A dear friend asked that I pick out a “signature cocktail” for her wedding… She’s allergic to gin, so that ruled out a whole bevy of interesting candidates. The wedding is in August, so I felt whiskey was probably too heavy. Vodka – meh… So I thought about rum… I looked at the classic rum drinks, the tiki cocktails and a few new recipes, but nothing excited… What could it be, I thought?

Exercising my best chemistry, I began to experiment… Without too many dumps, I came up with a really tasty, quite exotic libation, rum-based with ingredients that are generally available on a well-stocked bar.

Because this is her second marriage, I felt the title apropos: Another Chance. This was also one of my favorite Dunkirk Affair songs, which was about love’s second chance… Dunkirk Affair was my band in college…

My friends, from the shaker of Paul Malagrifa, I present Another Chance:

2oz. Cane 100 Rum

1/2oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur

1/2oz. Fresh Lime Juice

1/2oz. Simple Syrup

1/2oz. Honey Syrup

1/4oz. Blackberry Liqueur

2 dashes Cardamon bitters

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

Enjoy!

I love a good story, even better when the story is told about a fantastic cocktail!

The French 75 is a classic, pre-prohibition cocktail first created at the New York bar in Paris, France in 1915. The cocktail derives its name from one of the world’s most formidable field guns at the time, the French 75mm Howitzer. It was said by imbibers at the time that the cocktail possessed the kick of a French 75. Harry Craddock, who first recorded the recipe in The Savoy Cocktail book in 1930, remarked that the drink “hits with remarkable precision!”

The French 75 is also a cocktail not without some controversy. The recipe in Craddock’s book records gin as the cocktail’s base spirit, to which one adds lemon juice, sugar and then Champagne to finish up. In David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948), one of my favorite cocktail guides, the base spirit is listed as Cognac. Much more French, I’d say, but with a decidedly heavier presence.

I’ve tried both versions and think they are just wonderful in their own way. The gin-based version has a lively palate that is refreshing and tart with a complex nose from the botanicals of the gin (I chose Tanqueray 10 as the base). The Cognac-based version has more depth and body with pleasing hints of vanilla and caramel – almost like a Sidecar with bubbles… In any event, the cocktail is visually striking and a fine way to awaken one’s spirit after a long day in the trenches!

The French 75 (Classic)

2 oz. London Dry Gin

2 tsp of super fine sugar

½ oz. lemon juice

5 oz. Brut Champagne (approximate)

Vigorously shake the gin, sugar and lemon juice with crushed ice. Strain into a Champagne flute and top off with Brut Champagne. Garnish with a twist is optional.

Cheers!

I just finished a superb book on the subject of bitters and I cannot give it a high-enough recommendation. If you are an avid mixologist and classic cocktail aficionado like me, then the volume Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons, is a must have for your library.

Parsons takes his reader on a exciting journey through the history of bitters, chronicling the heady pre-prohibition days when literally hundreds of varieties of bitters were available to the everyday barman; the dark days of prohibition when bitters almost went the way of the dodo; and the current resurgence of the bitters “cult” as the proverbial wingman to the classic cocktail revolution.

Parson’s style is engaging and his humor is dry and lightly satiric. His story-telling ability keeps what could be a fairly dry topic quite entertaining.

The book also contains three important sections: recipes for your own craft bitters; recipes for an intriguing list of classic cocktails; and recipes for a selection of “new” classics. The book also has a section on bitters as showcased as a culinary enhancement – interesting…

I’m already planning a trip to find a few pints of Everclear, as well as a local herbal center to find cinchona bark and a few other odd roots to begin fabrication of my own craft bitters!

Cheers!

According to Ted Haigh in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, the Boulevardier was a Prohibition-era cocktail invented at Harry’s Bar in Paris, circa 1927. The drink is in essence a Negroni, substituting Bourbon for Gin, but with much more of a punch. I actually prefer Rye, which makes a smoother libation.

In any event, I have found the Boulevardier a nice replacement to the Manhattan. The drink is spicier with a more bitter bite, both things I tend to enjoy when the weather suggests Winter…

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Boulevardier:

2oz. Bourbon (I prefer Rye)

1oz. Campari

1oz. Sweet Vermouth (I prefer Carpano Antico)

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

Enjoy!

Folks who have taken part in my Art of the Cocktail class are aware of my feelings about the Martini. In a word, my feelings borrow from the movie Highlander: “There can be only one!” Well, perhaps this is not entirely true. As a purest, I believe that the ONLY base spirit permitted in a Martini is GIN. Not Vodka, not Apple Schnapps, not anything but Gin. Given that, I will certainly entertain the multitude of variations that masquerade as Martinis, even if their name bears no reference or similarity to the original, welcome the Hoffman House, the Vesper and the Racquet Club Cocktail. However, the essential formula must contain elements of the original cocktail: Gin and Dry Vermouth. From there the palate is endless and can include additional spirits, different garnishes, a range of bitters and even neat versus on-the-rocks.

Before I get to the subject at hand, I must digress to another aspect of this much bastardized cocktail – the concept of the “dry” martini. In its original form, the balance between Gin and Vermouth was more evenly matched. Heck, the original drink was likely created with a version of Gin that possessed a sweeter, more aromatic profile – Old Tom Gin. To me the perfect cocktail is about BALANCE – that quality wherein the individual flavors and tastes of the various component parts marry into a blissful concoction of smoothness and pleasure. The bar tenders of old knew this and were largely forced to become masters of mixology primarily as a result of sub-standard base spirits. Old pros knew that to keep the crowds coming in for more libations, the drinks needed to be spirituous and alluring.

At some point the Martini took a turn towards manliness. Somehow, returning veterans from the last great conflict (that would be WWII for the very young among us) felt that slaking their thirst with glasses of chilled Gin was the most appropriate means to dull the painful memories of a war-weary nation. Vodka showed up with the Moscow Mule and the Screwdriver and it would seem that the concept of the balanced cocktail flew out the window forever. Adages like “pass the Vermouth over the Gin/Vodka,” or “turn towards France when you shake the Gin/Vodka with ice” became the hallmarks of a drinking nation.

Fortunately we are seeing the errors of our ways. The recent resurgence in classic cocktail drinking is bringing back the concept of balanced libations. A perfect example is the previously mentioned Racquet Club Cocktail. In this month’s Imbibe magazine, Mr. David Wonderich writes about this wonderful pre-Twentieth Century treat. What drew me to the cocktail was not the 2-to-1 ratio of Gin to Dry Vermouth, but instead the addition of Crème de Cacao to the recipe. I found that when I crafted the cocktail with Old Tom Gin and a healthy bar spoon of C-d-C, it was remarkably smooth with just a whisper of dark chocolate on the finish. Ice cold, the drink was near perfect for taking the edge off a long day. If you like the Vesper, I heartily recommend that you roll a Racquet Club Cocktail and compare.

 

The Racquet Club Cocktail

2 oz. Gin (I prefer Old Tom)

1 oz. Dry Vermouth (I prefer Dolin)

1 bar spoon of Crème de Cacao

3 dashes Orange Bitters

Mix all ingredients and shake vigorously with crushed ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Cheers!

 

I’m reading Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits by Jason Wilson. It started slow, but has picked up steam. Quite a few interesting cocktail recipes and entire chapters devoted to arcane spirits that until now I merely gazed at and wondered… “did the world really need an artichoke-based digestif?”

 

So I ventured forth in search of a class of spirit termed the Italian Bitter, or Amaro. When one goes in search of Amaro, it turns out you end up having to try a bunch of related goodies that are not quite Amaro, but are “part of the experience.” The things I do in the name of learning…

 

First up is the classic Averna, an Amaro Siciliano that was actually quite nice. Sweet with a Mocha-Coffee flavor that was smooth and balanced. I could see sipping this and relaxing after a nice bowl of Tripe, or Gnocchi Bolognese. And there are a pair of really nice cocktails that use Averna:

 

 

 

Black Manhattan

 

2 oz. Rye

 

3/4 oz. Averna

 

1 d Angostura Bitters

 

1 d Orange Bitters

 

 

 

Intercontinental

 

1-1/2 oz. Cognac

 

1 oz. Averna

 

1/2 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

 

 

 

Both recipes involve shaking the ingredients with crushed ice and straining into a cocktail glass.

 

 

 

Next up is something a little more unusual – Santa Maria Al Monte Amaro… In Sushi restaurants sea urchin is considered “challenging.” Well, this amaro is the sea urchin equivalent of the spirit world – Elements of pine sap with an extremely bitter finish – eye-opening is a good description. I could not find any cocktail recipes that would use this spirit and sipping as a digestif would be an acquired taste for sure…

 

Next we tasted Cynar – an artichoke-based (Cynara Scolymus) liqueur that was quite interesting. Sweet with herbaceous bitterness, almost like a richer version of Campari. I found a cocktail that is quite refreshing, ala Satan’s Whiskers…

 

 

 

Cyn-Cin

 

1 oz. London Dry Gin

 

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

 

1 oz. Cynar

 

1 d Orange Bitters

 

2 Orange Wedges

 

Shake the spirits and the juice of one orange wedge with crushed ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and toss in the remaining orange wedge.

 

 

 

Next up, Fernet-Branca a bitter spirit made with neutral grape spirit as the base. Whoa is the only word I can use to describe the experience… Menthol, mint and extremely bitter – takes some getting used to…

 

Last up – Punt e Mes Vermouth – Punt e Mes literally means “point and a half” in Piedmontese. It has been said that it owes its name to a sudden raise of the stock market (naturally, of a point and a half) which greatly benefitted the Carpano distilleries, which then created the vermouth brand to commemorate the occasion. Alternatively it may refer to the flavor being characterised as one ”point” of sweetness and half a point of bitterness. Punt e Mes can be used interchangeably with any other Rosso Vermouth, or in a cocktail of its own design.

 

 

 

Red Hook

 

2 oz. Rye

 

1/2 oz. Punt e Mes

 

1/4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

 

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

 

 

 

So ends the journey for now… The moral of the story is to always keep an open mind and expect the unexpected.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 25, 2011)

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)