sweet vermouth

Striving for Perfection

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Perfect Plex

1 oz Bourbon <Woodford Reserve>
1 oz White Whiskey <Bully Boy>
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth <Dolin>
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth <Dolin>
Few dashes Angostura Bitters
Few Dashes Orange Bitters <Regan’s>

Stir ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry (or two).

If I could only order one drink for the rest of my life, it may very well be a Perfect Manhattan.  There is something wonderful that happens when you put sweet and dry vermouth together in the same glass.  A subtle tweak that really changes the personality of this classic. Continue reading →

Game Night

Adam (aka Mr. Muddle)2 Comments

Two for His Heels

3/4 oz Genever <Bols>
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth <Dolin>
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth <Dolin>
3/4 oz Amontillado Sherry <Lustau>
Barspoon Orgeat <Fee Bros>
Orange bitters <Regan’s>

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry (or two).

Friday nights are usually cocktail nights in the Muddle household (and Saturday too, if I’m being completely honest…and sometimes Thurdsays…).  While we sip our drinks, board games and card games often make their way to the table.  A few drinks and some friendly competition make for quite an enjoyable evening.

Continue reading →

Better Know a Classic: Americano

Adam (aka Mr. Muddle)3 Comments

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 
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Aged from the Inside Out

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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 →

Build a Better Bar Part 3: Tools and Tomes

Adam (aka Mr. Muddle)2 Comments

Martinez

1 1/2 oz gin
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Few dashes orange bitters <Regan’s>

Stir with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This classic is considered to be the father of the Martini, or at least a heavy influence on what would later become the more popular “Gin and Vermouth” drink.  Ever since discovering it a few years ago I have always enjoyed the sweet/dry interplay between the gin and vermouth.  A wonderful lesser known classic indeed.

We’re wrapping up this month’s Build a Better Bar series by talking about essential tools as well as some of my suggestions for worthwhile resources to keep around the house. First, let’s tackle the tools.  While you can get away without most of these, your life will be much easier with them.

Continue reading →

It’s Pronounced Yah-grrr

Adam (aka Mr. Muddle)3 Comments

Jagroni

1 oz gin <Boodles>
1 oz Becherovka
1 oz sweet vermouth <Dolin>
Few dashes orange bitters <Regan’s>

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass

 

I took my 4 year old (4 3/4 if you asked her) to her first NHL game last weekend. It was a matinee affair with the Bruins taking on the Panthers. I’d rather it was a Ranger game, but such is the life of a New York sports fan living in Boston. Regardless, we both had a blast. Continue reading →

The Manhattan Project

Adam (aka Mr. Muddle)12 Comments

New Amsterdam

2 oz Bourbon <Woodford Reserve>
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Cointreau
Few dashes orange bitters <Fee Brothers>

Stir with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry*

When I thought about how to start this whole blog thing off, there was only one drink to write about…the Manhattan.  You could call it my gateway cocktail. Continue reading →