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1、food by jenn garbee, special to the times may 21, 2008 cocktailsa summer twist on pisco sour, caipirinha cocktailskirk mckoy / los angeles timestake a trip down south: variations on classic south american cocktails such as pisco sours (a frothy citrus cocktail) and caipirinhas (a potent brazilian sp

2、ecialty) are appearing on cocktail menus all over town, and theyre a cinch to make at home for a crowd.chefs and bartenders are getting into the festive spirit of the classic south american drinks with fresh ingredients that pack a fruity, fragrant panache.youve stuffed dozens of chilean empanadas d

3、e pino (savory wheat pastries with spiced beef and onions), scoured online for a clay pot to cook an authentic brazilian moqueca (seafood and coconut milk stew), and downloaded enough bossa nova tracks to last until the wee hours. all you need to get your guests inner samba dancers moving is some of

4、f-the-beaten-path summer cocktails packed with fresh fruit and herbs. aguardiente (fire water) to the rescue. variations on classic south american cocktails such as pisco sours (a frothy citrus cocktail) and caipirinhas (a potent brazilian specialty) are appearing on cocktail menus all over town, an

5、d theyre a cinch to make at home for a crowd.pisco, the base for the pisco sour, is a grape brandy similar to grappa. its found in the winemaking regions of chile (where its aged in oak barrels), as well as in peru (where its aged in clay pots).the origin of the pisco sour is hotly debated (both cou

6、ntries claim it as their national cocktail). most likely the drink - chilean or peruvian pisco, egg whites and dash of bitters - was first shaken up in the 1920s as a whiskey sour alternative.the backbone of a caipirinha is cachaa, a brazilian rum made from freshly pressed sugar cane juice thats typ

7、ically light and fruity. caipirinhas have an equally elusive history in brazil. cachaa production is traceable to 16th century portuguese sugar cane plantations, but discussions about the origins of the cocktail are speculative. as brazilian restaurants in the u.s. have become popular in recent year

8、s, the caipirinha, a refreshingly simple combination of muddled limes, sugar and cachaa has been appearing on cocktail menus.cocktails at playeither cachaa and pisco is a winning match for summer citrus and fresh herbs, and both are inexpensive, usually less than $25 - affordable enough to keep thos

9、e caipirinhas and pisco sours going all night.co-owner and chef mary sue milliken says she was turned on to both cocktails 10 years ago after a vacation in chile. theyre such festive drinks, and so easy too. for a caipirinha, you smash the fruit in a glass, add a little cachaa and sugar, and pisco i

10、s so clean and lovely you just need lemon juice and sugar.from there, its easy to play around with the classic recipes. in the tongue-twisting caipitetra, milliken substitutes muddled oranges and mint for the caipirinhas limes and uses fragrant honey instead of sugar to give the cocktail a floral ed

11、ge. but she doesnt completely forgo lime juice - a generous squeeze is included for acidity and balance. for a pretty do-ahead patio brunch refresher, you can juice the oranges ahead of time and muddle the orange wedges and mint - mash them several times with a muddler or the back of a spoon - befor

12、e those empanadas are even out of the oven.cachaa has a sweeter, lighter flavor than rum, with a fruity, fresh quality, so it works really well with things like strawberries and mango, not just citrus, says philip spee, bar manager at at the beverly hills hotel.its that fragrant aroma and flavor tha

13、t makes cachaa a natural partner with berries and tropical fruits.at ortega 120, a new latin-fusion restaurant in redondo beach opening this weekend, co-owner demetra stevens packs enough fresh raspberries, strawberries and chunks of pineapple and peaches to fill a pint glass when she makes the caip

14、irinha do fruta. she vigorously shakes the raspberries with cachaa until they dissolve to lend a pretty pink hue; the remaining fruit floats in the cocktail as a drinkable spiked fruit salad.at table 8 in los angeles, the pomegranate caipirinha - a mix of pomegranate juice, lime and cachaa - is deci

15、dedly more straightforward but no less festive.lime lovers experiment by playing around with herbal additions to the classic caipirinha. sweet basil with its anise note lends a just-picked, sweet-and-savory flavor to spees thaipirinha. you could also muddle fresh thai or lemon basil for your own var

16、iation. or try a version with mint, a close cousin to basil that lends a refreshing, cooling quality to what is essentially a summer mojito with lighter, fragrant cachaa substituted for the rum.fruitful experimentsto make a similar version at home, muddle your fresh herb of choice (spee plans to exp

17、eriment with cilantro next) with quartered limes and simple syrup. fill a shaker with ice and add the cachaa, shake well and strain into an ice-filled glass. for a lighter cocktail, top off the drink with a splash of soda.according to ray srp, master mixologist for the bellagio in las vegas, pisco i

18、s a little more mellow than cachaa with a dry, fruity flavor from the grapes. its more akin to vodka, although more aromatic but with the same versatility, so you can use it with a variety of fruits.at the bellagio, srp serves a tasting flight of three pisco sours: lime, pomegranate and passion frui

19、t. when experimenting with tropical fruits, he recommends adding the tartness of lemon or lime to temper the tendency for tropical cocktails to become too soft. (which citrus depends on your palate. peruvians typically use lime juice, but in chile, lemon juice is more common. and of course, some var

20、ieties of lime are lemony.)srps sideways sour is a play on piscos origin in grapes, adding white grape juice and pinot noir (he recommends a jammy california pinot to lend body). a shot of orange-scented cointreau liqueur complements the fruity nose of the pisco - a generous pour of assertive sweet

21、and sour (lemon juice and simple syrup) prevents the cocktail from being cloying.to make the dramatic cocktail for a party, combine the pisco, orange liqueur, grape juice and sweet and sour in a pitcher and pour over ice into cocktail glasses. before handing a drink to each guest, slowly pour the wi

22、ne over the back of a spoon so it floats on top (go ahead and use a good-quality pinot; it can serve double duty as the dinner wine). hand over the crimson-kissed cocktail, turn up the samba music, and settle in to enjoy sophisticated south american flair.foodlatimes kirk mckoy / los angeles timesju

23、st the right touch of drama: combine the pisco, orange liqueur, grape juice and sweet and sour in a pitcher and pour over ice into cocktail glasses. before handing a drink to each guest, slowly pour the wine over the back of a spoon so it floats on top.may 21, 2008caipitetratotal time: 8 minutesserv

24、ings: 1note: adapted from ciudad. use organic oranges and wash the rind well before slicing.1/2 small orange plus 1 wedge for garnish1 ounce fresh orange juice6 fresh mint leaves, each leaf torn in thirds, plus 1 sprig for garnish1 teaspoon honey1/2 lime2 ounces cachaa1. cut the orange half into fou

25、r wedges and remove the seeds. place the orange wedges, juice, torn mint leaves and honey into a wide-bottomed rocks glass.2. using a muddler or the back of a spoon, muddle firmly five or six times, until the mint is bruised and the orange wedges have released some of their juice. add ice to fill th

26、e glass. squeeze the lime over the top, add the cachaa, and stir well to combine. garnish with the orange wedge and mint sprig.each serving: 188 calories; 0 protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 grams fat; 0 cholesterol; 2 mg. sodium.thaipirinhatotal time: 6 minutesservings: 1note: adapted fro

27、m bar nineteen 12 bar manager philip spee. to make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves.6 lime wedges5 basil leaves1/2 ounce simple syrup2 ounces cachaa1 ounce soda, or to taste1. combine five of the lime wedges, four of the basil leave

28、s and the simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. using a muddler or the back of a spoon, muddle firmly five or six times, until the lime wedges have released some of their juice.2. add the cachaa. fill with ice and shake until chilled. strain into a small rocks glass and fill with ice. top with soda and

29、 garnish with the remaining basil leaf and lime wedge.each serving: 157 calories; 0 protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 grams fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.sideways sourtotal time: 15 minutesservings: 4note: adapted from baccarat bar, bellagio las vegas. the sweet and sour will keep for 1 week, refrigerated.sweet and sour1/4