One of my favorites, it’s the Last Word:
- 0.75 ounce Beefeater London Dry Gin
- 0.75 ounce Green Chartreuse
- 0.75 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- 0.75 ounce lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. No garnish.
This is one of my go-to cocktails, and I’m surprised it wasn’t included in Dr. Cocktail’s book. It is vintage, having been invented in Detroit in the 1920s, and it was forgotten for many years.
Continue readingThere may not be nary a drop of water to drink, so try The Ancient Mariner:
- 1.00 ounce Demerara rum (not the 151-proof kind)
- 1.00 ounce dark Jamaican rum (Coruba)
- 0.75 ounce fresh lime juice
- 0.50 ounce grapefruit juice
- 0.50 ounce simple syrup
- 0.25 ounce Allspice Dram
Build in a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.
Ah, Tiki drinks. How I love ’em. And this one features Allspice Dram, the key ingredient in another favorite cocktail of mine, The Lion’s Tail.
Continue readingPresenting the venerable Martini:
- 1.5 ounces dry London gin
- 1.5 ounces French dry vermouth
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 1 lemon twist
Stir the gin and vermouth vigorously and long in a tall glass filled with ice (or an actual martini pitcher). Add the orange bitters. Strain into a “martini” cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.
Okay, it is easy to argue that there isn’t a cocktail more classic than the Martini, and it is also easy to argue about how to make a Martini. The recipe above comes from a bar in Barcelona, Spain, called Dry Martini. It was one of the best Martinis I’ve ever had, so I decided to recreate it at home.
Continue readingA cocktail I won’t make, it’s the Ritz Sidecar:
- 5 parts very old cognac
- 3 parts Cointreau
- 2 parts fresh lemon juice
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, strain tremulously into a chilled cocktail glass, and stare at the treasure in rapt silence for a full fifteen seconds before quaffing.
By “very old cognac” he means at least pre-Phylloxera cognac. Phylloxera is an aphid-like insect that was brought to Europe from grape vines in America. The American vines had resistance to it, but the European vines were devastated. While I’ve never had cognac that old, I’ve been told that many people believe it was better than that produced today. The real cognac snob wants pre-Oidium cognac. Oidium, from what I can tell, was a form of powdery mildew that caused damage to French vines starting in 1854 before Phylloxera came along to finish the job.
Continue readingAptly named, it’s The Soother:
- 1.0 ounce cognac
- 1.0 ounce Jamaican rum (Coruba recommended)
- 0.5 ounce orange curaçao
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon apple juice
- 1/2 teaspoon simply syrup (or Agave Nectar)
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a goblet. Garnish with a fancy lemon twist.
There is a lot going on in this drink. It’s listed in a book called Old Waldorf Bar Days from 1931, but it wasn’t listed in the cocktail section but instead in one called “Fancy Potations & Otherwise”. In any case, it is tasty.
Continue readingGot some high proof gin? Make the Three to One Cocktail:
- 1.50 ounces 100-proof gin
- 0.75 ounce Marie Brizard Apry
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge
I’m a firm believer in the concept of karma and of serendipity. So when my friends gave me spirits as birthday presents, I have not been surprised to see how easily they fit into my cocktail menu.
Continue readingNamed funny and made with honey, it’s The Bebbo Cocktail:
- 1.5 ounces gin
- 1.0 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 ounce honey
- 2.0 teaspoons orange juice
Stir all the ingredients (except ice) together in a cocktail shaker until the honey dissolves. Add ice, shake, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
This drink is supposedly similar to the Bee’s Knees cocktail, but instead of the Bebbo they should have called it the Cat’s Pajamas – it’s that good.
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