drunkycrow

Prickly Pear Cooler

2011-08-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is the first "Audition" for baby shower drinks that I can put in a punchbowl/pitcher. The original recipe we saw used blood orange bitters. They stole the recipe from someone that used St Germain, so we tried both. Aperol was the closest thing I had to blood orange bitters and it was definitely the favorite of the official tasting commitee.

8 oz Vinho Verde (a slightly fizzy white wine)
3/4 oz Prickly Pear Syrup
1/2 oz Aperol or St Germain

Plum Whiskey Smash

2011-08-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Mad Men on Netflix Instant!
1/2 plum
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
Muddle, shake with ice, strain over crushed ice and add three dashes bitters.

The Good Doctor

2011-06-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

I don't drink highballs very often but I saw this recipe and gave it a shot. It's a little sweet. Next time I'll up the rye and use less amaro. It has good flavor. I used Rababaro Zucca for the amaro and it's rhubarb flavors work well with the Dr. Pepper.

1.5 oz Amaro
1.5 oz Rye whiskey
6 oz Dr Pepper
Orange slice, for garnish

Fill a glass with ice. Combine Amaro and rye, and top with Dr Pepper; squeeze orange slice into mixture, and drop the slice into the glass as garnish.

Boo Loo

2011-05-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend an we have limited ingredients at our rental house in Palm Springs. Luckily the Tiki+ app has a search by ingredient function. So far we've had Admiral Schley Punch, Cinerama Punch, and now the Boo Loo!

a few small chunks fresh pineapple
2 ½ oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz honey mix
1 ½ oz Demerara rum
¾ oz 151-proof Lemon Hart Demerara rum
¾ oz dark Jamaican rum
1 ½ oz club soda
Put everything—except soda—in a blender. Blend without ice until pineapple is liquefied. Add soda. Pour unstrained into a hollowed-out pineapple filled with crushed ice (use a Vacu-Vin pineapple corer), or into a 36-oz snifter filled with crushed ice. In either case, stir until well-chilled before serving.

Hai Karate

2011-05-01T21:42:00.001-07:00

It's a big night tonight. Obama just announced the death of Osama Bin Laden. We needed a "kick ass" drink to watch the coverage. Might have two.
1 oz fresh lime juice (I used lemon)
1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1 tsp maple syrup (Mr Berry says grade A only but B is always better)
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 oz amber Virgin Islands rum
Shake well with ice cubes. Pour unstrained into a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and orange slice speared to a cocktail cherry.
By Beachbum Berry 1999

Aviation Cocktail

2011-02-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

An adult lemon drop.

2 ½ oz gin
½ oz maraschino liqueur
½ oz lemon juice
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Sbagliato

2011-01-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is a nice and refreshing variation on a Negroni. The name means "wrong" in Italian and supposedly was created by mistake by a hurried barista in Milan.

1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz Campari (I used Gran Classico Bitter, an excellent Swiss alternative)
2 oz prosecco
1 orange slice (or lemon twist)

Somewhere I have this recipe written down on a bar napkin from a trip to Genoa. I thought it might be a regional recipe or a bartender's secret recipe. Turns out it's fairly common, at least in Italy.

The Negroni calls for equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth and some recipes for the Sbagliato use equal parts as well but I prefer more prosecco to lighten it up.

Enjoy before your meal to stimulate the appetite.

Chartreuse Swizzle

2010-10-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

"The only liqueur so good they named a color after it!"
Quentin Tarantino as "Warren" in Death Proof

I've heard about this drink for quite a while but rarely have Chartreuse in the house. Recently at Barkeeper in Silverlake (http://www.barkeepersilverlake.com/) I saw a small bottle for a decent price and picked it up.
I think it's a bit odd to use something as distinctive and bold as Chartreuse as the base in a cocktail. I've used it mostly as a modifier in the past. Usually with gin.
This is my kind of Tiki drink!

2 oz green Chartreuse
1 ½ oz pineapple juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz falernum
Build in a Collins glass. (Or in this case an empty jam jar from a couple of blueberry seasons past)
Add crushed ice.
Swizzle until outside of glass frosts.

Caprioska

2010-09-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

... 11pm After a bunch of food and wine

Armen: What do you have that's a traditional spanish after dinner drink?
Waiter: hmmmm, a lot of people like gin and coke
Armen: No, anything more traditional like sherry or some liqueur made in Spain?
Waiter: The Caprioska is pretty traditional here I think it's originally from Brazil
Armen: No, I don't want that, how about some grappa or anything from Spain
Waiter: Some draft beer?
Armen: hmmmm, no that sounds pretty filling after all of that food
Waiter: you should try the Caprioska I think you'll really like it it's very refreshing it's got vodka and lime...
Armen: I don't really want... Ok I'll take the Caprioska

Caprioska:
Vodka
Lime Juice and lime wedges for garnish
Sugar
Soda water and crushed ice

Build in glass and enjoy after some delicious spanish food for a traditional end to your meal.

Attention Cocktail

2010-09-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

This one is from Jamie Boudreau. It's not bad. A little wimpy though. I think it needed a little bite. Maybe a bar spoon of the modifiers instead of 1/4 oz.

2 oz gin
¼ oz absinthe
¼ oz dry vermouth
¼ oz creme de violette
2 dashes Regan's orange bitters
Stir with ice.
Strain into an iced cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Brooklyn vs. Manhattan

2010-09-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's the season premiere of Gossip Girl so I decided to recreate the battle of Blair Waldorf and the other socialites of Manhattan against the Humphrey's of Brooklyn.

OK, I'm a little embarrassed that I know that much about GG. (That's what I call it.) However I am excited about doing some comparative tasting between two classic cocktails.

I thought for sure I was going to prefer the Manhattan, and I "knew" Wendy would. Oddly enough we were torn.

Here are the recipes:

Brooklyn
2 oz rye whiskey (Wild Turkey)
3/4 oz dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
1/3 oz Torani Amer
1/3 oz maraschino liqueur
Stir and strain and garnish with a cherry.

Manhattan
2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir and strain and garnish with a cherry.

Montego Bay

2010-07-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

1½ oz Smith & Cross Jamaican rum
1 oz 1:1 honey syrup
½ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz lime juice
¼ oz pimento dram
4 dashes absinthe
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake well with ice and strain in to a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with an grapefruit zest twist.

I'm stepping up my garnish game. I received a bottle of Smith and Cross as a gift and have been experimenting with tiki and other rum drinks. This one was great! This rum is crazy. Really strong. 114 proof! Not a sipper but it has some great flavor. It stands up to the pimento dram which can really overpower a drink.

The crushed ice is key. The glass is all frosty and slippery. Great on a hot SF Valley evening.

Pan American Clipper

2010-06-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

I picked up a glass with the old mexicana airlines logo on it so I went looking around for a good aviation drink (but not an aviation). I'm a pretty big fan of grenadine and lime together, and adding calvados sounded pretty delicious too. From Around the World with Jigger, Beaker, and Flask.

1.5 oz Calvados
1 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Grenadine
dash Absinthe

Shake/Strain/Drink

Peach Old Fashioned

2010-06-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

I have some peaches and have been trying to incorporate them into a drink for a few nights now. The Whisky Peach Smash by Dale Degroff was what I wanted to make but I had no mint. Instead I came up with this simple twist on my simple favorite.

Muddle a slice of peach coated in four or five dashes of grapefruit bitters with a teaspoon of simple syrup.
Add 2 ounces of bourbon and stir with an ice cube until it begins to dilute.
Add one more slice of peach and another ice cube.

Ramos Gin Fizz

2010-06-01T10:35:00.001-07:00

Another good breakfast drink from the pages of Jigger, Beaker, and Flask.

1 tsp. sugar

3-4 drops orange flower water

Juice of 1/2 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1.5 oz dry gin

1 egg white (to be safe, use pasteurized eggs)

1.5 oz. milk, half and half or cream

Shake with crushed ice for at least a minute and pour over finely crushed ice and top with 1 -2 oz seltzer water.

Donuts and Coffee

2010-05-20T19:52:00.001-07:00

This was for a TDN Kahlua night. I thought it was pretty good, but a little generic.

1.5 oz Espresso
1 oz Steamed Milk
.75 oz Kahlua
2 dashes Absinthe
Top with Donut Infused Whipped Cream (I used Original Krispy Kreme Donuts)

Gold Cup

2010-05-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about rum now, and being the slave to trends that
I am, here is a nice tiki drink from the Hukilau Room of the Captains
Inn in Long Beach circa 1962.
Here is a picture of their menu online.

http://www.arkivatropika.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?item_id=157

I haven't quiet perfected my ice shell skills but here it is.

¾ oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz sugar syrup
½ oz maraschino liqueur
1 ½ oz gold Jamaican rum
1 tsp Pernod
3 drops almond extract

Shake well with ice cubes and strain into a saucer champagne glass.
This was originally served with an "ice shell" forming a hood over
the glass.

It's a little sweet like most tiki drinks I've had, but the
combination of flavors keep it interesting. I'm going to continue to
make some tiki drinks so I can work on my garnishing and ice forming.

Soak it in Cider #2 Update

2010-04-22T21:45:00.001-07:00

I guess all of our cocktail recipe tweaking finally paid off. We got published in Mutineer Magazine in the Thursday Drink night section with a good review of our drink. Well, mostly Sketch's drink, but my name's finally gotten a positive experience on tdn instead of our usual experience of ignoring all of their rules and posting random off topic/out of turn drinks!

La Paloma

2010-04-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is going to be the drink of the summer. I used David Wondrich's
recipe from Esquire but had heard about the drink originally from
press about Las Perlas (the new tequila bar by the good people who brought you Cole's, Seven Grand, and Doheny)

In a glass pour:
2 oz reposado tequila
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (toss in spent shell)
pinch of salt
Add ice and top with grapefruit soda. Preferably Jarritos or other Mexican brand. Squirt in a pinch.

The Beatnik

2010-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 oz tawny port
1 1/2 oz Averna liqueur
1 oz small batch bourbon whiskey
flamed orange peel for garnish

Preparation:

Rinse a cocktail glass with port and pour into a mixing glass with the remaining ingredients.
Stir 30 times over ice.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Aviation

2010-03-17T20:02:00.001-07:00

Finally found the right recipe! Thank you Gary Regan. Every recipe
omits creme de violette because it was esentially unavailable for
years. It is now imported by Haus Alpenz and a semi-proper Aviation
is now possible. I say semi because the original recipe called for
quite a bit less of the liqueurs. I prefer to be able to taste them
and think the older recipe is too tart.
1 1/2 gin
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 maraschino
1/2 creme de violette
Shake and double strain.

California Sherry Wine Cobbler

2010-03-02T21:47:00.001-08:00

I finally opened up the bottle of Tio Pepe I purchased at Howe's going
out of business sale. This drink seemed like the best use of it. We
also tried an Adonis. (essentially a sherry manhattan). Both were
excellent, the cobbler was not quite sweet enough though so I added
more pineapple syrup.
The sherry cocktail is nice when you want something slightly less
alcoholic. Maybe at the end of the evening after a strong one.

Serving vessel: a pint glass.
1/4 oz sugar
1 oz pineapple syrup
Fill with ice.
6 oz sherry
Stir with a spoon.
Ornament with an orange, pineapple and berry.
Top with Port, a little.
Serve with a straw.

Ginger Peartini

2010-03-01T21:24:00.001-08:00

Is it a "tini" if it has gin? I've been wanting to make things with
my pear brandy from Clear Creek. Here's experiment #1

1/2 oz Clear Creek Pear Eau de Vie
1/2 oz Ginger Liqueur
1 1/2 oz gin
Stir with ice and strain.

I enjoyed it. Next time I will mix it in favor of more gin. It's a
little sweet.

Metropole

2010-02-15T22:09:00.001-08:00

Anvil 100 provided the inspiration. Looka! provided the recipe. Nicely balanced and not as sweet as some of the vermouth drinks I've been having lately.

1-1/2 ounces cognac.
3/4 ounce dry vermouth.
1/2 teaspoon simple syrup.
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters.
1 dash orange bitters

Soak it in Cider #2

2010-02-09T20:10:00.001-08:00

TDN (Thursday Drink Night) is a group of cocktail bloggers and enthusiasts who get together in the Mixoloseum chat room to share recipes based on a theme. This last week the theme was "Bubbles". Any cocktail with a bubbly ingredient was fair game. Tonic, champagne, ginger beer, and club soda was used. I brought some sparkling sake and hard apple cider. The sake didn't get opened this time but we used the cider in a variation of another cocktail that was posted here last fall. It turned out pretty good after some tweaking of the ratios.

2 oz gin

1/2 oz Dolin Blanc

1/4 oz maple syrup (use the grade B stuff)

2 dashes whiskey barrel bitters

barspoon pimento dram.

Stir and strain over ice. Add 2 oz hard apple cider.

"Spicy Colada"

2010-01-31T21:38:00.001-08:00

Inspired by Bacardi's new True Originals video, The Hummingbird"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFJuL6nt6_M&feature=youtube_gdata

I mixed a Pina Colada using a close approximation of the ingredients
in the video.

4 cubes of pineapple
2 heaping barspoons raw sugar
2 oz fresh coconut water
2 oz spiced rum (it should probably be Bacardi white but all I had was
spiced. It works well)
Squeeze of lime

Muddle pineapple and sugar then add coconut water and rum. Shake and
double strain into glass. Add crushed ice, pineapple spear, and a
squeeze of lime.

The True Originals videos are great. Cocktail Porn! "The Samurai"
was better than this one however. Mostly because I can't find a Pina
Colada recipe that uses coconut water instead of Coco Lopez or cream.
I don't know if this is better but it's really good and utilizes a bit
of drama in the preparation. I'll be firing it up this summer.

Ameretto Siciliano

2010-01-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

This is from Thursday Drink Night. I didn't have Averna so I used a mix of Campari and simple syrup and it was delicious. I can't wait to give it a try with Averna!

1 1/2 Rye
3/4 Amaretto
1/2 Averna
1/2 Lemon
1/4 Maple syrup
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel bitters
Shake/strain

Old Pal

2010-01-25T21:50:00.001-08:00

1 1/4 oz whiskey (I used rye)
1 oz campari
1 oz sweet vermouth

This was pretty good. Kind of a mix between a Manhattan and a Negroni. I went with rye instead of bourbon because I thought it would be a little too sweet with the bourbon.

Moscow Mule

2010-01-25T21:44:00.001-08:00

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. fresh lime juice
4 oz. ginger beer

Shake Vodka and lime juice. top off with ginger beer and lime wedge. Refreshing and delicious!

Chrysanthemum

2010-01-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Not something I would want every day, but it's a nice change to have a cocktail not based on a "standard" spirit like gin or whiskey.

2 oz. Dry Vermouth

1 1/2 oz. Benedictine

1/4 tsp Pernod

Stir Vermouth and Benedictine with cracked Ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add Pernod and garnish with a flamed orange twist.

Carousel Punch

2010-01-20T17:53:00.001-08:00

We've made this twice in the last week. The first occasion was for Nate and Dwen's baby shower. We made short work of it. The second was for a get together at the Oregon coast for my sister's birthday. That one lasted a little longer as there were too many other choices that started being consumed around 11 am.

It's very easy to make because you don't have to buy a lot of obscure ingredients.

It's a good wintery punch and might be good hot.

750 ml Calvados (or Lairds Bonded Apple Brandy)
750 ml Pimm's No. 1
15 oz. lemon juice
10 oz. fresh pomegranate juice
15 oz. unfiltered apple juice
18 oz. five spice honey syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. Fee Bros. whiskey barrel bitters (or Angostura)
1 oz. Peychaud's bitters (or orange bitters)
Garnish: 20 thin slices of apple

Combine ingredients in a punch bowl and stir. Garnish by slicing apples cross-wise, so the exposed seed chambers create a star shape in the center of each slice.

Five Spice Honey
18 oz. honey
6 oz water
4 whole star anise
20 whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
5 cracked whole nutmegs
12 allspice berries

Toast spices lightly in a skillet. When spices become aromatic, add water and honey, then simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat to extract spice oils. Strain into a clean glass container while still warm. (It will thicken too much to strain easily if allowed to cool.) Keeps refrigerated for three weeks.

Improved Cocktail

2010-01-11T21:19:00.001-08:00

1876 - Jerry Thomas

Anvil is a bar in Houston and they have a list of 100 cocktails
everyone should try before they die. This is my 50th drink on this
list.

Very good simple cocktail along the lines of an old fashioned.

2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 tsp simple syrup
1/2 tsp maraschino
1/8 tsp absinthe
2 oz spirits (I used cognac)
Stir with ice and strain into chilled glass.
Lemon rind twisted to express the oil.

Green Glacier

2010-01-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

2 oz brandy ( I used Remy VSOP)
¾ oz green Chartreuse
¼ oz crème de cacao (use white, not dark)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir and strain into chilled coupe.

This is a nice end of the evening cocktail. It's kind of manhattany
and a little sweet.

The recipe is from Jamie Boudreau's spiritsandcocktails.com

The Oriental Cocktail

2010-01-08T20:36:00.001-08:00

1 1/2 oz Rye Whisky
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz triple sec
1/2 oz lime juice
Shake and double strain.

The Volstead

2009-12-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

I like that I found the best cocktail of 2009 during the last week.
This one is really stellar. Too easy to drink. I want to make these
by the pitcher. It's named after that rat bastard Andrew Volstead who
oversaw the passage of prohibition.

1 1/2 oz rye
1/2 oz grenadine
3/4 oz orange juice
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch
dash of pastis
shake, double strain, serve, put in mouth.

Swedish Punsch

2009-12-31T13:58:00.001-08:00

Swedish Punsch is a cocktail ingredient that pops up every once and a while but is rare as rocking horse shit. Luckily the main ingredient, Batavia Arrack, is semi available now.

I've made two versions of so far. The first recipe I used was from Joe at Barkeeper in Silverlake. It was good and quite a bit more spicy. This one from the blog Underhill Lounge is more balanced. It's nice on its own chilled or used as an ingredient in a Volstead cocktail, my new favorite.

2 cups Appleton V/X Rum (I used Lemon Hart Demerara)
1 cup Batavia Arrack
2 cup hot extra strong spiced tea (4 tsp Peet's Yunnan Fancy Tea, 6 crushed cardamom pods, brewed in 2 cup water)
2 cup raw or natural sugar
2 Sorrento lemons sliced thinly, seeds removed

Put sliced lemons in a resealable non-reactive container large enough to hold 4 cups of liquid. Pour Rum and Batavia Arrack over citrus. Cover and steep for 6 hours.

Dissolve sugar in hot tea and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

After 6 hours, pour rum off of sliced citrus, without squeezing fruit.

Combine tea syrup and flavored rum. Filter and bottle in a clean sealable container. Rest 24 hours and enjoy where Swedish Punch is called for.

The Liberal

2009-12-16T22:25:00.001-08:00

I like this. I got the recipe from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails by Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh. I've read other recipes that have a more traditional Manhattan style ratio of whiskey to vermouth. I might try that next.

3/4 oz rye or bourbon
3/4 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica, I used Cinzano)
3 dashes Torani Amer
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir energetically and strain. Garnish with a cherry.

Berlioni

2009-12-14T22:30:00.001-08:00

1 oz dry gin
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry
orange twist
Stir with ice and strain into a rocks-filled old fashioned glass.
Garnish with a generous orange twist.

I like most of the Negroni variations I try. My favorite so far has
been the Sbagliato (Campari, sweet vermouth, and sparkling wine). It
was made for me by a patient and enthusiastic bartender in Genoa, Italy.
Most of the amari have been too sweet for me lately but the sweetness
in the Cynar is cut by the dry vermouth.

Rain Killer

2009-12-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

We've been stuck inside watching the rain beat against the windows. I took a short drive to take my son to the movies and the LA river is half full and the gutters are all the way full forcing traffic into the middle lanes. This weather makes me want a tiki drink!

I downloaded the Tiki+ app on my phone today for my inspiration. It was created by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry (one of the cocktail bloggers I follow) and has about 150 tiki recipes.

½ oz fresh lime juice (I subbed lemon)
½ oz orange juice
½ oz pineapple juice
½ oz sugar syrup
1 ½ oz white Puerto Rican rum (can sub vodka, gin, bourbon, or brandy)
1 dash Angostura bitters (I subbed Peychaud's)
4 oz (½ cup) crushed ice

Put everything in a blender, saving crushed ice for last. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a specialty glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and paper parasol.
From Steve Crane’s Kon-Tiki restaurant chain, circa 1962.

I tried this twice. Having run out of Angostura bitters ( I blame the Angostura shortage of 2009 - http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/06/angostura-bitters-shortage-shakes-up-cocktail-world/ ) I added 2 drops of allspice dram to the second attempt. The first one was great, the second one was totally greater.

Corpse Reviver #3?

2009-12-09T22:39:00.001-08:00

It's really hard to make a cocktail and take a picture of it with one
hand. I held my baby girl a lot today. She was a little cranky and
only relaxed when held.
I managed to squeeze the lemon and add all of the ingredients to the
shaker. I was not able to break the ice or take a decent picture of
the finished product.
The drink is actually called a Corpse Reviver #2. It was very good.
I've been wanting to make this for a while but never have Lillet. I
decided the Dolin Blanc would make a fine substitute. Hence #3
I think it was created as a breakfast cocktail, something for the
morning after.

1oz gin
1oz Cointreau
1oz Lillet Blanc (I used Dolin)
1oz lemon juice
3 drops pastis
Shake and double strain into coupe glass over a stemless cherry.
For the cherry I used a Luxardo Maraschino soaked in Maraschino liqueur.

The Derby

2009-11-29T21:10:00.001-08:00

Not to be confused with the delicious Brown Derby containing
grapefruit juice. This is pretty good however. I tried it with Dolin
Blanc instead of the sweet vermouth but should try the original as well.

1 oz bourbon
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 orange curaçao
.75 lime juice
Shake and strain and garnish with a mint leaf.

Park Avenue Cocktail

2009-11-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

Meh.
I flipped through the brilliant "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten
Cocktails" for inspiration and this caught my eye. I haven't had much
luck with pineapple in non-tiki drinks. The Algonquin was a bust.
(rye, dry vermouth, and pineapple) I just made the mistake of opening
a gallon of juice because I needed 2 oz for the Jungle Bird #2.

2 oz gin
.75 oz pineapple juice
.75 oz sweet vermouth
2 tsp orange curaçao

PS As I'm writing this my opinions are changing slightly, but I think
that's the gin talking.

Egg Nog

2009-11-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

Yum! This is by far the best eggnog that I've ever had. Not that I'm an eggnog expert, but I'm planning on being one by the end of the holidays! Anyway, this one is from the Jeffrey Morgenthaler website.

2 large eggs
3 oz (by volume) granulated sugar
½ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
2 oz brandy
2 oz spiced rum (I use Sailor Jerry’s)
6 oz whole milk
4 oz heavy cream

Beat eggs in blender for one minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for one additional minute. With blender still running, add nutmeg, brandy, rum, milk and cream until combined. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled wine glasses or champagne coupes, grating additional nutmeg on top immediately before serving.

Bijou

2009-11-23T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm drinking my way through the Anvil 100, and I'm still under halfway. This drink wasn't a winner for me, I wanted to like it because the Negroni is one of my favorites, but swapping the Campari for Chartreuse kinda takes away the magic. It also takes away the bitter that counteracts the sweetness of the vermouth, so the drink is really syrupy sweet.

I looked at some other blogs and some people changed the ratio to 1.5 gin, .5 Chartreuse, .5 Vermouth. That sounds more appealing to me, but I still don't think I'll be making the switch from the Negroni anytime soon.

Bijou:
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
Dash Orange Bitters

Stir and Strain, Garnish with a cherry and lemon peel

Bijou

2009-11-22T22:33:00.000-08:00

Still working on the Anvil 100... I'm less than halfway through still

Cuba Kula

2009-11-16T21:18:00.001-08:00

This one has no Campari.

2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz honey
1 oz orange juice
1 oz dark rum, the recipe calls for Myers but i used Coruba12
1 oz Lemon Hart demerara
1/2 oz Bacardi 151
Dash Angostura bitters
6 drops Herbsaint or Pernod

Dissolve the honey in the limejuice and then place it all in a shaker and shake with plenty of ice. Strain over highball with ice.

Jungle Bird #2

2009-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

OK, it's not exactly tiki drink season but this one was pretty good. The Campari made it seem more appropriate for a cold November evening. I made it for Wendy but she is opposed to all things Campari.

0.75 oz campari
0.5 oz fresh lime
0.5 oz simple syrup
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz demerara rum
1 oz overproof demerara rum to float

Shake and pour into a highball filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime.

Scottish Breakfast

2009-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Lots of apple based cocktails lately. It's that time of year. I have some hard apple cider brewing in the basement. I sampled it last night and it's going to be great! In the meantime I'm using my calvados to tide me over.

Makes 1 serving

1 1/2 ounces Speyside single-malt scotch (I don't know what speyside means, I used Glenlivet)
1/2 ounce apple brandy
1 ounce cream (I used milk because I don't put heavy cream into my temple)
1/2 ounce Grade B maple syrup
1 dash simple syrup
-- Fresh-grated cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions: Combine all ingredients, except cinnamon, in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.

Apple Cocktail

2009-11-09T20:08:00.001-08:00

1 oz apple cider
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz Brandy
1 oz Calvados
Shake with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.

This tastes surprisingly like the hard apple cider I made a couple of
years ago. Very light and refreshing.

"Soak it in Cider"

2009-11-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Every fall I crave apple cider. Not any old cider, but fresh pressed,
no preservatives, no pasteurization, no nothing but apples. I've only
found the real deal a few times in my life. The family and I went on
the hunt today and found it.
On the advice of some friends we drove to Oak Glen up in the hills
before you get to Palm Springs. We tried a few places on the way up
the hill but found a place that let you press your own. I thought it
was just a tourist gimmick but when you do it your self you know
exactly what goes into your cider.
I drank my fill today and have plans for the cider that made it home.
I'm going to let it sit out for a couple months and see if the yeasts
present will make it turn into hard cider.
I did make some apple cider syrup, by reducing it down, then played
around this evening and came up with this!

1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
1/2 oz apple cider
1/2 oz apple cider syrup
1 barspoon allspice dram
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with
a slice of apple.

Tart Gin Cooler

2009-11-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

I got off nice and early this evening and was craving a big glass of
something cold. This usually means a beer or soda but the cupboards
were bare. I located some tonic getting dusty in the back of a
cupboard then found this recipe. I like a gin and tonic ok, but this
is really good! The addition of bitters is nice. I put a pretty
healthy splash in. I think the Stirrings blood orange bitters would
work as well.

2 oz gin
2 oz pink grapefruit juice
2 oz tonic
Peychaud bitters (to taste)

20th Century Cocktail

2009-11-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

1.5 oz Gin
3/4 oz Creme De Cacao
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

The Creme de Cacao really works well with the lemon. This one's a keeper!

The Last Word

2009-11-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Maraschino
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake and Strain
This was delicious, but a it seemed a little too sweet, maybe less maraschino?

Devil's Cocktail

2009-11-03T14:54:00.001-08:00

1/2 Port
1/2 dry vermouth
2 dashes lemon juice
Shake with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.

Very light, low in alcohol, and a great name!

The Gin and Orange Bitters

2009-11-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Kingsley Amis's "Everyday Drinking"

2 parts gin
1 part orange bitters ( Stirring's)
Stirred with ice and strained into chilled coupe.
I've finally found the perfect use for the Stirring's orange bitters.

Fourth Degree Cocktail

2009-11-02T21:58:00.001-08:00

Working my way through the Anvil 100.

1/3 dry vermouth (Noily Prat)
1/3 gin
1/3 sweet vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
2 bar spoons absinthe
Stir with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.

Manhattan (Perfect)

2009-11-02T21:05:00.001-08:00

2 oz Bulleit bourbon
1/2 oz sweet vermouth (I used Dolin Blanc)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
8-10 dashes Matt's cherry vanilla bitters
Stirred with ice and strained into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish
with cherry.

This was really good. I like the addition of the dry vermouth. It
really lightens up the drink. However, I would like to try this with
the Carpano Antica or some other bold sweet vermouth.

The Son of a Preacher Man

2009-10-28T18:13:00.001-07:00

12 ounces rye whiskey

8 ounces Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

2 1/2 ounces freshly-squeezed lime juice

Finely-grated lime zest, for garnish

Special equipment needed: home soda maker.

Carbonate the mixture and refrigerate one hour. Serve in a rocks glass over ice and garnish the top with the lime zest.

Yield: 5 servings

We didn't have a soda siphon available so we divided the recipe by five, shook with ice, and strained into a chilled coupe. The drink was stellar! I'm looking forward to trying this the way it was intended though.

Jarnac Cocktail

2009-10-28T17:03:00.001-07:00

I wasn't too into this. As you can see from the pictures there were a
few substitutions so I might give it another shot. All the flavors
got lost in this drink. I might up the ginger next time.

1 ½ oz Famous Grouse Scotch
½ oz Canton ginger liqueur
½ oz Amaro Nonino
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Newellgroni

2009-10-26T19:33:00.001-07:00

Perfect Autumn Apertif! We just finished our jack o lantern and
roasted the seeds. They go perfectly with this...
1 oz. Aviation Gin
1 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth
8-10 dashes of Matt Newell's cherry bitters
Stir over ice and strain into chilled coupe. Consume.

Lambic Blinker

2009-10-24T21:17:00.001-07:00

This is my new favorite! Jamie Boudreau recipe based on the Blinker
Cocktail.

2 oz rye
½ oz Framboise Lambic Liqueur (recipe below)
1 oz grapefruit juice
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Framboise Lambic Liqueur
16 oz Framboise Lambic
16 oz sugar
20 oz vodka
Place lambic in a glass and stir, releasing CO2.
Place lambic in fridge overnight (releasing the rest of the CO2).
Place lambic in a pot on high heat.
Slowly add sugar, stirring all the while.
As the beer heats a head will form; remove from heat.
Skim off head and allow to cool.
When cooled, if any "chunks" of head left, skim off.
Place syrup in bottle and add vodka.
Shake well.

Introducing... The unfortunately named "Dirty Ho"!

2009-10-23T19:07:00.001-07:00

My sister is visiting and shared a recipe she learned at an event at
the World Forestry Center where she works.
**Hoegaarden beer with a splash of Framboise Lambic**
We did a little experimentation and decided that half and half was a
better ratio.

Blood & Sand

2009-10-22T23:22:00.001-07:00

1oz orange juice
1oz Scotch whisky
3/4 oz cherry-flavored brandy liqueur
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
Shake with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry

Nirvana Cocktail

2009-10-04T12:30:00.001-07:00

2 oz Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded rye
1 oz Amer Picon or Torani Amer
¼ oz maraschino liqueur
¼ oz Benedictine
Stir and strain.
Garnish with orange twist if desired.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I only had lemons, the orange
peel would have helped.

Fifty-fifty Martini

2009-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 oz gin
1 1/2 oz dry vermouth
3-4 dashes orange bitters
lemon peel

Stir ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel. Since the vermouth is half the drink, you want to make sure to use a fairly decent one. I used Dolin dry.

Pimm's Cup

2009-10-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

2 oz Pimm's #1
5 oz Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon soda
cucumber garnish

Fill a collin's glass with ice. Add Pimm's and top with soda. Stir and garnish with cucumber. You can also use ginger ale, club soda or lemon-lime soda instead of the bitter lemon.

Red Hook

2009-10-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

2 oz rye
1/2 oz Punt e mes
1/4 oz maraschino

Stir with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Gold Rush

2009-10-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

2 oz bourbon
1 oz honey syrup
3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a big chunk of ice in it.

Pisco Sour

2009-10-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

2 oz pisco
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 small egg white
2-3 drops angostura bitters

Shake first four ingredients with out ice for at least thirty seconds to emulsify egg whites. Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain in to a chilled cocktail glass. Add three drops of bitters.

Remember the Maine

2009-10-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

2 oz rye
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz Cherry Heering
absinthe
brandied cherry for garnish

Stir first three ingredients with cracked ice and strain in to a chilled, absinthe rinsed cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherry.

Sazerac

2009-10-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

1 sugar cube
3-4 dashes Peychaud Bitters
2 oz rye
Lemon peel for garnish
absinthe

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice and water and chill. In a second glass, soak sugar cube in bitters and muddle. Add ice and rye and stir. Remove ice from first glass and add a few drops of absinthe. Roll around glass and dump excess. (I used an atomizer.) Strain rye mixture into absinthe coated glass. Cut a nice, big peel of lemon over glass and throw peel in. (or not).

Lillet cocktail

2009-09-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

3 0z Lillet Blanc
3 dashes orange bitters
orange twist

Add ingredients to an ice filled wine glass and stir.

Manhattan

2009-09-30T18:28:00.001-07:00

2 0z rye whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth (Dolin)
2 dashes angostura bitters
lemon twist

Stir all ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.

Jack Rose

2009-09-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

2 oz applejack
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz homemade grenadine

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Monte Carlo

2009-09-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

1.5oz Rye
.5 oz Benedictine
2 Dashes Peychaud's

Stir and strain into glass. I think the layer of "stuff" on the top is from my silicone ice cube tray, time to look for new ice cube trays! Tastes like a Manhattan but sweeter. It would probably be good with a brandied cherry.

Another Church and State pic

2009-09-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

?????

2009-09-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

I don't know what this is called. We were at Church and State having
dinner downtown and I asked for a cocktail with Cynar or Fernet in it.
It contains:
Muddled grapes
Lavender syrup
Cynar
Soda water
Definitely worth trying to figure out the ratios some evening.

Church and State by the way was great. Fried pigs ears, roasted
marrow bones, and a couple of really good fish dishes. We'll be back.

Whisper Cocktail

2009-09-25T22:57:00.001-07:00

1 part sweet vermouth
1 part dry vermouth
1 part whisky ( I used rye )
Shake and strain

Martinez Cocktail

2009-09-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

1oz Aviation gin
2oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
1 dash of Bitter Truth orange bitters
2 dashes Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Stirred with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass with a twist of lemon peel.

Fallen Leaves

2009-09-24T22:44:00.001-07:00

1/4 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz calvados
2 dashes brandy
Stir and strain with twist of lemon!
This was my first calvados drink. I like it a lot more than the
applejack I've had in the past. It actually tastes like apple!

The national beverage of Argentina

2009-09-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

Fernet and Coke

I don't know about this. I love Fernet on it's own. It was my first
and favorite amaro. The flavors seem like they should be
complimentary. It's just too much. Too sweet and too medicinal.
I've tried this with Mexican Coke as well. I reccomend you drink
these separately.

Dementia Pugilistica

2009-09-24T15:21:00.001-07:00

OK. Get ready. I made a sample batch last night with lime instead of
the blood oranges and it was totally good. I might stick with it. I
think it kept the sweetness of the St. Germaine at bay.

⅔ bottle Remy Martin VS cognac ( or other good brandy)
¼ bottle maraschino liqueur
¼ bottle St. Germain elderflower liqueur
3 bottles Duval-Leroy Rose Champagne (or other good dry Champagne)
10 dashes Angostura bitters
15 dashes peach bitters (if available)
2 blood oranges, sliced
Take a large metal bowl and fill with water.
Place bowl in freezer until frozen.
Lay bowl in a sink of hot water until ice can slide out.
Place huge ice dome into a punch bowl.
Pour all other ingredients into punch bowl.
Stir and serve.

We're blowing up the Blogosphere!

2009-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

TDN Kahlua Coffee Cream
http://cocktailculture.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/mixing-at-malo-kahlua-coffee-cream-tdn/
Scroll down a few photos.

Aviation

2009-09-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Maraschino
1/4 oz Creme de Violette
Garnish with a brandied cherry (I used a luxardo cherry)

I only had one drink left in my bottle of Aviation Gin, so I thought I'd send it out with it's namesake drink.

Brandy Alexander

2009-09-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

1 oz Brandy
1 oz Dark Creme de Cacao
2 oz Heavy Cream
Nutmeg

Shake and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with nutmeg. Great for dessert!

Brooklyn Cocktail

2009-09-16T21:25:00.001-07:00

2 oz Rye Whisky
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1/3 oz Torani Amer
1/3 oz Maraschino Liquer
stir and strain
garnish with Maraschino Cherry

French 75

2009-09-15T19:24:00.001-07:00

2 oz London Dry Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
top with champagne (I used 5 oz Cava)

Shake the Gin/Lemon/Simple Syrup and strain into glass with cracked ice. top with champagne. Refreshing!

Homemade Swedish Punsch

2009-09-15T12:58:00.001-07:00

9oz. Simple Syrup

6oz. Batvia-Arrack Van Oosten
3oz. Lemon Juice
1/2tspn Grated Nutmeg
10 Cardamom pods

Start by removing seeds from cardamom pods and discard pods. Crush seeds in mortar and pestle. Next add all ingredients to a glass mason jar and refrigerate for 24 hours.

– Courtesy of Imbibe Magazine

Sketch's Rock and Rye Toddy

2009-09-15T11:34:00.001-07:00

1 part rock and rye
2 parts boiling water
Squeeze of lemon
Cures what ails you

Sketch Pasinski

Rock and Rye

2009-09-15T11:28:00.001-07:00

1 bottle of Rittenhouse bonded rye
1 orange peel (very little pith)
1 lemon peel (very little pith)
6 inches rock candy on string
2 teaspoons dried horehound
Put horehound in cheesecloth sachet or teabag and combine all
ingredients. After 6 hours or so remove horehound sachet and let
steep for at least several weeks.
Filter liquid into a bottle and enjoy!

Vieux Carré Cocktail

2009-09-13T19:14:00.001-07:00

1 oz rye whiskey
1 oz Cognac (I used brandy)
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 bar spoons Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Peychaud bitters
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker.
Strain into a rocks glass with ice.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

I was looking for a nice apertif that used sweet vermouth and stumbled across this recipe. I liked what the Bénédictine does for the drink. It's good for a Manhattan lover. I'll make this again.

Deadly Sin

2009-09-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

2 oz Bourbon whiskey (I used rye)
1/3 oz sweet vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
1 dash orange bitters (Bitter Truth)
an orange twist (apply as garnish before serving).
Stir with ice.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Maple Leaf

2009-09-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

2 oz Bourbon
½ oz Maple Syrup
½ oz Lemon Juice
Shake and strain over ice

This "grade B" maple syrup makes it. It was a little sweet, I might
cut down the syrup and/or up the lemon next time.

Saúco Margarita

2009-09-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

My Mother in Law bought me a bottle of St. Germain. This is the best thing I've made with it so far.
Glass: Coupette
Garnish: Lime wedge & optional salt rim
Method: SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.
1½ shot(s) Tequila
1½ shot(s) St. Germain liqueur
¾ shot(s) Freshly squeezed lime juice

I didn't salt the rim. That would make it totally crappy.

Añejo Highball

2009-09-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

* 1 1/2 ounces añejo rum
* 1/2 ounce curaçao
* 1/4 ounce pimento dram
* 2 ounces Ginger Beer
* 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
* Lime Peel

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the rum, curaçao, and ginger beer into a highball
glass with ice cubes.
2. Add the bitters, stir, and garnish with lime peel.

100 % Cocktail

2009-09-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

You'll need to make your own Swedish Punsch for this though.
2 oz Swedish punsch
½ oz fresh orange juice
½ oz fresh lemon juice
One drop of Angostura bitters (for garnish)

Shake punsch and juices with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a single drop of bitters.

~ from Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz’s The Art of the Bar: Cocktail’s Inspired by the Classics

New Glasses

2009-09-12T16:32:00.001-07:00

I made my first martini in my new 2oz glasses from Barkeeper in
Silverlake.
40ml Hendricks Gin
10ml dry vermouth
2 dashes Bitter Truth orange bitters
Garnished with a lemon twist

Panela Punch

2009-09-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

My first made up Punch. (1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong, 4 parts weak)
I used some lemons I found piled up in front of a neighbors house under their lemon tree.
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz of dark smokey demerara syrup made from Salvadoreno Dulce de Panela
1 oz rye
1/2 oz brandy
2 oz Bundaberg Ginger Beer
All poured over ice with a horses neck style lemon peel garnish

Arrack Punch

2009-09-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

1oz Batavia arrack
1 1/2 oz dark rum
3 tsp demerara syrup or to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Over a piece of ice

The Island Voodoo

2009-09-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Island Voodoo
1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz Averna
1/2 oz limoncello
flamed orange peel for garnish
Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Stir 30 times.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

from Duggan McDonnell