"Spicy Colada"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.