Spirited Cocktails

You know I don’t really do much in the way of brand-specific work here at Spirited Cocktails. I haven’t done many brand reviews (though I’ve had a lot of requests, so I may start), and I very rarely call for a specific brand of spirit in any of my recipes. I think it benefits the consumer to try different brands on their own and determine what suits their own tastes.

Earlier this week, though, @NYBarfly (whom you should be following on Twitter) was gracious enough to invite me to join him in meeting Andrea Bearbower, an educator at Cruzan Rum, at Gramercy Tavern. Many brand ambassadors claim to be “educators”, but Andrea is the real deal. She knows more about rum than I think she cares to admit, and I couldn’t help but truly respect her once she went all “spirits geek” on us and the bottles of molasses came out at dinner!

As Andrea taught us, Cruzan Rum has a long and rich history on the island of St. Croix. You may know them well for their wide variety of flavored rums (including guava, coconut, pineapple, and more.) But Cruzan seems to be trying hard to really expand their line of “pure” rums – a line which now includes a single-barrel estate rum, a black strap rum, and others – in order to help rum win the respect it truly deserves.

All too often, we think about rum and we form an immediate association with mojitos. Mojitos aren’t all that bad, but they’ve been so over exposed (thanks to brands like Bacardi), that they’ve become a sugary shadow of their former selves. In fact, rum is used in some of the most classic cocktails (like the Daiquiri) as well as some of the earliest punches. A quality rum can also be mixed in a number of modern cocktails (as I’m about to show you), or even sipped straight on its own.

The supremely-talented bartenders at Gramercy Tavern were kind enough to mix up a few different cocktails with Cruzan rum. I didn’t capture all of the proportions for each one, but I’ll give you a rough description, and because I’m so dedicated, I guess I’ll head back to Gramercy Tavern soon and dig up more detail for you!

Here, Andrea is holding up the Orange Blossom – made with Cruzan rum , champagne, St. Germain, lemon juice, a sugar cube, and orange peel.	The Cruzan Silver Greyhound was very grapefruit-centric (as you’d expect), including Cruzan rum, grapefruit juice, grapefruit bitters, cane sugar, and candied grapefruit as a garnish.	As an after-dinner drink, the bartender whipped up what a Cruzan Hot Toddy, with Cruzan Rum, Hot water, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, Velvet Falernum, and cinnamon sticks. (This one was my favorite!)

If you ever have a chance to catch up with Andrea and hear her speak about rum, I highly recommend it. I believe she’ll be appearing at the Tales of the Cocktail event later this summer. In the meantime, maybe I can talk her into a guest post here at Spirited Cocktails.

As I said, I’ll be working diligently to dissect the three cocktails I described above and recreate them for you here. If you just can’t wait, swing by Gramercy Tavern here in New York and ask one of the talented bartenders there to help you out – I’m certain you’ll enjoy them!

Cheers!

Update: Check out @NYBarfly’s post about our trip. Trust me – he’s a far better writer than I!

I make no attempt to hide my true love for Angostura bitters. A wonderful, proprietary blend of roots and herbal extracts, bitters are the perfect modifier to so many cocktails. They were originally used to mask the taste of quinine in tonic water. Supposedly, they’re also thought to cure a number of ailments, including the hiccups or an upset stomach. Personally though, I just love the taste, the look, and even the smell (they’re a terrific aromatic when used in cocktails such as the Pisco Sour, for example.)

The Fitzgerald, designed by Dale DeGroff, is one of the most straightforward demonstrations of Angostura bitters. This cocktail is essentially just a gin sour with bitters added. While it may sound simple, and while a gin sour on its own is great, something wonderful happens with that last little touch.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

1.5oz gin
1oz simple syrup
3/4oz lemon juice
2 dashes (a few good shakes) of Angostura bitters

Combine all of your ingredients along with ice in a cocktail shaker, shake, and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

It’s as simple as that. If you’ve never tried Angostura bitters before, this is where you should start. Also be sure to check out our other cocktails featuring Angostura bitters.

Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

So how was your Memorial Day weekend? Calm and relaxed? Or perhaps quite the opposite? Maybe one too many Flamingo cocktails at the beach? If so, another cocktail may be the furthest thing from your mind. But if you tend towards the whole “hair of the dog” approach, the Corpse Reviver #2 (aptly named) might be just what the doctor ordered (no doctor I know, but I’m sure there’s a quack out there who would prescribe this.)

Here’s what you’re going to need:

1oz gin
1oz fresh lemon juice
1oz Lillet Blanc
1oz Cointreau
A splash of pastis, Pernod, Ricard, or absinthe

Combine all the ingredients along with ice in a cocktail shaker, shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Optionally, you might add a stemless maraschino cherry for garnish.

You’ll notice a few unique things about this cocktail. The first is the absence of any sugar or other sweetener. This definitely isn’t a sweet drink. Though the citrus, Cointreau, and Lillet see to it that it’s not very “boozy” either. It actually tastes a bit like a hard lemonade in some ways, though much, much beter.

Another unique attribute is the presence of the Lillet Blanc, which we’re using on this blog for the first time (I actually had to go out and buy some!) Lillet is a French apertif wine (available in both White and Red.) It’s a blend of wine and citrus liqueurs made from oranges, and definitely tastes citrusy. It’s probably most famous for its presence in the Vesper martini, ordered by James Bond in Casino Royale. It appears in a few other cocktails as well, but my favorite among them is certainly the Corpse Reviver #2.

One final note – you might ask, why #2? What about #1? There is a Corpse Reviver #1, which was listed in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book along with #2. It’s made with Applejack, Sweet Vermouth, and brandy. However, it seems to have fallen out of favor long ago, while the balanced complexity of the Corpse Reviver #2 has stood the test of time. For good reason.

Cheers!

Today is Memorial Day in the US. Certainly above all else, a day to remember those who are no longer with us, and to pay special recognition to the men and women of our armed forces. Coincidentally though, it also happens to be the generally accepted opening day of the summer season. Shutters fly open on beach houses, shorts and sunglasses come out in full effect. Warm weather is here.

Of course, nothing celebrates summer quite like a “beach drink.” Beach drinks are the type you’d order at a beach bar, perhaps on some tropical island. They’re generally bright in color (pink works), sweet, and fruity. So in celebration of the opening days of summer, I bring you The Flamingo.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

1.5oz rum (preferably white rum if you have it, but no big deal either way)
1.5oz pineapple juice (always fresh squeezed if possible, but you can see here that I’ve cheated, and it turned out OK. But fresh is always better.)
1/4oz lime juice
1/4oz grenadine
A splash of simple syrup (optional, if you like your beach drinks on the sweeter side)

Combine all your ingredients along with ice in your cocktail shaker, shake well, and strain into a chilled martini glass. No garnish is required.

It’s really as simple as that.

So as your beach umbrellas go up, and the sun block goes on, give this cocktail a try. Even if you can’t make it to the beach yourself, this drink will turn your mind to sunshine and seagulls in a snap.

Cheers!

I just came across this article on a new black cherry infused bourbon coming from Jim Beam, called Red Stag. I’m intrigued.

As many of you know, I’m a pretty big bourbon fan, and I tend to be a bit of a snob about it, so my initial reaction was to cry heresy. Don’t mess with a good thing.

But the more I think about, the more anxious I am to try this. I worry that if it’s not done well, it could have an artificial, medicine-like taste. But if it really is an infusion of black cherries, that adds nice flavor without overwhelming the bourbon or being too sweet, it could be excellent.

I look forward to trying it. If any of you get your hands on some, let me know what you think!

I’ve been wanting to experiment with Sloe Gin for some time now. It seems to be making a bit of a comeback – so much so, that when I stopped by my favorite liquor store, they were limiting its purchase to one bottle per customer.

For those unfamiliar with Sloe Gin, you can read more about it on Wikipedia. The basic gist though is that it’s gin infused with sloe berries, which are the fruit of the blackthorn (a relative of the plum). It’s pretty tasty stuff!

I figured I’d start with a very standard cocktail, and one of the most prolific for sloe gin – the Sloe Gin Fizz. After researching the cocktail a bit, I was surprised to find just how controversial the recipe seems to be. It’s not at all uncommon for variation in a cocktail recipe; as we’ve discussed before, a cocktail can and should be adjusted to taste. Generally though, a consensus recipe seems to emerge to provide a starting point. Not so here.

So I’ve decided to start slow (buh-dump-bump) and use a fairly standard set of proportions. Over the coming weeks, I’ll continue to experiment with sloe gin (now that I have my allotted supply), and I’ll provide updates and variations for you to try as well.

To get started, here’s what you’re going to need:

1oz sloe gin
1oz London dry gin
3/4oz fresh lemon juice
3/4oz simple syrup
Club soda

Combine all of the ingredients (except the club soda) in a shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a long glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda.

You’ll notice I used a mix of dry gin and sloe gin in this recipe. This was definitely the largest source of controversy during my research. Some used all sloe gin; some used a mix. I started with a mix to mellow the flavor a bit, but it’s definitely worth trying both ways! Most of the recipes I’ve seen that use sloe gin exclusively, however, omit the simple syrup. That’s because sloe gin itself is on the sweeter side, so added sugar generally isn’t necessary.

I’ve also seen recipes that use blueberries, mint, and a variety of other accoutrements. Like I said, I’m going to keep playing, and let you know what I find. Suggestions (and your own findings) more than welcome. Leave comments here, or tweet them to me @cocktailspirit.

Cheers!

The Sidecar I’ve made for you in this post was my very first Sidecar ever. Anywhere. I have no idea what took me so long. This is a wonderful cocktail with a complex and interesting flavor. No wonder it’s a classic. (The Sidecar dates back to Harry’s Bar in Venice, and appears in books back to the Savoy c.1930).

Here’s what you’re going to need:

1.5oz cognac
3/4oz Cointreau
3/4oz fresh lemon juice
orange slice and sugar for the rim of the glass

Prepare a cocktail glass by running an orange slice around the outer rim of the glass, and rolling the edge of the glass on a plate filled with sugar. Some people will put the entire glass down in the sugar – you don’t want sugar on the inside of the glass, as that will sweeten the drink itself. You want to roll the outer edge in the sugar so you taste the sugar as you sip the drink. End of tirade. When you’re done, stick the glass in the freezer to chill while you’re preparing the cocktail itself.

Combine the cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, and strain into your chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange or lemon peel.

You’ll notice a few things about this cocktail:

The first is the absence of any sweetener in the cocktail itself (no simple syrup, etc.) This is a more tart drink in its own right. But that’s the great (and important) thing about the sugar rim. The combination of the sweetness of the sugar and the tartness of the cocktail is wonderful. I’ve seen recipes where the cocktail itself is sweetened (with elderflower liqueur for example), but I think it looses something in translation.

The second is the use of Cointreau (specifically, by name). Dale DeGroff teaches us (and he’s absolutely correct, of course) that Cointreau provides the best, balanced orange flavor for this cocktail, as compared to Grand Mainer for example.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think. Don’t forget the sugar rim!

Cheers!