Bijou Cocktail

29. March 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Dearest readers, my apologies for abandoning you for so long. I know that all three of you have been wading through posts on spring, squids (scary!) and samosas, tapping your fingers and waiting for the next cocktail. My apologies, but midterms were upon me, and they’re just not conducive to trying new drinks. However, I have a few hours this afternoon where I should be working on homework, and a possible trip to LA is still a few hours off, which really provides a golden opportunity. I’ve been wondering if I could try something with that dusty bottle of green chartreuse, and stumbled upon the Bijou Cocktail.

Bijou Cocktail

1 oz gin
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz green chartreuse
1 (or 2) dash(es) of orange bitters

Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass then garnish with an olive and lemon peel.

That’s right, I said an olive. You’ll see recipes that call for a cherry, which was far less brain-bending to my mind, but this drink is all about the olive. Because, my friends, the Bijou Cocktail is a strange and delightful journey. The chartreuse is certainly present, as is the vermouth, as is the citrus, as is the olive. It’s like you invited one friend from each of your very different social circles, and now their all hanging out in your mouth having a delightful time.

Bijou Cocktail

Green Chartreuse is one of those things I’ve had around for years, and I’m always happy to find an excuse to use it. If you have some in your cabinet, then this is worth giving a shot. It’s certainly not something I’d have two of in one sitting, but I’ll be returning to it again soon. The only ingredient I didn’t taste in this was the gin, although I used Plymouth. I’m quite curious to try it again with something a little more aggressive, perhaps Junipero.

UPDATE: The Junipero was, in fact, a terrible idea. Plymouth gin is delightful, as is Beefeater. Christy finds the drink interesting as well, although probably wouldn’t make it through a whole one.

Aviation

01. March 2007 · 4 comments · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , ,

This is the cocktail I most associate with internet drinks, mainly because cocktail bloggers and devotees seem to have revived it in the past few years. While I like an Aviation, it tends towards being a little too sweet or tart to be one of my favorites. Still, the drink is intriguing, so I find myself returning to it. I’ve heard that Maraska instead of Luxardo might alter it more to my liking, but for now I’ve only had Luxardo maraschino liqueur.

Which brings us to maraschino liqueur. If you haven’t before, it’s worth trying but it really doesn’t taste anything like those bright red “cherries” in a jar. There is some cherry flavor, but it’s subtle, and the liqueur is a clear syrup. It’s powerful stuff, which is why I tend to recommend it in moderation.

Aviation

2 oz gin
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz lemon juice

Shake over ice, garnish with a cherry.

Now, a couple of notes:

  1. use a dry gin. Sapphire works just fine, and I actually like it better than Plymouth in this case. Save the aromatic gins for a martini, the maraschino is just going to fight with them.
  2. Go easy on the maraschino and lemon juice. I see both of those increased in some recipes, and I think they just take over at that point. The lemon juice should be softening and complementing the maraschino liqueur, but not a huge presence on its own. The maraschino liqueur, at least the Luxardo that I have, is powerful stuff. It can easily take over your drink, which really isn’t the point.

Aviation

Note that the above is me breaking a few rules. For one thing, that’s Magellan gin, which looks pretty cool but doesn’t work very well here. Since it works so fabulously in a martini, save it for that. Also, I added a lemon twist, which again isn’t as good as the original recipe’s call for a cherry.

Negroni

01. February 2007 · 8 comments · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , ,

The negroni is one of my all time favorite cocktails. Otherwise known as The Manliest Pink Drink, it draws its stunning color from the key ingredient of Campari. Now, Campari is a hell of a thing and perhaps not for the faint of heart. One of my friends in Columbus would try a sip of my negroni, and consistently pull a face and remark, “I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.” Consider yourself warned.

Negroni

1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth

Shake with ice and either strain into a cocktail glass (the tradition these days), or over a highball glass with two ice cubes. Garnish with an orange twist.

Depending on my mood, I often mix a classic one (in which case serve in a cocktail glass), but if I want something for relaxing while reading a book, I go for the recipe above and maybe add a couple of ice cubes. Some serve it over ice with a little soda water, and lots of folks add a slice of orange (half a wheel) and/or some orange bitters. Play around and find what you like!

Negroni

Update: this picture is now in use by Wikipedia’s entry on the Negroni!

Oh, and that first taste? Yeah, you may (re: probably) won’t like it. Stick with it, you might just end up with a pink drink you can order with pride!

Christy’s Chocolate Martini

26. January 2007 · Comments Off on Christy’s Chocolate Martini · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Since I’m apparently posting about drinks I’m not a big fan of, I might as well put this one up. I just don’t enjoy very sweet drinks, although I’m not opposed to the occasional White Russian. That being said, lots of fabulous folks like sweet alcohol, and if you’re one of them, this is for you. Although it’s not a real martini, it’s named after the restaurant and bar drinks that inspired it, and in honor of its greatest fan.

Christy’s Chocolate Martini

1 1/2 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz. Bailey’s
1/2 oz. Kahlúa

Shake with ice until quite cold. Strain into a cocktail glass.

It’s that easy, and ridiculously popular. Feel free to add or substitute some Chambord for raspberry flavoring, although I tend to drop the Bailey’s and Kahlúa when I do that. One final note is that I think the Godiva has a poor aftertaste, so it might be worth finding a substitute. Crème de Cacao tends to be a bit thin, but it’s been years since I stocked it so I’ll leave experimentation as an exercise to the reader. Especially since my alcohol is currently relegated to a small space in a relatively small apartment, and new purchases are on an even smaller budget during grad school.

Sidecar

23. January 2007 · Comments Off on Sidecar · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , ,

This entry is unusual in that I tend to avoid posts about drinks I don’t really enjoy. It’s often a sign that I haven’t figured the drink out, yet. That may be the case here, but perhaps it’s just my lack of interest in brandy and general wariness of lemons. Sidecars do come up somewhat often, and since they’re a good way to use up some of that brandy that’s hanging around after making mulled wine, I wanted to revisit it. After some experimentation this is the version I’ve enjoyed the most:

Sidecar

1.5 oz brandy
1 oz cointreau
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Shake over ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass (I’ve also seen it served in an old-fashioned glass). Garnish with a lemon twist, preferably flamed if you’re really classy.

This is less brandy and less lemon juice than is usually called for, although I do tend to pour the brandy somewhat generously. I also like more cointreau than is usual, something reflected in this recipe.

Sidecar

This cocktail came about since I had accepted a dubious mission. Namely, making dinner. Now, I don’t mind cooking dinner, it’s just that I have a few things I know how to do well, and when I move beyond that arena there is a high potential of Bad Things Happening. I just don’t have the familiarity with the terms and process so end up with everything needed to happen at one point, and finding myself chopping the garlic as the onions are burning. I decided to get myself in the mood, I’d revisit the Sidecar. I happened to have fresh lemons on hand, which provided enough juice for me to experiment a couple of times to find the version I liked the best (above).

Having succeeded in something that seemed close to cooking (a recipe, multiple ingredients, what can be the difference?), I opened the cookbook and started working.

Chris Cooking with Sidecar

Alas, the Sidecar was of little help. I eventually managed to get my way through a really quite simple recipe involving a forest of some theoretically enchanted broccoli without mucking it up too badly (ok, perhaps there was too much dill). Still, I had my usual moments of panic as all the timers went off, things boiled over and ingredients that needed adding were yet to be chopped. In the end, I have another recipe I now know enough to probably prepare more cheerfully next time, and the feeling that I’ve finally got at least a handle on a cocktail that’s been on my mind for some time.

The Manhattan Special

06. January 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The problem with browsing through cocktail blogs is that I invariably find someone else who is posting delightful, well informed information and my list of places to read increases. The Handy Snake is one of those, and I earlier wrote about Kurt’s Manhattan Special. Being a big fan of the tasty manhattan, I tried it out and was intrigued enough to recreate it with some slight modifications. Mainly, I don’t like drinking mine on the rocks, so I just reduced the amounts and ended up changing the proportions a hair. If you’re interested, I really recommend you check out the original.

The Manhattan Special

1.5 oz rye whiskey
.4 oz sweet vermouth
.3 oz Benedictine
2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Note that Kurt makes a good point about wanting a strong rye to take on the Benedictine. I always like Wild Turkey in my Manhattans, and it serves well in this case.

What’s up with the .3 and .4oz measurements? I tend to make a Manhattan at 3:1 rye to sweet vermouth, but that’s too weak if you then add Benedictine. You could certainly just do 1/4 oz each of vermouth and Benedictine, but I liked it better with a hair more than that, and adding more vermouth than Benedictine. The end result is a very soft and sweeter Manhattan. It’s handy for those times when you want a Manhattan, but aren’t really looking forward to it standing up and socking you in the mouth for the first few sips. Of course, I think that’s part of a good Manhattan’s charm, but this is nice to have in the recipe book. Thanks, Kurt!

Manhattan Special

Yes, there’s a cherry there but I shook it instead of stirred the drink. This also dilutes it a hair more, in addition to making it colder quicker, which I think works well in this case.

Pisco Sour

08. December 2006 · 1 comment · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

This is theoretically a bit of a trendy drink these days, but I hadn’t heard of it until National Repeal Day when I noticed it floating about the internets. Christy sent me to BevMo tonight to pick up some wine. Sending me unsupervised to a liquor store with decent selection is a poor financial decision, but I managed to contain myself to just picking up some Pisco. It’s an interesting spirit, it’s actually a brandy based on muscat grapes and has a fairly unique flavor. Not something I need to drink straight, but I had purchased it for a Pisco Sour anyways.

DeGroff’s recipe:

Pisco Sour

1½ oz. Pisco Aba
3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Simple Syrup
Several drops of Angostura Bitters
One Small Egg White

Shake all ingredients (thoroughly!) with ice and strain into a small cocktail glass. Sprinkle a few dashes of Angostura Bitters on the foam created by the egg whites.

Ok, the thoroughly bit is my addition, but it’s important. Do your hands hurt? If you pause do you see layers (plural) of ice on the shaker? Ok, you’re almost done. You need to destroy the egg, and in the process produce a foamy drink to float the bitters on.

I often enjoy DrinkBoy’s take on cocktails, and I actually made his first before trying DeGraff’s. DeGraff has a lot more simple syrup and bitters in it, which rounds out the drink and keeps the Pisco from being quite so vocal. I liked it better, and so did Christy, so that’s what is posted above. Finally, a tragic admission, I didn’t have fresh lemon juice which means I used that crap out of a plastic lemon and it’s blatantly obvious in the drink itself. Do yourself a favor and use fresh lemon juice.

The drink is fun, and the egg whites give it an enjoyable texture. The bitters form a nice, orange-brown color, and the bitters and Pisco end up giving it a different flavor up front than at the end. It certainly seems like a summer drink, which perhaps makes sense given its Peruvian (or Chilean, depending on who you ask) origins. I’d love to muck with it and a fresh lemon, although after making two I ended up using more fake lemon “juice” to play with the Combustible Edison mainly due to the fact that it’s fun to play with fire. That and I love me the Campari.

Variations at:
The Art of Drink
DrinkBoy
DC Drinks
and, of course, Wikipedia

Update: picture of the Pisco Sour (v.1)

Pisco Sour I

Pink Gin

27. November 2006 · 5 comments · Categories: Cocktails · Tags: , , , , ,

Having recently picked up a half-priced(!) bottle of Plymouth Gin at BevMo, I am once more enjoying Pink Gins. Now, I tend to have a fair amount of gin in my possession at all times, but a Pink Gin is one of the few drinks where it really must be made with only one brand of gin.

Pink Gin

  • Plymouth Gin
  • 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

In a cocktail shaker, pour gin over ice and add bitters. Technically you should stir until cold, although shaking is also ok. Pour into a cocktail (martini) glass and enjoy.

Some people drink it with the gin warm, the thought of which always makes my skin crawl. Also, it’s common to prepare by coating the glass (sometimes shot glass) in bitters and dumping out the extra instead of adding it directly in. Just a little variation makes a noticeable difference, so it’s worth the delight of experimenting to find your optimal proportions.

The Pink Gin has a proud history. I’ve read various accounts, all of which seem to match Wikipedia’s note: “Pink gin is a typically English way of enjoying gin. It was made popular worldwide by members of the Royal Navy, where it rose to prominence because the Angostura bitters were a cure for seasickness.”

Incidentally, does anyone know of a good place to buy spirits in San Diego? BevMo is ok, but they’re sometimes too much of a chain to carry the really good stuff.

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