Cocktail Pairing Recipes – Coquette Bistro Wine Bar, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Each year as part of the annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner® Series, New Orleans, Louisiana restaurants match their Chef with Guest Bar Chefs to prepare a one-night only cocktail pairing dinner.  We had the opportunity to work with Chef Michael Stoltzfus, owner of Coquette Bistro Wine Bar, who opened the charming restaurant located on the corner of Magazine Street and Washington Avenue in the Garden District in 2008. Guest Bar Chef Debra C. Argen and Guest Bar Chef Edward F. Nesta share their cocktail recipes from the Spirited Dinner® at Coquette Bistro Wine Bar.

For this special dinner, Chef Michael Stoltzfus created a six-course menu and Guest Bar Chef Debra C. Argen and Guest Bar Chef Edward F. Nesta created the pairing cocktails to complement each course. The theme for the dinner was "The Language of Flowers and Herbs and their Meanings in Life, Cocktails, and Cuisine©." using floral and herbal elements in each of the courses and the cocktails to tell a "tale" over the course of the evening.

Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner®
Coquette Bistro Wine
New Orleans, Louisiana

Eight o’clock

Thursday, 21st of July, 2011

The Language of Flowers and Herbs and their Meanings in
Life, Cocktails, and Cuisine©

Featuring Culinary Creations by Chef/Owner Michael Stoltzfus
Pairing Cocktails by
Guest Bar Chef Debra C. Argen
Guest Bar Chef Edward F. Nesta

Welcome Cocktail – Good Times to Come
Champagne, G’Vine Floraison Gin, Pineapple Juice, Chamomile Tea
and Thyme Simple Syrup, and garnished with a sprig of Thyme

First Course

Lamb Loin with Honey Lavender Vinaigrette, Pickled Ramps, and Local Greens
Pairing Cocktail – Getting to Know You
Leblon Cachaça, Rosemary Vinegar, Fee Brothers Lavender Water,
Honey Water, and garnished with Lavender

Second Course

Oyster Stew with Squash Blossom, Artichokes, Fresh Chorizo,
Seasoned with Fennel, and Black Pepper
Pairing Cocktail – Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
Mount Gay Rum infused with Fennel, Galliano, Clam Juice, Light Cream,
and garnished with a Fennel Frond

Third Course

Watermelon & Mint – Various Preparations
Pairing Cocktail – Flirtatious
Vermont Spirits Gold Vodka, Watermelon Juice, Lime Juice,
Mint Basil Simple Syrup, Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, and
Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water, with a Hibiscus Sugar Rim and a Mint Garnish

Fourth Course

Local Fish with Sweet Corn "Risotto", Celeriac, Tarragon Froth
Pairing Cocktail – Smitten
Scorpion Mezcal, Sweet Corn, Agave Nectar, Lime Juice,
Grand Marnier, and garnished with Tarragon

Fifth Course

Wagyu Beef Short Rib with Heirloom Tomatoes and Chimichurri
Pairing Cocktail – Joyful
Milagro Tequila Reposado, Grilled Tomatoes, Cilantro, Parsley, Garlic,
and Lime Juice, and garnished with a Candied Sun Dried Tomato and Cilantro

Palate Cleansers

Beauty and Elegance

Beauty – Karlsson’s Gold Vodka, Hibiscus Flower, Simple Syrup,
Black Pepper, and Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water

Elegance – Esprit de June Liqueur, Jasmine Tea, Simple Syrup,
and Fee Brothers Jasmine Water

Sixth Course

Peach and Buttermilk Tart with Thyme Ice Cream, Blis Maple Syrup
Pairing Cocktail – Happily Ever After
Citadelle Gin, Peach Nectar, Thyme Infused Light Cream, Maple Syrup,
Fee Brothers Orange Blossom Water, and garnished with
an Orange Rose Petal

The Cocktail Recipes

Bar Chefs Edward and Debra

Guest Bar Chefs Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta share the cocktail recipes from the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner® Coquette Bistro Wine Bar. Cheers!

Welcome Cocktail – Good Times to Come

The Spirited Dinner® began with a cocktail called, Good Times to Come, which began the "tale" of "The Language of Flowers and Herbs and their Meanings in Life, Cocktails, and Cuisine© by welcoming the guests, and letting them know to be patient as there were good times to come. The cocktail incorporated Champagne, G’Vine Floraison Gin, pineapple juice (the pineapple is the universal symbol of hospitality), chamomile tea and thyme simple syrup (chamomile represents patience, thyme represents happiness), and had a thyme garnish.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Champagne Flute

Ingredients:

Method for the Chamomile Tea and Thyme Simple Syrup: Make ahead and store in airtight covered jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Will hold for several weeks in the refrigerator. In a large saucepan, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 3 chamomile tea bags, and 3 sprigs of thyme. Bring mixture to a boil and then let simmer to dissolve sugar for 2 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, strain, and then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Method for the Cocktail: Chill the champagne flute, add pineapple juice, chamomile tea and thyme simple syrup, G’Vine Floraison Gin, and champagne. Stir, and garnish with a thyme sprig.

Getting to Know You

The second cocktail, Getting to Know You, incorporated rosemary to express remembering the evening and the conversations, and lavender to express devotion and loyalty, and featured Leblon Cachaça, Sherry, rosemary vinegar, Fee Brothers Lavender Water, honey water, and had a fresh lavender flower garnish.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

Method for the Rosemary Vinegar: Make ahead and store in airtight covered glass jar until ready to use.

In a saucepan bring 1 cup white vinegar and 4 tablespoons rosemary leaves to a boil. Cover and let sit for a few hours to infuse. Discard rosemary and pour vinegar into a glass bottle with cork top or wrap top with plastic wrap. May be made ahead and kept for several months.

Method for the Honey Water: May be made ahead. Mix ½ ounce honey and 2 ounces hot water in a jar and shake to combine.

Method for the Cocktail: Add ingredients to a large shaker. Shake with 4 ice cubes, and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with fresh lavender flowers (if available, or rosemary sprig if not).

Flattery will Get You Everywhere

The third cocktail, Flattery Will Get You Everywhere, represented the "courtship" stage, flattering to entice and engage, and incorporated fennel to express flattery. The cocktail was made with Mount Gay Rum infused with fennel, and Galliano, clam juice, and light cream, and had a fennel frond garnish.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

Method for the Fennel Infused Mount Gay Rum: Infuse Mount Gay with fennel for several hours or overnight.

Method for the Cocktail: Add all ingredients to a large mixing glass with 4 ice cubes. Stir and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with fennel frond.

Flirtatious

The fourth cocktail, Flirtatious, continued the relationship using basil for good wishes, love, and wealth, mint for wisdom and virtue, and hibiscus to express rare beauty, and incorporated Vermont Spirits Gold Vodka, watermelon juice, basil and mint simple syrup, Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water, and had a hibiscus sugar rim and a mint garnish.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

Method for Basil and Mint Simple Syrup: Make ahead and store in airtight covered jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. In a large saucepan, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 sprigs of mint and 2 sprigs of basil. Bring mixture to a boil and then let simmer to dissolve sugar for 2 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, strain, and then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Will hold for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Method for the Hibiscus Sugar: Make ahead and store in airtight covered jar until ready to use. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water. Spoon sugar onto parchment lined tray, and let dry. Store sugar in an airtight covered jar until ready to use. May be made ahead and stored.

Method for Cocktail: Rim edge of glass with lime wedge and then twist edge in hibiscus sugar. May be made ahead and set aside. Add the Vodka, watermelon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters to a large shaker. Shake with 4 ice cubes, and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Smitten

By the fifth cocktail, we had welcomed the guests, flattered and flirted with them, and now we were "Smitten," which was made with Scorpion Mezcal Reposado, sweet corn, lime juice, agave nectar, Grand Marnier, fresh tarragon to express lasting interest, and had a half tarragon sea salt rim.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Margarita Glass

Ingredients:

Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and liquefy. May be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Method for the Tarragon Sea Salt Rim: In a small blender, add 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves. Finely grind. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt and process until smooth. Pour salt onto small plate. Rim outside edge of Margarita glass with small lime wedge. Rim edge of glass in the tarragon salt. Chill glass in freezer. May be made ahead.

Method for the Cocktail: Pour the blended ingredients in a large shaker with 4 ice cubes. Shake hard until can is frosty. Strain into chilled Margarita glass.

Sorbets

To refresh the palate between courses, we created two housemade sorbets, Beauty and Elegance. Beauty, incorporated Karlsson’s Gold Vodka, hibiscus flower to represent rare beauty, simple syrup, black pepper, and Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water; and Elegance, incorporated Esprit de June Liqueur, jasmine tea (jasmine represents elegance), simple syrup, and Fee Brothers Jasmine Water.

Beauty

Glass Used:       Demitasse or small liqueur glass 

Method: Bring water to a boil in a pot, add dried hibiscus flowers and boil for 30 minutes. Strain and discard flowers.

Method: Bring 16 ounces hibiscus flower water and sugar to a boil for 3 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Let mixture cool over ice water bath. When cool, add the Karlsson’s Gold Vodka, Fee Brothers Hibiscus Water, ground black pepper, and process in an ice cream maker. Can be made several days or a week in advance.

Elegance

Method: Bring water to a boil in a pot, add teabag and steep for 5 minutes.

Method: Bring 18 ounces jasmine tea and sugar to a boil for 3 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Let mixture cool over ice water bath. When cool, add the Esprit de June Liqueur and Fee Brothers Jasmine Water, and process in an ice cream maker. Can be made several days or a week in advance.

*Alternative Method for Sorbets: Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze until mixture is firm (will take several hours), remove from container and process in blender until mixture is light and fluffy. Return to container and freeze overnight.

Joyful

The sixth cocktail, Joyful, sent the message of our strong bond using parsley for joy and useful knowledge, cilantro for sincerity, and garlic for strength. The cocktail incorporated Milagro Tequila Reposado, grilled Louisiana tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, garlic, lime juice, tomato juice, and had a candied sun dried tomato and cilantro garnish.

Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Martini Glass

Ingredients:

Method for Candied Sundried Tomatoes: Make ahead. In a small sauté pan, add 1 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water and bring to a boil. Add 10 sundried tomatoes to pan and sauté to coat with sugar. Remove candied sundried tomatoes to parchment paper, garnish each tomato with a cilantro leaf and let dry.

Method for the Cocktail: Make ahead and chill for several hours to allow flavors to mellow. Grill tomatoes, and then add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Make ahead and refrigerate. At serving time, chill Martini Glass. In a shaker can, shake cocktail with 4 ice cubes until can is frosty, strain into Martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a candied sundried tomato with cilantro leaf.

Happily Ever After

The last cocktail of the evening, Happily Ever After, culminated the evening tale and told of the relationship using orange rose petals to express passion, thyme for happiness, and orange blossoms to express marriage, and incorporated Citadelle Gin, peach nectar, thyme infused light cream, maple syrup, Fee Brothers Orange Blossom Water, and had an orange rose petal garnish.

Yield:                1 Cocktail
Glass Used:      Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

Method for the Thyme Infused Half & Half: Make ahead. Infuse for several hours or overnight. In a covered glass jar, add 1-ounce light cream and 8 thyme leaves. Infuse for several hours or overnight.

Method for the Cocktail: Add all ingredients, except garnish, to a large mixing glass with ice. Shake hard and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an edible orange rose petal.

To commemorate The Language of Flowers and Herbs and their Meanings in Life, Cocktails, and Cuisine© Spirited Dinner® each guest received a booklet that included the menu and "told the tale" of the evening with the meanings of the herbs and flowers used, Chef Michael Stoltzfus’ recipe for the lamb, the cocktail and sorbet recipes, and product information. In addition, each guest received a bookmark with an herbal or floral poem that was created especially for the dinner.

The Culinary Recipes

Chef Michael Stoltzfus 

Chef Michael Stoltzfus graciously shares his delectable recipes for the first course for the Spirited Dinner®, Lamb Loin with Honey Lavender Vinaigrette, Pickled Ramps, and Local Greens. Bon Appetit!

Lamb Loin with Honey Lavender Vinaigrette, Pickled Ramps, Local Greens

Lamb Ingredients:

Method: Season the lamb loin generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and thyme. Let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature. Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Add neutral olive oil and when smoking, sear lamb loin on each side for two minutes. Let rest.

Honey Lavender Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Method: Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Pickled Ramps

Ingredients:

Method: Thinly slice ramp bulbs. Heat rice wine vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add water and sliced ramp bulbs. Let sit for at least one day.

Frisée

Ingredients:

Method: Clean frisée by removing all of the green top and large stems. Season with good olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Plating: Slice lamb loin into 1/8 in slices. Dress lightly with honey lavender vinaigrette and flaky sea salt. Garnish each slice with 3 pieces of pickled ramps, a chive blossom, and 2 sprigs of dressed frisée.

Coquette Bistro Wine Bar is open for Dinner everyday from 5:30 pm until 10:00 pm, for Lunch from Wednesday thorough Saturday from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm.

Visit their website www.Coquette-NOLA.com for menu samples, as Chef Michael Stoltzfus changes his creative menu daily.

Read about Coquette Bistro Wine Bar and the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner® in the Restaurants section and in the Chefs’ Recipes section.

Coquette Bistro Wine Bar
2800 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
United States
Telephone:        +1-504-265-0421
Website:            www.Coquette-NOLA.com

Read other articles on the Tales of the Cocktail and New Orleans in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Liquor Cabinet sections.

For information on Tales of the Cocktail, please visit: www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

For information on New Orleans, please visit: www.NewOrleansCVB.com

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