I love The Negroni (https://blog.musingsonthevine.com/2011/10/02/the-negroni/) – As I wrote, it is perhaps one of a few perfect cocktails… In my humble opinion. So how does one improve upon such a delicious libation? Think white… or golden-hued, at least.

I recently found Suze, Saveur d’autrefois, a French, gentian-based aperitif that reminds me of a more perfumed version of Campari. As I sipped lazily on this very unique treat, I was inspired. Why not modify a few ingredients and recast The Negroni as a more feminine protagonist? So is born, La Contessa. Refreshing and with floral and honey notes, La Contessa enlivens the palate as a classic cocktail should…

Ladies and Gentlemen, La Contessa:

1-1/2 oz. London Dry Gin

1-1/2 oz. Suze

1-1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc

Shake the ingredients with crushed ice, vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Enjoy!

One of my favorite cocktail books is Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, it is truly an epic tome filled with some of the best classic cocktails.

I love Scotch… and sometimes I like to have more fun than just pour it neat with a few splashes of spring water… I also like rarities… Scotch cocktails, as Mr. Haigh points out, are indeed rare.

According to Mr. Haigh, Arnaud’s Special Cocktail “was the signature cocktail of the legendary Arnaud’s Restaurant in New Orleans” during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Another famous classic to come from Arnaud’s was the French 75, which is currently the reigning signature drink.

However, a disclaimer is in order… IF YOU DO NOT LIKE SCOTCH, THEN YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS COCKTAIL… Unlike other Scotch-based cocktails, where the mixing ingredients serve to temper the smoky, peaty, distinctive flavor of the Scotch, In Arnaud’s Special Cocktail, neither the Dubonnet, nor the bitters does anything to impede the true nature of the spirit. Fine by me…

So, for those who are still game, I present Arnaud’s Special Cocktail:

2 oz. Scotch (I chose Johnny Walker Red on Haigh’s recommendation)

1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge

3 dashes Orange Bitters (I chose Regan’s Orange Bitters)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Cheers!

A very close friend asked if I would help create a special cocktail for her 25^th college reunion… It needed to be somewhat thematic, or at least… green.

Well, when one scans the horizon for the available choices in green spirits, one does not exactly find a panoply of stars… Let’s see… Green Chartreuse… Crème de Menthe, Apple Pucker and Midori… Sure there are probably a few more, but isn’t the current list bad enough? Excepting Green Chartreuse, or course…

Everyone who knows me, knows that I love a challenge, so we settled down with a bottle of each of the aforementioned lovelies, the balance of my well-stocked bar and a long Sunday afternoon… The results were surprisingly positive…

In the area of Green Chartreuse, I could find nothing that created a suitably green drink that was actually palatable. Most turned out a dull ocher or median rust color… far from the requisite green.

With the Apple Pucker, we turned out a respectable “Apple-tini” that was refreshing and quite nice:

The Mel

1-1/2oz. Vodka

1oz. Apple Pucker

1/2oz. Apple Jack (I prefer Laird’s)

5 dashes Baked Apple Bitters

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice, shake vigorously to chill and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an apple peel.

With the Midori, we turned out a respectable tropical-influenced riff on a Daiquiri/Sidecar:

The 88

1-1/2oz. Vodka

1oz. Midori

1/2oz. Cointreau

5 dashes Spanish Bitters

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice, shake vigorously to chill and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon or lime peel.

With the Crème de Menthe, we turned out a (shockingly) respectable homage to mint parfait:

The Dimple

1-1/2oz. Vodka

1oz. Crème de Menthe (green)

1/2oz. Lillet Blanc

5 dashes Mint Bitters

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice, shake vigorously to chill and strain into a cocktail glass.

So, in the final analysis, we found three very good uses for a few spirits that have usually found their way to the way back of the bar… I can’t wait until St. Patty’s Day!!

Cheers!

“Shoulder” seasons demand “shoulder” cocktails and I am willing myself into spring, despite the unseasonably cold temperatures and generally inclement weather pattern these last few weeks.

That said, nothing says “shoulder” cocktail better than spiced rum… Yes, typically rum is a summer/southern climes kind of spirit, but when combined with the correct ingredients it works in non-summery seasons.

Pray tell, what would those ingredients be? How about Domaine Canton (ginger liqueur) and traditional Framboise (raspberry liqueur)… So I wish I could claim this cocktail as my own, but alas the clever folks at SpiritedLA (http://spiritedla.tumblr.com/) are the originators. I also wish it had a great, classic story…perhaps it will 100 years from now…

At any rate, on first blush the cocktail does seem like it could be too sweet, but the choice of liqueurs, both of which have a natural tartness to their characters, tempers what could be a cloying, sickening mess. I may choose to experiment with a spoonful of lemon juice, as well – nothing like bench testing to ease oneself into the weekend…

The Lyndhurst

.75oz Domaine de Canton

.75oz Framboise

1.5oz Dark Spiced Rum

3 dashes Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

Combine with crushed ice in a shaker, mix and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with honey, ginger and raw sugar – garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Cheers!

Domaine Canton, the ginger-based liqueur posted an interesting cocktail in my newsfeed… The Gold Rush.

Being the inquisitive sort, I decided to roll my own… The original recipe is as follows:

1.5oz. Domaine Canton

1.0oz Bourbon

0.5oz Lemon Juice

Shake the ingredients with crushed ice, vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo Maraschino cherry.

So I sipped the libation… a trifle too sweet for my taste, so I amped up the lemon and used Rye instead of Bourbon… Ahhhh… now that is a refreshing cocktail, with an exotic, Far East hint…

Enjoy!

Billed as a modern classic, I found this concoction on Liquor.com and it is quite an interesting combination… The name caught my attention initially – for obvious reasons, but the drink itself held my interest – a teasing interplay between the sweet, orange nectar flavor of the Grand Marnier and the herbaceous sweetness of the Bénédictine, all cut by the clean, briny quality of the Irish Whiskey.

I present The Brotherhood Cocktail:

1.5 oz Blended Irish Whiskey
.75 oz Grand Marnier
.75 oz Bénédictine
.75 oz Fresh lemon juice

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the top and drop into the drink.

Cheers!

The Ward 8 is a classic cocktail with roots in Boston, Massachusetts, having been invented at the Locke-Ober bar in 1898… or so one story goes… According to Boston folklore, the drink was invented in honor of Democratic political czar Martin M. Lomasney, who hoped to capture a seat in the state’s legislature. After his election, the drink was created to fete the man, and to honor the city’s Ward 8, which presumably delivered Lomasney the winning margin.

As cocktails go, this libation is well-balanced, with a crisp, refreshing finish, owing to the lemon juice.

The Ward 8

2 oz. Rye Whiskey

½ oz. Lemon Juice

¼ oz. Orange Juice

¼ oz. Grenadine

Shake all ingredients with ice until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass then add a splash of sparkling water and enjoy. A Maraschino cherry can be used as a garnish, if so desired.

Cheers!

The classic/craft cocktail boom has many benefits and a few detractions. In the plus column, the availability of once-extinct ingredients makes creating the true classic cocktail so much easier and the end product so delicious. In the negative column, this same availability has spawned all manner of questionable cocktails, most are well meaning, but just plain awful.

But every so often, a bartender gets it right and the mixture is a wonderfully new classic. Witness the Bitter Giuseppe, a “new” classic created by Stephen Cole of Barrelhouse Flat, in Chicago. I stumbled upon this wondrous elixir in the January 2013 edition of Imbibe Magazine and I’m really glad I did.

The cocktail uses Cynar, an Italian Amaro based on artichokes as its base, with the use of full-throttle Carpano Antico as an accent, which at first I thought would make a syrupy-sweet mess. The addition of just a hint of fresh lemon juice cuts the cloying sweetness perfectly and renders a refreshing and complex cocktail.

The Bitter Giuseppe

2 oz. Cynar

1 oz. Carpano Antica (Sweet Vermouth)

1⁄4 oz. Lemon juice

6 dashes Orange bitters, (Regans’ Number Six)

Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, then garnish with a piece of lemon peel.

Cheers!

Call me old fashioned, but I was born to savor rye whiskey. Almost non-existent a mere few years ago, there has been an explosive resurgence of rye whiskey as a direct result of the latest classic cocktail craze – and I say Amen to that! No longer do I have to overpower my mixed drinks with the cedar sweet pungency of Bourbon. Instead, I can roll a classically balanced cocktail with the crisp, yet mellow character of rye. Ah…

Given the plethora of rye on the market, where does one start… Well, for openers, just a few years ago, my choice for rye was a dependable, straightforward bottle of Old Overholt. Cheap and plentiful, Old Overholt was my bar standard and it mixed a mighty charming Manhattan, if I do say so myself. But no man is an island, so as the options for rye have grown, I have dutifully investigated the slate and come up with a host of additional players… In no particular order…

Riverboat Rye – An unfiltered whiskey from Bardstown, KY – Slightly hazy – smooth but with a slight edge – spicy and nutty – makes a perfect mixer.

Willett Rye – An aged, single cask strength whiskey from Bardstown, KY – Deep caramel color with a captivatingly complex nose – butterscotch, vanilla and allspice. Excellent for sipping and makes a nice companion to Carpano Antico.

Rittenhouse Rye – Bottle in bond, 100 proof, this whiskey is not shy, but nor is it the bruiser that is high proof might suggest. Solid, if not a little one-dimensional – makes a spirituous drink.

Bulleit Rye – 95% rye and bottled at 90 proof, this Lawrenceburg, KY whisky is remarkably smooth. Clean with a slightly spicy finish – excellent for sipping.

Ryan & Wood Rye – Locally distilled in Gloucester, MA, this whisky is a blend of rye, wheat and barley that produces a smooth and flavorful spirit. The advertising on their web site touts the unique Cape Ann climate… Maybe that’s why this rye has a hint of brine on the finish…

Jefferson Rye – A 10 year old, straight rye whiskey that is smooth with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. Excellent for sipping and also makes a really nice Old Fashion cocktail.

High West Son of Bourye – Not entirely rye, but a near 50-50 mix of rye and bourbon. Potent, with a rich, mellow flavor. Definitely for sipping, I find there is too much caramel richness to produce the desired results in a cocktail.

Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye – A 12 year old, 100% Canadian rye whisky – smooth with butterscotch and allspice notes. Lovely for sipping, or mixing.

Cheers!

For some reason I had a craving for a cocktail containing orange juice… Not sure why, but I did. I thought long and hard about what to mix: Monkey Gland? Bronx Cocktail? Screwdriver? Then it hit me… Blood & Sand!

Blood & Sand is a Scotch based cocktail introduced in 1922. It was named for Rudolph Valentino’s 1922 bullfighter movie Blood and Sand. The red coloring of the Cherry Heering helped tie it to the film. The recipe first appeared in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Blood & Sand:

1oz. Blended Scotch

1oz. Orange Juice

1/2oz. Cherry Heering

Shake the ingredients with crushed ice, vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Enjoy!