Cobblers

So many cobblers!  It's a wonderful summer drink FO SHO.  Drawing from Mr. Jerry Thomas I have worked out my basic cobbler recipe, which can be applied to ANY SPIRIT YOU'D LIKE!  √ it dawgs....

2 ounces Spirit (rum, tequila, whiskey, gin, vodka, brandy, eau de vies, etc...)
1 tsp sugar (or 1/4 ounce 1:1 simple syrup) (any flavor of your choosing!  Have some fun with this)
A couple slices of orange (this is a to taste sort of thing.  I usually take two fairly thin wheels)
1/8 tsp of Maraschino Liqueur

Now take all of this, and shake real good with ice.  You can muddle the orange first, but I feel the hard shake with ice does this just fine.  As we will be garnishing with A TON of fruit and berries in season, it IS optional to also shake with these fruits first if you want a more berriful flavor!

Now some people will tell you to not strain and just pour straight into your glass, ice, fruit and all.  I find this a bit ugly for my taste, especially if you're shaking with your berries.  I double strain into a glass with ice.  However you like it, usually a small punch glass, or brandy snifter, or wine glass or something of that nature.  Even a double old-fashioned will do.  You can do crushed ice, or one big cube, or whatever you like.  Then it's time to garnish with seriously, all of the fruit and fresh berries you can find.  Get good in-season stuff from your local farmers market.  Tuck in an orange wheel on the side.  Cover with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, everything!  Maybe you'll make a fall cobbler with cranberry and apples!  YUM!  Rum or brandy as your spirit, 1/4 ounce cinnamon syrup.  Maybe swap out the maraschino for a good apricot brandy (liqueur not the eau-de-vie).

Your options with the cobbler are really limitless, which is why this recipe really should be a general outline, not the gospel.  Now go on, and preach the word!

Last Word

Perhaps my all time favorite cocktail. Firstly because it's great. But also because it was invented at the Detroit Athletic Club in the early 1920's during prohibition. Me being from Detroit, I take great pride in all things from the D. I have in fact, had a Last Word at the D.A.C which is phenomenal. Instead of using gin, they replace that with their own vodka infusion. I assume they do this, to more approximate the homemade or bathtub gin that was more common during prohibition. There was definitely some Anise flavors that were coming out in that one. I will occasionally spritz some absinthe on top with my atomizer to approximate this sometimes.

3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce green chartreuse (if you only have yellow, just use more like 1 ounce or 1 1/4 ounce.)
3/4 ounce lime juice

shake and strain.

Aviation

One of my favorites, and one of the first I made at home that got me into classic cocktails.

2 ounces Gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/4 ounce creme de violette

shake and strain.