609 replies to this topic

[eje]

The Cowboy Cocktail

2/3 Whisky. (1 1/2 oz Plump Jack selected single barrel Eagle Rare 13 year old Bourbon)
1/3 Cream. (3/4 oz Cream)
Cracked Ice.

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Another cocktail ripped from the pages of Judge Jr.'s 1927 "Here's How".

I dunno where a Cowboy would get cream, or why he would put it in his Whisk(e)y.

Maybe to cover up really bad "bathtub" whisky?

"Here's How" was published during the period of prohibition in the US. Perhaps I should have used Canadian Whisky (I am not implying here that Canadian Whisky is "bad", just that it might be a more appropriate choice for the time period this cocktail was created.)

In any case, another drink that didn't do much for me, bordering on a waste of perfectly good Bourbon and cream. I didn't pour it down the sink; but, a dash of liqueur or simple would do a lot to perk this up.

If you're going to mix Whisky and cream, at least make yourself something nice like the Barbary Coast.

Edited by eje, 13 September 2007 - 09:18 AM.

[eje]

Creole Cocktail

1/2 Rye or Canadian Club Whisky. (1 1/2 oz Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey)
1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica)
2 Dashes Benedictine.
2 Dashes Amer Picon. (homemade)

Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel on top.

I'm surprised to say, this was a little busy for me. I've been looking forward to trying this cocktail for a while now, and it has just about everything I look for in a cocktail, so I was pretty surprised that I didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping.

It might be my Amer Picon replica making process took the orange-i-ness too far.

But, the combination of vermouth, benedictine, Amer Picon replica, whiskey, and a lemon twist just seemed like too many things going on in one cocktail.

I did make a Liberal, which is basically the same without the Benedictine and with an orange twist instead of lemon, and much preferred it.

[Chris Amirault]

I'll bite: My Creole Cocktail tonight was with Rittenhouse 100, Punt e Mes, Benedictine, and a pre-tinkering Amer Picon. Lemon peel on top, too.

Not busy at all, I have to say. The Benedictine grabs the base in the rye to provide a good foundation, and the spiciness of the Punt e Mes mingles with the lemon oil. I think that the orange in the Amer Picon isn't too pronounced.

[bostonapothecary]

Creole Cocktail

1/2 Rye or Canadian Club Whisky. (1 1/2 oz Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey)
1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica)
2 Dashes Benedictine.
2 Dashes Amer Picon. (homemade)

Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel on top.

I'm surprised to say, this was a little busy for me.  I've been looking forward to trying this cocktail for a while now, and it has just about everything I look for in a cocktail, so I was pretty surprised that I didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping.

It might be my Amer Picon replica making process took the orange-i-ness too far.

But, the combination of vermouth, benedictine, Amer Picon replica, whiskey, and a lemon twist just seemed like too many things going on in one cocktail.

I did make a Liberal, which is basically the same without the Benedictine and with an orange twist instead of lemon, and much preferred it.

it sounds cool in theory... but all sorts of flavors get punched up and often turn chocolaty... i wonder if bianco vermouth would work better...

[eje]

I'll bite: My Creole Cocktail tonight was with Rittenhouse 100, Punt e Mes, Benedictine, and a pre-tinkering Amer Picon. Lemon peel on top, too.

Not busy at all, I have to say. The Benedictine grabs the base in the rye to provide a good foundation, and the spiciness of the Punt e Mes mingles with the lemon oil. I think that the orange in the Amer Picon isn't too pronounced.

Interesting!

I will definitely give it a try again with some variation. I don't think I over poured the Benedictine or Amer Replica dashes; but, I may need to re-do the Picon Replica now that Jamie Boudreau has posted an updated recipe.

Amer Picon

Using the fresh orange zest in my replica was probably a mistake. You can see that the cocktail is somewhat cloudy, I think that is an overabundance of orange oils falling out of solution. Still, my Amer Picon replica was quite nice on its own and in the Liberal. I also didn't think it was a crazy amount orangier than a modern Amer Picon I tried a couple weeks ago.

edit - Oh, and being Mr. Stickler man, I have to point out that Punt e Mes, isn't strictly an Italian Vermouth. It is more of a bottled vermouth cocktail. Using it is kind of like using a portion of Italian Vermouth and a dash or two of bitters.

Edited by eje, 16 September 2007 - 09:39 PM.

[bostonapothecary]

edit - Oh, and being Mr. Stickler man, I have to point out that Punt e Mes, isn't strictly an Italian Vermouth.  It is more of a bottled vermouth cocktail.  Using it is kind of like using a portion of Italian Vermouth and a dash or two of bitters.

i would simply call it bitter italian vermouth. my recipe for vermouth has a very similiar level of bitter that comes from the wormwood, and orris... i'd like to think it has more complexity in between but more people need to travel to boston and check it out. = )

i only have 5 more liters of rosso before i start making bianco vermouth for the winter.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks for the corrections on PeM. Given my propensity to drinks bitter, that may be why this cocktail worked so well for my mouth.

[eje]

Thanks for the corrections on PeM. Given my propensity to drinks bitter, that may be why this cocktail worked so well for my mouth.

If you have the "Jones' Bar Guide", check the vermouth section in front for a colorful explanation of the origins of Punt e Mes.

I'll re-read it tonight and summarize it for the Punt e Mes topic.

Edited by eje, 17 September 2007 - 09:19 AM.

[eje]

The Crow Cocktail

1/3 Whisky. (1 oz Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey)
2/3 Lemon Juice. (1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed)
1 Dash Grenadine. (homemade)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Basically a very tart sour whiskey sour, sweetened with grenadine instead of sugar.

Yes, I wimped out slightly on the proportions. 2 parts lemon and 1 part whiskey, just seemed a bit crazy.

I think I would find this more appealing over ice and topped up with soda.

[thirtyoneknots]

The Crow Cocktail

1/3 Whisky. (1 oz Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey)
2/3 Lemon Juice. (1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed) 
1 Dash Grenadine. (homemade)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Basically a very tart sour whiskey sour, sweetened with grenadine instead of sugar.

Yes, I wimped out slightly on the proportions.  2 parts lemon and 1 part whiskey, just seemed a bit crazy. 

I think I would find this more appealing over ice and topped up with soda.

For my money, that's one of the most bizarre recipes you've come across so far. Mundane enough ingredients, but the preportions! Weird.

[eje]

re: Crow Cocktail

Odd, eh?

Yeah, as either a very small tonic/shooter or as a long drink this would be OK.

Not the greatest at the scale I made it.

In fact it would be kind of cool to make it as a small shooter, (1 1/2 oz lemon, 3/4 oz whiskey or smaller,) shake, strain into a shot type glass, and then pour in the grenadine, which would hopefully settle to the bottom.



Crystal Bronx Cocktail

The Juice of 1/4 Orange. (Valencia)
1/4 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Pratt Dry)
1/4 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Cinzano Rosso)
1 Lump Ice.

Use medium-size glass and fill up with Soda Water.

Seems like something is missing from this cocktail!

Like, the other 1/2!

Anyway, even though I find no recipes which call for it, I wouldn't blame you if you decided to add 1 1/2 oz of Dry Gin to the Crystal Bronx, and, in fact, I think you would find it quite tasty.

[eje]

Cuban Cocktail (No. 1)

The Juice of 1/4 Lemon.
1 Teaspoonful Powdered Sugar. (1 scant teaspoon Caster Sugar)
1 Glass Bacardi Rum. (2 oz Matusalem Platino)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

I was a bit bummed recently to learn that the rum I had been using, Flor de Cana Extra-Dry, is not really in the Cuban Style. It is a Molasses based rum, aged for 4 years, and then filtered. But, an online friend recently informed me that it really isn't very similar to the Havana Club Anejo Blanco.

He suggested the Matusalem Platino as the closest rum to HC Anejo Blanco available in America.

Flavorwise, that may be true, but, the Platino is a very, very light rum. It smells OK and tastes fine on its own; but, once you get it in a cocktail, it is pretty much gone. To me, for all I could detect of rum in this cocktail, I might as well have used vodka.

So, back to the drawing board, as far as I'm concerned, in locating an appropriate 1930s era Bacardi substitute. If anyone has any suggestions, please post, as I have the Daiquiri looming on the horizon.

Largely flavorless rum, or not, this is an enjoyable cocktail. With 2 oz of rum and less than an half ounce of lemon, it is quite dry. The scant teaspoon of caster sugar is the perfect amount, just sweetening the cocktail enough to temper the sourness of the lemon.

[David Santucci]

So, back to the drawing board, as far as I'm concerned, in locating an appropriate 1930s era Bacardi substitute.  If anyone has any suggestions, please post, as I have the Daiquiri looming on the horizon.

I like Brugal Blanco. In fact, I think I like it better than Havana Club.

[thirtyoneknots]

I was a bit bummed recently to learn that the rum I had been using, Flor de Cana Extra-Dry, is not really in the Cuban Style.  It is a Molasses based rum, aged for 4 years, and then filtered.  But, an online friend recently informed me that it really isn't very similar to the Havana Club Anejo Blanco.

I'm not sure I understand what the deal is. I was under the distinct impression that pre-Castro Bacardi was aged and filtered. Being a different brand of the same spirit made in the same style can still allow for considerable variation in flavor profile. To me this is sort of like if someone only had Wild Turkey available and was told it was not really very similar to Jim Beam (or whatever). It's not, strictly speaking, but it's also not an inappropriate substitute (certainly less so than the subbing of Sazerac Rye in for Canadian Club). For my money, Flor de Cana is the best white rum I've ever had. That said, I've heard so many excellent things about Brugal and I'd really like to try it but for some reason it seems to be difficult to come by in sizes less than 1.75 liters and I don't really want to buy a half-gallon of rum to try (also, big bottles = cumbersome).

-Andy

[eje]

I'm not sure I understand what the deal is. I was under the distinct impression that pre-Castro Bacardi was aged and filtered.

I'm not either. I have a couple emails out about it, one of which was replied to. The person who replied had recently tried, (and been blown away by,) some Bacardi rums from the 1920s. He actually felt that the Flor de Cana was a very good substitution for the Cuban rums of that time.

Sometimes, I feel like, if you ask 12 different people about rum, you will get 12 different answers, so who knows.

Cuban Cocktail (No. 2)

The Juice of 1/2 Lime or ¼ Lemon. (Juice 1/4 Lemon)
1/3 Apricot Brandy. (3/4 oz Apricot liqueur)
2/3 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Well I thought I would take this opportunity to do a bit of an Apricot liqueur taste off.



From left to right we have Brizard Apry, Vedrenne Liqueur de Abricot, Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot, and homemade.



First we tried the Brizard Apry. I'm not all that familiar with the Brizard Apry, only having used it a couple times now. Every time I'm struck by the cherry scent and flavor. Not quite sure what that is about. Reminds me a bit of Apricot flavored candies.



Sigh, the Vedrenne Apricot liqueur reminds me of Apricot pancake syrup. There is am almost maple-ish flavor there, and that of concentrated dried apricots.



Again struck by the fresh apricot smell of the Orchard Apricot. My wife actually thought this cocktail a bit sweeter than the Brizard cocktail. Again, though, a stronger flavor of fresh apricot, rather than apricot-cherry-almond candy.



My homemade apricot liqueur was one of the first that convinced me that, in some cases, commercial producers can do a much better job than I. Very little apricot flavor despite it being a whole fruit infusion.



Not sure what this means; but, the Apry and the Vedrenne cocktails were foamier than those made with the R&W and homemade liqueurs.

Cocktail itself is all right. The flavors didn't really compel me to finish any of the 4 versions; but, I didn't resent tasting it. Not entirely convinced by the Maison Surenne as a mixing brandy. I think something with a few more teeth might make for more interesting cocktails. Maybe investigate some of the more reasonable Armagnac.

[thirtyoneknots]

Not to throw fuel on the fire, but the small preportion of citrus makes me wonder if that recipe would even work with a dry eau de vie, like Barak Palinka. Would be a much different drink, but maybe not in a bad way (may need a dash of simple syrup or grenadine though).

-Andy

[David Santucci]

I would love to know the history of this one. CocktailDB lists eight different Cuban recipes.

I originally tried this one:

1 oz light rum
1 oz apricot flavored brandy
1/2 oz fresh lime juice

which is actually really good, in spite of how much liqueur it has in it.

Then I saw this recipe in Embury

All the rums blend perfectly with fruit flavors. Hence any fruit brandy can be used to advantage in combination with rum as a cocktail base. This is especially true of peach and apricot brandies.

CUBAN APRICOT or CUBAN PEACH

1 part Sugar Syrup
2 parts Lime Juice
4 parts White Cuban Rum
4 parts Apricot Brandy or Peach Brandy

which led me to believe that the original was probably with "Apricot Brandy", meaning the eau de vie, and later someone switched it to Apricot Flavored Brandy, the liqueur. Or maybe it went the other way around. Perhaps when the Apricot Flavored Brandy got into the drink, this opened the door for the Cognac to get in too. To quote Embury again

Still another version omits the pineapple and substitutes apricot liqueur for the curaçao and cognac for the rum. This is high treason! How could any drink be truly Cuban unless made with rum?

Embury's Cuban (curaçao, lime juice, pineapple juice, rum) is in CocktailDB as the Cuban Special. Embury also lists one of the six Cuban Cocktail Variations in CocktailDB (grenadine, maraschino, lime, rum). Then there is a version that substitutes lemon for the lime and adds orange bitters. Still another splits the difference and combines rum AND cognac with apricot brandy. Then there is the oddball, with rum, sweet vermouth, orange juice and Angostua. What gives?

Maybe Cuban was just the name everybody gave to their favorite rum drink.

[eje]

Cool stuff, David!

I got so obsessed with my idea of an apricot liqueur taste off, that I didn't really look into Cuban Cocktail variations.

That "Cuban Apricot" does look tasty.

Though, I will point out that there are plenty of cocktails with country or geographical names, which seemingly have absolutely nothing to do with those countries referenced.

Is the Chinese Cocktail particularly "Chinese"? Is the Japanese Cocktail even remotely Asian in nature?

Besides, the Cuba of the 1920s and 30s was a pretty cosmopolitan place, what with the influx of American drinkers, gamblers, and gangsters. I see no reason the bartenders there couldn't mix with Cognac or Apricot liqueur, if they so desired.

Edited by eje, 21 September 2007 - 09:16 AM.

[eje]

I asked Jeff Berry ("Sippin' Safari") about an appropriate rum substitution for Cuban Rums from the 1930s. He gave me permission to post his response:

You are absolutely correct to sub Flor De Cana for contemporary Bacardi, especially in 1930s-era recipes!  Today's Bacardi white rum is total garbage -- and Bacardi has been deliberately turning it into garbage over the years.  Since the early 1960s they've been chasing the vodka market -- "Bacardi, the mixable one" was their old ad line from back then -- by taking all the rum flavor out of their white rum to make it as neutral and tasteless as vodka.  This is especially heinous because their original white rum was glorious -- I tasted some 1920s Bacardi white two years ago and it was a revelation:  rich, floral, distinctive, "rummy."  Finally I understood why anyone ever bothered drinking traditional Daiquiris, which taste like nothing when made with today's white rums...Havana Club's white rum is good, if you can get it, but for my money Flor De Cana's white comes closest to the body and bouquet of pre-WWII white rums.

[slkinsey]

I like Flor de Caña as well. Brugal white is not bad for this purpose either.

[eje]

The Cubano Cocktail

1/2 Gin. (1 oz Bombay Gin)
1/2 vermouth. (1 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
4 Drops Kummel. (very little Kaiser Kummel)
4 Drops Charbreux. (very little Green Chartreuse)
2 Drops Pineapple Syrup. (even less pineapple juice)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

Another cocktail mostly verbatim from Judge Jr.'s "Here's How!".

The note in "Here's How!" goes on to say, "Contributed by Owen Hutchinson and it explains why Cuba is a free country." I've really no idea what that means.

This is a very subtle affair. I've also no idea if I could even tell it from a "Fifty-Fifty" if it they were both presented to me, other than to say, "this one seems a bit different from the other one."

Picked some borage blossoms while at the garden today for garnish. Cool, eh? They have a slight cucumber-ish flavor when consumed. Went well with the drink.

[David Santucci]

Cherry Blossom (6 people)

To a glass half full of cracked ice add a tablespoon of dry Curacao (dash senior Curacao of Curacao), one of Lemon Juice (1 TBSP fresh), one of Grenadine (Fee's American Beauty), 2 1/2 glasses of Cherry Brandy (1 oz Cherry Brandy) and 2 of brandy (1 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre).

...

As made, it tastes pretty much like drinking a glass of cold cherry juice.

I bet this is another example where "Brandy" meant eau-de-vie instead of liqueur. This would probably be a whole lot more interesting (and palatable) with Kirsch.

[eje]

re: Cherry Blossom & Kirsch

Generally, when Kirsch is called for, it seems to be specified, as in the Charleston. However, given the diverse sources for the recipes, it is probably hard to know. Give it a try both ways and let us know! Though do try to follow the recipe more exactly than I did...



The Culross Cocktail

The Juice of 1/4 Lemon.
1/3 Kina Lillet. (3/4 oz Cocchi Americano)
1/3 Bacardi Rum. (3/4 oz Flor de Cana Extra-Dry)
1/3 Apricot Brandy. (3/4 oz Blume Marillen Apricot Eau-de-Vie)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Since the Americano is a bit sweet and there isn't much lemon in this, I thought I might take thirtyoneknots suggestion above to heart and give this one a try with an Apricot Eau-de-Vie instead of Apricot liqueur.

Wow! Really tasty, and very interesting flavors. The cinnamon and spice of the Americano are quite nice in combination with the dark apricot flavor of the Blume Marillen. One of those cocktails that leaves me smelling the glass, intrigued.

I also tried it with apricot liqueur and modern Lillet. A lot less interesting. I suppose I should have gone on with the variations and tried Lillet/Eau-de-Vie and Americano/liqueur; but, the first one was so good, I really didn't see the need.

If Apricot Eau-de-Vie and Americano is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Edited by eje, 23 September 2007 - 10:16 AM.

[thirtyoneknots]

I had tried the Culross before with Apry and upped the lemon to equal parts since just looking at the recipe gave me a toothache. The drink was ok but still a bit sweet for me and the Apry was more or less what you tasted (though it did have an interesting interplay with the floral notes in the rum). I think I'll have ot go back and try it again with the Barack Palinka. Sadly no Americano available around here though.

-Andy

[jmfangio]

Apparently "Corpse Revivers" were a class of pre-prohibition drinks meant to be taken as "hair of the dog".

By the time we get to the 30s only about 3 or 4 recipes survived.

Back to Corpse Revivers for just a moment...

I was just browsing through the Google book search feature, and found a book from 1871 that I hadn't seen mentioned before, The Gentleman's Table Guide, by E. Ricket and C. Thomas, which includes yet another Corpse Reviver variation (from page 50, if you care to download the PDF):

Use a wineglass.  Half wineglass of brandy, half glass of Maraschino, and two dashes of Boker's bitters.

There are some beautiful illustrations in the book. I'm in love with this one:

Edited by jmfangio, 24 September 2007 - 09:12 PM.

[eje]

Cupid Cocktail

1 Glass Sherry. (2 oz Lustau Don Nuno Dry Oloroso)
1 Fresh Egg.
Teaspoonful Powdered Sugar. (1 tsp. caster sugar)
A little Cayenne Pepper.

Shake well and strain into medium size glass.

Sherry Flip, essentially. The cayenne pepper give it an interesting little kick.

Not overly complex or anything; but, enjoyable all the same.

Edited by eje, 27 September 2007 - 08:57 AM.

[eje]

Curacao Cocktail (6 People)

½ Glass Brandy (1/4 oz Maison Surenne Petit Cognac)
2 1/2 Glasses Dark Curacao (1 oz Brizard Orange Curacao)
2 1/2 Glasses Orange Juice (1 oz Orange Juice)
1/2 Glass Gin. (1/4 oz Bombay Gin)
Broken Ice.

Shake and serve in glasses rinsed out with Orange Bitters (Regan's).

Going with the 2 oz per glass, and then dividing in half to create a portion and a half.

Yeah, no, that's not drinkable, even very cold with a generous pour of bitters, unless you consider straight maple syrup drinkable. Express train to diabetic coma.

I'd give it a try with Grand Marnier or another Curacao, except even a couple sips have ruined me for the evening. Yuck.

[thirtyoneknots]

Curacao Cocktail (6 People)

½ Glass Brandy (1/4 oz Maison Surenne Petit Cognac)
2 1/2 Glasses Dark Curacao (1 oz Brizard Orange Curacao)
2 1/2 Glasses Orange Juice (1 oz Orange Juice)
1/2 Glass Gin. (1/4 oz Bombay Gin)
Broken Ice.

Shake and serve in glasses rinsed out with Orange Bitters (Regan's).

Going with the 2 oz per glass, and then dividing in half to create a portion and a half.

Yeah, no, that's not drinkable, even very cold with a generous pour of bitters, unless you consider straight maple syrup drinkable.  Express train to diabetic coma.

I'd give it a try with Grand Marnier or another Curacao, except even a couple sips have ruined me for the evening.  Yuck.

The worst part is that this looks so much like something you'd see on the drink list at so many otherwise respectable establishments nowadays (of course sub liqueur du jour for the curacao and flavor x of 'superpremium' vodka for the gin). So much for Progress.

Edit to add: No, the worst part is that it would probably be a top seller at said establishment.

Edited by thirtyoneknots, 26 September 2007 - 09:29 PM.

[eje]

[...]
Curacao Cocktail (6 People)
[...]
Yeah, no, that's not drinkable, even very cold with a generous pour of bitters, unless you consider straight maple syrup drinkable.  Express train to diabetic coma.
[...]

I suppose I should qualify this and say it wasn't an awful drink, just much sweeter than I expected. I was hoping that the orange juice would cut some of the sweetness of the Brizard Orange Curacao. It did not, instead just adding to it, making it pointedly an after dinner drink.

If you were to serve The Curacao Cocktail in a small glass alongside a cup of coffee, it wouldn't be unappealing. However, its single minded orange-i-ness would make it a bit more boring than something like the Blanche Cocktail.

[eje]

Related to thirtyoneknots comment, I was out in the real world, ("in re-al time,") and a restaurant offered a 2 page brunch cocktail menu. The second page was yer traditional brunch drinks, Bloody Mary, Greyhound, etc.

The first full page, probably 18 drinks, was all dessert or "shooter" type drinks. B-52, etc.

I have to admit I was completely flabbergasted that anyone would order one of those drinks at Brunch.

But, I guess, given the amount of maple syrup folks normally put on their pancakes, it's not that much of a stretch.