Drinks! (2007–2009)

[bostonapothecary]

for some reason i haven't touched the orange bitters in a while. i usually reach for the peychaud's...

1.5 oz. cognac (gaston lagrange VS)

.5 oz. del maguay chichicapa

.5 oz. lemon juice

.5 oz. lime juice

spoonful of sugar

3 dashes regan's orange bitters

orange twist

i used a split citrus formula because half a lemon was available and i had tiny limes with less than 1 oz. juice.

beautiful contrasts.

[KatieLoeb]

Going back to the literal definition in the thread title, the Gin-Gin Mules I made for both myself and other staff members at the end of tonight's Grand Opening of the restaurant were both quite refreshing and much needed.

[brinza]

I got turned on to Jeff Morgenthaler's Norwegian Wood one night at Clyde Common, and thanks to this blog post, I have a recipe that's less smeared with, well, the drink itself. It's bright, deep, and impossible to describe: a winner.

Norwegian Wood

1 oz aquavit (Aalborg)

1 oz applejack (Laird's BIB)

¾ oz sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes)

¼ oz yellow Chartreuse

1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir, strain, lemon twist.

←

I'm drinking one of these right now (actually it's my second). Wonderful drink. And strong. I love the spiciness. However, I thought the aquavit got kinda lost, even though there is a full ounce. (I did use Aalborg and Laird's BIB, but I used Carpano Antica Formula since I don't have Punt e Mes) I realize that this drink is probably meant to be its own unique flavor and not one where you taste all the individual components, but nevertheless I tried a variation: I reduced the amounts of apple brandy to 3/4 oz and the vermouth to 1/2 oz (and swapped out M&R for the CAF). The result is a little crisper and even brighter, I think (though still strong!). It's still a melange of flavors with no one coming to the forefront, but it gives more of that sense of "there's something in here I can't quite put my finger on." I can't help but wonder if the blended applejack is more suited in this case since it would be less overpowering, but you've had it both ways and might be a better judge.

Either way, I agree with you that it's a winner. It's an unexpected combination of ingredients with a successful result and one of those rare formulas where two spirits work well together. Did I mention this a strong drink? I like 'em that way, but damn. I thikn betr shtop typping now/

[thirtyoneknots]

A while back while perusing the Gumbo Pages cocktail list, I came across this drink, which contrasts ginger-infused spirits against banana liqueur, and the idea sounded intriguing enough to try. Soooooo, I dropped a half-pound of peeled and julienned ginger into a bottle of Paul Masson VSOP and let it sit for a week, then strained and rested another week. Figuring my Bols creme de banana would be sweeter than the 99 Bananas called for, and also wanting the help of citrus to hide the cheap brandy's coarseness, I mixed up the following:

3/4 oz lemon

3/4 oz Bols Creme de Banana

2 oz Ginger-infused brandy

Shaken with crushed ice and poured into a short glass with short straws. Really a fun and interesting flavor contrast though I may try to do this again with less citrus, it sort of hides the nuance. The ginger flavor is dancing in and out of the background...there's potential here to be explored. I'm thinking to maybe add some amber rum into the mix.

[thirtyoneknots]

Recession cocktails, aka trying to use up stuff I don't normally drink:

About 3 years ago or more I infused a bottle of vodka with apples and it was tasty but I never really went in to exploring it. In the interest of having a drink and not using anything I might miss later (as well as making progress towards clearing the fridge) I mixed up the following as a nightcap this evening:

(Savoy style)

2/3 Apple infused Smirnoff

1/6 Apricot brandy (Barack Palinka)

1/6 Swedish Punsch

dash Abbott's

Stirred and strained ito cocktail glass. Lemon peel would have worked but I didn't bother, wanted to see if I could smell the drink.

Kent's experiments with apple-infused Famous Grouse would probably work quite well in this context.

[haresfur]

Had people over - not a drinking crowd but a couple of people appreciated the knickerbockers. I was in the mood for something bitter, bitter, bitter so I had:

2 oz Campari

1 tsp Fernet

ice,

stir,

top with Italian Bitter lemon soda

3 shakes Fees Aromatic bitters

Puckering and refreshing.

[thirtyoneknots]

Was intrigued by the 'Murderer Cocktail' in Barflies and Cocktails the other day so I took it for a spin:

1/3 (3/4 oz) Calvados (Daron)

1/3 (3/4 oz) Swedish Punsch (homemade)

1/3 (3/4 oz) rum (Bacardi 8)

one dash bitters ("Abbott's")

2 dashes absinthe (Jade Edouard)

Stirred and strained into cocktail glass, absolutely delicious with a subtle richness. I'm tucking this away for the cooler months.

[vice]

for some reason i haven't touched the orange bitters in a while. i usually reach for the peychaud's...

1.5 oz. cognac (gaston lagrange VS)

.5 oz. del maguay chichicapa

.5 oz. lemon juice

.5 oz. lime juice

spoonful of sugar

3 dashes regan's orange bitters

orange twist

i used a split citrus formula because half a lemon was available and i had tiny limes with less than 1 oz. juice.

beautiful contrasts.

←

been on a mezcal kick recently, and this seemed intriguing. ordinarily, i enjoy rather tart cocktails, but if i correctly interpreted the spoonful to be a teaspoonful, this is a bit too acerbic even for my taste. will give it a shot again with half an ounce of agave nectar or rich simple.

[bostonapothecary]

1.5 oz. gin (beafeater)

.75 oz. nocino (alpenze)

.75 oz. lillet (2004 jean de lillet)

.75 oz. lemon juice

this was supposed to be a riff on the 20th century. not amazing but i think it could be better with some different bottlings. the vegetal and under ripe green notes of both the walnuts and the juniper stuck out. jean de lillet also wasn't the best choice because its so sauternes-esque and doesn't have a lot of orange notes (at least at its age). adding peychaud's and orange bitters really mended the lack of fun contrast.

[jmfangio]

It's Dean Martin's birthday, so of course I had to make the Flame of Love Martini, created for Dino by legendary Chasen's bartender Pepe Ruiz

2 oz vodka

1/4 oz or so Fino Sherry (I used some of my remaining Cocchi Aperitivo Americano, because it goes so well with orange

2-3 large slices orange peel

Pour the sherry into a chilled cocktail glass, swirl to coat, and discard the excess. Spritz the glass with a flamed orange peel (you may need to do this more than once to thoroughly coat the glass). Stir the vodka with ice to chill, pour into the glass, and spritz once again with another flamed orange zest. I don't know if Pepe added a garnish, but I like a final twist of fresh orange.

Now, please excuse me while I open up my iTunes library and sing along with Sway and Ain't That A Kick in the Head.

[Friend of the Farmer]

how much of that Cocchi Americano do you have left (or willing to share)?

[jmfangio]

how much of that Cocchi Americano do you have left (or willing to share)?

←

Sadly, only a little more than half a bottle. I keep it in the fridge, and top it off with a shot of Wine Saver after each use. It's definitely past its prime, but still tasty enough.

One thing that's come out of this hobby is that I'm now on a first name basis with the spirits buyers at a few shops around town, and all of them are on the trail for more Cocchi. When I last saw one of them a few weeks ago, he told me that he thought there was a pretty good chance that it may be coming back to the US later this year.

[thirtyoneknots]

Needed a nightcap while studying, mixed up 1 1/2 oz of ginger infused Paul Masson VSOP and 3/4 oz of homemade cinnamon liqueur (basically half cinnamon syrup and half Flor de Cana gold) over crushed ice. Mighty nice.

The real show though was earlier, playing with the same brandy, made this:

1.5 oz Ginger-infused brandy

1 oz St Germaine

1/2 lemon (about .75 oz)

Build in tall glass and add soda to fill slightly over halfway and added crushed ice to fill. Lots of fun contrast between the ginger and the floral sweetness of the liqueur.

[brinza]

Had people over - not a drinking crowd but a couple of people appreciated the knickerbockers.  I was in the mood for something bitter, bitter, bitter so I had:

2 oz Campari

1 tsp Fernet

ice,

stir,

top with Italian Bitter lemon soda

3 shakes Fees Aromatic bitters

Puckering and refreshing.

←

I'm going to have to give this a whirl. I've been wanting to make something that was decidedly bitter put tasty and this looks like it would fit the bill and sounds like a great aperitif. Is this your own recipe? I've got Fever Tree Bitter Lemon and everything else you list. Now I know what tonight's first drink will be.

[haresfur]

Had people over - not a drinking crowd but a couple of people appreciated the knickerbockers.  I was in the mood for something bitter, bitter, bitter so I had:

2 oz Campari

1 tsp Fernet

ice,

stir,

top with Italian Bitter lemon soda

3 shakes Fees Aromatic bitters

Puckering and refreshing.

←

I'm going to have to give this a whirl. I've been wanting to make something that was decidedly bitter put tasty and this looks like it would fit the bill and sounds like a great aperitif. Is this your own recipe? I've got Fever Tree Bitter Lemon and everything else you list. Now I know what tonight's first drink will be.

←

I'm not sure I'd call it a recipe - I just tossed it together. Let us know what you think or what you would do differently. I've been playing with small amounts of Fernet Branca to add an interesting dimension without bowling you over after having a Toronto cocktail at Zig Zag.

[jmfangio]

I don't know what took me so long, but last night I finally made the journey down to The Varnish in downtown LA to observe National Martini Day. In my humble opinions, hands down the best bar in Los Angeles. After a round of martinis we fortified ourselves with dinner at the adjacent Cole's, then went back to finish off the night. I noticed that they had Bols Genever on hand, so I asked for a Genever drink, bartender's choice. What I got, the Shamrock, absolutely blew me away, and as we were leaving I had to pay my compliments to the bartender and ask for the recipe. I just made one for myself tonight, and this is a drink that's going into my standard rotation.

2 oz Genever (they used Bols, I only have Genevieve on hand)

3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (they use Dolin, I'm out, so I used Noilly Prat)

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse.

Stir, strain, lemon twist.

Just an absolutely beautiful drink. The herbal qualities of the Chartreuse and the malty qualities of the Genever are an amazing combination.

My only quibble with the drink is the name. There's nothing Irish about it, and there's already a drink named the Shamrock. If it were up to me, I'd call it the Emerald. What I forgot to ask is if it's a bar original, or has other origins. I will on my next visit, which will be very soon.

[thirtyoneknots]

My only quibble with the drink is the name.  There's nothing Irish about it, and there's already a drink named the Shamrock. 

←

There's already an 'Emerald' as well...this sounds like a possibly spin on the Tipperary, combing [sweet] vermouth, Chartreuse, and malty Irish Whiskey, subbing a different malty spirit and fiddling with the vermouth.

Sounds tasty at any rate.

edit: spelling

Edited June 21, 2009 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[RoyalSwagger]

Chartreuse and Genever go great together, try the last word with genever. We have the "Dutch Word" on the v.i.p. menu at Barrio, I know it's been called other names just couldn't remember at the time I was writing the menu.

[KatieLoeb]

Farmer's Market finds today. Gorgeous mint and fresh Peach cider! I'll be messing with this later tonight and let you all know what I come up with. I'm told the cider is pretty sweet by both the salesperson and a few customers that had tried it before. I think I'll do some sort of tall peach julep like concoction and find some citrus and bitters to dial it back with...

[David Santucci]

I am really relishing the return of Florida juice oranges to my favorite produce market. The zest on the oranges I got this trip is just bursting with flavor. I thought this quite dry drink featured it very nicely:

2 oz. Irish Whiskey

1 oz. Manzanilla Sherry

1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse

2 long strips of orange zest

[KatieLoeb]

Finally screwed around with the Peach cder, mint and bourbon as planned after getting home from work tonight. Every once in a while things work exactly as I've envisioned in my head. The end result tonight was one of my better efforts in some time...

Georgia Julep

6 or 7 large leaves fresh mint

.25 oz. agave nectar

2 oz. bourbon (I used the Eagle Rare 10 yr, old because I have it in abundance)

1.5 oz. Peach cider

.75 oz. fresh lemon juice

Dash Fee Brothers Peach bitters

1.0-15 oz Bitter Lemon soda

Here's the visual pictorial:.

Muddle mint in agave nectar and top with ice. Add bourbon, cider, lemon and bitters and shake well. Strain into a tall glass and top with Bitter Lemon soda and stir before serving. Garnish with a spanked sprig of mint if desired.

This is just as I'd hoped. A tall, more refreshing and peachy julep. I love bourbon and bitter lemon already, so this was only a very slight stretch from a combo I already loved...

[jsmeeker]

sounds tasty, Katie.

I just used Bourbon and peach myself.

Peach Bourbon Old Fashioned

muddled some fresh diced peaches in turbinado sugar and angostura bitters. Added ice, and topped up with Knob Creek bourbon. Stir to mix it all up.

[KatieLoeb]

Mmmmmm! That sounds tasty too, Jeff! Might have to mess with that a little later in the summer when the good peaches can be had here up north...

[haresfur]

1 oz Prichard's cranberry rum

1 oz pineapple infused Cruzan dark rum

1/2 oz cheap triple sec (trying to use it up)

1/2 oz amaretto

a couple of shakes Regan's orange bitters

juice of 1 lime

Shake with ice, strain into tall glass containing an ice cube frozen around fresh mint leaves and topped with other ice. Serve with straw. Optionally garnish with a little umbrella and fruit.

The pineapple and amaretto seem to play back and forth nicely, but next time I'd maybe save the cranberry rum for sipping.

eta: forgot the bitters.

Edited June 24, 2009 by haresfur (log)

[KD1191]

sounds tasty, Katie.

I just used Bourbon and peach myself.

Peach Bourbon Old Fashioned

muddled some fresh diced peaches in turbinado sugar and angostura bitters.  Added ice, and topped up with Knob Creek bourbon.  Stir to mix it all up.

←

A drink that nearly ruined me for any other last summer was a similar concoction:

In a tin, muddle a 1/6 - 1/4 of a peach with 2 oz of bourbon (I like Old Pogue, but Buffalo Trace works, too) and 1/2 - 3/4 oz of demerara simple syrup (adjust to the sweetness of the peach, I use less as the peaches peak). Add 5-6 mint leaves and shake gently with ice. Pass through a relatively loose strainer into an ice filled glass, top with a sprig of mint and top with club soda (optional). Use a collins glass if adding soda, a rocks glass otherwise.

Edited June 24, 2009 by KD1191 (log)