I truly enjoy pairing cocktails with food.  The classic charcuterie and cheese board  is always difficult.  When you eat a fat such as cheese or cured meats, your tongue is coated with the fat.  This prevents you from tasting any subtleties in your beverage.  The secret is to take a bite of something such as olives, pickled foods or nuts after the bite of cheese but before you take a sip.  This removes the fat and the flavor of the cheese from your tongue prior to the sip of cocktail.  So how can you tell if the cocktail compliments the cheese?  Simple.  Have a drink of cocktail then taste the cheese.

This Martini-esque creation combines Oxley Gin, Cocchi Americano and Kina al Avion d’Or.  The botanical notes of the Gin meld perfectly with the bittersweet Kina. It really does pair well with cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Oxley Gin
• 3/4 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 1/4 oz. Kina l Avion d Or
• 3 drops Doc Elliott’s Mixology Actually Bitter Orange Bitters

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass

Cheers!

The Last Word

The Last Word is a Prohibition era cocktail originally created at the Detroit Athletic Club.  Equal parts Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur and lime juice create a well balanced cocktail with bold citrus and herbal flavors.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz Gin
• 3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
• 3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 3/4 oz lime juice

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
3. Shake until well chilled
4. Double strain into chilled glass

Cheers!

Memorial Day is the perfect time for simple, low ABV, thirst-quenching drinks.  Since beer says summer and barbecues, nothing is better than celebrating the weekend with beer cocktails.  The classic is the Shandy – equal parts lemon soda and beer.  But you can get really creative by just combining your spirit of choice, fruit juice, simple syrup and beer.

One of our favorite beers, Highwheel Betty, is a Kölsch style brew from San Antonio.  Mexican beers are a good alternative and also Dogfish Namaste.  For spirits, we use gin, vodka, tequila, and Kinsman Rakia – an apricot eau de vie.

Here’s a glass lifted to all those service men and women who gave their all!

For recipes, scroll down or clink the links.

Old Glory Kinsman Grog

Old Glory Gin or Vodka Grog

Old Glory Tequila Grog

Gin and Beer Tonic

Kinsman

This cocktail is refreshing and light.  The taste is apricot, lemon and beer.  To create this cocktail, I tried first lemon, then lime then grapefruit juices.  I put a splash of Rakia in a shot glass along with each different juice and simply tasted them. After making the choice of lemon, I added the Rakia and lemon juice to a shaker without ice.  To that I added 1/4 oz simple syrup and tasted the drink.  I felt it needed more simple so I added another 1/4 oz.  This taste was slightly sweet – which means the finished cocktail, after chilling, will be well balanced.  You can use the same methods to create cocktails with the other spirits below.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Rakia
• 2 oz. Fresh lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup (1/4 oz – 1 1/2 oz per your taste)
• 6+ oz. Highwheel Betty or your favorite
• Lemon wheel for garnish (Optional)

Directions:

1. Add the Rakia, lemon and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.  Shake to chill.
2. Strain into beer glass
3. Top with beer
4. Garnish with lemon wheel

Gin or Vodka

The flavor of your beer cocktail will be significantly different depending on your choice of Gin or Vodka.  Going deeper, your choice of Gin will also effect the flavor.  The use of a flavored vodka will add even more layers of flavor.  Whichever of these spirits you choose, the ratios of ingredients are fairly constant: 1:1 Spirit to Juice

The beer you use will effect your choice of juice and the quantity of simple syrup.  Which fresh juice is a personal preference but I suggest lemon, lime or grapefruit.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 oz. Gin or Vodka
• 1 1/2 – 2 oz Fresh citrus juice
• 1/4 – 2 oz. Simple syrup
• 6+ oz beer
• Garnish to match your choice of juice – optional

Directions:

1. Add spirit, juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.  Shake to chill
2. Strain into beer glass, with or without fresh ice, and top with beer
3. Garnish

Tequila

For Tequila beer drinks, we like to use lime, pineapple or grapefruit.  The ratios are similar to our Kinsman cocktail.  The amount of simple syrup will primarily be determined by the tartness of the juice.  Generally more simple with lime and grapefruit and less to none with pineapple.  If your pineapple concoction is too sweet for your taste, try using equal amounts of pineapple and lime juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Plata tequila
• 1 1/2 – 2 oz. Fresh juice
• 1/4 – 1 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• 6+ oz beer
• Garnish to match your choice of juice – optional

Directions:

1. Add Tequila, juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.  Shake to chill
2. Strain into beer glass and top with beer
3. Garnish

Enjoy!

This beautiful Martini combines the herbal qualities of Gin and Chartreuse.  We used Gin Mare, which has a balanced juniper note and is distilled from olives, among other botanicals, all of which play perfectly with Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters.

The nose presents juniper with touches of woodiness, herbs and citrus. The taste is soft juniper with citrus, herbs and a hint of anise.  The finish is savory from the Olive Bitters with a bit of spice.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Gin Mare
• 1/2 oz Quality Dry Vermouth (or 1/4 oz Dry and 1/4 oz Bianco Vermouth)
• 1 bar spoon Chartreuse
• 1 Dash Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters
• Olives for garnish

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice
3. Stir to combine and chill
4. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass

Whether fruit or vegetable, rhubarb heralds Spring. The Rhubarb Blush is fresh and light like the new season.

This a simple pomegranate gin sour.  Pomegranate juice is tart and not overly sweet.  It pairs well with rhubarb and ginger, which is why we chose Whitley Neill Gin.  The Whitley Neill Gin is distilled with rhubarb and ginger along with other botanicals, or you can substitute your favorite gin.  The nose is pomegranate, juniper, and herbs.  The taste is gin and pomegranate with subtle rhubarb and a touch of ginger.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Whitley Neill Gin
• 1 3/4 oz. Pomegranate juice
• 1/4 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup
• 1 bar spoon Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• Lemon peel

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink and discard the peel

Cheers!

I like my martini’s 2 1/2:1 or 3:1 Gin to Vermouth.  Whatever your favorite ratio, try combining Dry and Bianco 50/50 for the Vermouth.

This is a play on the Perfect Martini.  One that combines both dry and sweet Vermouth.  Rather than sweet Vermouth, I used bianco, combining Carpano Dry and Carpano Bianco. I was hooked.  These two styles of  Vermouth have become my go-to for anything calling for ‘dry.’  At first the Carpano Bianco seems slightly sweeter than the usual premium dry Vermouth.  I attribute this to the rich wine flavor that comes through along with citrus and a little tropical fruit.  The Carpano Dry is a bit surprising. The nose is wine, lemon, candied fruit and spices, but the taste is bone dry.  Alone, or in combination, these fortified wines are amazing.

I have used London Drys, Herbal, and “American Style”.  I like them all!

When it comes to the garnish, I think that citrus and olives, individually or together, drastically enhances this martini.

Doc’s Classic Martini

• 1 1/2 oz. Gin – You’re favorite premium brand
• 1/4 oz. Carpano Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Carpano Bianco Vermouth
• Dash of Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters
• Olives and/or Lemon peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine the gin, vermouth’s and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Garnish with Olives and/or Lemon peel

Cheers!

This makes a perfect Valentine’s cocktail.  It is a simple pomegranate gin sour.  Pomegranate juice is tart and not overly sweet.  It pairs well with juniper, olives and oranges.  Thus, our selection of ingredients.  For the Gin we used Gin Mare*, which has a balanced juniper note and is distilled from olives, among other herbs.  For the orange, we added a touch of Grand Marnier.  The flavor is tart with just a touch of juniper and citrus.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Gin (We used Gin Mare)
• 1 3/4 oz. Pomegranate juice
• 1/4 oz. 2:1 Simple Syrup
• 1 bar spoon Grand Marnier
• Lemon peel

Directions:

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink and discard the peel

Raise a glass “to L’Amour”

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

2021 brings optimism of a better year, but still it is our castles that provide comfort and safety.  So, to enhance our personal palace celebrations, I’ve created regal cocktails, one purple, one gold.

“Amethyst Ambrosia”    Amethyst…bringing tranquility, calm and serenity through it’s clear, cool brilliance.  Ambrosia…nectar of the gods.

“Midas Elixir”    Gold, symbol of luck and prosperity, is believed to rejuvenate the endocrine system, regenerate tissue and skeletal system, and balance the right and left brain.  Elixir, the sweet liquid of longevity.

When you lift a glass to toast the new year…here’s wishing that “Cheers” brings you just that…the hope of a year filled with renewal and joy!

Midas Elixir

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. London Dry Gin
• 3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/4 oz. Kina al Avion d’Or
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions:

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. Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink.

Amethyst Ambrosia

In this cocktail the vermouth and St. Germain build on the herbal and floral flavors of the gin for a complex and appealing aperitif. The beautiful purple color of the Empress Gin creates a stunning drink. You can substitute any of the new style gins such as Hendrix, Monkey 47 or Uncle Val’s Botanical.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Empress Gin
• 3/4 oz Bianco Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions:

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. Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink.

Cheers!

I had read about freezing martinis and thought it would be fun to try.  Frozen martinis are nothing new, but my various recipes turned into an interesting experiment.  Just to set things straight, a “frozen martini” is not a slushie like a “frozen margarita.”  It is a batched martini, placed in a bottle and put in the freezer.

So, why freeze a martini?  Well, a frozen martini is colder than ice and bone dry with a silky-smooth mouth feel.  As the temperature of a drink decreases, so do the flavors of sweet, sour, and bitter, while the taste of salt or brininess increases.  Herbal and floral flavors also change with some increasing and others decreasing. These changes can be amazing – both good and bad!  More on that in a minute.

Batching cocktails makes sense for events, pop-ups and even when entertaining at home. The ability to pour a craft cocktail from a bottle really helps when you are “in the weeds” bartending.  It’s also nice at home when you would like a little more but don’t want to make a whole martini.

There are a couple of caveats. First is your freezer. Even if you have a commercial freezer, you need to have a freezer thermometer. The temperature needs to remain stable at around 5⁰ F.  A temperature of 0⁰ – 7⁰ F will allow you to serve a cocktail at 25%-30% ABV.  Prior to attempting to freeze your martinis you need to measure your freezer’s temperature at various times of the day.  It will probably be coldest in the morning when it hasn’t been opened.  The coldest temperature is the one you will use to calculate your batches’ ABV.

The second caveat is that liquids lowered to subfreezing temperatures tend to form ice. There are a few things you can do to make this occur less often.

• Keep the ABV close to 30%. This will give you a little margin of error.
• Shake the bottle really well to thoroughly mix your batch before freezing.
• Avoid bumping or jarring the bottle once it’s frozen.
• Use a screw cap or cage top bottle. Don’t use a bottle with a cork.  Removing the cork will create a slight vacuum in the bottle.  Enough to turn the batch to ice.

When your batch does ice, (and it will happen), just set it on the bar and let it warm up.  Add a little gin and refreeze the batch.

When selecting your gin, I recommend a London Dry.  At least choose something that is not overly herbal or floral.  I’ve settled on Botanist.  The subtle salinity really works when frozen.  For an example of what doesn’t work, I tried Gompers Gin.  I really like Gompers.  It makes a great Martini or G&T.  But there is a subtle flavor of pear in Gompers that when frozen, overwhelms every other flavor.  So much for that batch.

Our recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Botanist Gin
• 1/4 oz. Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Bianco Vermouth
• Short dash Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters

For a 500 ml Batch with a freezer set to 5⁰ F, this calculates to:

• 300 ml Gin
• 50 ml Dry Vermouth
• 50 ml Bianco Vermouth
• 100 ml water
• 4 dashes Doc Elliott’s Olive Bitters

Use this spread sheet to calculate your batch volumes:  ABV Batch Freeze Calc

A 20% dilution will make the drink a little strong but allows you to freeze it without icing.  The spread sheet’s freezing calculation is only accurate for an ABV of 20% – 34%.  It uses the fact that the freezing point of alcohol is a strait line in that ABV range.

Lastly, remember to freeze your glassware!

To serve:

1. Pour desired volume of Frozen Martini into a frozen cocktail glass
2. Garnish with olives

Cheers!

I saw somewhere a cocktail recipe that contained Gin, Suze and Blue Curaçao.  The drink was, of course, a brilliant green.  So in my pursuit of holiday cocktails, this was perfect!  This wonderful aperitif is named after Lily the Haunted Doll.  She is the slightly creepier version of the Christmas surveillance doll “Elf on a Shelf.” The idea being that, after you adopt her, she haunts various places in your home.

For the cocktail, we chose the slightly floral Oxley Gin, Suze, Carpano Dry Vermouth, and blue curacao.  The nose is bright with citrus and juniper from both the Gin and Suze.  The taste is bittersweet with orange, botanicals, and a bit of spice.  The finish is long with juniper, a touch of pine and gentian.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Oxley Gin
• 2 oz. Suze
• 1 oz. Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 oz. Blue Curaçao
• 2 drops Doc Elliott’s Actually Bitter Orange Bitters
• Lemon 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. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the lemon peel over the drink and discard the peel

Cheers!