MxMo December 2010: Like That? You'll Love This!

[Chris Amirault]

Ye gods: left out the scant 1/2 oz demerara. Thanks for the eagle eye!

[bmdaniel]

Ye gods: left out the scant 1/2 oz demerara. Thanks for the eagle eye!

I thought it sounded bracing!

[thirtyoneknots]

I'm often perplexed by measurements like this so I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask: What gives with the 1/3, 2/3 oz measurements?

With an OXO measuring cup, it's easy to estimate the 1/3 and 2/3 oz, or use 2 tsp and 4 tsp, if you prefer.

Normally a 3:2:1 ratio drink would be 1.5 oz : 1 oz : 1/2 oz = 3 oz. But this drink has two more ingredients, and I didn't want it to become a huge 4.5 oz drink. Without substantially changing the flavor of the drink, I'm not sure what other option I had.

Once nice thing about metric measurements is that there are a lot more convenient ratios with centiliters.

Heh I'm so used to trying to make recipes smaller my original thought was "why doesn't he just do 3/4:1/2:1/4...etc?"

Point taken on metric jiggers, though I don't often assume that Americans are using them. If I'd been writing a recipe like this for my own purposes, it would have read "two bsp" and "scant 3/4 oz". Less absolutely precise, maybe, but more practical for the working (US) bartender.

[Chris Amirault]

A few more added just under the wire:

Felicia over at (where else?) Felicia's Speakeasy decided to kick back, offering, instead of a recipe, the advice, " Like Midori sours? Then you'll love a shot of Bookers!" You can read more about that perplexing provocation here.

[Chris Amirault]

The esteemed Paul Clarke, Master of Ceremonies and all around good guy, provides us with not one but two winners over at Cocktail Chronicles. The first is from Zane Harris, sort of a stoned Corpse Reviver #2:

Stone Fruit Sour

by Zane Harris, Rob Roy

3/4 ounce dry gin

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

3/4 ounce apricot liqueur

3/4 ounce Lillet

2 dashes Fee Brothers Peach Bitters

Combine everything in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well about 10 seconds; strain into chilled sour glass or cocktail glass.

The other has a great story that I urge you to read over at Paul's blog, a mistake that turns out pretty tasty:

Don Bruno (mistake version)

2 ounces gin (Martin Miller’s Westbourne – really, it makes a difference, but substitute Plymouth or another savory dry gin if you just can’t get it)

1/2 ounce Dolin Blanc vermouth

1/4 ounce Don Bruno Sherry Vinegar

– lemon twist, for garnish

Fill mixing glass with ice, and add vinegar. Stir a few seconds to splash the vinegar all over the ice; strain and discard excess vinegar. Add the gin and vermouth, and stir well until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass; squeeze lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish.

Do read more over at Paul's blog. Thanks, Paul!

[Chris Amirault]

Marc over at A Drinker's Peace got to thinking about the Cosmopolitan and what might be a good next step for the new kids on the stick. He explored both the Lucien Gaudin and the Opera in his post here.

Mmmm..... The Opera....

[Chris Amirault]

Wrapping things up for this MxMo, here's Nancy, the Backyard Bartender, making her Spice Island Ice Tea:

1 oz vodka

1 oz gin

1 oz amaretto

1 oz whiskey

1 oz cointreau

1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 oz coca-cola

splash of simple syrup

1/4 oz St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram

Yes, it's a Staten Island Iced Tea with allspice (pimento) dram, as Nancy explains here. But tackling the Long Island Iced Tea? That's the spirit of this Mixology Monday in a Collins glass right there!

Thanks to everyone for their participation, and to Paul Clarke for his years of promoting cocktails online, in the pages of Imbibe, and throughout the mixological land. Me? I think that it's time for that Gintervention, don't you think?

Cheers!

[KatieLoeb]

Chris:

What are we using as Apricot liqueur in that Stone Fruit Sour?? Apry? I might borrow that drink to illustrate what appears to be an excellent application of the Fee Peach bitters. Clue me in please...

[Chris Amirault]

Based on the photo in Paul's blog post, I'd say R&W Orchard Apricot is the one.