Bar Starter Kit

Cherrycano

1 1/2 oz Aperol
1 1/2 Sweet Vermouth [Noilly Prat]
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur [Luxardo]

Combine in a glass, stir with ice. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Top with club soda and an orange twist.

This week is the second installment of my Bar Starter Kit series. Last week we tackled Gin and orange liqueur with the Pegu Club. Today, we’re taking a lower alcohol approach as we reach for Aperol, Sweet Vermouth and Maraschino Liqueur. The first two are bonafied workhorses in the bar, working well with a wide range of spirits. Maraschino liqueur is a good one because it lends a very distinctive flavor to cocktails, something a little different than other fruit based liqueurs. Continue reading →

Pegu Club

2 oz Gin [Bully Boy]
3/4 oz Grand Marnier (Cointreau works too)
4 lime wedges (~1/2-3/4 oz lime juice)
Few dashes Angostura Bitters

Put lime wedges, Grand Marnier and bitters in a mixing glass. Muddle to combine. Add gin and ice. Shake, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with lime twist.

Recipe taken from The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to inspire people to make cocktails at home. To some, it can be a daunting task. All those recipes and bottles can be overwhelming, then you just end up reaching for a beer. So I’m always trying to think of ways to help ease people in the door. For the next few weeks, I’ll be talking about how you can make a surprising number of drinks with two base spirits and four other bottles (plus some bitters and juices). You’d be surprised how many classics and originals you can make with just bourbon, gin, orange liqueur, maraschino liqueur, Aperol, and sweet and dry vermouth (since it’s my blog and I make the rules, I’m counting the vermouths as one bottle). Those six bottles should run you a grand total of about $100, depending on which brands you buy. Not bad for a starter kit. Continue reading “Better Know a Classic: Pegu Club” →