A classic sour from Peru with many subtle variations Well it's only been like 3 ½ years, so I don't wanna overpost... But seriously I've been researching, tasting, testing and creating many many MANY cocktails during my absence! Most of them are saved on my go-to cocktail website Kindred Cocktails. I'm trying to get an embedded feed of all the cocktails that I've personally tasted and rated on there but that function is no longer working. In the meantime I plan on back-dating a bunch of my favorites from the last few years so keep checking back as I fill in the gap between this post and January 2019! Okay obviously I could blame the pandemic but let's face it, I was stuck in lockdown and had nothing else to do so I could have done it then. But I didn't. Meanwhile, in the past few weeks I got my Bartender/Mixology certification from the New York Bartending School (whatever that means). I also got the TIPS Alcohol Awareness certification and took a food handler course. Now I just need a fucking job! Perhaps I shouldn't curse so much if I want to work somewhere more upscale than your average sports bar. * 2022 update: I got a job at a great restaurant with craft cocktails and super fun people to work with! ** 2024 update: The restaurant closed due to a clueless owner who expected to become a millionaire in the first 2 years. So now on to another classic cocktail. We start with Pisco, a clear brandy made from fermented grape juice, originally made with grapes left over from wine production. Like most unique and interesting spirits there is a long history in its development. As with many other unique spirits (such as Cognac), Pisco has a specific denomination of origin (DO), which in this case is still hotly debated between Chile and Peru, each with their own seemingly legitimate claim. It's not quite like any other brandy because of it's specific use of ingredients and process. The most famous and highly regarded cocktail that uses Pisco as its base is the Pisco Sour. This is a drink that I've made many times and in various forms and I decided to make it again during my week of bartending school. I looked up the recipe in my handbook, but I felt like it used too much sugar. There are many variations listed on various websites that claim to have the "original" recipe, but using slightly different proportions and some even use lemon instead of lime. It seems most likely that the "real" original uses more sugar than I prefer, so I decided to make one that stuck to the classic sour 4:2:1 ratio. Who knows if it's the original or not because as with many great cocktails from 100+ years ago, the origins are a bit murky and up for debate. I've gone back and forth on this and I think the final word for me is to up the sugar to 3/4 oz. rather than the 1/2 oz. that would be the 4:2:1 ratio. Also, the lemon/lime debate keeps going. My current bar manager insists I use lemon. I liken lime, but as with all citrus fresh squeezed makes more of a difference than the actual fruit. Then there's this guy who splits the citrus into 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime. Like most cocktail youtubers he takes too long to get to the point but he does have some nice stories and more of the "thinking" part that I like. I'll have to try that sometime. They're all pretty similar, but mostly it's about the sweet/sour balance and is really a matter of personal taste. You may want to double the sugar, or feel free to adjust to your liking: 2 oz. Pisco 3/4 oz. lime juice, freshly squeezed 3/4 oz. simple syrup (or just use a teaspoon of raw sugar and muddle with lime) 1 egg white 3 drops Angostura bitters Dry shake, then add ice, shake, double strain, serve up. Garnish by adding 3 drops of Angostura bitters in a row or triangle on top of the foam and optionally swirling through them with a toothpick (I need to work on that as you can see). Another option is to do a reverse dry shake where you first shake everything but the egg white with ice. Then strain it into another shaker without ice, add the egg white and dry shake, then pour without straining. This can produce a much frothier foam.

Have a sour new year! I’ve been away for awhile… Don’t worry, I’ve been making plenty of cocktails and mostly have just been too lazy to do the work to make a proper post. I do have some pics and wrote down most of my recipes, so sooner or later I’ll get around to posting the good ones. As is usual, this one came from my curiosity about a particular classic liqueur, allspice dram, which had only recently been brought back from obscurity. One of my local bespoke liquor outlets had the most popular brand called St. Elizabeth which is imported by Haus Alpenz which also brings in a lot of these wonderful and somewhat obscure liqueurs. Allspice dram is basically a Jamaican rum that’s been infused with allspice or “pimento” berries that give it that combination of flavors that we all associate with the various baking spices of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. It’s really good in various tiki drinks or other rum based cocktails, and also is an important ingredient in the Lion’s Tail cocktail along with bourbon, but I found that I really liked it as a primary base alcohol in this sour. It’s a great new year’s eve alternative to the cream-heavy extra sweet eggnog but with much of the same flavoring while still allowing for the frothy egg white for added silky texture. Give it a try, I think you’ll like it and don’t worry about what you’ll do with the extra dram – plenty of things go well with it! 1 ½ oz. Allspice Dram ½ oz. Añejo rum ½ oz. Lemon juice ½ oz. Lime juice ½ oz. Simple syrup 1 Egg white 2 dashes Orange bitters 2 dashes Angostura bitters Dry shake, then add ice, shake, strain, up. Garnish with cherries or lemon twist and nutmeg

Dark and bittersweet like the end of summer... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ahhh, the sound of the cicadas on a late August midnight… Cocktails have a way of transporting us to a time and place, but they are best served IN that time and place. Tonight’s the night! This one came about as I tried a similar recipe published on Imbibe Magazine’s website, but found it too sweet and lacking body. My version adds some dark spiced rum, in this case I used Cruzan Blackstrap rum instead of cachaça, but I suspect that any darker black spiced rum would work. I wouldn’t use a good aged rum, but maybe it’s worth trying too. I also added a bit of lemon and my favorite, orange flower water. I think this is super yummy and despite my sunny photo I recommend drinking it on a warm humid summer night on the porch where you can hear all the insects playing their symphony.  Drinking this reminds me of yet another wonderful painting, this one by a slightly lesser known artist than Picasso or Matisse: Charles Burchfield. This is a watercolor, if you can believe it, and as with most of Burchfield’s work, it's about expressing the sound and energy of nature: As I look at those wild curvy lines in the night sky I can almost hear the cicadas humming. Burchfield was also a fan of modern classical music, his favorite being Sibelius, but I think of Stravinsky. Choose your own favorite and use this cocktail as a way to drink in that dark night and let the hum slowly move up into your head… 1 ½ oz. Cynar 1 oz. Nocino 1 oz. Blackstrap rum ¼ oz. fresh squeezed lemon Dash orange flower water (garnish) lemon twist (express and garnish) Orange twist (express and garnish) Stir liquor and lemon with ice, strain, pour over rocks, garnish.

In a hurry? Drink this! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sometimes you just want something simple and easy to make, but not boring to taste. Complex flavor with minimal effort. Drinking, but no Thinking... Drinks with equal parts usually work well, such as The Last Word and some of its many variations such as the Last of the Oaxacans, but not all are so well balanced.  I discovered the 4X1 on my new favorite website Kindred Cocktails, and it is an original creation by El Jefe who is one of the many active users. I’m on there too in case you want to join. They’re a little persnickety about what you publish and they have a lot of rules, but I think it’s ultimately for the best. They didn’t publish all of my submissions, but some they did and it’s just a good repository for original cocktails that are biased towards high quality ingredients, though not all the concoctions are quite as high quality as their ingredients… Anyway, I’m busy this week, so here’s the recipe – mix and gulp! 1 oz. Tequila 1 oz. Aperol 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth 1 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice orange twist as garnish Stir with ice, strain, serve up in coupe, garnish.

Mandatory summer cocktail! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This was one of my early cocktail creations that really convinced me to start this whole blog. I had already concocted my seminal original creation The Melon Blast which started the wheels turning, but it was my annual trip to Provincetown in 2017 that was my introduction to this wonderful cocktail that convinced me that creating, photographing and promoting cocktails was my life calling. Or at least my mid-life crisis relief-valve hobby. In any case, I was walking down Commercial Street with my family, when I had the rare opportunity to wander off by myself for a cocktail while the wife and kids shopped for tourist related apparel. I happened to be right in front of a popular restaurant called the Lobster Pot where coincidentally an old friend had previously worked when I visited him 30+ years ago on my first trip to Ptown. I slipped inside to chug something – anything – that would dull the pain of hot sun and whining children. I was gonna just get something with vodka, but then I saw the locals next to me get these gorgeous fruity drinks with watermelon slices, limes and mint and I said “I’ll have one of those!” There are literally as many recipes for the watermelon mojito as there are people making them. The only thing they seem to have in common is fresh watermelon, lime, mint, rum and some kind of bubbly topper (ginger ale, ginger beer, lemon lime soda, seltzer, champagne, etc.) plus most also include some form of sugar or simple syrup. I’ve made many variations, and usually I spend the time to do up the garnishes all purdy-like, but that takes time and it was hot, so you can figure that out fer yerselves. This is my premier version of the recipe, but feel free to fiddle. I build this in a large glass and make it messy. ¾ cup fresh watermelon chunks half a lime 10 mint leaves 1 oz. Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum (or other Jamaican rum) 1 oz. Don Q añejo rum (or other Puerto Rican or Cuban rum) ½ oz. Velvet Falernum ½ oz. Cointreau 4 oz. ginger beer (or seltzer) 2 dashes creole bitters crushed ice Muddle watermelon and lime aggressively in a pint glass until watermelon is mostly liquid, then add mint and muddle gently, add liquor and ice, stir, top with ginger beer and garnish with bitters, lime wedge, watermelon slice, mint sprig.

My Spaghetti Western was made in Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is what happens when I try a recipe that calls itself “smoky” but has more tequila than mezcal and WAY too much Fernet Branca. The original recipe I found on Imbibe Magazine’s website (one of my favorite sources) was called “Bitters & Smoke” and was actually pretty good, but I felt it could be better with a little tinkering. If you’re gonna use the word “smoke” in the name, you better feature the mezcal! I also found that Averna was a better choice for the Amaro – not quite as minty plus I added a bit of sweet vermouth to sweeten it up a bit. I have to say, for an original cocktail, this is one of my best – a nice balance of sweet, spicy, smoky and bitter. My original idea for the name was “Spaghetti Western” but obviously many other people had that same idea and there are several diverse cocktails with the same name. Most of the other recipes (of which there are many if you Google “spaghetti western cocktail”) used either bourbon or rye with either an Amaro or other Italian bitter. My take on this was more like the true Spaghetti Western movie that takes place as much in the US as in Mexico, and features my favorite Mexican liquors: tequila, mezcal and the most recent addition into the canon of Mexican (dare I say) “classics” Ancho Reyes (Verde in this case – I still can’t find the original version in my hood). So my title is a bad Spanish translation that is more like “Western Spaghetti” and is actually the name of a pasta dish. Whatever, it sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Just be aware that I meant to refer to the film genre and not the food. Personally I’m not a Western movie fan, and I’m not even that much of a Clint Eastwood fan, but The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of the best movies ever made. Period. Seriously, as an NYU film school alumnus I would have to rank it close to the top – maybe right after Antonioni’s L’Avventura and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. It’s definitely a must see if you haven’t watched it already. And while you’re at it, “Once Upon A Time In the West” is also well worth it – a spaghetti western epic! Again, I hate westerns in general, but these are more like historical dramas, which is more up my alley, although despite Sergio Leone’s obsessive historical research, his Civil War scenes use dynamite which hadn’t been invented yet. Oops! Suspension of disbelief… Okay, watch some movies and drink this: 1 oz. tequila 1 oz. mezcal 1 oz. Cynar ½ oz. Sweet Vermouth ¼ oz. Averna Amaro ¼ oz. Ancho Reyes Verde 1 dash orange bitters Lemon peel expressed and as garnish Stir with ice, strain and pour up in chilled glass, express lemon peel and add as garnish.

I have no fucking idea how this one got started... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sometimes I spend a lot of time looking for drinks that incorporate a newly discovered (new to me) liqueur into a tasty cocktail. Other times I get sucked into the internet vortex of tangential references to historical cocktails and newly adapted versions. Other times I’m mixin’ and drinkin’ and thinkin’ and I have no fucking idea where I am, but I make something great so I write it down but forget how and why I ended up there. This WAS one such recipe, but then I looked at it a month later and said to myself, “What the fuck is this and how did this happen?!?” The title I had given it was “Moonlight Angel”, which I vaguely remembered was a blending of two drinks, one with each of the two words. However, despite all my research and digging in to bookmarks, apps, notes, etc. I couldn’t find any related recipes that even remotely used more than one of the ingredients. I gave up and I didn’t even bother recreating it to test it cuz I could tell that the amount of Fernet Branca in it would make it taste like toothpaste. Instead, I decided to try and salvage my original “stroke of genius” by experimenting further. The original recipe I had created used lavender syrup, which was obviously because I had some left over from my previous Flower Girl recipe, so this time the Aperol inspired me to create a grapefruit simple syrup from fresh grapefruit peels, which I had never done before. I also decided to use about 25% light brown sugar with the usual pure cane sugar in the standard 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. Very tasty! The Fernet Branca seemed important to the original recipe, so I decided to try it as a rinse and substituted the original lime for grapefruit to take that theme a bit further. That tasted pretty good, but was a bit too sweet, so I upped the mezcal and added the recent acquisition of Cynar to give it a bit of bitter, hence the new name I eventually gave it. I think this came out pretty damn interesting and complex as well as tasty! I suppose you could figure out my original “Moonlight Angel” recipe by reverse engineering my written notes here, but try this first: * editor’s note: Okay, the original was not so bad after all if you reduce the Fernet Branca, in fact I like it about the same. It’s 1 1/2 mezcal, 1/2 Aperol, 1/4 Fernet Branca, 1/2 honey syrup (Lavender if you have it), 1/2 lime. Still, try the new one first: 2 oz. Vida mezcal ½ oz. Cynar ½ oz. Aperol ¾ oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit ½ oz. grapefruit simple syrup Fernet Branca rinse Shake with ice, strain and pour straight up into martini glass rinsed with Fernet Branca.

Who doesn't love tequila, mezcal and poblano peppers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Let’s face it, too many cocktails are just too goddam sweet. Most of my favorite flavors are fruit-based, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be sweet, does it? Unfortunately, most fruit-based liqueurs are pretty sweet, even the good ones. As I’ve slowly been learning, a good cocktail is about balance – not too sweet, not too herbal, not too floral, not too sour, not too spicy, etc. It’s also about complementary flavor profiles to create complexity – what tastes good with what. Traditional “authentic” cocktails from the 1920’s and even a bit earlier were actually pretty damn sweet by 21st century standards, but keep in mind that citrus was not as readily available back then as it is today, and crazy things like hot peppers were too intense for the delicate American and European palates. Well, we’ve evolved into a much more global cuisine, thankfully, and slowly but surely the smoky flavor of mezcal has made it’s way north and I’m guessing it will soon surpass the popularity of tequila. To keep apace with this newfound expanded palate there have been some wonderful new liqueurs that I believe should be added to the venerable canon of secret family recipes from the old world. The one that has really grabbed me by the nose and tongue is Ancho Reyes, which is based on a 1927 recipe chili pepper infused liqueur from Puebla, Mexico. The brand was established in 2012, and they only make two products. The one that I’m using is their more recent offering called Ancho Reyes Verde, which is made from smoking fresh green poblano peppers, while the original is made from the same peppers that have been sun dried to turn red and hotter, at which point they are called ancho peppers. Same pepper, two names… don’t ask me why, I’m from the Midwest and no habla Español. In any case, the green one is a bit milder and “fresher” flavored, while the red original is a bit spicier, peppery and hotter. To be honest, I’ve only had the “Verde” one, but as soon as I can get my hands on the original I’ll give it a try. What’s particularly interesting about this liqueur, aside from its spicy hot flavor, is that unlike so many other herbal liqueurs it’s a full 80 proof, so it’s more than a just an accent – it’s full strength! You can drink it straight (yum!) but it’s really good with tequila or bourbon based drinks like the Margarita and Manhattan. I’ve played around a bit with it and enjoyed every single recipe, but I think that it tastes really good with tequila, mezcal and a bit of lime and my favorite citrus: grapefruit! I really like this recipe I found online, but I made a few minor changes. The original used only tequila, so I split the amount with mezcal, and since I was all out of agave syrup I used some of the lavender syrup I made for last week’s Flower Girl and I think it’s a pretty good approximation for agave only a bit more pungent and floral. I suppose honey syrup would work as well, but it definitely needs that tiny bit of sweetness or else it seems to lack body. I also doubled the grapefruit because I like it and I think it tastes a bit fruitier with that extra citrus. The first time I used Casamigos blanco tequila with Vida mezcal which was great, but I also tried it with Espolon reposado tequila and Monte Alban mezcal which was maybe more mellow but less flavorful. Try the original, try mine, and try your own variations! 1 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde 1/2 oz. Mezcal 1/2 oz. Tequila 1 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit 1/2 oz. lime 1/4 oz. agave, lavender or honey syrup Shake with ice, strain and garnish with grapefruit slice or peel.

My favorite floral drink! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last year I fell in love with Crème de violette and experimented with all kinds of flowery cocktails. I had a favorite that was very similar to this recipe but with vodka, and I did a lot of experiments and came up with my own concoction, which maybe I’ll post next week, but nothing quite compares to the Flower Girl. I think that rum instead of vodka makes it more complex and balances the floral flavors of the elderflower and violet, while the lavender syrup with the egg white adds a silky mouthfeel. It’s like drinking a field of flowers! Also it's relatively low ABV so you don't get wasted. A perfect drink for kids! The original recipe from Town & Country Magazine by the Atwood bar in NYC calls specifically for Banks rum, but I tried Pyrat and also Appleton Estate which make it darker and richer but I think any aged rum would be fine. I also made my lavender syrup with fresh lavender buds from a plant in my yard and used honey instead of sugar. The basic simple syrup recipe is 1:1 sugar to water, but I used less of the honey, maybe ¾ cup to 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of fresh lavender buds. Also fresh lavender buds for the garnish as well. I know some people might be grossed out by the egg white, but it’s really essential to help bring out the delicate flavors and have them linger on your palate. Don’t be a wimp, just do it! Drink like a girl! ½ oz. rum ½ oz. St. Germain ¼ oz. Crème de violette 1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon ½ oz. lavender syrup 1 egg white Dry shake all ingredients, then add ice and shake again. Strain and garnish with lavender buds or seeds.

Less rum, more Campari. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . After last week’s disastrously potent Zombie I thought it would be a good idea to try a much weaker low ABV rum cocktail but still keep with the summer tiki theme. This drink seems to be very loosely based on the original Navy Grog, another Don the Beachcomber’s original which is equally as heavy hitting as the Zombie, and with similar origins and ingredients. However, as the name suggests, the Parrot’s Grog is prettier and much more friendly than its maritime cousin. The main ingredient of Campari gives it a spicy bitterness than lessens the blow of the itty bitty pinch of rum and the grapefruit makes it a lovely fruity alternative to the Americano, or my fruitier Bloody American. It’s definitely a silly indulgence which I gleaned from a list of refreshing summer cocktails from Esquire Magazine, but tasty and worth trying. The original version from Theo Lieberman of Milk & Honey in New York calls for Smith & Cross rum, which I happened to have, but I think any good quality gold or aged rum would work just fine. And apparently the stupid umbrella garnish is required… 1 oz. Campari ½ oz. Smith & Cross Rum 1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice ½ oz. fresh squeezed lime ½ oz. honey syrup club soda Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda, and serve with an umbrella.

Appropriately named... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As promised, here’s the recipe for the original Zombie cocktail from Don the Beachcomber’s bar circa 1934. There’s a reason that Donn (his name is alternately spelled with one or two Ns, so I'm trying both) only allowed 2 per customer. This is some Depression Era inebriation. It’s not your typical 21st century craft cocktail with complex flavors and “mouthfeel” – It’s more like a velvet covered hammer to your head. In other words, it tastes pretty good, not too sweet or boozy flavored, but it smashes in your skull before you realize what’s happening. Most of my interest in this has to do with the historical mystique and tiki theme, but it also has some tricky preparation aspects that involve secret recipes and time. The most unique ingredient is “Donn’s Mix” which is a cinnamon simple syrup mixed with fresh squeezed grapefruit. If you want to take it further, you can also make your own grenadine which is always a treat. You can read more about the history of the zombie here and here. The biggest problem is getting the right rums, which I must admit I had to cheat a little because I couldn’t find a 151 proof demerara rum. Instead I used a Smith & Cross 114 proof Jamaican rum. I also used Appleton Estate 12 year private reserve for the other Jamaican rum and some Don Q añejo Puerto Rican rum which I brought back from Puerto Rico, but now have been able to find locally. Apparently the original 151 demerara rum no longer exists, so I think it’s okay to substitute. You’ll be basically turned into a zombie anyway, so it shouldn’t matter that much… 1½ oz. Jamaican rum 1½ oz. gold Puerto Rican rum 1 oz. 151 proof Demerara rum ⅛ oz. absinthe or Pernod ½ oz. falernum ½ oz. Donn’s Mix: 1 part cinnamon syrup 2 parts fresh grapefruit juice 1 tsp. grenadine 1 dash Angostura bitters 6 oz. crushed ice mint sprig garnish Put it all in a blender, blend at high speed for 5 seconds, pour into tall glass with more ice to fill, garnish and serve.

Q: Bourbon or Rye? A: Both! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is the cocktail for my purist friends who don’t like cocktails. It’s more pure than a mint julep with a subtle and complex flavor. I can’t remember how I found this one, but it’s a signature cocktail from a Denver restaurant which I normally wouldn’t repost but this one is sincerely special. I was initially skeptical due to its simplicity and the insistence on including grapefruit oil twice during the mixing. Usually I would say that such fussiness was all about show, but in this case the grapefruit oil adds an essential aroma and perfectly complements the Aperol. Same with the demerara syrup – it’s a richer flavor than your usual simple syrup and adds depth to the bourbon. In my tastings, I didn’t have actual demerara sugar, so I used ½ part light brown sugar with ½ part natural palm sugar to 1 part water and boiled in down in just a few minutes. I’m sure you could use any natural cane sugar or turbinado and add a bit of brown sugar to give it a more robust molasses flavor, but the key is to only add that tiny bit. You don’t want this too sweet. Like all good cocktails, especially those involving whiskey of any sort, it’s only as good as the liquor that you start with. The original recipe calls for 90 proof Weller’s bourbon and 100 proof Rittenhouse Rye, but I have never seen or tried Weller’s, so I used a local cabernet cask finished bourbon from Taconic distillery (also 90 proof). The idea is to have it at 95 proof and get a nice balance between the spiciness of the rye and the smoothness of the bourbon, or so the creator says. Again, I was skeptical, but the “proof” was in the distinct flavor of this well balanced blend. The best part was the grapefruit oil expressed from two large peels. I’m a huge fan of grapefruit flavor in general, and vodka infused with grapefruit peels is one of my absolute favorites. Aperol is also a favorite that has that same wonderful citrus body to it. All in all this is a really complex and subtle yet strong boozy drink that will satisfy the most stubborn bourbon drinkers as well as the most finicky cocktail snobs. Just make sure you follow the details below and do it right! 1 ¼ oz. bourbon 1 ¼ oz. rye ¾ oz. Aperol half bar spoon demerara simple syrup grapefruit oil from two 6″ long peels Mix bourbon, rye, Aperol and sugar syrup with ice. Twist one grapefruit peel over the ice. Stir and strain into tumbler with one large ice cube. Twist 2nd grapefruit peel over and then wedge it between the ice and glass.

A dedication to my ex-step-father-in-law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This week I embarked on a quest to create something out of my favorite alcohol to drink straight up: Slivovitz. Actually, my favorite is Pálinka, which is the Hungarian version, but it’s nearly impossible to find in the US, so I usually have to settle for Slivovitz. Basically it’s a clear plum brandy, but Pálinka can also be made with apricots, apples, pears or my favorite cherry, which is similar to kirschwasser but with no added water or flavoring. I was turned on to Pálinka several years ago by “Papa”, my wife’s mother’s ex-boyfriend who is Hungarian and a man who never denies himself the finer things in life. According to Papa, the main difference between Slivovitz and Pálinka is that water, sugar and yeast are added to Slivovitz during the fermentation process, while Pálinka is made purely from the fruit itself with no added ingredients and is distilled at least 6 times. He used to force me to take a shot of the plum Pálinka when we would visit, and I grew to love the flavor and strength, although it’s usually only 80 proof. One time, after visiting Hungary, he came back with some of the cherry stuff and some higher proof home-made plum Pálinka which was simply out of this world. Some call it rocket fuel, but it’s actually got a subtle and delicate fruitiness that’s not too sweet. I love this stuff and a few years ago I actually went to the trouble of buying a case of the cherry stuff from an online distributor, but I can’t seem to find it anymore, so now I have to settle for the plum Slivovitz to get my Papa fix and I almost always have a bottle on hand. Slivovitz is pretty much always served straight up as a shot or sipped as a cold apéritif, so there are very few cocktails that call for it. I searched and searched, and found a few esoteric ones out there, but they all seemed to focus on fruity/sweet flavors or feature a juice rather than the Slivovitz itself, which seemed like an afterthought rather than the main ingredient. The Yellow Plum and Slivopolitan are prime examples of this, and although the former seems like a waste of time, the latter might be worth exploring in the future. In any case, I decided it was my duty to honor Papa with his own cocktail, although I haven’t seen him in years and probably never will again, but that’s another story. Let’s just say that I prefer to focus on the positive and preserve my fond memories of him through our favorite shared alcoholic beverage. So I had actually created a fairly daunting task for myself – how to create a cocktail that features a strong fruit-based liquor without letting it be too sweet or fruity and preserve it’s delicate nature. I considered working with the usual suspects of Cointreau and St. Germain’s, and the floral idea seemed to make sense, but all those flavors seemed too powerful and sweet. The answer was right in front of me as I stared at my newly acquired bottle of Drillaud’s Rose liqueur, just in time for spring. I’ve been experimenting a lot with it lately, and makes a great vodka and tonic as well as a fabulous vodka martini, but how would it work as a supporting flavor? I did the usual pairing with lemon at various doses but it didn’t quite bring out the kick of the Slivovitz and was either too strong or it got lost with the lemon. Then it occurred to me to add just a touch of bitter, and Campari made perfect sense, not just for flavor but color as well. Add the garnish and it all comes together quite nicely if I do say so myself! Give it a try, and don’t worry, you’ll find plenty of uses for the rose liqueur this spring and summer, and a cold shot of Slivovitz on a summer afternoon will hit the spot too! 2 oz. Slivovitz ½ oz. Drillaud’s Rose liqueur ½ oz. fresh squeezed lemon ¼ oz. Campari Shake with ice and strain into apéritif glass, garnish with lemon peel styled as a rose.

Also known as the Motor City Mule. Vernors is the key... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I love the Moscow Mule – to me it’s the perfect basic no-brainer cocktail – simple, sweet and tart, bubbly and cold with endless possibilities and variations. There are hundreds of recipes out there, such as the Holiday Mule, and I have literally made dozens of variations of my own riffing off the 3 basic ingredients of vodka, lime and ginger beer. I’ve made it with lemon, flavored vodkas, added juices and liqueurs, lemon instead of lime, ginger ales and various fancy ginger beers….. but I’m from the Detroit area, and we have a very unique and special ginger soda called Vernors which is the basis for this recipe. You can’t really get Vernors outside of the Detroit area and Michigan, although Wikipedia claims that it is now available in 33 states. I’ve only ever seen it in Michigan and parts of Ohio. It’s been around since 1866 and although some claim that the flavor has changed over the years, it tastes pretty much the same as I remember it, although maybe a little weaker and sweeter. It has a secret recipe (naturally) with a distinct spicy-sweet flavor that is likely due to a high ginger content and oak barrel aging. In any case, it’s awesome, and you can’t really make this recipe without it. I usually have a stash on hand from my many trips back to Michigan, so you can ask me for some if you really want to try this. I initially stumbled upon this idea by pure chance when I had some cucumber vodka and I was trying to figure out what kinds of flavors would pair nicely with it in a custom Moscow Mule and I just randomly opened a can of Vernors rather than my usual Reed’s ginger beer. It was amazing! I’ve also tried it with lemon instead of lime, which was good, and even just plain vodka, and they were all good. However, I felt as though something was missing. Lately I have been experimenting with various tiki oriented drinks, and I thought that the strong ginger spiciness would go well with Velvet Falernum, which is a spicy liqueur used in some tropical themed drinks. It has a ginger, allspice and clove flavor which made perfect sense and it was in fact the perfect complement to my beloved Vernors! I tried my recipe using lemon and plain vodka as well, but cucumber vodka and lime seem to be essential to making this work. So what’s Zug Island? This is Zug Island: Since I was making a Detroit-themed island drink, I immediately thought of the most Detroit-themed island I knew. Zug Island is a serious industrial wasteland man-made island just south of Detroit. You can’t even legally go onto the island, although I have done so in the trespassing days of my youth. It’s the home to steel mills and tar factories and just pure pollution. Also some falcons, apparently. Anyway, don’t let my dose of reality ruin your drink. It’s actually really tasty! 2 oz. cucumber infused vodka ½ oz. Velvet Falernum ½ oz. fresh squeezed lime 4 oz. Vernors ginger soda (NO substitutions) Mix together in an oil can (or glass) and fill to top with crushed ice. Garnish with half lime husk floating like an island.

I love everything tiki! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ever since the resurgence of 50’s Lounge music in the 90’s I’ve been into everything Tiki. I have a nice collection of Tiki ceramic mugs (one is pictured above), old Hawaiian records, plenty of Hawaiian shirts, and an August Holland “Pearl of Wisdom” print from the 60’s (gift from a friend – see below) I even have an original hand-carved Tiki sculpture brought back from Hawaii by my grandfather in the 1950’s with shiny eyes made of seashell and also pictured in the background of my drink photo above.  So I’m a legit Tiki fan, and I particularly like the odd American romanticized fantasy version of all things Polynesian perhaps even more so than the reality of Polynesia itself. However, at one time I actually gave a shit about the reality back when I was obsessed with all things mythological. I did lots of reading about Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and even purchased this lengthy tome: Guessing by the placement of the bookmark, it looks like I only made it to page 13, but I seem to recall skipping around and reading other bits and pieces. I’ve of course forgotten it all now, but since “I haz the internets” it doesn’t matter, I can just Wikipedia shit whenever I need to and suddenly I’m an expert! So what is “tiki” anyway? It’s either the first man, or woman, or another ancient ancestor, depending on the version of history you want to follow, but generally it refers to a carved sculpture of said historical/mythological humanoid and is often associated with sex (naturally). Why do we care? We don’t really – we’re mostly interested in American Tiki Culture and the Tiki Bar in particular. According to the Wikipedia God, the earliest Tiki bars were in 1930’s California – one called Don the Beachcomber and the other called Trader Vic’s. You can read more about them on your own, although some of the history is disputed, but suffice it to say that those two bars and their eponymous owners are the sole source of the most famous drinks we refer to as “tiki cocktails” including the Zombie and of course the Mai Tai. The Mai Tai’s origins are disputed, since both masters of Tiki claimed to have created it, but according to my research it seems most likely that Don (Donn) was the originator in 1933 but that it never caught on and was dropped from his menu. Later Vic recreated it in 1944 and made it the drink that we know today. It’s hard to separate the truth from cocktail folklore, but as with all things cocktail (and all things Tiki) we should never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Here’s a brief history and quick recipe comparison and if you ask me, Donn’s version is remarkably similar to his recipe for the Zombie, which I’ll be exploring later this summer… As you can imagine, the number of stories about the Mai Tai’s origin is almost as long as the list of recipes for it. Many of them are just basically rum, lime and pineapple, so I don’t even look at those, but there seems to be some basic agreement that it should include 2 oz. of rum, some lime, double strength sugar syrup and and orgeat syrup, which is a specialty almond syrup that you can buy at a good liquor store or make yourself. I’ve made this using store bought orgeat and also making it myself, and making it yourself definitely tastes better and is kind of fun (though it requires a day of forethought) but it’s a bit cloudy and viscous so you might just want to find a bottle of the premade stuff. Also, I’ve tried it both with rock candy syrup (double strength simple syrup) and substituted that for grenadine which I think tastes a little more “tropical”. I’ve used the standard Rose’s grenadine, but I’ve also made my own grenadine and it’s a new treat that I have been exploring and enjoying immensely. It’s simple to make – 1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice with 1 part sugar, heat in a skillet until dissolved (just like simple syrup), squeeze in half a lemon (or lime) and optionally add a teaspoon or less of orange blossom water (I bought some on Amazon cuz it’s also an essential ingredient to making orgeat syrup). Additionally you can add a few whole cloves during the heating process for a spicier flavor. So you may be asking yourself “why no pineapple?” Well, that’s a later style of Mai Tai called a Royal Mai Tai, which was actually created by Trader Vic for tourists in Hawaii. It’s more fruity, and more of a punch than a cocktail, so I don’t recommend it for the serious cocktail enthusiast. It does make a nice garnish though, and I’ve gone all fruity with my garnishes for that reason, although the traditional garnish is an upside down spent half-shell of lime with a mint sprig poked through it to look like a desert island. I originally made my Mai Tai with orange and pineapple juices, and it was okay I guess, but the original is much better. My take on the original kind of blends Donn’s and Vic’s versions together. I like homemade grenadine instead of rock candy syrup and I add a bit of falernum for a spicy kick. Feel free to adjust those two to your taste and consider adding a bit more orgeat and/or lime if you wish. Also, in terms of rum, the original calls for a very specific aged rum that no longer exists, so some mixologists have blended dark and light rums. I prefer to stick to a good aged rum (I like Don Papa or Pyrat at the moment) but I have also blended it 50/50 with Don Q Añejo rum from Puerto Rico and it’s nice too but I’m saving that for my summer mojitos. 2 oz. aged rum (or 1 oz. light rum and 1 oz. dark rum) ¾ oz. fresh squeezed lime ½ oz. Cointreau ¼ oz. orgeat syrup (home made if possible) ¼ oz. grenadine (home made if possible) OR rock candy syrup ¼ oz. Velvet Falernum Shake with crushed ice until very cold, pour without straining (dirty dump) into a double Old Fashioned glass (DOF), garnish with a half-shell lime with a mint sprig. Or just get stupid with pineapple, lime, lemon, umbrellas, etc. and pour into a tiki mug!