Here’s the thing: I was drinking this drink with this name before said name showed up on the tip of the tongue of every pirate thanks to a famous movie that then became like, what, five famous movies? Are there more? I can remember going to the first of said piratical movie franchise in the theater (of all things) and thinking “great, now everyone’s gonna think the Black Pearl cocktail is named after Cap’n Jack’s ship.” But now, upon reflection – does it matter? As long as this bubbly, sort-a romantic (I always suggest making it for two, and why you might ask? Perhaps it’s the bubbly, perhaps the addition of Cognac, a historic drink for those in love, or the sultriness of the Tia Maria, or even the cherries? But I think it’s all combined) number is consumed, that’s all that matters. And anyway, pirates like romance, too.
Black Pearl, Serves 2
Ice cubes
2 ounce Cognac
2 ounces Tia Maria
Chilled Champagne
2 cherries, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Cognac and Tia Maria. Stir well.
2. Strain the mix equally into two flute or wine glasses. Top each with Champagne (should be about 4 ounces apiece). Garnish each with a cherry either dropped in, or speared and floated on top.
Well, it’s January, and I know these days a few fair amount of folks take part in dry January, or Dryuary (I made that last name up right now), both cause of knowing folks that do it and cause of the many (or some) notes from PR folks I receive asking if I’m doing any dry January stories. I’m not! But not because I’m opposed to the idea – what works for some works for them and I’m certainly not looking down on it. And I can see the rationale, especially after the holiday season with its parties and mistletoe and chilly days for many. If you’re flirting with the drying out, but maybe just want to go part way, into the lower ABV realm, then here’s a nice choice for you: The Trocadero. With a combination of dry and sweet vermouth as its base, it delivers a lot of flavor with less alcohol umph, while not removing said booze entirely. Actually, no matter the month in question, it makes a swell aperitif cocktail, as well as just a tasty number for anytime you want to go a little less ka-pow (brunching? It’s dandy. First dates? Ideal! See, anytime). Give it a whirl, but follow my lead and make your own grenadine. Adds more pizzazz, and is easy (and so much of the store-bought grenadine is lame. And you don’t want to start the year on a lame note).
In a past post, I gave a shout out to this particular episode of the original Perry Mason series, and in said post (as, perhaps, in others) I made mention of not being as big a fan of the Perry Mason books by Erle Stanley Gardner as I am of the series. This fact is still true. However! I have come around more to some of the books, and definitely understand their popularity, and have oodles of respect for the writing chops of the author. But, still, I like the show better. And watch it regularly. A lot, to be honest. There’s something about the combo of Raymond Burr (playing Perry naturally) William Talman, Ray Collins, William Hopper, and Barbara Hale (playing DA Hamilton Berger, cuddly Lieutenant Trask, dashing detective Paul Drake, and the lovely Della Street respectively) that just sings. And the black and white filming – chef’s kiss, as they say! So, yeah, I watch Perry Mason bunches. And just rewatched one of my favorite episodes, The Case of the Fancy Figures, about a cad who gets murdered, like in many episodes. But this one has the below quote, which is one of my top bar quotes of all time. Making it well-worthy of another Cocktail Talk.
If you have to wait, there’s nothing like a bar. After a few drinks, it becomes a fairyland. People are so kind and considerate.
Ah, here we are, 2025. If you can believe it – a new year, and one that would have seemed impossibly futuristic to a young me. Of course, the things that appeared top of the importance list to young me (I am old, I was young, you get it) on a January 3rd at say my tenth year, well, I’d have a hard time remembering them now, outside of whispers, at best. Not to say my memory is horrible, but, you know, time passes, specifics slip. For some reason, the early days of a new year, when so many are making resolutions and looking forward, always has me looking into the past, too. And when doing such, one needs the proper cocktail accompaniment – like this very drink, An Elusive Memory, which is named appropriately, and tastes swell, too. It combines deliciously-proper London-style gin Boodles (a firm favorite of mine for making cocktails and cause the name itself is fun to say) with a few friends that at first may not seem to go together: the exquisite Meletti anisette, the legendary Lillet, and Peychaud’s intriguing Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters. Really, we’re globe-trotting here, and the mixture comes together as smoothly as a flight without turbulence. All these flavors that may appear to be clashing are actually cozy, with various notes surfacing as you sip – in a way, to bring it all together, like memories surfacing as you troll the ol’ brain pan.
Well, it’s already deep into the winter holiday season, and I haven’t yet put up a sparkly drink suggestion for your holiday gatherings, because I am lazy, or busy, or some combination of the two? Either/or, you may still need a special sparkler to make your holiday party stand out from the party pack, or to enthrall your relatives with, or to just make yourself because you deserve a nice shiny drink at the end of the year, I think you do! For all of those occasions, let me present How Silver-Sweet, a treat this time (or any time) of year. It uses Castello del Poggio sparkling Moscato, which is light on its feet, featuring pretty fruit notes, including peach, pear, and strawberry, swirling about the sparkly bubbles. It’s a wee sweet (in the best way), and goes delightfully here with Strawberry brandy (a true fruit brandy is what you want, dry, crisp, no additives), Pierre Ferrand’s lush orange curaçao, and a dash of earthy Peychaud’s bitters. It’s bound to make the holidays even more jolly.
How Silver-Sweet
Cracked ice
1 ounce strawberry brandy
1/2 ounce Pierre Ferrand orange curaçao
1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
3-1/2 ounces Castello del Poggio sparkling moscato
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the brandy, curaçao, and bitters. Stir well.
2. Strain into a wine glass (or flute). Top with the moscato. Stir briefly.
I decided that I needed to have a second Cocktail Talk from the Georges Simenon novel Maigret’s Revolver (starring Inspector Maigret, as you might surmise). Be sure to read the Maigret’s Revolver Part I Cocktail Talk to get an overview of the book, and if you haven’t, read all the past Maigret Cocktail Talks, so you don’t miss a sip. Here, the sipping is a Pineau des Charentes, which I was chuffed to see as they tend to be delicious, and I like the idea of Maigret drinking a glass of it.
There was invariable a surprise at Pardon’s dinners, perhaps a special wine or liqueur, or in this case a Pineau des Charentes which a vineyard owner in Jonzac had sent him.
“None for me!” protested Madame Maigret, who was usually tipsy after a single glass.
The chatted over the wine. Here too, the windows were open; life was going on at a leisurely pace on the boulevard, the air was golden and the light gradually faded into a rosy glow.
My collecting of Inspector Maigret (the Parisian policeman made famous in an amazing array of novels by Georges Simenon) continues apace, as they say, if perhaps not at the speed they mean when saying it, most recently when I picked up a gem called Maigret’s Revolver. In it, a young nervous fella stops by to see our taciturn Inspector at home, but Maigret’s out. The cuddly Madame Maigret lets the young man wait, but when she’s out of the room, he lifts a revolver (a present from Americans, naturally) that Maigret had left out. From there, the chase is on, a chase the becomes more fervid when a murder victim turns up in trunk dropped off by the young man’s father – a victim that was shot, but with a different gun! Maigret eventually ends up in sunny London, after a fair amount of twists and turns. And Cocktail Talks (be sure to read the many past Maigret Cocktail Talks, too), including the below pastis sipping with an old colleague.
“Hello! What are you doing in Paris?”
Lourtie, one of his former inspectors, had recently transferred to the Flying Squad in Nice.
“Just passing through. I thought I might drop in, sniff the air of headquarters and shake hands with you. Do we have time for a pastis in the Brasserie Dauphine?”
“Yes, but it’ll have to be a quick one.”
He like Lourtis, a tall lanky fellow with the voice of a church cantor. In the brasserie, where they stood at the counter, there were already several other inspectors. They chattered about this and that. A pastis was exactly what was needed on a day like today. They had one, then another, then a third.
You might think that I’m in error here, in my typing, or that I’ve gone off the rails into some other universe, or parallel time range, or some other high-brow theoretical bar or lounge where the Sazerac, one of the world’s most well-known and beloved drinks, has a different spelling. But, nope! This is a separate drink entirely, been around for a bit, though not so well-known, and not ordered much if at all. Which is a shame, as it’s fairly tasty, though containing a passel of ingredients: two base spirits (rye and rum), two bitters (Angostura and Orange, Scrappy’s Orange here), other items of note (anisette and absinthe to be specific). It’s probably that ingredient list which has scared off drinkers and drink makers, but they somehow go together. Perhaps not with that beautiful simplicity the Sazarac is known for (though they do share absinthe in their lists), but delivering a layered flavor that’s memorable in its own right. Give it a whirl – though don’t give up Sazaracs if you fall in love with this here drink. There’s room for both.
