Drinks! (2004–2007)

[thirtyoneknots]

While in Houston this weekend I picked up a bottle of Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser (along with other fun stuff like Apry) and set out making two of the drinks from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails that use it: The Rose (also on the Esquire site) and the Blackthorn:

Rose

2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

1 oz Kirsch

1 tsp Raspberry Syrup (1883 de Philbert Routin)

Stir/strain/up

What a delightful aperitif, mellow, nutty, and slightly sweet. Definitely one to have again.

Blackthorn:

2 oz gin (Plymouth)

3/4 oz Kirsch

3/4 oz Dubonnet

stir/strain/up; garnish with twist

I liked this one, too, but not nearly as much. I think I might like it more if I was just in a different mood. I'd probably try it with another gin next time, too.

Also, this Kirsch is pretty decent stuff, I'm going to taste it neat soon, but I was hoping someone could give me a bit of guidance on what the traditional/preferred method for drinking Kirsch is. Thanks in advance.

-Andy

[The Hersch]

Tonight I came across an email I'd sent to myself a few weeks ago with a cocktail recipe that I had not previously tried. When I get a recipe from somewhere I'm pretty consistent about noting where, but I had nothing in my email about this, and dredging the depths of my memory as to where I may have been or what I might have been reading then has so far not yielded any results.

Both my wife and I liked it quite a bit, and it's a keeper. Anyone heard of it before? And who is Tarleton?

Tarleton's Resurrection

4 parts gin [1-1/2 oz. Tanqueray]

2 parts lemon juice [3/4 oz.]

2 parts Cherry Heering [3/4 oz.]

1 part maraschino liqueur [~1-1/2 tsp. Maraska]

appropriately generous dashes Regan's orange bitters [two large dashes]

Shake with ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass

Source: unknown at this time

←

I am the source. I posted this invention of mine in the "Post Your New Cocktail Creations Here" thread here on January 29th, 2007. How soon they forget! I had shortly before picked up a bottle of Cherry Heering (which doesn't seem to be its official name anymore) on a whim, and came up with the cocktail above as a use for it. My formula specifies Luxardo maraschino, although I imagine Maraska would be fine as well. I haven't been able to find that brand in the Washington area, where I live (and it's hard enough finding the Luxardo).

"Tarleton's Resurrection" is the name of a beautiful lute air by John Dowland, the 16th-century English lutenist. Dick Tarleton was an enormously popular clown and comic actor, who died in 1588. "Tarleton's Resurrection" was written as a tribute after his death. I'm not sure what prompted the connection with that title and my cocktail creation, but once I named it, it seemed like a good name.

[TallDrinkOfWater]

Tonight I came across an email I'd sent to myself a few weeks ago with a cocktail recipe that I had not previously tried. When I get a recipe from somewhere I'm pretty consistent about noting where, but I had nothing in my email about this, and dredging the depths of my memory as to where I may have been or what I might have been reading then has so far not yielded any results.

Both my wife and I liked it quite a bit, and it's a keeper. Anyone heard of it before? And who is Tarleton?

Tarleton's Resurrection

4 parts gin [1-1/2 oz. Tanqueray]

2 parts lemon juice [3/4 oz.]

2 parts Cherry Heering [3/4 oz.]

1 part maraschino liqueur [~1-1/2 tsp. Maraska]

appropriately generous dashes Regan's orange bitters [two large dashes]

Shake with ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass

Source: unknown at this time

←

I am the source. I posted this invention of mine in the "Post Your New Cocktail Creations Here" thread here on January 29th, 2007. How soon they forget! I had shortly before picked up a bottle of Cherry Heering (which doesn't seem to be its official name anymore) on a whim, and came up with the cocktail above as a use for it. My formula specifies Luxardo maraschino, although I imagine Maraska would be fine as well. I haven't been able to find that brand in the Washington area, where I live (and it's hard enough finding the Luxardo).

"Tarleton's Resurrection" is the name of a beautiful lute air by John Dowland, the 16th-century English lutenist. Dick Tarleton was an enormously popular clown and comic actor, who died in 1588. "Tarleton's Resurrection" was written as a tribute after his death. I'm not sure what prompted the connection with that title and my cocktail creation, but once I named it, it seemed like a good name.

←

Thank you very much for noticing and taking due credit! It's a great drink -- I don't know why but at the time neither a Google nor a site search yielded your post. I'm glad to know the originator (and the origin of the name as well).

[thirtyoneknots]

So I have no reason to be awake before about nine or ten tomorrow and so am having a bit of ongoing Mardi Gras revelry. The wonderful weather we're enjoying this week means the following drinks were/are mostly being enjoyed outside on the porch.

First up, for Mardi Gras, a Vieux Carre:

1 oz Cognac (Martell VS)

1 oz Rye (Wild Turkey)

1 oz Vermouth (Cinzano)

1 tsp Benedictine

2-3 dashes each of Peychauds and Angostura

Build on rocks, garnish with twist.

Then, to celebrate the weather, a Gin Fizz:

2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)

1/2 oz Lemon juice

1 tsp simple syrup (2:1)

Shake and strain into chilled tall thin glass and top with soda.

And now, to try something new and bizarre, a Dubonnet Cooler:

1.5 oz Lemon Syrup (Monin)

3 oz Dubonnet Rouge

Pour into tall thin glass with ice and top with soda.

Now that last one is a bit odd but something compelled me to try it (and purchase lemon syrup in the meantime, despite having pretty good homemade limoncello around). Now this is not something that I necessarily am going to be having every day, or even every week, but suffice to say that he nearly empty bottle of Dubonnet that I was considering 86'ing will now be replaced. The resulting drink is delicious, refreshing, and somehow not quite so sweet as it sounds. Definitely a good one to have in the file. If Mr. Wondrich sees this, I'd be interested in any history he may be able to offer on this.

-Andy

PS: Hurricanes and Sazeracs yet to come :-P

[TallDrinkOfWater]

To celebrate Mardi Gras [by myself, unfortunately, since LMF is out of town on business], I spoiled myself a bit by pulling out a couple of hard-to-come-by and not-appreciated-by-my wife bottles and made two Sazeracs to go with dinner (red beans and rice, natch, plus locally-made Andouille).

2-1/2 oz rye [drink #1 used Anchor Distilling's Old Potrero 18th Century, #2 was Rittenhouse Bonded]

1 tsp rich simple syrup (Demerara 2:1)

3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

1 dash Angostura

I used the fairly-standard technique of adding the simple syrup, Peychaud's, and Angostura to a mixing glass, stirring, adding the rye, stirring, adding cracked ice, stirring, then straining into a previously-frozen old-fashioned glass that had been rinsed with a very-scant 1/2 tsp of Jade's Edouard absinthe. Squeezed a wide lemon twist over the top, rubbed it around the rim, discarded, and consumed.

[side note: I love love love those particular glasses. They're very heavy with a really thick base, so they have a huge thermal capacity; when chilled/frozen ahead of time they serve as a great heat sink and keep drinks cold for a long time.]

The Old Potrero is definitely "hot" (at 120 proof, that's not especially surprising) and is very sharp; the Sazerac made with it evoked warm cinnamon toast. The Rittenhouse was a good follow-up, being a more mellow liquor, and maybe letting the other ingredients (sugar, bitters, absinthe) shine through a little more. I'd have a tough time deciding which was "better"; they were definitely two entirely different drinks.

[edit: fixed typo]

Edited February 21, 2007 by TallDrinkOfWater (log)

[Nishla]

Dayne,

I'm definitely stealing your idea for the Old Potrero 18th Century sazerac. We've got a bottle of the stuff and boy is it tough to drink straight!

Tonight Keith made a drink based on Murray Stenson's Chinese Cocktail from the latest issue of Imbibe Magazine:

1 1/2 oz Mount Gay Rum

1/4 oz Luxardo Triplum

1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)

1/4 oz grenadine (homemade)

1/4 oz lime juice

I thought the Maraschino was a bit too pronounced, but this is definitely worth a second try. It was very tasty with a cheese/nuts/cold cuts plate.

[Nathan]

Tonight I came across an email I'd sent to myself a few weeks ago with a cocktail recipe that I had not previously tried. When I get a recipe from somewhere I'm pretty consistent about noting where, but I had nothing in my email about this, and dredging the depths of my memory as to where I may have been or what I might have been reading then has so far not yielded any results.

Both my wife and I liked it quite a bit, and it's a keeper. Anyone heard of it before? And who is Tarleton?

Tarleton's Resurrection

4 parts gin [1-1/2 oz. Tanqueray]

2 parts lemon juice [3/4 oz.]

2 parts Cherry Heering [3/4 oz.]

1 part maraschino liqueur [~1-1/2 tsp. Maraska]

appropriately generous dashes Regan's orange bitters [two large dashes]

Shake with ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass

Source: unknown at this time

←

I am the source. I posted this invention of mine in the "Post Your New Cocktail Creations Here" thread here on January 29th, 2007. How soon they forget! I had shortly before picked up a bottle of Cherry Heering (which doesn't seem to be its official name anymore) on a whim, and came up with the cocktail above as a use for it. My formula specifies Luxardo maraschino, although I imagine Maraska would be fine as well. I haven't been able to find that brand in the Washington area, where I live (and it's hard enough finding the Luxardo).

"Tarleton's Resurrection" is the name of a beautiful lute air by John Dowland, the 16th-century English lutenist. Dick Tarleton was an enormously popular clown and comic actor, who died in 1588. "Tarleton's Resurrection" was written as a tribute after his death. I'm not sure what prompted the connection with that title and my cocktail creation, but once I named it, it seemed like a good name.

←

Thank you very much for noticing and taking due credit! It's a great drink -- I don't know why but at the time neither a Google nor a site search yielded your post. I'm glad to know the originator (and the origin of the name as well).

←

and here I was thinking that it referred to Banastre "Bloody" Tarleton!

[Nishla]

A new daquiri-like drink tonight:

1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Marie Brizard Poire William

1/4 oz simple syrup (1:1)

This smells really sweet and butterscotch-y from the Old Monk, but really doesn't taste that sweet. The pear flavor is definitely present without being overpowering. I'll certainly be making this again!

[Splificator]

And now, to try something new and bizarre, a Dubonnet Cooler:

1.5 oz Lemon Syrup (Monin)

3 oz Dubonnet Rouge

Pour into tall thin glass with ice and top with soda.

Now that last one is a bit odd but something compelled me to try it (and purchase lemon syrup in the meantime, despite having pretty good homemade limoncello around). Now this is not something that I necessarily am going to be having every day, or even every week, but suffice to say that he nearly empty bottle of Dubonnet that I was considering 86'ing will now be replaced. The resulting drink is delicious, refreshing, and somehow not quite so sweet as it sounds. Definitely a good one to have in the file. If Mr. Wondrich sees this, I'd be interested in any history he may be able to offer on this.

This is one of the drinks I "inherited" from Esquire's 1949 Handbook for Hosts, which was compiled from the various "Potables" columns published in the magazine from 1934 to 1948 or so, when they let it peter out. I'm not sure which issue the Dubonnet Cooler originally appeared in, but I'll have a look when I get a chance. Simple and tasty, anyway. In any case, all it is is a version of the Dubonnet Citron, which appears in the first edition of Harry MacElhone's ABC of Cocktails (i.e., either 1919 or 1922, depending on whom you believe), under the heading "Various Continental Beverages."

[eje]

[...]Now this is not something that I necessarily am going to be having every day, or even every week, but suffice to say that he nearly empty bottle of Dubonnet that I was considering 86'ing will now be replaced.

[...]

←

Fer a couple more Dubonnet Rouge cocktails, try the Apparent Cocktail and the Alfonso.

First is a dubonnet wet martini with a dash of absinthe, and the second is a very nice champagne cocktail.

[thirtyoneknots]

Thanks for the history, I've always thought that Dubonnet was more interesting than delicious, but this one has the same strange charm as the Pompier and Americano. It also will help use up the bottle faster, thus keeping it fresher.

-Andy

[KatieLoeb]

Have been making the Parisian Martini variation with Lavender syrup and a lemon twist. It's going over well as the Provencal Martini.

Others have suggested we call this drink the Pantie Drawer.

[thirtyoneknots]

I've been on a bit of a beer drinking kick lately, actually, but last Saturday I was able to snag a bottle of the Thomas Handy Rye from the Sazerac company and so I poured me an ounce in a glass with an ice cube last night. This is seriously great stuff. It's bottled at barrel proof (mine is 132.7 proof) but it's ridiculously smooth. The bottle says limited edition, so next time I'm in Houston I'm definitely going to try to snag another bottle or two (if they have it). Right now it's strictly a special occasion sipper, but stay tuned for absurd mixology featuring it in the future (Sazeracs when I get some absinthe and someday, Manhattans with Carpano Antica and Abbott's Bitters).

Btw, does anybody know if this truly is a limited edition or whats up with that?

-Andy

[eje]

[...]

Btw, does anybody know if this truly is a limited edition or whats up with that?

-Andy

←

The Buffalo Trace Antique collection is usually released some time in October or November each year.

The Whiskeys are special bottlings of William Larue Weller, George T. Stagg, Sazerac 18, Handy Sazerac, and Eagle Rare 17 year.

Most are single barrel, cask strength selections. Every year they pick the special barrels that will be used for the years' bottling and bottle them in one batch.

When they are gone, they are gone until the next year's release.

The Weller and the Handy Sazerac seem to be in the lowest quantity/highest demand this year. I've read there were a total of around 4,000 bottles of the Handy and around 3,000 bottles of the Weller.

Because the barrels are specially selected each year, there is a fair bit of variation in taste, character, and proof from year to year.

[thirtyoneknots]

Last night after an especially long shift (or so it seemed) I gave the Applejack Old Fashioned a spin, as per Mr. Kinsey over here.

2 oz Laird's Bonded

1 tsp rich "Demerara" syrup (actually Sugar in the Raw)

3 dashes Angostura

ice, stir, twist.

All I could do for the first ten minutes was nose it. Every time I picked the glass up to take a sip I would stop and just inhale deeply a few times and set it back down. That has seriously got to be one of the most aromatic things ever. Wow.

Tasted wonderful as well

-Andy

Edit: clarity

Edited March 9, 2007 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[Bricktop]

Celebrating my two weekend scores, a Manhattan

2.5 oz Pikesville Rye

1 oz Noilly Prat sweet

2 daskes Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters

Luxardo Maraschino Cherry garnish.

I happened into Dean & Deluca in Georgetown and relieved them of 3 jars of the Luxardo.

I figured I would be too cautious in using them if I got just one or two jars.

Edited March 13, 2007 by Bricktop (log)

[Nishla]

Last night I tried TallDrinkofWater's Old Potrero 18th Century sazerac, and it was really fantastic. I can't believe how it managed to mellow the stuff out, but still had great flavor from the rye.

Tonight I made the following:

1 oz rum (Mount Gay Barbados rum)

1 oz sweet vermouth (Cinzano)

1/2 oz Marie Brizard Poire William

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1/4 oz homemade grenadine

Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

This was extremely good...the pear flavor really came through, and it was nicely balanced. I sort of got the idea from the Apple Pie Cocktail on Cocktaildb.com, with some adjustments

[jmfangio]

To celebrate the start of the new Formula 1 season, and commemorate Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen's debut for Ferrari, I put together something I'm calling the Forza Kimi:

1 1/2 oz Finlandia vodka

3/4 oz Campari

3/4 oz Blood Orange juice

Finnish and Italian components, and the color is (not quite, but close enough) Ferrari red.

Oh, and Kimi won the race!

Edited March 18, 2007 by jmfangio (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

Finally got around to trying the Golden Dawn from Vintage SPrirts and Forgotten Cocktails tonight:

3/4 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)

3/4 oz Calvados (Christian Drouin)

3/4 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz Apry

3/4 oz fresh squeezed OJ

Shake/strain/up dribble some grenadine (homemade) into glass for 'dawn' effect.

Warnings from the Cocktail Chronicles writeup on this had prepared me for perhaps an unpleasantly sweet drink, but this was somewhat odd; rather different from what I was expecting. Oddly enough I think the OJ might have been making it worse, perhaps if traded for a dash of bitters or something the drink might have been improved. I don't mind the occasional sweet drink in the appropriate context (after dinner and such) but this was a bit much. The flavor profile is fascinating and holds much promise, but it severely needs to be balanced out. The color is nice (I actually inadvertently poured part of it on myself while tilting the glass to marvel at the color ) but the unbelievably sweet tail end of the drink created by pouring grenadine in the bottom of it is pretty much not worth it. As much as I love my grenadine recipe -- no.

-Andy

[thirtyoneknots]

Another new one from Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails tonight, the Scofflaw:

1.5 oz Rye (Saz6)

1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

.75 oz grenadine (homemade)

.75 oz lemon (probably closer to 1 oz, I used the whole lemon).

Shake/strain/up

I omitted the lemon twist garnish at first, as I find that they rarely have much impact on shaken, sour-style drinks, but after a few sips I went back and added it in attempt to cut the sweetness somewhat. I really enjoy the flavor of this one, but 1:1 of grenadine to juice is a bit too sweet for my taste, the grenadine I'm using is every bit as sweet as 2:1 simple syrup. For any rye drink with citrus, I typically reach for the Sazerac first, as I find it more citrus-friendly, but the whiskey nearly gets lost in the mix; something more muscular like Wild Turkey may be a better choice here, or alternately, up the preportion. If I was going to make this again (and it's well worth it), it might look something more like this:

2 oz Saz6

1 oz Dry Vermouth

1 oz lemon

.5 oz (or less) grenadine

On the other hand, this is a fantastic way to introduce people to whiskey who don't know they like it yet, esp novice cocktail drinkers. With some tweaking, this could definitely end up on the list at work.

As a side note, I wanted to rant a bit on the wildly incosistent balancing of the drinks in an otherwise fantastic book. As a rule, I really, really enjoy/prefer dryness/acidity in my cocktails, but I had to add a couple of dashes of simple syrup to, say, the Barbara West in VSFC to finish it, but found the Golden Dawn difficult to finish due to the cloying nature. And while this one was too sweet for me, another grenadine and citrus drink, the Jack Rose, is also way too tart as printed (depending, of course, on how big your 'dash' is). If they were all too sweet or too tart, I could write it off as different brands being used or difference in tastes. For example, I know when I make something verbatim from Joy of Mixology, I'm probably going to find it a tad sweet, and something from Esquire Drinks is probably going to be nearly spot-on, but aside from just looking at it and speculating, I don't necessarily know what to expect from VSFC (the Blood and Sand, for example, sounds way too sweet until tried, but it's a masterpiece of balance, esp in this book). Oh well, rant over.

-Andy

[scratchline]

I encourage everyone to go out and secure some 100 proof applejack and some Briottet Wild Peach Liqueur and make this cocktail from Ted Haigh's Vintage Cocktail book:

Delicious Sour

2 oz applejack

2 oz peach brandy

Juice of 1 lime

1 egg white

1 teaspoon sugar (I used sugar syrup but demarara syrup would be even better)

Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Top with a squirt (1 oz) of soda.

I was getting a little worn out on my whiskey sours and their various permutations, but this has renewed my faith. Aptly named, it's the finest cocktail I've offered myself in quite some time.

-Mike

[Ktepi]

Grapefruit juice

2 oz Ron Zacapa Centenario rum

and a big scoop of passion fruit sorbet

I have a feeling this is the kind of thing I would put falernum in if I had falernum.

[bostonapothecary]

omg....

i'm going to make falernum sorbet!

i knew there was a use for that stuff....

of course i will pair it with some rum on the tasting menu....

any suggestions on the rum?

if i carbonated the rum.... it would produce that effect that pairing moscato or cremants with sorbet gives.... stretch the finish forver....

hmm....

i just got some Kola nuts??? Kola nut and falernum?

paired with ferran adria's fully carbonated mojito....

[johnder]

Ok, I came with 2 cocktails today. I welcome your feedback.

First: The Grey Saz

A perfect Grey Goose Sazerac

2 oz Grey Goose Super Premium Vodka "The World's Best Tasting Vodka"

1/4 Caro Corn Syrup

3 Dashes Underberg Bitters

Apple Pucker for Rinse

Fill rocks glass with ice, let chill. Shake 2 oz Grey Goose and 1/4 oz Caro in a shaker with ice and bitters. Dump ice out of glass and rinse with Apple Pucker. Behold a perfect Grey Goose Sazerac.

The second creation was a stroke of genius. I needed some caffeine but still wanted a drink. I present

Red and Red

4 oz Sugar Free Redbull

1.5 oz Red Hook 67.6% Rye

Build drink over block ice. Enjoy!

[Dave the Cook]

That Red and Red is brilliant, John. I don't have Red Hook, so I used Michter's Single Barrel, and added a barspoon of coffee-infused Carpano Antica for extra punch and balance.

Cheers!