The Conference

From Death & Company via Epicuriuos. “This is a tiki drink disguised as an old-fashioned, so it’s no surprise that it comes from Brian Miller, Death & Co’s resident scalawag and expert on all things Polynesian. One night a waitress asked Brian to make something stirred and boozy, so he took one of tiki’s core principles—blending several base spirits to create a new flavor profile—and applied it to whiskey and brandy. It was another breakthrough moment for the bar, and these days it’s not unusual to find two or more base spirits in our drinks.”

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 ounce Rye
  • 1/2 ounce Bourbon
  • 1/2 ounce Calvados
  • 1/2 ounce Cognac
  • 1 teaspoon demerara syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash Doc Elliott’s Mixology Coffee Pecan Bitters
  • 1 lemon twist and 1 orange twist for garnish

Directions:

  1. Chill a large Old Fashioned glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice.  Stir to chill
  3. Strain into chilled glass over a large ice cube
  4. Garnish with citrus twists

Cheers!

 



Manhattan Au Poivre

A steak dinner often suggests a robust red wine.  Instead, what about a cocktail that makes you want to have a bite of steak?  The goal when pairing cocktails with food is to craft a drink that makes one want a bite of the food with each sip of the drink.  This is exactly what we have with our Manhattan au Poivre!  It’s basic Manhattan using bourbon.  We split the vermouth with the rich and fruity Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and the bittersweet Punt e Mes which we infused with coffee.  For the “au Poivre,” we use freshly cracked black peppercorns and finish the cocktail with black garlic salt.  The black garlic salt brings a touch of salinity and savory background. The result is a rich and complex cocktail that cries out to be savored with a steak.  The nose is bourbon, orange, fruit and Holiday spice.  The taste is savory with candied fruit, orange, cherry, cranberry and hints of coffee and black pepper.  The finish is smooth and savory.

The Manhattan au Poivre

Please note the directions regarding the black peppercorns and black garlic salt.

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz. Your Favorite Bourbon
  • 3/8 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
  • 3/8 oz. Coffee infused Punt e Mes (see below)
  • 1 barspoon Grand Marnier
  • 3-4 cracked black peppercorns
  • 1 pinch Black Garlic Salt (see note below)Jacobsen - Black Garlic Infused Sea Salt, 2.5oz - myPanier
  • Brandied Cherry for garnish
  • Orange peel for garnish
Directions:
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Coarsely crack the black peppercorns and drop them into the bottom of your mixing glass.  Be careful not to grind the peppercorns so that they don’t pass through your strainer into the drink.
  3. Add the bourbon to the mixing glass and let sit 10-15 minutes.  You can do this step ahead of time to easily make several cocktails.
  4. Add the vermouth, Punt e Mes and Grand Marnier to the mixing glass.
  5. Add ice to the mixing glass then the pinch of black garlic salt.  Immediately stir until chilled and double strain into your chilled cocktail glass.
  6. Drop in the brandied cherry and express the orange peel over the drink.  Float the orange peel.

Cheers!

Coffee Infused Punt e Mes

This will vary based on your choice of coffee.  I suggest you try it first with 250ml.

  • 250 ml Punt e Mes
  • 30 gm cracked whole coffee beans
  1. Combine Punt e Mes and coffee in a lidded jar.  Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, shaking a few times.
  2. Double strain and enjoy.

Flavored Salts

Prior to using any flavored salt in cocktails I suggest you empty the container of salt into a fine mesh strainer over a sink.  Bang the strainer with you other hand to sift out any small bits that could pass through your strainer into your cocktail.



Irish Manhattan

I have created several riffs on the Classic Manhattan using Irish Whiskey. 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. This time I used Carpano Antica Vermouth  The flavors of this vermouth work perfectly with the Tullamore Dew. For the bitters, I substituted our Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters which highlight the flavors of the Whiskey and Vermouth as well as bringing a soft finish.

Ingredients
  • 2 oz Irish Whiskey
  • 1 oz Carpano Antica
  • ¼ oz Grand Marnier
  • 2 dashes Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters
  • Brandied Cherry for garnish
  • Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnishes, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to combine and chill
  3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
  4. Add the cherry, express the orange peel over the drink and float the peel

Cheers!



Walnut Manhattan

This Manhattan combines the spice of good Bourbon, the rich, earthy Carpano Antica’s tastes of herbs, spice, and slight bitterness, with the added touch of sweetness from the Grand Marnier… all enhanced with the warming notes of Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters.  If this is a bit too sweet on the finish for your taste, add 1 – 2 drops Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Actually Bitter Orange Bitters.

Ingredients
  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 1 oz Carpano Antica
  • ¼ oz Grand Marnier
  • 2 dashes Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters
  • 1 – 2 Drops Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Actually Bitter Orange Bitters (Optional to taste)
  • Brandied Cherry for garnish
  • Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnishes, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to combine and chill
  3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
  4. Add the cherry, express the orange peel over the drink and float the peel

Cheers!

 



Walnut Old Fashioned

 

Whether it’s a cold, snowy Winter’s evening, or a warm Spring afternoon, a well-crafted Old Fashioned is an excellent libation.  Our Walnut Old Fashioned features the spice of a good Rye Whiskey and the warming notes of Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters.  We use agave syrup since its early sweetness matches the bitter profile of our Walnut Bitters.  The flavors are slight sweetness followed by spicy Rye and walnut.  The finish is soft and smooth.  Here’s the recipe:

Walnut Old Fashioned

  • 2 oz Rye Whiskey
  • 1 barspoon of Agave Syrup – to taste
  • 4-5 dropper fulls of Doc Elliott’s MixologyTM Walnut Bitters
  • Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

  1. Chill a single old fashioned 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 the chilled old fashioned glass over fresh ice.
  4. Express the lemon peel over the drink and float the peel.

Cheers!

 



Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned

This Old Fashioned is best described as a bite of pecan pie, a taste of coffee, a nibble of dark chocolate, and a sip of fine bourbon.  Always a hit at the events and pop-ups we’ve done, it is one of my personal favorites. Simple to make, you can easily adjust the sweet/bitter balance. I prefer a high rye bourbon with this cocktail, but you should use your favorite.

The flavor profile of Doc Elliott’s Mixology™ Coffee Pecan Bitters is bitterness and spiced coffee on the front, soon followed by pecan with notes of dark chocolate as the bitterness rapidly fades.  The finish is coffee, pecan, and chocolate.  For this reason, we use agave, which is fructose, bringing sweet to the beginning then quickly fading, making it the perfect complement to our Coffee Pecan Bitters in our Coffee Pecan Old Fashioned,

Ingredients:
  • 2 oz. Bourbon
  • 5-6 Dashes Doc Elliott’s Coffee Pecan Bitters
  • 1/2 – 1 barspoon Agave Nectar – to Taste
  • Orange peal for garnish
Directions:
  1. Chill a single Old Fashioned glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all of the ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
  3. Strain into chilled glass with fresh ice
  4. Express the orange peel over the drink and float the peel

Cheers!

 



Dad’s Day Cocktails

Looking for a special cocktail for Dad’s special day?  How about a Mule?  Mules are easy to make and easy to customize.  So, read on for a few ideas.

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.

Cucumber Jalapeño Mule – 3 Ways (or maybe 6 ways!)

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…

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Rocky Mule

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,…

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Cheers!

 



Burn’s Night Libations

 

Even if you do not play the Pipes or wear a kilt, Burn’s Night is another good reason to raise a glass.  Here are two Scotch cocktails to help celebrate the Baird.

Blood, Smoke and Sand

This cocktail is simply a Blood and Sand with a little smokey twist.  According to an article by Gary Regan, 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 is 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 atomizer 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

The Rusty Nail

I have seen Rusty Nail recipes use anywhere from 4:1 Scotch:Drambuie to 1:1.  Since the exact ratio is variable, you should get a decent cocktail even from an inexperienced bartender.  In addition, you can add bitters and/or a twist of lemon.  Muddle a lemon peel and bitters in an old-fashioned glass, and then builds the drink  adding ice, Scotch and Drambuie.  This is my version of this cocktail:

  • 1 1/2 oz. Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch
  • 3/4 oz. Drambuie
  • 1 dash Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters – optional
  • 1 lemon peel – optional
  1. Chill an Old Fashioned Glass with ice and water
  2. Combine the Scotch, Drambuie and bitters (if using) in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
  3. Strain into chilled glass over a large fresh ice cube
  4. Express the lemon peel over the cocktail and discard the peel.

I like adding the bitters.  They decrease the sweetness of the Drambuie without detracting from its flavors.  The lemon peel adds further complexity.

So, a fresh glass, a chunk of ice, some Scotch and a little Drambuie – you’re good to go!!

The Smokin’ Nail

For a twist on the Rusty Nail, try smoking the cocktail with Chai Tea.  The smoked chai tea really plays along with the background Drambuie. In addition, your guests will be impressed!  This requires a Smoke Gun.

Smokin’ Nail

  • 2 ozs. Scotch
  • 1/2 ozs. Drambuie
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1 dash Jerry Thomas Bitters – sub Angostura
  • 1 tsp. Chai tea
  1. Smoke tea in gun with the tube placed in a lidded decanter.  When decanter is full of smoke, remove smoke tube and seal.
  2. Chill a single old fashioned glass with ice and water.
  3. In a mixing glass, muddle lemon zest with the Drambuie and bitters
  4. Add Scotch and ice.  Stir to chill.  Strain into smoke filled bottle and reseal.  Give the drink a few good shakes in the smokey bottle.
  5. Pour drink over fresh ice in the chilled old fashioned glass.
  6. You can use the smokey bottle for 2 or 3 drinks.

Cheers!

 



Plymouth Old Fashioned

Plymouth Old Fashioned

I really like bitters forward old fashioneds.  To me, bitters bring flavor and spice that you aren’t going to find elsewhere.  One way to get a lot of bitters into a cocktail without making it, well, too bitter, is to make a syrup with bitters as all or part of the liquid.  For this drink I have chosen Applejack, brown sugar and black walnut bitters to use in the syrup.  It is then combined with calvados, bourbon and rum.

This is a big drink in size, strength and flavor.  The taste of apple blends with the vanilla and spice from the rum and the combined smoky notes of the rum and bourbon.  The black walnut bitters really stand out.  I initially used Fees Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters, but I think that Angostura Bitters with the Fees Brothers Black Walnut Bitters and Orange Bitters is better.

You can easily lighten up this drink by substituting Cruzan Dark Aged Rum for the Zaya and/or Russell’s 10 year old Bourbon for the Basil Hayden’s.

Here is the recipe:

  • 1 oz. Calvados
  • 1 oz. Aged rum such as Zaya 12 Year Old
  • 1 oz. Aged bourbon such as Basil Hayden’s
  • 1 oz. Black Walnut Syrup (See below)
  • 1 bar spoon honey syrup (1 part honey dissolved in 1 part water)
  • 2 dashes Fees Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
  • 2 dashes Fees Brothers Orange Bitters
  • 2 dashes Fees Brothers Aztec Bitters or Angostura Bitters
  • Thick orange peel for garnish
  1. Stir all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Strain into a chilled old fashioned glass with fresh ice – preferably a single large cube or sphere
  3. Express the orange oils over the drink and float the peel.

Black Walnut Syrup

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 oz. Applejack
  • 1 oz. Fees Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
  1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the liquid, stirring frequently.  Or you can put all of the ingredients in a blender and run on high for a few minutes.
  2. Allow to cool
  3. It will keep longer if you filter it through a metal coffee filter to remove any undissolved sugar crystals.
  4. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks

Cheers!



John Dandy

John DandyBourbon goes with many things, but apples, cinnamon and chocolate top my pairings list.   For the bourbon in this cocktail, I used Ranger Creek’s .36 Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey which gently nips but doesn’t bite.  It brings the flavors of vanilla, cinnamon and a touch of oak.  If you choose a different bourbon, I suggest something that isn’t overly smooth.  I used Bigallet China-China Amer as a modifier.  Alone, this liqueur tastes of bitter orange, citrus, and cherries with an earthy, root touch similar to cola, (think bourbon and coke).  I added the bitters for complexity and to introduce chocolate, additional cinnamon and a bit of dried fruit from the fig bitters.

John Dandy

The nose of this Manhattan-esque cocktail is bright orange, fruit, vanilla and cinnamon.  The initial flavors are apple, vanilla with a touch of oak, followed by chocolate, dried fruit and a bit of spice.  The earthy tone comes late and the finish is fruit, spice, cinnamon and vanilla.  As noted below, don’t get this cocktail too sweet.John Dandy2

  • 1 oz. Bourbon
  • 1 oz. Laird’s Applejack
  • 1/4 oz. Bigallet China-China Amer
  • 1-2 dashes 2:1 Demerara simple syrup – depending on the sweetness of your maraschino cherries
  • 1 dash Fees Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
  • 1 dash Brooklyn Hemispherical Black Mission Fig Bitters
  • Orange peel for garnish
  • Maraschino cherry for garnish
  1. Chill a coup or other stemmed cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all of the ingredients except the garnishes in a mixing glass with ice
  3. Stir to chill and strain into chilled glass
  4. Express orange peel and discard
  5. Add cherry

Cheers!