Lady Be Good Cocktail

We had Olga's brother and wife - and our daughter and husband and kids over tonight. 
The drink was pretty good drink albeit on the sweet side; not as good as the scotch-based cocktails we've had the last several days.

The recipe (from page no.112 from our Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1/2 oz Creme de Menthe -White (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Everyone enjoyed, but maybe liked the second cocktail (Southern Comfort Manhattan) more.

Salud!

Hoot Mon Cocktail

The weather warmed up enough to enjoy our cocktail on the patio.

Since I have been making scotch cocktails, and they have been surprisingly good, I made another one tonight.  It is a 'Hoot Mon Cocktail' from page 98 of the Bartender's Guide.  It is less sweet than the Bobby Burns that I fixed last night (a very good drink) and was a better cocktail, at least to my taste.

 The recipe:

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin - I ran out of Martini & Rossi and Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)

1 teaspoon Benedictine

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Twist a lemon peel and drop in glass.

Bobby Burns Cocktail

Tonight I selected another Scotch-based cocktail, similar to the one we had last night. This drink is a 'Bobby Burns Cocktail', found on page 43 of the Bartender's Guide.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
1 1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
1 1/4 teaspoon Benedictine

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

This was a very nice drink well worth repeating.

Sante!

Blood-and-Sand Cocktail (corrected)

I revisited the cocktail from last night - since I had mistakenly used Dry instead of Sweet Vermouth.
The drink made with Sweet Vermouth was much sweeter and, although tasty, was not quite as good as the version made with Dry Vermouth, in my humble opinion.

Either version is worth having as an enjoyable cocktail in a restaurant.

And how about those neat glasses.



Blood-and Sand Cocktail

(this is the same recipe as last night - I just grabbed the bottle of Dry Vermouth instead of Sweet Vermouth. Tonight I used the Sweet Vermouth!).


Recipe:


1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
1/2 oz Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini & Rossi)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I garnished with an orange slice and a cherry.

Cheers!

Blood-and-Sand Cocktail

Tonight I prepared a cocktail using another cocktail glass my daughter gave me and one a dear neighbor gave us. Both are great for the holiday season and add a little extra to the cocktails they contain.

I selected a 'Blood-and-Sand Cocktail' for tonight.  It is on page 42 of our Bartender's Guide.

The recipe:

1 tablespoon Orange Juice
1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
1/2 oz Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
I used an orange slice and cherry as a garnish.

Actually the mixologist screwed up (again!).  I must confess that I used dry vermouth instead of sweet. However, the drink was quite good. I would order the drink as I mixed it but I will mix it correctly tomorrow night and re-evaluate.

I sure hope professional bartenders don't have my problems with reading recipes and then mixing them correctly.

Cheers!

Racquet Club Cocktail

My daughter gave me a couple of lovely cocktail glasses for Christmas. One of them is shown here. She also gave me a cocktail book by the owners of Commander's Palace which I will be drawing on in the future.

I selected a 'Racquet Club Cocktail' on page 145 in our 1985 Bartender's Guide for tonight.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Fee Bros.)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
I garnished it with an orange slice.

The cocktail was very good, like a Martini with a hint of orange. We would order this one at a restaurant!

Salud!

Chapel Hill Cocktail

We're back home after enjoying Christmas eve and Christmas morning with our grandsons.  It was a fun outing.

Tonight I selected a 'Chapel Hill Cocktail'. The recipe is on page no. 59 in the Bartender's Guide.

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Old Forester)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Add twist of orange peel.

As you can see, I added a slice of orange as a garnish.

The drink was decent but would not meet our standard of ordering one if we had to pay for it!

Cheers!

Netherland Cocktail

Two more nights until Christmas Eve. Olga and I are busy wrapping presents and getting ready to spend the next two nights with our daughter and family. I will start posting again on Saturday, Dec. 25.

Tonight I selected a 'Netherland Cocktail' on page 128 of our Bartender's Guide.

 The recipe:


1oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Fee Bros.)

Stir into old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.
I chose to garnish with a cherry.

The drink was interesting and drinkable but I probably won't have it again.

Cheers!

Cherry Rum Cocktail

Today was, as it turned out, cocktail day. A friend dropped by about 3:30 and I persuaded her to share a Southern Comfort Manhattan that I described yesterday. It was just as good! We were joined by our good friends from next door after that. I was able to talk them into sharing another Southern Comfort Cocktail as well as a 'Cherry Rum Cocktail'  (page 60 in the Bartender's Guide).

It wasn't my all-time favorite drink but we all enjoyed it.

The recipe:

1 1/4 oz Rum (Ronrico)
1 1/2 oz Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)
1 tablespoon Light Cream (I used whipping cream instead)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

A votre sante!

Black Hawk Cocktail

Christmas at the Cove - everything's brown and dreary!
But the drink is merry.

I chose a 'Black Hawk Cocktail' (on page 40 in the Bartender's Guide) for the day.  I don't usually care for Sloe Gin, but it mellowed the whiskey in this drink beautifully. The drink was very tasty.

All in all a nice drink that I would reorder if I were paying for it.

The recipe:

1 1/4 oz Whiskey (Old Forester)
1 1/4 oz Sloe Gin (LeRoux)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. No garnish was specified but I served the drink with a cherry.

I also mixed a second drink tonight (I was thirsty after a physical therapy appointment). For that I selected a Southern Comfort Manhattan, again. But, this time I refined the recipe some and enjoyed it much more than reported previously.

The (new) recipe (not from the Bartender's Guide):

2 oz. Southern Comfort
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini & Rossi - I ran out of Noilly Prat)

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

 Maybe it was the change in Vermouth but the cocktail was better than the one prepared last week!


To your health!

Christmas Gin and Tonic

We had a cul-de-sac gathering at our neighbors house tonight.  Since my favorite drink, I think, is still a gin and tonic, I opted to have one tonight instead of a cocktail from our book.
It is a 'Christmas Gin and Tonic' since it has a cranberry floating on the top.

This gin and tonic was made from:

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin
Tonic
1 Cranberry

Add gin to tall glass filled with ice. Add tonic to fill glass and stir. Garnish with one fresh cranberry! (had no lime or lemon).

Marvelous!

Cheers

Allegheny Cocktail

Tonight we tried an 'Allegheny Cocktail' on page 29 in our Bartender's Guide. 
It was a good drink.  I think it would have been better before dinner rather than the later time we actually had it. (We were visiting with neighbors and had a pizza with them beforehand).

The recipe:
 
1 oz Bourbon (Old Forester)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Blackberry Brandy (LeRoux)
1 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a twist of lemon peel on top.

This drink is a little tart, but good. It probably would be better with half as much lemon juice. I haven't used Blackberry Brandy that often but it does well in this drink.

Salud!

Spring Feeling Cocktail

I found a 'Spring Feeling Cocktail' on page 164 of the Bartender's Guide. Although yesterday (75 degrees F) was a beautiful day, today was a disappointment ... unless you like cold and windy! Anyway, I was trying to rush the season (fat chance), therefore, this drink.

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (Meyer)
1/2 oz Chartreuse (Green)
1 oz Gin (Booth's)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
I garnished with an orange slice.

Neither Olga or I enjoyed the drink. We've come up with an easy standard to determine whether or not the cocktail is good; would you order this drink if you had to pay for it? The answer from both of us was a resounding no.  I like Chartreuse, but the combination with the lemon juice and Gin just wasn't good.

Oh, well. We'll try again tomorrow.

Cheers!

Southern Comfort Manhattan Cocktail

Today was a very nice day; temperatures in the 70's, soft winds, sunshine, and my first time back at the driving range in a year. What else could you ask?

Today we had a 'Southern Comfort Manhattan Cocktail' (not found in the Bartender's Guide). This is a drink I was introduced to years ago by a gentleman in Atlanta (back in the days of the 3 martini lunches!). It is a very good Christmas season drink.

The recipe:

2 oz. Southern Comfort (I use 80 proof)
1/2 to 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
Dash or two of Marschino juice

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
I garnished with an orange slice and a cherry.

I'll probably have this drink another time or two over the Christmas holiday.

Cheers!

Manhatten Cocktail

We had a good day. The temperature was above freezing, we had friends over for drinks and received gifts in the mail from friends in Georgia.

I picked another Whiskey-based drink for tonight.

On page 119 in the Bartender's Guide, I made a 'Manhattan Cocktail'.

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Whiskey (Old Forester)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Serve with a cherry. I also added a teaspoon of maraschino cherry juice for a little extra sweetness.

(My garnish was 2 cherries on a pick and an orange slice).

I also prefer it shaken rather than stirred. The cocktail was very good. Somehow, most seem to taste good these days!

Cheers!

Kentucky Colonel Cocktail

Winter is almost here so I decided to try a Whiskey cocktail tonight.  I found the 'Kentucky Colonel Cocktail' on page 109 in my Bartender.s Guide.

The recipe:

1/2 oz Benedictine
1 1/2 oz Kentucky Bourbon (Old Forester)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Add a twist of lemon peel. (As you can tell from the picture, I used a slice of orange as the garnish)

This cocktail was very good, the Benedictine tempers the taste of the Bourbon very nicely.

Cheers!

Western Rose Cocktail (corrected)

The mixologist screwed up last night. I made a wee mistake - measured twice the amount of gin called for.  Tonight I mixed the drink correctly and it really tasted a lot better than last night's drink.

Recipe (same as last night-but I followed it correctly!):

1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Half the gin from last night really made a difference.

Notice the glasses engraved with AU! My birthday gift.

Cheers!

Western Rose Cocktail

Our picture tonight included the Biscotti that we are making to give our neighbors this Christmas.

The cocktail was good, much better than the one last night. I enjoyed it, but Olga not so much.

'Western Rose Cocktail'

 The recipe (page no. 183 from the Bartender's Guide):

1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

I garnished with a slice of Navel Orange I had removed the zest from to use in the biscotti.

Salud!

Yolanda Cocktail

A busy Saturday - Olga dropped her Iphone in the swimming pool, we went to our grandson's birthday party, then got the Iphone fixed and came home to figure out what cocktail to fix.  Olga sure was ready for a drink!
I picked a 'Yolanda Cocktail' on page 192 of our bartender's guide.

The recipe:

1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1/2 oz Gin (Booth"s)
1/2 oz Anisette (LeRoux)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 dash Grenadine.

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Garish with an orange twist. I also included and orange slice.

I used our newest cocktail glasses - some friends down the street gave them to us.

And AU's Cam Newton won the Heisman!

Cheers to all.

Apple Brandy Cocktail

A great cocktail tonight - after tennis for Olga this afternoon - I mostly just observed, but served a few times, albeit somewhat painfully.


This cocktail, an 'Apple Brandy Cocktail' (page 32 in the Bartender's Guide) was a return to the traditional cocktails after the sweet one last night.

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 teaspoon Grenadine
1 teaspoon Lemon juice (Meyer)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.


I used my birthday present to serve the drinks tonight. Olga gave me a pair of AU (Auburn Univ.) cocktail glasses. Tomorrow I'll use Christmas glasses our very kind neighbors just gave us. That should help get us in the spirit (or spirits) of the season!

Cheers!

Alexander Cocktail No. 2

Look at the beautiful glasses in the background.  A wonderful Christmas gift from friends.  They'll be used in a future drink for sure.

Tonight I fixed one of those sweet wonderful drinks, an 'Alexander Cocktail No. 2'  (page 29 in the Bartender's Guide):

1 oz Créme de Cacao (LeRoux)
1 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1 oz Light Cream

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass
Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

I made a slight mistake by mixing ingredients and chilling in the freezer for a few minutes. That and the very cold ice froze the milk in the shaker! Oh well...

Cheers!

Brown Cocktail

Tonight I selected a 'Brown Cocktail' for our nightly libation. It was good, tasting more like a martini-like cocktail than the one we had last night.

The recipe (page 52 from the Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz. Gin (Booth's)
3/4 oz. Light Rum (Ronrico)
3/4 oz. Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Kretchma Cocktail

We had our neighbors over tonight to celebrate Tuesday night... The cocktail for the evening was a 'Kretchma Cocktail'.  I couldn't locate the origin of the name but is is unusual.

The recipe: (page 111 in the Bartender's Guide);

1 oz Vodka (Russian Standard?)
1 oz White Créme de Cacao (LeRoux)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (Meyer)
1 dash Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

A sweeter drink, our guests and I enjoyed it - but I think Olga liked last night's drink more. The Creme de Cacao taste was predominant.

Cheers!

Aviation Cocktail

We had a friend join us for cocktails this evening.  I picked an 'Aviation Cocktail'.  It was a very good drink.

The recipe (from "Cocktail, The Drink Bible of the 21st Century"):

1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Marachino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice (Meyer)
Dash Pear Liqueur (Mathilde)

Shake with cracked ice
Strain into chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a maraschino cherry or lemon twist.
(I chose the cherry as you can tell from the picture).

We had had this drink once before with a slightly different recipe. This one was much better and definitely worth having again.

Hoffman House Cocktail

It was a dreary day here - high around 60 degrees F.  but the wind made it feel much colder.

I missed last night's cocktail - first watched Auburn win the Southeastern Conference  Championship and then went to dinner at the restaurant in our community.  The host treated us to a great bottle of Pinot Noir and by the time we got home it was too late.

Tonight I chose a 'Hoffman House Cocktail' on page 97 of the Bartender's Guide.

3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
2 dashes Orange Bitters (Fee Bros)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with an olive.

Very good drink. It tasted like a somewhat mild martini, but tastier.

Enjoy!

Chelsea Sidecar

Tonight I selected a Chelsea Sidecar to have.
One of Olga's tennis buddies came over to enjoy our cocktail hour and this drink. It was very good.
Of course it was probably great because of the lemon juice from our Meyer Lemon tree.

The recipe for a 'Chelsea Sidecar' (page no. 60 from Mr. Boston's Bartender's Guide):

Juice of 1/4 Lemon (Meyer lemon)
3/4 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
3/4 oz Gin (Booth's)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
I garnished with an orange slice.

Red Cloud Cocktail

I'm back!  The blood thinner regimen is over at last, hip replacement an apparent success, and my desire for a cocktail is about to be granted. Life is good (or at least getting better).

A neighbor gave us a set of Auburn dinner plates, so we'll celebrate their good fortune this year by putting them in the picture. Hopefully, they'll show up big time in the SEC championship game.

The cocktail for tonight is a 'Red Cloud Cocktail'  It was a quite good.  We'll have this one again.  The recipe (page no. 145 from our Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (fresh Meyer)
1 teaspoon Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
(I chose to garnish the drink with a slice of orange and 2 cherries.)

Again this was very good.

Salud. Until tomorrow and it's good to be back.