Review of 'Hip Sips' by Lucy Brennan

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Review of

Hip Sips

By Lucy Brennan with Carolyn Burleigh, Photographs by Sheri Giblin

Book signing of Hip Sips at In Good Taste

Come meet Lucy Brennan

Ever since I watched Lucy Brennan shake her shaker at Mint, in Portland OR and became friends with Carolyn Burleigh as she poured over the final daft of Hip Sips , I have been dying for this book to be published. Now I’m finally able to learn the moves from one of Portland’s best drink mixologists.

The first chapter introduces us to creating the bar. Glassware, tools, and beverages are discussed. Setting up a bar can be an expensive proposition for the novice. Brennan and Burleigh give recommendations for “The Downtown Bar” (nine selections) and “The Uptown Bar” (nineteen selections). Each liquor’s properties are described so we know what flavor profiles they will add to a drink. “More Essentials” fleshes out the bar with “basics that are the spice cabinet of the home bar.” These include such ingredients as Angostura bitters, Cerignola olives, and kosher salt. Next, we learn about simple syrups and fruit purees; the backbone of many Hip Sips recipes. Lastly, the finishing touches of the drink; citrus twists, berry pick, the lollipop rim, and the salt rim are illustrated. So often these garnishes are executed wrong. Never again with Hip Sips at your side.

I never thought about the size of ice cubes and the importance of ice in creating a drink. Silly me! I just thought it was to soothe the parched throat but in the section “Ice: The Agitator”, ice cubes are considered an important ingredient. They must be small enough to mix up in a pint glass (about ½”) and not crushed. Brennan and Burleigh mention three types of ice agitation. Shaking, which agitates and blends flavors, sandwiching, which is when ice is put in the bottom of a glass, herbs added and then the glass is topped off with ice. A quick shake will bruise each leaf and release the essence of the herb. Finally there is muddling that macerates each component to create a flavorful slush with powerful flavors. Hip Sips is all about “shaken not stirred” drinks. To “create a cocktail with complexity and interest, you’ve got to shake the hell out of it.” If you ever get a chance to see Brennan in action do so. Her technique is something to emulate.

The layout of Hip Sips is as lively and contemporary as the drinks. The cover is protected with plastic and photographs by Sheri Giblin perky and enticing. The ingredient list is framed and in bold. The instructions are straight forward and after making several of the drinks, Brennan’s method will become a natural drink technique. The voice of the book is in the colorful drink descriptions that send you to your bar for a flight away from the dreary March doldrums.

I had to try O one night with the description: “The O is the Carmen Miranda of citrus cocktails. A hip-shaking invitation to Cha-Cha the night away”. Mint leaves sandwiched between ice, Cruzan orange rum, lemon-lime juice, simple syrup a bit of soda water for bubbles and garnished with an orange slice sent me to our CD collection and Tito Puente.

I am very fond of my husband’s Bloody Mary. Don’t tell him I think Hip Sips is better. Brennan starts with making a Bloody Mary Vodka combining a yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper jalapeño chile, garlic, fresh basil and Monopolowa vodka (an Austrian potato vodka with a clean flavor and no grain alcohol). These ingredients are left to infuse for a couple of days then strained before being mixed with the usual suspects; tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon-lime juice, fresh horseradish, and an interesting addition, a splash of Cerignola olive juice. The layers of flavors are magnificent and the suggestion of a squeeze of fresh lime juice and cracked pepper worked perfectly. I will never buy “Mr. T" again and will keep a bottle of Bloody Mary Vodka on hand for those lazy morning brunches.

Any good drink book should include “historical” recipes, drinks that our parents consumed before dinner and after we were sent to bed. Brennan and Burleigh bring them into the new millennium reminding us of their timeless appeal and simple perfection. In a nod to my Italian traveling daughter I tasted a Nigroni. “Launch your very own Roman holiday with this bitter tonic. The renowned Italian aperitif will have you racing past the paparazzi on your Vespa”. Gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth are mixed in the right proportions to sip and dream of big sunglasses and handsome men.

Several of the drinks feature Pacific Northwest Products. Berry purees are prevalent. Cascade Mountain gin from Bend, Oregon is “The Downtown Bar’s” gin of choice and Crater Lake hazelnut espresso vodka shines in a delicious after dinner drink the Hazel.

This year I have many “children” turning into adults and what better book to educate them in the joys of making and drinking fun beverages. There will be one last lecture on drinking responsibly and tips for nibbles.

“Once you become proficient at the basics of making a Hip Sips cocktail, you’ll find it easy to line up your tempered pint glasses packed with ice and make several cocktails at a time. It is not rocket science. The process is quick and easy, down and dirty.” Bring on the drinks!

Read! Eat! Enjoy!

Judith Bishop