Honeymoon Cocktail

It's Halloween and we sure had lots of witches, goblins,superheroes, princesses, etc. come by. We gave out 150+ packages of candy!

I chose a 'Honeymoon Cocktail' for tonight. 
It was extremely good, so good I fixed a second round, but used a new bottle of Benedictine.  The second drink was better than the first one! I suppose 20 years may be too long to keep a bottle of liqueur. This cocktail may be about the best one we've had.

The recipe (page no. 98 from our Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I garnished the drink with a slice of orange.

Salud!

Hotel Plaza Cocktail

We cleaned out the garage, finally, after moving in 5 years ago and  now have 2 cars in the garage! 
It's too early to get all the results, but Auburn is ahead and we hope all of our other favorite teams win today.

We selected a 'Hotel Plaza Cocktail' tonight.  I think it is probably the same recipe as another cocktail I have fixed - but under a different name.  It was good nontheless.

The recipe (page no. 99 from thr Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Gin (Booth's)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Decorate with a crushed slice of pineapple.  (What does crushed mean?)
I didn't have a pineapple, crushed or noncrushed, so I used a slice of tangerine.
It was a good swap.

Cheers

Soother Cocktail

We had dinner tonight at Brandt's Maisonette with 2 other couples. We asked Paula Brandt to mix us a 'Soother Cocktail' and even though it was a new drink to her - she got it done!  She even found an older edition of the Bartender's Guide than mine.

The recipe (page no. 162 from our Bartender's Guide):

1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp powdered sugar

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Paula garnished the drink with a lemon slice and added a cherry. 

We enjoyed this drink and the food.  I tried the duck which was really excellent.

Bombay Cocktail

We had several friends over to enjoy tonight's cocktail with us.  I picked a 'Bombay Cocktail' to fix.  One of our guests didn't care for the licorice taste of the Absinthe, so I got a Scotch (Macallan Single Malt, of course) and water for him. That he liked!

The recipe (page no. 45 from the Bartender's Guide):

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1/4 teaspoon Absinthe (La Fee)
1/2 teaspoon Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Earlier I fixed a big pot of Pastalaya (recipe courtesy of Kenny Wells), so we had a great snack with our drink.

I enjoyed the drink, as did our guests, although I could tell it was not one they would seek out again. Oh, well ...

Cuban Cocktail No. 2

Today we had our 3 grandsons here in the afternoon.  We enlisted their help to get candy ready for the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. I think they really enjoyed the candy adventure. The drink of the day turned out to be - a  'Cuban Cocktail No. 2'.

The recipe (page no. 70 from the Bartender's Guide):

Juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon (I used a Meyer Lemon)
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1 1/2 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1 teaspoon Rum  (Bacardi)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I garnished with an orange slice (I had some fresh oranges).

It was a very good drink!

Cheers.

Between the Sheets Cocktail

We're back home tonight from our trip to Biloxi and Ocean Springs Miss. I found a 'Between the Sheets Cocktail' that is a lot like the Boston Side Car that we had last night. Actually, it's exactly the same except that the lime juice is replaced by lemon! It's on page 39 of the Bartender's Guide.

I fixed 4 cocktails for our neighbors and ourselves

The recipe for one drink:

Juice of 1/2 lemon (Meyer Lemon)
1/2 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Rum (Bacardi Light)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. 

I used an orange garnish since we think it enhanced the drink (Boston Sidecar) we had last night in Biloxi.  We all liked the drink.

Salute.

Boston Side Car Cocktail

We arrived at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi this evening on our way to Ocean Springs, MS.  We asked the bartender to make our cocktail for today, a 'Boston Sidecar Cocktail'  (We had found this in our Bartender's guide this morning before leaving home.)
After consulting a reference app, the bartender made the drink and it was delicious!

The recipe in the Bartender's guide (I don't have the page no. with me):

3/4 oz Brandy
3/4 oz Rum
3/4 oz Triple Sec
juice of 1/2 lime

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass (I like the way he strained the drink; he separated the top and bottom and used the gap as the strainer). The garnish was an orange slice.

Don't know exactly if he followed this recipe - but it was good.

Cheers.

Lugger Cocktail

We had our daughter and family over tonight for a birthday celebration ... my daughter's! I grilled steaks (very good) to go with potatoes and green salad, plus birthday cake.

 Before the arrival, I mixed a 'Lugger' cocktail (from page 117 of our Bartender's Guide) for Olga and me.
The first sip was a little stout but it quickly (by the second sip) became very drinkable; We enjoyed it..

The recipe:

1 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 dash Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)

Shake with ice and stain into cocktail glass.

Trinity Cocktail

It's a great Saturday; Auburn beat LSU, which is also somewhat sad since LSU is our second favorite team!
 
I selected a 'Trinity Cocktail' (page 174 in our Bartender's Guide).  Olga and I both enjoyed the drink.

The recipe:

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Gin (Booth's)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Back to football; both teams played very hard and well. It's too bad both teams couldn't win. I will be cheering for LSU when they play Alabama in two weeks. Baylor also won tonight which will make another set of neighbors happy.

Cheers!

 

The Drink With No Name and Aviation Cocktails

It's Friday again - the grass is cut and all is well with the world.

We left the Bartenders Guide tonight and branched out.  The first cocktail was a 'Drink With No Name', a vodka based drink. It was quite good with a nice aftertaste.

The recipe:

2 Oz. Vodka (My Russian "Standard")
1/4 Oz. Cointreau
1/8 Oz. Chartreuse (Green)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

After that I fixed  an 'Aviation' cocktail. It was pretty tart (all the lemon juice) but I enjoyed it although it didn't suit Olga's taste. The Maraschino Liqueur was certainly noticeable in the taste.
 
The recipe:

1 1/2 Oz. Gin (Booth's)
1/2 Oz. Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3/4 Oz. Lemon Juice (Meyer Lemon)

Shake with cracked ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Garnish with Maraschino Cherry or lemon twist.

Cheers!

Champs Élysées Cocktail

It is the week for French cocktails (at least those with French-sounding names).
After our cocktail, I grilled a flank steak and Olga cooked brussels sprouts and garnished them with pancetta and parmesan cheese.  The pancetta and parmesan were good, but ...the brussels sprouts?  Biscotti for desert, it was good.

The cocktail preceding all of this was a 'Champs Élysées Cocktail' (page no. 59 from the Bartender's Guide):

1 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1/2 oz Chartreuse (Yellow)
Juice of 1/4 lemon (1/2 oz. of Meyer Lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 dash bitters

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

At first sip Olga didn't care too much for this cocktail, but she said it got better.  I don't think she cares for the bitters added to drinks. I liked it. It had a really good flavor.

Cheers.

Bronx Cocktail

Tonight we were joined by a couple of neighbors for a 'Bronx Cocktail'.  We had a good time with snacks and interesting conversation.  Of course we had a second round and also included a Wilson Anniversary Cocktail  II - made with Peach Liqueur instead of Pear - for good measure.

For the Bronx (page no. 51):

1 oz Gin (Booth"s)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth Noilly Prat)
Juice of 1/4 orange (I used 1 oz. as a 1/4 orange)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with slice of orange.

Enjoy!

Montmartre Cocktail

Ah, memories of Paris - but I don't know why this is called a 'Montmartre Cocktail'.  
we enjoyed our visit to Montmartre, and we enjoyed this drink (although not there) - but not as much as last night's cocktail.

Today was work day ... grass cutting and window washing (Olga does windows!).  Now we are having our first rain in a couple of weeks.  It should be good sleeping weather.

The recipe for a Montmartre Cocktail (page no. 126 in the Bartender's Guide):


1 1/4 oz Gin (Booth'S)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with a cherry--I made up for forgotten garnishes and put 2 cherries into each glass!


Cheers

Why Not Cocktail

Olga and I liked this drink. It was very enjoyable, combining a pleasant combination of tart and sweet; just what was needed after a quiet Monday.

Recipe for a 'Why Not Cocktail' (page no. 190 from the Mr. Boston's Bartender's Guide):

1 oz Gin (Booth's)
1 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 dash lemon juice (Meyer - fresh picked)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The last few days have introduced us to some good drinks. I believe we're defining "good", now, as one that we would order at a restaurant.

Enjoy!

Ideal Cocktail

Tonight we had an 'Ideal Cocktail'.  It was very good, one of our favorites.

Today I planted a lime tree we bought yesterday and watched some football on TV (the Saints won).
We visited our neighbors this afternoon for an "after-cocktail" drink - got to enjoy more Jameson's Irish! It's nice when neighbors invite you over. We enjoy the company.

The recipe for this cocktail (page no.101 from the Guide):

1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/4 teaspoon Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (home-grown Meyer, of course)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with a cherry. 

Cheers

Demsey Cocktail

Another college football Saturday in October.  Auburn wins 65 to 43.  LSU won 32 -10.
Our neighbor is a Baylor alum, so we are hoping they keep their 21 to 15 lead.
We had a wonderful meal at our Baylor neighbors tonight.  They are good company.  Our LSU neighbors joined us - so we had fun all around.

Olga and I had a 'Dempsey Cocktail' before we went to join them in watching the games. 
It was a stout drink, but pretty good.

Recipe (page no. 72 from the Bartender's Guide):

1 oz Gin (Booth's)
1 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/2 teaspoon Absinthe (La Fee)
1/2 teaspoon Grenadine

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

We also replaced our lime tree that bit the dust last winter (17 degrees apparently doesn't agree with lime trees in pots!). This time, I'll bring it inside if the temperature drops that much. Fresh limes are like our Meyer lemons ... very good.

Enjoy!

Flying Grasshopper Cocktail

Tonight we chose a 'Flying Grasshopper Cocktail' (page 82 in the Bartenders Guide).
A nice, green drink which tasted like Creme de Menthe (Duh!).  It would be a good after dinner drink.
We played tennis this morning and and then drove into Baton Rouge this afternoon to visit Rich - our great son-in-law Chiropractor.  He fixed Olga's neck!

Recipe:

3/4 oz Créme de Menthe (Green)-LeRoux
3/4 oz Créme de Cacao (White)-LeRoux
3/4 oz Vodka-Russian Standard

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Special Rough Cocktail

Tonight we tried a 'Special Rough Cocktail'. We had friends over and all seemed to enjoy the cocktail, although it was a little "rough", so to speak , at least the first couple of sips.

Recipe (page no. 164 from our Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 1/2 oz Brandy (St. Remy plus a little Remy Martin to make up a deficit)
1/2 teaspoon Absinthe (la Fee)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

After the cocktail we enjoyed a tasting of 3 orange liqueurs and  then finished up with a taste of Otard VSOP Cognac, quite good.

Cheers to all.

Sidecar Cocktail

Well it's almost Friday - but really only Wednesday night!  It just was a long day.
I found a cocktail in the 'S' section of the Bartender's Guide - a 'Sidecar Cocktail'.
I used a lemon from our Meyer lemon tree for the drink.
Of course I tripled this recipe to make 2 drinks for Olga and me, since I had to use all of the lemon.

Recipe (page no.159, Bartender's Guide):

Juice of 1/4 lemon (Meyer)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 oz Brandy (St. Remy)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

This was a very good cocktail, enhanced, I think, by the really fresh lemon.

Cheers.

Aqueduct Cocktail

Tonight I traveled to page no. 35 of our Bartender's Guide for an 'Aqueduct Cocktail'.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz. Vodka (the Russian variety I've been using)
1 1/2 teaspoon Curacao (white) - Marie Brizard
1 1/2 teaspoon Apricot Brandy - LeRoux
1 tablespoon Lime Juice

Combine and shake all ingredients and strain into cocktail glass. Add twist of orange peel.

I skipped the garnish.

The drink was OK but almost overpowered by the lime juice; not one I would reorder if I were paying for it! However, I did follow it up with a single malt scotch (with water) - a Glen Fiddich, Solara Reserve. Now it was very good.

Fare Thee Well Cocktail/Kiss in the Dark Cocktail

Fare Thee Well Cocktail                                                                

 I just discovered that I failed to post the first two cocktails we tried in our adventure so we are going to repeat them. Today we'll reprise No. 1, a 'Fare Thee Well Cocktail' found on page no. 80 of our 1985 Mr. Boston's Bartender's Guide and a 'Kiss in the Dark Cocktail', from page no. 110.






The recipe for a Fare Thee Well Cocktail                      
(first made 7/27/2010):                                                     
                                                                                          
1 1/2 oz. Gin (Booth's)                                                     
1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)                                
1 dash Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)                            
1 Dash Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.                  

The recipe for a Kiss-In-The-Dark Cocktail (first made 7/28/2010):

3/4 oz Gin (Booth's)
3/4 oz Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

We really enjoyed the Fare The Well first time around, but tonight not as much (it was better in hind-sight).

The Kiss in the Dark was very good, however.

Two cocktails in one night - very enjoyable!

Ninotchka Cocktail

This drink was definitely a winner!  Maybe it was our homegrown Meyer lemon, but we both enjoyed this drink.  It was a 'Ninotchka Cocktail' (page 130 of our Bartender's Guide).

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Russian Standard Vodka-I don't have cyrillac to type the name)
1/2 oz Creme de Cacao (White) - LeRoux
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Note - this is our 75th cocktail; it was one of the best.

It was a good weekend: Auburn and LSU won their football games and Alabama lost!

Cheers.

Mariposa Cocktail

Robbie and Rossie, our grandchildren were with us all day today.  Had fun at the playground, riding bikes, playing in the water, fishing in our cove, and everything else you can imagine a 4 and 6 year old would enjoy.

5 o'clock came right on time and I fixed a 'Mariposa Cocktail'

The recipe (page no. 120 in the Bartender's Guide) :

1 oz Rum (Bacardi Light)
1/2 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1 tablespoon lemon juice - used a homegrown Meyer Lemon
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 dash Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

A light drink, but neither Olga or I believe we would order this one again (as in a restaurant or bar).
It was refreshing however.

Tipperary Cocktail

Today we enjoyed a 'Tipperary Cocktail'. We were joined by our 4 and 6 year old grandsons (not for cocktails, however) who are spending the night with us.  We had fun with them. The cocktail was very good, by the way. I must admit that I also had a wee dram of Oban single malt scotch with water after the cocktail, which was very good. Unfortunately, I finished up the Oban. Oh well, as they say .... .

The recipe for this cocktail (page no. 172 from the Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Chartreuse (Green)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth

Sir well with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Olga and I enjoyed this one.  I can recommend it!

Shriner Cocktail

Today I selected something very different from our usual cocktails; a 'Shriner Cocktail'.  This picture was taken on our patio by Cocktail Cove.  The Sloe Gin gives the drink the red color. I think it may be the first cocktail we've mixed using sloe gin.

Recipe (page no. 159):

1 1/2 oz Brandy (St. Remy)
1 1/2 Sloe Gin (LeRoux)
2 dashes Bitters
1/2 teaspoon sugar syrup

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon - (I almost forgot this step, as usual).

 This drink was very good, albeit a little sweet. It was so good that I followed it up with an Irish Whiskey (Jameson's) with a tad of water. That was really good also!

Cheers....

Kangaroo Cocktail

Today we tried a Vodka-based cocktail, a 'Kangaroo Cocktail'.
I used two vodkas, a small experiment to see if we could tell any difference between expensive and and a budget brand in a cocktail. I think the consensus (between Olga and me) was no significant difference. That was a little disappointing.

The recipe(page no. 109 in the Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Smirnoff and Grey Goose)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with a twist of lemon peel.

Tailspin Cocktail

 Today was a cool day in Louisiana, high 40's this morning getting up to the low 70's in the afternoon at best; not my kind of weather. Other than that (no rain!) it was a decent day.

Tonight I fixed a 'Tailspin Cocktail' a gin-based cocktail that was very good.

The recipe (page no. 168 in the Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz. Gin (Booth's)
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz. Chartreuse (green)
1 dash Orange Bitters

 Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Add a twist of lemon peel and a cherry or olive.

We have found that drinks with sweet vermouth and Chartreuse seem to come out very tasty!

Cheers from Cocktail Cove!

Rory O'More Cocktail

 I acquired a taste for Irish Whiskey a couple of years ago on a visit to the Emerald Isle with good friends. We spent two weeks touring southern Ireland (Galway, the Dingle peninsula, Kinsale, Cashel, and Dublin, plus others) and also visited the Jameson Distillery; that was excellent. But, the exciting part was driving as I almost got us killed!

Anyway, tonight's cocktail is Irish Whiskey-based so obviously it was good!

The drink was a 'Rory O'More' (page No. 149 in the Bartender's Guide):




Recipe:

3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz. Irish Whiskey (Jameson's, of course)
1 Dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

I would be remiss not to give credit to my photographer, Olga, as well, for her yeoman's work.

Slainte!

Knock-Out Cocktail

The wind is blowing tonight - and bringing colder weather in with it.  Time for a 'Knock-Out Cocktail'
(Found on page 110 in my Bartender's guide).


Olga thought it had a bit too much Absinthe for her taste, but I enjoyed it.  A little Absinthe makes the hearth glow ... I promise not to finish that!

The recipe:

1/2 oz Absinthe
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1 teaspoon Creme de Menthe (White)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Serve with a cherry.

Salud

Queen Elizabeth Cocktail

Saturday - football day.  We've been asked to dedicate this cocktail to Baylor along with the Auburn and LSU college football teams.  They all won today!! 

We had a 'Queen Elizabeth Cocktail' tonight (page no. 142 in the Bartender's Guide).

1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoon Benedictine

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

This was a very good cocktail.  I can't seem to stay away from the Gin based drinks.  Somehow they just taste good.

Cheers.  Here's to tomorrow night and a new cocktail.

Cameron's Kick Cocktail

Friday's come and almost gone.  Played tennis this morning and enjoyed the company of our friends.
Hate to see the cold weather coming, though!

I found a 'Cameron's Kick Cocktail' on page 55 of the Bartender's Guide to try tonight, quite a departure from the gin and rum cocktails we've had this summer.  It's a Scotch and Irish Whiskey-based drink.  The lemon juice really disguises the taste of the Scotch and Irish Whiskey like it did with the Gin last night.

3/4 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
3/4 oz Irish Whisky (Jameson's Irish Whiskey!)
juice of 1/4 lemon
2 dashes of Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

It was a mild flavored drink which was pretty good, although I think I prefer the taste of the whiskeys.

Allen Cocktail

I was very late posting this entry- a day late, actually.  Our 4 year old grandson spent some time with us last evening which was very enjoyable. They seem to change so much, so quickly, that you just about have to see them daily to keep up. I didn't exactly forget about our blog, I just wasn't interrested in doing it last night!

I did fix a drink,  an 'Allen Cocktail' which was good; we enjoyed it.
It is a light drink and we thought it was excellent.

The recipe (page no. 29 from our Bartender's Guide);

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 oz. Maraschino (Luxardo)
1 1/2 oz. Gin (Booth's)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

A belated cheers!