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the old codger	Off the beaten track	Lead	[-]
Posts: 189 (07/09/08 05:06:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None While I'm quite aware that this message board is supposed to be exclusively about martinis, I'm gonna venture into area we've all laughed about in the past......faux martinis, or as someone has coined them, "martinots". I've been asked to come up with a martini-like drink to be called a "Piranha". Unfortunately, I have no inkling what its contents should be, so I'm hoping some of you can help me with suggestions. There are no restrictions on what can be used in the drink, except that it has to be served in a martini glass. The challenge comes from a friend to whom I sent a picture of a filled martini glass with a goldfish swimming in it and a wide eyed cat looking at it and trying to figure out how to get at the fish. Sorry, but I can't get the image to show here. the old codger (who hopes his request brings forth some original thinking) Last Edited By: the old codger 07/09/08 05:09:48. Edited 1 time.
blabberblabber		#1	[-]
Posts: 82 (07/09/08 14:22:36) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Does it have to intersect a goldfish somehow? Does it have to relate to the word "piranha"? -- Gerry
the old codger	ingredients for the "piranha"	#2	[-]
Posts: 190 (07/09/08 16:06:40) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Hey Blab, In answer to your question, the goldfish is optional, but not essential. As for "piranha", that's only the name of the drink. Ergo, anything that elicits a taste of what that flesh eating fish exhibits would be my thinking. Short of adding gasoline, diesel fuel or any other flammable liquid to the mixture, anything in the way of ingredients would be acceptable. However, I don't think any kind of microbe or bacteria would be acceptable. It is supposed to be a drinkable potion. Perhaps a variation of a Cajun martini (hot pickled okra garnish) and or a shot of Texas Pete hot sauce instead of vermouth might give you an idea of what is a possibility. What I'm really looking for is a novel, original idea. the old codger (who hopes somebody has an active imagination) Last Edited By: the old codger 07/09/08 16:12:11. Edited 1 times.
PaulO	RE: Piranha Cocktail	#3	[-]
Posts: 198 (07/10/08 06:22:36) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	When I had college work study students working for me years ago, one was a young man from Giana in the Amazon. He said allmost everyone in his country had at least one small square scar where a piranha had bit them while swimming. I was told that when it is the rainy season and the river level is up piranhas don't usually bother people. They are dangerous when the water level drops in the dry season and groups of them get trapped in ponds and oxbows away from the main river. Piranhas are supposed to be very good to eat. People in the Amazon fish for them with steel wire leaders. Anyway, I digress. As far as creating a piranha cocktail I would suggest starting with some sort of rum. There is that Brazilian drink with the clear rum, lime, and sugar; the caipirinha (I think that's how they spell it). How about some variation on that. Maybe garnish it with a small piece of bright red watermelon? Or muddle it with melon. How about this; a mojito with piece of melon garnish or muddled in it. I think that could be a big hit.
blabberblabber		#4	[-]
Posts: 83 (07/10/08 14:04:18) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Great ideas, Paul! Of course I'd replace the rum with gin, but particularly like your the melon "flesh". that certainly underscores it the piranha concept. It is indeed called a caipirinha, and the rum used is the Brazilian cachaça (pronounced kah-shah-sah). I use to pursue all things Brazilian a few years back and have lapsed, but noted just the other day at BevMo that they now have about 8 brands of cachaça. I would recommend avoiding Pitu and 51. They are exactly what cachaça traditionally is: crudely made cane liquor. Initially cachaça was the first pass at the cane liquor, the further refinements and filtering being "rum" and being drunk by the overlords and shipped out of town. But the modern variety has been at least passably refined. Some of the boutique varieties are filtered a bit more vigorously, one would assume, and somehow toned-down a bit from the "fire-water" approach. In Brazil the slang for straight cachaça is pinga, and thus refer to low-end boozers as pinga-heads. Any drink made with cachaça, sugar and a fruit is called a batida (bah-chee-dah), so if you made a melon batida you'd be home free. -- Gerry
the old codger	suggestion for "piranha"	#5	[-]
Posts: 191 (07/10/08 20:08:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	...here's what someone has suggested when I posted the same question at DrinkBoy.com.... 3/4 oz. Guava Nectar 2 oz. Cachaca (I used Leblon - use the highest quality unaged available) 1/2 oz. Cointreau 1/3 of a lime Agave Nectar to taste Muddle the limes in with the agave nectar, add the rest of the ingredients, and shake the crap out of it with ice. For your purposes, strain it into a martini glass, and garnish however you'd like. Try a star fruit for the "starfish" effect. the old codger (who hopes this recipe isn't the only one out there)
PaulO	RE: Piranha Cocktail	#6	[-]
Posts: 199 (07/11/08 06:57:58) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I like the concept of some sort of caipirinha variation as the pirinha. The words even sound similar. It also goes along with the from the Amazon theme. Drinks made from liquor, lime, and a little sugar also have a good track record as well accepted cocktails. I think the agave nectar in place of sugar is a good idea. Here is my idea for garnish; a sprig of mint and piece of watermelon (a small piece without rind or seeds). You could also add a slice of star fruit or a small piece of fresh pineapple. You could have all or any combination of these. Granted I have not done taste tests of the various combinations. Probably two or three different things at the most if the pieces are small would not look too silly in an average cocktail glass. My lack of appropriate gin in the house has kept me from making many martinis lately. Later today I hope to pick up some Brokers or Beefeater. I have also found out that next time I get a chance to get the 375ml bottles of Noilly Prat I need to get more than one. It seems whenever I run out of vermouth the stores near me only have M&R (which is just OK) and the cheapo stuff I wouln't buy.
Allen		#7	[-]
Posts: 204 (07/11/08 07:25:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I also like the idea of some variation of the caipirinha..... it could be called the caipiranha. I was at the aquarium in Galveston, Texas, last week with my grandchildren and saw some huge piranhas.... They are indeed formidable. I saw where some of the souvenir stores were selling inexpensive alligator heads. Maybe the teeth could be extracted and then each "caipiranha" could be served with a "piranha" tooth floating in the bottom. As for the term "martinot", that was my contribution. I feel famous! Allen
Didi		#8	[-]
Posts: 236 (07/14/08 04:16:41) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I would also go with a Caipirinha - Margarita variation on this one, but not with the nectars. IMHO that would be overly sweet, especially for a drink called piranha. And I find that those nectars take the bite out of any drink and more often than not render it into "the time wasting opiate of the masses". My idea would be: 1 part juice of freshly squeezed lime 1 part Cointreau 2 parts Cachaca Shake and stir into a martini glass with a "margarita style" salted rim. (Using really good salt!) Garnish with a drop of Habanero mash, that should be placed into the deepest part of the glass after it has been filled. Cheers, Didi

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