Rainy days be damned, I want a tropical treat. So crank up the Guantanamera and break out the rum we’re making a Mai Tai.
Continue readingMonth: April 2020 (Page 2 of 3)
Brother Brian requested a Manhattan, so I made one for him, quarantine style. Grab a cocktail glass, fill with ice and set to the side. This is a super simple cocktail, as most of the classics are, just three ingredients. 2 1/2 ounces of bourbon, I used Michter’s since he wanted to try it, 1 ounce of sweet vermouth and 3 dashes of angostura. Add all to a shaker tin and shake vigorously with one hand while emptying the ice from the cocktail glass with the other. Double strain into the glass and add a maraschino cherry, unless you are quarantined in which case a cherry tomato will stand in just fine. In times like these we all have to make some sacrifices. Stay safe, stay home, stay hydrated and stay sane!
We got our Kroger pick-up order with chickpeas so it’s time for a whiskey sour! Grab a coupe, fill it with ice and set to the side. Toss 2 ounces of bourbon, I went with Michter’s, in a shaker tin with 3/4 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 ounce of Demerara syrup and 1/2 ounce of aquafaba (strained chickpea juice). Add ice and shake vigorously till your hands get cold. Strain your drink from one tin to the other and toss the ice before shaking again, vigorously. This iceless shake is called a “dry shake” and is how you get the beautiful head on this drink. Toss the ice from your coupe and fill to the brim, noticing that your drying board counter has a slight lean to it, like everything else in your 100 year old house. Once the coupe is filled, add 4-5 drops of DeGroff’s Pimento bitters to the top and drag a toothpick through for an aesthetically pleasing design. Drink at your pleasure, as one does.
Stay home, stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane.
I got a calendar reminder this afternoon that I should be on my way to Corsair Artisan Distillery for a cocktail class this evening, so I chose an old favorite from their menu, the Whiskey Ginger.
Continue reading
Some days you’ve just gotta let go of things. Kick back let the world move on without you, preferably listening to some Kenny Rogers while laying on a nice rug. You know, the kind that really pulls the room together. When that time comes there is really only one drink that will do, the White Russian.
Continue reading
It’s a rainy, yucky Easter and that calls for a little pick me up. I’m a big fan of Irish Coffee and that rush of whiskey and caffeine perfect for a dreary afternoon. There are lots of variations to this super simple drink, I opted for a close proximity of the recipe they serve at Dead Rabbit NYC home of the very best Irish coffee I have ever had, hands down.
Continue reading
The Bloody Mary is an oft maligned drink served watered down without passion at a buffet or even worse topped with so much crap that it is it’s own buffet. At core this is a really lovely drink and a great excuse to start drinking early in the day, but if you want something really special, make ’em with whiskey!
Continue reading
Ready for another super simple cocktail? How about a proper margarita? No mixes here just 2 ounces of tequila, I used the Kah Añejo, cause it comes in that cool skull bottle, one ounce of fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/2 ounce of Cointreau, 1/2 ounce of agave syrup and 3 drops of Havana and Hide bitters from 18-21. Pop it all into your tins with some ice, shake it about as long as you should be washing your hands and double strain into a chilled coupe with salt on the rim. Garnish with a lime wedge and you’re ready to enjoy. Only slightly more challenging than adding the tequila to a mix and so much tastier. Stay safe, stay home and stay hydrated!
It’s a nice afternoon, the sun is shining, let’s have a simple, but refreshing cocktail, the classic gin and tonic. I’ve seen many variations in this, some with citrus, some with crazy bitters, but after Barcelona last year I’ve decided that simpler is better on this one. Today I went for 2 ounces of Corsair Artisan Distillery barrel-aged gin over ice and two drops of lavender bitters over ice topped with Fever Tree tonic water. I always pour the tonic down the handle of a barspoon, cause it looks cool and feels fancy. Speaking of fancy, I popped into the backyard and picked a sprig of fresh lilac, which smells amazing, for garnish. So there you go, a cocktail so simple it’s barely a cocktail, but so damned good, your partner will take a sip to try it and never give it back, so go ahead and make two. Stay home, stay safe, stay hydrated.
Under normal circumstances, I would have been at Corsair Artisan Distillery today enjoying cocktails with friends to celebrate the beginning of this 48th trip around the sun. I don’t drink many cocktails at home, but the wife set me up with some new Leopold weighted shaker tins for this super soft birthday, so I decided to put them to some good use making an old favorite, the Trinidad Sour.
Continue reading