Fish House Punch

For the Fourth of July, what could me more patriotic than Fish House Punch?

• 2.0 quarts Jamaican Rum (Appleton recommended)
• 1.0 quart brandy (Hennessy recommended)
• 0.5 pint peach brandy
• 0.5 pint maraschino liquor
• 1.0 quart freshly made green tea
• 1.0 pint lemon juice
• 1.0 pound powdered (not confectioners’) sugar
• 1.0 bottle champagne

Stir together in a large pot with lid. Let brew (they advise for two days). When ready, pour over ice in a punch bowl and stir in the champagne

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The Lion’s Tail

In order to try Allspice Dram, I decided to make The Lion’s Tail:

• 2.00 ounces bourbon
• 0.75 ounce Allspice Dram (or less, to taste)
• 0.50 ounce fresh lime juice
• 0.50 tablespoon simple syrup (or less, to taste)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a 5-ounce cocktail glass.

Let me state for the record that I am not a cocktail expert. I am simply on a journey of exploration and discovery led by people like Dr. Cocktail (Ted Haigh), David Wondrich and Jason Wilson. I love being exposed to new flavors and combinations found in classic cocktails, and this was the first time I had ever heard of Allspice Dram.

The Aviation

One of the first vintage cocktails I ever made was The Aviation:

• 2.50 ounces gin
• 0.75 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 or 3 dashes maraschino liqueur

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist

I first heard about the Aviation last year while watching The Blacklist, an NBC television show. In one episode, Raymond Reddington takes agent Elizabeth Keen to Montreal where he orders an Aviation cocktail for her. The drink they present was a dark blue color, and he remarked “It’s from the ’20s, tastes like spring, doesn’t it?”

Blood and Sand

Not many cocktails today feature Scotch as the spirit, but this wasn’t always the case as is demonstrated by the Blood and Sand:

• 1.00 ounce Scotch
• 1.00 ounce orange juice
• 0.75 ounce cherry-flavored brandy
• 0.75 ounce sweet vermouth

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

There are a couple of vintage cocktails I’ve seen in the wild, and this is one of them. I have had it at least twice but while I found it good it never wowed me. Until now.

Tarus the Bull

When Justin Peregoy, the cocktail chef at the Oak Leaf, heard we were going there for my birthday he named that night’s special cocktail Tarus the Bull:

• 1.5 ounces Bulleit Rye
• 0.5 ounce blood orange juice
• 0.5 ounce Fernet Branca
• 0.5 ounce cinnamon simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Pour the first four ingredients into a bar glass with ice. Stir until cold then strain into a cocktail glass. Add bitters. Garnish with a lemon twist.

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The Fogcutter (Early)

Here is my third and final attempt at the Fogcutter. This one is from the book and attributed to Don the Beachcomber:

• 2.0 ounces Barcardi Gold rum
• 0.5 ounce Plymouth Gin
• 1.0 ounce Pisco Brandy
• 1.0 ounce orange juice
• 2.0 ounces lemon juice
• 0.5 ounce orgeat syrup
• 0.5 ounce cream sherry

Shake all ingredients except the sherry with ice cubes. Pour into a chimney glass, and add more ice to fill. Float the sherry on top.

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Back Porch Lemonade

This is another favorite of mine from bluezoo, and thanks to Chad Lobner I’m able to share the recipe for Back Porch Lemonade:

• 2.00 ounces Troy and Sons moonshine
• 1.50 ounces Sour Mix
• 0.75 ounce Ginger Syrup
• Lemon wedges

Muddle the lemons and add rest of ingredients. Shake and strain over a crushed ice filled mason jar rimmed with sugar.

Moonshine is a spirit made from corn that is popular in the Appalachian region of North Carolina, which is near where I live. While North Carolina doesn’t really have the whiskey tradition of Tennessee or Kentucky, we do take our moonshine seriously. I grew up in a “dry county” – one in which it was illegal to sell alcohol – but there were always places people “in the know” could go to find “white liquor”. Quite frequently it was sold in the same jars used for canning, normally made by Mason or Ball.