Chocolate Martica

Another Phil Ward cocktail...

1 oz Appleton V/X Rum

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier or other fruity style)

1 oz Carpano Antica

0.25 oz Maraschino

2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Bitters

Stirred and served up

Right Hand

1.5 oz Aged Rum

0.75 oz Carpano Antica

0.75 oz Campari

2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Bitters

Mr. Antoni

Finally I made some honey ginger syrup to try my Genever...

2 oz Rutte Paradyswijn genever

0.75 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 oz home-made honey-ginger syrup

0.25 oz Compass Box Peat Monster whisky

Shake Paradyswijn, lemon and honey-ginger syrup with ice.

Double-strain into ice-globe-filled old fashioned glass and float the Peat Monster

Garnish with 3 pieces of speared candied ginger.

NNR (Name Not Remembered)

From Phil Ward of Mayahuel

2 oz Reposado Tequila

3/4 oz Punt e Mes

1/2 oz Aperol

3 large Grapefruit Twists

1 Dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Stir all ingredients (including twists) in a mixing glass. Strain and serve up.

Super refreshing, you would never know where all the alcohol went!

Amsterdam

Visited Amsterdam's best cocktail bar door 74, drank many excellent cocktails and tasted some of their massive collection of bitters, including Bitter Truth "Beefeater 24" bitters and Bob’s Liquorice bitters.

This was always meant to be the moment to sample and buy Genever, so after a visit to the amazing Le Cellier, my collection is more healthy!

Cornwall Negroni

Created by Phillip Ward, Pegu Club, New York, 2005.

2 oz Beefeater gin

1/2 oz Campari

1/2 oz Punt e Mes

1/2 oz Carpano Antica

2 dashes orange bitters

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

New Bitters

Finally the Bitter Truth bitters arrived!

Have only tried grapefruit so far, but it made a fine Gin & Tonic and Martini.

Chaplin

0.75 oz. bourbon (Woodford reserve)

0.75 oz. dry sherry (Tio pepe)

0.75 oz. Ramazzotti

0.125 oz. Cointreau

2 dashes orange bitters (I used Angostura)

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Ramos or New Orleans Fizz

Thought this would be appropriate tonight, since it is Tales week.

1.5 oz gin

0.5 oz lemon juice

0.5 oz lime juice

1.5 oz simple syrup

2 oz cream

0.75 oz egg white

4 or 5 drops (no more) orange flower water

Dry-shake the ingredients, then add ice and shake for a long, long, long time (start softly to avoid shattering the ice too much) - at least 1 minute, ideally 2, to fully emulsify the ingredients.

Strain into a highball glass and top the foam with some soda water to create extra head.

Yum!

BTW you have to see Chris McMillan in action on this and the Mint Julep:

Ramos Fizz

Mint Julep

Brooklyn

Thought I'd try my new bottle of Van Winkle Family Reserve with this beauty

2 oz rye
0.75 oz dry vermouth
0.3 oz maraschino
0.3 oz amaro Ramazzotti

Stir and strain in to a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange zest twist.

Gin Sling

My god these go down well...

1.5 oz gin

0.75 oz italian vermouth (carpano antica)

1 oz lemon juice

0.75 oz simple syrup

dash Angostura bitters (no more)

Lemon peel garnish

Shake and serve in ice-filled highball glass. Dale Degroff's recipe includes club soda in a collins glass, but why would you want to dilute something that tastes this good.

86 Orchard Street

45ml bonded applejack (or calvados)

20ml lemon juice

45ml apple juice

20ml licor 43

2 dashes angostura

Shake & strain into a super cold rocks glass

Añejo Manhattan

2 oz añejo tequila

0.5 oz carpano antica

0.25 oz licor 43

dash angostura

dash orange bitters (I used angostura orange)

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass - garnish with fresh cherry &/or orange twist

Cocktail a la Louisiane

0.75oz rye

0.75oz carpano antica

0.75oz benedictine

dash absinthe

dashes peychaud bitters

stir and strain into a rocks glass, garnish with cherry

Mai Tai

• 2oz rum (I used 1.5oz Mount Gay, 0.5oz Goslings)
• 0.5oz Cointreau
• 0.75oz Orgeat
• 1oz lime juice

Shake and strain into old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with crushed mint leaf.

Southside

An old favourite, sometimes made with lime:

• Several sprigs fresh mint
• 2 lime pieces
• 20ml lime juice
• 25 ml simple syrup
• 50ml gin

Muddle most of the mint with the limes, lime juice and syrup. Add gin. Shake.

Pour into a goblet over crushed ice. Garnish with any remaining mint.

Remember the Maine (Dry version)

In memory of Clover Club and anticipation of Cherry Heering for the sweet version

• 2 oz rye
• 1 oz sweet vermouth (M&R)
• 1½ bar-spoons kirsch
• ¾ bar-spoon absinthe

Stir with ice. Lemon zest twist.

At first I thought there was too much kirsch in this recipe. But the flavour profile of this drink changes significantly over time - after 15 minutes the lemon zest and absinthe had combined with the kirsch into a wonderful concoction... So make sure your glass is super cold, use a fresh lemon and don't drink it all at once!

Margarita

Sometimes the basics are best

• 1.5 oz Sauza Hornitos
  
• 1 oz Cointreau
  
• 0.5 oz lime juice
  
• dash Agave syrup, if necessary

Shake, double strain into cocktail glass

Vieux Carré

• ¾ oz Cognac
  
• ¾ oz rye whiskey
  
• ¾ oz sweet vermouth
  
• ¼ oz Bénédictine
  
• 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
  
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
  
• Stir well with ice and strain in to an ice-filled old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon zest twist.

Thanks James!

Between the Sheets

The Ted Saucier recipe (by way of Degroff):

1.5 oz Cognac

0.5 oz Benedictine

0.5 oz Cointreau

0.75 oz Lemon juice

Shaken a la Sidecar

Benedictine is my new favourite ingredient!

Corpse Reviver (No. 2)

• 1 shot gin
• 1 shot Cointreau
• 1 shot Lillet Blanc
• 1 shot fresh lemon juice
• Dash of absinthe or substitute

Shake well with ice and strain in to a cocktail glass

Beefeater 24 Gin

Best so far:

24 Sour (Dre Masso)

Glass: Old Fashioned

Garnish: Orange and Cherry

Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice filled glass

40ml Beefeater 24

20ml Lemon juice

10ml Benedictine

10ml simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

20ml egg white