Mules, those descendants of the Moscow Mule in all their forms, are becoming more and more popular.  Why?  Because they are a) easy to prepare and b) taste great.  What better cocktail to serve your guests than this popular libation?  Now, you Moscow Mule aficionados out there can rightly complain that all of these erstwhile concoctions containing ginger beer are not Mules.  Just like the Martini was co-opted into many forms, the Mule now has countless varieties.  So all I can say is: “Smile, deal with it and serve your guests delicious drinks!”

These Mules are all based on muddled cucumbers and seeded jalapeños. What changes is the fruit juice and the base spirit.  I started to call these, “South Texas Mules”, since I used either Ranger Creek’s .36 White Whiskey, or Cinco Vodka which are both distilled here in South Texas. You can use either spirit in any of these cocktails.  Each brings its own twist to the party.  I found that I preferred the Whiskey with the cranberry and the Vodka with the pomegranate.

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.  Cinco Vodka has a slight aroma of alcohol, but beneath that is a light, pleasant note of grain. The flavors are mostly neutral, with hints of wheat and some vanilla.

The secret to any cocktail is premium ingredients, but:

The Secret to Great Mules

Whether you are making a classic Moscow Mule or some variety, the one thing that will take your cocktail over the top is fresh ginger.  This will mean that you cannot build the Mule in a glass or mug, but the added zing makes the effort worthwhile.  The easiest way to use fresh ginger is to purchase frozen crushed ginger at your supermarket. This generally comes in 1 tsp squares.  I cut the frozen square into 4 pieces and use 1 per cocktail.  Alternatively, slice a coin of fresh ginger from a ginger root and crush it with your muddler in your shaking tin.  You don’t even need to peel it first.

You can easily offer all 6 varieties of this Mule at your next party.  Pre-slice the cucumber and ginger.  Stem the jalapeños and split them down the center lengthwise.  They are easy to seed this way.  Then just slice them short wise and use 4 pieces to equal 2 slices.

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule

Let’s start with lime.  This is as close the the classic Moscow Mule as any of these come.  I like both the Whiskey and Vodka versions of this.  This cocktail is ginger forward with a background freshness from the cucumber.  The jalapeño stays behind the scene enhancing the cucumber.

• 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English variety
• 2 slices seeded jalapeño
• 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
• 2 oz. Fresh lime juice
• 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka
• 1 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
• 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)
• Slice of lime for garnish

1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the lime juice in your shaker tin
2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
5. Add Ginger Beer and garnish

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule with Cranberry

As noted above, I preferred the Whiskey with this, but the Vodka is good too.  The recipe is the same as with the lime juice – just substitute the cranberry juice.  I use an organic, unsweetened brand.  The cocktail is tart with spicy ginger.  The cucumber and cranberry go very well together.  I generally serve Mules in the appropriate copper mug, but I wanted to picture this with the color.  This will make a great Holiday cocktail – bright red and fizzy!

• 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English variety
• 2 slices seeded jalapeño
• 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
• 2 oz. Unsweetened cranberry juice
• 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka (I preferred the White Whiskey)
• 1 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
• 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)

1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the cranberry juice in your shaker tin
2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
5. Add Ginger Beer

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule with Pomegranate

The pomegranate adds a rich note and is not as tart as either the lime or cranberry varieties above.   I used Pom brand which is unsweetened, but is sweeter than some others I’ve had.  The recipe is a bit different because of the sweetness of the Pom.  You might need to adjust the pomegranate to simple syrup ratio if you use a different brand.

• 3 – 4 slices of fresh cucumber – I used the English variety
• 2 slices seeded jalapeño
• 1 slice Fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp fresh frozen crushed ginger
• 2 1/2 oz. Unsweetened pomegranate juice
• 2 oz. White Whiskey or Vodka (I preferred the White Whiskey)
• 1/2 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
• 6 oz Ginger Beer (I use Goslings or Fever Tree)

1. Muddle cucumber, jalapeño and ginger with the pomegranate juice in your shaker tin
2. Add Spirit of choice and simple syrup.
3. Fill shaker with ice cubes and shake to chill and further muddle: 20-30 seconds
4. Double strain into Copper Mug or chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
5. Add Ginger Beer

So there they are.  These will be a simple way to offer multiple varieties of Mules to your guests.

Cheers!

Mixology Monday

It’s Mixology Monday May 2016!  This month’s theme, hosted by Nick of the Booze Barn, is “Dry.”  Around here, we like dry, (maybe why we live in South Texas)!    The idea this month is to make a cocktail using a dry base spirit with no more than 10% sweetener/juice and 10% fortified wine, or no sweetener and 20% fortified wine.  The word “Dry” immediately brought to mind a local distillery here, but I’ll come back to that in moment.  I’m going to start with an Old Fashioned.

Speaking of preferring dry cocktails, I make Old Fashioneds bitters forward with minimal sweetener.  After reading the requirements for this theme, I got to thinking about how often I have difficulty making drinks sweet enough for some people.  The classic Old Fashioned is a bit sweet.  Most of my Old Fashioned recipes call for 1/4 – 1/2 tsp sweetener such as simple or honey syrup or agave in a 2 ounce pour with 2-3 dashes of bitters.  This is less than half of the above requirements for this theme.  So here is one of my favorites, the Apple Old Fashioned:

Apple Old Fashioned

This cocktail combines spicy Rye with a hint of apple from the bitters.  Add to that a touch of smooth honey syrup and you have a drink that is light on the tongue but still bitters forward.  You may want to adjust the ratio of bitters to syrup depending on your taste, but this month keep it dry!

Notice that this is essentially a built cocktail.  I stir it in a mixing glass without ice to combine the ingredients prior to pouring it over a large ice cube in an un-chilled single old fashioned.  Similar to scotch on the rocks.  Initially the flavors will be strong with very little dilution.  As you sip the cocktail and gently swirl it, the drink will chill and dilute.

• 2 oz. Rye whiskey such as Templeton or Sazarac
• 1 generous dash of Bar Keep Apple Bitters
• 1/2 tsp of honey syrup (1 part honey, 1 part water)
• Lemon peel for garnish

1. Combine the rye, bitters and honey syrup in a mixing glass without ice.  Stir to combine.
2. Pour over a large ice cube in an un-chilled single old fashioned.
3. Express the oil from the lemon peel and drop it into the drink.

Desert Kiss

When I’m thinking of combining a base spirit, especially gin, with a liqueur, I usually go first to the ‘Golden Ratio’ of 1 1/2 spirit: 3/4 fortified wine: 1/4 liqueur.  With the requirements for this month’s MxMo, I decided to mess with one of my favorites: Gin, Bianco vermouth and Chartreuse.  Reducing both the vermouth and Chartreuse really alters the drink in a very good way.  There is London Dry Gin, the unmistakably qualities of the vermouth and the herbal notes of the Chartreuse.  Add a little lemon oil and the fragrance of sage and it’s all good!

• 1 1/2 oz. London Dry Gin
• 1/4 oz. Carpano Bianco Vermouth
• 1 tsp Chartreuse
• Lemon peel and fresh sage leaf for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine the gin, vermouth and Chartreuse in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink and discard
5. Spank the sage leaf in your palms and float it on the drink

Now, back to my comment above that the word “Dry” immediately brought to mind a local distillery here in San Antonio.  Dorçol Distillery, located in Southtown has been making an apricot brandy or ‘Rakia.’  The nose on their Kinsman Rakia is, as you would expect, sweet and fruity just like a brandy should be.  But, it is bone dry.  I even measure the brix and it came in between vodka and London Dry gin.  I obviously like their product.  Added to that, is my appreciation for what these guys are doing with the community, helping to revitalize an historic part of the City.  They have a small bar at their distillery which is quickly becoming a serious attraction.  Among the many offerings is a Rakia Martini:

Rakia Martini

This cocktail has the dry fruity apricot flavor of the rakia which is enhanced by the herbal notes of Lillet.

• 2 oz. Kinsman Rakia
• 1/2 oz. Lillet

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine the Rakia and Lillet in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled glass
4. Ask your liquor store to order some Kinsman Rakia

Cheers!

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!

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

Cheers!

We offered a number of libations this Christmas Season.  A few were favorite cocktails that we rechristened with seasonal names, we added some new ones that we found, and we created a couple of original recipes.  Some can be made Zero Proof so everyone can be in on the fun!

Berry Delicious

I got this idea from Porter’s Fire, which is a Canadian Whiskey with “cinnamon and hints of vanilla.”  I haven’t been able to find Porter’s Fire so I used Fireball.  The combination of cinnamon spice and the nutty Amaretto is awesome.

• 3/4 oz. Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Amaretto

1.  Combine in a shot glass and serve

Blazing Prancer

If Amaretto works, why not Jägermeister?  Especially if the Fireball has been barrel aged.  I aged the Fireball in a small jar with a barrel stave for 2 weeks.  A little clove and vanilla to go with the cinnamon blends with the herbs in the Jägermeister.

• 3/4 oz. Barrel Aged Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Jägermeister

1.  Combine in a shot glass and serve

Three Wise Men

Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Too many of these and you’ll act like Larry, Moe and Curly!

• 1 1/2 oz. Ford’s Gin
• 3/4 oz. Carpano Bianco Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
• Edible Gold Stars (available here) for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine gin, vermouth and St. Germaine in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Gently float a few gold stars on the surface and serve

Elf Magic

Better than dessert—Chocolate mint cream.  (Yes, it’s a Grasshopper)

• 1 oz. Crème de Menthe
• 1 oz. Crème de Cacao
• 2 oz. Heavy Cream

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

Frosty Night

A Holiday version of a Cosmopolitan. This cocktail is pretty and sophisticated.

• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• 1 oz. White grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau
• 1/2  oz. Simple Syrup
• 4-6 fresh cranberries for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients, except garnish, in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Either float the cranberries on the drink or skewer them on a pick.
5. Serve

Rudolph Bubbly

Even Champagne can use a little dressing up!  This is from Chris Tunstall at abarabove.  I am re-posting it here because making a syrup from jellied cranberry sauce is a great idea, (for other awesome ideas, you should check out their site).

• 2 oz. Cranberry Syrup – see below
• 4 – 6 oz. Champagne (or Sparkling Cider)

1. Chill a cocktail glass champagne flute with ice and water
2. Add Cranberry syrup to glass and top with Champagne or cider

Cranberry Syrup

The syrup is extremely easy.  It will take about 15 minutes, including time to cool.  You will need:

• 1 – 14 oz can jellied cranberry sauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water

1. In a quart sized microwavable container, melt the cranberry sauce on high in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
2. Meanwhile, using a small sauce pan on the stove, dissolve the sugar in the water.
3. When the the sugar is dissolved, add the melted cranberry sauce and stir to combine.
4. Allow to cool.  This will keep refrigerated in a sealed glass bottle for at least a week.

Santa Sparkle

Mint with a little sparkle!  Can be Zero Proof.

• 2 oz. Crème de Menthe or Crème de Menthe syrup
• 4-6 oz. Champagne or Sparkling Grape Juice

• Chill a cocktail glass champagne flute with ice and water
• Add Crème de Menthe to glass and top with Champagne or Grape Juice

 Holly Leaf

Creamy mint richness.

• 1 oz. Crème de Menthe or Crème de Menthe syrup
• 2 oz. Heavy Cream

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

Cheers!

Mixology Monday

This Month’s Mixology Monday is upon us and the theme is “Standoffish.”  Brought to us by the folks at Booze Nerds, the idea is to add an ingredient to a cocktail that is not included with the main ingredients and is not a garnish.  At the same time, this ingredient needs to add something to the final drink.  Well, we love foams and foams can fill these requirements!  We have two cocktails to offer, but before I get to them, I want to ramble on about foams for a moment!

I generally limit the foaming ingredient, ( the surfactant), to egg whites.  Gel sheets produce a prettier and more stable foam, but they take a little more effort than I usually wish to invest.  Egg whites are quick, stable enough and reliable.  I also generally use pasteurized egg whites for our foams.  I think that they are better for this application than are fresh egg whites.

The foams I make are from one of two ratios:

• 2 egg whites: 6 oz. of liquid
• 3 egg whites: 5 oz. of liquid

The 3:5 ratio produces a creamier and, therefore, thinner foam.  While the 2:6 ratio creates a light and fluffy foam.  For these cocktails, I used the 2:6 ratio for the daiquiri and the 3:5 for the shooters.

Now, on with the drinks!  We have chosen a seasonally appropriate shooter that can either be a cocktail or an appetizer and is easily adjusted to accommodate the non-drinkers in the crowd.  The other probably reflects my wish to either hold onto summer or to head for the Islands!

The Hemingway Deconstructed

This cocktail is our Z Daiquiri, which is along the lines of a Hemingway, but without the grapefruit juice.  So we simply incorporate the grapefruit juice in the foam.  The foam is tart and a touch bitter.  It combines very nicely with the not too sweet daiquiri.  While on the the topic of sweetness, you may want to adjust the amount of simple syrup based on the tartness of your lime juice.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. good aged rum
• ¼ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• Hemingway foam – see below

Directions:

1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water.
2. While the glass chills, combine all of the ingredients, except the foam, in a shaker.
3. Shake with ice until shaker is fully frosted: 10 – 15 seconds
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Carefully float the foam from your iSi whipper and serve immediately

Hemingway Foam

• 2 egg whites (3 oz. pasteurized egg whites) lightly beaten
• 2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 4 oz. Fresh grapefruit juice – double strained
• 2 Dashes Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters

1. Add all ingredients to an iSi Whipper
2. Seal the whipper and shake to further break up the egg whites
3. Double charge the Whipper with N2O, shaking after each charge
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours before use.  Will keep refrigerated for a few days.

Pumpkin Bisque Shooters

First, a big “Thank You” to Booze Nerds because without this MxMo, I might not have thought to add the Applejack foam to these!  I love pumpkin and I’ve always been a fan of pumpkin bisque.  I like mine to be savory.  Save the sweet for the pie!  Since I have a more than passing infatuation with rum, I simply looked to combine two of my favorite flavors.  I tried this warm, with bourbon and with dark rum.  Not great in any combination.  Cold bisque and gold rum were the perfect match.  The bitter sweet flavor of the apple brandy foam is perfect with the savory, slightly spicy pumpkin bisque.

For 2 Shooters:

• 2 oz. Cold Pumpkin Bisque – see below
• 1/2 oz. Gold rum such as Cruzan or Mount Gay
• 1 dash Simple syrup
• 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
• Apple Brandy Foam – see below

1. Combine pumpkin bisque,rum simple syrup and bitters in a mixing glass without ice and stir to combine.
2. Divide between 2 tall shooters
3. Gently float the Apple Brandy Foam on the shooters
4. Serve immediately

Apple Brandy Foam

• 3 egg whites (4 1/2 oz pasteurized egg whites)
• 3 oz. Applejack Brandy
• 2 oz. Fresh Orange juice – double strained
• 2 Dashes Bar Keep Apple Bitters

1. Add all ingredients to an iSi Whipper
2. Seal the whipper and shake to further break up the egg whites
3. Double charge the Whipper with N2O, shaking after each charge
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours before use.  Will keep refrigerated for a few days.

Pumpkin Bisque

• 1 tsp Cayenne
• 2 Cups Diced Onion
• 2 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbls. Butter
• 1 – 15 oz. Can Pumpkin Puree
• 4 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Allspice
• 1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Salt to Taste
• 1/4 Cup Dry Sherry
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream

1. Saute the onions in the butter until translucent – about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 30 sec.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cream and simmer for 30 min
3. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Return the puree to the pot, add the cream and continue to cook until heated through.
5. Serve immediately or cool for the above shooters.

Cheers!

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Tepache is pineapple, top removed, chunked, unpeeled, juiced, then mixed with a few spices and sugar and allowed to ferment, uncovered, first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator, with whatever is in the air, for one week.  If pineapple juice and hard cider had a baby – it would be tepache.  This favorite street drink of Mexico is tropical and slightly pungent with a little funk.  Traditionally served alone or with Mexican beer, tepache is making its way onto cocktail menus all over the US.

It first came to my attention when I read a Bon Appétit post last Summer.  Then this past July, I spotted an article about a DIY tepache in Imbibe .  When I noticed that the recipe was from our friends at Victor Tangos, my curiosity was truly peaked.  Victor Tangos is one of the restaurants I try to visit when we’re in Dallas.  So, I absolutely had to head over there at my first opportunity.

When I had a chance to discuss Victor Tangos’ version with Manager Matt Ragan, he said their tepache is basically just the way Bartender Alejandro Galindo’s mother used to make hers.  According to Matt, they make their tepache in the restaurant and there is little, if any, variation between batches.  They have used it in several cocktails, mainly Tiki drinks, substituting tepache for pineapple juice.  During my visit a few weeks ago, they were offering the Tomar de los Muertes, which eschews the rum and combines mezcal and tequila.  Matt says that the tepache cocktails have been well received and will continue on the menu for awhile.

I used Alejandro’s recipe, which is simple and came out very similar to what I had at Victor Tangos.  It was good at the end of the seven days proscribed in the recipe, but got better when allowed to ferment another ten days.  You don’t have to make your own – just ask at your favorite liquor store. We tried it alone, with beer and in a few different cocktails.  I found that the cocktails are best if the amount of tepache is equal to, or less than, the volume of hard spirit.  Otherwise, it overwhelms the drink.  We settled on 3 favorites: a Tiki variation, a tequila/amaro combination and a gin cocktail.

The Potted Tepache Parrot

This is a riff on Trader Vic’s Potted Parrot using tepache rather than orange juice.  I also increased the orgeat.  The flavors of the ingredients all come through: the rum, the tart/funky tepache, the orgeat and a hint of lemon.  Here’s the recipe:

• 2 oz. Cruzan white rum
• 2 oz. tepache
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. curacao
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. orgeat
• 12 oz. crushed ice

1. Chill a Double Old Fashioned glass with ice and water
2. Shake all ingredients with crushed ice
3. Pour unstrained into chilled  glass

Next up is:

The Tepache Tease

The bright flavor of the tequila adds to the tropical pineapple while the plum/cherry notes in the Bonal plays with the pungency of the tepache.

• 2 oz. Tepache
• 2 oz. Plata Tequila such as Milagro
• 1/4 oz. Bonal
• 1 dash 2:1 simple syrup

1. Chill a Double Old Fashioned with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Strain over fresh ice in chilled glass

And finally:

The Tepache Cocktail

This proves you can have an elegant cocktail that uses pineapple!  

• 1 oz. Plymouth Gin
• 3/4 oz. Tepache
• 1/4 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 dash (1/8 tsp) 2:1 simple syrup

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

Cheers!

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!

Our friends over at Swizzzlestick reintroduced us to the Vermouth Panache for the MxMo XCI – Shims.  A drink first described by Hemingway, it is light, refreshing and low ABV.  I used Carpano Antica and Dolans Dry vermouth.  I also changed the ratio slightly adding more sweet vermouth less dry – more like a 2:1 1/2 ratio rather than 2:1.  Here is the original recipe:

• 2 oz. Dry French Vermouth
• 1 oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth
• 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 Lemon peel

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
2. Strain into a chilled double old fashioned with fresh ice
3. Express the lemon peel and float.

Now for the revisiting part:

I decided to try this substituting Lillet for the dry vermouth.  This I did 1:1 but I think it would be equally good as 2:1 Lillet to Carpano.  I also used Orange Bitters.

• 1 1/2 oz. Lillet
• 1 1/2 oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth
• 1 Dash Angostura Orange Bitters
• 1 Lemon peel

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
2. Strain into a chilled double old fashioned with fresh ice
3. Express the lemon peel and float.

You should check out Swizzzlestick, our fellow MxMo’r

Cheers!

Our daughter was gifted with a bottle of Ciroc Red Berry Vodka at a Christmas Party and asked me to use it to create a cocktail.  I like champagne cocktails and ’tis the season.  So this is a rif on the  French 75.

• 1/2 oz. Ciroc Red Berry Vodka
• 1/2 oz. St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
• 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• Chilled prosecco or champagne
• Sprig of fresh thyme for garnish

1. Combine first four ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
2. Strain into chilled champagne flute and top with the prosecco
3. Smack the thyme sprig in your hands to release the oils then float it in the drink.

Cheers!