Wild Turkey in Heat

Wild Turkey in HeatThis cocktail is a bourbon and orange sour with the almond sweetness of the orgeat and the kick of habanero.  The name originated during a family ski trip to Steamboat Springs a number of years ago.  We would always eat at the Tugboat Saloon on our first night and, so, cold and tired, I spotted a bottle of Wild Turkey behind the bar.  I asked the waitress if they had Wild Turkey 101.  She replied, “Yes.”  To which I said, “I’ll have that neat.”  She then repeated my order, “A Wild Turkey neat.”  Now, from the other end of the table, with great incredulity, our teenage daughter asked: “What’s a Wild Turkey in Heat?”

  • 2 oz. Wild Turkey 101
  • 2 ½ oz. Orange juice
  • ¾ oz. Lemon juice
  • ¼ oz. orgeat
  • ¼ oz. simple syrup
  • 2 dashes habanero bitters or habanero shrub
  1. Chill a Double Old Fashioned glass with ice and water
  2. Add all ingredients to shaker and shake with ice
  3. Add unstrained to chilled Double Old Fashioned

Cheers!

 



Cubed Old Fashioned

  • 1 part cognac
  • 1 part aged rum
  • 1 part aged bourbon
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 2 dashes Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
  • 2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
  • 1 part Old Fashioned Simple Syrup 
  1. Chill an old fashioned glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice
  3. Strain over fresh ice in chilled glass

Garnish with a thick orange zest and a cherry



Whiskey Sour

A very simple version of the classic.

  • 2 oz. good bourbon
  • 2 oz. Lemon Sour
    • or: 1 1/3 oz. lemon juice and 2/3 oz. simple syrup (1/3 oz = 1 tsp.)
  1. Chill cocktail glass with water and ice
  2. Add all ingredients to shaker
  3. Shake well with ice 10 – 15 sec.
  4. Strain into chilled glass


Wet (or Sweet) Martini

  • 1 ½ oz. Gin
  • ½ oz. sweet vermouth
  • 2-3 drops orange bitters
  1. Chill cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Add all ingredients to shaker
  3. Shake well with ice 10 – 15 sec.
  4. Strain into chilled glass
  5. Garnish with maraschino cherry


Dirty Cajun Martini

Where the dirty martini meets the Cajun martini: Hendrick’s Gin, dry vermouth and pickled jalapeno juice. Guaranteed to tickle your tongue.

  • 2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
  • ½ oz. dry vermouth
  • ¼ oz. pickled jalapeno juice
  • 1/2 – 1 dash Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters to taste
  1. Chill cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Add all ingredients to shaker
  3. Shake well with ice 10 – 15 sec.
  4. Strain into chilled glass
  5. Garnish with jalapeno stuffed olive or jalapeno spear

Cheers!

 



St. Croix Daiquiri

This features Cruzan Spiced Rum, which of course, comes from St Croix.  Sailor Jerry’s works too.

  • 1 ½ oz. Spiced Cruzan Rum
  • ½ oz. lime juice
  • ½ oz. simple syrup
  • 2 drops grapefruit bitters
  1. Mix all ingredients with ice in a shaker
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.


The Outrigger

My riff on a classic island favorite: aged rum, Cointreau, lemon juice and lemon bitters shaken and served straight up!

  • 2 oz. good aged rum such as Zaya
  • 1 oz. Cointreau
  • ½ oz. lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. lemon bitters
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water.
  2. While the glass chills, combine all of the ingredients in a shaker.
  3. Shake with ice until shaker is fully frosted: 10 – 15 seconds
  4. Strain into the chilled glass.

For the original,  jettison the bitters.



The Z

This daiquiri was inspired by my friend Marcus Zuazua.  At his instigation, (I swear it was all his fault), I purchased a bottle of premium aged rum.  Then I went looking for a way to enjoy it.  My search brought me to Hemingway’s favorite daiquiri.  With some alterations and a nod to Hemingway, here is my concoction.IMAG0281

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. good aged rum
  • ¼ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
  • 2 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz. simple syrup

Directions

  1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water.
  2. While the glass chills, combine all of the ingredients in a shaker.
  3. Shake with ice until shaker is fully frosted: 10 – 15 seconds
  4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
  5. Enjoy (and toast my friend Dr. Z)


Classic Martini

From the middle of the last century, the martini became basically gin or vodka on the rocks.  The vermouth that originally was prominent, became a splash or even a wash.  This is how to make that cocktail.Grandfather McFly 55 Small

  • 1 1/2 oz. Dry London gin such as Bombay Sapphire or Vodka
  • Fresh Dry Vermouth
  • An olive for garnish
  1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water
  2. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add a splash of dry vermouth and swirl the glass.
  3. emtpty the vermouth but retain the ice.
  4. Add the Gin or Vodka and stir to chill.
  5. Strain into the chilled glass and drop in the olive.


Gary’s Redo Classic Manhattan

While I was playing with Lillet, I thought I’d try it in a Manhattan.  Well, here it is:IMAG0391

  • 2 ozs. Good aged bourbon such as Basil Hayden
  • 1 oz. Lillet Rouge
  • 1 dash Regans Orange Bitters
  • 1 Dash Fees Brothers’ Aromatic Bitters
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with