Saturday 30 November 2013

Cocktail No 46 Ray Long

I haven't uncovered the origins of this one and the Savoy Cocktail book from 1930 gives a different ratio of Brandy to Vermouth. My recipe has more Vermouth and the Savoy more Brandy. It also looks like the original called for Absinthe. Mine substitutes Pernod, because Absinthe was a banned drink when it was published (I've had the Cocktail book close to 30 years now).

So mine is quite a mild cocktail in alcohol terms. Some Brandy diluted with Vermouth. Its a beautiful hazel colour. It only has a teaspoon of Pernod, but it carries through so strongly - great if you are an aniseed fan.

First impressions is the chill of the drink, followed by a blast of aniseed at the back of the mouth with that typical warming of the Brandy spreading. Lastly, the herbs from the Vermouth and the Angostura Bitters creeps through leaving a tingle and slight fell of a film on the teeth.

That's a rather nice drink! Not sure why its int he wine based section, especially if the original had more Brandy than Vermouth.

Recipe

Add 3 ice cubes to a mixing glass with 1 measure of Bianco Vermouth, 3/4 measure of Brandy. 1 teaspoon Pernod (or Absinthe) and a dash of Angostura Bitters. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass.


Friday 29 November 2013

Cocktail No 45 Sidecar

One of the six basic drinks listed in David A Ebury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, it was time to kick off the weekend with a real classic. The origins of the Sidecar are disputed but is thought to have been invented at the end or shortly after of the First World War. The first recipes appear in 1922 and the location is claimed to be Buck's Club in London, a Bistro in Paris, or the Ritz in Paris.

The romantic story goes that it was invented by an American Army captain, stationed in Paris, who was driven nightly to the Bistro in a motocycle sidecar. Countreau has taken the romance further and produced a very cute video claiming it was invented by the Gallic barman to help the Officer in his seduction of a glamorous dame (Dita Von Teese).

The Original Sidecar Stroy - by Cointreau staring Dita Von Teese

Wikipedia entry on the Sidecar Cocktail

There are two competing versions. The original French School calls for equal measures of the ingredients. The later English school calls for 2 parts Brandy to 1 part of lemon and Cointreau. Since its a Friday and I am biased I went with the English School.

It is quite simply fabulous and well deserving of its status. Tangy, sharp, sweet the acid hits the back of your throat first and then a mellow bitter sweet orange comes through along with the earthiness of the Brandy. A very refreshing tingle remains in your mouth as the aftertaste and the roof of my mouth feels numb, but not in a bad way.

This is definitely one to try. And if any of my siblings or nephews want to buy me a cocktail shaker like the one in the Cointreau video, then they would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe (English School)

Add 2 measure brandy with 1 measure of Cointreau and 1 measure of Lemon Juice to a Shaker. Shake on Ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with curled and twisted orange peel and a cherry.

Recipe (French School)

Add 1 measure brandy with 1 measure of Cointreau and 1 measure of Lemon Juice to a Shaker. Shake on Ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with curled and twisted orange peel and a cherry.

Update. I have made the French School version tonight as a comparison and personally I prefer the English version. There is too much lemon juice in the French style and it overpowers everything else. The Brandy and Bitter Orange just doesn't come through as strongly.







Thursday 28 November 2013

Cocktail No 44 Kamikaze

My recipe calls for Lime Cordial, whilst the recipes on International Bar Tenders Association and other sites call for Fresh Lime Juice. I suspect they are right as with the cordial its a little sweet for my taste. I'll have to re-make it with Lime Juice to compare. The Cointreau website calls for lemon Juice, which I have in so I can try that.

Its not bad, even so. Nice and simple to make, no need for shakers (again others disagree). Its alcoholic bitter orange and lime and easily quoffable.

Recipe

Add 1 measure of Vodka, 1 measure of Cointreau and 1 measure of Lime Cordial to a tumbler with ice. Stir and serve.


Wednesday 27 November 2013

Cocktail No 43 Eton Blazer

The most expensive cocktail to date, due to the ridiculous price of Kirsch here in the UK. Pick a bottle up when next in France or on a ski trip and it will be 1/3 the price.

Kirsch is like most of the Eau de vie family - you either love them or loath them. There is rarely any middle ground. Fortunately for me, I love them. The flavour is hard to describe. There is a bitter nuttiness, with a very delicate hint of the fruit above it. It has to be drunk icy cold.

Water of Life: Eau de vie Wikipedia

There are so many conflicting recipes for this one on the internet. Some substitute Maraschino for Kirch, which is also cherry based. I'll have some from my brother in Naples in a few days, so will compare the tastes. Absolut uses Cherry Brandy, which is a completely different and more full cherry flavour. The Cocktail database and the Savoy Cocktail book both use Kirsch, but in lower proportions than my book and the lemon juice is higher. So I am going with Kirsch as the authentic recipe.

I have wanted to make the Eton Blazer for years and yesterday purchased a tiny 20 ml bottle of Kirsch for the purpose. The taste comes through very strongly, but also very differently. The bitter sweetness, is changed by the lemon juice and the sour actually makes the Kirsch light cherry flavour more pleasant. The soda water dilutes everything so its not too strong and a great highball for the summer.

Recipe

Add ice, 1 measure Gin, 1 measure kirsch and 1/2 measure Lemon Juice to a tumbler with 2 teaspoons sugar syrup. Stir then top up with Soda Water. Decorate with 2 Cherries.

Aah chilled Maraschino cocktail cherries - I think I am getting hooked!


Sunday 24 November 2013

Cocktail No 42 Green Hat

I will confess to putting off making this cocktail for a number of years. My previous experiences with Crème de Menthe have not been good and most drinks with it in seem to taste like toothpaste. So this came as a pleasant surprise.

Yes it is minty, but there is a sweetness and the Soda Water transforms the balance of flavour - perhaps its the bicarbonate of soda in the Soda Water that neutralises some of the excessive mintiness. Its very cold on the tongue and I wonder if some of that is due to the Gin in addition to the obvious ice.

So if you have a bottle of Crème de Menthe languishing at the back of the cabinet, dust it off and give the Green Hat a go.

Recipe

Add one measure of Gin and one measure of Crème de Menthe to a tall glass. Add ice and stir. Top up with Soda Water.


Saturday 23 November 2013

Cocktail No 41 New Yorker

In need of a hair of the dog following the 30 years school reunion which kicked off about this time yesterday evening in London, I went for short, sharp and very strong - and a good choice it was.

There is only one teaspoon of grenadine, but its gives a remarkable intense colour and just the hint of sweetness to balance the lemon juice.

Its essentially a Bourbon Sour with a bit of colouring and Orange oil. Regardless it has gone down very well and was just the lift needed for this tired old soak.

Recipe

Add 1.5 measures of Bourbon to a shaker with 1/2 measure of Lemon Juice and 1 teaspoon of Grenadine. Shake on ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Squeeze a piece of Orange Peel over the top and drop in (I also added Orange Bitters).


Friday 15 November 2013

Cocktail No 40 Hawaii Kiss

OK I admit to cheating on this one as I didn't have a pineapple. You are meant to scoop out the flesh and squeeze the juice out and then use the pineapple shell as the drink vessel. So I just made it in a glass.

It would taste good out of the fruit with a straw, mind you. It would be very good on a Caribbean evening. If you are not a gin lover, it perhaps goes better with rum. The gin and sparkling wine makes an interesting combination and the pineapple provides a balancing sweetness.

A pleasant way to kick off the weekend.

Recipe (Cheat)

Add 1 measure of Gin to a tumbler with 2-3 measures of Pineapple Juice (depends how sweet you like it). Top up with sparkling wine and add ice.

Recipe (correct)

Scoop out flesh from a Pineapple and squeeze juice out. Return juice to hollowed out shell. Add 1 measure Gin and top up with sparkling wine. Add ice and serve with straws.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Cocktail No 39 Basil's Cooler (Non-alcoholic).

A request from one of the old school for a new cocktail which is non-alcoholic.

Its a variation on the Orange Cooler, substituting grenadine in place of sugar for sweetness and giving it that sunrise look. The combination of Orange Juice with Ginger Ale is not an obvious one, but it works really well. It does need the extra sweetness otherwise it could be a bit tart.

Recipe

Add Orange Juice to taste in a tall glass, with half as much Grenadine syrup. A dash of Peychaud's Bitters to give the merest hint of aniseed. Stir, then add ice to taste.


Tuesday 12 November 2013

Cocktail No 38 Hemingway

I bought a grapefruit just to make this one, and since it is freshly squeezed explains why I made this and the Lieutenant on the same evening.

I've been reading a bit of Hemingway recently and therefore wanted to make this one. First I read "The Sun Also Rises" as I was visiting Pamplona and it was quite a good read. Just finished "A Farewell to Arms" and can't really say it worked for me. Not sure why, but I found it hard work.

Quite unlike this cocktail on the other hand. This is entering into my pantheon of favourites and will be repeated I am sure. The mix of Rum and Cointreau with a sour is always a winner. At equal measures you would expect it to be very sweet and it is, but less than I expected. Far less so than the Apricot Brandy in the Lieutenant. A benefit of this is that the Grapefruit Juice comes through clearly and very pleasantly. The Sparkling Wine gives a great lift and tingles in the mouth, making it a great drink sensation as well as taste.

Recipe

2-3 Ice cubes
40 ml White Rum
40 ml Cointreau
40 ml Grapefruit juice
Sparking wine

Add White Rum, Cointreau and Grapefruit Juice to a shaker and shake very well on ice. Strain into a Champagne glass and top up with Sparkling Wine.


Cocktail No 37 Lieutenant

Back to the sweet and strong. Bourbon based, the Apricot Brandy comes strongly though with that characteristic "jam-like" taste, smoothing out the sour mash. The other sour is grapefruit juice which is much more delicate and subtle than lemon or even orange in other drinks.

Very pleasant on a cold winters night. I don't think it would work as well in a hot tropical night, as its a bit sweet for me.

Recipe

Add 1 measure Bourban Whisky to a cocktail shaker with 1/2 measure Apricot Brandy and 1/2 measure of Grapefruit Juice. Sweeten with 1 teaspoon of Sugar Syrup. Shake on ice and strain into a Cocktail glass. Decorate with a cherry on a stick.


Sunday 10 November 2013

Cocktail No 36 Red Tonic

Wow this was a complete surprise. A sweet-sour experience with that wonderful bitterness from the tonic. Genadine is incredibly sweet and it needs the lemon juice to balance it and cut through. With tonic alone it would be too cloying, certainly for my palate.

Its basically a Vodka and Tonic sweetened with Grenadine and cut with lemon juice.

Recipe

Put 1 measure of Vodka with one measure of Grenadine and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into a tumbler. Stir well and top-up with tonic water. Add ice to taste and garnish with a lemon slice.



Saturday 9 November 2013

Cocktail No 35 Queen Elizabeth

Oh this is good, this is very good, this is exceptionally good! I think I might like this one!

As a kid I loved those aniseed balls - do you remember the ones that were rock hard and had an anis seed in the centre? Well this is what this cocktail tastes of. Clear sharp anise, spiked with lemon juice to really lift the taste. Its only a dash, so its not overpowering like Pernod can often be and the Orange citrus from the Cointreau brings it all down and leaves a lingering smooth sweetness in the back of the mouth.

A fine drink to name after our Monarch and another of complexity with multiple taste elements and sensations in the mouth. If I can't tempt you with anything else try this one.

Recipe

Add 1 measure Gin to a shaker with 1/2 measure Cointreau / Triple Sec, 1/2 measure lemon juice and a dash of Pernod / Ricard / Pastis. Shake on Ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with a cherry.


Friday 8 November 2013

Cocktail No 34 Mogulmeister - by special request.

An old school chum gave me this challenge:

"My challenge to you Gene, is to come with a cocktail called "fruit-of-the-loom". Marks will be awarded for conceptual structure and originality while still filling the brief."

However, knowing this particular individual, I felt Fruit of the Loon was more appropriate.

Sadly, I cannot comply as I have been beaten to this name for a cocktail:

http://www.cocktailszone.com/cocktails/fruit-of-the-loom_3564.html

So I dedicate my concoction to the spirit of the challenge and name it in honour of my challenger:

This will be difficult for most of you to recreate unless you make your own fruit infused Vodka. I had a lousy harvest this year, so mine was a mix of Raspberries, Gooseberries and Blackcurrants. Simply mascerate and put in a bottle and top up with Vodka for several months. I don't add sugar which can help in the breakdown of the fruit as it becomes too sweet and alcohol is sufficient in my experience with time.

So the idea was natural fruit in the Vodka flavoured with home grown Raspberries, Gooseberries and Blackcurrants, softened with some Galliano and a splash of cream to give a white wool effect.

It works rather well. Well balanced. Film over the teeth. nice viscosity for mouth-feel. And the cream gives a snow effect to fit the Mogul reference and the Galliano give vanilla to smooth the drink out.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures of home made fruit infused Vodka (not sure if the commercial fruit vodkas would work as they are much sharper) to a shaker with 1/2 measure Galliano and a splash of single cream to taste. Shake on Ice and strain into a Cocktail glass.



Thursday 7 November 2013

Cocktail No 33 Between The Sheets

Continuing the Brandy theme, I present a classic that is an official cocktail according to the International Bartenders Association, although they call for lemon juice instead of the orange juice and I do think it would be better with a bit of extra sharpness.

Its still very pleasant though. The Brandy and Rum mixes so well together - really good robust mouth feel and a sweetness from the Rum and Orange Juice. It certainly packs a punch and is wonderfully warming on a cold autumn night like this one is.

Recipe

Add 1 measure Brandy to a shaker, with 1 measure White Rum, 1 measure Cointreau and 3/4 measure of Orange Juice (or Lemon Juice). Shake on Ice and strain into a Cocktail glass.


Cocktail No 32 April Shower

This combines 3 of my favourite things a) Brandy, b) Bénédictine and c) freshly squeezed Orange Juice.Top it up with Soda water and it becomes quite a mild long drink in terms of alcohol content.

If its chilled sufficiently the initial mouthful is tasteless - there is a pricking on the tongue from the bubbles in the Soda Water - then the flavour comes through. Whilst mild, it does have a deep base flavour from the mix of the Brandy and Bénédictine and the herbs from the latter definitely add, but no individual flavour stands out. Its a blend of the flavours unlike some others which create different sensations in the mouth.

I'm not sure which recipe is canonical, as the net gives one similar to a Vodka Gibson or tini. Others which are Brandy based use the same as me, but skip to Soda Water. I need to find the definitive recipe collection, there must be one out there somewhere - of course there is and April Shower is not included as an official cocktail:

http://www.iba-world.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=532

Recipe

Add 1 measure of Brandy, 1 measure of Bénédictine and 2 measures of Orange Juice to a tall goblet, Stir. Top up with Soda Water and add Ice to taste.



Tuesday 5 November 2013

Cocktail No 31 The Stem Cell

My own creation based on the research we are doing to harvest stem cells from liposuction waste (body fat is very rich in stem cells and everyone thinks that research will be improved if you use fresh stem cells straight from the body instead of growing them through culture which changes them - end of science lecture).

The squeamish won't like the next bit, but I was really going more for an optical feel than taste. I wanted a milky reddish tinge to the drink to reflect the combination of fat emulsion and traces of blood in the washings from the lipoaspirate. So a mix of cream, with a splash of Pernod and water from sugar syrup creates the right emulsion and Rosso Vermouth and Angostura Bitters gives the red tinge. The pearl onion is the single stem cell in the mix - it doesn't really work like it does in the Gibson, but its white like a stem cell.

Perhaps the viscosity could be increased, so addition of an egg white would turn it into a Stem Cell Fizz.

The Squeamish can now start reading again.

Tastewise it works rather well. Really minimise the Pernod, otherwise it overwhelms the drink - you just want a hint of aniseed in the background. The Rosso Vermouth balances the drink surprisingly effective considering the small amount added. Its a little sweet, velvety and wonderful aftertaste. There will probably be several iterations of this until I perfect it.

Recipe (Working)

Add to a shaker 2 measures of Gin, a capfull of Rosso Vermouth, a teaspoon of Pernod, a teaspoon of single cream, a splash of sugar syrup and Angostura Bitters. Shake on ice and strain into a Cocktail glass. Garnish with a pearl onion.


First Month's summary

So the blog has been running for 1 month now. Stats are quite pleasing:

30 Cocktails averaging 1 per day - slightly more than the 4 a month I set out to do! These things do get a bit obsessive.

919 Views:

United States

480
United Kingdom

338
Belgium

9
Germany

9
Ukraine

7
Austria

5
Italy

4
Canada

2
Kenya

2
Russia

2

Most viewed cocktail, Red Shadow with 66 views. In the last week, not surprising, the Halloween link.

Only 4 comments though.

Monday 4 November 2013

Cocktail No 30 East India (Brazilian style)

OK I admit that I am just trying to get the total no of Cocktails to 30 for the first month to make it one a day on average. And its a little cheat in remaking the East India with Cachaça .

In fact this is a mistake and doesn't work at all. Amazing how such similar spirits have such a different effect on taste. I had to remix it and triple the Pineapple Juice to get close to a balanced flavour.

Its astringent and not as in the bite that lemon juice provides, more vinegary. Fans of Cachaça may like this, but for me I am relegating it back to the Caipirinha, where it is unsurpassed.

Not one that I will be repeating.

Recipe

As for East India, but using Cachaça instead of rum and triple the amount of pineapple juice.


Cocktail No 29 East india

Its a Rum night tonight and the East India is fabulous on a cold, miserable night like tonight.

I am really surprised by this cocktail. It only has a splash of pineapple juice, but it mixes and blends with the Rum to a much greater flavour that I would have predicted. As alcohol strength goes, its up there with the Martini, as its basically neat rum diluted with a teaspoon of juice. However I wouldn't be tempted to increase the pineapple juice otherwise the drink will be overly sweet. If its too strong, then add a splash of soda.

This is another one of multiple sensations. Initially just coldness on the tongue and no flavour, developing into sweetness after 1/2 a second, which rapidly becomes recognisable as pineapple, then as you swallow that wonderful harshness of the rum biting then warming at the back of the throat - me likee. This could be fantastic made with Cachaça instead of rum and then it would be a very aggressive drink.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures white rum to a shaker with 1 teaspoon of Cointreau, 1 teaspoon of pineaple juice and a dash of angostura bitters. Shake on ice until chilled and strain into a cocktail glass.


Cocktail No 28 Planter's Cocktail

Wasn't quite planned as I had mixed the orange and lemon juice in the wrong quantitiy for the original cocktail, but a pleasant mistake indeed. The lemon juice cutting the rum is the dominant taste note. The rum give its usual earthy caramel warmth, taken a bit deeper by the angostura bitters. Then the orange comes through to balance everything out.

A perfect drink for a balmy summer night.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures of rum to a shaker with 3/4 measure of orange juice and 3/4 measure of lemon juice. Add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters and a teaspoon of caster sugar or a splash of sugar syrup. Shake well on ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with cherry.


Saturday 2 November 2013

Cocktail No 27 Amaretto Sour

By request of my Sister-In-Law, the Amaretto Sour.

This is a really sweet drink. The Amaretto itself is already sweet and you add extra sugar syrup. I thought this would be over the top, but in fact there is just the right amount of lemon juice to cut through this and prevent it becoming cloying.

As cocktails go, it is very mild in terms of alcohol strength, so a good choice for people who are not big drinkers and like sweet things.

Personally, I would still cut back on the sugar syrup. The egg white doesn't add any taste, but does help the texture.

Recipe

Fill a tumbler with crushed or preferably shaved ice. Add 1.5 measures of Amaretto to a shaker with 3/4 measure of lemon juice, 1/2 measure of sugar syrup, an egg white and 2 dashes of Angustora Bitters. Shake on Ice (some recipes call for shaking without ice). This needs to be vigorous to ensure the egg white in blended in with the other ingredients.

Strain into the tumbler over the shaved Ice and decorate with a Maraschino Cherry on a stick.