08 Sep 2024: Angel Face

This cocktail was featured this week by Anders Erikson. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s the link to his entertaining and inspiring YouTube channel where, to quote, when you hit that subscribe button you’ll find more “sips, tips, and recipes”.

This gin-based cocktail originates in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book (mostly Out of Print or in Reprints) where the proportions are equal parts gin, apricot brandy and Calvados. Anders tweaked the ratios a bit and recommends particular spirits - some of which I don’t have access to, but nonetheless, found this one a tasty treat. If you’ve not tried mixing with Apricot Liqueur, this is a good excuse to go out and buy a bottle.

Angel Face Cocktail

Ingredients (using Anders Erickson’s revision)

• 1.25 oz Beefeater London Dry Gin (I used Tanqueray)

• 1 oz Roger Groult Pays D’Augue 3 year Calvados (I used Lairds Applejack)

• 3/4 oz Giffard Abricot du Roussillon (I used Drillaud)

Chill a coupe. Put all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir for about 30 seconds until chilled. Strain into chilled coupe, Express orange peel over the glass - no garnish necessary.

17 Sep 2022: Vendome Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 oz. gin (I used a London dry)

• 1 oz. dry vermouth

• 1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge

Add the ingredients together in a mixing glass. Add ice. Stir for 30 seconds. Serve in a cocktail glass with a twist of lemon.

23 June 2022: Pimmlet

I like sour, citrusy cocktails and gin is nearly always the go-to base for me, the more juniper the better. So I finally acquired a bottle of Pimm’s No. 1 , andI was pretty excited to give it a try. What could be better than a gin-based cocktail with a gin-based spirit to help things along?

My only alteration would be to reduce the amount of lime juice, which, in my personal opinion, seemed to overpower the cocktail as made. We both thought that increading the Pimms to 1 1/2 oz and the gin to about the same while reducing the lime juice to 1/2 ounce was more to our liking. But you should absolutely try the recipe from Pimms for yourself and then, if you want to tweak it, go ahead and adjust.

Pimlmet Cocktail.

The original cocktail, posted on Pimm’s website uses metric measurements. Now a purist could use a strict conversion, but my strategy was to use equal ratios, subbing 1 oz for the 25 ml measure.

• 25ml PIMM’S No.1 (see headnote, we liked increasing this to 1.5 oz)

• 25ml Gordon’s Gin (I used Beefeater - a good London dry is perfect. Again 1.5 oz)

• 25ml fresh lime juice (see headnote. I’d reduce this down to about .5 oz)

• Dash of sugar syrup (we regularly use agave - easier to mix)

• Cucumber and mint to garnish

Put everything in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake for about 25-30 seconds til icy cold. Serve up with cucumber & mint.