Post Your New Cocktail Creations Here

[Rob Simmon]

I think Candian whiskey is kind of hard to work with because it's the most "in between" of all the whiskeys.  The blending process of corn, barley and rye makes it hard to match flavors to, since it isn't as distinctive on its own, as say Bourbon or Rye.  I think the floral aromatics of lavender needs fruit and/or similar florals to pair with or it just gets lost.  I think that's why it works with the grape-based aromatic vodka.

Lavender.  It's not just for guest soaps anymore...

I'm using lavender leaves, not blossoms, so it's more herbal, less floral. I'm specifically staying away from sours. Not sure why, exactly, just trying to challenge myself.

[mbanu]

I whipped this up after a trip to the local Chinese grocery produced this interesting stuff:

"Gaoshou Sour"

2 ounce cognac

1/2 ounce Pan Goushou syrup

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Shake and strain.

[raxelita]

We're still up to our ears in rhubarb so:

2oz rhubarb syrup (cooked longer than the puree, with added sugar and water, but didn't strain)

2oz Wild Turkey Rye

3/4 oz lemon juice

top off w/seltzer

Built this in a highball with regular cubes-- woulda been exceptional with crushed ice. Will be continuing to tweek with bitters and other liquors.

Anyone have a rhubarb drink recipe? I have 5 gallons of puree.

[mbanu]

"Cricket's Well"

1 oz gin

1 oz blue Cointreau

1 tsp Swedish bitters

6 oz ginger beer

Build in a glass over ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

For the ginger beer, I used Reed's, which is sweetened with honey and pineapple juice (adds some interesting backnotes). If for some strange reason you're not using it pre-chilled, use a higher-proof gin or cut the amount of ginger beer back a couple ounces to balance out the additional dilution when it hits the ice. Blue Cointreau is just regular Cointreau that's been dolled up with a healthy amount of blue food coloring. If you don't feel comfortable harassing your Cointreau this way, all you lose by omitting the dye is the color effect. The brand of Swedish bitters I used was Nature Works.

Edited July 26, 2006 by mbanu (log)

[KatieLoeb]

We're still up to our ears in rhubarb so:

2oz rhubarb syrup (cooked longer than the puree, with added sugar and water, but didn't strain)

2oz Wild Turkey Rye

3/4 oz lemon juice

top off w/seltzer

Built this in a highball with regular cubes-- woulda been exceptional with crushed ice. Will be continuing to tweek with bitters and other liquors.

Anyone have a rhubarb drink recipe?  I have 5 gallons of puree.

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Rhubarb and Rye sounds like a new form of R&R that I could definitely house.

I find that adding a fruit puree to a basic mojito or caipirinha is always an easy answer. Might make for an interesting brunch Mimosa too, with sparkling wine.

[Rob Simmon]

the provisionally named "Heat Advisory" (projected high in Washington, DC tomorrow: 99 degrees. Wednesday: 102)

1 1/2 oz. rum (I used 10 cane first (ok), Ron del Barrilito two-star second (better), but think a mellow white rum would be best.)

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. sour cherry syrup (mine was home made)

1-2 spritzes cardamom tincutre (like clove tincture, but be careful during the toasting step)

shake & strain

[ned]

Yet another drink inspired by the beloved aviation:

2 Boodles

1 lime juice

1 maraschino

3/4 Ginja (Portugese cherry liquor)

[Nishla]

My husband made this today (told me to pick a liquor, and he'd make it up from there)...

1 part galliano

2-3 parts tequila

2 dashes of orange bitters

It's quite good--a bit sweet but not syrupy, a nice vanilla scent, and the bitters give it a good finish.

[rmockler]

Yet another drink inspired by the beloved aviation:

....

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And another, which we have dubbed the Dicktini:

2 oz. gin

.5 oz lemon juice

.5 1:1 lavender syrup (fairly intensely lavender)

Shaken, in a cocktail glass with a twist. Not as dusky and complex as the aviation, but complicated enough in the middle and higher registers. Still working a bit on proportions ... 2.5 oz gin may actually work better, given sweetness of the syrup.

These same ingredients, in considerably different (reversed, and dramatically) proportions and with some water along for the ride made a half-gallon of lavender-lemon-gin sorbet as well this weekend. yummmmmmm. needed a lime to brighten up the very top end there. And dealt with the giant bunch of syrup I had made andwas afraid would spoil/ferment.

[KatieLoeb]

This sounds interesting!

rmockler - how much lavender syrup did you make at once?? It shouldn't ferment if kept refrigerated. I've kept various syrups for several weeks/months at a time and not had a problem if they were in the back (colder) part of the fridge. Also, what proportion of lavender did you use when making the syrup? I usually use about 1/3 cup lavender per cup of 1:1 syrup. I bruise the lavender with a rolling pin and stir it into boiling syrup and then take it immediately off the heat and allow it to cool completely before straining it. I doubt the proportions would be linear for more syrup at once, but I've never needed more than a cup at a time, so that works fine for me.

[rmockler]

I had made probably 3 quarts of the syrup, at 1:1. Got paranoid re: fermentation due to a slew of other posts I read that at that low a ratio it was a real risk, though I did keep it nice and cold and practice good hygiene with it. Had originally started to make a half gallon with the flowers from some gorgeous lavender some friends grew out on our Olympic Penninsula. I was totally improvising, so did not measure the flowers after I took them off the stems. Was originally going to make a quart or two of syrup, but they were so intense I made more. Used exactly your method. I prolly had 3 cups or more of these utra lavendery buds. Syrup is quite aromatic, lovely flavor, gorgeous color.

I didn't need more than a cup either, I just hate to waste great ingredients Thus the sorbet.

Final note: I tried this with a little touch of bitters (Angostura), too, thinking that if I was making complex aromatic fun, well why not go all the way? Answer: 'cause it's better without it. (Though it was still good.)

[KatieLoeb]

Good lavender syrup really adds great color as well as flavor to a cocktail. The Lavender Sours I made with Ciroc vodka, lavender syrup, fresh lemon juice and half an egg white were a lovely pale purple and smelled so good. I didn't have an edible orchid around to garnish it, but it would've been stunning if I had.

Your sorbet sounds fabulous!

[freshherbs]

katie, i think gary regan's website/newsletter is having a Ciroc cocktail contest this month. you should submit the Lavender Sours...sounds like a winner to me

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks for reminding me! I actually did know about that so I definitely need to send the recipe to Gary.

[KatieLoeb]

On a more topical note:

Tonight's effort:

The Cuban Manhattan (a faked up version of a drink served locally at The London Grill, one of my (many) former employers)

2.5 oz. Appleton VX Rum

1 oz. Cherry Kijafa

.5 oz. Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth

Shake vigorously over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry*.

* I have three dozen fresh dark Bing cherries soaking in 16 oz. Gosling's Dark Rum to (hopefully) make Cherry Dark 'n Stormys in a few weeks. When done soaking I intend to save these cherries to garnish this drink.

[freshherbs]

* I have three dozen fresh dark Bing cherries soaking in 16 oz. Gosling's Dark Rum to (hopefully) make Cherry Dark 'n Stormys in a few weeks.  When done soaking I intend to save these cherries to garnish this drink.

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mmmm...cherry dark and stormy

[Dave O]

I've been using a new Ginger Beer from Bermuda for my Dark 'n Stromies- Regatta Ginger Beer, real refreshing nice spiciness with out being overpowering. Inspired by your post, I'll be getting some cherries tomorrow....

[The Hersch]

Tarleton's Resurrection

4 parts gin

2 parts lemon juice

2 parts Cherry Heering

1 part Luxardo Maraschino

appropriately generous dashes Regan's orange bitters

Shake with ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass

This is seriously good.

ETA: Looks really gorgeous too.

Edited January 30, 2007 by The Hersch (log)

[The Hersch]

Yet another drink inspired by the beloved aviation:

2  Boodles

1 lime juice

1 maraschino

3/4  Ginja (Portugese cherry liquor)

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Actually, I see this is very like the "Tarleton's Resurrection" that I just posted. (I tried my formula with lime juice but found lemon juice worked much better.) I'm unfamiliar with Ginja...is it anything like Cherry Heering? And does this drink have a name?

[eje]

Yet another drink inspired by the beloved aviation:

2  Boodles

1 lime juice

1 maraschino

3/4  Ginja (Portugese cherry liquor)

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Actually, I see this is very like the "Tarleton's Resurrection" that I just posted. (I tried my formula with lime juice but found lemon juice worked much better.) I'm unfamiliar with Ginja...is it anything like Cherry Heering? And does this drink have a name?

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Ginja is made by macerating whole morello cherries in brandy (or other liquor of some sort.)

A friend brought some back from Portugal once. It was fairly lightly sweetened and didn't have the viscosity I normally associate with a liqueur. Pretty hot on the tongue, as well.

More like Cherry Bounce than a refined cherry liqueur like (I assume) the Heering is.

[Rob Simmon]

Playing around with some tamarind pulp & the new lime-flavored Tanqueray:

2 oz. Rangpur Tanqueray

1 oz. tamarind pulp

3/4 oz. Monin Jasmine syrup

it has promise, but the tamarind pulp I was using isn't sour enough to balance out the very sweet syrup.

[KatieLoeb]

Tonight's efforts:

The Pomeranian (kind of a cross between a Salty Dog and Pomegranate Gimlet)

edited to add:

2 oz. Pearl Pomegranate Vodka

.5 oz. Ruby Red Grapefruit

.25 oz. fresh lime juice

.25 oz. simple syrup

.25 oz. Rose's Lime juice

Shake over ice and strain into a salt rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Gilligan's Girlfriend

Three small orange wedges

1 Tablespoon Sugar in the Raw (Demerara sugar)

2 Large dashes Angostura bitters

2.5 oz. Pyrat Rum

.25 oz. fresh Ginger Juice

Sour mix

Muddle orange wedges, sugar and bitters at the bottom of a rocks glass as for an Old Fashioned. Top with ice and add rum, ginger juice and fill with sour mix. Pour into Boston Shaker and back into glass to mix. Garnish with lime wedge.

This drink is really spicy, but very refreshing. The kitchen had made some fresh ginger juice today for the amuse they were serving tonight and there was a little left over that wouldn't keep until Tuesday when we're open next. I ended up inventing this drink on the fly for staff shift drinks and everybody loved it. I think it's going on the Spring cocktail menu.

[DCP]

This one's pretty basic, but was a huge hit last night:

For lack of a better word, "Pear Lemonade":

1.5 oz. pear liqueur (didn't catch the name; came in clear 375 ml. bottle for about $16)

1.5 oz. pear nectar

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

1.5 oz vodka (omit for the light version)

[JAZ]

Here's one I was playing around with last summer. Since I've been finding pretty good peaches in the market lately, I've revisited it and have decided to call it the Peachy Keen.

1/2 peach, cut into chunks

5-6 basil leaves

2 oz. gin

1/2 oz. Velvet Falernum

1/2 oz. lime juice

Big dash peach bitters

Muddle peach and basil with the gin. Add rest of ingredients and ice. Shake. Strain (I use a regular small strainer rather than a cocktail strainer).

[Tela T]

Trailed the entire post - and glad to see someone doing something with pears - but what about the new pear vodka?

I tried a twist on the vodka tonic and a little splash of pear juice (bottled)/with tonic - but just wasn't zingy enough.

What does someone think about pear cocktail w/ lavender(simple syrup) in the mix? You guys are way more creative than I am? Ideas?