28 Oct 2023: Stone Fence

When I’m looking for non-classic cocktail ideas, I often fall back on an iPhone app called Perfect Drink. The offerings are searchable by name of course, but there is also an option to locate a drink that utilizes a specific base alcohol or even a non-alcoholic ingredient such as apple cide.

Which is exactly what I did last night when looking for a fall-themed drink (no thank you to pumpkin spice anything). The cocktail I gravitated to was an apple-cider based drink enhanced with both Bourbon and Angostura Bitters - and it was delightful.

Stone Fence Cocktail

• 2 oz. Bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace)

• 4 oz. non-alcoholic apple cider

• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Place all of the ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice and enjoy. The directions did not call for stirring, so I didn’t - which meant that the first sips were more apple cider-y with a touch of Bourbon and the last ones were more Bourbon with a touch of apple cider. I did like this!

12 Aug 2023: The Highfalutin

I have a deep appreciation for gin, my favorite style being London, and the juniper-y the better.

Tonight’s cocktail comes from J.M. Hirsch’s Shake Strain and Done (purchase options, highly recommended) and even though the headnotes suggest this would be a tasty cocktail in Autumn, I enjoyed it immensely on an 80+ degree New England August evening.

The characteristics of this drink are strong, sweet and fruity. I agree! And I’d also add that it was one of the smoothest cocktails I’ve had in a long while. The proportions for this concoction are found on p 101 of Shake Strain and Done and I’ve included the spirit list below.

The Highfalutin

• gin (Bombay Dry)

• sweet vermouth (my go-to is always Cocchi Torino)

• maraschino liqueur

• Angostura bitters

03 Aug 2023: Summer Vibes Mocktail

JM Hirsch, the travel writer, food writer, and editorial director for Milk Street, creates some of the most intriguing alcoholic cocktails! Recently I’ve discovered he also develops delicious mocktails. The video for this one, Summer Vibes, can be found on his Instagram account and meets one of my criteria for good non-alcoholic imbibing: no fake booze - something I detest.

The only thing I would change from my first go-round is to absolutely crush the ice, which probably would make adding ginger ale unnecessary. Otherwise, a tropical, refreshing summer mocktail which I plan to put on repeat.

Summer Vibes

A Mocktail by J.M. Hirsch

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened coconut water

• 2 ounces pineapple juice (since my local Market Basket didn’t have this (!), I used what I could get in small sizes. That turned out to be a pineapple-mango juice)

• 1/2 ounce grenadine (buy - or make this version from Anders Erickson - something high quality. You won’t regret it)

• Dash of orange bitters

• Dash of Angostura bitters

• 6-10 granules kosher salt (It makes a difference. Really.)

• OPTIONAL: Ginger ale (I used sugar free)

Add the first 6 ingredients to a mixing glass and mix thoroughly without ice. Pour into a highball glass (or what have you) filled 2/3 with ice (see my headnote). Top with ginger ale if using.

17 Mar 2023: Tipperary

The Tipperary has sort of become an annual tradition in our house on March 17. While decidedly not green (who thinks drinking green adult beverages is a good thing?), it is our nod to St. Patrick’s Day by way of Irish whiskey.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Irish whiskey (our go-to is Powers)

• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse

• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (for this one I pulled out the Carpano)

• Dash of Angostura Bitters

Stir all of the above with ice and serve up in a well-chilled glass. Express a little lemon peel over the top before enjoying.

04 Mar 2023: The Greenpoint

My Dad used to drink an occasional Manhattan, and recently I’ve discovered I also enjoy this style of spicy, strong cocktail as well. I’ve also discovered, though, that there are as many variations on the Manhattan as one can imagine - at least as many as there are boroughs in New York.

This variation, the Greenpoint. was invented in 2006 by Michael McIlroy of the Milk and Honey Bar. It’s unusual in that along with the usuals, Yellow Chartreuse is added to the drink. I honestly wasn’t sure how that was going to fit in, but it did - and the drink is delicious!

Just a heads up that recently Chartreuse - Yellow and Green - is sometimes hard to come by. Whenever I see it on the shelves, I grab a bottle just in case.

The Greenpoint Cocktail

• 2 oz Rye or Bourbon (I used Mad River Rye, a local craft rye)

• 1/2 of Sweet Vermouth (I used Cocchi di Torino)

• 1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse

• Dash Angostura Bitters

• Dash Orange Bitters

Add all of the above to a mixing glass, add ice and stir for 15-30 seconds until well chilled. Serve in a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express lemon oil over the drink and rub the peel over the rim of the glass before discarding it.

10 Dec 2022: Bennett

If you a fan of a Gimlet, this cocktail might be for you. Lime juice and Angostura Bitters added to a nice dry gin make this a refreshing change from Gin Sours.

The Bennett

• 2 oz Gin (I used Dry Line from South Hollow Distillers)

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 1/2 oz simple syrup (I used Agave)

• 2 dashes Angostura

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a coupe. (Optional garnish suggestion: dried lime wheel).

24 Sep 2022: The Diplomat

The Diplomat cocktail came up on the app I’ve been using to match up our home bar ingredients to cocktail suggestions. Billed as a cocktail that is not too heavy on the alcohol, this was a smooth and light and enjoyable pre-dinner drink. Not sure about conducting diplomatic negotiations after imbibing though.

There are several version of this cocktail floating around the Internet and at least one from the Savoy Cocktail book by Harry Craddock. However, this is the one that popped up on the app, and since I had all the ingredients, well, that’s what I mixed.

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz. dry vermouth (I used Dolin green label)

• 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (I used Dolin again - might try this with Cocchi next time around)

• dash of Marachino Liquor (Luxardo)

• dash of Angostura bitters

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice, stir for about 40 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a marachino cherry if desired.

July 15: It's Tax Day - Let's Have an Income Tax Cocktail

Today, July 15, 2020, is the Covid-19 adjusted Income Tax day. We noted our contribution to the IRS occurred shortly after midnight, and to mark this momentus occasion for all of us who owed a little something to the Federal - and State - government, I present the Income Tax Cocktail.

Tonight’s cocktail is a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, orange juice and a dash of bitters. Accoring to cocktail expert Ted Haigh, this one is based upon a Bronx cocktail, also an unknown to me.

So if you, like us, feel a little lighter in the wallet today, console yourself with The Income Tax Cocktail.

The Income Tax Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces dry gin

• 3/4 ounce dry vermouth

• 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

• juice of 1/4 of a fresh orange (note - fresh is important)

• 2 dash Angostura bitters

Method:

• Squeeze the orange directly into the shaker filled with ice.

• Add the gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and dashes of bitters.

• Shake and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange circle.