Here we are with another excuse to party! Fat Tuesday always means Mardi Gras and New Orleans.
Vieux Carré
The Vieux Carré dates to 1938 and was the creation of Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Monteleone Hotel. This cocktail, which is similar to a Manhattan, combines the spiciness of the rye with the sweet and mellow flavors of the Cognac and vermouth. Add to that the herbal notes of the Benedictine, and you have a smooth and complex drink.
Sazerac
The Sazerac is, basically, a bitters forward, rye Old Fashioned with an absinthe rinse. The history of this drink is somewhat clouded, but it does originate in New Orleans in the last half of the 19th century. There is also supposed to be a ritual for making the Sazerac. The ritual simply substitutes a second Old Fashioned glass for the mixing glass in the recipe below, (or you could mumble a line from Monty Python as well!)
Whatever ritual you follow this is a cocktail you need to try. The flavors are the spices of the rye and bitters combined with the hint of anise and herbs of the absinthe.
The Ghost of Birthdays Past
The name of this cocktail is derived from Ghost Tequila and the fact that I created the drink for my birthday! I use acidified pineapple juice to bring the same acidity as lime juice. I also use pineapple simple syrup which allows for the sweetness of the juice and so uses less sugar. This balances the cocktail – not too sweet or too sour. The flavors are pineapple and tequila with the Ghost Tequila bringing just a touch of heat. You can alter the amount of Ghost Tequila to adjust the spiciness to fit your taste.
The Last Word
Equal parts Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur and lime juice create a well balanced cocktail with bold citrus and herbal flavors.
The Last Fjord
Substitute Linie Aquavit for the Gin. This adds a hint of caraway to the citrus and herbal flavors.
The Bamboo
Dating back to the late 19th Century. Very Martini-esc but with a low ABV. Dry Sherry, Dry Vermouth with Angostura and Orange bitters
The Jersey Boss
A riff on The Godfather cocktail. Bourbon, Amaretto and Licor 43. The robust Bourbon flavors with it’s oaky and caramel notes combine with the nutty sweetness of the Amaretto and the touch of vanilla from the Licor 43 to create a smooth and well balanced drink.
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.”
Brandy Alexander
Smooth, creamy and delicious. We use Kinsmen Apricot Rakia, an unaged, very dry apricot brandy. The flavors are rich creaminess with hints of spice and stone fruit.
Holiday Magic
Oxley Gin, Dry Vermouth and Kina al Avion d’Or. The botanical notes of the Gin meld perfectly with the bittersweet Kina. Actually, this Martini pairs perfectly with cheese. Sip the cocktail then taste the cheese.
White Russian
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You want one!
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.
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
Barrel Aged Pumpkin Martini
Aged in a Rum Cask, this cocktail is created with Pumpkin Vodka, Tea Infused Dry Vermouth, Dry Curacao and Bergamot Liqueur. The nose is pumpkin and Rum. The flavors are pumpkin, orange, herbal vermouth and tea.
Barrel Aged Tequila Manhattan
Aged in a Sherry cask. The nose is citrus and Tequila. The taste begins with Tequila. The middle is Tequila, dried and candied fruit with a hint of sweetness of the Sherry, while the finish is tequila with a touch of bitterness.
Optional: a pinch of Sal de Gusano (maguey worm salt) to add a touch of umami
Barrel Aged Bourbon Manhattan
Aged in a Sherry Cask. The nose is citrus, bourbon and dried fruit. The taste is aged Bourbon, candied fruit from the Vermouth and a background of the rich Sherry with a touch of bitterness.
Optional: Au Poivre with black peppercorns and black garlic salt
The Negroni
Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Add some orange bitters and a flamed orange zest for the perfect bittersweet cocktail. Freshly made or barrel aged in a white whiskey cask. You know you want one!
The White Lily
From the Savoy Cocktail Book first published in London in 1930. This is truly a classic cocktail dating to the 1920’s. It is a combination of Gin, White Rum and Orange Liqueur with a dash of Absinthe. The nose if floral. The taste is orange with floral and herbal notes. The finish is herbal.
If you wish to further enhance this wonderful libation, you can summon the Green Fairy with an Absinthe back.
Port and Tonic
A wonderful sipper from Portugal. Dry White Port and tonic.
Laissez les bons temps roulez!!
Santé!
Later that night…
I’ve been trying to find out what “IDK” means. But no one can tell me. They just say “I don’t know.”