Mixology Monday

Le Bois Lele

It’s Mixology Monday!  This Month, our host Frederic of the CocktailVirgin blog, has revived the Swizzle.  Yes, the Swizzle is a drink, not just a stick!  When ice found its way to the Caribbean in the 19th Century, it quickly found a home in cocktails.  No longer did one have to endure the hot weather with warm punch.  For the Swizzle, the ice was shaved or finely crushed into the drink and the whole thing stirred with a Le Bois Lele – the original swizzle stick.  The Le Bois Lele is from a bush that has stems with 4 or 5 branches that come off at a 90º angle.  By rubbing the Le Bois Lele between the palms like a Boy Scout starting a fire, the drink is stirred and frothed into a frosty libation.  There are various types of Swizzles, but basically it’s the technique more than the ingredients.  The base spirits used in the 19th Century depended on the location, but were generally rum or gin.  The drinks themselves are usually sours.

For this Month’s Mixology Monday, we are offering 2 Swizzles: The Southtown Swizzle and the Tepache Swizzle.  I’ll start with the Southtown Swizzle.

Southtown Swizzle

This cocktail is named after San Antonio’s Southtown, which is an area just south of Downtown, the River Walk and the Alamo.  It is home to historic neighborhoods, an up and coming arts district and a busy culinary scene.  Located in Southtown is the Dorcol Distillery.  There they produce an amazing rakia and, more recently, beer.  They also have a bar from which they serve very innovative and delicious cocktails.

The Southtown Swizzle is all about Dorcol’s bone dry apricot Kinsman Rakia.  The citrus, in this case orange and lime, brightens the party while the Chartreuse adds a touch of herbs.  The Angostura finishes with a little complexity.

• 2 oz. Kinsman Rakia
• 1 oz. Orange juice
• 1 oz. Lime juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Chartreuse
• Angostura Bitters

1. Combine everything but the bitters in a Collins glass and add enough crushed or shaved ice to fill the glass 2/3’s
2. Swizzle with a swizzle stick or spoon until the glass is frosted
3. Add more ice to fill and continue swizzling until the drink is frothy and the glass is frosted or you get tired
4. Garnish with several dashes of Angostura on top

Tepache Swizzle

I really like Tepache!  That funky pineapple cider – esc concoction.  We prefer this recipe from Victor Tango’s.  It fits perfectly with the concept of the Swizzle.  For this cocktail I used Genevere, lime and Allspice Dram.  The flavors combine to whisk you to the Islands with the first sip.

• 2 oz. Genevere – I used Bols
• 1 oz. Tepache
• 1 oz. Lime juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Allspice Dram
• Angostura Bitters

1. Combine everything but the bitters in a Collins glass and add enough crushed or shaved ice to fill the glass 2/3’s
2. Swizzle with a swizzle stick or spoon until the glass is frosted
3. Add more ice to fill and continue swizzling until the drink is frothy and the glass is frosted or you get tired
4. Garnish with several dashes of Angostura on top.

Cheers!

I got the idea of jerky infused white whiskey from the Ranger Creek folks at this years San Antonio Cocktail Conference.  My original intent was to use it to make Bloody Mary’s.  However, I found that the tomato overwhelmed the jerky flavor.  More importantly, I started out making a huge mistake which resulted in me pouring half a bottle of Ranger Creek .36 White down the drain.  More on that below,* but for now, on with the cocktail.

Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey is their ‘White Dog,’ or unaged bourbon.  It is slightly sweet and a bit grainy with a hint of fruit.  It also has the ‘bite’ of white whiskey.  As a base spirit for infusing, it brings it’s own flavor profile and is an interesting substitute for vodka or grain alcohol.  For the infusion, I used my own beef jerky which is flavored with soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, Pick-a-Pepper Sauce, crushed red peppers, cayenne and liquid smoke*.  I let the jerky and whiskey steep for 2 weeks, tasting daily.  Here are the recipes:

For the Infusion

• 375 ml Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey**
• 20 grams Beef Jerky – without added nitrites

1. Combine ingredients in a mason jar, seal and allow to sit at room temperature
2. Shake daily
3. After 2 or 3 days, begin tasting daily until flavors are fully developed: 7-14 days
4. When the infusion is ready, loosen the mason jar lid and set the jar upright in your freezer overnight.
5. Freeze a metal coffee filter for at least 2 hours
6. Place frozen coffee filter inside a paper coffee filter over a funnel and filter the whiskey into a measuring cup.  The metal filter will catch the larger bits and the paper will filter the rest.  This will remove the frozen fat.  If you use a warm filter, the fat will melt and pass through the filter.
7. If there is still fat floating on your whiskey, repeat steps 4-6.

Jerky Infused Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned

This is a complex cocktail.  The nose is pecan, caramel and coffee – like your Mom’s kitchen on Sunday morning when she had pecan rolls in the oven and coffee brewing on the counter.  So your nose prepares your tongue for something sweet.  Wrong!  The first taste is a combination of jerky, pecan and bitter chocolate with the whiskey in the background.  Then it’s coffee and finishes with the whiskey and spices of the jerky.  Nothing sweet about this cocktail.  I used my own Coffee Pecan Bitters but you can buy various brands at better liquor stores.  You want to use enough bitters to add flavor and just balance the bitterness with the agave.  The jerky infused white whiskey does not do well with sweet.

• 1 1/2 oz. Beef Jerky infused White Whiskey
• 2-3 dashes Coffee Pecan Bitters
• 1-2 dashes Agave syrup
• Lemon Peel for garnish

1. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish in a room temperature single old fashioned glass and stir to combine and to dissolve the agave.
2. Carefully drop in a single large ice cube
3. Express the lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.

Beef Jerky

In case you don’t know what dried beef looks like!

This recipe creates a fairly spicy jerky.  If you want to cut the heat, drop the crushed red pepper and chose a mild Louisiana style hot sauce.  You can dry this in a dehydrator or in your oven.  If using an oven, set a half sheet pan on the lowest rack to catch drips and then lay out the jerky strips directly on racks set above.  Four pounds will require 2-3 racks.

• 4 lbs. Beef Bottom Round cut into thin strips
• 3 Tbl. Soy Sauce (Not low sodium)
• 1 Tbl. Louisiana, or similar, hot sauce
• 1 Tbl Pick A Pepper Sauce
• 1/2 Tbl Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbl Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Tbl. Cayenne
• 1 Tbl Liquid Smoke

1. In a mixing bowl large enough to hold the meat, combine all of the ingredients except the beef.  Stir well and begin adding the beef mixing as you go.  Be sure all of the beef is as well covered as possible.
2. Cover tightly and let sit on the counter for 30 min or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Spread the strips on your dehydrator trays or oven racks.
4. Dry overnight at 125° F for the dehydrator or 150° F  for your oven.
5. Store jerky in a loosely covered container to allow air circulation.
6. I have no idea how long it will keep.  It is always gone in less than a week!

*I did not find organic beef jerky at the store.  The organic, ‘uncured’ varieties were venison, turkey and salmon.  So I used a decent brand of beef jerky.  Unfortunately, the whiskey was very efficient at extracting the sodium nitrites, or ‘pink salt’, used to preserve the jerky.  The result was a predominant metallic taste.  The infused whiskey was irretrievable.  So, either use your own homemade jerky or buy a brand that has no added nitrites.

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

Cheers!

Mixology Monday

It’s Mixology Monday for March and this month’s theme is ‘Burden of Proof.’  Brought to us by this month’s host Dagreb of the Nihil Utopia blog, we are challenged to use spirits with no less than 101 proof.  I have found a number of uses for 151 proof spirits, other than putting them in a Misto mister and spraying them across a flame, which is great fun.  My favorite is 151 proof rum.  In fact, this Month’s theme brings back some memories since one of the first cocktail recipes I ever created was an “Elephant’s Memory.”  It is my version of a cocktail of the same name from the Andrew’s Bar and Grill.  Andrew’s, which is long gone, had a decent Cajun menu and a few good cocktails.  It was generally filled with Yuppies and Dinks, (Double Income No Kids).  I played around with the listed ingredients and came up with my version.

I originally used Bacardi 151, but I have found that Lemon Hart 151 works as well or better.  The burnt caramel flavors of the Lemon Hart go really well with the Benedictine.  Now, never to leave well enough alone, I decided to try substituting Dorçol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy.  Thus was born the “Elephant’s Thoughts”  Here are the recipes.

Elephant’s Memory

• 1 oz. B&B
• 1/2 oz. 151 Proof Rum
• 1/4 oz. Tia Maria

1. Combine all ingredients in a brandy snifter and serve

Elephant’s Thoughts

I had never noticed before, but the primary flavor in B&B is the Benedictine.  I first tried this with equal parts Rakia and Benedictine along with the rest of rum and Tia Maria.  The result was good, but was not much different from the original Elephant’s Memory.  So, I increased the Rakia and substituted Grand Marnier for the Tia Maria.

• 1 oz. Dorçol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy
• 1/2 oz. Benedictine
• 1/2 oz. Bacardi 151 Proof Rum
• 1/4 oz. Grand Marnier

1. Add all ingredients to a brandy snifter and serve.

In parting I have one additional offering: “The Honey Badger”  It’s not my original, and I don’t recall where it came from, but it is a Tiki drink.  The base spirit is 151 proof Rum so it will definitely smack you up side the head!  I named it the “The Honey Badger” because “One of these and you won’t care. Two and you won’t give a #?*!”!  The recipe is here

Cheers!

I love kumquats, partly because it’s a fun word, but mainly because of the sweet and sour flavor.  It’s the only citrus I know of that you eat whole – peel, seeds and all!  A few years ago, I bought and planted a kumquat tree and eagerly awaited it’s first season.  What I did not know was that there are 2 types of kumquats that are common in the US.  The small one that we see in the grocery stores, which are the ones that you just pop into your mouth, and a larger, rounder variety that is not really amenable to eating out of hand.  Guess which one I got!  Well, what to do with a plethora of beautiful, small citrus that is sweet and very tart?  Make cocktails, of course.

The juice of these kumquats tastes a bit like orange, but has a tart/sour taste as well.  It is similar to lemon or lime juice in its tartness.  So I thought of a sour.  First up was a bourbon kumquat sour.  When I say that this that did not go well at all, I mean; “at all!”  What really surprised me was that the juice went very well with Irish Whiskey. I used Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt.  The Tullamore Dew has the earthy, grassy flavors of Irish whiskey with the flavors of fruit, (apricot, pineapple, raisin) and wood.  This blended perfectly with the sweet/sour/tartness of the kumquat.  The kumquat juice is a bit sweeter than lemon juice, so I backed off on the simple syrup.  Here is the recipe:

Kumquat Irish Whiskey Sour

• 2 oz. Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt
• 1 1/2 oz. Fresh kumquat juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• 1 large egg white (can use 3 Tbl. pasteurized egg whites but it will not be the same)

1. Add all ingredients, in order to a shaker and shake for 30 sec without ice to emulsify the egg white.
2. Add  ice cubes  to the shaker and shake to chill 15-20 sec.
3. Double strain into a chilled coup and serve

Cheers!

It’s Girl Scout Cookie season and the little girls, with Mom’s in tow, can be found in front of grocery stores and pharmacies across the Nation.  The ones I met were very pleased to sell me 2 boxes of each variety.  Of course I wasn’t purchasing all of those boxes just to fuel a cookie binge.  I was interested in a more scholarly pursuit:  What cocktail will go with my favorite Girl Scout cookie and which Girl Scout cookie will best pair with my favorite cocktail?

Once home with my boxes, I quickly realized that, with 8 different cookies and hundreds of possible cocktails, this was going to require more than one person’s liver!  So I assembled a tasting panel.  My panel was comprised of foodies and cocktail geeks.

First on the agenda was to taste and rank the cookies.  Not surprising, the Samoa was rated highest with 5 stars.  Tied for second were the Rah-Rah-Rasins and Thin Mints with 4 stars, followed by Savannah Smiles.  The Tagalongs, Do-si-dos and Trefoils rounded out the field.

Pairing the cookies with cocktails came next. The cocktails, listed nearby, were served in the order shown.  The panel first rated each cocktail, then tasted the cookies with that drink.  The best parings for that cocktail were then noted.  This meant that each cocktail could pair with multiple cookies and each cookie might go with several cocktails.  When all of the cocktails had been served, the panel then went back and selected the best cocktail for each cookie.

The highest rated cocktail was the Irish Coffee followed closely by the Irish and Tequila Manhattans.  The Bourbon Manhattan and the St. Hubertus’ Fix were also favored.  The remaining cocktails rated fairly equally except, on the other end of the spectrum, let’s just say this was not a big gin crowd!

Prior to the tasting, I spent some time figuring out what cocktails might work with these cookies.  It was immediately evident that fruit, citrus and sour weren’t working.  I included the Ten Four, Cynar Sour and Rakia Ximenez to see if the panel agreed.  While the panel liked these cocktails, they didn’t find much to pair them with.

I was a bit surprised by a few of the results.  The Tequila Manhattan was a panel favorite, but paired with very little.  Except, it was the runaway favorite to pair with the Thin Mint.  I expected the Irish Coffee to pair with the Thin Mint, but only one panel member selected that pairing and then not as a favorite.  There were some other surprises, but let’s get on with the pairings.

Open the tabs below to see the results:

Martini

I made both the Gin and Vodka Martinis in a mid century style with very little vermouth.  As I noted earlier, none of the panel members are gin drinkers.  They did, however, like the Vodka Martini and thought that it paired well with the buttery Trefoil and sugar dusted, lemon of the Savannah Smiles.

Mid Century Vodka Martini

• 1 1/2  oz. Premium Vodka such as Cinco
• Premium Vermouth such as Carpano Dry
• Garnish of your choice

1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water
2. Pour a dash of vermouth into a mixing glass and swirl to coat.  Discard the vermouth
3. Add the gin to the mixing glass, fill with ice and stir to chill
4. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish

Mid Century Gin Martini

To make this, substitute Gin for the Vodka and proceed.  I used Ford’s.  Now, I like gin a lot and regardless of the tasting panel, I thought that the Gin Martini went very well with the Savannah Smiles!

The Manhattan

There were 3 different Manhattans: Irish, Bourbon and Tequila.  All were rated highly by the panel and paired well with several of the cookies.

Irish Manhattan

This version of the classic received 4.5 Stars from the panel.  They chose it has the hands down favorite to pair with both the chocolate peanut butter Tagalong and the Oatmeal raisin Rah-rah-raisin.

While rye and bourbon are the classics in the Manhattan, I don’t see any reason not to try an Irish Whiskey.  Specifically the Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt.  As I’ve noted before, the Tullamore Dew has the earthy, grassy flavors of Irish whiskey with the flavors of fruit, (apricot, pineapple, raisin) and wood.  Just the depth of flavors that blend with vermouth.

• 1 1/2 oz. Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth
• 1 dash Grand Marnier (1/8 tsp)
• 1 – 2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
• brandied cherries for garnish

1.  Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water.
2. Stir to combine all ingredients, sans cherries, in a mixing glass with ice.
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the cherries

Bourbon Manhattan

The panel paired this classic Manhattan with the Rah-rah-raisin as well but did not think it went as well as the Irish Manhattan.  They did, however, pair the Bourbon Manhattan as best cocktail with the coconut caramel Samoa.

For the bourbon Manhattan, I used Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old.  This is a bit of a lighter bourbon, but still has the sweet and spicy notes you expect from a quality aged bourbon.  Note that in addition to using a higher ratio of vermouth, the recipe includes more Grand Marnier.

• 2 oz. Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon
• 1 1/2 oz. Italian Vermouth (sweet)
• 1 tsp Grand Marnier
• 1 – 2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
• brandied cherries for garnish

1.  Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water.
2. Stir to combine all ingredients, sans cherries, in a mixing glass with ice.
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the cherries

Tequila Manhattan

This cocktail was rated as the favorite match up with the Thin Mint.  As I noted above, I was surprised but have to agree that it pairs very well.

Definitely not a chocolate martini, this is a southwestern makeover of the Manhattan.

• 2 oz. Milagro Añejo Tequila
• 1 oz. Lillet Rouge
• bar spoon (1/8 oz.) of agave nectar
• dash chocolate bitters
• Orange zest

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice
3. Strain into chilled glass
4. Garnish with a wide orange zest

Old Fashioned

I did not include a classic Old Fashioned.   Each of the 3 I did, have some significant variation.  The Old Fashioned Tent Revival has agave syrup and is spicy.  The Tequila Old Fashioned obviously switches the spirit and uses agave and molé bitters.  The Barbancourt Old Fashioned with aged rum was rated as the best pairing for the peanut butter sandwich Do-si-do.

Barbancourt Old Fashioned

The spice of the habanero shrub and the touch of sweetness of the agave complement the dark complex flavors of the aged rum.

• 2 ozs. 15 Year Old Barbancourt Rum
• 1-2 dashes Bitter Truth Habanero Shrub
• 1/8 oz. Agave Nectar

1. Chill an old fashioned glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice
3. Strain into chilled old fashioned glass over fresh ice

Irish Coffee

This was the unanimous favorite of the evening.  The panel thought it went with everything except the Savannah Smiles.  It tied the Barbancourt Old Fashioned for best with the Do-si-do and the Bourbon Manhattan for paring with the Samoa.

Irish Coffee

I make these with strong coffee, Bushmill’s, very little sweetener and lightly whipped, unsweetened heavy cream.

• 1 1/2 oz. Bushmill’s Irish Whisky
• 1-2 dashes 2:1 simple syrup
• 4-6 oz. very hot dark coffee (I use Starbucks Sumatra Blend)
• 2-3 Tbl. Lightly whipped cream

1. Prepare the coffee
2. Lightly whip a small amount of heavy whipped cream – about 1/4 cup, until it just peaks
3. In an Irish Coffee mug or other mug of choice, add the Whisky, simple syrup and coffee.
4. Stir gently and top with the whipped cream

St. Hubertus Fix

This was a bit of a surprise for me.  I wasn’t sure what my panel might think of this cocktail.  I found this drink at Cool Hunting. Its primary flavor is bitter coffee, but the aged rum and the herbal Jägermeister really balance that bitterness and the spice of the Pimento bitters rounds it all out.

The panel paired this cocktail as best with the Toffee-tastic.  They also thought it went well with the Rah-rah-raisin.

St. Hubertus Fix

• 3/4 oz. Aged Rum – I used Zaya
• 3/4 oz. Jägermeister
• 3 oz strong cold coffee – I used 1:1 cold coffee syrup and water
• 2 dashes of Dale Degroff Pimento Bitters

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

Rakia Ximénez

My tasting panel liked this cocktail and gave it 4 Stars.  They did not pair it well with any of the cookies.  In retrospect, it might have fared better if I had served it earlier.  I’m pretty sure everyone’s taste buds were getting saturated.  I think that the dry apricot brandy, the sherry and the touch of heat in this cocktail go well with the Toffee-tastic.  But that’s just me!

This cocktail combines the fruit flavors of Dorcol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy with the sweet sherry flavors of Pedro Ximénez.  Then the dried chile notes of the Ancho Reyes weigh in.  Finally, on the finish, the slightest heat from the Habeñaro Shrub can be appreciated.

• 1 1/2 oz. Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy
• 3/4 oz. Pedro Ximénez Sherry
• 1/4 oz. Ancho Reyes
• 4 Drops Bittermans Habeñaro Shrub
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the orange peel over the drink and discard the peel

Well, there you have it.  You have a few more days to score some Girl Scout Cookies and try a few pairings for yourself.

Cheers!

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!

Mixology Monday

The theme for January’s Mixology Monday CV was Brace Yourself: to create a cocktail that will fortify the will against that moment just before you step out into the cold.  Yes, I live in San Antonio where people bundle up because it’s 54 degrees.  However, I grew up in the frozen North, so I know cold.  Besides, we have winter in San Antonio.  It lasts for a week or two, but not all at once.  Usually a half day at a time!

Ok. Enough of that.  The thing I love about Mixology Monday is the creativity.  Keeping up with this crowd is a challenge unto itself!  Every month I am pushed to make a cocktail that not only fits the theme, but is a great drink on it’s own.  This month is no different.  The contributions are, once again awesome!  There are cold and hot drinks, smokey scotch, spice, herbs, tea, coffee and stout.  So here are 14 cocktails sure to warm your cockles, (whatever those are).

First up, Katie at garnishblog brings us the Blood and Smoke.  Since she is from Boston, where we know it’s not 75 degrees today, we can be pretty sure that Katie knows cold!  She “combined the bright taste of blood orange with the spicy and smoky flavors of rye whiskey and Scotch.”  Rye whiskey, blood orange juice, Angostura and a Scotch rinse: I think I might blow off the cold and sit down to have another!

Second in, Andrea who blogs from Denmark at ginhound, gives us a rif on the Last Word with the Clementina Caliente.  She shakes up Ilegal Joven mezcal with yellow Chartreuse, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur and fresh squeezed clementine juice.  This should help prior to scraping your windshield at -15C!

Next, our German Mixologist, Pete Barmeister of Meticulousmixing brings us a recipe for homemade Rosemary Bärenfang, a honey liqueur.  He then combines the clove, vanilla, cinnamon and rosemary flavors of the Bärenfang with hot water and Tatratea, a tea liqueur, to create the Carpathian Honey.   Pete further encourages us to combine the Bärenfang with a German-style Pilsner for a “Lazy Man’s Braggot.”  The Bärenfang I need to try, but I’m not sure it will be enough to make me want to hunt bears in winter!

Stacy Markow, our Dallas sommelier, brings us Coffee Milk Punch.  She combines a cold brew coffee simple syrup with Rye whiskey, whole milk and pecan bitters.  This should make Dallas’ next ice storm a little more tolerable!

Next, Craig joins in with the Winter Cap.*  For this cocktail, Craig warms up Bonal with 151 proof rum then rounds it out with Calvados and the herbal Becherovka.  I’m always fond of amari and quin quina drinks, and this one sounds fascinating with the addition of the apple flavors of cider and Calvados.

*Depending on your browser, you may need to scroll up or down to find the post.  Just look for the Mixology Monday logo!

Frederic Yarm of Cocktail Virgin Slut,  Mixology Monday’s fearless leader and world famous cat herder, weighs in with Hot Tiger’s Milk.  Since he too hails from Boston, a certain level of experience with the bitter cold can be assumed!  His approach is to distract yourself and bring Don the Beachcomber to the rescue.  This 1937 hot Tiki drink combines the flavors of rum, coconut, cloves and butter.  As Frederic says, “The Hot Tiger’s Milk greeted the nose with a butter and honey-floral aroma. The rum’s caramel danced with the honey on the sip, and the swallow roared with rum, orange, and clove notes. The flavors, especially the orange and clove, built over time as they steeped into the Toddy.”  Just might cause one to forget where they are and try stepping out in surf shorts and sandals!

Joel DiPippa,of Southernnash, Mixology Monday’s resident Arkansas gentleman and scholar, brings us an Irish Coffee run a muck with his Hoar Frost’s Fall.  The fact that Joel can pull 100 proof bourbon, allspice dram and Becherovka out of his cabinet in the middle of a snow storm speaks to his mixologist bonafides.  Then, in true scholarly fashion, he creates the recipe while pondering shoveling the snow!  This hot coffee cocktail will definitely make snow shoveling a little less painful.

The Le Restaurateur No. 2, brought to us by Ian of Tempered Spirits, is another cocktail with 151 proof demerara rum and Calvados, but this time with yellow Chartreuse and the spices of Angostura and 18-21 Black Currant-Cocoa Bitters.  This cocktail has the flavors of baked apple pie with a little funky rum notes thrown in.  I agree with Ian that the 18-21 Black Currant-Cocoa Bitters can be hard to find, but they are worth the search!

Boozenerds, Seattleites Shaun and Christa, bring us the Corbie.  This is an oatmeal stout based cocktail with the spice of rye whiskey, the complexity of amaro and the sweetness of maple syrup.  I’m not sure if the name “Corbie” is supposed to evoke thoughts of Northern France or of ravens but the cocktail sounds delicious and is now on my things to make list!

I have always enjoyed Sazaracs, but a Sazerac Hot Chocolate?  Brilliant!  Dagreb at Nil Utopia creates an amazing cocktail by substituting a Sazarac for the milk in a hot chocolate and makes an absinthe whipped cream for the top!  Gunner, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, will appreciate me having one of these, since I’ll probably decide to stay inside and have another thus enabling him to lie by my chair in front of the fire.  Which is where he’d rather be!

Thiago Ceccotti, our Brazilian mixologist who writes at Bartending Notes,  gives us a recipe for Quentão.  “Quentão (literally means:Very Hot) is a cachaça based Hot Toddy-style beverage which also resembles a cachaça based Mulled Wine.”  Made with ginger tea, cachaça, vermouth, vanilla liquor, lime juice and Angostura, it sounds like there is a good reason it is popular in Brazil!

Adam, aka Mr Muddle, joins Mixology Monday for the first time with his 32 Degrees.  Another Bostonian, he seems to be well schooled. not only on cold weather, but in cocktails, (check out his blog).  As Adam points out, this drink is a Scaffa, which is not technically a cocktail, but a mixture of alcoholic components, mixed in a glass and served unchilled, without ice.  The 32 Degrees, made with Dark Rum, Amaro Montenegro, Aquavit and an Absinthe rinse will decidedly “steel the will!”

Next in was Robin of the Kitchen Shamanism Blog.  Don’t believe Robin when he says he mixes cocktails with “low knowledge!”  He presents us this month with another interesting drink, the Sjörök.  Smokey Islay Scotch, sweet Cherry Heering, dark muscovado sugar syrup, Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters and hot Lapsang Souchong tea.  I may not be able to pronounce “Sjörök,” but this smokey cocktail looks like it will keep you warm and smiling!

Well, there are 13 cocktails that should help get you through the winter.  Lastly, our contribution this month is two shots: Into the Wind and Frost Buster.  Both are made with barrel aged Fireball Whiskey!  Why, you might ask, would we do that to a barrel?  Well, click here to read and find out!

PS:  Marius Iordache who blogs at Arcane Potions and attends the Citadel, comes in with a late contribution: a delicious looking Mulled Wine.  That should keep you warm on a 0600 march, but then again, I’m pretty certain that drinking is worth at least 150 demerits!

We really have enjoyed hosting this month’s Mixology Monday.  Thanks, as always, to Frederik for keeping this most excellent online cocktail party on track and for allowing us to host.

So, until next month,

Cheers!