Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Interesting two-ingredient cocktails?


Craig E

Recommended Posts

Having found myself fascinated with the silky and intriguing Cynar Flip, I began to wonder what the most interesting two-ingredient cocktails are. A web search turns up listicles of pretty pedestrian ideas like screwdrivers and gin-and-tonics. 

Better ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the obvious answer is the Martini, as long as you call an olive a garnish and not an ingredient. My other though is an equal parts mixture of sweet and dry vermouth, served over ice, although this can be improved by the addition of bitters, which makes it a Vermouth Cocktail.

Edited by Czequershuus (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the Bamboo. But, as I like my Martinis with orange bitters, the bamboo also has bitters, making them both 4 ingredient cocktails.

 

I can't see how we discount the ice/dilution.  It's a 1/3 of the drink.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, the Cynar Flip actually has 3 ingredients.

Not the one I drank. Cynar and egg.

What's your third ingredient? Simple syrup? Or you're already including ice.

Edited by Craig E (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Black Russian - vodka and kahlua. Still my all-time favourite.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the obvious answer is the Martini, as long as you call an olive a garnish and not an ingredient. My other though is an equal parts mixture of sweet and dry vermouth, served over ice, although this can be improved by the addition of bitters, which makes it a Vermouth Cocktail.

 

I think of a "classic" martini as having orange bitters as well as a twist (or an olive I suppose but more typically a twist if I am making them) giving it four ingredients if you are going to count the garnish. 

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...

~tanstaafl2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a bit facetious to count ice or water as an ingredient, isn't it? Yes, yes, yes, we all know a Manhattan has water and bitters and a garnish. It's still considered a two-ingredient drink. Anyway, I have a fondness for equal parts two-ingredient (pre-dilution for the pedants) drinks, and two of my best creations are of this type: the Tango Sardo is equal parts Laird's bonded and Tramontis mirto, and the Kinsey Report (I didn't give it this name!) is equal parts Smith & Cross and Bonal. Both are good up or on a rock.

--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few years back, in our very early cocktail days, my son and I came up with a pair of drinks; the Cheech and Chong.  I don't remember exactly what we put in the Cheech - the name essentially came from chocolate/peach, so there's a clue that Curaçao and peach schnapps were involved - but the accompanying Chong (chocolate/orange) was half a shot glass of white Curaçao with an equal amount of Grand Marnier gently poured over the top.  If done right, you get a subtle gold layer floating on the clear, and it's best drunk in one shot and held in your mouth as long as you can stand it.

 

But would we call it a cocktail?

Leslie Craven, aka "lesliec"
Host, eG Forumslcraven@egstaff.org

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives ~ Oscar Wilde

My eG Foodblog

eGullet Ethics Code signatory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I happened to be at a bar where a few of us had a shot that was 50/50 appejack and Cynar.

 

It does seem like Cynar is a good candidate for this kind of minimalist investigation, since by itself it has sweet, and bitter, and "vegetal" facets, so it can serve double and triple duty. I've never had Bonal but maybe it fits the project in a similar way.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...