Week 18: Black Velvet

Every week in 2011, for 52-straight weeks, I hope to try something new and blog about it here. This is the 18th week in the series, when I made and tasted my first Black Velvet cocktail. Here you can find a list of all my weekly adventures in 2011.

If you recall, I recently bought my first pack of stout and made chocolate stout cupcakes two weeks ago. Earlier last week, I inched closer towards finishing that six pack (slow and steady, guys) in a new cocktail: The Black Velvet.

As someone who's a fan of Black & Tans (see here for a recipe and photo), I stumbled across a recipe for the Black Velvet several weeks ago. I bookmarked it as something to add to my weekly new things and kept it in the back of my head. Ever since buying the stout, I knew this would have to be next on the list.

Black Velvets are fairly simple, really. All it involves is champagne (or sparkling wine) and stout, Guiness is recommended. Well, we had Veuve Clicquot and milk stout.

The only "directions" I read said pour each equally in a pretty glass and enjoy the beautiful color. My mistake, I used both hands to pour equal proportions of the alcohols and it never crossed my mind to tilt the glass. Before I knew it, the ratio was 30 percent cocktail and 70 percent foam. Oops. Letting it settle, I slowly tilted the flute and poured in the drinks one at a time. Finally I was left with a flute of what resembled a very fizzy barley wine.

The verdict: I think our champagne may have gone bad. It had been in the fridge for a while. If not, I think something rubbed me the wrong way with this beverage. It was sweet, sour, bitter and heavy all at the same time. Interesting sensations and flavors for cocktails, but maybe not all at the same time. I did like the color and the foam. I think I might have to try this again with the recommended Guiness and maybe a different kind of bubbly.

Then again, maybe it was the Thai dinner paired with the cocktail that made something taste funny. If I do this again, it's going to be solely as an apéritif. Lesson learned :) But glad I finally drummed up the courage to take the plunge into the Black Velvet!