A Few Random... Martines?

I'm not quite sure what to call these. They're sort-of Martini variants, in that they consist of a gin stirred together with an aromatized wine, but in each case it's a sweeter aromatic than dry vermouth. Yet they're missing the additional sweetening that would make them a Martinez, leaving them in a weird grey area.

Oh, and... yeah, I made all three of these at once. And I poured all three at once. And then I drank all three in quick succession. It's fucking amazing that I managed to collect these recipes.

#1 (middle above)
1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire East gin
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dashes Bitter Truth Tonic Bitters
2 dashes Regan's No. 6 Orange Bitters

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a thin lime wheel.

Drink first as preparation.

#2 (left above)
1 1/2 oz Norseman Strawberry Rhubarb gin
3/4 oz Byrrh
2 dashes Bitter Truth Tonic Bitters
2 dashes Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters

Stir and strain into a slightly fancier cocktail glass; garnish with a strip of lemon peel.

Drink second to steady yourself.

#3 (right above)
1 1/2 oz J. Carver Barrel gin
3/4 oz Bonal
2 dashes Regan's No. 6 Orange Bitters
2 dashes Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters

Stir and strain into your fanciest cocktail glass; garnish with a brandied cherry.

Drink third to forget.

Pink Ribbon Punch

Barbecues are among my favorite events to throw. This is thanks primarily to two easy, delicious things: grilled meat, and punch. I like to think that our summer gatherings are becoming known for both.

This particular version was inspired directly by cheap, tasty-looking watermelon, so I garnished it with some frozen into large ice blocks, with watermelon frozen in the middle, you guys! This is something I've always wanted to try but never had the foresight to manage; my wife, however, dubbed it "very Martha Stewart," which I'm pretty sure was derogatory. Whatever! It looked nice.

The following makes about half of the gargantuan amount seen to the left, which still didn't quite make it to the end of the party. I admit that I may have dumped a bit of it on the table trying to pour the dregs out of the punch bowl.

1 L watermelon juice (well-strained)
750 mL prosecco (something cheap and dry)
500 mL white rum (Bacardi)
500 mL soda water
4 oz lime juice
4 oz lime-coriander cordial
4 oz cranberry grenadine
4 oz Cocchi Americano

Combine in a punch bowl and float some large ice cubes to keep things cool (it helps if everything's well-chilled beforehand).

That's a pretty damn weird mix of metric and imperial units, I know, but it's how I measured, and it turned out really nicely, so I'm recording it verbatim.

Fortified

And a second drink from last night (at least as best I can remember). This one filled the "use everything up" slot, including the Licor 43 we saw in the last recipe and my remaining Cocchi Americano. Can't go long without replacing that; Cocchi is one of my favorite apertif wines and has a permanent slot in my fridge.

Now, a slight problem with this one is that I can't quite remember the exact proportions; they got a little funky because I was at the end of some of these bottles, so I'm rounding off as best I can. If and when I make this next, I'll probably fuss about with some of the ratios.

3/4 oz Amontillado sherry
3/4 oz Pineau des Charentes
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Licor 43
2 dashes Bitter Truth Xocolatl Bitters
3 drops salt solution

Stir and strain over fresh ice in a small cocktail glass (a proper sherry glass would be nice, but I don't have any) and garnish with a large swath of lemon peel.

Tonic'ed Martini

Just a quick one for you today before my last day at the restaurant (for the second time!)

2 oz London dry gin (Tanqueray)

3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
5 dashes Bitter Truth Tonic Bitters (tasty stuff - the amount seems like a lot for this style of drink, but this takes a decent quantity to make itself known)

Stir and strain, garnish with a lime (or lemon) twist.

Yeah, it's a pretty basic twist on the Martini formula, but the end result was tasty!

El Puerto

This started out as some idle fucking around with a bottle of white port (which I'd tried, but hadn't stumbled across in a wine shop; props to Solo Vino) and it rapidly transmuted into a Negroni riff - you know, the kind that doesn't have a single ingredient in common with its inspiration. The whole thing really came together with a touch of apricot eau-de-vie. That's the bottle I used in the background there (I know, pictures, right?) but it's tough enough to come by that you don't need to be brand-specific.

1 oz reposado tequila

1/4 oz apricot eau-de-vie
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz white port (again, not brand-specific, but nothing too dry)
2 dashes Regan's No. 6 Orange Bitters
2 dashes rhubarb bitters (homemade, Fee's is too sweet for this application)

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a lime peel coin, expressed gently over the top. Pretty proud of this one, and look how pretty! Pictures, man.  I'm not sure why I never post these as my phone is littered with them anyway.

Back To Normal

We had a few friends over yesterday for an evening of food and drink, including some couples that haven't joined us before.  I got to sling drinks all night, and at one point I assembled this one as a change from our pitcher of punch and the mostly bourbon-based cocktails I'd made up to that point.

A couple guys joined me in the kitchen during the processed and looked overly impressed, so I started explaining to them my theory of cocktail remixing.  I'll have to put together a detailed post on this sometime soon, but in brief: you can make any number of "original" drinks simply by swapping similar ingredients out for one another.  A lot of classics were created this way: bartenders started with the Manhattan, swapped out the whiskey for gin to make the Martinez, and then swapped out the sweet vermouth for dry to make the Martini.  It happens all the time!  I actually have a pretty neat book that lays out this entire concept (they even boil it down to about 10 master ratios) which I quite like.  It's a really good pick for novices and I really wish I'd come up with the idea first.

Anyway, this one's a remix of a Manhattan, or a Rob Roy, I suppose.  It substitutes scotch as the core spirit (I'll have to do a single malt scotch post soon...) with a touch of apple brandy for character, and splits the standard sweet vermouth with Cocchi Americano.  Easy.  Assemble as follows:

1 1/2 oz scotch (I used my Macallan 10 Year Fine Oak, but a decent blend's fine too)
1/2 oz Laird's Straight Apple Brandy
1/2 oz sweet vermouth (Cinzano, which is a pretty standard example)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dashes Regan's No. 6 Orange Bitters

Stir over ice and strain over a large cube in an old-fashioned glass; garnish with a large swath of orange peel.

The name is a hopefully-recognizable tribute to Mitch Hedberg, specifically one of my favorite one-liners: "I remixed a remix, it was back to normal!"

Balmy-Barmy

So, I just had one of my less-proud mixological moments.  After picking up what I thought was a lovely bunch of mint over the weekend, I pulled it out of the fridge today, and only after I started picking off leaves to make a pair of juleps did I realize that it wasn't mint at all.  Instead, I had a massive bunch of lemon balm.  The fact that it's also known sometimes as "lemon mint" wasn't much comfort.

What to do?  Well - in it fucking went anyway, with some course corrections.  It took a little tweaking to get just right, but I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by the results.

Keep in mind, this isn't really a julep at all, even though it looks like one.

2 oz gin (I used Letherbee because I like it, but you could use a London Dry)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz watermelon-strawberry syrup
3 dashes rhubarb bitters (homemade, batch #2!)

Muddle a large handful of lemon balm and the syrup in the bottom of a glass; add ice, gin, and Cocchi, then stir to combine.  Garnish with a few extra sprigs of lemon balm and a straw.

Maybe I will just have to try something similar with bourbon...

Harder Than It Looks

My mixological rut continues unabated.  Most of my experimentation recently has been more culinary in nature, but I've been re-reading Craft Cocktails at Home and picking up some ideas.  I'll likely have a bit of general experimentation to post about soon.

In the meantime, there's been one spot of mixological success that deserves mention here.  I've talked about the cryo-juicing method here before, and I recently applied it to a bag of leftover watermelon slices.  The result is absolutely beautiful - slightly sweet, very subtle, and extremely refreshing even in small doses.  It just so happened to find its way into a Negroni remix and it couldn't have been more welcome.  The navy-strength gin here made up for the extra volume and retained the incisive flavor of the juniper.

1 oz navy-strength gin (Hayman's Royal Dock)
1 oz Aperol (Campari or Capelletti would work too)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz cryo-watermelon juice

Stir with a single large ice cube in an old-fashioned glass; garnish with a strip of grapefruit peel.

I named this after its very pretty pink color, combined with the fact that it retained a pretty fair punch from the gin.  Handle with care.

22nd Century

The 20th Century cocktail is one of my personal favorites (I included it on my first drink menu) and I also quite appreciate PDT's riff, the 21st Century. I thought I was making one but mis-remembered the recipe and wound up with this.

1 1/2 oz reposado tequila

1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

1/2 oz creme de cacao

1/2 oz lime juice

Shake and strain over a large ice cube. Garnish with a lime wheel, I guess?

This is actually more faithful to the original recipe, I think. The 21st Century is fun, but I dig this version quite a bit.

The Remedy

Keeping with the trend of slightly-fancified classics, here's a twist on the Negroni.  I named it after the hue, which looks to me precisely like that of cherry-flavored cough syrup (tastes better though, I promise, and it'll still make you feel better).

1 1/2 oz London Dry (Beefeater 24 this time, because it was on sale)
1/2 oz orange curacao (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao is my new hands-down favorite)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dashes orange bitters (Regan's No. 6 recommended)
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters (another hands-down favorite brand)

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

I have to admit, I thought this was a really clever idea until a finicky little voice reminded me that it's basically identical to the Lucien Gaudin Cocktail found in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.  Crud.  But I will still take credit for the minor differences.  To make the former, use triple sec in place of curacao, dry vermouth in place of Cocchi Americano, omit the bitters, and garnish with orange peel.  I like this better; it's got a nice bitter edge and isn't quite as sweet.  Sorry, Lucien.

Tasting #1

Well, friends, I've been busy.  On Thursday I conducted a cocktail seminar for a friend's holiday party. I hope it'll be the first of many, because I had a ridiculous amount of fun!  An hour to blather on about cocktails for a captive audience?  Yes please.

In honor of the occasion, here are my drink notes from the event.  I turned this into a little menu/brochure (also including some recommendations on cocktail books and local bars) to provide as a handout and reference.

DRINK #1: KIR ROYALE
1/2 oz creme de cassis (Mathilde)
~5 oz dry sparkling wine (Cava)
To build: Pour the creme de cassis into a champagne flute and slowly add the wine.
Other notes: Bubbles are always a great pre-dinner or special event beverage.  This is a very easy drink which you can adjust to your personal taste.

DRINK #2: SPICED SAZERAC
2 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1 tsp holiday spice syrup (a simple syrup with cranberry, cinnamon, and other spices)
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
To build: Pour a small amount of absinthe into a short glass and swirl to coat the inside (or spray with an atomizer) then let the glass chill in the freezer.  Stir the other ingredients over ice and strain into the prepared glass.
Other notes: The Sazerac is a very old-school drink, and is the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans.  Don't be afraid of the absinthe.

DRINK #3: WINTER DAQUIRI
1 1/2 oz white rum (Plantation 3 Star)
3/4 oz creme de cassis (Mathilde)
3/4 oz lime juice
To build: Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Add a lime wheel if you like.
Other notes: This is a great example of the Sour genre of drinks, and can be remixed with almost any spirit and liqueur you have on hand.

DRINK #4: 20TH CENTURY COCKTAIL
1 1/2 oz dry gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz creme de cacao (any brand)
1/2 oz lemon juice
To build: Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Add a strip of lemon peel or a bit of grated chocolate as garnish.
Other notes: This makes an excellent test if you want to see how knowledgeable your bartender really is.

DRINK #5: CABIN FEVER FLIP
3/4 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit)
3/4 oz white rum (Plantation 3 Star)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz creme de cacao
3/4 oz holiday spice syrup
3/4 oz heavy cream (or half-and-half)
1/2 egg (or egg white)
To build: Shake all of the above without ice until frothy, then shake again with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass.  Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.
Other notes: 1 large egg is usually enough for 2 drinks, or use smaller eggs for a single serving.  The silky texture of this drink makes it a perfect liquid dessert.

I made half-size versions of each of these, to share between each of the couples in attendance.  That worked out perfectly, providing just enough to taste, but not enough to completely inebriate.  The Winter Daquiri wound up being the crowd favorite, but the Flip was well-received too.

This whole experience has me very seriously thinking about how to monetize (or at least subsidize) this little hobby of mine.  A few of the folks in attendance expressed interest in events of their own, and I sincerely hope that we can make it happen, because I'd love to do this again.  I was also asked about wedding consulting, personal liquor shopping... seems like the sky's the limit!  Stay tuned, because I'll most certainly post about it.

Notebook Cocktail #1

I've been making a lot of shrubs lately - they're easy and tasty and flexible.  Here is a simple and straightforward way to use them:

1 1/2 oz rye whiskey (I can't remember what brand, but 100-proof is recommended)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz cranberry shrub* (see below)

Shake and strain over one large cube in a double old-fashioned glass.

I also wrote down a variation using Plantation Three Star (my new go-to white rum) which turned out nicely.

*Lightly muddle 1 cup of fresh cranberries in a large mason jar, then add 1/2 cup each of apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar.  Let this infuse in the refrigerator for a week, shaking every other day, then add 1 1/2 cups raw sugar.  Let this infuse for another week, shaking daily, then fine-strain into a clean container.  Add about 1/2 oz 100-proof (or higher) neutral grain spirit and keep refrigerated.

Vieille Ruelle

I have riffed on the Vieux Carré before with very pleasing results.  This time, I was prompted by a broken cap on my resident bottle of Benedictine which forced me to try and use whatever I could.  There are a lot of substitutions here, but I decided to keep the naming similar and use the French for "old alley".

1 oz white rum (I used the positively superb Plantation 3 Stars, which I cannot recommend highly enough)
1 oz Laird's Straight Apple Brandy (no substitutions, please)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dashes Benedictine (~1/2 tsp)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters

Shake briefly or stir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with an orange peel.

Carriage Redux

I think I'd like to recant and offer a slightly different version of the Golden Carriage as final.  This one is my favorite yet.

1 1/2 oz blended scotch
1/2 oz Matilde Poire
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz dry vermouth (Noilly Prat here, other good brands would be welcome)
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes aromatic bitters (Angostura here)

Rinse a coupe with absinthe, let chill, etc etc.  Stir the above then strain into the coupe.  Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

This version is a little more dilute, and winds up comfortably filling the coupe.  I think I'm going to submit it for the next cocktail menu at the restaurant.

Golden Carriage

I have to admit that this one is not entirely my own - or it is, but directly inspired by one of our new bartender's cocktails, a drink known as Another Castle.  Since nobody really reads this anyway, the construction of this beverage is as follows:

1 oz Plymouth gin

1/4 oz Matilde Peche liqueur

1/4 oz Cocchi Americano

1/4 oz dry vermouth

2 dashes orange bitters (I think Fee's was used originally)

Rinse a coupe with absinthe and place in the freezer to chill (or "season", as they say with Sazeracs).  Stir the above over rocks and then strain into the coupe, then twist a strip of orange peel over the top and whirl it into a tight circle resembling a flower; perch this on the rim as garnish.

Now, that's a damned fine beverage, no doubt about it.  After sampling one after work, I got home and wondered if I could try something similar with Matilde Poire, which had been hanging out in my cabinet for some time.  Gin didn't seem quite right, so I switched to rye, which was just way too assertive.  So I did something that I thought a little crazy and tried scotch instead.  A couple minor adjustments later and we have the beverage below:

1 oz blended scotch (use a single malt if you like, just something mild - you don't want too much peat here)

1/4 oz Matilde Poire liqueur

1/4 oz Cocchi Americano

1/4 oz sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes is also nice)

2 dashes Regan's No. 6 orange bitters

Rinse a coupe with absinthe, etc etc.  Do the same fanciness with the orange peel, if you like, or just squeeze an orange coin over the top and drop in.

(Being something of a lush, I actually find that the above is a rather small drink for my tastes.  If you think the same, double all of the proportions and use a classic martini glass instead.)

This to me is proof that experimentation and substitution can be the origin of many a fine cocktail.  That is after all how we got from Manhattans to Martinis, and from Sidecars to Margaritas.

The Stoplight Special

I keep feeling like someone must have invented this one before - it just seems a little too easy.  But it's also damned good, and it's proven a surprisingly flexible formula.  Anyway, I'll take credit for naming it (based on the colors of its three main flavoring agents).

2 oz Laird's Applejack
1/3 oz green Chartreuse
1/3 oz Cocchi Americano (Lillet Blanc could work, if supplemented with a dash of orange bitters)
1/3 oz Aperol (or Campari, in a pinch)

Stir over rocks and strain over one large ice cube in a rocks glass.  Squeeze an orange peel over the top and discard.

I list applejack here only because it's my favorite variation so far.  Like the Pirate, this lends itself to easy substitution.  I've tried it with rye, bourbon, and genever, all of them successfully.  I haven't used brandy or an aged tequila yet, but I'm sure these could be good options too.  Rum, not so much, but you could give it a whirl.

Luchador

More playing around with mezcal.

3/4 oz Sombra mezcal
1 1/4 oz pineapple-tequila-sage liqueur (you'll have to make this one yourself, although I may very well provide a recipe soon)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir well over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lime coin squeezed on both sides to express the oil and juice and drop in.

This one was experimental but worked out very nicely indeed.