Mixology Monday: Cream

Lady Rebel Cocktail

1 oz. rye or Bourbon
1/2 oz. apricot flavored brandy
1/2 oz. white creme de cacao
1 oz. sweet cream (I used heavy cream)
1 tbsp. grenadine

Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 4 oz. cocktail glass.

The next time I see my father, the drinks are on me.

Thanks to him, I recently came into possession of a pristine 1959 edition of the Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender's Guide. It arrived just in time for this month's Mixology Monday, hosted by Anna over at Morsels and Musings. My father, who can often be found scouring local flea markets and antique sales presented me with the slim volume knowing that I would put it to good use. Thanks dad!

The book contains several recipes using cream, but I settled on the Lady Rebel Cocktail partly for it's name, but also for it's ingredients. I really didn't know what I was in for, but I figured it would be either really good, or really awful. Fortunately, it's a keeper.

First off, it's a very pretty drink. It pours a pale pink, with just enough froth to give it a look that somehow straddles festive and classy. But the pink, creamy appearance camouflages a drink with bite. When you bring this innocuous-looking concoction to your lips you'll catch the unmistakeable whiff of whiskey. It may be pink, but it's got a punch.

The taste & texture of the cream will be the first thing you notice, but the warmth of the whiskey and the mellow sting of the brandy will show up quickly. Adding to this will be the fruitiness of the apricot and a touch of chocolate from the creme de cacao that will slip in and blend seamlessly with everything else.

And even though the recipe didn't call for it, I garnished mine with a mint leaf. It just seemed to look better with a splash of green.

One last note: I made one each with Bourbon and rye, and I definitely recommend using Bourbon. The signature spiciness of the rye asserts itself a little too much, thinning out the taste and adding a sharpness that seems out of place in this recipe. Bourbon matches up much better with the other ingredients and creates a more cohesive combination of flavors.

Don't be afraid to think pink. Cheers!

Mixology Monday: Tequila

Mexico on Fire

1 1/2 oz. Tequila Anejo
1/2 oz. Amaretto
Champagne

Build Tequila and Amaretto in Champagne flute. Fill with Champagne. Garnish with orange twist and cherry.

I swear this recipe isn't just an excuse to get rid of leftover Champagne from last month's MxMo.

Actually, this one comes courtesy of my good friend (and fellow adult beverage enthusiast) Dave from San Antonio, Texas. He plucked this little gem from Tequila: The Spirit of Mexico by Enrique Martinez Limon, and recommended it highly.

Despite completely trusting Dave's taste in cocktails, I have to admit the combination of Tequila, Amaretto, and Champagne initially gave me pause...but my first sip removed any doubt.

The flavors blend wonderfully. The smoky edge of the Tequila complements the sweetness of the Amaretto, while the Champagne unites them both with a bit of dry effervescence. The initial taste is a bit fiery (but smooth), with the Tequila bite coming through, but the other ingredients definitely show up: The Amaretto and Champagne mingle perfectly with the Tequila, and help produce a flavor that's warm, smooth, and velvety on the tongue.

One quick note: This is one drink where you do not want to ignore the garnish. It could probably live without the cherry, but the orange twist is crucial. Use a fresh hunk of peel and make sure you get a decent spray on the surface of the drink. The orange flavor is key, and it adds a nice citrus accent.

And don't forget to swing by this month's MxMo host site My Bar, Your Bar to check out all the other great Tequila-centric recipes!

Pearl of Wisdom

Pearl of Wisdom

1 oz. dry white sake
1 oz. cherry brandy
1 oz. gin
2 oz. sweet and sour mix
Approx. half a lime's worth of juice (just enough to add tartness & a little pulp)
Splash of club soda

Place a Maraschino cherry or pearl onion (the pearl) in the bottom of a tall pilsner glass and cover with a couple inches of crushed ice.

Shake all ingredients (except club soda) with ice and strain into the prepared glass. Add club soda.

Garnish with a lime wheel and a pair of chop sticks. Place a fortune cookie on the rim of the glass.

Once served, the idea is to retrieve the "pearl" with the chop sticks then learn your fortune from the cookie.


This one comes direct from tiki enthusiast and carver extraordinaire Finkdaddy. In addition to creating incredible carvings & sculptures, Finkdaddy is a fan of adult beverages, and he recently submitted his original recipe, 'The Pearl of Wisdom."

This drink is outstanding.

Finkdaddy himself describes it as a variant of the Singapore Sling, and says it has been a big hit with friends and family. After trying it, I can easily see why.

The Pearl of Wisdom is a great example of a tiki-style drink, striking a wonderful balance between tart and sweet. The cherry and lime match up well, and combine to form the main flavors. There is a great citrus taste throughout, and the whole thing is unbelieveably refreshing.

The secret weapon here is the sake. It pulls the other ingredients together and puts a soft, dry tone on everything. As for brands, Finkdaddy recommends Momokawa Diamond, but not being able to find it locally, I substituted their Ruby and it was fantastic nonetheless.

Also, I'm generally not a fan of bottled mixes, but the sweet and sour works very well here. Just make sure you get some fresh stuff- this isn't the time to use up the remains of that derelict bottle that's been in the back of the fridge since last Summer.

Overall, if I had to choose between this and the Singapore Sling, I'm certain I'd take this one almost every time. The Pearl of Wisdom is drier and crisper, whereas the Sling is sweeter and fruitier. They're both great drinks, but I found the subtleties of the Pearl of Wisdom more appealing.

If you've been looking for incentive to buy a bottle of sake or cherry brandy, this is it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

And if you have a few minutes, check out Finkdaddy's excellent work at his site, The Leeward Lounge. You can also see additional pieces in this thread over at the Tiki Central forums.

Mixology Monday: Bourbon

Bourbon Lancer

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1/2 tsp. sugar -or- 1 sugarcube
1 dash Angostura bitters
Champagne

In a tall glass (14 oz. works well), place sugar and wet with Bourbon and bitters. Add several ice cubes and fill with Champagne. Garnish with lemon peel spiral.

The good folks over at Married with Dinner are hosting Mixology Monday, and the theme this time around is Champagne cocktails. Go check it out, grab a bottle of the fizzy stuff, and try the nifty concoctions they've compiled.

As for my entry, I found a few scant recipes online, but little else in the way of history/origin. None of the bar guides in my collection made reference to it either, which further increased the mystery. However, I enjoy mysterious things so I found my fevered imagination filling in the blanks and pretty much guaranteeing I had to try it.

The drink is as simple as it is tasty. It has few ingredients, and requires little in the way of preparation or fancy mixing. As such, I definitely recommend using decent quality booze, because this recipe contains nothing to mask an inferior product.

I made two of these- one with Maker's Mark, and one with Woodford Reserve. The Woodford made a much better-tasting drink, but if you have a favorite brand I'm sure you'll enjoy it in this recipe just as much as any other.

It's a very refreshing drink. The Bourbon is right up front as the dominant flavor (people who aren't fans of Bourbon will probably want to take a pass). The Champagne lightens & crisps up the Bourbon's earthiness without watering it down, and in some ways it reminded me of a stripped-down Mint Julep.

Give it a shot. It would be a great warm-weather drink, or something to spring on your friends if a celebration is in progress and bubbly is in good supply.

Czarina

Czarina

1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. apricot brandy
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1 dash bitters

Stir (if you like a silkier texture) or shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

I pulled the Czarina from Stuart Walton's The Ultimate Book of Cocktails. After trying it (and liking it), I did a little digging online and found a variant recipe listed in several places (shown below). I thought both were very good, so I'm listing each recipe.

I really liked this drink. It's a beautiful pale honey color and very evenly flavored. The brandy and vermouth are complementary, and the vodka seems the ideal base spirit with which to match them.

None of the flavors compete. They combine to make a simple, subtle drink. The brandy is warm on the tongue, but the vodka streamlines it and keeps it from being too dominant. The vermouth softens both, and the bitters put a nice little edge on it all.


Czarina (alternate)

1 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. apricot brandy
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

This recipe, while similar, makes a couple changes- it substitutes sweet vermouth for the bitters, and ups the brandy by a quarter-ounce.

Taste-wise, this recipe is comparable to the first one. However, it's a softer, warmer, and deeper version. Most of the key flavors are still there, but they're more subdued and rounded. The sweet vermouth really plays a role here, and it makes an already smooth drink even smoother.

I also found that the first recipe was ideal when just out of the shaker and at it's coldest. The second really seemed to shine after warming slightly, when the flavors came out a bit more. Either would be a great option for someone who wants to begin venturing beyond a comfort zone of "vodka plus sweet mixers"-style drinks.

Rendevous

Rendevous

3 oz. gin
1 oz. cherry brandy (I used Cherry Heering)
1/2 oz. Campari

Combine ingredients with ice in cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fresh cherry.


This one comes from The Martini Book by Sally Ann Berk. Unfortunately, the book lists no information on the history of the drink, so I have no idea as to it's origins.

The drink itself is a great blend of flavors. The gin lays back and provides a relatively neutral foundation for the brandy & Campari to come forward. Although you initially get the zap of the brandy/Campari combo, you can still detect the gin lurking around the edges.

At first glance, I was a little leery of a drink that used both gin and brandy. I had a vague perception of gin as a "cool" spirit and brandy as "warm", and wondered if they'd work well together. After trying this recipe I think they do work well together, and I'm definitely going to scrounge up more recipes that combine them.

Overall, the Rendevous is one of those drinks where the first sip or two may come across a little harsh, but stay with it- everything smooths out quickly and all the flavors really reveal themselves. Being that all three ingredients contain alcohol, it falls into the "all killer, no filler" category, but it's a very evenly-flavored drink despite it's strength.

A quick note on gin: I'd recommend using one of the crisper-tasting brands (i.e. Bombay, Tanqueray, Broker's) as opposed to a "big" gin like Bluecoat or Hendrick's where the aromatics and infusions are up front- You'll pile too much herbal flavor on top of the already punchy Campari and end up with a drink that's too flowery.

Satan's Whiskers

Satan's Whiskers Cocktail (Curled)

1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. orange juice
2 teaspoons orange Curacao
1 teaspoon orange bitters

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


I have to admit the name of this drink played a major part in my choosing it. Who wouldn't be intrigued?

The Satan's Whiskers Cocktail is another selection from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, which list two variants: straight and curled. The straight version substitutes Grand Marnier for the Curacao, and I tried 'em both.


Curled:

The bitters really comes through in this one. Of all the ingredients, it seems to be the one that asserts itself right up front but also lingers on the finish. Aside from the bitters, there's a noticeable orange flavor throughout, but it's not dominant.

My overall impression is that this version would work equally well as an after-meal drink (due to the hefty dose of bitters), or as part of a summertime menu paired with something like barbeque or grilled chicken.


Straight:

I definitely preferred this version- It's much smoother and has noticeably less edge to it than the curled version. In many ways it reminded me of a Margarita, but with the characteristic citrus flavor coming from the orange rather than lime.

If you like your drinks citrusy and on the dry side, give this one a shot. Besides, it'll be really fun to tell anyone who asks that you're drinking a "Satan's Whiskers". You have to admit it sounds much cooler than a vodka tonic.