I am a bourbon guy…and the good stuff goes up or 1-2 small cubes. But the medium quality stuff can be good with a decent ginger ale or in a manhattan…I like the splash of cherry juice.
So, my wife had the idea of (1) Maker’s Mark (2) Blenheim’s ginger ale (my fave), (3) splash of cherry juice, (4) ice. This is going to be my summer drink this year…really digging it.
So I played with this tonight again. This time I took a chilled glass and gave it a rinse with Herbsaint. The made the drink the same way, though I cut the Pernod in half, but increased the orange bitters a bit and orange rind a bit as well. Also very nice. Might have been better than the first.
Are you shaking or stirring this on ice? Or serving on the rocks?
A.
Using the small Oxo ice cube tray to serve. Mixing the ingredients prior for around 30 sec in a mixing glass (except the Herbsaint, which was just a rinse).
Made a few different versions of Bianco Manhattans . . . can’t decide/settle on the right Bourbon yet.
1 1/2 ounce Bourbon (best one so far was probably Elmer T Lee; worst was probably Bulleit)
1 1/2 ounce Cocchi Americano
1 Twist of Lemon
Yeah, Elmer makes sense with that, buttered popcorn.
Made a number of cocktails last night. A few stood out.
Ward Eight:
2 Ounces High West Rendezvous Rye Whiskey
3/4 Ounces Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 Ounces Simple Syrup
1/4 Ounces Grenadine
1 Orange Twist for garnish
1 Maraschino Cherry for garnish
*There are a lot of different versions of this out there FWIW
I had a lot of cocktails this weekend. A lot. My buddy and I drank for about 12 straight hours on Sat in Philly (with an interlude for dinner.)
I had a barrel-aged Manhattan (OK, my current batch is better) and a barrel-aged Tequila drink that was great. (Pub and Kitchen)
I had a fantastic gin Old Fashioned w/ Boomsa Oude Genever. Also a great Manhattan w/ Pikesville Supreme (Southwark)
Too many to list between us at Franklin Mortgage and Investment which is a brilliant cocktail bar. A Daiquiri w/ Five Island rum which was sublime and some unique cxns of theirs.
We also cocktails for straight whisk(e)y at Village Whiskey.
Philly is a serious drinking town.
A.
Made a few different things with blood orange juice tonight. All were very successful. Mostly Tequila based . . . perhaps tomorrow I will try some other spirits with what I have left.
Made a batch of homemade orgeat syrup (almond w a touch of orange blossom water) and tested it out in a few cocktails…
The Trinidad Sour is an infamous cocktail for its 1oz of Angostura bitters (plus an oz of orgeat and some lemon juice). Way too extreme for me at first, and ugly as hell, but I added a bit more orgeat and it became more palatable.
The Japanese Cocktail is based on brandy, orgeat adds a nice touch of sweetness and the almond flavor plays nice with the brandy.
The Momisette was my favorite of the orgeat cocktails, though very different - 3 parts pernod to 1 part orgeat, plus ice, plus sparkling mineral water to taste (v little for me). Very nice and refreshing.
More on the orgeat making at Cocktail Ingredients: Homemade Orgeat Syrup – Thirsty South
Thanks for posting the recipe on the orgeat!
The only cocktail we now drink is Margaritas - 2 parts reposado or blanco tequila with one part fresh-squeezed lime juice and one part Cointreau.
Here’s a great one I tried in Charleston, called a White Elephant (though not the version w vodka and creme de cocoa) - this one is a take on the Hemingway Daiquiri with tequila blanco, grapefruit, and maraschino liqueur - photos and recipe if you want to try it at A White Elephant at The Gin Joint, Charleston – Thirsty South
Also made a yummy sangria with riesling and Dolin Blanc vermouth, good and fun for a crowd, recipe at Sangria in the Summer – Thirsty South
That “white elephant” sounds similar to a Paloma; grapefruit is a killer citrus mixer!
Yep, similar flavors - I do like the fresh juice instead of soda, and the Luxardo adds a nice touch, too, both great drinks!
Here is a good one for summer
Muddle
5-6 leaves fresh basil
1/2 tsp or more of fresh ginger
2-3 good size pieces of watermelon
juice of 1 lime
Add
ice
2 parts good tequila
1 part Cointreau or other orange liquor
shake
serve on the rocks with a splash of ginger ale on top
You can modify any of the above to adjust for sweetness. If the watermelon is not sweet I add a little SS
George
Pretty lame that this thread has been dormant so long.
Today I had two classic drinks at lunch (I’m on vacation FWIW).
The Scorpion and the Zombie.
Keep the drinks coming . . .
My cocktail of choice lately, and a good metric of a bar’s “cred”, is the Aviation. A pre-Pro creation, oh so simple, yet very elegant: just gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and creme de violette. Shaken with some good hand cracked ice and garnished with lemon or orange, it is way refreshing, subtly flavored and colored, and an excellent aperitif to a high-styled night out.
'34, '50 or '56? 
@Michael - the Aviation is a great drink and you are right that it is one of the best measures of skill and smarts in a bar.
Aseasonal in temperment, but not in fruits available, I have been making daiquiris with Bank’s Five Island. The Derby Daiquiri is a forgotten classic from the 50s and Satsumas are delish for it. That Five Island is my go-to white rum now.
I was playing around with barrel-aging a Corpse Reviver and blundered into a really cool autumnal version when I shook it with a little of Art in the Age’s Snap and Bittercube’s Blackstrap Bitters. Had a solid B+ cocktail but could not get it to an A before my barrel ran dry.
I have also been carbonating cocktails. Made a really cool fresh Concord grape juice / pisco sour style drink for a friend’s party. Good fun to bottle stuff like this as gifts or to have at parties.
(Happy now, John?)
A.
I put a 2x2x2 inch ice cube in my PVW 15, does that count as a cocktail?