Cocktail Labs

A Perfectly European Manhattan. My normal Manhattan is made with 2oz rye, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters. A “Perfect” Manhattan replaces the ounce of sweet vermouth with half an ounce of sweet vermouth and half an ounce of dry vermouth. I ran out of dry vermouth, so I snuck in some Lillet Blanc. It turned out just “perfect.”

France v. Italy: a Lillet Blanc & soda with a Campari and soda. Afternoon refreshment.

The Réveillon Cocktail is a complex, spicy autumn drink that combines two of my favorites: Applejack and Pimento Dram (an allspice liqueur).  I found it via Cocktail Chronicles, who named it & Gumbo Pages who invented it around Christmas 2005.

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 ounces Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy (substitute Laird’s Applejack or your favorite Calvados).
• 1/2 ounce pear brandy (make sure it’s a clear eau-de-vie, not a liqueur).
• 1/2 ounce pimento dram.
• 1/4 ounce top-shelf sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula or Punt-E-Mes).
• 1 dash aromatic cocktail bitters (Angostura is good, Fee Brothers’ Old Fashion Bitters are better, Abbott’s Bitters — if you can get any — are spectacular).

Combine ingredients with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker. Stir like hell for no less than 30 seconds, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

My friend Toby posted this to Google+ and asked “Airport club liquor selection. What can I make?”  Here’s my answer:

Let’s start with the bar-setter’s intent. Why are each of these here? The Bailey’s, Hennessy cognac, and Famous Grouse Scotch are meant to be enjoyed alone (or the Bailey’s with the hot chocolate that I bet is available off to the side). The vermouth is there to be combined with the Sminoff vodka or the Beefeater gin and one of the olives in on the right. The Bacardi is meant to be added to coke (also available offscreen). The vodka’s other role would be with the tabasco and Worcheshire sauce in a Bloody Mary, or to be combined with tonic or soda and some of the lemon or lime wedges (the gin could do the last of these, as well).

Assuming, those aren’t to your liking, what else can we create? There are no bitters and no sweet liqueurs other than the Bailey’s, which is going to make this tough. Let’s do our best, though, and try to respect the context as well. Here’s what I’d suggest:

The Airport Aviation

• 1 3/4 oz Beefeater Gin
• 3/4 oz lemon juice (you’re going to have to squeeze every one of those lemon wedges)
• 1/2 oz maraschino juice (behind the olives, to the left of the limes)

Shake with ice, serve up and garnish with a maraschino cherry

This is an Aviation, but we’ve substituted maraschino juice for maraschino liqueur. We upped the gin and dropped the maraschino liqueur slightly to make up for the substitution.

We had a cocktail class at the Comstock Saloon & got to use some of the bar’s ingredients, like this bottle of ‘Awesomeness.’

(Source: bluemekka)

Pimm’s Cup the easy way: 3oz. Pimm’s, 1 Tbsp Country Time Lemonade in a Collins glass with ice. Top with 3-5oz. club soda. Works at home or on a camping trip.

Sometimes a tropical location calls for a tropical drink.  This is actually my first time making things with a blender, but after last night’s “Cuba Libré” (a francy name for rum and coke with lime juice), we decided to do something a little more adventurous.

Apparently, the International Bartender’s Association says the perfect Piña Colada is one part coconut cream, one light rum, three parts pineapple juice, and a bunch of ice.  We found that upping the rum by 50% was a good idea. So:

1 oz Coconut Cream (not coconut milk! To substitute coconut milk, add extra ice to thicken the drink)

1.5 oz Light rum (clear rum :-)

3 oz Pineapple juice

Two handfuls of ice

Blend until smooth, serve in a hurricane glass with a pineapple garnish. Or whatever.

bluemekka:

make me a cocktail, please.

Scotch Crusta, one of Lee’s favorites.

1/2 oz. Lemon juice 1/2 oz. Maraschino liqueur 2 oz. Scotch

Shake with ice, serve with a sugared rim & a lemon twist.

Distant grandfather of the margarita!

The Alamagoozlum Cocktail. Several substitutions, but it all worked out. Original recipe: http://bit.ly/nHRkTG