I do not watch much in the way of television series… However, Stuff Magazine recently featured “classic cocktails based on characters from the series “Boardwalk Empire.” Big deal, right? Well, I do like Steve Buscemi and it turns out, the cocktail named in his character’s honor hits the spot… and it uses an obscure Italian bitter and Pimm’s #1 Cup (and yes, at some point we will discuss the other Pimm’s Cups…). I bring you:

Nucky’s English Cousin (Inspired by Nucky Thompson; Created by Sabrina Wilhelm of Noir)

2 oz. Canadian Club whisky

1 oz. Pimm’s No. 1 Cup

1/2 oz. Aperol

2 dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters

Shake liquors with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with two dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters and garnish with an orange peel.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 21, 2011)

Corpse Revivers were a brand of pre-prohibition cocktail meant to be consumed before 11:00am as a bit of the “hair of the dog,” if you will. There are in fact three Corpse Revivers, #1, #2, and, you guessed it, #3.

Corpse Reviver #1

3/4 oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth

3/4 oz. Apple Brandy or Calvados

1-1/2 oz. VSOP or better Cognac

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass

Corpse Reviver #2 (My Favorite)

1 oz. Gin (London Dry or Old Tom)

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. Lillet Blanc

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 dash Absinthe

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass (Garnish with a single Maraschino Cherry)

Corpse Reviver #3

3/4 oz. Fernet Branca Bitters

3/4 oz. White Creme de Menthe

3/4 oz. VSOP or better Cognac

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 6, 2011)

So with the AC down for another day and the room temperature in the house a balmy 85 degrees F, I’ve taken to sipping a cocktail named for an apropos landlord… Satan’s Whiskers (Straight, as opposed to Curly)…

1/2 oz. London Dry Gin

1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

1/2 oz. Orange Juice

2 tsp Grand Marnier (Cointreau for the Curly variety);

1 tsp Orange Bitters

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a (chilled) cocktail glass.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 8, 2011)

After such a long week and to celebrate the return of our AC, I present an historic cocktail… Lucien Gaudin (September 27, 1886 – September 23, 1934) was a French fencer and olympic champion both in foil and in épée competition. He received gold medals in both foil and in épée (solo) at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He also received gold medals in foil and in épée (team) at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Lucien Gaudin Cocktail

1 oz. London Dry Gin

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. Campari

1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Bring on the weekend!

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 10, 2011)

The Dubonnet Cocktail is said to be the favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, although her mother preferred the drink served on the rocks. Originally an un-garnished cocktail from the 1930’s, today the Dubonnet Cocktail is often served with a twist of lemon (sometimes an orange peel). The cocktail is also known as a Zaza in certain circles.

1 1/2 oz gin

3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge

Lemon twist for garnish

Shake with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

God Save the Queen…

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 16, 2011)

Folks who know me, know that I love to experiment… Recently read a great piece about the fabled Gimlet – a drink that is typically referred to as “an old-guy” cocktail. There are two schools of thought on the Gimlet… The traditional recipe is as follows:

Gimlet 2 oz. London Dry Gin; 3/4 oz. Lime; 3/4 oz. Simple Syrup

In the referenced article (Beverage Journal), the suggestion was made that a less traditional recipe, substituting Rose’s Lime Juice for the fresh Lime Juice and Simple Syrup made a better tasting libation… Guess what I’m test driving later this afternoon?

Revised Gimlet 4oz. London Dry Gin; 1oz. Rose’s Lime Juice

I’ll let you know how I make out…

QUICK UPDATE: Tested both Gimlet recipes… Traditional won out! Well-balanced with a fresh, limey flavor. The Rose’s carried its signature “metallic” flavor through the drink… Cheers!

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 18, 2011)

My friends say it’s obsession… I call it passion… Last week I began a quest to better understand the class of spirit known as amari, or Italian bitters… Well, I managed to find the Holy Grail of amari – Barolo Chinato. A simply wonderful combination of DOCG Barolo wine with an infusion of herbs, quinine and spirit – simply wonderful! And what better way to start the weekend than with a special cocktail – The Darkside:

2-1/2 oz. of Plymouth Gin (London Dry will work)

1 oz. Barolo Chinato

3 dashed Peychaud Bitters

lime twist and star anise garnish

Shake the ingredients with crushed ice until the ice cold (30 seconds) and strain into a cocktail glass – Yummy!

(Originally posted on Facebook: July 1, 2011)

Absinthe… “The Green Fairy,” as it is affectionately known, is a spirit with an often misunderstood past and one, that only until recently is legal again in the US. The spirit was invented in 1789 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire in Val-de-Travers on the French border of Switzerland. Originally intended as a pain reliever for recovering medical patients, Absinthe became a spirit of mythic proportion during the Belle Époch in Paris, France.

Absinthe derives its name from the principal ingredient from which is it made, wormwood or in the Latin: Artemisia absinthium and it is this very ingredient that caused its undoing in 1912. Believed to be a dangerous narcotic because of the chemical compound thujone, Absinthe was banned in most of Europe and the US by 1912. After decades of tireless research into the actual danger of thujone and the relatively minor amounts found in Absinthe, the spirit was released from bondage in 2007!

So, where did the stories of hallucinations and madness come from? Well, at 136 proof, the spirit has a definite kick and when enjoyed as an Absinthe Drip (plain with just a small amount of ice cold water dripped over a sugar cube), the effects can be seemingly hallucinogenic.

Another interesting fact… the German word for wormwood is vermut, or as we say Vermouth. That’s right; Vermouth also actually contains wormwood as one of its many ingredients too…

On a brilliantly sunny day like today, I can’t possibly stay inside a dark, smoke filled Caberet and sip an Absinthe Drip, so it’s one of the many Absinthe cocktails… how about the Monkey Gland – a pre-prohibition libation made famous at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris!

The Monkey Gland

1-1/2 oz. London Dry Gin

1-1/2 oz. Orange Juice

1 spoon Grenadine

6 drops Absinthe

Maraschino Cherry

Orange Zest Twist

Mix the ingredients (except the cherry and twist) in a shaker with crushed ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, add the cherry and twist the Orange Zest over the glass.

(Originally posted on Facebook: July 4, 2011)