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.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 oz. Kinsman Rakia
  • 1 oz. cream de cacao
  • 1 oz. cream

Directions:

  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water.
  2. Combine all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake to mix and chill.
  3. Double strain into chilled glass
  4. Garnish with grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

Cheers!

 



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!

 



Rocky Mule

Rocky MuleI 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, too bitter or both.  Which is what I like about Kinsmen Rakia: it is bone dry, not bitter and has just the right fruitiness.  The Rocky Mule’s flavor is ginger, lime, fruit and just a touch of burn.  You can leave off the jalapeño if you wish.

  • 2 ozs. Kinsman Rakia
  • 2 ozs. Fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz. 2:1 honey syrup (2 parts water: 1 part honey)
  • 1 slice fresh jalapeño
  • 6 oz. Gosling’s Ginger Beer
  1. Muddle the jalapeño with the lime juice in the bottom of a shaker tin
  2. Add the Rakia and honey syrup and shake to chill
  3. Double strain into Moscow Mule mug or Collins glass over fresh ice
  4. Add the Ginger Beer

Cheers!

* Doc Elliott’s Mixology receives no compensation for brands mentioned.

 



Rakia Ximénez

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.Rakia Ximenez 2

  • 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!

 



Sidecar

  • 1 1/2 oz. brandy or Cognac
  • 1 oz. triple sec
  • 1 oz. lemon juice
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice
  3. Strain into chilled glass
  4. Garnish with a lemon wheel.


Vieux Carré

  • ¾ oz. rye whiskey
  • ¾ oz. brandy
  • ¾ oz. sweet vermouth
  • ¼ oz. Benedictine
  • dash Peychaud’s Bitters
  • dash Angostura Bitters
  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
  4. Garnish with thick lemon twist