Mixology Monday

Well, it’s Mixology Monday and this Month’s theme is “Spring Break.”  Brought to us by the Southern Gentleman himself, Joel DiPippa of the Southern Ash blog, we are challenged to imagine winter is over and turn our thoughts to Spring Break.  I know that Spring Break generally evokes thoughts of sandy beaches, warm water and something with rum that you can hide in a Solo cup.  But for me, we always took the kids Spring Skiing.  Now I really love to ski.  But snow skiing in my mind requires snow.  So, for me, Spring Break meant sliding down the ice in the early morning followed by a couple of hours of really great snow.  Then, after lunch, that great snow turns to slush and I’m done!  Thus, I would find a deck on the mountain and sit in the sun wearing a short sleeve shirt.  There I would enjoy the site of the sun on the snow and the magnificent blue sky, listening to the melting snow form little streams, all while sipping an appropriate libation.  I also gained great vicarious pleasure watching people try to ski in the slush which was more like swimming with sticks on their feet!  With that in mind, I wanted to create a cocktail to complement that location and season.  A cold coffee drink sounds perfect.

I prefer to make cold coffee cocktails with cold brewed coffee.  This cocktail will work with whatever coffee syrup you like to use for cold coffee.  I used a DIY syrup using Starbucks Sumatra.  With the Sun and Snow, you have the flavors of coffee, coconut and vanilla with a hint of cinnamon and a touch of smokey spice from the chipotle.  Take it easy with the agave, unless you like it sweet.  Here then is the recipe:

Sun and Snow

• 2 oz. Cold brewed coffee syrup – undiluted
• 2 oz. Water
• 1 oz. Kalani Coconut Liqueur
• 1 oz. Licor 43
• 3/4 oz. Cream
• 1 dash Agave syrup
• 1 pinch Cinnamon
• 1 pinch Chipotle powder

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill and froth the cream – about 20-30 seconds
3. Double strain in to the chilled cocktail glass
4. Try not to get sunburned

Cold Brewed Coffee Syrup

• 3 1/2 cups coarsely ground coffee
• 5 cups water

1. Combine coffee and water in a container stir well and let sit for 12 hours at room temperature.
2. Strain, first through a fine mesh filter, then through a paper filter
3. Keeps refrigerated for 1-2 weeks

PS: It’s 80º today in San Antonio, so I’m headed out to sit in the sun!

Cheers!

This drink combines the herbal St. George Botanivore Gin with the slightly bitter and equally herbal Aperol and the nutty, bittersweet Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.  The Pimento Bitters add depth of flavor and mellow the sweetness of the Luxardo.  It is a very smooth drink.  I started out with the following recipe:

• 1 1/2 oz. St. George Botanivore Gin
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 Dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

This ratio, 1 1/2:3/4:1/4, produces a cocktail that bolsters the herbal and floral notes of the Botanivore with the orange, slightly bitter Aperol, with the Luxardo decidedly in the background.

Next up was a ratio of 1:1:1/2

• 1 oz. St. George Botanivore Gin
• 1 oz. Aperol
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 Dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

This cocktail was more balanced and significantly more bitter.  Now I like bitter, so this appeals to me, but the bitterness hides the herbal flavors just a bit.

Lastly, I used a 1:1:1, (Ah, yes, the Negroni ratio!).  To my taste, this brings the herbal flavors of the Botanivore and the Aperol in concert with the bitterness of Aperol’s cinchona.  You can actually taste the nutty, bittersweet Maraschino, helping to bring everything together.

• 3/4 oz. St. George Botanivore Gin
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
• 3/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 Dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine gin, Aperol, Luxardo and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled glass
4. Express the orange peel over the drink and discard the peel.

Which ever way you choose, don’t forget the bitters.  They really add some depth and a touch of spice.

Cheers!

I have created several cocktails with Dorçol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy*.  It makes for an interesting twist on anything made with gin or vodka, (or tequila or bourbon for that mater).  For this Mule, I tried 3 different apricot brandies whose brands will go unmentioned.  They were either too sweet, too bitter or both.  Which is what I like about Kinsmen Rakia: it is bone dry, not bitter and has just the right fruitiness.  The Rocky Mule’s flavor is ginger, lime, fruit and just a touch of burn.  You can leave off the jalapeño if you wish.

• 2 ozs. Kinsman Rakia
• 2 ozs. Fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. 2:1 honey syrup (2 parts water: 1 part honey)
• 1 slice fresh jalapeño
• 6 oz. Gosling’s Ginger Beer

1. Muddle the jalapeño with the lime juice in the bottom of a shaker tin
2. Add the Rakia and honey syrup and shake to chill
3. Double strain into Moscow Mule mug or Collins glass over fresh ice
4. Add the Ginger Beer

Cheers!

* Doc Elliott’s Mixology receives no compensation for brands mentioned.

This cocktail is simply a Blood and Sand with a little smokey twist.  According to an article by Gary Regan on Liquor.com, the Blood and Sand first appeared in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book and was probably named after the 1922 silent movie.  History aside, the Blood and Sand is an elegantly simple cocktail.  It’s equal parts scotch, Cherry Herring, sweet vermouth and orange juice, shaken and served straight up.  You can change the flavor of this drink a little by switching around different types of vermouth but the key ingredient is scotch.  I prefer a Highland Single Malt or a smooth blend for this cocktail.  The complexities of a Speyside are lost in this drink and an Islay can be over powering, but a touch of smoke is a great addition.  This version of a Blood and Sand gets that smokey twist from a mist of Laphroig as a garnish.  Just fill an inexpensive atomizer, (available here) with Laphroaig and you’re good to go.

• 3/4 oz. Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch
• 3/4 oz. Cherry Herring
• 3/4 oz. Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
• 3/4 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
• Mist of Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Double strain in to the chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the orange peel over the drink and float the peel
5. Apply 2 or 3 mists of Laphroaig from the atomizer over the drink
6. Serve immediately

Cheers!