January 31, 2014
In Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, I start my talking about this dessert-y drink by saying, “Ooh, Friar, what a long robe you have on–but why is it so ruffled?” I’m not sure there is anything else needed, really. Outside of suggesting you serve this after dinner, in the evening, with you and your sweetie.
Friar Untucked
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces Praline Liqueur
1-1/2 ounces Sound Spirits Depth crème de cacao
1-1/2 ounces ounces heavy cream
Cinnamon stick for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the praline liqueur, crème de cacao, and cream. Shake well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the cinnamon stick.
A Variation: I’ve seen this made with Frangelico (the Italian hazelnut liqueur originally made by monks, and with the monk-like bottle), and called just Friar Tuck. It’s tasty, but adding the praline instead gives this drink a bit of a Southern flair that adds a lot to an evening. I’ve also seen a drink called the Friar Tuck made with vodka, coke, and blackberry cordial. Which seems so unholy I would suggest not even mentioning it.
Tags: cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, dessert drinks, Friar Untucked, Friday Night Cocktail, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, praline liqueur, Sound Spirits Depth Crème de Cacao, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
January 24, 2014
I’m just gonna come out and say it – I hold you in high esteem. First off, because you’re reading this blog (hah! Thanks). Secondly, cause I’m holding out hope that you’ll try this drink, which shares a name with the feeling I have for you. Jeez, is this still making sense? I hope so. Anywho, if you do try this drink, you’ll like it I’ll bet. And then hold me in high esteem as well. Then everything will have completed the boozy circle.
The Esteem, from Champagne Cocktails
Ice cubes
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Meletti anisette
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Chilled brut Champagne
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, anisette, and lime juice. Shake while smiling.
2. Strain into a two flute glass and fill almost to the rim with chilled Champagne.
Tags: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Champagne Cocktails, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Meletti Anisette, The Esteem, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Cocktail Recipes, Italy, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
January 17, 2014
In a way, I feel if I say the phrase “An American Bobby Burns” I should be talking about a poet, taking the long absent mantle of political-drinking-lyrical combination of sorts from Robert Burns, who goes from grain to glass in a singular way (probably it would be Ed Skoog, I suppose, as he’s the best poet in the world anyway). But instead, I’m talking about the Bobby Burns cocktail, one of my all-time favorites. Its traditional mingling of Scotch, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine is a truly beautiful thing. However, I recently made one not with Scotch, but instead with an American single-malt whiskey, specifically Seattle-based Westland distillery’s inaugural release, Deacon Seat single-malt whiskey. Deacon Seat is a very approachable, layered whiskey, with citrus and pastry and marmalade flavorings that match amazingly with the herbal-ness of Punt e’ Mes sweet vermouth (my vermouth pick this time) and the spiritual savoryness of Bénédictine. I have to think any poet would approve.
The American Bobby Burns
Ice cubes
2-1/2 ounces Westland Deacon Seat single malt whiskey
1 ounce Punt e’ Mes sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce Bénédictine
Lemon twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Deacon Seat, Punt ‘e Mes, and Bénédictine. Shake well.
2. Strain the mix into a cocktail glass. Squeeze the lemon twist over it and let it float into the glass.
A Note: You can also stir this one over ice, instead of shaking. But I think the poets like to show off their shaking skills.
Tags: American single malt whiskey, An American Bobby Burns, Benedictine, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Punt e’ Mes sweet vermouth, Westland Deacon Seat single malt whiskey, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Dark Spirits, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
January 10, 2014
There have been many famous and legendary pugilists. And, there have been many famous and legendary bartenders and bar scribes. As a whole, I’d say that the pugilists could probably take the bar folk in a back alley brawl, but wouldn’t hurt them much, as then who would pour the punchers the drinks? Anyway, one guy who fits nicely into both categories is Andrew Bohrer, of Cask Strength and the book The Best Shots You’ve Never Tried, in which you’ll find this tasty shot, a fine pick-you-up either before or after watching a boxing match.
The Prizefighter
1 ounce white rum (or try Sun Liquor’s aged rum here)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 whole egg
2 dashes hot sauce (your choice)
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well.
2. Strain through a fine strainer into a shot glass. Drink quickly, and always go down swinging.
January 3, 2014
Recently, I had a query about a drink featured in my book Good Spirits, a drink called the Lily. As Good Spirits is from a few years back (but not old by any means, and still I hope darn fun and useful), I hadn’t actually made the Lily in awhile, and so was pretty excited to revisit the drink. The question came around the use of crème de noyaux, an almondy liqueur made from apricot pits, and an ingredient not as readily available – it also has a signature pinkish color. The drink-maker was having a hard time tracking it down, and wondered about subbing. My first thought was amaretto, also made usually with apricot pits or almonds. So, for fun, I tried making the Lily with both. And you know what? Both versions were darn tasty. The main difference really was the color, which is wildly different (the noyaux is the pink one naturally in the pic), but the flavor was very similar, with the crème de noyaux version a smidge sweeter, and the amaretto nuttier on the back end. I suggest you try both, and see what you think.
The Lily
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce crème de noyau
1/2 ounce Lillet
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, crème de noyau, Lillet, and lemon juice. Shake well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist after twisting it over the drink.
A Lily
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce amaretto
1/2 ounce Lillet
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, Crème de Noyau, Lillet, and lemon juice. Shake well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist after twisting it over the drink.
Tags: A Lily, amaretto, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, crème de noyau, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Lillet, The Lily, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Good Spirits, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
December 20, 2013
Following up on the even earlier-in-the-morning drink created for superstar Kansan Eric Norris (writer-librarian-by-day, detective by night – well, that’s my dream, anyway), who was looking for a coffee-based libation, is the following. Since it’s for 7 AM, instead of 6 AM, I thought I’d need to add some protein, in the form of an egg white, to this drink. It also makes it deliciously frothy, without sacrificing a good coffee taste. A little gin and a little simple syrup balance everything out beautifully. Eric, drink up pally! Oh, the rest of you drink up, too – this time of year, everyone may need a good morning cocktail, or two.
Hays at 7 AM
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce chilled espresso
1/2 ounce simple syrup
One egg white
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, espresso, and simple syrup.
2. Carefully add the egg white. Shake really really well, for a good 5 to 10 seconds.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Tags: cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, coffee cocktail, egg white, espresso, espresso cocktail, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Hays at 7 AM, simple syrup, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
December 13, 2013
Recently, an old pal-of-mine name of Eric Norris, poet-writer-reader-library-man-deadeye-shooter-guy (he sounds like a detective in a way – I hope that on his rare down hours he is solving crime where he lives in lovely Hays, KS), dropped me a note asking about a coffee drink idea. He’s a swell fella, and I’m guessing an early riser, so I understood his need for a cocktail that tastes good and operates as a pick-you-up. Cause I believe in choices, I actually came up with two coffee drink ideas, the below, and one that I’ll roll out in a week. This one has a good espresso boom but also some nice herbally action via the sweet vermouth and Bénédictine. Oh, and some gin, cause gin is nice in any morning.
Hays at 6 AM
Cracked ice
1-3/4 ounces gin
1/2 ounce chilled espresso
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce Bénédictine
3 coffee beans, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with cracked ice. Add everything but the beans. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.
Tags: Benedictine, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, coffee cocktail, espresso, espresso cocktail, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Hays at 6 AM, sweet vermouth, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Recipes, vermouth, What I'm Drinking
December 6, 2013
People, like you (yes, you!) who have read this blog for a while, or at all, know that I’m what people call an equal-opportunity-drinker. Meaning – I tend to like almost all families of imbibables, and am open to trying pretty much everything. This doesn’t translate into me sipping on anything that tastes like gutterfied gasoline. But it does mean that I, for example, really like sherry, but also really like rye, and lemon, and etc. Also, it means that I’m not afraid to try non-traditional items in cocktails. For another example, I’ve tasted more cocktails with vinegar lately, and loving them, and have wanted to make a few myself. Luckily, I recently came into possession (thanks to Corinne from the LEG, or the Lisa Ekus Group, the finest folks in the land) of a bottle Boyajian balsamic fig vinegar, an all-natural combo that seems ideal for a dressing or a drizzle, but for me also screamed – cocktail! And thus the Atta Boy was born, which combines the beautiful Boyajian vinegar with rye, sherry, and a lemon twist. The result is fantastic, savory but with a nice rye base, a tiny bit tangy and a smidge sweet, all topped by the zing of citrus. Give it a whirl and your tastebuds will thank you.
Atta Boy
Cracked ice
2 ounces rye (I used Woodinville rye)
1/2 ounce Boyajian balsamic fig vinegar
1/2 ounce dry sherry
Wide lemon twist
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with cracked ice. Add the rye, vinegar, and sherry. Stir really well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the wide lemon twist, draped over the side.
Tags: Atta Boy, Boyajian balsamic fig vinegar, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Rye, sherry, vinegar, What I'm Drinking, Woodinville rye
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
