Naming Cocktails

[Troy Sidle]

Recently I've been working on a gin cocktail with absinthe and honey. It needs a name. Any ideas?

[Chris Amirault]

Well, you've got the green fairy and honey, so: The Green Bee?

[slkinsey]

As an ode to Fat Albert, you could call it the "Green Hornet."

[Troy Sidle]

I like where this is going.

I'll put the recipe here and if anyone has a chance to make it, maybe tasting it will provide some more inspiration:

2 Tanqueray

.75 lime juice

.5 simple syrup

.25 honey syrup

.25 Kubler absinthe

5 drops lemon bitters (or substitute orange)

Shake. Strain. Serve up.

garnish with thick lemon peel

[Kent Wang]

In the Anthony Burgess book Earthly Powers the main character describes a type of drink in Malaysia similar to a nightcap called a "tigerfrightener" that one would drink before leaving the establishment to supposedly keep tigers away. I think that would be a great name for a strong tropical drink.

[bradleybolt]

I like to talk to the person the drink is prepared for and work with them in the naming of a cocktail. On the other hand, when I am working alone at home or the bar I like to take into account the roots of the drink and its preparation as well as my current location and what's going on around me. For my latest creation, making its debut at a new bar opening soon, I took the classic "park swizzle" cocktails and named the drink after a park in the neighborhood where our bar is located. So here it is, give it a whirl:

Smith Park Swizzle

1.5 Bombay Dry

.5 Jameson

.75 Fresh Lemon

.75 Orange Curacao

.25 Simple Syrup 1:1

Fresh Mint Sprigs

Angostura Bitters

In a collins glass, muddle mint leaves and rub essential oils up and down glass leaving mint to rest at the bottom of it. Add ingredients. Fill glass with crushed ice and swizzle until ice forms on the outside of the glass. Add more crushed ice and stain red with Angostura bitters. Garnish with mint spring.

AND TROY- WHAT UP HOMIE?!

Edited April 25, 2008 by bradleybolt (log)

[hathor]

I like to talk to the person the drink is prepared for and work with them in the naming of a cocktail. On the other hand, when I am working alone at home or the bar I like to take into account the roots of the drink and its preparation as well as my current location and what's going on around me. For my latest creation, making its debut at a new bar opening soon, I took factored in the classic "park swizzle" cocktails and named the drink after a park in the neighborhood we our bar is located. So here it is, give it a whirl:

Smith Park Swizzle

1.5 Bombay Dry

.5 Jameson

.75 Fresh Lemon

.75 Orange Curacao

.25 Simple Syrup 1:1

Fresh Mint Sprigs

Angostura Bitters

In a collins glass, muddle mint leaves and rub essential oils up and down glass leaving mint to rest at the bottom of it.  Add ingredients. Fill glass with crushed ice and swizzle until ice forms on the outside of the glass. Add more crushed ice and stain red with Angostura bitters. Garnish with mint spring.

AND TROY- WHAT UP HOMIE?!

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I'm a dork. What's Jameson?

[DCP]

I'm a dork. What's Jameson?

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I believe bradleybolt is referring to Jameson Irish Whiskey.

[Troy Sidle]

Every once in a while I start with the name of a cocktail and use it as an inspiration to develop the drink.

Right now I've got one I want to call The Prospector. The only requirements are that a man with a mustache should be able to drink it easily, and it should be as dark as possible - like oil. I've not had a lot of success using Cruzan black strap rum, but I'm working on it.

Another one I want to be called Andromachus. I ran into a Wikipedia article mentioning a supposed venom antidote called a treacle of Andromachus made with rum and honey.

Hey Brad,

Keep us up to date on the latest news for when the new place is going to open. I'd love to roll in on opening day.

[LoneSavant]

When I was raising a bar here in michigan, I always liked to slide in subtle 'english major' jokes... My favorite was a powerful sangria-style cocktail called (with subtitle)

"The Medea (it's what to drink when the husband's out and the kids are gone)"

I've also always had a cocktail in my repertoire called "Fox Poison," so named because even the smartest, most careful drinker can overdo it on these...

[bradleybolt]

Yes, i was in fact referring to Jameson Irish Whisky.

I'll see you up at TVH soon Troy. I'll keep you all posted about the opening, I'd love for you all to make it over. But it is another 7-8 (optimistic) weeks until that time. I brought Kirk and Michael over to the space yesterday for them to check it out and they seemed to like it.

[hathor]

I'm a dork. What's Jameson?

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I believe bradleybolt is referring to Jameson Irish Whiskey.

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I recently came out from under my rock, and lo and behold, the entire subway car was plastered with Jameson ads. Tasteful ads.

[mkayahara]

When does a cocktail depart so far from its namesake that a new name is needed? I ask this in light of an article in the Saturday Globe and Mail (sadly, unavailable online) about a new Toronto cocktail hotspot called Barchef.

At issue: Their "Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan," which is billed on their online menu as "our take on an all time classic". The listed ingredients are vanilla and hickory smoked Crown Royal Extra Rare, fresh lemon, in-house cherry vanilla bitters, hickory smoked syrup, vanilla cognac.

Now, I'm sure this is a lovely drink, though at a reported $45 a pop, I'm equally sure I'll never find out. But it isn't a Manhattan. It isn't a "take" on a Manhattan. If you want to be a purist about it - and I do - there isn't one single ingredient in common between this drink and an authentic, traditional Manhattan.

[Chris Amirault]

That's a Smoky Vanilla Overkill Sour, isn't it?

[slkinsey]

That goes back to my earlier three rules about using classic cocktail names:

It's okay to reference the name of a classic or famous cocktail if, and only if:

1. It is a minor tweak, house formula or specific signature iteration of the classic, but within the accepted range of formulations for the classic (or family of classics);

or

2. It is clearly evolved from and fundamentally related to the classic, and it is important to make that relationship clear;

and

3. You absolutely cannot come up with a better name.

[notahumanissue]

When does a cocktail depart so far from its namesake that a new name is needed? I ask this in light of an article in the Saturday Globe and Mail (sadly, unavailable online) about a new Toronto cocktail hotspot called Barchef.

At issue: Their "Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan," which is billed on their online menu as "our take on an all time classic". The listed ingredients are vanilla and hickory smoked Crown Royal Extra Rare, fresh lemon, in-house cherry vanilla bitters, hickory smoked syrup, vanilla cognac.

Now, I'm sure this is a lovely drink, though at a reported $45 a pop, I'm equally sure I'll never find out. But it isn't a Manhattan. It isn't a "take" on a Manhattan. If you want to be a purist about it - and I do - there isn't one single ingredient in common between this drink and an authentic, traditional Manhattan.

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There are so many issues with this menu. For me, it's just another example of a bar program surpassing fundamentals for pop flavors: rosewater and cucumber with hendricks gin (and a rosewater sugar rim), rosemary, vanilla, basic molecular (sodium alginate, i can only guess) and more rimming than any bartender should ever be subjected to. Everything shouts "look at me! im full of flavor! i won't taste anything like my base spirit!"

Not to poo-poo too much, but all goes to show that the naming of their cocktails can't really be held up to classical rigor.

[bostonapothecary]

When does a cocktail depart so far from its namesake that a new name is needed? I ask this in light of an article in the Saturday Globe and Mail (sadly, unavailable online) about a new Toronto cocktail hotspot called Barchef.

At issue: Their "Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan," which is billed on their online menu as "our take on an all time classic". The listed ingredients are vanilla and hickory smoked Crown Royal Extra Rare, fresh lemon, in-house cherry vanilla bitters, hickory smoked syrup, vanilla cognac.

Now, I'm sure this is a lovely drink, though at a reported $45 a pop, I'm equally sure I'll never find out. But it isn't a Manhattan. It isn't a "take" on a Manhattan. If you want to be a purist about it - and I do - there isn't one single ingredient in common between this drink and an authentic, traditional Manhattan.

←

There are so many issues with this menu. For me, it's just another example of a bar program surpassing fundamentals for pop flavors: rosewater and cucumber with hendricks gin (and a rosewater sugar rim), rosemary, vanilla, basic molecular (sodium alginate, i can only guess) and more rimming than any bartender should ever be subjected to. Everything shouts "look at me! im full of flavor! i won't taste anything like my base spirit!"

Not to poo-poo too much, but all goes to show that the naming of their cocktails can't really be held up to classical rigor.

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i think they are afraid of subtlety and the owner must run a vanilla bean plantation or something. at least they are not too brandy happy on their menus.

[TVC]

When does a cocktail depart so far from its namesake that a new name is needed? I ask this in light of an article in the Saturday Globe and Mail (sadly, unavailable online) about a new Toronto cocktail hotspot called Barchef.

Here is a photo of their "Cold Smoked Manhattan". I wonder how the imbiber gets around the giant shards of sharp, pointy ice?

[thirtyoneknots]

When does a cocktail depart so far from its namesake that a new name is needed?

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No less an authority than the great Trader Vic himself had this to say on the subject, from his 1946 Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink:

    Now a blast to those chronic recipe changers. If they don't just bitch up more liquor and turn it into the damnedest-tasting stuff! You should realize that if you change one ingredient or a single preportion in a drink you no longer have the drink as named--you have a new concoction and you might as well give it another name. Take, for example, a Martini, or an Old-Fashioned. There's one way to make a Martini and one way to make an Old-Fashioned. As soon as you start to leave the bitters out of an Old-Fashioned, or subsititute something else for the vermouth in a Martini, or add a little onion juice or olive juice or dunk in a little dill pickle, you've got another drink. Maybe it's good but don't give it the moniker of something it isn't. Your guest may be a steady Martini or O.F. drinker and know the flavors and like the brew the way it was originally made. You come along and tell him you have a terrific formula and feed it to him and what in the hell can a guy do but say it's nice? In all probability it stinks as far as he's concerned, because he had his mouth all set on the real thing.

Now I'm not quite so codgerly as all that, but I came across this today and couldn't help but share. And of course when the choice is between recklessness and codgerliness, at least in the realm of mixology, I like to side with the codgers.

[misterdyer]

...and more rimming than any bartender should ever be subjected to.

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This raises an important question, Alex. Just how much rimming should a bartender be subjected to?

[brinza]

Now, I'm sure this is a lovely drink, though at a reported $45 a pop, I'm equally sure I'll never find out. But it isn't a Manhattan. It isn't a "take" on a Manhattan. If you want to be a purist about it - and I do - there isn't one single ingredient in common between this drink and an authentic, traditional Manhattan.

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I'm with you on that. Just as with all the "-tini" drinks around, I hope we don't start seeing a number of convoluted mixtures all named with the suffix -"-attan". If that bar in Toronto just called them all "crustas" I suppose they wouldn't be entirely off the mark.

[eje]

From a writeup of a restaurant in Napa, California:

Cuvee Napa

Signature drink:...The Bronx cocktail ($10) is more complex, with two parts Maker's Mark bourbon, one part Punt e Mes vermouth and one part Campari.

Not sure if it is the journalist or the bar, but it's good to know I'm not the only one who confuses the Bronx and the Brooklyn.

Even though I'm not sure that Bourbon, Punt e Mes, and Campari could really even be called a Brooklyn. Well, at least it is closer to a Brooklyn than a Bronx.

Edited January 29, 2009 by eje (log)

[brinza]

From a writeup of a restaurant in Napa, California:

Cuvee Napa

Signature drink:...The Bronx cocktail ($10) is more complex, with two parts Maker's Mark bourbon, one part Punt e Mes vermouth and one part Campari.

Not sure if it is the journalist or the bar, but it's good to know I'm not the only one who confuses the Bronx and the Brooklyn.

Even though I'm not sure that Bourbon, Punt e Mes, and Campari could really even be called a Brooklyn. Well, at least it is closer to a Brooklyn than a Bronx.

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That sounds more like this drink:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1620043

[jsmeeker]

I just made a cocktail and I am not sure what it's called. I'm pretty sure I didn't invent whatever it is I just made and that it has a name.

I made some mayo and figured the best way to use the white was in a cocktail. I was thinking of what sour to make to add it too. I decided an Amaretto Sour might be nice. As I was pulling bottles out of the liquor cabinet, I got the idea to to grab the bottle of Cointreau. So, I basically made an Amaretto Sour (Disarano) and added a bit of Cointreau in addition to the egg white. I also added some simple, foolishly forgetting the sweetness of the other ingredients (when I make sours, my base spirits aren't typically sweet).

Anyway, this drink was great! Yes, a bit sweet for my tastes, but that can be easily corrected next time. The added orange worked very nicely.

So, what is this drink called?

[MattJohnson]

I just made a cocktail and I am not sure what it's called. I'm pretty sure I didn't invent whatever it is I just made and that it has a name.

I made some mayo and figured the best way to use the white was in a cocktail.  I was thinking of what sour to make to add it too.  I decided an Amaretto Sour might be nice.  As I was pulling bottles out of the liquor cabinet, I got the idea to to grab the bottle of Cointreau.  So, I basically made an Amaretto Sour (Disarano) and added a bit of Cointreau in addition to the egg white.  I also added some simple, foolishly forgetting the sweetness of the other ingredients (when I make sours, my base spirits aren't typically sweet).

Anyway, this drink was great! Yes, a bit sweet for my tastes, but that can be easily corrected next time.  The added orange worked very nicely.

So, what is this drink called?

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Amaretteau Sour?