Nolet’s, a gin company founded in 1691 in Schiedam, Netherlands, and still family-owned, has created several festive new holiday drinks, fit for year-end revelry. The cocktails are notable for the simplicity of their ingredients – there is no need to come up with mysterious spice mixtures and the like. The Peppermint Southside, a winter version of the Southside cocktail, calls for three-quarters of an ounce (1.5 tablespoon) each of lime juice and simple syrup shaken with 1.25 ounces of gin and ice, then strained into a martini glass rimmed with crushed candy canes and garnished with a peppermint leaf. Nolet’s Silver Gin has a floral bouquet and a veneer of lemon in the aftertaste, so it’s best to make the drink with a gin that isn’t too austere. Other easy drinks to make include gin and soda garnished with cranberries and fresh rosemary; and a pomegranate mule made for one, or multiplied in a batch with gin, lime juice, pomegranate juice, and ginger ale.
noletsgin.com/recipes/.
Fresh Seafood From Crave Fishbar
In response to the pandemic, Crave Fishbar, the seafood restaurants in Midtown East and on the Upper West Side, have begun selling fresh seafood. The selection is varied and includes portion-sized fillets of tilefish, black bass, arctic char, and halibut, along with butterflied branzino, scallops, oysters, marinated skewered shrimp, crab cakes, and live or cooked lobsters. A two-pound cooked lobster for $35.92 is a particularly good buy. Orders placed before 9pm will be prepared for next day pickup and delivery from both locations, on different platforms.
Crave Fishbar, 945 Second Avenue (50th Street); 428 Amsterdam Avenue (80th Street), cravefishbar.com.
Pick up award-winning cheese
At the World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin in March (after winning in 2020), and at the World Cheese Awards last month in Wales, Swiss Gruyères AOP from Gourmino, aged 12 to 14 months, took home the prizes. Called Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP 12-14 Months, they are not industrial Gruyères but handmade cheeses, and are made by cheesemakers Michael Spycher, whose cheese won the World Championship, and Urs Leuenberger, the winner in Wales from a field of 4,400 entries. AOP is the European designation for protected origin. Created by Michael Spycher, Le Gruyère AOP has a nutty aroma, is firm yet smooth, delivering a complex, spicy flavor with a spicy finish.
Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP by Michael Spycher, $25 to $30 a pound at Brooklyn Larder, Harry’s Table, Zabar’s and, in New Jersey, Gary’s Wine and others. Some of these outlets also sell it online.
Golden macarons for the table
This year, Ladurée is gilding the biscuit. The company’s macarons covered in gold leaf add a nice finishing touch to a New Year’s Eve dinner. The gilding can be applied to any of the macarons for an additional $2.90 each, but there are a few new seasonal flavors to consider: a green one called Pine Tree, with a pine-scented filling; and the brioche, with a rich filling of caramelized white chocolate and candied fruit. Macarons are $3 each; boxes start at $28 for eight. Gold plating is available with 24 hours notice by calling 646-895-8981 for pickup at Ladurée stores.
Laduree, 646-895-8981, laduree.us.
A family documentary by Andrés
An exuberant tour of Spain’s culinary landscape is what chef and humanitarian José Andrés offers in a new six-part series, streaming this week on Discovery+. With his three American-born daughters, Carlota, Inés and Lucía Andrés, in tow, he hops from Barcelona to Valencia, to Madrid and even to the Canary Islands. They greet chefs, cook, share in the local culture, and taste food and drink, many of which the girls describe as “amazing.” Each of the six hour-long segments covers a different city or region. Viewers who have never traveled to Spain may be forced to book a flight; it can even be an eye-opener for those familiar with the country and its cuisine.
“José Andrés and family in Spain”, produced by Nutopia and José Andrés Media for Discovery+.
A wine decanter with enough space
This handsome and affordable decanter from Wine Enthusiast’s Art Series offers some drama. As you pour wine through the Cascade Wine Decanter’s aerator spout, it flows beautifully down the sides of the barrel. The carafe is easy to grip and can hold a magnum.
Wine Enthusiast Art Series Cascade Wine Decanter with Aerating Pourer, $69, wineenthusiast.com.