Marin

Mount Wittenberg, Point Reyes National Seashore

Barnabe Peak, Samuel P. Taylor State Park: May 14, 2006

East Peak, Mount Tamalpais State Park

Mount Livermore, Angel Island State Park

Peninsula

San Bruno Mountain (state and county park): April 23, 2004

Montara Mountain, San Pedro Valley County Park

Borel Hill, Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve.

East Bay

Franklin Ridge, Carquinez Regional Shoreline: BAHiker, EBParks

San Pablo Ridge, Tilden Regional Park: BAHiker, EBParks

Rocky Ridge, Las Trampas Regional Wilderness: BAHiker, EBParks

Mount Diablo (state park)

Bob Walker Ridge, Morgan Territory

Mission Peak (regional preserve)

Rocky Ridge, Ohlone Regional Wilderness

Rose Peak, Ohlone Regional Wilderness

Flag Rock, Sunol Regional Wilderness.

South Bay

Monument Peak, Ed Levin County Park

Summit Rock, Sanborn-Skyline County Park

Bald Mountain (open space preserve)

Bay Ridge Trail, Harvey Bear County Park.

Cocktails are among the highlights of Western Civilization, and every adult who imbibes should be able to make--or at least order--a decent drink.  By no means is this a comprehensive or proscriptive list--it's merely a compilation of the recipes I like.  A few drinks are "on probation," i.e. I'm in the process of tweaking the ingredients or proportions (or waiting for my palate to evolve) before embracing them fully.  And one or two are reminders of drinks I'm sure I'd enjoy but have yet to make.  But the vast majority have the ¡VivaBatista! seal of approval.

BOURBON & RYE

I tend to prefer either bourbon or rye in the cocktails below, and that's reflected in the recipe (e.g. a bourbon Manhattan.)  At the same time, I group them together because I've never been unhappy substituting one for the other.  My favorite bourbon is Evan Williams Single Barrel (in the round black-wax-topped bottle, not the lower-end stuff in the square Jack Daniels lookalike bottle.)  It's sufficiently consistent but occasionally varies just a bit from one barrel to the next, and it's a great value compared to some of the ridiculously overpriced boutique bourbons out there.  My favorite rye is Jim Beam in the yellow or cream label (I have an aesthetic preference for the latter, but I don't think the rye itself differs).  It's dirt-cheap, but I actually prefer it to the higher-end ryes I've tried.

De La Louisiane

1 oz. rye
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Benedictine
3 dashes Pernod
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Elegant and subtle.  The original recipe calls for absinthe instead of Pernod and just 3/4 oz each of the principal ingredients--but I'm resisting the absinthe trend, and I find a 3 oz. cocktail more wholesome than a 2 1/4 oz. version.

Fanciulli

1 1/2 oz. bourbon
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. (or less) Fernet Branca
& a twist

I love this drink--anything with a light touch of Fernet Branca usually works for me--but such an unlovely name.  Thanks to Eric Felten and the WSJ.

Indian Summer

1 1/2 oz. bourbon
1 1/2 oz. bianco vermouth
& a twist

Aptly named--very light and refreshing.  And it's really nice to see bianco vermouth in a recipe--I've only tried Martini & Rossi.  Thanks to William Tigertt and Food & Wine.

McKinley

2 oz. rye
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. brandy
a Pernod rinse
& a twist

My twist on "Remember the Maine," (which I'm sure I first heard of through Eric Felten, although I can only find Paul Cloutier's recipe on Cocktailiana) with brandy instead of Cherry Heering.  Yay me.

(Perfect) Manhattan

3 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
& a twist

This is the drink that first got me interested in cocktails, thanks to my talented bartender brother.  The addition of the dry vermouth and the substitution of a twist for the traditional cherry makes it "perfect," and it truly is.  My brother would prefer that I add bitters, but I usually don't.

Pickup

2 1/2 oz. rye
1/4 oz. Fernet Branca
a Pernod or almond syrup rinse
& a twist

I continue to experiment with this drink.  The original recipe called for just 2 oz. rye and 1/2 oz. Fernet Branca, but the liqueur overwhelmed the liquor.  I'm still not entirely happy with the ratio, and I'm on the verge of ruling out the Pernod in favor of the orgeat permanently (and possibly upping the amount to 1/4 oz.), but I know there's a good cocktail in here somewhere.

Saratoga

1 oz. rye
1 oz. brandy
1 oz. sweet vermouth
& Peychaud's bitters

I love 1:1:1 cocktails when they work out--such perfect balance.

Sazerac

2 oz. rye
1 sugar cube
Peychaud's bitters
a Pernod rinse
& a twist

The national drink of New Orleans.  Drop the sugar cube in the shaker, saturate with Peychaud bitters, and muddle thoroughly.  Add ice and the rye and shake well.  Strain into a chilled glass that has been rinsed with Pernod, and add a large twist.  (I use a vegetable peeler to get a sufficiently broad, thin rind.)  You might up the rye to 2 1/2 oz., and you might add a dash of Angostura to the Peychaud's.

Travesty

3 oz. rye
1/4 oz. brandy
1 sugar cube
mint leaves

My version of a Mint Julep, up, because I just don't like crushed-ice drinks.  Yes, I know it's inappropriate--hence the name.

Drop the sugar cube in the shaker, add the brandy and muddle thoroughly.  Add some mint leaves and muddle gently, just enough to crush them and release some of their essence.  Add ice and the rye and shake well but, again, gently.  Strain into a chilled glass and add a crushed mint leaf or two.

BRANDY

I like Remy VSOP, but VS is more than good enough for a cocktail.  Don't even think about using XO.

Caruso

1 1/2 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. Benedictine
& 2 dashes bitters

Courtesy of Eric Felten.  I've become partial to Benedictine--herby, slightly medicinal, sweet but with a touch of bitterness--thanks to the De La Louisiane.

Cherry Smash

1 1/2 oz. brandy
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
& a cherry

I'm a stickler for Cointreau--no triple sec, no curacao.  There are plenty of alternatives, but I'm fine, thanks.  And Cherry Heering isn't particularly versatile--I use it regularly in exactly 3 drinks--but there's no substitute.

Culross

1 oz. brandy
1 oz. rum
1 oz. Lillet
& a twist

Very smooth--something about brandy and rum in a 1:1 ratio that allows them to complement each other nicely.  Most recipes call for 1/4 oz. lemon juice, but I prefer it without.

Dolores

2 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. creme de cacao
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
& a cherry

Japanese Cocktail

2 oz. brandy
1/4 oz. almond syrup
2 dashes bitters
& a twist

Substitute hazelnut syrup for a Nocciola.

Sidecar

1 oz. brandy
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. lemon juice
& a twist

Weather Up

brandy
Amaretto
lemon juice
& an orange twist

One of the rare drinks on this list that I haven't actually made.  The signature drink of a hipster bar in Brooklyn where I'm sure I'd feel woefully unhip, I read about this somewhere and loved the ingredients--but the article didn't mention amounts or proportions, other than to say it had a lot of brandy in it.  I'm putting it up here to encourage me to experiment.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

A champagne cocktail is an "old-fashioned drink," as I was once told at the Zam Zam; that may be true, but its charms are undiminished.  Note that I use the term "champagne" ecumenically.  Actual Champagne is great, but my budget favors crémant de Bourgogne or crémant de Limoux or Cava or plain old California sparkling.  (I can't say I've found a Prosecco I really like, but I'm sure it's out there.)

If there's enough chilled champagne in the drink to keep it cold (4 to 5 oz.), then I simply add it to the liquor in the flute, but if there's ~ 3 oz. champagne, or if the drink calls for gin (e.g. a French 75), or if the liquor's exceptionally sweet (e.g. a Kir Royale), I'll chill the liquor first by shaking it over ice before adding it to the flute (or, more sensibly, by keeping my gin in the freezer.)

Finally, note that all of these recipes call for flutes.  I'm a huge fan of old-fashioned coupes for actual Champagne or invoking the spirits of Nick and Nora or just to add a little glamour--but for champagne cocktails, best to stick with a boring old flute.

7th Regiment Punch

3/4 oz. brandy
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. maraschino syrup*
1/2 oz. lemon juice
~ 3 oz. champagne

Shake all but the champagne with ice, strain into a flute, top off with champagne and stir gently.  Garnish with a twist.

Adapted from Eric Felten's recipe in the November 11-12, 2006 column in the Wall Street Journal (and named for the 7th Regiment of the New York National Guard, which became the 107th Infantry in 1917.)  Felten originally called for 1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur and 1/2 oz. simple syrup, but I don't keep either on hand, and it sounded too sweet anyway.  I always have a jar of maraschino cherries on hand (usually with too few cherries and too much syrup), so that was an easy substitute, and it's sufficiently sweet to omit the simple syrup.  I also bumped the brandy up to 3/4 oz. from Felten's original 1/2 oz. to give it a little more backbone.

* Yes, I know maraschino syrup isn't the same thing as maraschino liqueur (see above.)  But I already keep Cherry Heering in my liquor cabinet, and two obscure cherry liqueurs is one too many.

American Flyer

1 oz. white rum
1 tsp. lime juice
a sugar cube
~ 4 oz. champagne
& a thin lime wedge

Drop the sugar cube in a flute, and add the rum and lime juice.  Muddle the cube--chopsticks work great--and add the champagne slowly (the sugar will make it foam up).  Garnish with the lime wedge.

Chartreuse

1/2 oz. Chartreuse
1/4 oz. brandy
~ 4 oz. champagne
& a twist

Pour the liquor in a flute and add the champagne. Easy.

Classic

1/2 oz. brandy, Grand Marnier, or Dubonnet Blanc
a sugar cube
bitters
~ 4 oz. champagne
& a twist

Drop the sugar cube in a flute and saturate with bitters--not too much!  Add the liquor and muddle thoroughly.  Again, a chopstick works well.  Add the champagne slowly (the sugar will make it foam up.)

French 75

1 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
a sugar cube
~ 4 oz. champagne
& 2 cherries

Drop the sugar cube in a flute, chill the liquor by shaking it over ice, add it to the flute, and muddle.  Add the champagne and the cherries.  And don't skimp on the cherries.

Kirbsaint

1/2 oz. creme de cassis
Pernod
~ 5 oz. champagne
& a twist

Rinse a flute with Pernod, add the creme de cassis and then the champagne.

Kir Royale

1 oz. creme de cassis
~ 4 oz. champagne
& an orange twist

Chill the creme de cassis by shaking over ice briefly (or just drop an ice cube in the measuring glass), add to a flute, and add the champagne.

Marasca

1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
a sugar cube
bitters
~ 5 oz. champagne
& 2 cherries

Add the sugar cube to a flute and saturate with bitters.  Add the Cherry Heering and muddle with a chopstick.  Add the champagne slowly--the sugar will make it foam up--and then the cherries.

Mr. Clean

1 oz. rye
1/2 oz. Chartreuse
1/2 oz. lemon juice
~ 3 oz. champagne

Another drink "on probation."  I love the ingredients, but I'm not sure that the proportions are right.  Experimentation is called for.  Chill the liquor and lemon juice by shaking over ice briefly, add to a flute and then top with champagne.

Pilota

1 oz. Amaretto
~ 4 oz. champagne
& an orange twist

My own variation on an American Flyer.  Chill the Amaretto by shaking over ice briefly (or just drop an ice cube in the measuring glass), add to a flute and then top with champagne.

Seelbach

3/4 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. Cointreau
7 dashes Angostura bitters
7 dashes Peychaud's bitters
4 oz. champagne
& an orange twist

Note that both types of bitters are essential for this recipe--if you only have one, don't just double the amount.  According to the SF Chron's Gary Regan, it was created at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky in 1917, forgotten during Prohibition, and revived in 1995.  A great story, even better if it's true.

Briefly shake the bourbon and Cointreau with ice to chill, then add the liquor and bitters to a flute and top with champagne.

EXPERIMENTS

This section is just to remind me of some great liqueurs that need more recipes built around them.

Branca Menta

This bitter mint liqueur marries perfectly with rum and makes up half of a Butcher Block.

Domaine de Canton

An incredibly delicious ginger liqueur. Eric Felten has a great story about the rivalry between the Cooper brothers--John, who created Domaine de Canton, and Robert, who created St. Germain, another liqueur I've been meaning to add to this list.

Fernet Branca

Branca Menta's over-hyped twin. More bitter (bitterer?), no mint. Very good, but easily overwhelms most recipes. Best in small doses (or as a rinse?)

GIN

Yes, I know they had some problems with gin back in the day--which is why the Martini was invented.  Thankfully, gin's enjoying a comeback--or at least vodka's in decline.  It's all relative.

I prefer Hendrick's for Martinis, but the cucumber-infused flavor doesn't play well with others in less austere drinks.  Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, and Junipero are all outstanding, and I'm warming up to 209, which I found a little clinical at first.

I always keep a few Dutch gins on hand for drinks that either call explicitly for old-school genever or just seem to work better with a slightly sweeter, softer profile.  I love Van Gogh, but Boomsma and Damrak are also great.

A note on dry vermouth: Noilly Prat for Martinis--the old stuff, not the new stuff.  (And yes, I've stockpiled.)  Martini & Rossi is just fine for everything else and preferable for sweeter drinks.

464 Martini

3 oz. gin
1/2 oz. dry vermouth

There's this weird macho attitude about martinis these days--the drier, the better.  People, a glass of cold gin is not a martini.  That said, I am drinking them a little drier than I once did.  I used to go 2:1, sometimes called an FDR in honor of our 32nd President's preferred proportion, then I went to 5:1, and today I'm likely to go 6:1, as follows:

Shake the hell out of it, at least 30 seconds--concerns about bruising are sorely misplaced--and then strain over  a twist or olives (I'm partial to Silver Palate's jalapeno- or chipotle-stuffed).

A.B.A.

3 oz. genever gin
1/2 oz. apricot liqueur
& a twist

I love Rothman & Winter's Orchard Apricot, but I don't think there are many alternatives out there.  The key to the liqueur's success is its lush fruit essence with almost no sweetness.  Hence the drink's name: Anything But Apritini.

Astoria Bianco

3 oz. gin
1 oz. bianco vermouth
orange bitters
& a twist

As noted elsewhere, I've only tried Martini & Rossi's bianco vermouth, but it's fantastic.

Between the Sheets

1 oz. gin
1 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. lemon juice
& a twist

Another classic recipe that's on probation.  It should come together, given that list of ingredients, but I'm not sure that it does.

District of Columbia

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
& 2 cherries

My own version of a Mexico City, substituting gin for tequila, and one capitol city for another.

Dubonnet

1 1/2 oz. gin
1 1/2 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
bitters
& a twist

Thanks to Gary Regan for an outstanding story about the Queen Mother and the inspiration to add bitters.  I'll stick with gin, though.

Gilroy

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. lemon juice
orange bitters

Also on probation.  Not bad, but perhaps one too many ingredients.

Heather in Queue

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. bianco vermouth
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
< 1/4 oz. Fernet Branca

If it's not clear, use a bit less than 1/4 oz. Fernet Branca.  Thanks to Jackson Cannon, courtesy of Eric Felten.

Howard Hughes

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino
1/4 oz. lemon juice

After years of substituting maraschino syrup for maraschino liqueur, I finally went legit and picked up a bottle of Luxardo--and I've seen the light.  I only hope the Cocktail Gods go easy on me for my extended apostasy.  This is a variation on the Aviation, which has less gin and maraschino and more lemon juice.  The original recipe just doesn't work for me, even with with the Luxardo, so I upped the gin and inverted the maraschino:lemon juice ratio.  It's much improved (to my palate), if not perfect--experimentation will continue.

Journalist

1 1/2 oz. gin
1/4 oz. sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. lemon juice
bitters
& a twist

I love the name, and I love drinks with sweet and dry vermouth, but this is yet another recipe that's on probation.  Not sure if it's the number of ingredients or their proportions, but something's a little off here.

Lucky Jim

3 oz. gin
1/2 oz. cucumber juice
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
& a thin cucumber slice

Named for the Kingsley Amis novel, and supposedly his personal twist on the Martini.  Note that cucumbers don't actually yield a lot of juice, and the fresher, the better.  (I'd make this more often if I could keep the cukes on hand.)  A natural for Hendrick's, of course.

Martini Royale

3 oz. gin.
1 oz. champagne
& a twist

Yes, the name reminds me of Pulp Fiction--how could it not?

Menlo Club

1 oz. gin
1/2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. lemon juice
& orange bitters

Another drink on probation.  I like the gin/rum combination, but it's a little too sweet for me and a little too strong for Amy--she'd rather have a Vodka Sour, which tastes remarkably similar.

Negroni

1 1/2 oz. gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. Campari

The classic recipe is 1:1:1, but it's terrible.  Not enough backbone, and Campari is delightful in small doses but horrible when it calls attention to itself.  The solution is a 3:2:1 recipe, which seems to put everything in its right place.

Pastille

3 oz. gin
1/4 oz. Chartreuse
Pernod

Shake the gin and Chartreuse over ice and strain into a glass that's been rinsed with Pernod.  Thanks to Michael Reynolds for a great recipe, although I omit the "10 drops of rose flower water" on principle.

Pegu Club

2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. lime juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters

Thanks to Eric Felten.

Pompier

1 oz. gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
1 oz. creme de cassis
& a twist

Light, colorful, easy.

Rembrandt

2 oz. genever gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
1/4 oz. Drambuie
5 Drambuie-soaked raisins

Adapted from Gary Regan's recipe in the SF Chronicle, and one of my all-time favorites.  I use any Dutch gin, although I prefer Van Gogh, and I think 1/2 oz. Drambuie is too much and overwhelms the drink.  Regan suggests soaking the raisins for 1/2 hour, but I keep a small, canning jar in the fridge--much better.

Sange du Nord

2 oz. gin
1 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Pernod

The Pernod poses a problem here--if you really love it, add 1/4 oz. to the shaker, but I find that just rinsing the glass is more than enough.

Tableau

2 oz. gin
1 oz. Lillet
1/4 oz. orange juice
& an orange twist

Yet another drink on probation--I'm not sure how long it'll survive.

$12 Martini

3 oz. gin
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. (peaty) single-malt Scotch
Pernod
& a twist

Hands down, my all-time favorite cocktail.  I prefer Laphroig--if that's a little too peaty, I still recommend something rougher than a smooth blend.  Thanks to whoever's behind the bar at Saucebox in Portland--although I shaved 1/4 oz. off the vermouth.

Veritas

1 oz. gin
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. lime or lemon juice
2 tbsp. creme de cassis

For optimal effect, shake the gin, Cointreau and lime/lemon juice over ice, strain into a flute, and pour in the chilled creme de cassis.

Vesper

3 oz. gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet
& a twist

An homage, of course.  Although I'm not sure if I'll keep it on the list.  I love the Lillet as a vermouth substitute, but I don't know that the vodka adds anything at all.

White Lady

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. lemon juice

Another drink on probation.  (Clearly there's a problem with the gin/Cointreau/lemon theme here.)

RUM

Rum is usually found in fruity, tropical cocktails that I don't like.  But I've discovered that I do like the smooth texture that rum brings to drinks like the Culross, so I've been looking for other recipes with a similar profile.  I like Matusalem, but I'm no connoisseur.

Butcher Block

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 1/2 oz. Branca Menta

My own creation.  I love Branca Menta and have been searching for a recipe that would suit its, ah, unusual bitter-mint flavor.  This seems just right.

El Presidente

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1 dash grenadine
& an orange twist

Eric Felten's "How's Your Drink?" column in the August 19, 2006 Wall Street Journal considers several rum cocktails before settling on El Presidente, described by one Basil Woon in 1928 as "preferred by the better class of Cuban."  By that standard I'm doubly unqualified to drink it, but Basil's in no position to object.  (And as much as I respect Felten's recipes, I haven't settled on these proportions just yet--it could stand some tinkering.)

Especial

1 1/2 oz. white rum
3/4 oz. gin
1/4 oz. lime juice
2 tsp. grenadine
& a lime twist

It's a fine drink--the 2:1 rum/gin base works well--but it needs some work.

Flanders

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. bourbon
< 1/4 oz. creme de cassis
& juice from a lime wedge

Thanks to Eric Felten.  In case it's unclear, use a bit less than 1/4 oz. creme de cassis--a little goes a long way.

Green Lizard

1 oz. white rum
1 oz. Chartreuse

Outstanding.  Couldn't be simpler, and it has a great story, although I prefer a full 2 ounces:

Editor - Re "Silent monks get the Last Word" (Jan. 4): Nice article about Chartreuse - brought back memories from 1966 when I was young and stupid, and drank more than I should have.

Anyway, there was one cocktail served at the now defunct Bolshoi Bar in San Francisco - this was a bar/restaurant where all of the Russian-American crowd hung out in San Francisco in the mid- to late 1960s.

The signature cocktail - limit two per evening - was the Green Lizard.

The recipe is 3/4 ounce 151 rum, 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse, shaken with crushed ice and strained into a stemmed cocktail glass - no garnish.

You might want to try it - it goes down as smoothly as a Long Island Iced Tea - and you will definitely know why it was limited to two per person per evening.

George E. Barantseff, San Francisco

Missing Person

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz. genever gin
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. grenadine
& a twist

XYZ

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. triple sec

Combine over ice, shake for at least 30 seconds, strain into a chilled Martini glass, and garnish with a twist.  From Cocktail DB.

SCOTCH

I rarely have a Scotch cocktail--I prefer peaty Islays neat or a Chivas or Johnnie Walker Green on the rocks--but there's something classic about these two drinks.  True story: in B-school I attended a presentation by Edgar Bronfman Sr., and at the end of an extensive Q&A session the moderator said, "We have time for one more question," and was met with silence.  I'd already asked a legitimate question on the topic at hand, so I felt entirely justified in asking him, "What's your favorite drink?"  "Chivas on the rocks," he replied, without missing a beat.

Blood & Sand

1 1/2 oz. Scotch
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
& a cherry

Supposedly named for a Rudolph Valentino movie.

Rob Roy

3 oz. Scotch
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
bitters
& a cherry

VODKA

I'm not a vodka fan; liquor prized for its tastelessness has always seemed pointless to me.  But there are occasions when I want something lighter than gin, and these two drinks seem to fit the bill.  Befitting my age, I prefer

Blue Velvet

2 oz. Absolut Kurant
1/2 oz. vermouth
& 7 frozen blueberries

My own invention.  I'm trying to eat a lot of blueberries because they're apparently some sort of superfood.  They're usually out of season, so I buy them frozen, which makes them a perfect garnish.  And when they're used in a drink, it's good for you!

Shake extensively--you want it really cold and smooth.  Strain over the blueberries, enjoy the drink's lovely light purple hue, and reflect on the virtues of a healthy diet.  Salud.

Gingersnap

3 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Domain de Canton

The first (admittedly simple) result of my experimenting with Domaine de Canton. I expect I'll keep tinkering with the ratio, but swapping the ginger liqueur for vermouth and using vodka in my preferred Martini recipe works just fine.

Vodka Sour

2 oz. Absolut Citron
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. powdered sugar
& a cherry

Put the sugar and a splash of vodka in a shaker and blend thoroughly to eliminate any clumps.  Add ice, the rest of the vodka and the lemon juice.  Shake and strain over the cherry in a Martini glass.  (Yes, I know sours are usually served in a highball glass.  Personal preference.)

RETIRED

The drinks below were once on my bar menu but have been retired to web-only status because I just didn't like them enough.  I'm keeping them here for some reason, but I may get around to deleting them entirely.  Or perhaps they'll make a comeback--who knows?

DTBNL

The Drink to Be Named Later, known to CocktailDB as the "Vermouth Triple Sec Cocktail" (yawn).

1 oz. gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. triple sec
2 dashes orange bitters

Combine over ice, shake for at least 30 seconds, strain into a chilled Martini glass, and garnish with a twist.

If a drink ever needed a naming consultant, this is it.

Donata

Courtesy of Gary Regan's outstanding Cocktailian column in the SF Chronicle.  I love the Galliano--I'm a little too young to have had actual Harvey Wallbangers back in the '70s, but my grandmother's Harvey Wallbanger Cake was a favorite.

2 oz. Scotch (Regan recommends a heavier blend, such as Famous Grouse or Teacher's, or even a single malt, if you're feeling flush)
3/4 oz. Galliano
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain, garnish with a twist.

Fighting 69th

Briefly mentioned in Eric Felten's November 11-12, 2006 column in the Wall Street Journal, this simple version of a Champagne Cocktail is named for the 69th Regiment, which was part of the "Irish Brigade" in the Civil War.  According to Felten, when Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher ran out of soda water to cut his whiskey, he used Champagne liberated from a Virginia plantation instead, and the resulting two-parts-Champagne, one part-whiskey mix is still the official regimental drink.

1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
3 oz. Champagne

Chill the whiskey, add it to a flute, then top with Champagne.

Granny

Eric Felten made a glancing reference to this drink, named for old-time sportswriter Grantland Rice, in his September 9, 2006 "How's Your Drink?" column in the Wall Street Journal.  Felten listed the ingredients but not the amounts, so I'm still experimenting with the right proportions.  It's a nice, tart change from the usual sweetish bourbon drink, but it really needs a new name.

2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. orange curacao
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 dash orange bitters

Shake with ice and strain.

Petite Liqueur

From Eric Felten's "How's Your Drink?" column in the April 1, 2006 Wall Street Journal.  I'm leaving this up for, uh, posterity, but I have to note that it's not a personal favorite.  I've been converted to pineau des charentes, which I find preferable to Sauternes, but  the drink just doesn't come together for me.

According to Felten, the original Petite Liqueur was bottled by Moet & Chandon for fans of sparkling who "enjoyed the taste of well-aged, slightly maderized champagne."  [Maderized, adj.  Having taken on the characteristics of Madeira, i.e. well-aged wine.  No, I'd never heard it either.]

Petite Liqueur was discontinued in the early '90s, and Moet isn't disclosing the recipe, except to say that it involved adding cognac to sparkling, so Felten set out to recreate it as a cocktail.  He uses pineau, which is "cognac's country cousin, which is made by combining freshly pressed wine with cognac and then aging the mix for anywhere from 18 months to 10 years."

3 oz. champagne
1 oz. pineau des charentes, chilled
1 dash Kahlua coffee liqueur

Combine the pineau and coffee liqueur in a flute, and then slowly top off with champagne.

Sud-Ouest

If you've gone to the trouble of finding a bottle of pineau for the Petite Liqueur, you might be interested in the Sud-Ouest (named for pineau's region of origin) which Eric Felten described in the April 1, 2006 "How's Your Drink" column in the Wall Street Journal.  I'm actually not a fan of the the Petite Liqueur, but to my taste this is a much better use for the pineau.  Felten's recipe is a little sweet for me, so I might omit the Cointreau.

2 1/2 oz. pineau des charentes
1 oz. gin
1 oz. fresh orange juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau

Ulanda

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. Pernod

From CocktailDB.

Yellow Bird

1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. Galliano
1/2 oz. Cointreau
& a thin lime wedge

From Cocktail DB.

Long Way Round and Long Way Down.  Well worth the time.

Have I mentioned how much I hate Typepad's new posting UI?  No?  Well, perhaps I should get around to that one of these days.

December 30, 2008. 

Key West, 1991.  Funny story.  Sad, too?

By David Shrigley, from Sarah Boxer's Slate slideshow.

Bay Area speed freaks, represent!

This defines crazy.  I have an adrenaline rush just from watching it.  If you're not feeling it when one of them screams "WHOOOOOO!  DIG IT!!  DIG IT!!!" at 6:59, you need a heart transplant.

Thanks to SFist.  Check out the topo map of the route.

My definition of a perfect song?  When I first hear it, it seizes my soul and won't let go, and I'm compelled to listen to it over and over again--maybe dozens of times before the spell breaks--and when I hear it again in the future, it's difficult, perhaps impossible not to listen to it all the way through. A few I've encountered in recent years:

1% of One - Stephen Malkmus

7/4 (Shoreline) - Broken Social Scene

Button Up Buttercup - Haywood

Cotton - The Mountain Goats

(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Forget - Mission of Burma

Gold Soundz - Pavement

Guns on the Roof - The Clash

Hanging on the Telephone - The Nerves

The Heinrich Maneuver - Interpol

The Hollows - Matt Pond PA

Hotel Bar in Moscow - Haywood

I Will Dare - The Replacements

Obstacle 1 - Interpol

Rainy Streets - Superchunk

Sea Anemone - Jets to Brazil

Slow Hands - Interpol

Sometimes - My Bloody Valentine

The Sweat Descends - Les Savy Fav

Sweet Avenue - Jets to Brazil

Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse (Go ahead, sue me.)

That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate - Mission of Burma

T.V. Eye - Wylde Rattz (Sacrilege, I know.  Again, sue me.)

The Water - Feist

You Can Make Him Like You - The Hold Steady

Mobile post sent by edbatista using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Come out of the dark earth
Here where the minerals
Glow in their stone cells
Deeper than seed or birth.

Come under the strong wave
Here where the tug goes
As the tide turns and flows
Below that architrave.

Come into the pure air
Above all heaviness
Of storm and cloud to this
Light-possessed atmosphere

Come into, out of, under
The earth, the wave, the air.
Love, touch us everywhere
With primeval candor.

(Thanks to my friend Susan Lubeck for the introduction.)