"Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails"

[FrogPrincesse]

Swearengen Sling (Brian Miller) with brandied griotte cherries, Bulleit borbon, Amaro Nonino, cherry Heering (Luxardo cherry liqueur), lemon juice. I reduced the simple syrup a bit.

 

Brandied cherries + bourbon is a wonderful combo. And I liked the kick of bitterness at the end from the Nonino.

 

[Tri2Cook]

Swearengen Sling (Brian Miller) with brandied griotte cherries, Bulleit borbon, Amaro Nonino, cherry Heering (Luxardo cherry liqueur), lemon juice. I reduced the simple syrup a bit.

 

Brandied cherries + bourbon is a wonderful combo. And I liked the kick of bitterness at the end from the Nonino.

I have everything except the brandied cherries... may have to remedy that.

[FrogPrincesse]

I recommend these French brandied cherries from Perigord called Guinettes if you can find them. They are the bomb.

[ChrisTaylor]

Saz Who? -- plus or minus a few ingredients. I don't own the single barrel version of Cruzan but I figured this would be 'near enough'. Or, at the very least, I didn't feel like Googling around to find the tasting notes and then trying to match those to something I owned. Poire Williams instead of the specified pear brandy. It's pleasant enough that it's maybe not too far removed from the real deal. Maybe. Or maybe I just got lucky with my dodgy substitutions this time.

 

[ChrisTaylor]

Enemy Lines. Another Sazerac variation. The aquavit and tequila combo works as well as the recipe brief promises.

 

[ChrisTaylor]

Decided to stay with that chapter and make a Devil Inside. Substitutions based on availability: I used the standard 10-year-old Bruichladdich instead of the called-for 7-year-old version. It works nicely enough with the Millstone that I guess I'll forgive myself for my sins. Quarter Cask instead of normal Laphroaig, too. 

 

 

EDIT

 

Of the three I've made recently, this would be a favourite. I can see it entering rotation. 

[ChrisTaylor]

An interesting beast: Terrible Love. Exceptionally well-balanced for a St Germain drink.

 

[ChrisTaylor]

The Benjamin Barker Daiquiri is interesting, altough I don't know if I'd bother revisiting it unless someone wanted me to make one for them.

[ChrisTaylor]

Spaghetti Western. Simple but good. The Nonino and mezcal keep each other in check.

 

[ChrisTaylor]

Wooden Ship: equal parts Genever and London Dry with a little Grand Marnier. Most approachable of the gin-based old-fashioned style cocktails I can recall having, although it's still not really my kind of thing.

 

I also made a Shattered Glasser. Tasted like a beta cocktails drink.

[FrogPrincesse]

An interesting beast: Terrible Love. Exceptionally well-balanced for a St Germain drink.

 

 

 

I liked this one too. I had it in January and forgot to post my impressions here.

Very white Negroni-esque, therefore it's a good one in my book!

 

Terrible Love (Phil Ward) with Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal (Del Maguey Vida), Suze, St Germain, Regan/Fee/Angostura orange bitters.

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Aperitivo Julep (Alex Day) with Dolin dry vermouth, Amaro Ciociaro (Amer Picon...), Massenet crème de pêche (Briottet pêche de vigne)

Just Another Julep (Brian Miller) with Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara syrup, Gosling's black seal rum (Cruzan black strap), mint.

 

The Aperitivo Julep is light and easy-going. Simple.

Just Another Julep packs a punch. It's great, but you definitely need to let the ice melt a bit so it mellows to a manageable level.

 

 

 

Here is an earlier rendition of Just Another Julep with Coruba for the rum, when my mint was a bit more robust.

 

 

[Hassouni]

Aperitivo Julep (Alex Day) with Dolin dry vermouth, Amaro Ciociaro (Amer Picon...), Massenet crème de pêche (Briottet pêche de vigne)

Just Another Julep (Brian Miller) with Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara syrup, Gosling's black seal rum (Cruzan black strap), mint.

 

The Aperitivo Julep is light and easy-going. Simple.

Just Another Julep packs a punch. It's great, but you definitely need to let the ice melt a bit so it mellows to a manageable level.

 

 

 

Here is an earlier rendition of Just Another Julep with Coruba for the rum, when my mint was a bit more robust.

 

 

Might I suggest a Lewis bag and mallet? It'll get the ice nice and powdery, lending perfect dilution to the julep.

[FrogPrincesse]

Might I suggest a Lewis bag and mallet? It'll get the ice nice and powdery, lending perfect dilution to the julep.

That sounds a bit involved, but you are welcome to demonstrate your bag and mallet technique at my house anytime....

[Hassouni]

That sounds a bit involved, but you are welcome to demonstrate your bag and mallet technique at my house anytime....

 

Well next time I'm in sunny San Diego....

 

But really it's quite fast and easy - no slower than waiting for a fridge to crush ice, and the end result is much better for juleps and swizzles

[FrogPrincesse]

Ok, I need to step up my crushed ice game, I get it.

 

Last night's cocktail seemed perfect after a dip in the pool...

 

The Risk Pool (Phil Ward) with Hayman's Old Tom gin (Tanqueray old tom), Rothman & Winter crème de violette, lime juice, grapefruit juice, simple syrup. I found it excellent. Interesting and light, less cloying than an Aviation.

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Cooper Union which is a Sazerac riff with Irish whiskey and St-Germain. Thank god the Laphroaig used as a rinse (I went with 4-5 generous spritzes) makes this interesting and cuts the sweetness considerably.

 

Cooper Union (Phil Ward) with Redbreast 12-year Irish whiskey, St-Germain, Regan/Fee/Angostura orange bitters, Laphroaig 10-year scotch

 

 

 

This was a repeat. I forgot to report the first time around.

 

[ChrisTaylor]

Flor de Jerez. 'Apera' in plsce of amontillado. Haresfur suggested upping the Appleton or losing some of the 'sherry'. I think he's right.

[ChrisTaylor]

Manhattan Transfer: one of my favourite Death drinks so far. Good tip, Les.

[lesliec]

Manhattan Transfer: one of my favourite Death drinks so far. Good tip, Les.

 

It is a beauty, isn't it?

[FrogPrincesse]

Finally got a bottle of amontillado, so here is my rendition of the Flor de Jerez.

 

Flor de Jerez (Joaquín Simó) with Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican rum (Appleton 12-year), Lustau Amontillado (Los Arcos) sherry, Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur (Briottet peach liqueur), lemon juice, cane sugar syrup, Angostura bitters.

 

 

Lightweight at first. Lemon and rum. Then the sherry kicks-in. Lots of raisins and dried fruit. It's flavorful, pretty light, and not too sweet. I like it.

[Hassouni]

Finally got a bottle of amontillado, so here is my rendition of the Flor de Jerez.

 

Flor de Jerez (Joaquín Simó) with Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican rum (Appleton 12-year), Lustau Amontillado (Los Arcos) sherry, Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur (Briottet peach liqueur), lemon juice, cane sugar syrup, Angostura bitters.

 

 

Lightweight at first. Lemon and rum. Then the sherry kicks-in. Lots of raisins and dried fruit. It's flavorful, pretty light, and not too sweet. I like it.

 

Glad you like it! It's currently on D&Co's menu under the "resurrected" classics section. Sadly, none of their other current sections have cocktails that are in the book, and I had some killer ones the last time I went (about 4 weeks ago).

 

The real question is, how long were you without amontillado?? 

[FrogPrincesse]

Glad you like it! It's currently on D&Co's menu under the "resurrected" classics section. Sadly, none of their other current sections have cocktails that are in the book, and I had some killer ones the last time I went (about 4 weeks ago).

 

The real question is, how long were you without amontillado?? 

Don't worry, I had plenty of Amontillado before, just not in the comfort of my own home until now.

[pistolabella]

We've had this book for about a year - the first we bought when building a home bar and were absolute novices. Over the past year we've gone through phases....whisky and scotch drinks...more recently good rum drinks, which means daiquiris for this book, I guess, but also we did a lot of old-school Tiki'ing. When we first got the book, I would flip through in awe of all the ingredients I felt like I'd never get, and now as we've accumulated, I find myself with bottles I don't know what to do with. I just got a bottle of Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur and can't recall all of the Death & Co. recipes I (thought) remember calling for the ingredient. Any suggestions for this ingredient in the book's cocktails?  

[EvergreenDan]

Can't say for Deathy recipes, but here's a ton of Apricot Liqueur recipes. It is used quite frequently. If your tastes run toward the bitter and complex, the Averna Jim Jam is wonderful:

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail?summary=1&ingredient=Apricot%20liqueur&rating_average=4