Spirit Forward
One of the greatest things about Kathy is that she likes to change the rules as she goes. For example, why call it a champagne cocktail when you can call it a Sparkletini? Or sometimes she admits that she would rather shake than stir, commenting that sometimes the little bits and pieces are exactly what she is looking for in a drink. When it comes to muddling, Kathy says, “If you ever see any bartender muddling with ice- they are going to cocktail hell.” And all the rules are broken when it comes to garnishing Kathy Casey style. For example, no maraschino cherries are in sight. Only a toothpick-speared, gold luster dusted Amarena cherry will do for a garnish in her Number 1 Manhattan.
Many of Kathy’s drinks are “spirit forward,” meaning they contain a high amount of alcohol, but because they are so well balanced, they sneak up on you. Kathy’s Manhattan is a combination of rye whiskey, red vermouth and St. Germaine liqueur, poured over ice and stirred by way of “dancing spoon” technique, then strained with a julep strainer into a martini glass. Kathy’s dancing spoon technique involves the slow, up and down twist and stir action of a tall bar spoon in the ice-filled pint glass. I love this lighter, sweeter Manhattan and with the gold luster dusted Amarena cherry bobbing on the top, I’m on the verge of sticking my pinky out. Then the nibbles arrive from the Sorrento kitchen.
The plate of bites included a brioche grilled cheese sandwich, a rosemary and balsamic tomato cup of soup, a scotch egg that was perfectly salted and a steak and pepper crostini.
Kathy says, when it comes to planning a party, buy a selection of beer and wine and pick just one signature cocktail and stick with it. Make batches of cocktails ahead of time and put it in a lovely pretty glass bottle and make it easy on yourself, because everyone wants to have fun and enjoy the party. Her other tips include using fresh lemon juice when you can and making your own simple syrup.
The evening wraps up with a very content bar top, we’ve had some crafted cocktails, some tasty bites and we have all learned a thing or two about cocktails. Perhaps the happiest person at the bar, was a woman whose only association with gin previously was a Tanqueray and tonic from her college days, who said, “You have allowed me to love gin again.” Cheers to that.
A Lesson in Chartreuse
Kathy and her executive assistant Jill set 12 more pint glasses on the bar to get ready for the next drink, the Green-Eye Daiquiri. The daiquiri, made famous by Ernest Hemmingway in the 1940s was originally made with white rum, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and fresh lime juice. Now when someone hears the word daiquiri, our minds instantly think of the frothy, blended drink you find someone sipping poolside. “Forget the blender!” Kathy says, “I take out every blender when I’m behind the bar.” Kathy’s Green-Eyed Daiquiri is made with Chartreuse. Like most of Kathy’s cocktails, she leaves her signature on every drink. Not only is Kathy’s daiquiri served up, it’s shaken with fresh mint and thyme leaves.
“Who here has had Chartreuse before?” She asks the bar top. I only see three hands go up and it’s not that surprising, it’s a potent liqueur that has come around again as one of the hot ingredients in new cocktails. The lines begin to blur between kitchen and bar as Kathy starts to pull apart fresh thyme sprigs. It smells like Thanksgiving. While talking about the importance of releasing an herb’s oils she says, “ I’m not a leaf picker, I just tear it and throw it in.” Like a great teacher, her tools are an extension of her hands and she is smiling while measuring, garnishing while speaking and all while never missing a beat.
So what is Chartreuse? Lucky for us, Kathy’s assistant Jill just took a class on the subject. Apparently, three French monks know the recipe for Chartreuse, but each only know a third of the recipe, so the story goes. Jill explains that the color of Chartreuse is named after the liquor, not after the color. After all, the liqueur is 500 years old. There are two main types of Chartreuse, the classic green and then the lesser known, yellow Chartreuse. Both types of Chartreuse are made from 115 different types of herbs, the only difference between the two are the amounts in each.
“I think it adds a sophisticated flavor,” says Kathy. “Chartreuse also goes really well with chocolate.”
There is no doubt that Kathy’s Green-eyed Daquiri tastes sophisticated. It’s layered with flavors. And again she has succeeded with balancing such intense combinations like fresh thyme and Chartreuse together.
Holding the drink in my hand is like holding a bouquet of herbs while standing near a eucalyptus plant- in a good way. You can barely smell the mint over the Chartreuse. The drink is herby, not too sweet and slightly tart.
Speaking of herbs, someone at the bar asks “So why does everyone love Jagermeister? Everyone laughs and they all agree that it must be purely the alcohol content- why else do so many people drink it?
The Douglas Fir Sparkletini
You would never know that it was a miserable, wet and windy Seattle November evening outside with all the warmth and coziness going on around the Hunt Club bar. The sold out bar top for this evening’s Drinking Lessons is made up mostly of women. Like me, many of them are hoping to soak up some of Kathy’s creative cocktail wisdom and apply it to their next cocktail party. The first drink of the evening is a Douglas Fir Sparkletini. It calls for Douglas fir infused gin- Kathy is big on infusions- but she tells us to never infuse alcohol for more than 24 hours.
A clear glass of fresh cranberries and a container of small fir branches sit next to 12 pint glasses on the bar, it not only looks like Christmas, it smells like it too. The Douglas Fir Sparkletini is the ultimate holiday cocktail. Light, sparkling, not too sweet with perfectly balanced gin.
At first I thought it was odd to add Douglas fir to an already pine-y flavored alcohol, but it’s so lovely- and with the right balance of tart and sweet of the simple syrup and lemon juice- it’s quite refreshing. When the fir garnish gets close to the nose as you take a sip, it’s like someone opening the window on a road trip to the Northwest ski slopes. Super fresh.
Kathy Casey at the Hunt Club, Fresh from Dubai
Kathy Casey is dressed in all in black and if you didn’t know any better, you may think she was an employee of the Sorrento Hotel, as she is dressed just like the servers and bartenders in the Hunt Club bar; in head to toe black. But on closer inspection there is no denying that she deserves a stage all her own. Kathy has a dominant presence, she is a woman force behind the bar, one who speaks and moves with experience. Not only has she taught many bartenders how to make drinks, she is one of the pioneers of what we call the new American cocktail.
Recently back from putting her cocktail stamp on a Fairmont hotel in Dubai, Kathy tells us about the variety of ingredients brought in from all over the world that were provided just for her recipe creations. With a vast array of ingredients and unlimited barware, she said it was a like a playground to experiment in. So next time you are in a Fairmont Hotel, check to see who created your cocktail- likely the recipe came from Kathy Casey.
Kathy Casey Pioneer of Creative Cocktails
Kathy Casey doesn’t mess around when it comes to making quality cocktails. She has arrived at the Hunt Club bar and she has brought two assistants to help her set up. She is after all, a cocktail pro.
Sazerac Was Invented in New Orleans and Reinvented in Seattle
Since Hakkenin has devoted this Drinking Lesson to American bourbons, he ends the evening with another American original, the Sazerac. The Sazerac cocktail was invented in New Orleans, in fact as of 2008 it was named the Official Cocktail of the City of New Orleans. Over the years, the Sazerac has been made with a variety of liquors including Pastis and even rum, but classically, it was made with cognac. Hakkenin’s version is made with rye.
After filling each pint glass with ice, he poured in two ounces of Thomas Hardy rye, four dashes Peychaud bitters and one teaspoon of simple syrup. Then stirred. He coated 12 rocks glasses with Herbsaint liquor and poured the cocktails into each serving glass and garnished with an orange twist. As Hakkenin handed each person a drink, he said with a grin, “It’s a deceptively small glass.”
I asked the woman next to me what she tasted first. She said “A little bit of lemon and a lot of the herbs from the Herbsaint, you can smell the herbs before you even drink it.” Hakkenin’s version of the Sazerac is pretty intense, it’s big. Not something you would drink with breakfast, but definitely something to sip during Thanksgiving. Everyone is happily smiling while sipping their Sazerac and listening to Hakkenin travels in New Orleans, when a women walks in and recognizes a patron at the bar. I overhear her say to her friend “Oh, it looks like you have had a good lesson.”
Erik’s Manhattan
Hakkenin sets out 12 pint glasses on the bar and fills each with ice. Next he pours two ounces of Elmer T. Lee bourbon, one ounce of Carpano Antica vermouth and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Next he uses a long bar spoon to stir each drink with precision. While Hakkenin is stirring each Manhattan, an antique looking wine bottle is passed down the bar like discovered buried treasure. Everyone wants to hold it, write down the name and discuss its contents. Carpano Antica vermouth, is an aromatic, smooth and multi-layered vermouth from Italy. Hakkenin pours each drink through a strainer and into martini glasses. “Sorry there is no garnish,” he says, I’m not a huge proponent of the neon cherry.” Hakkenin’s Manhattan is cinnamon and ruby colored and smells like a basket of potpourri. The woman to my left cries out “That taste just like Christmas!” No doubt this Manhattan tastes spicier than any other I have had. Another person says , unlike other Manhattans, the bourbon isn’t the dominant flavor, perhaps that’s because it’s balanced.
Then the nibbles arrive. A mini grilled cheese and rosemary-tomato soup, a small sample of crunchy fried chicken with buttery mashed potatoes and a little bite of steak with sautéed shiitakes. It seems to make sense to pair retro-food with retro drinks. The conversation turns to the differences between cognac and Armagnac, different appellations, different soil profiles and different juice. We learn that cognac is sweeter and can be aged longer. The Hunt Club is getting crowded; it’s almost standing room only now. I lean in close to hear about the history of the next drink, the Sazerac.
Women Money Power
Hakkenin jokes with Michael Hebb on why he chose to get into bartending; women, money, power he says smiling while looking at his girlfriend sitting at the corner of the bar. Looking at Hakkenin, you would check his ID before letting him into a bar, yet we are all here paying to absorb his knowledge. “I’ve been bartending for 10 years,” says Hakkenin, and a person accross from him at the bar says “Oh since you were 12 then?” and the bar errupts into laughter. With Hakkenin’s baby face, it wouldn’t be unusual if he heard that everyday. He may be young, but from the way he speaks about flavors, history and explains the background about each drink and every liquor, you would think he had a Ph. D in cocktail culture.
A Bourbon Sour with Eggwhites is Surprisingly Smooth
Hakkinen stands behind the bar and says I’d bet if you went into ANY bar in Seattle and asked for a bourbon sour, it wouldn’t be shaken with an egg white. This I think is true. So why is he making all of us one? Besides the smooth flavor, Hakkinen likes to shake bourbon sours with a fresh egg white because of the protein balance. “I don’t suck it down so fast, I tend to enjoy it more. “
Hakkinen shakes Bulleit bourbon, lemon juice, fresh egg white and simple syrup and pours it through a strainer into a martini glass. “Generally any drink with egg whites is always shaken with ice and served up. ” Hakkinen also follows the rule that all drinks with citrus are shaken, but all dark liquors should be stirred.
When he set the creamy colored cocktail in front of me, it didn’t look like many bourbon sours I have had before. Reminding me of an adult Orange Julius in texture. This one was smooth, and smelled like vanilla. My nose inhaled the orange wheel on the rim which added to my experience, which was very bourbon and not so sour.
You can find the unique recipe here:
A Buzz in the Air
There are more people in the bar during this Night School than others, perhaps it’s the weather. Bourbon weather. Erik Hakkinen, is tonight’s bartender; medium build, quick with a smile and charming as all get out. My co-writer Helen says to me, would you call him a mixologist?- he looks more like a bartender. Hakkinen is dressed in a grey slacks, striped dress shirt, tie and vest. His hair is perfectly combed- somewhere I read that he dressed up like Clark Kent for Halloween- a dead ringer.
