Month: February 2015

Day 49: Cucumber Mary

What. Is. Happening.

I’m using VODKA.

I do think that’s something you can do and have a nice cocktail. I’ve just been avoiding it intentionally, because I think it lends itself to laziness. (It’s also possible I have some residual new-found cocktail snobbery.)

I ended up at William’s house tonight and was having difficulty coming up with a cocktail based on his limited ingredients (he was completely out of citrus fruits, just like I have been lately). I saw the Green Mary mix from New Year’s in his fridge and decided to try a lighter version with club soda. It’s not bad! The soda does seem a bit strange in it, but it also makes it seem more like a drink and less like a bowl of boozy tomato soup.

Day 48: Weep No More

  • 1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
  • 1 1/2 oz brandy
  • 1/4 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur
  • juice of half a lime

I originally wanted to make a New York Sour tonight but we’re out of lemons, so I was looking at other red wine cocktails. The recipe I found for this used Dubonnet Rouge instead of Punt e Mes, but we do what we can with what we have. I might try this again with a slightly less bitter vermouth. I also really like the name.

Day 47: Company Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz Averna
  • 1 1/2 oz Campari
  • 1 1/2 oz Cynar

William went to Midnight Cowboy last week with some colleagues and brought me back a special menu from a guest bartender, which of course the cats promptly chewed up. I managed to salvage it enough to be able to read some of the recipes, and this one stood out immediately as something that Dane would like. It’s bitter and vegetal and earthy and he loved it.

Day 46: Quiet Italian Gentleman

  • 2 oz Bulleit rye
  • 1 oz Punt e Mes
  • 1/2 oz Aperol
  • 1/2 oz amaretto

Tonight I wanted something medicinal since my throat is sore, but I left all of my lemons at a friend’s house after a party last night so I couldn’t make a toddy. This comes from a menu for a local Italian place. The recipe calls for Campari and Carpano, but I subbed Aperol (because Campari is so bitter) and Punt e Mes (because I don’t have Carpano). This turned out less bitter than I was afraid of, with a nice bite that is soothing on my throat.

Day 45: Death & Co Fix Me Up

  • 1 1/2 oz sherry
  • 1 oz rye
  • 3/4 oz orgeat
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz orange juice
  • 2 dashes Angostura
  • 3/4 oz club soda (to top after shaking)

Every time I flip through the Death & Co book I find something that looks surprising and interesting. This time I was searching for something to use an orange, since Dane had completely peeled the rind off one when baking this (with my amazing new Y-peeler). The recipe says to pour into a “snifter over a large ice cube”, neither of which I had. I improvised with a red wine glass and it seemed to work just fine. I only have one kind of sherry right now, so my version had creme instead of amontillado. I’m guessing that makes mine a much sweeter version. Dane still enjoyed this one even so.

Day 44: Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai

  • 1 oz Demerara rum
  • 1 oz dark Jamaican rum
  • 1 oz light rum
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1/4 oz orange curaçao
  • 1/4 oz Orgeat
  • 1/4 oz simple syrup

Another day, another tiki drink. Tonight we’re hosting a dinner party that is themed around citrus, so I decided to pick something that used as many citrus fruits as I could get. This is a pretty nice Mai Tai variant that I would recommend if you have a ton of juice you need to use up.

Day 43: Stumblebum

  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • 3/4 oz macadamia nut liqueur
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1/2 oz light rum
  • 1/2 oz gold rum

Another liquor store run, another new liqueur to try! I kept seeing macadamia nut liqueur in the Beachbum book, so obviously I needed to get some. It’s fairly inexpensive as well.

This is absolutely delicious. The macadamia liqueur gives it a warm finish that works surprisingly well with the pineapple.

Day 40: Samoan Fog Cutter

  • 2 oz lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 oz light rum
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 1/2 oz Orgeat
  • 1/2 oz brandy
  • 1/2 oz gin
  • 1/2 oz cream sherry (float)

Another beauty from the Beachbum Berry book. The actual recipe for this calls for it be blended, but I was feeling lazy. This is super tart and would make a great “sipping by the pool in summer” drink. I also finally got a chance to use my Horror in Clay fogcutter mug, designed by a friend of a friend. Clearly I need some longer straws.