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Cedar Creek in Brea, CA is not too far from home and I’ve been there several times. But I hadn’t really concentrated on the martini before, so I decided to go again and pay attention.
This was a very good martini. The stem was nicely chilled, properly and vigorously shaken, and very dry with just a hint of vermouth. The Barkeep was friendly and attentive while also being discretely out of the way.
As you know my ‘standard’ Martini is with Bombay Sapphire, for consistent comparisons. Here I had a second Martini in which I asked for Boodles. I rather liked Boodles, its clean and crisp, but also very neutral flavored. Of course that may be good or bad depending on your presences. I’ll definitely add Boodles as a backup gin preference.
Overall a good martini. My rating: 
Food? You want to know about the food? Alright, it was very good. They serve hearty American with an emphasis on seafood – Pot roast, prime rib, cedar plank salmon, swordfish, rack of lamb…. etc. The decor would be best described as warm woodsy Craftsman-style. Very comfortable with upscale comfort food.
For selection Cedar Creek gets a “B+”.
A non exhaustive sampling: Bombay, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Tanqueray Ten, Hendrick’s, Nolet’s, Beefeater, Boodles, and some sort of well. They get the “+” because of the Boodles and Nolet’s, something above and beyond the usual, at least for this part of the world, B, BS, T, T10, & H.
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***** Rating Definitions ****
This is my third “Revisited” post on ‘Shaken vs. Stirred’. The previous two dealt with Temperature and Dilution. See Shaken vs. Stirred Revisited: Temperature and Shaken vs. Stirred Revisited: Dilution to catch up. Today we wax poetic on Bruising.
I’m sure you’ve read or heard somewhere that shaking ‘bruises’ the gin and/or Martini. And by implication, this is ‘BAD’ and you don’t want your Gin to be bruised. What exactly does Bruising mean?
It does not mean that you’re turning the martini ‘black and blue’! Nor does it mean that the Gin is ruined. Nor does it imply that the taste is altered, more on that later.
In our discussion here it means that you emulsify the drink making it cloudy, or if you will, foamy. Shaking the Martini adds millions and millions of tiny air bubbles into the mix. Ok, maybe not millions, but a lot. Enough that all those little bubbles creates the cloudiness in the drink. These tiny air bubbles also make the liquid just a bit less dense. You can feel the difference on your palate – this is sometimes also called ‘Mouth Feel’.
This affect it temporary as the air bubbles eventually work their way to the surface of the liquid and ‘pop’. This takes approximately 30 – 45 seconds, though I haven’t actually sat there with a stop watch. Really, who has time to time this when there’s a martini sitting in front of you inviting you to take a sip. But I digress…. the point being that after about a minute the effect is gone and you’re left with a clear smooth martini.
Next up, Taste …. Which tastes better? Shaken or Stirred? Keep your eyes open for the next installment…..
Advantage?
I’d call this a draw. This is ultimately a matter of personal preference. I like the emulsification, but not so adamantly that I ask my drink to be shaken. If the barkeep stirs my drink I’m still a happy camper.
The Summit House it located on the top of a hill and has simply beautiful views of Orange County, CA. The view can be enjoyed from within the restaurant or, my preference, on the patio. For that reason alone, the Summit House is worth a trip.
Inside the decor is warm and welcoming, a sort of rustic farmhouse feel. There is lots of dark wood paneling, framed paintings, open beams raised ceiling, and a huge rock fireplace. Very bright and cheery with, of course, lots of windows. The tables are set formally with comfortable arm chairs.
Add to that the excellent food coupled with professional service and you have a perfect First Date, Birthday, Anniversary, or other special occasion celebratory location. But its also a highly desirable location for weddings, proms, and celebrations of all sorts which can make for crowds.
Fortunately that’s rarely a problem with the lounge or patio. The lounge is an extension of the dining room, but raised so you’re looking over the diners and also have a view out the windows. There’s piano music every day to accompany your libation. All in all perfectly wonderful, comfortable, and relaxing.
If I lived closer this would be high on my list of ‘personal hang out’ candidates.
I know, you’re probably sitting there thinking “Get on with it! I came for the Martini”. Ok… here’s the good; its a nice sized drink and nicely dry. The bad; the drink was severed more cool that cold, though the stem was chilled. So my conclusion is that the Martini was not adequately shaken.
I had two Martinis while I was here, as much to give the Barkeep a second chance as to enjoy a second drink. Same result as the first time.
I will be back for the view and food and may have a Martini when I do, but then maybe not. They do have a nice wine list. The Summit House gets a tipped stem: 
For Selection the Summit House gets a “B”.
Bombay, Bombay Sapphire, Bombay Sapphire East, Tanqueray, Tanqueray Ten, Hendrick’s, Beefeater, Gordon’s. A “Nice” selection of standard and popular gins but nothing remotely novel or risky.
***** Rating Definitions ****
He knows just how I like my martini – full of alcohol.
Homer Simpson
For more fun quotes check out the “Martini Quotes” page, or click the link: Martini Quotes.
This is my second “Revisited” post on ‘Shaken vs. Stirred’. The first dealt with Temperatures. See Shaken vs. Stirred Revisited: Temperature if you missed it. Today I’m going to elaborate on Dilution …..
Dilution:
Many of my comments on temperature apply to dilution also, so some of this will sound repetitive. But that makes sense as dilution is a function of Temperature. (Which is why I started with Temperature.) I’ve also expounded on Dilution in the past if you want to see my prior comments.
Shaken martinis are generally more diluted. This is primarily due to the pulverization of the ice during shaking creating smaller pieces of ice and therefore increased ice surface area. As with temperature, the larger the surface area, the greater the dilution.
But, again, time is also a factor. A martini stirred for 30-45 seconds may well be more diluted that a martini shaken for 5-10 seconds.
Also, again, the initial temperature of the ice is a factor. Using cold ice will minimize dilution as the mixing must first bring the ice up to melting temperature, 32 deg F. It should be noted that the smaller shards of ice created by shaking very quickly come up to melting temperature. So ‘cold ice’ is beneficial to reduce dilution, but the benefit may be minimal.
So using large, very cold ice cubes and stirring the mix for a decent, but careful, amount of time will give you the Martini with the least dilution.
Advantage:
Stirring, when performed optimally with cold ice. This is not the time for amateur bartenders busy occupied pulling beer taps. There’s a skill set required to stir efficiently to chill the Martini just to the point of the ice melting. This takes experience, attention to the process, and time.
I’m not talking a cup of cheap gin splashed over an ice cube. I’m talking satin, fire and ice; Fred Astaire in a glass; surgical cleanliness, insight, comfort; redemption and absolution. I’m talking MARTINI
Anonymous
For more fun quotes check out the “Martini Quotes” page, or click the link: Martini Quotes.
Just Something for Fun.
I’m baaaaack. (Think Schwarzenegger!) After the recent consecutive holidays (World Gin Day & National Martini Day) I took a couple of days off. But I’m back with more thoughts and, of course, more martini reviews.
Since I’ve had this blog going, I’ve had a number of conversations on Shaken vs. Stirred. The two camps appear to be composed of dedicated committed adherents to their particular beliefs. But all my discussions have been lighthearted and fun. Ultimately we are all more alike in our love for Martinis than different in our choice of technique.
Past posts detail my thoughts on this topic and I don’t want to deprive you of the pleasure of reading each one in detail. ( Shaken or Stirred?? and Shaken or Stirred, Part Two ) But I thought I’d elaborate on the main differences between the two mixing methods.
However in an effort to keep my posts a reasonable length, I’ve found that I’m going to have to separate these thought into manageable bites. There will be a couple more posts coming along in the same vein very shorty. But first up:
Temperature:
The conventional wisdom is that shaken cocktails are colder than stirred. This is because there is more agitation when shaken. Furthermore, shaking the drink also causes the ice to break up, increasing ice surface area. If the barkeep is vigorously shaking, as opposed to just sort of waving the shaker around, there will be more shards of ice created, and more surface area. As we know, thermal energy flow is a function of surface area, so more area – more cold.
But wait, thermal energy transfer is also time dependent. Starting with the same mass of ice at the same starting temperature and Martini mixes at the same temperature, then the colder drink might well be the one that is mixed longer. A barkeep who nicely sirs the Martini for 30-45 seconds may produce a colder Martini than one who is very busy and just shakes the mix for 5-10 seconds. If you keep the mixing time constant, only then will the shaken cocktail certainly be colder than the stirred.
Of course, starting temperature of the ice is also very important. The colder ice may trump the stirring / shaking time. You can see my comments on Cold Ice in a prior post.
Advantage? I’d call this a draw.
The ultimate temperature of your drink is very dependent on the Barkeep and his ice. How much time she or he puts into mixing the Martini, the starting temperature of the ice, and how vigorously the mix if shaken.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. I hope you enjoy it with your Perfect Martini, whatever that may be, or another favorite Cocktail.
For all the non-fathers out there looking for a good excuse to celebrate, June 21 is also the Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere.