June 5-Breakfast Martini
I try to be completely unbiased when it comes to these posts, but this one is going to be a challenge. This is mainly because this is my favourite cocktail I have ever tried. It features one of my favourite spirits in gin and it features one of my favourite moves in putting jam in a cocktail. I first saw it in Sasha Petrakse’s Cosmonaut and I have loved the move ever since.
This cocktail was made by Salvatore Calabrese when he fell in love with the taste of an orange marmalade his wife served him for breakfast. He latyer took that jar to his bar The Library and got to work. The final product was very similar to Harry Craddock’s Marmalade Cocktail from his book the Savoy Cocktail Book. I still love this cocktail for all the reasons I mentioned before.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dXn6IfGl2lELmsHPxx9yprCKU7IR5bCgvI9aAz4hDMw/edit?tab=t.0
June 4-Maple Old Fashioned
This is another cocktail that wears what it is on its sleeve. It is an Old Fashioned with maple syrup insetad of simple syrup. That is really all that this cocktail does differently to other old fashionds. I actually included somethinjg like this on a Christmas Eve menu for my parents’ Christmas Party.
There actually is one more thing this cocktail does that’s different. it splits the base spirit used with part bourbon and part rye. This means you get the spice of the rye and the sweetness of the bourbon, both of which go well with the maple.
This cocktail was discovered in Edinburgh Scotland in a bar called the Indogo Room.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o5uNa6AudOloVNB3UZsjwwcMQWkymQenvPXHdJKtbzc/edit?tab=t.0 .
June 3-San Francisco
Believe it or not, no this cocktail is not from San Francisco. It is not known where this cocktail is from and by whom, noticing a pattern here. It actually reminds me of a Singapore Sling quite a bit. It also includes elements of a Rum Runner. This is a weirder tiki cocktail as it uses vodka rather than a rum type or even gin is more common. Again this goes back to my arguement about Vodka being a neutral spirit so it doesn’t add anything but pure alcohol and water volume to a cocktail. This makes it undesirable for a tiki style drink. Now since we are talking about one we know vodka based tiki drinks exist, but should they? That’s a question for someone more versed in tiki than I.
Again we have a simpler post since without a history there isn’t much to talk about.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UUKa9-icuitpMNg7gqjQYfcWnC05xQsUftZ68iUnqPo/edit?tab=t.0
June 2-Moscow Mule
What a coincidence that we talk about this cocktail after the Mexican Mule last night. I would say that last night’s offering is the better of the 2, but if you really want to let the ginger and lime shine or you don’t like the roasted agave flavour then the Moscow Mule is the cocktail for you. As I said last night, I don’t gravitate toward vodka cocktails unless they really have something new to offer. The cocktail “Trick Pony” by Susie Hoyt at the Violet Hour.
Back to the Moscow Mule, this cocktail is incredibly popular. If you watch any video about cocktails we need to know, this is going to be a mainstay on anyone’s list. And that is still for a good reason as the ginger and lime combo is amazing togather from anywhere in Asian cooking to cocktails.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yGMOmhMn9r6lPvN4tRuTF4CgLGYZYxctfLfPLY5rs-Y/edit?tab=t.0 .
June 1-Mexican Mule
This is going to be a simple post as what you see with this cocktail is what you get. It’s a tequila based mule, thats really it. The history and bar of this cocktail is unknown so I really don’t know what to talk about here. I do thionk it is more satisfying than the Moscow variety since the roasted agave flavours are better in my mind than vodka. Vodka is meant to be a neutral spirit so I will gravitate to more complex ones like tequila, like gin.
I’m really sorry I don’t have much to say, but this cocktail is just what it is. The judging defines that.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xmiamOqoZj9DH7jOoUqSvZDYWwNe0EdwnP8Xft823ms/edit?tab=t.0 .
May 31-Army and Navy
I’m a little disappointed that this cocktail has the name Army and Navy and it doesn’t use Navy Strength Rum or Gin. Oh my god I just realized this cocktail does in fact have gin but its just London Dry. Don’t get me wrong, I know why this cocktail got its name. It’s from the Army and Navy Club in DC, but even still, why no Navy Strength ingredients.
This cocktail was a problematic recipe before, it started with a straight 2 : 1 : 1 ratio of ingredients but that evolved later to what we know now. This cocktail actually reminds me of a Gimlet with lemon and Orgeat instead of lime and simple.
Overall I like this cocktail and urge you to try it.
Full Judging Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nwEn5nsKRqVOPGv9YF4bDyXlyGHjfHOm0yYjkGy9Ui8/edit?tab=t.0
May 30-Fancy Free
This cocktail was literally made to be a fancier more high end Old Fashioned, thus the name Fancy Free. Despite this it just ends up being a less interesting Improved Whiskey Cocktail. I say this becaus ewhile it does include 2 different bitters, it doesn’t have the absinthe. They both do contain whiskey and maraschino. There is also more whiskey in the Improved. The improved also uses Peychaud’s bitters rather thyan angostura or orange.
This cocktail was created by Crosby Gage for his book Cocktail Guide and Ladies’ Companion. This cocktail also used to be called the Improved Old Fashioned but it had to be changed due to the similarities to the Improved Whiskey Cocktail.
Full Judging Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19faR2d78Atk_q-0oUyP_5B9B622AILJfkDvH-dI9BrA/edit?tab=t.0
May 29-Bee’s Knees
This cocktail is the Bee’s Knees both figuratively and literally. I say this because this cocktail is one of the best from its time and it is actually called the Bee’s Knees. It gets this name from the fact that this cocktail uses honey syrup as a sweetener. This is probably the best known cocktail that uses honey, up there with the Penecillin and maybe the Gold Rush.
This recipe was different than the one I learned earlier since it includes orange juice instead of purely lemon juice. But the true star of the show is the honey. It is a simple ingredient that isn’t used a lot despite it being super satisfying in almost everything it goes in, especially things with gin in them. The botanicals in gin work so well with the honey.
People used to think this was an American cocktail, but it actually started in France. A Paris bartender named Margaret Brown.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18suHpqET_tGQXLm4T4I41JM0tjRNu87thrU46OKAVCw/edit?tab=t.0
May 28-Black Manhattan
You like bitter? You like Manhattans? You will like this one. The Black Manhattan supplants the Vermouth for Amaro Averna. Obviously this makes it a lot more bitter than a traditional Manhattan, but I am one of those people that needs that bitter flavour, especially pairing with a sweeter flavour so that my tastebuds aren’t overpowered with sweets. This cocktail is the perfect bitter, but not overly bitter offering for anyone. This even came out of a cocktail mecca of the USA, this being San Francisco which is also the home of the Basil Gimlety and other modern classics.
Again I would recommend a higher proof rye to stand up to the Amaro Averna in this cocktail so you don’t just ghet the Averna flavour and you get some rye notes as well. This will expose the flavour of the Angostura and orange bitters as well. The only thing that makes this cocktail better, is a nice piece of pecan pie or chocolate cake to pair with it. I don’t really have much else to say about this one.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VYPOajCLvdwaP6SDEsqodK79YRhooAdtyyaixhkk5A0/edit?tab=t.0
May 27-Cheeky Vimto
I will admit that when I first saw this cocktail, I wasn’t impressed, and after having tried it, I’m still not impressed. All it has is Port Wine and a pre-bottled Vodka Beverage. Not a lot of complexity or interesting flavours. Difford’s Guide even says “Don’t bother'“ word for word under the garnish section and that describes the cocktail perfectly. It’s a club drink that doesn’t have much to it. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Difford’s Guide said it should be sevred in a solo cup.
I didn’t even know but this cocktail is named after a soda that is not even in the cocktail. Also what club has Port just to have it for this cocktail. Port is not the cheapest wine and it doesn’t help that it doesn’t help this cocktail in any way. I find that this cocktail is already sweet without the port. I am not a huge fan of this one and can’t believe this was ahead of better ones like the Red Hook or the Aperol Spritz even.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y986VVLQ2x1oYlIv3jG9b7V9LOBpPRn9ljdTTWjdmXE/edit?tab=t.0
May 26-Man O’ War
Named after a famous racehorse from the 1919-20 races, this cocktail is an interesting combo of a Daisy, Manhattan and Whiskey Sour. That souinds like a lot but these cocktails actually come together very well. The original cocktail called Man O’ War was an egg nog style cocktail using coindensed milk, sugar and egg with some booze. Another theory about the name of this cocktail is the Man O’ War cocktail lounge from a hotel in Broward County.
This recipe combines Bourbon, Lemon, Cointreau and Sweet Vermouth. And these combine in a damn fine way. It even tied for highest single score in this summer with an 89 tying with the Red Hook.
Full Judging Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WeD3EqVLxXd_5IOX3V49fX7BZxnTrHEzZzxPYZ-Hzh0/edit?tab=t.0
May 25-Aperol Spritz
Behind only the mimosa, the Aperol SPritz is one of the most famous and popular brunch cocktails in the world. It’s also one of the most balanced and satisfying. It’s also the perfect cocktail for a hot summer’s day which was perfect down here in FL. My judge even asked why I didn’t serve this one to her while she was in the pool. And this cocktail has an interesting history for European history buffs.
The Aperol Spritz, also known as the “Spriss” in Italy, gets its name from the German word Spritzen meaning spray or splash. This is a reference to the bubbles in the Prosecco typically used in the cocktail. The other main ingredients are Soda water and Aperol itself. It has a 1-2-3 ratio of soda-Aperol-wine. All of these are pretty light on their own and together they are just damn refreshing.
Fun fact is that the Spritz was made in Venice when it was still a part of the Austrian empire when the soldiers would dilute the sparkling wine with soda to make it more similar in ABV to the beers they had at home. Another fun fact is that the movie Meet the Parents starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro l;aunched this cocktail’s popularity into the Stratosphere when Robert De Niro’s character was offered a spritsz instead of the usual Tom Collins.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KrHRVPqDsOfvTSB_FoG_iRJ6K_T7V9i8GhNpSAxgAlw/edit?tab=t.0 .
May 24-M & M
NO we are not talking about candy, we are still talking about cocktails. In this case M&M stands for Monte and Mezcal. The mezcal part is obvious, but the monte is for Amaro Montenegro. This is an Amaro that is more bitter than Amaro Nonino but less bitter than Amaro Averna. This is a simple name but I quite like it as it’s catchy anmd recognizible as it is also the name of a candy.
This is a very simple cocktail that’s name is the recipe, it is equal parts Mezcal and Montenegro. I was against this idea at first since I didn’t see it working but after trying it I actually really like it. Highly recommend you try this one if you haven’t.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7nK47tRG2vqLeDBHNjQA3o7Ype8hr4AFg-QCdaNwwY/edit?tab=t.0
May 23-Dark N’ Stormy
Another true classic, today we feature the Dark N’ Stormy, the national drink of Bermuda. Bermuda is known for Gosling’s rum and ginger beer so it’s only natural these 2 would come together for this national drink. One quick thing about this cocktail is that it uses a specific rum and if it ain’t Gosling’s it ain’t a Dark N’ Stormy. Also presentation is a little debate for this drink as some like to shake everything together, but I like to shake the lime, syrup and bitters and then layer the las 2 ingredients on top.
The only real history available is that British Sailors would fancy this drink when stationed in Bermuda around WWi. Now I would also recommend using Gosling’s ginger beer for this cocktail but that is both a preference and tradition as I think it is just the best available. In fact my dad has a friend who will outright refuse ginger beer if it’s not Gosling’s.
Full judging here:
May 22-Tokyo Iced Tea
We have the Tokyo Iced Tea today. This cocktail actually had a history section on Difford’s Guide but all it said was that no one knows where this one came from aside the fact that it was a cocktail associated with TGI Fridays in the mid 90’s. It even said no one would want to take credit for this one. I pretty much agree with that sentiment as this one is a hot mess of a cocktail. It’s a variation of the Long Island Iced Tea meaning this has over 7 ingredients alone. I will say that I am surprised this was a new entry as I didn’t think this one had a renaissance the same wasy gi and vermouth drinks have had recently. Yes there is gin in this, but it’s split between so much else that this cocktail is not really a gin drink.
I’m also surprised that this was the Long Island variation that made it into the top 100. I was taught that the blue variation which is called, and I’m not kidding, the Adios Motherf***er was more popular. Goes to show that any cocktail really can become widely popular without expectations. I’m not going to talk about the recipe because there are just so many ingredients but if you want to see it there is a great video by the Educated Barfly (yes we are talking about him again and this won’t be the last time) on this one and other Long Island variations.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nf-RXz2kSx3dDM1nogcKYElBBydq2jtlkwV6fRz5Nuk/edit?tab=t.0 .
May 21-Gin and It
The Gin and It has an interesting name since it is literally the recipe of the cocktail minus the bitters. The gin obviously represents gin and the it represents Italian or sweet vermouth. Back in the day most sweet vermouth was Italian and Dry was French. This cocktail came from Stan Jones’s “Jones’s Complete Bar Guide” which is famous for a lot of rum, sherry and orange juice cocktails. I am taking this opinion from the Educated Barfly as the book itself is more expensive than chartreuse. I was surprised to see this cocktail since it is essentially a Manhattan with Orange Bitters instead of Angostura.
According to Dale DeGroff it used to be called the Sweet Martini. This cocktail made its way to London during Prohibition. Your enjoyment of this cocktail relies heavily on liking Sweet Vermouth I will say but if you do give this one a mix.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZwTyIe6H6mlE9iT1TgS1pwHrUm1ixBr4QfliGBpR0GA/edit?tab=t.0 .
May 20-Between The Sheets
This next cocktail has a bit of a messy history. Well maybe messy isn’t the right word for it, maybe complex is better. This week we are talking about the Between the Sheets. This cocktail actually features a split base I had never seen before. It uses brandy which is often seen split amongst other spirits like rye or gin but the other spirit in this is rum. I’ve never seen those brandy flavours pair with those of light rum. It’s not even the Hogo flavours of Jamaican rum, it’s light rum. Now you might see a tiki cocktail with both of these spirits together but they aren’t a true split base as they are usually only using a little brandy, but this one is equal parts brandy and rum. And again if you see these 2 together it’s usuially with the hogo flavours of an aged or Jamaican rum.
This cocktail started off as a gin/rum based cocktail and it later evolved into a brandy/gin cocktail and finally a brandy/rum cocktail. This is what I’m talking about with a messy history. The most likely creator of this version of the cocktail is a bartender by the name of Weber in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. It was famously discovered by Charles H Baker for his book The Gentleman’s Comnpanion (Volume II).
Aside from the brandy and rum we discussed earlier this cocktail also features lemon juice and cointreau. Think of it as a Daisy with a split base. What is a Daisy you ask? It is a category of drink that gets all sweetness from liqueurs instead of syrups and sugar. But the classic has a build very similar to this but with gin.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pd5VZ6cOz1pQ21oI0ARoog5ZmkObG2p4pf1kPsbTuDM/edit?tab=t.0 .
May 19-Blood and Sand
This is another cocktail I learned early on in my career, it’s called the Blood and Sand and with such a provocative name and story behind this drink you know it’ll be good. But I don’t make it a lot since people all seem to have some stigma against Scotch. Even if they enjoy it they will often say “I get angry on scotch”, which I understand to an extent since I see that pattern, but I don’t get why it happens. Another thing working against this cocktail is that people more often than not order Scotch on its own neat or on ice depending on how nice the scotch is. I say that since I would never add ice to something like Johnnie Blue or something like that.Another thing not working for this cocktail’s favour is the other big Scotch cocktail being way more popular for all the right reasons, this being the Penicillin. Way more people have heard of that cocktail and it’s become almost too popular for its own good, even that won’t stop people from ordering it at every bar.
Back to the Blood and Sand, let’s talk of its history. This is yet another cocktail no one knows the original bartender of but it was first widely seen in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book. We have talked about the Savoy Hotel in London quite a bit and this won’t be the last you hear of it I promise. This cocktail is named after a movie called Blood and Sand directed by Rudolph Valentino. This silent movie was based off the Spanish book Sangre y Arenan (which translates to Blood and Sand as well) and the play of the same name by Thomas Cushing. The film tells a story of a young village boy who becomes one of Spain’s greatest matadors. He also marries his childhood sweetheart named Carmen but is seduced by a widow who he has an affair with. He is guilty all the way through but when he ends it the widow reveals the truth to his wife. Obviously distraut he gets distracted in the arena and dies bullfighting with only just enough time to reconcile with Carmen as his sould leaves his body.
Wow what a story and what a cocktail to tell it. The sand part comes from the orange juice habing a similar colour and the blood comes from Cherry Heering. It is also common to serve this cocktail with a float of Peated single malt Scotch from the Islay region of Scotland, somewhat similarly to the Penicillin. It really is a shame that my judge for today doesn’t like Scotch.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qvH03sEfkLUrQCHAPbxA3pvQLXK2EdG8k00_HBofCZI/edit?tab=t.0
May 18-Nuclear Daiquiri
Yes you read that right, and no I did not choose this cocktail as a special today. The Nuclear Daiquiri is really the #84 cocktail in this experimenmt we are doing. For those who don’t know, this cocktail is a widely infamous cocktail among friends of mine for being as strong as nearly 2 drinks in one. I am of course refering to the standard drink measure bartenders use. Most cocktails we talked about run from 1 standard drink to 1.3. This one will run you up to 1.7. This is also a very hard cocktail to make here in the US right now because of one ingredient, Green Chartreuse. Yes, if you do not have Green Chartreuse or a substitute like Faccia Brutto you are plum out of luck. The cheapest I saw the real thing for online was about $90.
Enough about chartreuse, let’s get into the cocktail. It’s a rum cocktail using whiote overproof Jamaican rum such as Wray and Nephew. Despite being in a Caribbean area, I could not find it or any other version of a white Jamaican Rum. Therefore I used my favourite rum Papa’s Pilar as it is higher proof. I would make sure to use a blonde or silver rum in this cocktail as colour is one of the main things that ghive it its name so if you use like a blackstrap rum you’ve completely wasted good chartreuse for no reason.
Now for the history, this cocktail was made in 2005 at LAB in London, the same bar that was created by the guy who madse one of the last cocktails we will talk about and #1 on the list, the Pornstar Martini. The bartender that made it was Gregor de Gruyther. Aside from that Difford’s Guide doesn’t give much. I still really enjoy this cocktail and playfully called it the Chernobyl Daiquiri with friends.
Full Judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eg_fPj-8uiUxWQtqt2Ng1H1aGT3IKCJWhObQ7AVXBJY/edit?tab=t.0
May 17-La Louisiane
We have some Americasn French today as we talk about La Louisiane, the signature cocktail of Restaurant De La Louisiane of New Orleans. This is a Manhattan variation that takes inspiration from the Sazerac cocktail, another New Orleans classic. This cocktail takes the Peychaud’s Bitters and the absinthe rinse of a Sazerac. This cocktail is one of those cocktails that gets its creativity from a lack of creativity.
La Louisiane was a restaurant that got its fame from creative menu items based off French classics. The reastaurant was opened in 1881 and is still running today in Luoisiana and Montreal. My father actually called this cocktail his favourite so far even though he doesn’t like Vermouth or Manhattans or Absinthe. That is how good this cocktail is. I would recommend using 100 proof rye on this one like Rittenhouse for the bigger flavour it gives.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dU-SE3UgBOixc4msButkVWYcpvBtl369UMj8cIOSH-I/edit?tab=t.0