Category: Classic Cocktails

The Highball is one of the proto-cocktail templates that underpins a variety of drinks from the Americano to the Cuba Libre to the Gin and Tonic.  The concept is simple, spirit and sparkling water.  Adding citrus and you can end up with a Buck, Collins, or Rickey.  While the origins appear to be around the turn of the twentieth century, the exact story is lost to time.  What should it matter though, the Highball remains a delicious drink over a hundred years later.

Highball

Highball

2 oz

Whiskey

4 oz

Cold Seltzer

In a highball (or double rocks glass) add a large ice cube. Add whiskey over ice and wait 5 – 10 seconds. Add seltzer, stir once, and serve. No garnish.

The Highball is nearly completely dependent on the choice of whiskey used. Using Suntory Toki here, the elements of cereal notes are expanded with the seltzer, and allowing them to express themselves. This is a difference from the spices, touches of heat, and green apple skin that are present in the raw whiskey. The apple notes are now more subtle, and perhaps even slightly crushed or the flavor an apple cut over an hour ago. The caramel and spice present in the original now make up the background, and now add notes of minerality and toasted grain.  There’s even a really gentle floralness and elegance that expresses itself.   The highball is therefore and extension of the whiskey you start with.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Highball is base cocktail.  In it’s purest form, the highball is two things, a spirit and a non-alcoholic mixer.  The result is an endlessly riffable drink, including things like the Gin and Tonic, Bloody Mary, and Mimosa.  As the drink is so simple, there is no room for a spirit to hide, so high quality spirits are critical to execution.

• Whiskey – This is the flavor of the highball.  If you start with a whiskey you don’t like, you’re unlikely to find that you like it significantly better in a highball.  Whiskey is a temperamental spirit and, prior to the rush to turn everything whiskey into cask strength expressions, common wisdom used to be to add a drop of water to your whiskey when served neat to help express the true character.   This thought process is founded in the idea that the molecules in the whiskey expand, opening up new flavors and smells.  A highball is a semi-similar though process, just on scale.  You’re adding a significant amount of neutral spirit, so expect the flavors to expand and change – but they will not get stronger.  Our general recommendation is to start at 4 oz of seltzer, and add or subtract from there (add for more complex / intense whiskeys, subtract for gentler bottlings)
  • Scotch – Highly peated scotches (like Laphroaig or Lagavulin) may require more seltzer, while other non-peated whiskeys like Glenlivet may require less.
  • Japanese Whiskey – These blends are generally closer to scotch in their flavor profiles, and should therefore be adjusted accordingly.  The expectation is that generally you shouldn’t see overwhelmingly peated expressions, so 4:2 ratios should work well.
  • Irish – Expect to follow similar 4:2 ratios compared with Japanese whiskeys.  Exceptions should be expected for finished whiskeys (in other barrels – like sherry or madeira)
  • Bourbon / Rye –  Unlike the other whiskeys list, expect to experience significant impacts from the base spirit (especially for bonded, barrel / cask strength).  These whiskeys can have strong profiles.  The goal is to balance them with the seltzer.
• Seltzer – Seltzer is the purest form of carbonated water.  There are no minerals added (Club has additional minerals to mimic mineral water).  For the most control, use seltzer.  Club is an acceptable substitute, but note that the minerals added can adjust citrus and bitterness.

The Chrysanthemum is another cocktail that’s experienced some amount of recipe flux since it’s creation.  Reportedly the original was actually equally parts dry vermouth and Benedictine.  Most interpretations have turned this down even further, leading to a 2:1 ratio of Dry Vermouth to Benedictine.  At an ounce of Benedictine, this seems like a lot. Still, there are few cocktails that feature Dry Vermouth as the main ingredient, so this feels like it’s worth a spin.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum

2 oz

Dry Vermouth

1 oz

Benedictine

2 Dashes

Absinthe

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Chrysanthemum is sweet, herbal, and floral.  The start of the sip is nigh cloying with candy spiced sweetness that gives way into a mix of herbal notes. The herbs pick up some of the spice before bringing in the brightness of the wine.  The spices are amazingly layered, ranging from cinnamon to clove to nutmeg.  The flavor of the herbs are earthy, almost garigue like, with a green wormwood character. Overall, it’s a deeply flavored cocktail with a good layering that with its low ABV won’t put you down and out.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Like all cocktails with limited ingredient sets, there’s not a lot of places to hide.  So the quality of these ingredients are important to the final outcome.  Regardless of the ingredients you use, you’ll note this drink is deeply on the sweet side of things.  This is largely due to the Benedictine, and the almost comical ounce of the ingredient. Some of the more modern takes on this drink counter this by adjusting the ratio of sweet vermouth to 2 ½ oz while reducing the Benedictine to ½ oz.

• Dry Vermouth – There are few drinks that call for Dry Vermouth as the primary ingredient.  As such, consider one of a high quality such as Dolin or Noilly Prat.
• Benedictine – Due to the herbal notes and honeyed sweetness that go into this brandy based liqueur, we don’t recommend swapping this for anything else.  Similar to certain other classics, this is both a specific liqueur and a brand recommendation.
• Absinthe – The amount of absinthe is low in this drink, but you can think of it similarly to bitters in an Old Fashioned.  As a result, your choice of absinthe is your seasoning of choice or whatever you happen to have on hand.  Our default absinthe of choice is St. George Absinthe Verte.

Cameron’s Kick first appears in the early 1920’s and, if you’ll believe this, promptly leaves out exactly who Cameron is or why the drink bears that name.  Instead, the author Harry McElhone elaborates on the fact that the orgeat syrup in this case must be made with almonds.  Having tried the cocktail both with syrups containing almond, and those that do not, we can say he’s right, although we do wish he might have been able to elaborate a bit more on the drink’s construction.  This is as this particular cocktail is decidedly unusual for the time period, featuring a split base of both Irish and Scotch Whiskey.

Cameron’s Kick

Cameron’s Kick

1 oz

Irish Whiskey

1 oz

Scotch Whiskey

¾ oz

Lemon Juice

½ oz

Orgeat

Combine all ingredients in a shaker vessel. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Cameron’s Kick pulls in the nuttiness of the orgeat – but despite a half an ounce it isn’t super sweet. The cereal and grain notes from the whiskeys pull it in and they catch up on the backside with a fruitiness that starts kind of pome fruit but moves into that cherry-almond sweetness before ending with a hint of smokiness on the finish.  The uniqueness is pleasant, balanced, and refreshing.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

We made an inordinate number of Cameron’s Kicks in testing the impact of multiple different orgeat syrups.  Having done so, we can attest that while the kick is primarily determined by the whiskey you choose, the choice of orgeat ends up dictacting a lot of how the drink stitches together.  As said, for best results, use something made with actual almonds.

• Irish Whiskey – We really liked something a bit more elegant here, a task that Knappogue Castle pulled off in a stellar fashion.  You could also use something a bit bigger for a kick, but floral and fruit notes play wonderfully with the orgeat.
• Scotch Whiskey – While Great King St. Artist’s Blend was lovely and offered a good amount more apple, grain, caramel, and a hint of smoke, we really loved Glenlivet 12.  The addition of the pineapple and vanilla notes really sing here.  Really, the choice of scotch here is all personal preference, but there’s very little room for it to hide in this drink.  Experiment to find what works best for you (like adding a bit of smokiness with a big Islay)
• Orgeat – We tried everything from Fee Brothers to Small Hand Foods orgeats and found a surprising amount of variation.  We can – with some confidence, inform you that you should completely avoid Fee Brothers Orgeat here.  It’s artificial tasting, and rather unpleasant.  The best in our testing were Ferrera Orgeat and Small Hand Foods.  While Small Hand is more expensive, there’s a true nuttiness here (although it is more subtle).  Ferrara also includes real almonds, but has a slightly cherry like artificial note that flirts around the edges.  However, you get more Ferrera (almost triple) for about half the cost of Small Hands.
• Lemon Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results.

The Sazerac is one of the first cocktails to appear and formally be recognized.  A product of the New Orleans environment, the Sazerac demonstrated local ingredients giving spin to a drink.  This relative of the old fashioned eschewed whiskey for cognac, and utilized the local bitters and sugars to drive it’s character.  The result is something unique, that in of itself ended up undergoing more than a few changes.

Sazerac

With that said, we’re going to start with the very original, pre-phylloxera Sazerac.  This drink is made with absinthe, cognac, and bitters.  We’ll discuss the modern variants below.

Sazerac

2 oz

Cognac

Barspoon

Rich Demerara Syrup

3 Dashes

Peychaud’s Bitters

2 Dash

Angostura Bitters

Rinse

Absinthe

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with St. George Absinthe Verte. Dispose of the excess or set aside in a glass for later use. Combine all remaining ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into the absinthe rinsed rocks glass. Express a lemon twist over the glass. Discard the lemon twist, and serve.

The original Sazerac is herbal, spiced, and complex with just a hint of sweetness.  This is a stiff drink, as there is no ice to continue dilution and there’s pretty much nothing that isn’t liquor.  The result is a celebration of the perfume and fruit notes of cognac laced with the herbal woody notes of the absinthe.  The lemon adds a freshness to the nose, and the anise notes from the Peychaud’s balance beautifully against the spices of the Angostura.  The light sweetness is just enough to balance and entice the drinker into having another.

Rye or Cognac in Sazerac?

The original Sazerac’s single largest shift in identity occurred thanks to the phylloxera outbreak in Europe.  As a result of the destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares of grape vines by this tiny parasite, Cognac’s supply was decimated.  Needing to substitute, the residents of New Orleans transitioned to a readily available alternative, rye whiskey.   It just happens to work perfectly with the template, adding spice and oaky notes that the work just as well with the absinthe and bitters.

Many modern interpretations of the Sazerac therefore use the same template, simply replacing cognac with rye.  While this makes a delicious Sazerac, there is another option.  Use both!  For best results, we recommend using 1 1/2 oz of rye whiskey to 1/2 oz of cognac.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

As mentioned, the biggest decision you need to make is whether you intend to have a truly classic cognac based Sazerac, or to enjoy the more modern updated variation.  Beyond that, the process to make either is the same.

• Cognac – There’s no where to hide in this cocktail, so good quality spirits are a must.  For cognac we recommend Pierre Ferrand 1840.
• Rye – Again, the quality of your rye is important.  More herbal ryes will escalate the pairing of Peychaud’s and absinthe, while more spice forward ryes will compliment the demerara sugar and Angostura spices.  Play around and see what you like best, but we recommend Rittenhouse rye here.  Don’t be afraid to consider bourbon as well, such as Wild Turkey 101 or 1792 Small Batch.
• Absinthe – We recommend using absinthe here, and not a pastis.  Our go to is St. George Absinthe Verte.  The official guide from New Orleans also suggests using New Orleans own Herbsaint instead (which should be considered an acceptable substitute)
• Peychaud’s Bitters – These are the standard for any Sazerac.  You can purchase them at most well appointed liquor stores or through Amazon*.
• Angostura Bitters – These are the gold standard of bitters.  You should have a bottle in your bar, and you can purchase them most grocery stores or Amazon*.
• Rich Demerara Syrup – You can muddle a demerara sugar cube in place of the syrup, but we find this gives a better texture.
  • To make: Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat.  Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved.  Allow to cool and bottle.  Refrigerate.   The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
• Lemon Twist – Unlike an Old Fashioned where you include the citrus twist, you discard the lemon twist after expressing here.
• Ice – This drink is served neat.  Keep the ice in the mixing vessel.

* – Amazon links contain affiliate links that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a portion of the sale.  These commissions help us keep researching new drinks and pay for the webhosting (which as of writing this, is a loss every year)!

The Blood & Sand is the sort of cocktail that you look at on paper and question why someone would put those particular ingredients together.  The start seems fine, scotch and sweet vermouth puts us well on the way to a Rob Roy.   A bit of cherry liqueur, a little unusual, but it seems reasonable.  But orange juice?!  Orange juice already make very few appearances in classic cocktails, and even less with scotch, so does it work?

Blood & Sand

Blood & Sand

¾ oz

Scotch

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

¾ oz

Cherry Heering

¾ oz

Orange Juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

The Blood & Sand is a complicated drink.  It spans a spectrum of flavors ranging from spiced to smokey to fruity to sweet, and bouncing between them as it feels is appropriate.  The scotch here is going to be a key player adding notes ranging from grain to smoke depending on your selection. The complexity of the vermouth pinballs off the scotch and pulls in a variety of fruity notes from both the cherry liqueur and the orange.  The finish is drier than you might expect for a drink this sweet, but still quite interesting.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Blood & Sand is a member of the equal parts club in it’s original orientation.  This is probably the most debated structure for this classic, but where you should start from as a template.  The most common adjustments are to accentuate the scotch and give the orange juice more of a chance to show its merits.  In this case, we recommend adjusting both ingredients up by a 1/4 oz.

The level of smoke should also be an are you consider for adjustment.  Although it doesn’t necessarily call for smoke, the addition of peated whiskey (either by splitting up the base) or by switching completely to a peated scotch can really give a brilliant scotch forward kick to this classic.

• Scotch – We recommend you start with some rich, round, and lower on the peat side of the spectrum.  Both Glenlivet 12 and Great King Street Artist’s Blend work well here.  A little bit of smoke from the addition of Ardbeg or Johnnie Walker Black can add another dimension.
• Sweet Vermouth – Carpano Antica adds a lot of punch to this drink to help round things out.  More floral scotches could also work well with a lighter vermouth such as Dolin.
• Cherry Heering – Heering is a branded liqueur, but the point is that it’s cherry based.  There are other cherry based liqueurs on the market (we used one from Luxardo’s Cherry Liqueur here), but you could also use cherry schnapps or maraschiano liqueur if you can’t access a cherry liqueur.  This will alter the flavor considerably.
• Orange Juice – Use fresh squeezed to avoid tinny flavors and to best compliment the scotch and cherry flavors.

The Hanky Panky originated at the Savoy Hotel under the leadership of head bartender Ada Coleman between 1903 and 1926.  Reportedly, the drink was made for an actor, Charles Hawtrey, who exclaimed, “By Jove! This is a real hanky panky”.  The name stuck, and the drink ended up in the Savoy Cocktail Book.  While the original cocktail called for equal parts dry gin and sweet vermouth, most modern variations have upped the gin to move the end drink into something that more closely resembles a Negroni than a Manhattan.  With the flavors in question though, either camp should consider giving this one a try.

Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky

2 oz

London Dry Gin

1 ½ oz

Sweet Vermouth

¼ oz

Fernet Branca

1

Orange Twist

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

The herbal notes of the gin compliment nicely with the fruitiness and nutty character of the vermouth.  The stronger, alpine bitter herbs and the touches of mintiness bring a unique complexity to the mix.  The result is something that isn’t completely off base for lovers of Negronis or Manhattans, but cranks the complexity up to 11.

Drink Notes & Recommendations:

The balance in the Hanky Panky is tricky due to the dependency of the amount of Fernet Branca with the sweetness of the vermouth.  That said, if you are between an eighth and a quarter of an ounce, you should be quite happy with the results.  To a certain degree this depends on your vermouth, with something complex like Carpano Antica being able to stand up to more Fernet.  A lot of this will be personal preference, and your mileage may vary.

• Gin – A firm London Dry is going to work best here, standing up to the Fernet and working with sweet vermouth nicely.  We used Beefeater, but would also recommend trying this with Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire.
• Sweet Vermouth – A complex vermouth like Carpano Antica plays well here, but you could also lighten things up something more easy going.  The key will be to adjust the balance by bringing the amount of Fernet up or down based on preference.
• Fernet Branca – This Italian digestif is not everyone’s favorite flavor.  It’s bitter, it’s herbal, it’s kind of minty, and very polarizing.  If you’re not sure if you enjoy it, we recommend you make your first past at this cocktail at 1/8 of an ounce (.125 oz) to determine your enjoyment level.  You can also use other Fernets if you happen to find this drink to your liking.
• Glassware –   It is appropriate to serve this drink in either a coupe or Nick & Nora.

The Rusty Nail is yet another cocktail that seemingly explodes out of nowhere and enjoys a (in cocktail terms) long run of popularity.  It shows up somewhere between 1940 and 1950, before being introduced to the Rat Pack.  The result was people across the country enjoying Rusty Nails, before suddenly, they disappear from restaurant menus and cocktail drinker’s minds.  Which is a shame, because as classics go, this simple two part recipe of scotch and scotch based liqueur has a lot going for it to keep you coming back.

Rusty Nail

Rusty Nail

1 ½ oz

Scotch

¾ oz

Drambuie

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a large fresh ice cube. No garnish.

The Rusty Nail is a classic cocktail that balances rich and sweet beautifully. The scotch provides cereal notes, earthy touches, hints of smoke, and notes of pome fruit. The Drambuie kicks it into high gear with more floral notes from the heather, baking spices, orange peel, and marmalade. The result is complex and warm cocktail, with a strong backbone and smooth, rich, mouth feel.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

I have an old love of this drink from my days late in college.  It has a complexity that varies with the scotch applied, but yet conveys a certain sophistication without being overwhelmingly boozy and aggressive.  Perhaps the only debate with the Rusty Nail is ratio. While the original spec is 2:1, 1:1 ratios aren’t uncommon (although they are quite sweet). Some modern interpretations go the other way, recommending a drier, more scotch forward 4:1 ratio. Our recommendation is that you start with the original recipe listed here, before adjusting to taste.

The simplicity of this drink also makes it a good drink for those experimenting with scotch or cocktails. If a bar has Drambuie, they can make this drink.  At only two ingredients it’s also a great beginner cocktail that demonstrates how a drink can be more than the sum of it’s parts.

• Scotch – Scotch makes up over 60% of this drink, so the choice of scotch matters.  In general, Drambuie works better with lighter, less peat heavy scotches.   These scotches allow the floral notes to shine, while also giving room for the spice and orange to tease more out of the scotch.  We would recommend Glenlivet 12, Great King Street Artist’s Blend (which we used for this Rusty Nail), or Dewar’s White Label.
• Drambuie – Drambuie is a scotch based liqueur that gives off floral, honey, spice, and orange notes.  There aren’t a lot of scotch based liqueurs that are widely available, so Drambuie is probably your best bet.  The flavor profile might be closest to Benedictine, but it won’t be nearly as good as Drambuie in this drink.  Use the original spec whenever possible for best results.

Named after an iconic LA Restaurant, the Brown Derby is a classic that can highlight the impact of grapefruit juice with aged spirits.  While grapefruit juice normally serves as a refreshing note with unaged liquors like rum and gin, with spirits like whiskey it can add weight and complexity to a drink.  When working with grapefruit juice, there are two things to be aware of.

1. Grapefruit juice is notorious for interacting with certain medications – so be sure to ask guests prior to serving them a drink containing grapefruit juice.
2. Grapefruit juice is subject to swings in sweetness and acidity.  Try your grapefruit juice before you use it to determine if you’ll need additional acidity (lemon or lime) or sweetness (simple syrup or base sweetener for the cocktail you’re creating).

Brown Derby

Brown Derby

2 oz

Bourbon

1 oz

Grapefruit Juice

½ oz

Rich Honey Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

The Brown Derby is a rich, balanced drink that delivers subtle complexity and well layered flavors.  The sweetness gives a round start, while the grapefruit quickly adds levity.  The bourbon covers the mid-palate, adding spice and oak notes that beautifully compliment the honey that runs throughout.  The overall drink is simple but invites you to enjoy it’s complexity.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Brown Derby is an easy drink to forget about, but not one you should sleep on.  It’s delicious, and easy to make.

• Bourbon – The richness of the honey and slight bitterness and tang of the grapefruit give you a lot of leeway on this cocktail.  The bourbons that will work best add complexity, so consider those that additional spicing or fruity flavors.  We used Elijah Craig Small Batch in our test, but would also recommend Wild Turkey 101 or 1792 Small Batch.
• Grapefruit – There’s a strange flavor when it comes to store bought packaged grapefruit juice.  It’s not quite metallic, but it definitely isn’t right compared to fresh squeezed.   Avoid the packaged juice for this recipe, and go fresh squeezed.
• Rich Honey Simple Syrup – See the recipe listed below:

Rich Honey Syrup

• 200 g Honey
• 85 g Water
• 15 g 150+ Proof Neutral Grain Spirit or Vodka (Optional)

Combine water and honey in an 8 oz mason jar and seal. Sous vide at 145 degrees for 2 hr. Remove from the water bath and allow to cool. Once cool, bottle.  If desired, add 15 g of 150+ Proof Neutral Grain Spirit or vodka if desired. Shake gently to combine.  Refrigerate.

Nothing says holidays quite like Eggnog.  Made of cream, sugar, and cream, Eggnog is rich, sweet, and gently slightly spiced.  The idea is that it is similar to a custard.   Eggnog is widely available at the store, but by making your own you have better control over the spices and ingredients that go into it.  In addition, you can better control how much sugar, spice, and liquor your include.  This eggnog below is designed as a quick Eggnog, for when you get a request for eggnog, but haven’t made an aged batch.

Eggnog

Eggnog

¾ oz

Cognac

¾ oz

Aged Rum

¼ oz

Vanilla Simple Syrup

½ oz

Demerara Syrup

1 oz

Heavy Cream

1

Whole Large Egg

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add 1-2 small ice cubes and dry shake hard for 30 seconds. Separate the tins and add ice. Shake again until chilled. Double strain into a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

This eggnog is rich, full bodied, and balanced.  The nose benefits from the spices which bring that beautiful holiday spice.  The mix of cognac and rum captures the full mix of brown sugars and fruity notes that compliment nicely against the richness of the cream and egg.  The light note of vanilla rounds out the custard like character, and the overall drink is inviting, suggesting warm fires and company visiting.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

This eggnog is a fast version, designed for when you don’t have time to make a Tom & Jerry (which features a custard base) or aged eggnog.  As a result, you can expect a level of richness similar to packaged, but with a much fresher flavor and the ability to tweak it as you like it.  Working with eggs and cream presents it’s own challenges, so please make sure you read through our notes below:

Construction:

• Build Order –  Build this drink in the order of ingredients.  This is designed to reduce the risk of curdling for both the egg and milk.
• Reducing Curdling Risks –  In addition to adding the egg and cream last, you should pour the cream down the side of your vessel or over a bar spoon to avoid the height of the cream from hitting the liquor and potentially curdling.  Have your ice ready to add and start shaking as soon as possible.
• Liquors – Whiskey is most commonly asked about in creating Eggnog, but you can use pretty much anything you enjoy (although we’re not sure we’d recommend gin).  There’s nothing wrong with using whiskey here, but you’ll want to consider what the profile of your whiskey is.  Heavily oaked or smoked whiskies may lose some of the fruity elements that work for both Cognac and Rum here.  Selecting more balanced profiles or spicy whiskeys are likely to work better.
• Liquor Proof – Avoid high proof liquor of any kind here.  In general the higher the proof, the easier to curdle.  For those that enjoy barrel proof selections, you’ll have to be extra careful if you’d like to craft your eggnog with them.
• Straining – Due to the curdling of proteins, you may see some coagulated pieces when you strain the drink.  For optimal drinking experience, double strain using both a Hawthorne and Conical Strainer.  You can find our recommendations on our Recommended Equipment for Starting A Home Bar.
• Cleaning Up – Be sure to clean carefully with soap and water after making this drink as it contains both milk and egg allergens.

Ingredients:

• Rum – For constructing the drink, we tried multiple rums, and found that an aged rum from Barbados worked the best.   The reason for this is that the rum adds the caramelized notes and brown sugars.  The rum you’re looking for should therefore be between 5 – 10 years of age.  The location matters a little less, but you’ll notice things like Jamaican funk coming through, so choose accordingly.  We used Plantation’s Barbados 5 Year and Doorly X.O in our testing (the latter of which is a little heavy).  Other rums that should work well include Pussers, El Pasador de Oro, and Kirk and Sweeney 12
• Cognac – Cognac will contribute some of the flavors of fruitiness and vanilla to the cocktail.  While you can downgrade to brandy here, the quality difference will be noticeable.  We used Pierre Ferrand 1840 here.
• Vanilla Simple Syrup –  Vanilla here is going to add that custard like note that make eggnog so dessert like.
  • To make:  Bring 8 oz of sugar and 8 oz of water to a boil with a whole vanilla bean split lengthwise.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cool – add 1/4 oz of Everclear (or vodka) if desired to help stabilize and preserve shelf life.   Bottle, cap, and refrigerate.  Dispose of if the syrup develops any clouding or mold.
• Demerara Simple Syrup –  We recommend demerara syrup here for the caramelized notes that play well with both the rum and the cognac.  This is not an absolute necessity, if you’re in a pinch, you can substitute rich simple or even standard simple.  The recommendation is to use a rich syrup, as the standard will add less body.
  • To make: Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat.  Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved.  Allow to cool and bottle.  Refrigerate.   The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
• Heavy Cream –  Use heavy cream in this application as it is more resistant to curdling.  When adding it, add it last, and pour it down the side to minimize the risk of shock as the cream falls into the liquor from a height.
• Egg – Yes, there is a potential risk of salmonella from raw eggs.  If you are using fresh eggs that are properly handled, this risk is generally low (about 1:20,000 eggs).  When making cocktails with eggs, we always recommend you use eggs that you have bought recently and wash your hands and equipment diligently after handling.
• Garnish –  The garnish for this drink is freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon.  To add extra flavor to your eggnog, grate some of the nutmeg into the Eggnog prior to shaking.

The Grasshopper’s roots come from the era just before prohibition when cream based drinks were still in vogue.  The original drink was the Alexander, a snow white mix of gin, white creme de cacao, and cream that was named for it’s creator, Troy Alexander.   Shortly there after in 1919, a florescent green cream-based creation was invented by New Orleans native Philbert Guichet for a cocktail competition in New York.  The drink would place second, but Philbert proudly brought the drink home to his New Orleans based restaurant Tujague’s, where the Grasshopper lives on to this day.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper

1 oz

Creme de Menthe

1 oz

White Creme de Cacao

1 oz

Heavy Cream

Add ice to a mixing vessel and add the Creme de Menthe and White Creme de Cacao. Using the back of barspoon, slowly add the heavy cream. Stir immediately. Strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with shaved chocolate.

The Grasshopper is smooth, creamy, and refreshing.  While the cream looks as though it would make this heavy, the lighter liquors keep the drink from becoming overwhelming.  Thanks to the sugar, it drinks like dessert, being reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The low alcohol point also make it approachable to both new and veteran cocktail fans.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Grasshopper is a straight forward, easy to make drink, but it’s not without potential pitfalls.

• White Creme de Cacao – The original calls for White Creme de Cacao which has a decidedly more vanilla / white chocolate like note than it’s Creme de Cacao cousin.  Creme de Cacao has a nice, dark chocolate almost liquor like character character to it, and plays well in relatives of the Alexander.  Feel free to swap it here to enjoy a more Andes mint like flavor.  We used Dekuypers.
• Green Creme de Menthe – It’s florescent, it’s green, and it takes a bit like toothpaste.  The allure in this drink is the mint note that adds refreshment, and the color.  If you’d like to keep it color free, use Creme de Menthe that doesn’t feature green color.
• Heavy Cream –  There’s no getting around it, Heavy Cream is packed with calories and rich, silky texture.  While it shouldn’t curdle (due to low ABV and acidity), we recommend you make this over ice, use the back of the bar spoon to try to layer the cream, and stir quickly after adding it.  Failing to do so, or pouring aggressively into the liqueurs could result in light curdling.
• Garnish – The Grasshopper is a playful drink, and you should feel free to experiment.  Garnishes include chocolate shavings, mint leaves, and whipped cream.
• Glassware – Many recommendations call for a Martini glass.  While this is acceptable, we feel they work poorly compared with coupes and Nick and Nora glasses that help corral the drink for the recipient.  For these reasons, we recommend a stem, but suggest a Martini glass only if requested.

The Algonquin is named for the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, and steeped in history.  The hotel had been serving as meeting place for a roast for drama critic Alexander Woollcott.  It soon became an ongoing meeting place for people such as Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker, and Peggy Wood.  The drink ended up being named in their honor, and is still served today.

Algonquin

Algonquin

1 ½ oz

Rye

¾ oz

Pineapple Juice

¾ oz

Dry Vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

The Algonquin is an interesting and unusual cocktail.  The flavor of rye gives a distinctly spicy note, but one that doesn’t quite match up against the fruitiness of pineapple or the herbal nature of dry vermouth.   This cocktail, despite the ingredients, is dry.  Going into it with that in mind will temper your expectations.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

To be honest, I’ve made I don’t know how many Algonquins and I assume someone likes them, but I just can’t fathom why.  If you like a relatively dry, sort of spicy cocktail, with a strong herbal note – here are the best things I can tell you.

• Rye – We originally used our go to standard of Rittenhouse Rye.  It provided the description in the paragraph following the recipe.   I thought it might be an issue with the rye, and used Elijah Craig Rye.  This emphasized some of the marshmallow and herbal notes.  My best recommendation here is to use your favorite rye – that’s not expensive – and hope it works for you.
• Pineapple Juice – Our default standard is Dole’s small cans.  They’re cheaper so you can use them without throwing out a lot of pineapple juice.
• Dry Vermouth – We used our standard Dolin Dry Vermouth here.  I don’t think there’s a lot of benefit that you’ll see from switching here, however there’s a part of me that thinks Bianco Vermouth might work better.

That’s about the best advice I can offer. I’d love to say there’s some reason to make this, but some classics are forgotten for a reason.  Got a reason you love this drink or a tweak you think makes it perfect?  Let us know in the comments!

Starting life as a trendy drink in the Castro district of San Francisco, the proto-cocktail that lead to the modern Cosmopolitan was a mix of Rose’s Lime Cordial, grenadine, and well vodka.  When Toby Cecchini set out to make a version in the late 80s, he never thought it would be the type of drink that drinkers would be obsessed with for well over a decade.   Building off a simple sour structure, the Cosmopolitan ended up incorporating even parts lime, Cointreau, and cranberry cocktail with two parts of citrus vodka.  The result is a much pinker and more tart version of the heavily cranberry laden ones that are frequently seen.

If your leading perception of the Cosmopolitan is the drink of the girls on Sex And The City, then you owe the Cosmopolitan another look.

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

2 oz

Citrus Vodka

1 oz

Cointreau

1 oz

Lime Juice

1 oz

Cranberry Juice

Garnish

Lemon Twist

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Cosmopolitan has experienced a number of misrepresentations, but a true Cosmo is nothing short of brilliant.   The drink is taught and balanced like a Daiquiri, but with a citrus finesse that gives the drink an electric character.  The sweetness of cranberry adds a subtle fruitiness that ties the entire experience together.  Be aware, unlike some interpretations the original Cosmo is bright (read acidic), it’s supposed to be, but also balanced against the sweetness.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Making a Cosmopolitan is very straightforward, and basically involves putting all the ingredients in the shaker with ice.  Most of the issues Cosmopolitans have come from variations in ratios (too much / too little cranberry, lime, or Cointreau) or ingredient variation themselves (like unsweetened cranberry juice).

• Citrus Vodka – This seems like it wouldn’t make a big difference, but if you side by side two Cosmopolitans, you’ll see there’s an entire layer of flavor missing.  Can you make one without it, sure.  Will it taste as electrifying?  Not even close.  In our testing we used Stolichnaya Citrus.
• Cointreau – We always recommend using Cointreau, but you can substitute Triple Sec here.
• Lime Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
• Cranberry Juice –  The original recipe calls for Cranberry Juice (and is focused on the old school cranberry cocktail). This gave the recipe sweetness and color, as well as a pleasing berry note.  Modern times have introduced 100% Cranberry juices and unsweetened variants.  These can make delicious Cosmopolitans, but not at an ounce.  These bring not only a more intense cranberry flavor, but also tannins and additional tartness.  As a result, you may find that you need to turn down the lime juice and add simple syrup to counteract the change.  When making with unsweetened cranberry juice, aim for a ½ ounce.