A Casual Culinary Chat About Gin Cocktails with Hannah Chamberlain

Summary

The Joy of Cooking Podcast: A Casual Culinary Chat About Gin Cocktails with Hannah Chamberlain

Release Date: March 5, 2025

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Introduction

The Joy of Cooking Podcast, hosted by The Joy of Creation Production House, welcomes listeners to another engaging episode centered around culinary delights and cherished recipes from the iconic Joy of Cooking cookbook. In this episode, titled "A Casual Culinary Chat About Gin Cocktails with Hannah Chamberlain," the hosts—Sarah Marshall, Megan Scott, and Jon Becker—invite special guest Hannah Chamberlain, a renowned home bartender and author, to delve into the world of gin cocktails. The episode intertwines discussions on cooking traditions, cocktail innovations, and the legacy of Irma S. Rombauer, all while highlighting the vibrant food and beverage culture of Portland, Oregon.

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Bay Leaves and Bitters: A Culinary Debate

The episode begins with a lively debate among the hosts about the efficacy and significance of bay leaves in cooking and bitters in beverages.

• Jon Becker shares his appreciation for bitters, likening them to the bay leaves of beverages: “Bitters are the bay leaves of beverages, and I love both. I don't know what percentage of our listeners are going to be like, what bay leaves, they're worthless. Well, my suggestion is, is you get a fresh bottle” (01:16).

• Megan Scott concurs, emphasizing her steadfast support for bay leaves despite skepticism from others: “I think we're firmly team bay leaf” (01:48).

• Sarah Marshall elaborates on her unwavering support for bay leaves, integrating them into various recipes: “I actually put bay leaf in everything. So we have pasta that we make that have bay leaves, we have hot sauce that has bay leaves” (01:48).

The conversation highlights differing regional perceptions and the importance of using fresh ingredients to retain flavor, with Jon pointing out the distinction between Pacific Northwest and California bay plants.

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Hannah Chamberlain: Savory Cocktails and Culinary Inspiration

The hosts introduce their guest, Hannah Chamberlain, a dynamic home bartender and author known for her innovative cocktail recipes and engaging online presence.

• Sarah Marshall introduces Hannah: “Hannah is a home bartender and author with years of experience developing cocktail recipes, writing about drink history...” (05:43).

Savory Cocktail Series

Hannah discusses her passion for savory cocktails, which she terms “Weirdly Dirty Martinis,” aiming to infuse unconventional flavors into classic drinks.

• Hannah Chamberlain explains: “There are a million sweet cocktails out there, but I feel like in terms of classic cocktails, there are very few savory ones” (07:31).

• Megan Scott praises the concept and inquires about Hannah’s favorite creations.

• Hannah Chamberlain shares her favorite savory cocktail, the “Junk Food Martini,” which incorporates sea salt, vinegar chips, and savory garnishes: “It's extremely a savory overload” (08:41).

Influence of Food on Cocktail Creation

Sarah notes the chef-driven nature of Hannah’s recipes, prompting a discussion on the intersection of food and cocktail crafting.

• Hannah Chamberlain responds: “One thing that I love about using food sort of as a base... you can get a lot of the ingredients at a Piggly Wiggly” (09:40).

The dialogue underscores how culinary techniques and ingredients inspire innovative drink recipes, enhancing the flavor profiles of cocktails.

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Tasting Segment: Irma's Gin and Juice

The podcast transitions into a tasting segment centered around a historic cocktail, "Irma's Gin and Juice," the first recipe in the inaugural 1931 edition of Joy of Cooking.

Making Irma's Gin and Juice

• Jon Becker humorously remarks on the cocktail’s placement in the cookbook as a declaration of joviality: “Also a way of declaring that I'm not a prude. This is not like a home economics manual...” (14:41).

• Hannah Chamberlain and Sarah Marshall guide listeners through the preparation, emphasizing the use of fresh ingredients and proper cocktail techniques.

• Notable tips include shaking the cocktail thoroughly to chill and dilute adequately, as Megan Scott advises: “It's really important to shake them until they're well chilled” (16:56).

Historical Context and Serving Suggestions

Jon provides historical insights into Irma Rombauer’s motivations during Prohibition, aiming to transform subpar bathtub gin into a palatable drink: “we conjecture that it was on most people's minds was like, how do I make this questionable gin bathtub gin, like, palatable?” (44:26).

• The serving suggestion includes pairing the cocktail with hot cream cheese canapés, enhancing the overall tasting experience: “You want a good canape with a cocktail like that” (44:07).

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Hannah Chamberlain’s Upcoming Book: Etiquette and Better Drinking

Hannah introduces her forthcoming book, How to Be a Better Cocktail Recipes and Boozy Etiquette, which merges cocktail crafting with essential social etiquette.

• Hannah Chamberlain explains the book’s focus on making social interactions during cocktail hours more respectful and enjoyable: “Etiquette for her was more about making people feel comfortable, respected, and valued” (22:37).

• Megan Scott highlights the importance of etiquette in preventing and handling post-drink regrets, to which Hannah responds with practical advice on recovery and apology strategies: “Her name is Molly McPherson. She has an amazing TikTok and Instagram...” (24:15).

The conversation underscores the book’s intent to foster positive social environments during cocktail gatherings, blending practical bartender tips with interpersonal skills.

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Listener Interaction: Making Irma's Gin and Juice

The podcast addresses a listener's query about replicating Irma's Gin and Juice due to a packed cookbook edition.

• Sarah Marshall relays the question: “My aunt had a New Year's party and made Irma's gin and juice...” (39:28).

• Hannah Chamberlain provides a step-by-step recipe, advocating for fresh grapefruit juice over orange for a more vibrant flavor: “2 ounces of this gin... add 2 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice, and then add 3/4 of an ounce of the lemon juice” (39:44).

• Megan Scott and Hannah Chamberlain discuss ingredient substitutions and the importance of proper tools, reinforcing the podcast’s commitment to accessibility in home bartending.

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Home Bartending Tips and Bar Tools

Hannah shares valuable insights on setting up a home bar, emphasizing simplicity and functionality over overwhelming variety.

• Hannah Chamberlain outlines four home bar approaches:

  1. Signature Cocktail: Maintaining ingredients for a go-to drink, such as a Negroni: “Negroni is a great example” (30:07).
  2. Basic Cocktails: Stocking essentials to craft classic cocktails, recommended by the book 12 Bottle Bar.
  3. Seasonal Additions: Introducing seasonal elements like elderflower liqueur to enhance basic cocktails.
  4. Showstopper Bar: An extensive collection of ingredients and glassware for diverse cocktail creations: “I'm a big booze collector” (32:35).

• Sarah Marshall and Megan Scott contribute their home bartending experiences, highlighting practical approaches to cocktail preparation and equipment improvisation.

Fat Washing Techniques

Hannah introduces the concept of fat washing—a method to infuse spirits with savory flavors using fats like olive oil or bacon:

• Hannah Chamberlain explains the process: “You use a fat. Like olive oil is a very common one... let it infuse for about five hours” (35:25).

This technique broadens the flavor profiles of cocktails, offering a unique twist to traditional drink-making methods.

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Cooking and Eating Plans

The hosts share their culinary plans, reflecting their passion for diverse and flavorful cooking.

• Sarah Marshall discusses her recent venture into creating a hot sauce recipe with tart cherry juice and plans to attend the Cherry Bomb Jubilee, alongside cooking mushroom barley burgers using their habanero carrot curry sauce.

• Megan Scott reveals excitement about using fresh tatsoi and Savoy cabbage from their CSA, as well as installing built-in bookshelves for their extensive cookbook collection: “I love organizing things” (52:51).

• Jon Becker mentions being in recovery mode from recent social gatherings, balancing dining out with cooking rich meals at home.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with warm farewells and encouragement for listeners to engage with the podcast and guest.

• Sarah Marshall invites listeners to subscribe, leave reviews, and follow the podcast on various platforms: “Subscribe to the show and leave us a review...” (50:58).

• Hannah Chamberlain shares her upcoming book launch party details and future cocktail endeavors, cementing her role as a vibrant addition to the podcast’s culinary conversations.

• The hosts express gratitude to their production team and guest, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that drives the podcast’s success.

Notable Quotes:

• Jon Becker: “Bitters are the bay leaves of beverages, and I love both” (01:16).
• Hannah Chamberlain: “There are a million sweet cocktails out there, but I feel like in terms of classic cocktails, there are very few savory ones” (07:31).
• Hannah Chamberlain: “Etiquette for her was more about making people feel comfortable, respected, and valued” (22:37).
• Sarah Marshall: “I think bay is like, our theme should have maybe been bay instead of gin today” (40:44).

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Key Takeaways

• The integration of bay leaves and bitters is pivotal in enhancing both culinary and beverage recipes, with a strong emphasis on using fresh, high-quality ingredients.
• Hannah Chamberlain’s innovative approach to savory cocktails broadens the traditional cocktail spectrum, offering unique and flavorful alternatives to sweet drinks.
• The episode underscores the importance of proper cocktail preparation techniques and the value of essential bar tools in home bartending.
• Social etiquette during cocktail hours is crucial for fostering positive interactions and preventing regrettable behavior, as highlighted by Hannah’s upcoming book.
• Listener engagement and practical recipe guidance make the podcast a valuable resource for both novice and experienced home cooks and bartenders.

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Timestamp References:

• 00:00 to 55:35 cover the entirety of the episode’s content, with specific sections highlighted above.

Transcript

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Sa.

[Sarah Marshall]

Hello and welcome to the Joy of Cooking podcast. Each week we set the table for a discussion about recipes and stories from the authors of Joy of Cooking. We share kitchen victories and misadventures and most importantly, what we are cooking and eating right now. We're glad you joined us at the table today. This is Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Hot Sauce Filling in for Shannon. And my skin is emanating a mixture of Oregon truffle and dulse seaweed from all the food events I cooked and ate at this weekend.

[Megan Scott]

I'm Megan Scott, co Author of the 2019 edition of the Joy of Cooking. I'm a food editor by day and avoider of dish duty by night. And the colder it gets, the cheesier my cooking is.

[Jon Becker]

I'm Jon Becker, 4th Generation Co author and steward of the Joy of Cooking, America's oldest family run cookbook. I agree with the proposition that bitters are the bay leaves of beverages, and I love both. I don't know what percentage of our listeners are going to be like, what bay leaves, they're worthless. Well, my suggestion is, is you get a fresh bottle.

[Megan Scott]

My sister was visiting this week and we had this conversation about how bay leaves may or may not do anything in. She was on the side of maybe they don't do anything. But I think we're firmly team bay leaf.

[Sarah Marshall]

I am so firmly team bay leaf, and I actually put bay leaf in everything. So we have pasta that we make that have bay leaves, we have hot sauce that has bay leaves. We have bay leaf plants everywhere. But I think also it has to do with being from the Pacific Northwest because we have bay plants everywhere. But our plants here are different than bay plants in California.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, California bay. I'm sure it has its place, but it's more on the eucalyptus Y train and it's, it's not exactly equivalent, despite what the little clamshells in the grocery store might have you believe.

[Megan Scott]

Big, big clamshell.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah. So maybe your sister's stance is from not being around the bay plants.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. I think she's. From the perspective of getting a small bottle at the grocery store and then it sits in your pantry for three years and then it tastes like nothing, which is the way it. That's what happens.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Jon Becker]

I don't think they're quite as common, but those spice sets that you know on the, on the turnstiles.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. The thing that people get when they get married that you don't use and then 10 years later you're like, why are all these Spices like dust. Well.

[Sarah Marshall]

Because they should have gone away.

[Megan Scott]

A long time ago. One thing we've done before that kind of proves that bay leaves are worth having is if you just boil some pasta with a couple of bay leaves in the water, you can taste the flavor of the bay leaf on the pasta. So if you need to be convinced, I suggest doing that. Sarah, tell us about your truffle adventures. That sounds fun.

[Sarah Marshall]

There was the Oregon Truffle Festival this week. So there was events all around. All around Oregon. Not just even in Portland, but there was lots of things in Portland. But I went to Astoria for the Oregon Truffle Festival Marketplace. So what they ask of makers for that is to make something specific with Oregon truffles. And there's really specific rules. You have to use truffles that were foraged in Oregon. And so I got black truffles. We were in the middle of a snowstorm, so I. I had to put chains on my car, go to Reuben at produce, call Josh first and be like, hey, dude, you got truffles? He's like, yeah. So I went over there, got all these beautiful organ black truffles. I made a mushroom du cell. So it was like mushrooms from Yamhill County. The black truffles. I deglazed the pan of shallots with sparkling wine, and then I had that for guests to eat, and I used our red chili lime sauce in it. So. So it's always. I make it every year for the Oregon Truffle Festival, but they move it. This year, it was in Astoria. Last year, it was in Eugene. It's been in Corvallis and Newberg. So that's what. And. And my skin literally smells like truffles because everybody. Yeah. So there was, like, granola with truffle, chocolate with truffle. People were brewing beer with truffle, and I got to try all the things, but it's, like, coming from inside of.

[Jon Becker]

Me, just perspiring truffle.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah. So sorry. Not sorry if I'm smelling funky.

[Megan Scott]

That's why that's the most Oregon thing I've ever heard.

[Sarah Marshall]

I'm living it.

[Megan Scott]

The truffles.

[Sarah Marshall]

I'm living the life.

[Megan Scott]

I feel like a lot of people don't know that truffles grow in. You can. You can just go forage for truffles.

[Sarah Marshall]

You can just go forage them. Yeah. And then also they. You know, the truffle. Like scavengers, foragers, whatever you want to call them, they have truffle dogs. So they were there to do, like, trainings on how their dogs forage. And so they just have baskets of truffles and then they come around and they're like, oh, you want to trade hot sauce for truffle? And I'm like, yeah, I do. I sure do. So I have lots of them here too. I'll send you guys something with some today. Yeah.

[Megan Scott]

Have you made anything with them yet?

[Sarah Marshall]

No, because I'm still, like, living.

[Megan Scott]

You still smell like them.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Megan Scott]

Got to give it a break for a minute.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, I need a little, like, slowdown period.

[Jon Becker]

Just putting truffles in a airtight container with some sticks of high quality butter. So amazing that it picks up so much of that truffle flavor. It, you know, the truffles emit a gas. Butter just picks it right up.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, I feel like fatty, fatty things like butter or eggs or cream, you can just infuse them by sitting them next to each other, which is really cool. Today on the show, we'd like to welcome our guest, Hannah Chamberlain. Hannah is a home bartender and author with years of experience developing cocktail recipes, writing about drink history, and exploring some of the top alcohol destinations in the World on TikTok and Instagram. She's known for her over the top airplane cocktails from. For drinking wherever bartenders tell her to, and for her weirdly dirty martinis. Her new book, how to be a Better Cocktail Recipes and Boozy Etiquette is available for pre order now and is coming out February 25th. Welcome to the show, Hannah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited about this.

[Megan Scott]

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I'm Hannah. I'm Hannah Chamberlain and I make cocktail videos online under Spirited la. I make cocktails, I visit boozy travel destinations all over the world. And my book comes out this Tuesday on February 25th called how to be a Better Cocktail Recipes and Boozy Etiquette.

[Megan Scott]

That's so exciting. Congratulations on your book. That's a big deal.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Oh, thank you so much. And when you guys were talking, I realized I have a bay leaf recipe in my cocktail book. So I'm also a big bay fan.

[Megan Scott]

Nice. Yeah. So the way I first found out about you was on TikTok. I think the first recipe or the first video I saw you do was your Funyuns Gibson, which is still one of my favorites. And I, I did, I actually made. I don't make many recipes from TikTok, but that was one that I was like, okay, I think I can handle this. And I Love a savory cocktail. And it's such a good, savory one. Can you talk a little bit about your savory cocktail series?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yes, yes. And by the way, I'm having a little bit of a party this Tuesday, and the Funyun Gibson will be served at Too Soon. So if you want to go have some of Portland's best bartenders try their version of it, please come by.

[Megan Scott]

Awesome.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

But, yes, I have a savory cocktail series called Weirdly Dirty Martinis, and it has been pushing buttons on TikTok and Instagram. A lot of them are kind of funny and experimental. Not really sure if they'll work out or not. And I'm pretty transparent about whether the experiment works or not. But like you, I'm a big savory cocktail fan and there are a million sweet cocktails out there, but I feel like in terms of classic cocktails, there are very few savory ones. I mean, we have like a Bloody Mary, a Caesar, a dirty martini, and, you know, maybe a few variations of those. But otherwise, if you're craving something salty, there's really not much there. So I think that's sort of what inspired me to see exactly what ways I could infuse some kind of different, fun, savory flavors into various drinks.

[Megan Scott]

I love that idea so much. Do you have a favorite, a favorite savory cocktail that you have come up with so far?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I like the Funyuns Gibson a lot, and that is also in my book. But my favorite one, I call it the Junk food martini. And it's a sea salt and vinegar chip infused martini. And it's extremely, you know, it almost makes your mouth hurt the way the chips do. But it has so much flavor. And I like to garnish it with some olives stuffed with a little bit of fresh garlic, blue cheese and bacon bits. So the whole thing is extremely savory overload.

[Megan Scott]

I'm going to try that one next.

[Sarah Marshall]

I feel like that was one thing I noticed right away about your cocktail recipes is that they felt really, you know, like kind of chef food driven. You had a hibernation punch that was caramelized onions with infused cognac with thyme and marjoram, like all these really awesome things where I was like, not only do I want to drink it, but I want to eat it. So are you. Are you really inspired by food in the kitchen when you're coming up with your recipes?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I absolutely am. One thing that I love about using food sort of as a base as opposed to kind of finding more obscure liqueurs and, you know, wines. All that is, it's pretty accessible, so you can get some really interesting flavors, but you can buy a lot of the ingredients at a Piggly Wiggly, if you will. So I really. The hibernation punch was inspired by stuffing. For me, I really love stuffing with apple in it and onion. And I know that one's very controversial for some people who believe apple does not belong in it, but it's always my favorite thing at Thanksgiving. So I was like, I'm going to do this in punch form.

[Megan Scott]

I love that. And I do feel like the sweetness of the apple, like, well, the sweet tartness of the apple is so good in stuffing. Or, like, you might even add a dried cranberry or something to just give that pop top of, like, you need a little bit of contrast for it to taste really good, I think. So. I love that instinct to include that.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Thank you. I think that's one of those ones where people were like, is she serious?

[Sarah Marshall]

Yes, I was.

[Megan Scott]

You also have a really fun series about drinking wherever bartenders tell you to. Could you talk a little bit about that one?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, I started that one in Portland. And I think this is something where if you're a barfly, like I am, a lot of people know that the best person to ask for bar recommendations is a bartender. But the idea of doing it as a video where I have to go wherever they tell me to and I have to drink whatever they drink was something I wasn't sure was exactly where it was going to take me. But every city I've done, I think it's been about 14 cities so far. As far away as Dublin and London and then la, New York, Chicago, most recently. I just got back from Phoenix doing the series. It's so fascinating how much you get to learn about a city. So not only do you get to learn about bartending culture and what bartenders like to drink, you also get to get, like, a very different little glimpse of the city itself. I think I can't remember the exact Hemingway quote, But if you want to learn about a city, don't go to its museums or cultural buildings, go to its bars, Something like that. But I feel like that's very true.

[Sarah Marshall]

What I appreciated about your series, too, is that you really do it and you really drink their favorite drink. Even if, you know, you never like, I don't like that thing, or I'm not gonna try that thing. You're, like, in it for the ride. So no matter what roller coaster ride, they're gonna take you on. You're down to do it. And I think that that's what makes it so fun. And whenever we go to cities, we do, like, the. Not that same thing at all, but we like to sit at chef counters and ask the chefs, like, where they like to eat, and especially where they like to eat with families, because it's much different than what their restaurant is usually. And so then that will kind of take us on a different journey than what we originally planned for in the new city. But it is a good way to get to know the city because they know it better than we do as tourists.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That's a really cool idea. I'd never thought about, where do you eat with your family? That's so fun. It feels similar to the bartender thing in terms of the intimacy and getting to see something that they wouldn't necessarily, you know, say is, like, the fanciest, nicest thing. But it gives you a real sense of, like, what they think of as quality. That's awesome.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, you're kind of letting them off the hook. You know, it's not. It's not like they're professional recommendations or where they would send, you know, like, somebody that's doing restaurant reviews. It's like, this is where I like to just chill.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I. You know, we'll often get comments that are like, why are there so many dive bars on this list? Or you should have gone to this fancy bar. And I'm always like, well, you can find those just with a quick Google search. Like, that's where I usually start at something on the nicer, fancier side with an amazing reputation. And then, you know, it's those hidden gems, those undiscovered ones that you. You kind of hope to run into.

[Megan Scott]

Have you found any really good hidden gems in Portland?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

You know, I mean, Portland has so many. So many great bars. Before I moved here, I always talked about it as one of my favorite drinking cities. So we're spoiled here, I think. But one of the ones that I don't think I ever would have gone to, that I've now gone back to a number of times, is Stamtisch.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, yeah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I really love going there just for a fun little happy hour drink and some good German food. And that one was like. Was recommended, I think, by Rum Club. And I was thrilled. I never would have found it otherwise.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, Rum Club and Stamtisch are both great places to drink in Portland. All right, so we're going to move into our tasting segment. And so this week's theme podcast theme is gin cocktails. And to get us talking about cocktails, we're going to try a recipe called Irma's Gin and Juice. And a little bit of background for this recipe is that it was the first recipe in the first edition of Joy of cooking in 1931, which was during prohibition. So you can kind of tell where Irma's priorities were. You've got to start every party with a good cocktail. And she knew, I think it was.

[Jon Becker]

Also a way of declaring that I'm not a prude. This is not like a home economics manual. I know what's important.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

By the way, I read your article, Gin and ingenuity.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

And it was amazing. I loved it. I feel like I learned a lot about Irma and what made her tick and her sense of enjoyment and I thought it was great. So I'm very excited to try this.

[Sarah Marshall]

I just wanted to talk a little bit about the gin that we use today. It's called Gin through the Sages. It's from Agridote Distilling company. They're a west coast gin that uses botanicals from here in the Pacific Northwest. So that's the gin that we used. And they're going to put the cocktail on the menu. Irma's Gin and Juice for March. And we're going to go in and try it together. At least I talked to Shannon about that. I don't know if you guys are going to come with us, but it's called the Can Bar in Portland. They do pop ups in the pix patisserie. Space people would know that space. And so they distill the gin there and then they do pop ups. So we're gonna go drink these.

[Megan Scott]

Fun. I want to come. Yeah. Great.

[Sarah Marshall]

That's what I was hoping. I. I didn't ask you guys yet, but I was hoping you would say. And Hannah, you're invited too. But they're gonna.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I love it.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, they're gonna put the cocktail on the menu and then they're gonna do it in a little can too.

[Megan Scott]

So fun.

[Sarah Marshall]

Irma's legacy and live on.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Absolutely. I'm going to grab my shaker, pre filled it with ice just to make this quicker.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, you've got a nice fireplace going in the background.

[Sarah Marshall]

Your vibes are cool, man.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Thank you. Thank you. I was upstairs getting ready for this and I came down and my husband had set the fire, which is very nice of him. So I'm very excited to try this. I've never tried this before. Irma's Gin and juice. All right, I'm going to give this a try. It looks very pretty.

[Megan Scott]

Cheers, Susannah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Cheers.

[Jon Becker]

Cheers.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Mmm. Oh, that's really good. You know, this reminds me a lot of a recipe they mix it up in, I think the Philadelphia Story. Just the juice of a few blossoms. But whatever that one is, it's very similar, but there's some muddled mint in it as well. So maybe a mint syrup would be really good with this too. But yeah, it's got that tangy grapefruit with the gin. Very delicious.

[Megan Scott]

That's a great suggestion. I was kind of thinking an herb syrup of some kind would be good. The gin we are using is super herbally, so I. Maybe not for this, but if you're a more dressed down gin, I think an herb would be great in there.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah. Maybe even a bay leaf.

[Megan Scott]

Maybe even.

[Sarah Marshall]

Join us at the can Bar at 2225 East Burnside to enjoy Irma's Gin and Juice made with gin through the Sage's Gin from agra Dulce Distilling Co. Being served during the month of March. Check the Joy of Cooking Instagram for the date and time.

[Megan Scott]

All right, before we move into our interview segment with Hannah, I just wanted to recap quickly last week's Joy Scouts recipe of the week. So last week we asked folks to make fish boulanger, which, if you didn't listen to the episode, it's actually a very. It sounds fancy, but it's a very simple recipe of cooked potatoes and pearl onions with. We usually use cod, but you could use halibut or any firm white fleshed fish. It has a lot of butter in it because it's French. And we add a little bit of white miso on top of the fish as well as to the vegetables to kind of give it a more savory note.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, just whisk it up with the melted butter before you toss the onions and the potatoes and you put them in the baking dish and then smear some on the fish before you pop it in the oven.

[Megan Scott]

And it's a really great weeknight recipe, too, because it's pretty quick and you don't have to use pearl onions. Pearl onions are kind of annoying to peel, so you can use. You can saute some regular onion. We used a leek, actually, for hours. We just sauteed it in some butter. But thank you all for cooking along with us, those of you who made the recipe. And this week's recipe is the Chan Chan, which is a cocktail that is new to the 2019 edition. It's on page 20 to 21. It's actually a cocktail that a friend of ours, a couple friends of ours, invented and we just drank a bunch of them one summer and decided the recipe was so good we had to add it.

[Jon Becker]

Thank you, David. Rachel.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, thank you. And it's named after a Buena Vista Social Club song, which they are big fans of.

[Jon Becker]

So it was playing on repeat that summer.

[Megan Scott]

It probably was. It's really refreshing. And I feel like we're starting to get. We're about to hit daylight savings and we're going to start getting more sunshine and thinking about spring. And this is definitely a, like a warmer weather cocktail already evokes those feelings of like warm weather. So it's made with muddled cucumber, basil, fresh basil, lime juice and a pinch of salt. And then you shake those with Old Tom gin and Saint Germa. So an elderflower liqueur and then strain and into a coupe glass and garnish with a really thin cucumber slice. And if you're feeling really extra, a borage flower or two, which sounds very fancy, but if you've ever planted borage in your yard, you know you can absolutely never get rid of it.

[Sarah Marshall]

It's everywhere.

[Megan Scott]

You have it forever.

[Sarah Marshall]

You're putting it in salads, you're putting it in drinks, you're putting it all over the place.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Sounds delicious. I love elderflower and cucumber together. Speaking of recipes, the drink recipes in Joy of Cooking the Nikolashka. Is that how you pronounce it?

[Megan Scott]

Yes.

[Jon Becker]

Oh, boy.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I am fascinated by this. I mean, tell me more.

[Jon Becker]

I feel like the lore is that one of the Nicholas Czar of Russia at the time was, I don't know, angry at the French and bemoaning French and French influence on Russian culture. Now I'm making that up. I don't really know that.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I do know that French was the primary language in the Russian Russian aristocracy. So that. That sounds like it makes sense.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah. Right. Well, anyways, this particular Nicholas was not feeling predisposed to liking the French at that moment and as an insult would basically chew on a slice of lemon before having their cognac. And people kind of built on that. It became a thing where I'm trying to remember exactly who added what. But the version that's in the book that, you know, is basically my father Ethan kind of concocted that version. And it's, you know, you sprinkle a little sugar on the lemon and then a little shaved chocolate and just a little sprinkle of coffee. Grounds. And you chew that until you can't stand it anymore. And then you. You just have a shot of cognac. I would say a mid shelf cognac. You certainly do not want to go low on that. But you don't want to.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, you don't want to use the really nice cognac with that either.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, I feel like my taste buds would be an interesting zone to use the good cognac for that. I have to try this. I'm definitely trying it. I feel like Bar should start serving this too. It seems like such a fun ritual. No, no.

[Megan Scott]

Okay.

[Sarah Marshall]

Have you guys tried.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, yes. Yes, we've tried it. Well, you know Ethan, when he comes to town sometimes, he loves cognac. He will do the Nikolashka. And it's definitely. It's kind of like that feeling when you eat pop Rocks. You know, just that jolt on your. It's almost like an electrical jolt to your taste buds. That's how the Nikolashka tastes.

[Sarah Marshall]

I only want to try it. I mean, I'm like, yeah, Hannah, I'm fascinated. I didn't know it makes you feel things.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I'm definitely going to try this.

[Sarah Marshall]

I want to feel things, you guys. Let's try.

[Jon Becker]

It will definitely make you feel things, that's for sure.

[Megan Scott]

All right, Hannah, I want to talk about your cookbook, which is coming out this week. And by the time this podcast airs, it will be on shelves so people can find it. The book is called how to Be a Better Cocktail Recipes and Boozy Etiquette. I'm very curious about the etiquette angle.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

The first time I picked up Emily Post's etiquette, I was expecting a lot of kind of dry tips about, like, where to put your pinky and things that were kind of arbitrary and that were almost kind of funny to read because they were so irrelevant. And I quickly realized that etiquette for her was more about making people feel comfortable, respected, and valued than it was about kind of arbitrary, silly social rules. And I feel like drinking is a time when things are kind of turned up a little bit. Like disrespect and lack of communication can be even greater or it's an opportunity to really connect and have a really wonderful time. So etiquette seems like a really good match for cocktail hour. And I think also over the years, I've done my fair share of bar crawls. I've talked to a million bartenders, I've hosted. I've been a guest at a lot of home bartenders homes. And I've learned a lot of lessons through that experience and wanted to put it all in book form.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. I love the idea because it is it. I almost feel like it's something that people don't talk about enough because the, you know, cocktail hour is so fun, but there's also so many opportunities for bad behavior or just people not at their best after a few drinks. And, you know, I think most of us who do drink have kind of been there where we may have regretted something we said or something we did. How do you kind of move past that and not just view it as this major personal failing that then you feel a ton of shame over?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Right, right. And it's funny, you know the chapter at the end of my book, what to do when you overdo it? I think it's one of those things, too, where there's a lot of guilt sometimes, but sometimes it's things like, you didn't know the elevation. I remember the first time I visited, I think it was Santa Fe. I had one margarita at lunch, and I was a mess just from one drink because I just didn't think about the elevation. And so a lot of the time there are obviously, you know, it can be very serious. And that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a day when you perhaps overdo it and kind of how to recover from that and the ways you can make it up to other people and the ways you can soothe yourself a little bit.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. I loved your section on. I think you talked to a crisis PR expert about how to apologize, which, honestly, I think is so important. We aren't born knowing how to apologize, so it's very helpful information.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah. Her name is Molly McPherson. She has an amazing TikTok and Instagram, but she does crisis PR strategy. And she has a, like, wonderful way of, like, owning up for things, apologizing. And, I mean, when is that more necessary than when you're like, sorry I ruined your party last night, friend. But, yeah, exactly.

[Jon Becker]

This falls under Life skills.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah.

[Jon Becker]

Life skills 101.

[Sarah Marshall]

We all need that information for.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

And sort of similar to what you were saying, we're not born knowing this. I feel like another thing that makes bar etiquette particularly important is we don't grow up going to bars with our parents most of the time. So, you know, your parents might tell you important life lessons, like, oh, the person behind you only has one thing. If you're at a grocery store, they should go first, but they're probably not telling you how to behave in A bar. So it's good to have something that we can kind of all unite under, like. All right, these are the appropriate behaviors.

[Jon Becker]

Well, yeah, not everybody has the pleasure of working in the service industry. And I think there's a learning curve for customers as well as serving customers. You know, you really just treat people right. Gotta respect, you know, the people that are bringing you delicious drinks and scrumptious foods.

[Megan Scott]

Yes, agreed.

[Sarah Marshall]

I think that's the thing that I noticed right away too about your TikTok and your Instagram is that you see you and you have, you know, this lovely way of being. You always have these really rad outfits and you're kind of like, you know, proper, it looks like at first, but then when you speak you're just like, hey, you know, I'm making this thing and it's either gonna work or it's not. And you know, I'm gonna go to this place and I'm gonna, you know, go to this like really fancy place or I'm gonna go to this not fancy place. And you're just like along for fun and for experimentation and you're not saying there's one right way or one wrong way and you're just along with you. It's not like only certain people can come do this with me where I think that fits into the etiquette for everyone like that. It's just about like the joy and the, and the experience and in, you know, having fun with it. And I really appreciate that because at first I think when I saw you I was like, oh my gosh, she's beautiful and perfect and wonderful and I'm not going to even be able to drink those drinks in those places. But then I was like, oh no, man, I think we to be buddies.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Come shoot Jaeger shots with me and dive bars.

[Sarah Marshall]

I'm down.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I'm totally there. Well, thank you. That is incredibly nice of you to say. Yeah, that was one. I remember in Hawaii, I always ask, you know, what do you like to drink there? They said a shot of tequila, a shot of Jaeger and a beer. And I was like, this is my second stop of the day.

[Megan Scott]

It's going to be a long day.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

It is 1pm okay. Yeah. Thank you very much. That's very nice of you. And that is something I also, when I was reading your article and you know, reading through Joy of Cooking and a little bit about Irma, the idea of the joy of the process, I love that. My brother in law the other day, he was feeling guilty making me make Another drink, another round. And I was saying, I actually don't think I've ever minded making a cocktail. I can't remember a time when I've been like, oh, I have to go to the kids. I love it every single time. The message of joy, of cooking, of course, really speaks to me in that way.

[Jon Becker]

I draw the line at doing a Ramos gin fizz by hand.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Oh, that's a good point.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, that's a good drink.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That was fair.

[Megan Scott]

That's just a great drink to order at a bar. I mean, if a bar has a Ramos Gin Fizz, I kind of have to order it. It's the same philosophy as going out to eat and wanting to get something that you're not going to make at home.

[Sarah Marshall]

Have you been to Holy Ghost? At Holy Ghost in Portland, they have a special gin Ramos gin fizz machine. So you order it, but it still tells you it's going to take 15 minutes, I think, to get it. And they have a machine and it shakes it for you for 15 minutes.

[Megan Scott]

That's amazing.

[Sarah Marshall]

You get it. Yeah. Holy Ghost, I'm gonna give you a shout out. Okay. Wonderful place. They make perfectly.

[Megan Scott]

Go try it.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I think I had a really great one. I think it was herbs and rye in Vegas, and man, it was on the menu. And I got permission from not just a bartender, Chris. I don't know if you know his content, but I asked him where he goes and what he likes to drink, and he said Ramos Gin fizz. So I was like, okay, feel like a jerk, but go to town. And it was beautiful. A thing of beauty.

[Megan Scott]

Order the gin fizz, but then tip well. That is one where you need to tip well.

[Jon Becker]

That is the etiquette for ordering a gin fizz.

[Megan Scott]

Yes. I wanted to talk about. So in your book, you give some advice to the home bartender and you talk about these four different home bar approaches that you can take to kind of maintain. To give you focus and help you maintain your sanity as you're bartending at home for parties. Could you walk through those strategies and then I would love to hear which one you personally use at home.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah. When you're setting up your home bar, it can be tempting to buy as many bottles as possible or you don't know where to start. So you just kind of pick some things randomly that look pretty. But I feel like it's not always the most useful way to get the most for your money or the most for your ability to drink something regularly that you enjoy. So one way that I think is if you're really just starting out, and you don't want to go crazy spending a ton. And you don't really know how to make a million drinks yet is simply have a signature cocktail that you can always make. Negroni is a great example. If you always have the ingredients for Negroni around, people, even your friends will start to like it. They'll go, oh, every time I go to Megan's house, I always have a great Negroni. And it's Megan's Negroni.

[Megan Scott]

Funny enough. That is my. That is my one cocktail I make all the time.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That's so funny.

[Sarah Marshall]

That's what I've had when I've gone over to your house.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

And then people, they do. They like. They. They go, oh, they're her famous Negronis. And then it's. It's totally. As long as you like drinking them, that's great. The second way is having, like, the basics, sort of. There's a book called 12 Bottle Bar that is great if you're looking to get the most. Most cocktail recipes out of limited bottles. So I recommend that book all the time. But getting basics so that you can make all of the classics. And there are just, you know, 10 to 12 ingredients that if you have those on hand, you can really make almost everything. Next is you kind of build a little on that, and you kind of add some seasonal elements, so you almost have like a fun seasonal signature. You know, like, elderflower liqueur is a great example of that. Like, for spring, you have some elderflower, you get maybe some ginger liqueur for, like, the colder months. So you can make the basics, but you can kind of zhuzh them a little bit with something extra and fun. And then lastly there's the crazy, insane showstopper bar, which is every single ingredient that you can find. You have the basics. You have multiples of the basics. And that's. That's kind of where I am. I'm a big booze collector at this point. We have so many bars. Our glassware, it's. It's sad. In our kitchen, we have a million things. They're all glass. We have, like, this many plates.

[Megan Scott]

No plates.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Everything else, all glassware. Just all glassware everywhere. So that's the last stage. How about you? Do you have the signature cocktail ingredients, or are you kind of.

[Megan Scott]

It's a. I feel like we have a bit of a haphazard approach to home bartending. We. We do always have the things on hand to either make a Negroni or a Boulevardier. I kind of shift into boulevardier mode. In the winter. And then Negroni is more spring, summer, warm weather. But yeah, we kind of have a smattering of, you know, common liquors that we. That can go into a lot of different things.

[Jon Becker]

Well, and then like a bunch of kind of homemade stuff that has just been infusions.

[Megan Scott]

And like, I think we have a rhubarb cordial that I made just out of curiosity. And then we'll have like an orange or I think we have a bergamot cello that I made a couple years ago, kind of experimental stuff like that.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That sounds delicious.

[Jon Becker]

I think we finally consolidated that gigantic half gallon jar of cherry bounce that we had into a small jar. We siphoned off all the cherries. Yeah, we got all the cherries out of there just to save some room.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

So my fridge and freezer are a million syrups that I always forget to label. And then a bunch of fat washes in the freezer that look pretty gnarly. So mason jars galore.

[Megan Scott]

Ooh. Could you tell us a little bit about fat washing? Like what it is and how you do it and why you might want to do it?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah. Fat washing is one of those techniques that it sounds intimidating and it sounds gross. And you do have to be careful when you're doing it. There are some steps that are pretty important to do the right way. But I really started getting more into it in this weirdly dirty martini series. Because a lot of the time, a really good way to inject extra flavor into a cocktail is through syrup. But with these savory drinks, you're not going to be making a syrup or using a syrup. So one of the options you have is to infuse the spirit with flavor from fat. So you use a fat. Like, what's a good one? Olive oil is a very common one. People often use bacon and whiskey. But once you get that. Oh, one of my most favorite ones that I've been doing recently is a brown honey butter fat washed bourbon. When you get the fat, you put it in liquid form, you put it in your spirit, you shake it around, you let it infuse for a while. Depending on kind of what it is, I usually leave it out for about five hours, shaking it occasionally. Then you put it in the freezer and you make sure it gets. Gets fully frozen, fully solid. And then when it's fully solidified, you strain it through a damp coffee filter. You might have to do this more than once if it's, you know, if you're not getting everything and then you have the flavor from the Fat in the spirit. And it's perfectly clear and very pretty, provided you did it correctly and it has some fascinating new flavor.

[Megan Scott]

I love that. I actually never tried that. I've never fat washed anything before. So I think maybe that's my next project. Yeah.

[Sarah Marshall]

John, I wanted to ask you a question because I grew up with a family who didn't have a bar or make cocktails. So, like, with. I know that the Hermes gin and juice we tried was like the first kind of cocktail recipe. Enjoy. Right. And you grew up with your family having all these cocktail recipes at hand. So, like, your life was a lot different than mine. I think my mom had like box wine or something. What was that like?

[Jon Becker]

My father was not like a prolific mixologist. Like, when I was growing up, there was the Russian tea service that he would have like every. Well, he called it that, but it was vodka. Kind of a New Year's tradition with little caviar and just real fancy special occasion stuff. And then the Nikolashkas and.

[Megan Scott]

And then I hear he threw some ragers. Like 4th of July would be just like a rager with a bunch of questionable punch. Maybe some questionable punch.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, I didn't. I wasn't around for the question. I wasn't around for the questionable punches.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, I love that.

[Megan Scott]

But your grandfather also, you know, he would. He liked to mix drinks for people at parties.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah. So I hear he passed away before I showed up on the scene, but yeah, no, he was an instigator. He would have a tipple, but he was more interested in getting other people to have fun. I think that's how he approached it. I feel like in the 1963 edition, he's like, make sure that your cocktails never get below 60%. Like this, of spirits versus mixers.

[Megan Scott]

No low proof drinks in his house.

[Sarah Marshall]

I wanted a strong drink.

[Jon Becker]

Just a general rule of thumb. I don't know.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

As I was reading the article, the gin and ingenuity article, I apologize.

[Jon Becker]

I haven't read that in forever. And so.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, well, you should give it a read. It's really good. I came across a term. C O, C, K, A, I, G.

[Sarah Marshall]

N, E. Oh, yes.

[Megan Scott]

Cockayne. It's pronounced Cockayne, which has an interesting story. So it's. It's kind of a medieval land of plenty. And John, do you remember the exact origin? I'm blanking. You're looking at me like.

[Jon Becker]

No, that's an old friend. Old French.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, it's a French, like medieval French. Land of plenty. So it's a place where roasted chickens would wander the streets and the rivers were running with wine. And it's kind of like the big Rocky Mountain. Yeah. But medieval. And so that was actually what Marian, John's grandmother and John's grandfather, that's what they named their house in Ohio outside of Cincinnati was Cockayne. And so any of the recipes in Joy that they really loved or that they thought were especially good, they named them Cockaigne. So that will be. This will be helpful information to Joy readers who have always looked at that and been like, what is that? What are you talking about?

[Jon Becker]

And, you know, it kind of also betrays the spirit in which John, my grandfather, was mixing cocktails for guests.

[Megan Scott]

You know, definitely a joyous, riotous evening ahead.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

They're seeing, like, Ethan is a child beating the ice. And for the parties and everything, it just, I felt like the fun just was so palpable. I was like, I want to be there so badly. It was very fun.

[Megan Scott]

I wish I could have been at one of those parties. They also like to hobnob with artists and intellectuals, which I think would have just been so much fun, like mid century artists and architects and things like that. And at a cocktail party, I would just love to be there.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, it sounds like a ball.

[Megan Scott]

Hannah, before we move to the next segment where we answer our listener question, where can listeners follow you?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I am at Spirited la, and even though I live in Portland now, I was la, San Francisco. Now I'm up in Portland. I'm very happy here. You can find me on TikTok and on Instagram.

[Megan Scott]

Lovely. And make sure to check out Hannah's book, How to Be a Better Drinker. All right, so this week we actually had a question about Irma's gin and juice. Sarah, can you read the text?

[Sarah Marshall]

My aunt had a New Year's party and made Irma's gin and juice. She said the recipe is in the book, but mine's packed. Can you tell me how to make it?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

So I am going to use 2 ounces of this gin. Now, do you prefer orange or grapefruit juice for this?

[Megan Scott]

I'm so glad you asked. I love grapefruit for this. Actually, I think orange sometimes can be a little flat in cocktails. This cocktail also has lemon juice in it, which does help with the acidity. But I love grapefruit cocktail.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Me too. Me too. I love that. And yeah, I agree there's like a chalkiness almost with the orange juice sometimes.

[Sarah Marshall]

Today when I made ours, I used. Because all the citrus is in Portland. Not that has been Grown here in Portland, but it's in all the shops. So I used bergamot oranges and some cara cara oranges. And then I found sweet lemons, which I hadn't really seen before, but they were all from Rubina. I just went in there and was like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Megan Scott]

And it tastes really nice.

[Sarah Marshall]

And I do think you can taste like. Like, rather than juniper in the gin, you can taste like the sage and maybe some thyme in there.

[Megan Scott]

It tastes very nice.

[Sarah Marshall]

Maybe some bay. I mean, I do think it tastes very Pacific Northwest. I think bay is like, our theme should have maybe been bay instead of gin today.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I think that sounds delicious. I love a gin with those kind of maybe, you know, botanicals that lean a little on the savory side, too.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, it's really nice, obviously.

[Jon Becker]

And brief shout out to Matthew Rowley, a cocktail historian, spirits writer, who actually did make that comparison of bitters and bay leaves, specifically in chicken adobo. Like, he's trying to explain what bitters added to a cocktail to somebody who's somewhat incredulous, and they're kind of understood by making that analogy.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

So now I'm going to add 2 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice, and then I'm going to add. Add 3/4 of an ounce of the lemon juice.

[Megan Scott]

It has to be fresh.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

It has to be fresh.

[Jon Becker]

No sour mix.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

You know, it's so interesting. I love fresh citrus in my cocktails, but feel like so many people are moving to different ways of adding acid to balance their drinks these days. So far, I don't have a ton that I love, but I think that we're going to be making some different choices in that area. So we have the 3/4 of the lemon juice, 3/4 of an ounce. And then I just whipped up this simple syrup last night. Do you use plain simple for this, or do you often experiment with it?

[Jon Becker]

Well, you know, Irma actually recommends, you know, as, like, variations. Apricot syrup is one of the ones she recommends.

[Sarah Marshall]

That sounds nice.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That sounds nice. I was thinking a tea one might be nice, like an Earl Grey or something. Seemed like it could be.

[Megan Scott]

I like that idea.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

All right, so half an ounce of the simple syrup, and I imagine that people can kind of adjust that based on their sweetness preferences.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah, sometimes we don't add any simple syrup at all. If the citrus itself is really sweet. It just depends. So it's a good idea to taste the citrus juice, too.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That makes sense. All right, now I'm gonna add some orange bitters.

[Megan Scott]

Do you Have a favorite brand of orange bitters.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

You know, I have a lot of ones that I like. I often use the Reagan's, but I'm using the Bitter Housewife today, a cool Portland brand. All right, so now we're going to give this a little shake.

[Megan Scott]

I think the shaking is where you can really make a big difference in your home cocktails. Because I think people don't shake cocktails enough sometimes. You really want to get them chilled, properly diluted too.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, a lot of shaking. And I feel like people often don't use enough ice, too. That's another one where I'm like, the reason it's not. I have a little section in my book called troubleshooting your cocktail. Why it doesn't taste as good at home as it does at bars. And enough ice is huge, I think. All right, I'm going to grab a glass here.

[Megan Scott]

I'm going to check out that section in your book. That's brilliant.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

It's something that I definitely find when I go to a friend's house and, you know, I'll say, like, do you have enough ice for cocktails? And then they'll say, yes, but I'll look at their ice and I'm like, this one little tray is not going to do it.

[Jon Becker]

You really cover the gamut in that book. We can talk about it after you finish mixing the cocktail. But I do want to commend you. It's like, you know, the full life cycle or, I don't know, from starting to, you know, set up your own bar to what if you drank too much, how best to handle that and avoid it if possible.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yes. Yeah. It's definitely one of those things where I've learned a few lessons in my day, sometimes the hard way, but hopefully other people will learn from my mistakes.

[Jon Becker]

One thing we did forget is that there was a serving suggestion that Irma has in there that is worth repeating. I guess it's served with hot cream cheese canapes.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. You want a good canape with a cocktail like that.

[Jon Becker]

There's a recipe for that in the original book just a few pages later.

[Sarah Marshall]

John, do you want to say a little history of this cocktail?

[Jon Becker]

Well, yeah, it was the first. First recipe and the first edition. And. And we conjecture that it was, I think it was on most people's minds was like, how do I make this questionable gin bathtub gin, like, palatable? And this was Irma's answer. And that's probably why it was the first recipe in the book. It's like the first problem to rectify was this horrible gin.

[Megan Scott]

Very important. I have a couple of tips for making this drink. We really. Well, we talked about shaking cocktails enough. It's really important to shake them until they're well chilled. We recommend like 12 to 15 seconds if you can count while you're shaking. But basically you want your hands to be really cold. The cocktail shaker should be really cold and frosty. And then we use these little. Instead of a jigger, which I. They always kind of annoy me because they. I spill. I just spill when I use a jigger. Like there's, there's stuff all over the bar. So I use one of those little Oxo measuring cups. It's like a quarter cup measure and it has ounces printed on the side and so you can easily measure your cocktail ingredients. No spilling. And then we talked a bit about this. But you can also use a flavored simple syrup if you want to mix it up a little bit. It's just a really easy, fun drink. It's really light and refreshing. You could probably like make it a lower proof cocktail by adding some like sparkling water or club soda to top it off if you want something a little more refreshing like in the summer. But it's, it's just a really solid drink and I love that it's the first recipe in the first edition. There are a few other alcohol related recipes in the first edition. John, did you have those written down?

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, hidden in the back of the book. It basically sounds like you're trying to turn like grain alcohol into something that's palatable. One of them is quince liqueur and it's like you can use whiskey for this or it's like one quart alcohol. That's all just alcohol. And I love it. Something like three quarts of distilled water. I don't know why she was calling for distilled water, but yeah, interesting. That's all.

[Megan Scott]

Well, you don't want to introduce any other flavors, I guess.

[Jon Becker]

Sure.

[Sarah Marshall]

I like the flexibility in the recipes and I will say that I am a great hot sauce maker. I am a terrible bartender. I was trying to make these drinks for you today and I was like, I don't have any gear. And I do think that sometimes you need a little bit of, of bartending gear. I think you do need to have a cocktail shaker, which I did not have. And when you brought over the specific pourer, I was like pouring things into a measuring cup using a kitchen scale. I was like using the tools that I have which are not necessarily Bartending tools. And it was, like, a little bit challenging.

[Jon Becker]

Well, this is actually brings up something I really appreciated about the bar tools section in your book. Book, Hannah, you were kind of meeting people where they're at. I think that that's what the aspect that I really liked. But it also, you know, some of the substitutions is like, you know, if you don't have a Hawthorne strainer, you can always use, like, what is it? A cleaver?

[Sarah Marshall]

Yes.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah. I mean, it's so funny. I. I often end up making drinks wherever I am, so I'll be at a friend's house or a hotel room or something like that, and I. I know very much what the function is that I'm trying to achieve. But, yeah, the cleaver, if you just sort of put it over most of it and most of the thing, and then you can just pour.

[Megan Scott]

It's not ideal, but sometimes you gotta improvise.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, absolutely. Especially, like, early pandemic, you know, moved in with my parents, and obviously martinis were a necessity, but they had none of the right gear. So I was mixing them in a bowl with a chopstick most of the time and then putting them through, like a pasta strainer. But. But, you know, we did what we had to do.

[Jon Becker]

I was trying to figure out, it's like, is this, like, personal experience, like substitutions that Hannah's come across, or is this like just being super imaginative and trying to empathize with readers that might not have, you know, all the. All the right tools?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, a lot of the time it is personal experience. I think I've even used, like, a fast food cup and a straw, you know, in dire circumstances.

[Jon Becker]

Nice. Sure, you might not have bought stuff, but there's also like the Airbnb situation where.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We've all been there. Like, you go to the Airbnb, there's nothing in the kitchen. At least nothing that you. Nothing practical. Nothing that you actually need.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yes. I always think it's funny. There's a phenomenon where people will be like, I have an amazing home bar. Like, I have everything you could possibly want. And what they mean is they have some very fancy tequilas and whiskeys, but I'm like, do you have any. Need citrus? No. Do you have any cocktail tools? No. Okay. You can get me into the kitchen. I guess we'll figure it out.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah.

[Jon Becker]

Hard to substitute for the citrus, but, yeah, the tools can work with that.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. That's how I feel about every time I'm cooking in someone else's kitchen. I seem to always need a whisk for some reason. And I am always amazed at, like, people who just have the tiny 3 inch whisk that I'm like, what is this even for?

[Jon Becker]

Or the ones with the. The balls on the for.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, the cute looking ones.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, the cute looking ones that are for, like nonstick pans and whatnot.

[Megan Scott]

Oh, yeah. No, everyone, please buy a whisk. Just do yourself a solid. It's worth it, I promise.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I always feel like that about citrus squeezers. I'm like, I know you think you're fine without it. I know you think that your hands are doing a great job, but I swear to you, you will thank me. And they're the best.

[Megan Scott]

It's a game changer. Do you have a recommendation? What kind of citrus squeezer do you like to use?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I just like these standard. I don't even know the brand. But just this one.

[Megan Scott]

Yellow. It's like the yellow one that has a lever.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yeah, exactly. I've gotten some of, like, the fancier ones, but I always go back to this one. It's not bulky. It's easy to bring with you. It's. I've broken a few over time through heavy, heavy use, but they last pretty well.

[Jon Becker]

Yep, we've gone through a few. The chef in one is pretty nice. And then there's that. The one that. That folds flat.

[Megan Scott]

Yeah. My favorite now, which I got last year, is a flat. It folds totally flat. So you can put it in a drawer and it doesn't keep the drawer from. From, you know, opening. And it actually works very, very well. So if you see a flat citrus press, I recommend. Recommend.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Okay, I'm gonna look that up.

[Megan Scott]

If you have a topic, ingredient, or joy story to share, call our hotline at 503-395-8858. Leave us a message or send us a text. We'd love to hear from you.

[Sarah Marshall]

Next week's topic is I have many cans of canned pumpkin taking up space in my pantry. Recipe ideas.

[Megan Scott]

Awesome. We'll talk about that next week. All right, y'all, what are we thinking about for this week? What are we excited about cooking or eating? We're going out to. To dinner with you and Dirk. Unless he hasn't told you about it yet.

[Sarah Marshall]

We are going out to dinner.

[Megan Scott]

Yes.

[Sarah Marshall]

Now I do know.

[Megan Scott]

Okay, good.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yep.

[Sarah Marshall]

We're going to Jeju for dinner. I'm super excited about it. Our buddy's restaurant in Portland. So we're gonna do that. I am working on a hot sauce recipe with tart cherry juice. Because I'm going to the Cherry Bomb jubilee in April, so that's like my experimenting recipe time that I'm working on. And then as far as cooking at home, we're doing mushroom barley burgers. It's a recipe on our website that uses our habanero carrot curry sauce. Dirk asked that special request. So I'm making that this week. I think that's it that I have planned so far.

[Megan Scott]

Lovely.

[Sarah Marshall]

What about you guys?

[Jon Becker]

I feel like we're in recovery mode. We ate out a fair bit, but also we cooked some pretty rich food because we. We had some house guests.

[Megan Scott]

So, yeah, we're gonna be cooking. We did get our CSA last Thursday, so we have some tatsoi this week, which I really love. If you haven't had tatsoi, it's like a. It's kind of in the. It's in the mustard family or like bok choy, but the. The leaves are just. I think it's really beautiful. The stems are really thin and the leaves are really delicate. It's good in stir fries. Or you could. I sometimes add it to miso soup or something. So I'm excited to use that. And then we also got a big Savoy cabbage, so I will probably cut it into wedges and then sear them and braise them a little so they get really velvety soft. Soft. But lots of good vegetables are probably happening this week. Oh, also exciting update. We're having built in bookshelves put into our office for all of our cookbooks.

[Sarah Marshall]

Fancy.

[Megan Scott]

So that's gonna start this week, and I am so ready.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, you're like the perfect people that need built in bookshelves for your office. You have, like, the most cookbooks of anyone I know.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

That is very exciting.

[Jon Becker]

Or we could just get rid of more cookbooks.

[Sarah Marshall]

No, no, that is not the idea.

[Megan Scott]

I mean, we've already done that. We have done our due diligence, and we're still in need. So very looking forward to that whole process of also, like, putting everything, organizing everything, and I love organizing things.

[Jon Becker]

Yeah, we're actually gonna have to move a lot of books today.

[Sarah Marshall]

Hannah, do you have anything you're gonna cook or cocktail this week?

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yes, I'm having my book launch party this week. So we will be drinking the Funyuns Gibsons. We'll be doing a blueberry jasmine green tea Paloma. I think we're doing a champagne Sazerac variation and then maybe a tropical espresso martini. And I'm getting a one of those, like, very fun Victorian retro cakes. To kind of for the occasion. Have you seen these everywhere? Now we're having going to have one of those as well.

[Megan Scott]

Can you tell me a little more about the cake? I don't know what that is, so.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

I call it cake kitsch. I don't know if that's the official term but he's very retro, like 1950s looking super piped cakes with a ton of like very over the top color. The maraschino red cherry. Oh yeah, that just very gaudy look. But I love it so I'm very excited to have it. It's going to be gluten free too because unfortunately that's a necessity for me.

[Megan Scott]

But well, there's a lot of great gluten free bakeries in Portland so you're in the right place.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Yes, yes. It is another thing that makes this a great city to eat and drink in.

[Megan Scott]

Fun. Well, thank you all for listening to the Joy of Cooking podcast. Before we go, show some love for your favorite podcast by subscribing to the show and leaving us a review on Apple podcasts and itunes. Follow us at joyofcooking.substack.com and on Instagram hejoyofcooking. Stay tuned for next week where we will tackle canned pumpkin. And don't forget to make this week's recipe the Chan chan. Call in with questions, hopes, history or where you find joy in the kitchen. Our number is 503-395-8858. That's 503-395-8858.

[Sarah Marshall]

And we could not do this without our fantastic team at the Joy of Creation production house. Thanks to Dave Dresky, our production coordinator and Haley Bowers, our audio engineer and me, I guess the producer.

[Megan Scott]

Thank you, Sarah.

[Sarah Marshall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the script. Should have cut that out. Thanks everybody. And Hannah, thanks for being our guest today. It was so great to meet you. We had had such a good time. It was great to hear about you.

[Hannah Chamberlain]

Thank you so much for having me. It's been a blast.

[Sarah Marshall]

And everyone go by be a better drinker.