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Part of my worries with the current cocktail scene, when I start to see "premium" ingredients seep down to average cocktail programs, is that it seems like the wrong lesson is being learned. What bars and restaurants seem to be starting to think, simply, is if they use premium spirits to make their cocktails, that's all they have to do. They are running a cocktailian bar. Jigger pouring, well trained knowledgeable staff, portion control, costing the drinks, a creative well thought out menu, fresh juices, fresh herbs, house made ingredients, serious ice, etc. This is the stuff I'd like to see seep down from places like Death & Co, PDT, the Pegu Club, and their West Coast equivalents. And I like to think that you could run a successful drink program with these elements and leave out the super premium spirits. Anyway, yes, maybe I do take this all a bit too seriously. It's a bit of a problem I have with my enthusiasms. A character flaw, if you will. Now pass me that Cherry Bomb, will you, I'm getting a little dry down here...

Mah-Jongg Cocktail 1/6 Cointreau. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Cointreau) 1/6 Bacardi Rum. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Montecristo White Rum) 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz North Shore Distiller's No. 6) Shake (stir please, very!) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Orange Peel.) For being a big glass of 80+ proof spirits and liqueurs, this isn't half bad. I couldn't quite decide between orange peel and cherry. Glad, in the end, that I went with the orange peel. The bitter orange oils provide a nice counter point to the mellower orange flavor of the Cointreau. North Shore No. 6 is a modern gin, but I find it to be very well made. Also, it seems to complement fruit flavors very nicely, thus my choice of using it in this cocktail.

The Magnolia Blossom Cocktail 1/4 Lemon Juice (1/2 oz Lemon Juice) 1/4 Cream. (1/2 oz Cream) 1/2 Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin) 1 Dash Grenadine. (1/2 tsp. Homemade) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Another cocktail ripped from the pages of Judge Jr's prohibition era tome, "Here's How". Mr. Jr. notes that this cocktail was “Originated by Finley White of Durham, N.C., where the bull comes from.” Interesting in that most cream based cocktails are on the sweet side. The Magnolia Blossom, on the other hand, tastes mostly like gin flavored yoghurt. Kind of nice if, like me, you enjoy that sort of thing.

It's interesting. My wife works in the music field, so we are used to dealing with the ridiculous amounts of money that huge multinational corporations choose to throw at "filth", to use Phlip's word. I see so many parallels between the way the marketing of music and spirits work, that it is a bit eerie. Except for the fact that payola is (supposedly) illegal in the music industry and it doesn't seem to be quite so policed in the spirits industry. A while ago a company contacted me and said, "Hey, what you're doing with the Savoy Cocktail Book is cool. But I'm frustrated that I don't see any of my products listed in the recipes. If I sent you some, would you use them?" Being an honest Midwestern type, I was honest with them. I told them if they sent products, I would try them. If I liked them, I might talk about them. If the product was appropriate for a Savoy recipe, I would use it. If not, not. Of course, they did not send the sample. As a spirits enthusiast, I get frustrated when I get an offer for some free spirits sample and then see 6 glowing reviews of the same product on different blogs the same week. Or I get some marketing promotion and then see one of my colleagues posting the press release more or less verbatim the same week as if they were their words and opinion. There is a huge amount of interest in spirits and cocktails out in the public right now. A lot of people are open and interested in trying new and different cocktails. I do think that both bar professionals, writers, and cocktail enthusiasts have a tremendous opportunity right now to influence the way people drink. But along with that opportunity is a responsibility. I was at an event this week and we were serving a drink with sweet vermouth. A customer said, "Oh sweet vermouth, I've read about that recently. Could I try some?" At that point, the bar professional has an opportunity to influence one person's taste. If the bartender says, "Oh, no, vermouth is awful, you don't want to try that straight," the opportunity is blown. If they tell a bit about vermouth's history and composition. Present it on the rocks with a smile. There's one more person who might try a Martinez or be willing to expand their cocktail horizons. And maybe they'll tell their friends, or serve it at a party in their home.

McClelland Cocktail 1 Dash Absinthe. (1/3 tsp. Kübler Absinthe) 1/3 Curacao. (3/4 oz Bols Dry Orange Curaçao. Thanks Philip!) 2/3 Sloe Gin. (1 1/2 oz Lindisfarne Sloe Gin) Shake (or stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass. You would think this would be pretty darn close to undrinkable. It is pretty inky. However, the bitterness and sweet tart nature of the Sloe Gin puts it not far from a Late Bottle Vintage Port. An enjoyable combination of flavors, but definitely an after dinner drink. The last time I was in England I stopped at Gerry's Wines & Spirits and asked about Plymouth Sloe Gin. Unfortunately, they were out of stock at the time. They suggested perhaps trying the Lindisfarne and whispered, "it's better anyway." I dunno if it is better, but it is more intensely Sloe flavored. Interestingly, Lindisfarne is a tidal island only accessible by boat or by road just some of the time. Apparently, Lindisfarne also played an important role in the Christian Church's early days in England somewhere around 635 AD. Not sure which McClelland this cocktail might refer to. Joe McClelland seems like an English possibility. McClelland Barclay seems like a good American possibility.

It's a drink where it doesn't probably matter that much whether you shake or stir. Though, you might get some foam from the vermouth, if you shake. I tend to stir almost any cocktail with a significant amount of vermouth, but that's just my preference. I will note that If you get some absinthe substitutes too cold, too dilute, too fast, instead of making a nice cloudy louche, the oils (or whatever) quickly amalgamate into larger globules and float to the top of the drink. Quite unattractive. I've seen this when trying to make things drinks like the Absinthe Cocktail with the Henri Bardouin Pastis. I've also seen it happen with Absinthe, if you make the cocktail too large and it sits for a while.

Macaroni Cocktail 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica) 2/3 Absinthe. (1 1/2 oz Kübler Absinthe) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Mint Sprig garnish.) To be honest, this isn't the world's most attractive cocktail. Kind of looks like a cup of tea with milk. Maybe if you're from the other side of the pond, this is somehow appetizing? It is, however, somewhat more tasty than it is appearing or sounding. Do give it a nice long stir, however.

Walk, generally. Or take the bus. We were in Wisconsin for a recent trip and I was making an Affinity cocktail for someone who was curious. Someone else piped up, "Rob Roy or Perfect Scotch Manhattan". Ah ha! My Drinky Radar kicked in! Turned out he was an ex-bartender/bar owner who had owned a string of restaurants, bars, and strip clubs in the Milwaukee, WI area in the 1960s through the 1980s. Talk about an interesting guy! Anyway, he was quite adamant about how much of a damper the enforcement of drunk driving laws had put on bar culture in rural and car centered communities. For better or for worse, I guess.

I'm at a disadvantage, not having tried Chartreuse VEP. I don't know what subtle differences there are between it and regular Chartreuse. I know it gets some extra aging in wood? I remember being a bit shocked, myself, when I first heard they were using the VEP in drinks at Slanted Door. But when I asked the bar manager he said, "no really," and told me he was still within the cost percentages that the owners asked him to hit on those drinks. I don't know if he orders the Chartreuse by the shipping container direct from France or what. I get your and Phil's points, and more or less agree regarding moving customers away from brand loyalty and towards making the best ingredient choices for a drink. But also am not entirely sure I agree with those bars that self limit themselves, and their customers, by doing things like not stocking Grey Goose or Coca Cola.

Phlip, I'm not sure I agree. Isn't it a bartender's job to do a good job making the drink the customer wants? The comments in the topic show that Chartreuse's VEP products have a certain amount of Caché. Is it wrong for a bartender to use every (ethical) tool in his or her kit to sell drinks to customers? I mean, sure, I can make a mean Sazerac with Rittenhouse Bonded and, probably, a Sazerac made with Rittenhouse 23 isn't going to be significantly better. But if the customer wants a Sazerac made with Rittenhouse 23, and is willing to pay for it, is it the bartender's job to tell him/her, "You know, really, this is a waste of your money."

What's the story with "Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion" by Crosby Gaige? Am I being dense in not really getting why the book is called a "Ladies Companion"? I'm mostly enjoying it, but Mr. Gaige isn't quite as funny, or as interesting a writer, as he would like to think he is. So many in-jokes, in how he has renamed cocktails, and his little bon mots about friends, as to be nearing incomprehensibility. Someone should write a "companion".

Oh my! Fluffy Ruffles! I generally agree, but if putting VEP in the drink gets customers to order Last Words instead of some less interesting drink and the costs work out...

Up until relatively recently I'd always thought Bourbon wasn't really mixed with in cocktails until after prohibition. That the shortage of aged Rye Spirits at the end of prohibition launched the popularity of Bourbon. However, I recently came across a copy of Jacques Straub's pre-prohibition cocktail book "Drinks" and I find plenty of recipes that call for Bourbon. And plenty of recipes that call for Rye. And plenty that call for Scotch, etc. I still need to go back to the book and make a study of which recipes call for Bourbon and which recipes call for Rye, but what cocktails do you prefer with either spirit? I reach for the Rye bottle when I'm Old-Fashioneds, Manhattans, Sazeracs, Brooklyns, Red Hooks, etc. But when I'm making a Whiskey Sour or a Los Angeles, I tend to grab the Bourbon Bottle.

I guess dryer is the wrong word. Trader Vic calls for the juice of a whole lime and more sweetener, making it more of a fruit drink. This is more spirit forward than than his. I hadn't looked at Mr. Berry's site for a while, I guess that had drifted into my drink making. My version ends up being the cheapskate version of his $100 Mai Tai!

I've been digging this Mai Tai recipe lately: 1 1/2 oz Appleton V/X 3/4 oz St. James Ambre Rhum Agricole 2 tsp. Luxardo Triplum 3 tsp. Homeade Orgeat Juice 1/2 lime Stir with ice, garnish with mint sprig. I like it, as it is a bit dryer than the traditional Trader Vic recipe.

All right, all right! Not Yellow VEP, but even though I was supposed to be recovering from too many old-fashioneds in Wisconsin, I made one of these for myself last night. Indeed, very, very nice. The benedictine and yellow chartreuse are a really cool combination.

Lutkins Special Cocktail 2 Dashes Orange Juice. (1 tsp. Valencia Orange Juice) 2 Dashes Apricot Brandy. (1 tsp. Haus Alpenz Blumme Marillen) 1/2 French Vermouth. (1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz North Shore Distiller's No. 6) (I'm sure no one would even think of rinsing the chilled glass with orange bitters before straining the cocktail into it. Nope not me.) Shake (or stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass. Since this cocktail seemed pretty balanced already, with no bitters (ahem) or significant acid character, I figured I'd use the Apricot Eau-de-Vie instead of Apricot liqueur. A fairly enjoyable dry martini type thing. A bit on the tropical side, perhaps. No Leave it to Me Cocktail (No. 2), but pretty nice all the same.

Luigi Cocktail 1 Teaspoonful Grenadine. (1 tsp. Fee's American Beauty Grenadine) 1 Dash Cointreau. (1/3 tsp. Cointreau) The Juice of 1/2 Tangerine. (Scant juice 1/2 small orange) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/2 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. According to Robert Vermeire, in his book "Cocktails: How to Mix Them": Unfortunately, it is just the wrong season for Tangerines or Mandarins. None to be found anywhere 'round these parts. I suppose they might be in season somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere? Anyway, this certainly is a red cocktail when made with the Fee's Grenadine. Almost worryingly pink. I can see how it would be better with Tangerine or Mandarin juice, as is almost any cocktail you care to name, not to mention homemade grenadine, but still... It's a fine, refreshing cocktail, just not fantastic, at least to me.

I didn't, actually. The Savoy Lone Tree recipe seems like a fine, "shilly shally," perfect martini. We'll have enough of those in a page or two. It was more fun to make it without the French Vermouth and use a portion of my tiny bottle of Malacca. Something to do, anyway, while waiting for the Hayman's Old-Tom gin to become available in California.

Loud Speaker Cocktail 1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/4 oz Lemon Juice) 1/8 Cointreau. (1/4 oz Cointreau) 3/8 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz North Shore Distiller's Gin #6) 3/8 Brandy. (3/4 oz Osocalis Brandy) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Dictionary.com gives 4 possible definitions of "osculation". The wikipedia gives an additional definition for osculate, "to bring into focus or tune, to attune." Which makes the most sense to me, at least in this context. Kind of a pain in the ass to measure, but an enjoyable light, dry cocktail, all the same.

Well, my point was that ingredients well known in metropolitan areas like New York or San Francisco don't necessarily make it to the sticks within the first few years or even, sometimes, ever. I was wondering if someone had any idea what the "well-known club a few miles from Astor, Massachusetts" might have been, but no town named Astor shows up on current maps. I see a few web references to Astor, Suffolk County, MA. Suffolk County contains Boston, so perhaps Astor was subsumed by Boston's expansion?

I'm not entirely sure. Just talking out of my hat here... It's possible that at the time the use of Italian Vermouth was still uncommon enough, at least in some areas of the country, that even using it in a cocktail would be unusual. Perhaps that is what the novelty of the Lone Tree was about. Someone got a new bottle of Italian Vermouth and realized that they could make tasty cocktails with it. I mean, certainly, I can think of bars today where even calling for something other than a whisky with a beer chaser, whiskey and water, or whiskey rocks will get you a sideways look.

The Los Angeles Cocktail (4 People) The Juice of 1 Lemon. (Juice a generous quarter of a Lemon) 4 Hookers Whisky. (2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon) 4 Teaspoonsful Sugar. (1 teaspoon sugar) 1 Egg. (About a quarter of a whisked large egg) 1 Dash Italian Vermouth. (a splash of Carpano Antica) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Drops of Angostura to garnish.) I will note that this recipe is nearly verbatim from Judge Jr.'s "Here's How" except that Judge Jr. calls for "Scotch" instead of just "Whisky". He also adds the comment, "After trying this you will understand why they talk about the climate out there." Whatever that means. I wasn't feeling much like Scotch and the bottle of Eagle Rare Bourbon was handy. I also took the liberty of borrowing the Angostura drop garnish from the Pisco Punch, which adds a nice spicy scent to the cocktail. And, well, plus bitters, so you can actually call it a cocktail! I really enjoyed this cocktail. It's too bad so many people are skittish about whole eggs in cocktails, as this cocktail is a great pick me up. As Harry McElhone sez about the Swissess in "Barflies and Cocktails", "This is a very good bracer for that feeling of the morning after the night before."

Fantastic MxMo blog post here by Tiare regarding the history of Swedish Punsch (and not just because she mentions my punch recipe): THE SWEDISH PUNSCH - Asian distillate becomes a Swedish tradition. This should be a magazine article!

Lord Suffolk Cocktail 1/8 Italian Vermouth. (1/4 oz Carpano Antica) 1/8 Cointreau. (1/4 oz Cointreau) 5/8 Gin. (1 1/4 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/8 Maraschino. (1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon peel.) Whichever Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk County this cocktail refers to, he certainly had a sweet tooth! It's actually a pretty tasty cocktail with the funk of the Maraschino out front, just really, really sweet.