Vinous

Sometimes, in-laws bring over a bottle of red wine in an effort to be helpful. And sometimes, that wine is not good, but you don't want to dump it so as not to offend them. There is a solution to this quandary: make red wine syrup.

After taking that step, I had the bizarre notion for a cocktail composed primarily of altered wine-stuff. This was the result.

2 oz brandy (something decent, but not too fancy; a VS cognac would do nicely, I used Asbach Uralt)
1/2 oz mulled wine syrup*
1/2 oz amontillado sherry
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a large strip of orange peel (blood orange is what I had, so I used that; it looks very pretty in the glass).

*Take about 12 oz of the (red) wine in question, place it into a small saucepan, and place over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon each cloves and allspice berries, and 1 1/2 teaspoon crushed cinnamon. Bring to a simmer; add brown sugar to taste (this wine was a sweet red, so it only took about a tablespoon; other reds may require as much as 1/4 cup for balance). Reduce to about half the original volume, strain, and allow to cool. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Honey Nut Manhattan

Another walnut bourbon drink. This took a bit more tweaking and I'm not quite sure if I'm happy with it yet. There may be some future versions of this one...

1 1/2 oz walnut-infused bourbon
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz amontillado sherry
1/4 oz honey syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole bitters

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry, an orange twist, or nothing at all.

(Update: I hate this name, for the record. This is what happens when you try to name drinks after having a couple.)

Peat & Molasses

We had what I'd have to describe as a dinner party last night, and in planning the menu I had a bit of a revelation. Instead of driving myself nuts trying to create individual cocktails for our guests while cooking at the same time, why not use what I learned about creating bottled cocktails and batch something out to keep everybody happy? This worked out as well as I'd hoped, though it was a thirsty bunch, and I had to refill the pitcher with my mystery cocktail and a pitcher-sized Corey Taylor in short order. Still, kept everybody's glasses full and kept me sane. Might be a new party trick!

I'll include both the full bottled proportion and a single-serving recipe below.

16 oz (2 oz) amber rum (Appleton VX)

6 oz (3/4 oz) blended scotch (Famous Grouse)

6 oz (3/4 oz) sweet vermouth (Cocchi Torino)

2 oz (1/4 oz) amontillado sherry

2 oz (1/4 oz) Casoni 1814 (Aperol or Cappelletti would work too)

8 oz water (omit for single-serving)

For the bottled version, combine everything and keep refrigerated until ready to serve, then add to a pitcher with several large ice cubes. For the single-size version, stir and strain over a large cube in an old-fashioned glass.

Quiet Spot

Oh, shit - the bar's getting packed with bottles again. I have a feeling we might repeat our semi-regular Friday pattern.

The name of this one is kind of a horrible pun (although as I explained to the wife when I announced it, I think all modern cocktail names are basically puns, or song lyrics). It's a version of a Tipperary cocktail, the original being named after a beautifully green town and county in Ireland. Appropriately, I used the fantastic Green Spot whiskey to make it, and what with all the greenery I couldn't help think of an old concrete bench with inlaid tiles that used to reside on my grandparents' porch. It was a rough, heavy thing, but when they decided to move out of their split-level house to a more reasonable condo, my mother decided to take it in a fit of sentiment. We set it up in our backyard next to an old tire swing, among a line of wild-growing bushes next to her garden, a little patch that we call "Mom's quiet spot" to this day.

1 1/2 oz Green Spot Irish whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth (Cocchi Torino)
1/6 oz Green Chartreuse (basically a barspoon's worth)
1/6 oz Amontillado sherry (ditto)
2 dashes Regan's No. 6 Orange Bitters

Stir and strain over a large ice cube in an old-fashioned glass; garnish with a large lemon coin expressed over the top of the drink. Sip and contemplate.

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.

Improbable Tonic

One of the things about making your own tonic syrup is that you really don't use much for each drink, and the potential uses are admittedly more limited than a straightforward flavored syrup.  So what do you do with a whole ton of tonic syrup, with nary a drop of gin, aquavit, etc. in sight?  You do insane things, that's what.

Before you go judging this recipe on the merits of its appearance, try one.  This is bizarre, unexpected synergy in a glass.

2 oz medium-dry sherry (rainwater madiera might work too)
1 oz white rum (Plantation 3 Star; I wouldn't use anything too dry, i.e. Bacardi)
1/3 oz spiced tonic syrup (up to 1/2 oz depending on your batch)

Combine over ice and stir, then top with 1-2 oz soda water to taste.

I know, I know - that looks like a fucking train wreck.  It was only through the miracle of multiple previous drinks that this combination even occurred to me, and then just as a sort of befuddled curiosity.  I've never been more pleased to be proven wrong.