Cocktail Journal: Entry #2

Tiki drinks are the most fun to make.  And once you've made about 100 or so from various recipes, you get the hang of making up your own.  Here's what I did tonight...

1.5 ounces Dark Flor de Cana
3/4 ounces Lemon Hart 151
3/4 ounce Orgeat
1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse
1 Ounce Lemon Juice
1 Ounce Grapefruit Juice
2 dashes angostura

BUH BAM!  Watch out for this one, it'll get ya!  But boy is it delicious!

Cocktail Journal: Entry #1

I saw some creme de cacao.  So it all started with the chocolate.  I knew right away that I wanted to play with brandy.  Getting into some spirits that I ignore sometimes.  But I've been thinking south america today.  Lately.  The other day I made a drink with a 1:1 Cognac/Cachaca 2 ounce base.  It was great.  Today, let's do a Tequila.  But something darker, where the chocolates come out.  The toffee that tequila can be.  No citrus.  Let's keep it an old fashioned.  I thought of chartreuse to bring out the chocolate.  those flavors go crazy together.  Chartreuse is in the other room...

shit...

There's that bottle of strega that i never use.  BAM.

1 ounce Cognac
1 ounce anejo tequila
1/4 ounce creme de cacao
1/4 ounce strega

it needs something to bring it all together.

Cardamom?

heavy dose of cardamom bitters.  Stir.  strain.  orange peel?  yes.

This lead me to thinking of making this simpler.  Things to try in the future?

1 ounce cognac
1 ounce anejo tequila
1/4-1/2 ounce creme de cacao
2-4 dashes cardamom bitters.

Strega's so great.  I should just make a strega swizzle:

1 ounce strega
1 ounces reposado tequila
1 ounces pineapple juice
3/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce falernum

That sounds good right?  Might be good.  They're up next i guess!

-Gregory

The Planters Punch

Here's my version of the Jamaican Planters punch.

The original - 

one sour

two sweet

three strong

four weak

Mine - 

2 ounces Coruba Jamaican Rum

3/4 ounce simple syrup

3/4 ounce lime juice

2-4 heavy dashes of angostura bitters

Build in glass and fill with crushed ice.  Swizzle till glass is frosted over.

Christmas in July

3/4 ounce Gin

3/4 ounce Douglas Fir Eau de Vie

3/4 ounce Dry Vermouth

3/4 ounce apricot liqueur

3/4 ounce lemon juice

shake and strain.

The Apple Flower

Here's another one using Jamie Boudreau's 'Golden Ratio.'

1.5 ounces Apple Brandy
3/4 ounces Cocchi Americano
1/4 ounce Creme Yvette

Stir for 60 seconds then strain into cocktail coup.  Garnish with lemon twist.

The Japanese Apple Blossom

While this is not a blossom, it certainly is a delicious drink using Jamie Boudreau's "golden ratio"

1.5 ounces Yamazaki 12 year (or another Japanese whiskey)
3/4 ounces Byrrh
1/4 ounce Caramel Apple Syrup*

Stir with ice for 60 seconds.  Strain into cocktail and float an apple slice atop the drink.

* Caramel Apple Syrup

Well, this is more of a burnt sugar syrup, but it works PERFECTLY in this cocktail.  Take 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp of water in a pot over high heat.  Whisk together until it's a nice buddy like consistency.  Then wait for the sugar to burn.  This will take about 20 minutes or something.  You'll know it's burning when it turns a deep red color.  This will happen rather quickly.  Don't let it burn too much!  After it is burned, immediately remove from heat, then add 1 cup of fresh pressed apple juice or apple cider.  There will be some sputtering so watch out.  This is why a deep pot is recommended.  Mix until the liquid is a smooth consistency.  Enjoy!

The Franklin Cocktail

Obvious, but necessary.  This is my ode to the Franklin Cider Mill in Franklin, Michigan.

2 ounces Lairds 100 Proof Apple Brandy

1/4 ounce Maple Syrup (grade B preferred)

3 dashes any clove forward bitters (I like Miracle Mile Holiday Bitters or Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters)

Stir with ice for 60 seconds.  Strain into cocktail coup.  Express the oils of an orange peel over the drink then slide the peel into the cocktail.

The subtle clove, orange, and maple paired with the apple brandy pretty much make the perfect autumn cocktail.

Cheers!

The Cuba Libre Cocktail

Now before you start correcting me on my use of 'Cocktail' let me EXPLAIN!  Every once in a while, a stroke of GENIUS hits you.  And instead of giving you a long winded explanation, I am going to let this recipe speak for itself.  And I apologize in advance for no pictures, hopefully I will rectify that in the near future.  Until then, ENJOY this cocktail!

2 ounces Demerara Rum (I used Lemon Hart 80)
1/2 ounce Coca-Cola Reduction Syrup*
2 dashes Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters

Stir with ice for 60 seconds.  Strain into cocktail coup.  Cut a long lime peel and express the oils on top of the drink.  You may then slip the lime peel into the cocktail and serve.

RIGHT!?  RIGHT!??!?  I knew I had those Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters hanging around for some reason.  So, here's the reduction...

FIRSTLY, Mexican Coke is essential for this.  You don't want to end up with flavored corn syrup.  Real sugar is the only way to go.  But basically, a bottle of Mexican Coke poured into a pot and simmered on medium heat for about an hour, and you're left with a nice thick syrup.  In my case, i did it a tad too long, so ended up adding a bit of water to make a better consistency for cocktails.  I still would like to make my own cola syrup from scratch, but for now, this is a great and easy way to get that cola flavor into a cocktail without copious amount of herbs and spices and know how.

Cheers!

BRUNCH PUNCH!

There was a brunch.  I tasked myself with making a punch for this brunch.  I had a handle of Sailor Jerry's spiced rum that I did not want in my possession anymore. It was summer time.  Peaches were ripe.  Mango's were in full bloom.  Bloom?  Yes, Bloom.  What did this all amount to?  Brunch Punch.

Single Serving of Brunch Punch =

2.5 ounces Spiced Rum
1 ounce Mango Puree Syrup*
1 ounce Peach Puree*
1 ounce Lemon Juice
1/2 ounce Hum Liqueur
1 ounce Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Combine all ingredients sans the Champagne and shake with ice for 10 seconds.  Strain into punch glass filled with ice.  Top with one ounce of Champagne.

*Mango Puree Syrup
I liked to use over riped mangos.  That way they're real sweet and delicious.  Remove the peel and the pit, and put all the mango meat in your blender.  Puree.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer (this can be laborious).  Add equal parts sugar and mix over low heat until all sugar is dissolved.

*Peach Puree
Ripe peaches for this are also a MUST.  Put peaches in a blender.  You may leave the skin on, but you must remove the pit!  Puree.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer (again this is laborious).  If the end product is not sweet enough, due to not ripe enough peaches or whatever, you may add a bit of simple syrup to taste.

Liliuokalani's Retort

So I threw a big Tiki party at the beginning of the summer.  There was a pig roast, and me working the bar all night making a menu of my favorite tiki drinks.  It was months of planning, and days of preparation, and after that I was tiki'd out!  For a while at least...

But it occurred to me tonight.  It's summer!  And while crustas and old fashions are great, perhaps they're better suited for cooler weather.  So I decided to impromptu a quick tiki drink, and it turned out great!  So great, I wanted to share it with the world.  Whenever I so happen to combine the exact perfect ratios of ingredients together, that a drink deems itself worthy of sharing with others, I always turn to my girlfriend for naming help.  After a quick back and forth she came up with "Liliuokalani's Retort."  She asserted that after someone got sassy or biting with Queen Liliuokalani, the queen quickly retorted with this delicious drink.  That's the story I'm sticking with at least.  Alright, enough talk, here's the drink...

1 1/2 ounces Smith and Cross rum (or any good traditional style rum.  I'm sure Wray and Nephews would be a wonderful sub.)
1 ounce Ron Matusalem Rum 15 year (or any other great aged rum you like)
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce orange juice
3/4 ounces Pineapple Gomme Syrup*
1/2 ounce Allspice Dram

Pour in blender and fill with ice.  Blend quickly for no more than 5 seconds.  Pour all into the tiki mug of your choosing!  ENJOY!



*To make Pineapple Gomme Syrup.  Mix one cup pineapple juice (freshly squeezed is preferable) to one cup of sugar (I prefer raw or demerara sugar) and 1tsp of gum arabic.  Whisk over low heat until all sugar and gum arabic is dissolved.  Skim off the top.  Then strain and bottle.  Feel free to add a bit of rum to help preserve longer.  Store in fridge.  The gum arabic is optional though it gives it a nice thick consistency which makes for a nice mouth-feel in drinks.  Cheers!