campari

A Year in Drinks

2016 is officially behind us, so let’s take a peak in the rear view mirror and hand out some some awards (the Muddlees? Still working on that one). On to the winners.

Top Three Most Viewed Posts
#3 – It’s Pronounced Yah-grr (featuring the Jagroni) – Negroni variation with Becherovka
#2 – Build a Better Bar Part 1: Poppin’ Bottles (featuring the Training Wheels) – A great intro to Aperol

And the most viewed post is…
#1 – The Ol’ Switcheroo (featuring the Half Windsor Knot) – This one actually makes me Continue reading “A Year in Drinks” →

Flip or Treat

Satan’s Stubble

3/4 oz Gin <Bully Boy>
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Orange Juice
Few Dashes of hot sauce
Egg white

Add ingredients to an empty shaker, shake vigorously to combine. Add ice, shake again, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I wasn’t planning on doing a Halloween themed drink, but after seeing some cool ones other people put out there, I guess I got inspired. These drinks usually fall into one of two camps. On one hand you have your dry ice and gory garnishes, and on the other there is the surprisingly large amount of classics that have Halloweenish names. I took the latter approach and used the Satan’s Whiskers as a starting point. Continue reading “Flip or Treat” →

October 31, 2016 0

Collins Family Jewels

Ruby Collins

1 oz Gin <Short Path>
1 oz Campari
1 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice
~4 oz Grapefruit Soda <Izzy>

Combine everything except the soda in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain into an ice filled Collins glass, and top with grapefruit soda. Give a quick stir to combine. Garnish with lime wedge

Hot weather continues to be the theme of late here in Boston, so refreshment is of utmost importance. That means ice. That means fizz. That means citrus. Sounds like a Tom Collins to me. This old standard combines gin, lemon, sugar and club soda to combat the scorchiest of heat waves. As delicious as it is, sometimes I want just a little more kick in my drinks. Luckily, the Tom Collins is as good a template for exploration as it is a thirst quencher. Continue reading “Collins Family Jewels” →

July 21, 2016 0

Better Know a Classic: Americano

Americano

1 1/2 oz Campari
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth <ideally an Italian one like Martini and Rossi, but any vermouth will do>

Combine Campari and Sweet Vermouth in a rocks or highball glass with ice, top with club soda and give a quick stir. Garnish with orange wedge or peel

This post is the first (kind of*) in a series on classic drinks. I’m using the term “classic” loosely here, as a way to refer to standard drinks that everyone should know. They don’t necessarily have to be old to be considered classic, but they do have to be delicious.

* Of course I just thought of this series title, but some of my previous posts certainly meet the criteria
Continue reading “Better Know a Classic: Americano” →

June 30, 2016 2

Car Talk

Breaker Bar

1 oz Old Tom Gin <Hayman’s>
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/4 oz Campari
1 oz Port <Dow’s Finest Reserve>

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

On Tuesday night I came out to my car to find the front passenger side tire completely flat. Closer inspection revealed a nail sticking out of the tread. No biggie, I’ve changed plenty of tires in my day. All I needed to do was grab the wheel lock key that lives under the passenger seat. I looked in its usual spot only to find the thin pile of the floor mats. Crap. Lack of wheel lock keys makes changing the tire nigh impossible. Even a call to AAA couldn’t get the tire off. What should have been a simple twenty minute job now stretched into 2 hours and included me riding shotgun in the tow truck on the 40 minute ride home. At least there was some unintentional comedy as the driver was rocking out to some Debbie Deb. Continue reading “Car Talk” →

June 10, 2016 0

Aged from the Inside Out

Bling Bling

2 oz Pisco <Macchu Pisco>
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth <Dolin>
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Combine ingredients and stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. To oak age, make a ten serving batch in a container with a tight fitting lid. Add about an ounce of oak cubes (or a spiral). Shake every day or so and taste every few days until desired flavors are reached. Strain into clean container.

In the last few years, barrel aged cocktails have definitely become a thing. Bars are taking classic cocktails (or even their own creations), throwing them in an oak barrel, and waiting to see what happens. For brown spirits in particular, kind of takes the whole booze thing full circle. Bars have the buying power and space to procure and store 3-5 gallon barrels without much hassle. So what is the home bartender to do? Fear not, for I have the answer for you. Even better, you can play along at home. Continue reading “Aged from the Inside Out” →

March 17, 2016 0