon Apetit!)

Before Dinner:

Whet your appetite with a favorite bar snack! Darcy O’Neil brings a little science to the Art of Drink pairing, featuring his Light Green Fizz with Pretzels.

Hors D’oeuvres:

Anna at Morsels and Musings sent in this super cool round up of cocktail pairings with canapes at bars around Sydney, Australia. The pear-influenced martini with tuna ceviche sounds bloody fantastic, mate!

Soup:

Craig (aka: Dr. Bamboo) managed to send over a little “food porn.” I mean, am I really alone in getting all hot-and-bothered over Celery & Stilton Soup? Sexy it up even more with a martini: shaken, not stirred…

Salad:

A big, whopping to Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Morgenthaler who took time out of his celebration to send in his MixMo pairing. Such skill! Such dedication. You may be getting on in age, Jeffrey, but at least ya ain’t losin’ your touch, old buddy.

Fish:

I love salmon – and never had it wrapped in Parma ham… but now that I’ve read Jay Hepburn’s pairing, I can’t wait to try it with this “Martini Variation.” Oh gosh! A Jolly good idea, I dare say!

Blaire ‘Trader Tiki’ Reynolds sends us this exotic poisson cru and a tiki cocktail. (It gave me fantasies of running off to the South Pacific.)

Paul Clarke, Granddaddy of the MixMo, out did himself, as usual, with this salmon kedgeree and cocktail pairing (using one of the new ginger liqueurs, too)… Nobody chronicles the joy of cocktails like Cocktail Chronicles.

How about a little Absinthe? That's what Jamie Boudreau has used in the Dutchess cocktail paired with prawns over at Spirits and Cocktails.

Pasta:

Bar Mix Master, Brad Ellis represents The Big Easy in this month’s MixMo by pairing a twist on a Manhattan with Pastalaya. Wondering what the heck that is? Find out here.

Meat-n-More:

In Cocktail Land, we know Shawn by his drink blog, Rejiggered. Well, this Clarke Kent-like 'lawyer-by-day-blogger-by-night ' has now added a food blog to his repertoire. Get the low down on his MixMo drink at the usual spot, and the recipe for the intoxicating sauce (as in for the steak, not the glass) at The Biased Cut.

Deb Ward tempts and teases those of us who are hungry in L.A. with her food blog: Let’s Order / Dinner at Six. I extend a sunny So-Cal welcome to this first-time MixMo “purist.”

Anita & Cameron at Married With Dinner share more than a blissful life together. They also both have a passion for all that’s meaty, slathered and shaken.

He got me at: “Jalapeño short ribs, marinated in pomegranate molasses and bourbon, and mac and cheese.” Then, he paired it with whiskey. And, there is so much more! Feast on course after course of pairings with Michael Dietsch at A Dash of Bitters.

Meatless:

Gwen is our online Goddess who oversees the sun, moon and stars when it comes to pairing cocktails with astrology at Intoxicating Zodiac. In this post, she worked a little tofu into MixMo. (You can also learn how to ward off those pesky deer...)

Got No Freakin' Idea What This is But I'm Sure It's Good:

I am honored to present the first MixMo entry in a language other than English! Christian, from Bavaria, Germany, sent us this drink pairing featuring “wodka” and some other stuff, measured in centiliters, no less.

Dessert:

Let’s top this all off with an elegant dessert from Dominik MJ, the Opinionated Alchemist. Here’s a hint: there’s a gin-hibiscus infusion and lemon… well, just check it out for yourselves!

You’ll want to get Sloshed with Marleigh Riggins’ Cookie Martini (to go with a Chocolate Dipped Harvest Biscotti, no less!)

Drop off to sleep tonight with a big, fat smile and dream of a million fuzzy little sheep after Cynthia Closkey’s Hot Toddy and Oatmeal cookie. It makes me long for snow in North Hollywood, just so I can snuggle by a fire with this cozy pairing.

Midnight Snack:

Former Smirnoff Mixologist, Cameron Bogue, is blogging his bike tour through Latin America - on a motorcycle - at MotoTails. Don’t hate him because he’s living the beautiful life. Just eat and drink vicariously through his MixMo entry. (Just try not to cry when you finish reading about his adventures, and you’re still sitting in that cubicle…)

But Wait... There's More!

Erik at Egullet was kind enough to send over a whole slew of pairings their readers sent in. Don’t touch that dial. These are awesome!

eGullet member bostonapothecary mused over food and cocktail pairings, remembering a fairly successful combination of Carolina pulled pork sandwiches and Mojitos.

Peter the eater recalled an odd device which allowed him to carbonate any alcoholic beverages. One of his favorites was carbonated port wine served with blue cheese.

Natter suggested pairing rich foods with high acid cocktails.

Katie Loeb (aka KatieLoeb) detailed a recent dinner where she paired cocktails with each course.

Erik Ellestad (aka eje) took a predictable route, pairing the vermouth and sherry based Bamboo with cheese and nuts.

Andy Arrington (aka thirtyoneknots) has had some luck pairing a cucumber, lemon, and gin combination he calls "Scottish Cool" with a sashimi trio.

Can You Spot Taste?

Visit Tastespotting and you don't even have to answer that question...

When I notice a spike in TLM traffic, I follow the link back to see from whence it came. Tastespotting's Entry #1659 links to my post "Shut Up and Drink Your Sushi" reporting on Smirnoff Mixologist, Cameron Bogue's De-Constructed Cocktail.

Man, am I glad to have come across that site. If a stylish food and drink website appeals to your sensibilites, Tastespotting is definitely one to bookmark!