cocktail virgin slut

afterword

2013-05-23T12:25:00.000-04:00

1/2 oz Mezcal
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Top with 1 oz Nino Franco Prosecco.

After returning from the Franklin Southie on the Red Line, I got off the subway at Davis Square and realized that there was still time to catch a nightcap at Spoke Wine Bar. At Spoke, bartender Sam Karachi mentioned that he could make his Last Word riff, the Afterword, that he could not make me as a follow up to the Saber & Foil since the bar was out of Amaro Montenegro at the time. With the Last Word symbolic foursome of ingredients being lightened by prosecco here, it reminded me of Trina's Starlite Lounge's Word to Your Mom which utilized Pretty Things Jack d'Or beer to a similar effect.
Once mixed, the Afterword's herbal notes from the amaro and Yellow Chartreuse joined the lime and wine aromas. The crisp sip from the citrus and dry sparkling wine transitioned into an herbal and slightly smokey mezcal swallow.

sandpiper

2013-05-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

2 oz Zaya Gran Reserva 12 Year Rum
1/2 oz Luxardo Espresso Liqueur
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Cream of Coconut

Shake with ice in a Highball glass. Add a straw.

Two Thursdays ago, I ventured over to the Franklin Southie to sit at Peter Cipriani's bar. For a drink, I asked Peter for the Sandpiper; while it seemed like a coffee-flavored riff on a classic Painkiller, the Sandpiper did reminded me of the Beach Cruiser from the Franklin's sister restaurant, the Citizen Public House, especially with the call for Zaya 12 Year Rum.
The Sandpiper shared a dark rum and coffee nose that led into a caramel sip with the espresso liqueur's roast notes and the coconut's smoothness. The coconut continued on into the swallow but it was taken over by the pineapple, coffee, and dark rum flavors, and the drink's finish alternated between lingering pineapple and coffee roast notes. Indeed, the combination of pineapple, coffee, and dark rum turned out to be an amazing combination.

blackheart

2013-05-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Batavia Arrack
1/2 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1/2 oz Molasses Syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass containing 3 ice cubes. Top with 2 oz of Notch Session Ale and add straws.

Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured over to Brick & Mortar where Matthew Schrage and Phil MacLeod were tending bar. For a drink, I asked for the Blackheart off the menu for this beer cocktail had a pirate-y feel and both Batavia Arrack and beer as ingredients are big draws for me.
The Blackheart's allspice and lime notes greeted the nose. The citrus continued into the sip where it mingled with the beer's crisp carbonation. The swallow presented the Batavia Arrack that was smoothed over by the molasses, and it ended with an allspice finish from the liqueur and bitters.

home wrecker

2013-05-22T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After having a drink at Stoddard's and chatting with bar manager Jamie Walsh for a bit, I headed over to Silvertone to attend the soirée held for Count Branca of Fernet Branca fame. The Count is a pleasing fellow that reminded people of Arthur with his carefree love of life (and all things Fernet Branca). One of the drinks I had was the Toronto and the Count was curious for he never had tried this gem first published in the 1940s; I was a bit surprised until he explained that in Italy, people drink it straight or in coffee, but he was game to drink one.
Since the Branca product line contains other spirits including Punt e Mes, I also opted for an original created by bartender John Nugent called the Home Wrecker. John explained that Silvertone's John Childs asked for something summery, and for inspiration, John looked towards Misty Kalkofen's Maximilian Affair. Once shaken and strained, the Home Wrecker's nose was full of rye and floral notes. A malt and lemon sip led into a swallow that started with rye and ended with bitter floral flavors and a tart lemon finish.

i'm on a boat

2013-05-21T12:34:00.000-04:00

1 oz Cognac
1 oz Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Marie Brizard Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple fruit leaf, an orange twist, and a cherry, and add a straw.

Two Tuesdays ago, I stopped into Stoddard's before attending the soirée for Count Branca (of Fernet Branca) at Silvertone. I was originally going to get one of the interesting beers off of Stoddard's ever-changing list, but bar manager Jamie Walsh suggested that I try the new menu item, the I'm on a Boat. He explained that it was their riff on the Mai Tai that they named after the Saturday Night Live music video sketch.
The orange twist contributed greatly to the drink's aroma. The grapefruit juice played a major part of the sip; moreover, the combination of lime, curaçao, and Angostura Bitters seemed to bolster this perception as it does in the Pegu Club. Finally, the Cognac notes appeared on the swallow along with the orgeat's nuttiness and the rum and bitters' spice.

captain kidd

2013-05-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 oz Jamaican Rum (Appleton VX)
1/2 oz Dry Sherry (Lustau Oloroso)
1/2 oz Scotch (Pig's Nose)
1 tsp Sugar (1/4 oz Simple Syrup)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain in a cocktail glass.

A few Mondays ago for the cocktail hour, I began to flip through my new acquisition of Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink which I found at a rather affordable price at an antique shop. I decided to go easy with the rum and Scotch choice using Appleton and a blended whisky instead of the Smith & Cross Rum and Laphroaig 10 Year that I might have grabbed on another evening.
The Captain Kidd presented a fruit aroma from the sherry that led into a dry grape and malt sip. The swallow then offered the rum, sherry's raisin, and hints of orange on the finish. Interestingly, the Scotch was at first more noticeable on the sip and then later on the swallow. Overall, the Captain Kidd reminded me a bit of an Arawac with extra complexity from the Scotch.

bayeux cocktail

2013-05-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Lecompte 5 Year Calvados
1/2 oz Krogstad Aquavit
1/2 oz Bénédictine
1/2 oz Earl Grey Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.
For a final libation at Craigie on Main, I asked bartender Ann Thompson for the Bayeux Cocktail. The drink's name makes reference to the town in Normandy where Lecompte Calvados is produced. Once mixed, the drink provided a fruity aroma from the orange oils, Calvados' apple, and Earl Grey's bergamot that was all spiced by the aquavit's caraway. The Calvados contributed both an apple sip and swallow, and the swallow was greatly complemented by the caraway and other herbal elements in the mix.

passaggio

2013-05-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

1 oz Batavia Arrack
1 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

After Myers & Chang, we stopped into Craigie on Main on the way home. For a first drink, I asked bartender Ann Thompson for the Passaggio created by Jared Sadoian. Jared later explained that it was his gateway to bitter drinks idea to bring guests into appreciating amaros and the like. Moreover, the Passaggio has a bitter edge but it is a little sweet and easy to drink. When I enquired about the Batavia Arrack, Jared explained that it was originally a rhum agricole drink (1 1/2 rhum, 1 Cocchi Americano, 1/2 Nonino) until this menu item depleted their agricole stock.
The orange twist contributed greatly to the Passaggio's aroma at first but later more and more Batavia Arrack notes crept in. The sip had the continuation of citrus notes along with the caramel from the Amaro Nonino, and the swallow showcased the Batavia Arrack's funk balanced by the rich herbal notes.

sagerac

2013-05-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

This month's Mixology Monday theme, "Witches' Garden" (MxMo LXXIII), was picked by Mark Holmes of the Cardiff Cocktails tumblr. Mark's challenge was, "As far back as we can look, the use of fresh herbs have been prevalent in the world of mixed drinks. From the early days of the julep, through Williams Terrington's 19th century Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks, to Don the Beachcomber's ahead of their time Tiki drinks, fresh herbs have always been at the forefront of mixology. So let's take influence from the bartenders that once ruled the world of mixology, raid your herb garden that too often gets neglected, and start mixing."

When reading over the theme's description about the herb garden, I thought about what herbs were already up. Since there was already a mint-themed Mixology Monday, I considered the thyme, chives, catnip, and sage that are already up. The concept of a tequila-sage pairing came to mind, and I set about to find a recipe to match. While I did find a recipe, it was actually created as a rye drink first, and after making both, I felt that the rye version was superior despite my predisposition to the pairing. That recipe was Jacques Bezuidenhout's sage Sazerac, the Sagerac, and after Jacques became the Tequila Partida bartender ambassador, he created the tequila variation. Note: the below recipe has been adapted and scaled down by a third to make it less of a spirit bomb.

Sagerac
• 2 oz Rye Whiskey (*)
• 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
• 3 dash Peychaud's Bitters
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 4-6 Sage Leaves
Lightly muddle the sage leaves with the simple syrup and bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with Herbsaint. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf.
(*) For the Tequila Sagerac, substitute 1 oz Reposado Tequila and 1 oz Blanco Tequila in place of the rye.

For the rye version, the sage and the Herbsaint's anise paired up on the nose to generate an almost minty aroma. A sweet, malty sip led into a rye swallow containing minty, anise, and spice flavors; finally, the swallow ended with lingering sage notes. The tequila version was not too much different, but the sip was less distinctive with only a slight aged flavor from the reposado tequila, and the swallow also began with the agave notes.
So thank you to Mark conjuring the witches but not having anyone turned into a toad during this month's Mixology Monday. Quite curious as to what other herbs people will select with for this event. Cheers!

black snake

2013-05-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Fizz glass. Top with 1 oz Coca Cola.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Myers & Chang for dinner. Instead of a beer, I opted for a cocktail that I had spotted last time but passed on; this time, the combination of black strap rum, Cynar, lime, and cola was too curious to pass up. They had named the libation the Black Snake after the Chinese zodiac symbol for 2013. Cynar, black strap rum, and citrus have worked well in the past in drinks like Derek Brown's The Getaway, and Coke seemed like it would add some synergy to the mix.
The Black Snake proffered a lime and molasses nose that led into a lime and caramel sip. Most of the rum and its molasses flavors appeared on the swallow along with the Cynar-cola bitter notes. Over all, the Cynar and Coke worked rather well together, and the whole mixture came across like a more complex Kill Divil.

turn of the century

2013-05-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

3/4 oz Kübler (or other blanche) Absinthe
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Marie Brizard)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Fridays ago for the cocktail hour, I opened up the new Food & Wine: Cocktails 2013 and found the Turn of the Century by Maxwell Britten of Maison Premiere in Brooklyn. Maison Premiere is an oyster bar with an emphasis on Champagne and absinthe, and from their two dozen absinthes, Maxwell selected Kübler to craft a variation of the 20th Century.
The lemon twist brightened the absinthe's anise aroma and prepared the mouth for the lemon sip that was softened by the Cocchi Americano's sweet wine notes. The absinthe reared itself on the swallow which finished with a hint of cacao at the end. Whether it was the recipe's balance or the choice of Kübler, I was surprised at how the Turn of the Century was rather soft for such an absinthe-forward libation.

[gens du monde]

2013-05-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Maurin Quina
3/4 oz Bookers Bourbon
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
4 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a snifter glass.
While I was enjoying my 2011 at Local 149, John Mayer made Andrea a Bourbon drink that was heavy on the Maurin Quina. Since it lacked a name, I later dubbed it the Gens du Monde after a book of caricatures that Leonetto Cappiello did a few years before he got famous for designing a Maurin Quina poster that is now the bottle's label. Once mixed, the drink proffered a cherry and Bourbon aroma. The cherry continued into the sip where it paired with the Amaro Nonino's caramel. Finally, the swallow began with Bourbon and bitter herbal complexity and ended with a sweet chocolate-cherry finish. Overall, I enjoyed my tastes of Andrea's drink, but perhaps the cherry could be dialed back to an equal parts Maurin, amaro, and whiskey drink.

2011

2013-05-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

1 oz Campari
1 oz Lustau Dry Oloroso Sherry
1 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
1 pinch Salt

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with Fidencio Mezcal. Twist an orange peel over the top.

For my second drink at Local 149, bartender John Mayer suggested something on the lighter side containing Bonal. Originally, he had named it an "Acquired Taste," but he later changed it to a year. I mentioned that his tribute to what was en vogue then was similar to the Bartender's Bingo that Luke O'Neil and Sam Gabrielli invented the year in between then and now. Moreover, the combination of Campari and Bonal was one that I enjoyed recently in the Streets of San Miguel.
The orange oil from the twist and the mezcal from the rinse greeted the nose. A grape sip shared a hint of orange, and a nutty, gentian, and Campari swallow rounded out the drink. Regardless of the year slapped on to the name, these flavor combinations still hold up rather well.

sock drawer sexuality

2013-05-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Luxardo Amaretto
3/4 oz Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Thursdays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to South Boston to pay bartender John Mayer a visit at Local 149. For a first drink, John recommended a drink that he had been tinkering with; he had riffed off of a recipe of his called the Rest Stop by substituting amaretto for the St. Germain, and adding tequila to the mix. For a name, he called it the Sock Drawer Sexuality which made me think of Clio's Mary's Sock Drawer. John did remind me that his wife is a sexuality teacher, so ideas like Magic Wand Malfunction are just common topics of conversation at home. The Sock Drawer Sexuality also reminded me a little of No. 9 Park's Diversionary Dam given the liqueur-Angostura combination.
The Sock Draw Sexuality began with the amaretto's almond aroma. The amaretto continued on into the sip along with the lemon and into the swallow where it mingled first with a glimmer of the tequila and then the dry wave of Angostura spice. The balance of amaretto with bitter and citrus here also made me think of Trina's Starlite Lounge's Suze-E-Q.

elysian fields

2013-05-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

2 oz VS Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Peychaud's Bitters
1/2 oz Orange Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Finally, after the Countless Night, I wanted a nightcap so I picked up the new Food & Wine: Cocktails 2013 and found Chris Hannah's Elysian Fields that he created an Arnaud's French 75 Bar. With a decent but not overwhelming portion of Peychaud's Bitters balanced by Yellow Chartreuse, Maraschino, and orange juice, I was definitely intrigued by this Cognac drink. I am split as to what might have influenced Chris to name this drink the Elysian Fields more. On one hand, I figured that he named it after the street in New Orlean's Marigny that runs parallel to Frenchman (and also home to the Mixoloseum's bed & breakfast in 2010); on the other hand, Chris has shown an interest in Greek myths before such as with his Thamyris. In mythology, Elysian Fields are the final resting places for the heroic and the virtuous people's souls.
Once mixed, the lemon twist joined the Cognac aroma and hints of Maraschino and Peychaud's anise. An orange and cherry flavored sip gave way to a Cognac and Maraschino swallow with a dry herbal finish. While the orange juice seems to donate a bit of smoothness here, it did seem to make the Yellow Chartreuse rather subtle in the drink.

countless night

2013-05-14T11:07:00.000-04:00

1 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1/2 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange oils from a twist.

After the Archipelago Swizzle, I was really excited to chose a drink from Gary Regan's new The Negroni; while I got my copy through the Boston Shaker store, it is available at Amazon via the link above. In the book, besides my absurdist layered Knickroni, are drinks from Boston legends John Gertsen, Brother Cleve, Will Thompson, and Domingo-Martin Barreres, as well as other great bartenders across the country and world. For a starter, I picked Matt Seiter's Countless Night that he crafted at Sanctuary in St. Louis. In this variation, he split the sweet vermouth into an intriguing combination of Fernet Branca and Bonal while holding everything else the same.
The Countless Night's oils from the orange twist colored the herbal aromas. A grape and somewhat caramel sip led into a gin swallow that showcased the Campari cross with Fernet's menthol-laden bitterness. With the Fernet and Bonal, the balance came across as drier than a regular Negroni despite what is probably a slightly higher sugar content.

archipelago swizzle

2013-05-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

2 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup (BG Reynolds)
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum

Build in a Collins glass, add crushed ice to fill, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with a large bouquet of mint bound with a thin lemon twist and with 3-4 dashes Angostura Bitters. Add a straw.
Two Wednesdays ago, we began the evening with a drink that Colin Shearn created at the St. Charles Exchange in Louisville for the Bols Drink Around the World competition this year. I do not know whether I am a bigger fan of Swizzles or Colin Shearn's recipes, so when the two were in one, I was definitely game. Once mixed, the mint and lemon from the garnish joined the falernum and bitters' clove aroma. Next, a lemon and malt sip led into the Bols Genever flavors that were softened by the vanilla syrup. Towards the end of the drink, the bitters garnish entered into the taste profile and the Swizzle became rather dry and ripe with clove and allspice notes.

stagecoach traveler

2013-05-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (*)
1 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Amaro S. Maria al Monte

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with Lucid Absinthe.
(*) Now made with 3/4 oz rye whiskey and 3/4 oz Cognac.

For Andrea's second drink, bartender Ted Gallagher made her one of the drinks he had been working on that lacked a name. In fact, when Ted emailed me the name later that week, he also had updated the recipe from a Cognac base to a split spirits base of Cognac and rye akin to a Saratoga. The tasting notes below are for the way it was served that night with the brandy base though.
The Aperol's orange notes on the nose were spiced by the absinthe rinse's anise, and as the drink warmed up, the Cognac grape aromas became apparent. The orange notes continued into the sip where it joined the amaro's caramel, and the swallow presented Cognac and the S. Maria's herbal flavors and finished with the absinthe spice.

eddie lynch

2013-05-11T18:01:00.001-04:00

2 oz Canadian Club Whisky
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
2 dash Green Chartreuse

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass containing fresh ice. Top with 2 oz soda water, add a straw, and garnish with a "traffic light" (lime twist, lemon twist, and cherry on a pick).

For my second drink at Steel & Rye, bartender Ted Gallagher recommended the Eddie Lynch, a tribute to his maternal grandfather; while Ted unfortunately never met his grandfather, he is name after him -- Edward Lynch Gallagher. Eddie grew up in Syracuse, NY, and he and his friends would break the traffic light in the Tipperary Hill neighborhood by throwing rocks at the red light. They complained to the city that the green should be on top (to mimic the Irish flag), and eventually the town gave in. To pay tribute to his grandfather's neighborhood, he based the libation roughly off of a Tipperary, and since Eddie grew up to be a Canadian Club salesman, Ted swapped the Irish for Canadian whisky.
Ted's three color flag garnish captured the essence of his grandfather's childhood protest, and its green light on top provided a delightful lime oil aroma. A carbonated sip shared light citrus notes, and the swallow shared whiskey and hints of Chartreuse. I commented to Ted that the Eddie Lynch Highball reminded me of an easier drinking version of his Everybody is a Nun that he crafted for the J.D. Salinger 9 Stories event last year.

good cuban

2013-05-10T12:20:00.000-04:00

1 oz Plantation 3 Star Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Mint Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Kina L'Avion d'Or
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with 2 oz dry sparkling wine.
The libation that Andrea started with at Steel & Rye was the Good Cuban. Bar manager Ted Gallagher described how it was his take on the Pegu Club's neo-classic, the Old Cuban. Once mixed, the lime paired elegantly on the nose with the mint's greenness and spice. Next, a citrussy wine sip led into a swallow that shared a glimmer of the white rum's character but mainly the mint and the Kina L'Avion's herbal flavors. Definitely on the lighter side of the spectrum from the one Eastern Standard makes with aged Barbancourt.

maritime out

2013-05-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

3/4 oz Rhum Clément
1 oz Bonal Gentiane Quinquina
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a white wine glass.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Milton to eat dinner at Steel & Rye. The bar program there is now headed by Craigie on Main and No. 9 Park alum Ted Gallagher and another of the bartenders is Green Street and Alchemist Lounge alum Derric Crothers. While it was Derric's night off, we did have the honor of getting to sit at Ted's bar again. For a light start to the evening, I asked Ted for the Maritime Out which was his addition to the Daiquiri Time Out (or D.T.O.) phenomenon in the area. Some bars, such as Brick & Mortar, have D.T.O.'s as shooters or cocktails on the menu, and others have Daiquiri variations such as Eastern Standard's Chappaquiddick. The Steel & Rye Daiquiri variation strayed by calling for rhum agricole with much of the spirit's potency cut with Bonal Gentiane Quinquina.
The Maritime Out offered a grape and grass aroma. The grape continued on into the sip along with the lime, and the swallow offered the rhum's grassiness balanced by the Bonal's bitter herbal notes and finishing clean from the lime crispness.

the maloney no. 2

2013-05-09T12:41:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Bonded Bourbon (Fighting Cock (*))
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass containing ice. Garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Not bonded, but at 103 proof, it is similar in strength.
Finally, after the High Noon, I began perusing Food & Wine: Cocktails 2013 where I spotted the Maloney No. 2. The recipe was created by John Durr of the Hawthorn Beverage Group in Louisville, and this Manhattan variation seemed like it would make for a solid nightcap. Once mixed, the twist's orange oils elegantly mingled with a vanilla-like note that I assume was from the Bourbon's barrel aging. Similar to a Manhattan, the sip greeted the tongue with grape and malt flavors. Finally, the swallow began with the whiskey followed by the Cynar bitter notes and ending with a Maraschino finish with lingering herbal notes from the amaro.

high noon

2013-05-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Piedra Azul)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/2 oz Campari
1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

After the Sherry Mai Tai two Saturdays ago, I decided to make the High Noon from the May/June 2013 issue of Imbibe Magazine. The recipe was crafted by Naren Young of New York City's Saxon & Parole, and it appears in the magazine's "four ingredient challenge" article. I was lured in for the combination of Campari and pink grapefruit juice has worked so well in the past such as in Chez Henri's Shiver.
The aromas of the grapefruit oils mingled with the tequila notes on the nose. An orange and grapefruit sip was followed by tequila and Campari bitter flavors on the swallow and a peppery finish.

sherry mai tai

2013-05-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 oz Dry Nutty Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 oz Sweet Sherry (Lustau Pedro Ximénez)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat (BG Reynolds)
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and add a straw.

After reflecting on Belly Wine Bar's sherry-centric cocktail menu, I wondered what classic cocktails could be sherr-ified. I began to process some of the pleasing sherry combinations that I have tried, and I honed in on how the nuttier sherries, such as Olorosos and Amontillados, work rather elegantly with orgeat such as in Sahil Mehta's Four Moors and Todd Maul's Joe Bans You. From the orgeat aspect, I immediately thought of the Mai Tai and how adaptable that recipe is such as with the whiskey-based Bluegrass Mai Tai and tequila-based Pinky Gonzalez. So why not a sherry Mai Tai?
Since I was not sure whether lime would work in this drink or whether I would need to switch to lemon as the Bluegrass Mai Tai did, I made both; however, my gut instinct that lemon was the way to go was correct. Once mixed, the mint garnish added a sweet spice over the Pedro Ximénez's raisin aroma. A citrussy sip from the lemon juice and orange liqueur paired well with the fruity grape notes, and the swallow was a pleasing combination of nutty and raisiny elements. I am happier with the way it turned out than with the name I dubbed this one -- it says it all but lacks panache.

saber & foil

2013-05-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

1 oz Rhum Neisson Blanc
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Gran Classico
1/2 oz Lustau Dry Amontillado

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I ventured over to Spoke Wine Bar in Davis Square. For a first drink, I asked bartender Sam Karachi for the Saber & Foil which he described as one of California Gold's creations. Cali later came over to discuss how she was influenced by Scott Holliday's Defensio, a rhum agricole riff on the classic gin-based Lucien Gaudin Cocktail. In keeping with the fencing theme and rhum agricole base, Cali shot for something a bit lighter in balance and similarly named the drink after some of the lighter thrusting weapons used in sword sport. Moreover, she wanted to keep the concept in line with a rhum agricole Negroni.
The Saber & Foil's grapefruit twist contributed greatly to the drink's aroma. The sip offered dry wine notes, and the swallow began with grassy followed by nutty and ending with bitter herbal flavors.