I enjoy gin drinks and bitter drinks.  I also appreciate cocktails that are herbal and complex.  The Mélange d’Or combines the flavors of Hendrik’s Gin, Carpano Blanco, Carpano Dry and Tempus Fugit’s Kina L Avion d’Or.  Then I threw in Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters for an additional level of complexity.

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
• 1/4 oz. Carpano Dry
• 1/4 oz. Carpano Blanco
• 1/4 oz. Kina L Avion d’Or
• 2 – 3 drops Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
• Fresh Sage leaf or lemon peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all of the ingredients, except the garnish, with ice in a mixing glass.  Stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Garnish and serve

Cheers!

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2021 brings optimism of a better year, but still it is our castles that provide comfort and safety.  So, to enhance our personal palace celebrations, I’ve created regal cocktails, one purple, one gold.

“Amethyst Ambrosia”    Amethyst…bringing tranquility, calm and serenity through it’s clear, cool brilliance.  Ambrosia…nectar of the gods.

“Midas Elixir”    Gold, symbol of luck and prosperity, is believed to rejuvenate the endocrine system, regenerate tissue and skeletal system, and balance the right and left brain.  Elixir, the sweet liquid of longevity.

When you lift a glass to toast the new year…here’s wishing that “Cheers” brings you just that…the hope of a year filled with renewal and joy!

Midas Elixir

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. London Dry Gin
• 3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/4 oz. Kina al Avion d’Or
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions:

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. Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink.

Amethyst Ambrosia

In this cocktail the vermouth and St. Germain build on the herbal and floral flavors of the gin for a complex and appealing aperitif. The beautiful purple color of the Empress Gin creates a stunning drink. You can substitute any of the new style gins such as Hendrix, Monkey 47 or Uncle Val’s Botanical.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Empress Gin
• 3/4 oz Bianco Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions:

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. Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink.

Cheers!

This cocktail has all of the flavors of your favorite gin Martini with the added herbals of Kina al Avion d’Or.  Plus, the botanicals in the vermouth are enhanced by creating the vermouth syrup. Curl My Toes has become one of “Doc’s Greatest Hits” at parties and Pop Ups.

While making beer syrup standing at the stove stirring, my eyes fell upon an open bottle of vermouth on the counter awaiting its use in cooking.  I had read about and tasted beer syrup, but I’d never heard of vermouth syrup.  A quick Google consultation confirmed no results.  After some experimentation, I settled on equal parts dry vermouth and sugar

To my palate, dry vermouth is more herbal than sweet vermouth.  So dry vermouth syrup tastes nothing like sweet vermouth.  In this cocktail, the dry vermouth syrup brings a touch of sweetness to offset the bitter Kina and a nice mouth feel.

I have tried this with multiple gins including London Dry’s and the new style herbal gins.  I’ve even subbed Kinsmen Rakia for the gin.  It all works.

Curl My Toes

• 2 oz. Premium gin such as Uncle Val’s Botanical
• 1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth Syrup – see below
• 1/4 oz. Kina al Avion d’Or
• Fresh herbs such as thyme and sage plus a dried lemon wheel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients, except the garnish to a mixing glass with ice
3. Double strain into chilled glass
4. Spank the herbs in your palm and float on the dried lemon wheel or on the drink

Vermouth Syrup

• 1 part Dry Vermouth
• 1 part Sugar

1. The best way is to combine vermouth and sugar in a blender and blend on high several minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  You maintain the flavors of the vermouth if you don’t heat the syrup.  But, if you don’t have a blender, you can combine vermouth and sugar in a sauce pan and heat just until the sugar dissolves.  Do not allow the syrup to boil.
2. Either way, strain through fine mesh strainer into a glass bottle.  Keeps refrigerated for about a few weeks.

Cheers!

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