Somehow I’m back in class already, and spent most of today reading about negotiations. It’s actually interesting reading, which is a nice change for my MBA books, but after five hours my eyes were fogging over and my concentration was shot. I went to check the mail, only to see the mailman delivering it. This happens to me pretty much anytime I check for the mail before 5pm. I’m not sure if they’re watching my door or have decided it’s a nice place to camp out. Shockingly enough, this post isn’t about mail but about alcohol. I decided to quickly browse through a cocktail blog or two. This sort of browsing always ends up taking longer than the mail delivery.
I’ve also created a new category, “To Do.” I hate to fill the cocktails area with untested cocktails, but I also need to be sober for my class tonight.
From Art of Drink:
1 part Port
1 part Amaretto
2 parts Creme de Cacao
1 part Cherry brandy
½ part Brandy
Instructions: Stir all ingredients together in a rocks or old fashion glass with a couple of ice cubes and enjoy!
I miss my holiday cocktail party. Maybe next year!
From CocktailDB:
1 1/2 oz rye (4.5 cl, 3/8 gills)
1 oz grapefruit juice (3 cl, 1/4 gills)
1/4 oz grenadine (6 dashes, 1/16 gills)
Shake in iced cocktail shaker & strain
Serve in a cocktail glass (4.5 oz)
From The Handy Snake we have:
2 – 2.5 oz rye whiskey
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz Benedictine
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a small rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry.
Of course, this then leads me to want to:
- Make my own maraschino cherries. See the Manhattan Special article, plus eGullet forums and The Splendid Table.
- Make my own grenadine. I’ve had the foul stuff from the store for years, and disdained any drink that called for it. At some point I should make my own, and The Cocktail Chronicles has (have?) some suggestions.
That’s all for now, back to the book. Right after I check for the mail…
Is Benedictine hazelnut? The Manhattan sounds very … interesting…
Actually Benedictine is one of those strange herbal-syrup type drinks, of which I’m sure there’s a name but I can’t think of right now. Chartreuse is another one, and so is Jaeger. They have a lot of different tastes mixing together, and can really make some surprising changes to a drink. I actually tried the Manhattan Special last night, and the proportions listed are certainly for a drink you’d serve over ice. It’s a lot of drink. It ended up tasting to me like a much softer version of a Manhattan. I’ll probably make another one with slightly different proportions and put a full entry up. It’s the only one of the three I had all the ingredients on hand for, and I was excited to give it a try.