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Browsing Tag: vermouth
How about another aged rum cocktail? I think last week’s Rum Manhattan was a success so let’s see if I can surpass that beauty with this variation on Shannon Tebay Sidle’s High Horse. This colonial-era inspired tipple pairs aged rum with cherry liquor, kirsh brandy, and sweet vermouth. For my twist, I swapped out the kirsh brandy with Grand Imperial, the orange infused cognac similar to Grand Marnier. The result is delightful – and an easy sipper perfect for these spring evenings. Give this unique rum cocktail a try and I think you will find a new and deeper appreciation for this historic spirit. Save Print Rocking Horse Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1…
In reading The Skillet the other day, I came across Claire Lower’s 3 ingredient cocktail feature. In exploring these drinks, the Rum Manhattan popped up. After reading the comments, I decided I had to try it – and share it with all of you. Many commenters mentioned the cocktail would be overly sweet, which is possible, but I think with an aged rum, this tipple would actually be very balanced and quite nice. BTW, I was correct – very balanced and quite enjoyable. So here goes… regardless of where you stand on this cocktail, don’t shoot the messenger. Thanks for another winning cocktail Claire! Save Print Rum Manhattan Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients…
Well, I am back from Chicago and ready to update the blog. Here is a picture of our booth (www.vestaprecision.com) at the International Home + Housewares Show. The show was amazing – huge and energetic – and I met so many nice people that I want to thank for visiting us. I also enjoyed fabulous food and cocktails in the Windy City and can think of nothing more apropos than to share this intensely flavorful cocktail with everyone. It’s a luxurious beauty befitting of its royal name – the Crimson King Cocktail. This deep red tipple balances spicy rye, sweet cherries, bitter herbs, and rich coffee flavors. As a variant of the Boulevardier, I knew I would like this drink. And I do! Enjoy this…
I cannot believe I have not posted this cross between a Manhattan and a Martini. As the predecessor to the ubiquitous Martini, this cocktail really fires on all cylinders. The trouble is that there is no definitive recipe for this beauty. So it is very much like its progeny the martini, it is best served the way you like it. So here is my take on this classic ‘missing link’ between the Manhattan and the Martini. I started by using Old Tom gin and have increased the ratio of gin to vermouth from 1:1 to 1.5:1 while adding orange bitters with the Angostura bitters to enhance the orange aspect. The results are sublime – but don’t take my word for it…
While researching last week’s cocktail, Remember the Maine, I came across this one. The golden hue and the combination of ingredients had me immediately intrigued. And wow, what a deliciously complex cocktail! This beauty is over 100 years old, comes in various forms and is actually a tweak of a tweak on the venerable Manhattan. The original tweak is the Red Hook – rye, sweet vermouth and maraschino and this one swaps out the sweet vermouth for dry and amaro for the bitters while retaining the maraschino for sweetness. This cocktail has layers of flavors and I have to admit in many ways it is superior to the Manhattan. Now… don’t go interrupting my Friday night happy hour by giving me a Bronx…
In honor and remembrance of the 120th anniversary of the disastrous USS Maine incident on February 15th, 1898, tonight’s cocktail is also reminder that ‘fake news’ is nothing new (regardless of your views and beliefs). In the aftermath of this terrible incident in which 260 men died, two high powered publishers used their influence to inflame the situation and foster an atmosphere that resulted in the Spanish-American War. This cocktail is another variation on the venerable Manhattan. Originally documented in 1939 in Charles H. Baker, Jr’s The Gentlemen’s Companion after a raucous trip to Havana in 1933 during Batista’s coup, it is reported Baker served this cocktail with the advice “Treat this one with the respect…
Last week was a rare appearance of gin on the Friday cocktail post, so I decided to add another this week after I received so much fanfare for the Gin & It. Now, this cocktail is quite the conundrum because it has been published in a variety of possible concoctions. If you do not believe me, read this absolutely wonderful brief cocktail history for yourself, compliments of Jamie Boudreau’s post on Spirits and Cocktails! My thanks to Jamie for his thorough research and witty writing! This Trilby variant is the kissing cousin to last week’s Gin & It. Instead of using Italian vermouth to add the sweetness to the dry gin, this tipple relies on dry vermouth in a 1 to 1 ratio to…
Happy New Year everyone! For this first Friday of 2018, let’s indulge in a gin cocktail. No, not your typical martini per se, but a sibling to that vaunted and oh-so difficult to peg down bar staple. This simple twist on that martini features bold botanicals that sooth while warming the soul. Made with London dry gin and Italian vermouth, this ‘Gin & It’ has as clouded a back story as any cocktail. My research came up with many various ways it came into being, but the one that resonates with me is the story about this drink originally being called a ‘Gin & Cin’ – gin mixed with Cinzano sweet vermouth. If made with any other Italian vermouth, I can…
As this year quickly slips into history, I thought it would be appropriate to end the year with another classic cocktail. It is interesting to note that I really enjoy the primary ingredients that compose this cocktail, but have never had this one before. Well, I am going to rectify that tonight. Reportedly created by Walter Bergeron at the Carousel Bar in New Orleans in the 1930’s, this beauty reminds me of the original Sazarec, which is another cocktail I really enjoy. I think this easy sipper may quickly become my new favorite in the new year. Yes, it is that good! Save Print Vieux Carré Ingredients 1 oz rye whiskey 1 oz cognac 1 oz sweet vermouth ¼ oz benedictine 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2…
One of the few classic cocktails to include scotch, this cocktail was named after the 1922 Rudolph Valentino movie and first appeared in Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. This drink’s popularity seems to ebb and flow, but I will wager that if you try it, this scotch based cocktail will become a perennial favorite. I decided to try making this classic using a new single malt scotch I recently found – Glen Fohdry from William S. Grant. This scotch is perfectly enjoyable neat, so I decided why not give it a try in this cocktail. The results were… well, less than impressive. There was a pronounced bitter aspect and unbalance between the scotch and other ingredients, typical of most scotch based…