Drinks (2009–2011)

[bostonapothecary]

my coworker really likes the "maximillian affair" which was invented at Drink in southie and bares a striking resemblance to the "artists special cocktail" from the savoy. an awesome template for a drink.

"maximillian affair"

1 oz. mezcal

1 oz. st. germain

.5 oz. punt y mes

.5 oz. lemon juice

twist

"artist's special cocktail"

1 oz. whisky

1 oz. sherry

.5 oz. lemon juice

.5 oz. groseille syrup (red currant)

i interpret the sherry as being sweet (100g/l sugar) whereas eje interpretted it as dry in the savoy stomp. i think i used harvey's orange aromatized sherry last time i made the drink and grenadine instead of groseille.

anyhow i've had the maximillian at drink and can vouch for its awesomeness but i don't allow st. germain in the house so i had to re-render the recipe to keep my coworker happy for her shift drink... and of course i made a double.

1 oz. mezcal (vida)

1 oz. matilde poire

.5 oz. punt y mes

.5 oz. lime juice

2 dash peychauds

matilde's poire is their coolest liqueur and must be non profit if you consider all the gorgeous pear eau de vie they put in the product for such a low price. like st. germain, matilde poire uses a sugar model that is very similar to pineau des charentes which is bascially low sugar and fits into these eccentrically structured recipes quite well.

delicious! excellent structure and epic aromatic tension!

there is an awesome middle ground between 2:1:1 sours and 2:1 Manhattans.

[evo-lution]

This drink is rocking my World at the moment, created by Paul Graham of Bramble in Edinburgh and was used as part of the bitters presentation I held with Stephan and Alex of The Bitter Truth on Tuesday;

50ml Matusalem Platino

10ml Falernum

20ml Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

10ml Freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Dashes Dandelion & Burdock Bitters

Add all ingredients to julep cup, fill with crushed ice and swizzle.

Garnish with 3-4 sprigs of mint twisted together to make a wee bouquet and two sip straws.

[EvergreenDan]

... eastern standard... cachaca, benedictine, and luxardo amaro, lemon twist in a mysterious ratio...

Finally got around to fooling with this concept. Quite different from the original, no doubt, but interesting and a bit challenging (in a good "I'll drink this slowly kind of way"):

Southeastern Cocktail

2 oz Cachaça

1/2 oz Amaro, Luxardo Abano

1/2 oz Cynar

1/2 oz Bénédictine

1/2 oz Lime juice

1 ds Grapefruit bitters, Bittermens

1 twst Lemon zest

Shake, strain, rocks, low-ball, lemon twist garnish

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/southeastern-cocktail

[brinza]

After Googling for "drinks with Bonal," found a link to Todd Smith's Bonal and Rye. Enjoying it now. Really enjoying it.

[brinza]

Two drinks:

Tried Erik's reformulation of the Savoy's Spring Cocktail in which he employed Bonal. That is a superb drink. I followed Erik's advice of using only about a 1/4 ounce of Benedictine. Good advice. Even though I love Benedictine, any more than that would have made the drink much too sweet, not to mention overpowering the herbal qualities of the Bonal. I think I liked this better than the Bonal & Rye.

Catnip Julep. I never seem to have any mint on hand, but this summer I grew catnip in my herb garden. Cats are smart animals. Like smart cooks who use fresh seasonings, cats know that the fresh article is way better than the dried stuff sold in stores. Since catnip is in the mint family, I've always felt that it can substitute for mint in certain situations. Just now I made a Catnip Julep.

Prepare as you would a Mint Julep. However, since the catnip leaves more triangular than mint leaves, garnish the drink with two broad leaves pointing upward, about two inches apart, to suggest a cat's ears. Enjoy. Meow.

Edited October 31, 2010 by brinza (log)

[campus five]

Walking by a mexican panederia in East LA, I smelled something amazing. I picked up some mexican pastries, but I smelled something particularly yeasty, cinnamon-y, and well...New England-y. It was like an under-baked coffee cake, smelling of raisins, cinnamon, yeast, butter. Mmm...

I was inspired by the flavor and thought of this:

2 oz. Powers Irish Whiskey

1/2 oz. Lustau PX Sherry

1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

1 dash Fee's Aromatic Bitters

Stirred.

It was good, but it lacked depth and spice.

So I added 1/2 oz of George T. Stagg ('08), and then another 1/4 oz of Sherry to balance.

So it ended up:

2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey

3/4 oz Lustau PX Sherry

1/2 oz George T. Stagg ('08) Bourbon

1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

1 dash Fee's Aromatic Bitters

Stirred, Lemon Twist.

It turned out pretty good, if a bit big. The whiskey does a good job of mimicking the dough, the sherry reminding of the raisins, and the rest suggesting the spices.

[campus five]

Apple Jack Old Fashioned

2 oz Laird's Bonded

1 tsp raw sugar

2 dashes Fee's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Lemon twist

[mssurgeon81]

Tonight's libation is a variation of the Jakewalk, a drink designed by Dave Wondrich (member Splificator) for the Brooklyn bar of the same name. It's a popular staple at Cook & Brown Public House, where I tend bar and consult:

3/4 oz reposado tequila

3/4 oz white rum

3/4 oz St. Germain

3/4 oz lime

2 dashes Peychaud's

Shake; strain; orange twist.

I've got to stop reading the Drinks! thread right before bed when I have to work tomorrow....I'd already poured myself a Manhattan nightcap, was idly surfing Egullet, and thought to myself, "hmm...I have everything to make this drink...."

It's delicious. Tart, with a nice complex floral background from the St Germain. I may have another....or try it with my Flor de Cana 12-year and blanco tequila. Damn you, Chris Amirault!

Edited November 7, 2010 by mssurgeon81 (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

I didn't get to drink it myself apart from a couple of straw tastes, but I did make a Martinez for a favorite regular visiting from out of town tonight. I'm sure this is sort of old hat to some of you out there, but Ransom Old Tom is only very recently available here in TX (perhaps as recently as last week, when I first saw it).

1.5 oz Ransom Old Tom

1 oz Carpano Antica

1 bsp Luxardo Maraschino

2 dashes "Abbotts"

Something in the Abbotts replica combines so very marvellously with the Ransom. I'd buy that for a dollar.

[Tri2Cook]

No lemons, no limes, one orange. Seemed like a good time for a Blood and Sand to me. Now there's no oranges either... just when another was sounding about right.

[evo-lution]

No lemons, no limes, one orange. Seemed like a good time for a Blood and Sand to me. Now there's no oranges either... just when another was sounding about right.

I sincerely hope you stripped the orange of its zest then moved onto Rob Roys?

[KD1191]

Fall Fashions

2 oz Heaven Hill Bonded Gold Label (imo this is to bourbon as Rittenhouse is to rye)

+1/4 oz Blis Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup

10 drops Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters

After a long stir, strain over large ice and garnish with 2 more drops of bitters, freshly grated nutmeg & a large swath of lemon peel.

Edited November 9, 2010 by KD1191 (log)

[Tri2Cook]

I sincerely hope you stripped the orange of its zest then moved onto Rob Roys?

Unfortunately, I didn't. That would have been an excellent idea though. Sometimes it sucks being newish to this cocktail stuff. I'm enjoying the adventure but I don't always think of things like that when I should.

I bought some creme de cassis for use in a dessert. I decided to check it out tonight via a kir royale. This was my first time drinking one. It will quite possibly be my last. I understand it's a classic but I didn't particularly enjoy it.

[mkayahara]

I bought some creme de cassis for use in a dessert. I decided to check it out tonight via a kir royale. This was my first time drinking one. It will quite possibly be my last. I understand it's a classic but I didn't particularly enjoy it.

Kir Royale, when made with a light hand on the cassis and a nice sparkler, is a decent apéritif, but not good for much else, IMO. While you have the cassis open, I'd recommend trying an El Diablo or a Mississippi Mule (which works equally well with lemon or lime juice).

[vice]

In addition, you'll do yourself quite the favor by mixing up both the Pat's Special cocktail and a Parisian.

[EvergreenDan]

For something a tiny bit challenging with cassis, try it in a Wibble. It originally calls for blackberry liqueur, but cassis seems to work well:

Wibble

3/4 oz Gin, Plymouth

3/4 oz Sloe gin, Plymouth

3/4 oz Grapefruit juice

1/2 oz Lemon juice

1/2 oz Cassis (or Blackberry Liqueur)

2 ds Lemon bitters (optional)

1 ds Peychaud's Bitters (optional)

Lemon twist, Shake, Straight Up, Cocktail

Must use good sloe gin, obviously.

[Rico]

Okay, I'm dipping my toes in the waters where I perceive the mixological giants swim. I do not claim to be such a giant.

Made this the other day after having something similar at a restaurant in Houston.

1 oz Maker's

2/3 oz chile-piquin simple syrup (basically, simple syrup cooked up with several halved chile piquins)

1/3 oz sweet vermouth

Dash peach bitters

You'd think it would be really sweet, but it wasn't too much - it doesn't lack for sweetness, though. It was really good, and I don't really like sweet things that much. I couldn't taste the piquin spice quite as much as I thought I would (it was definitely there, though), so I'm going to try again soon.

[Chris Amirault]

Interesting stuff, Rico. Tell me a bit more about the ratio in the syrup and why you use the peach bitters (Fee's I assume -- which I've found not to bring much to the party).

[KD1191]

Okay, I'm dipping my toes in the waters where I perceive the mixological giants swim. I do not claim to be such a giant.

Made this the other day after having something similar at a restaurant in Houston.

1 oz Maker's

2/3 oz chile-piquin simple syrup (basically, simple syrup cooked up with several halved chile piquins)

1/3 oz sweet vermouth

Dash peach bitters

You'd think it would be really sweet, but it wasn't too much - it doesn't lack for sweetness, though. It was really good, and I don't really like sweet things that much. I couldn't taste the piquin spice quite as much as I thought I would (it was definitely there, though), so I'm going to try again soon.

If you really like the drink and want to get the piquin flavor, I'd suggest infusing the bourbon. The alcohol is more likely to draw out the flavor than the syrup.

[Rico]

If you really like the drink and want to get the piquin flavor, I'd suggest infusing the bourbon. The alcohol is more likely to draw out the flavor than the syrup.

Man, I love eGullet. Thanks, KD, I'll give this a try and report back!

[Chris Amirault]

It's also likely to produce a spicier infusion, fyi.

[Dan Perrigan]

A Cognac Old Fashioned

2 oz Louis Royer Force 53 Cognac -- (man, this is good stuff)

1/2 tsp 1:1 simple

5 drops Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

(Build in Old Fashioned glass over one large rock)

This HAS to have been done before. It's much too simple and delicious. (But in case it hasn't I'm calling it a 'Louis VI' for both France (Cognac) and the Louis Royer) Why Louis VI? Well, he was known as 'Louis the Fat', and this is one full-bodied and powerful drink.

Enjoy,

Dan

[thirtyoneknots]

Equal parts Scarlet Ibis, Zirbenz Stone Pine, and Cynar, with dash each of Angostura and (homemade) grapefruit bitters. Up, I think I used a lemon twist.

Made this Sunday, but I havent been able to stop thinking about it. Not exactly garden-variety ingredients, but if anybody out there has all the stuff I'd love to hear some other thoughts on it.

[Chris Amirault]

You think one could sub Smith & Cross for the SI? I'll fiddle around at the bar Sunday if you give it a name....

[thirtyoneknots]

You think one could sub Smith & Cross for the SI? I'll fiddle around at the bar Sunday if you give it a name....

You of course could but it would be a rather different drink, I think. My opinion of Scarlet Ibis improves as I play with it more. My first impression was that it was rather ordinary tasting and undistinguished. I'm gradually coming to the opinion that it may well be the ultimate cocktail (as opposed to punch like S&C) rum. I think the reason it comes acoss as unexciting on its own is because it sort of splits the difference between so many other rums...or maybe I'm just still wrapping my mind around it.

Another tasty combo: Cruzan Single Barrel and Bonal. I just tasted on the rocks the other day while trying out different flavor combos. Going to look into it further when the opportunity presents itself.