Delmonico No. 1 Cocktail

Today was a prelude to spring. Unfortunately, winter makes its return tomorrow night; temperatures go from a balmy mid-70's to a forecasted 28 degrees. Yuch!

The drink for this Monday is a 'Delmonico No. 1 Cocktail' on page 71 of the Bartender's Guide.

(I mixed the Delmonico No. 2 back in August- it was made with Orange Bitters, Dry Vermouth and Gin.)

The recipe:

3/4 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)

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

The drink was good, worthy of a repeat.

Gin and Tonic at Palmetto Grill

Here I am enjoying a 'Gin and Tonic' at our neighborhood grill.  My youngest grandchild is enjoying his 5th birthday party.
Too many gin and tonics at the party precluded me from fixing our daily cocktail tonight - so I shared this party with you.
Will be back tomorrow night with a new and different cocktail!

It was a very good birthday party!

Cheers.

Rob Roy Cocktail

The cocktail of the day is a 'Rob Roy'. After the Irish whiskey-based drink yesterday that hid the whiskey taste, this one was refreshing in that the scotch taste came through loud and clear. I liked it although it only made the middle of Olga's list.

The recipe (page no. 148 from our Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 1/2 oz. Scotch Whiskey (Dewar's White Label)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

As you can tell from the photo, it was very nice out today (around 70 degrees) so we had the cocktail on the patio; can't wait til summer!


Cheers!

Shamrock Cocktail

A lucky day  - I chose a 'Shamrock Cocktail' on page 158 of the Bartender's Guide.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Irish Whisky (Jameson's)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat0
1 teaspoon Green Créme de Menthe (LeRoux)

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

The drink's predominant taste was from the creme de menthe; not unpleasant but it obscured the whiskey taste which I like. Probably a good drink for St. Pat's Day!

Salud.

Merry Widow Cocktail No. 2

The drink tonight was a 'Merry Widow Cocktail No. 2',  found on page 121 of my Bartender's Guide. We shared this cocktail with our neighbors, who seemed to enjoy it. The drink was sweet, but not as much as the one last night, and was better. It may be worth a second try.

The recipe:

1 1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1 1/4 oz Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Serve with a cherry. I also used a piece of tangerine as a garnish along with the cherry.

Cheers.

McClelland Cocktail

Today was the time for a 'McClelland Cocktail' (on  page 121 of the Bartender's Guide).

The recipe:

3/4 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 1/2 oz Sloe Gin (LeRoux)
1 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The drink was a little too sweet for our taste in cocktails; probably needed a bit of lemon juice and maybe a gin substitute for some of the sloe gin. It had a pretty good taste but is not one I would repeat.

At least the weather was better today.

Cheers!

Fair-and-Warmer Cocktail

The drink of the day is ... a 'Fair-and-Warmer Cocktail' (page 79 of the Bartender's Guide). The cocktail was very good; the ingredients melded together very well with no component dominating the taste. It is worth having again. Now if only the weather would live up to the name of the cocktail.

The recipe:


 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 1/2 oz Rum (Ronrico Light)
1/2 teaspoon Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I did garnish with a twist of lime (cut with my new channel knife!).

Cheers!

Flying Scotchman

The drink of the day was a 'Flying Scotchman Cocktail', shown on page 82 of the Bartender's Guide. 
Olga didn't like it so much - maybe the bitters... but I found it quite enjoyable, although certainly not one of my favorites. I would have to put this one in the "not to repeat" class, with apologies to those who happen to like it.

The recipe:

1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
1 dash bitters
1/4 teaspoon sugar syrup

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Vieux Carré Cocktail

Today's cocktail was from the book "In the Land of the Cocktails, authored by the proprietors of Commander's Palace in New Orleans.  I selected a 'Vieux Carré Cocktail', which was very good, well worth having again.

The recipe:

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt)
1 oz Cognac (E&J XO Brandy; not my $50 Cognac)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 teaspoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled Martini glass and serve immediately.

I chose to garnish with a twist of lime and a lemon wheel.

Dream Cocktail

The drink for tonight was a 'Dream Cocktail' (from page 75 in the Bartender's Guide).

 The recipe:

3/4 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1/4 teaspoon Anisette (LeRoux)

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

The drink was good; just a touch of the anisette flavor but not overpowering. Although not one of our all-time favorites, it was good enough to repeat.

The stuff simmering in the pot is a Louisiana dish; red beans and rice. Actually the rice is in another pot. It was good, too.

Cold Deck Cocktail

High temperature was about 50 degrees F today with a low predicted to be 28 tonight; winter is here, darn it!

I found a 'Cold Deck Cocktail'  on page 66 in my Bartender's Guide and it seemed an appropriate drink to try looking at the temperatures!

Recipe:

1/2 teaspoon clear Créme de Menthe (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Brandy (E&J XO)

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

The Créme de Menthe, although in the drink in small quantity, was a dominant taste. Probably could have used a little less.

Otherwise, we enjoyed the drink, recognizing that it was not as tasty nor as interesting as many we've tried.

Cheers!

Blue Bird Cocktail (with Booth's Gin) and Cabaret Cockatil

I mixed the 'Blue Bird Cocktail' using Booth's Gin tonight.
It certainly was not as enjoyable as the drink last night when I used the Old Tom Gin.

The  recipe from page 43 of the Bartender's Guide:

1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 dash Bitters

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







I really enjoy Gin - Old Tom or Booth's- so I mixed a second cocktail for us tonight - a 'Cabaret Cocktail'  using Old Tom Gin.

I found this cocktail on page 54 of the Bartender's Guide

1 1/2 oz Gin (Hayman's Old Tom)
2 dashes Bitters
1/2 teaspoon Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 teaspoon Benedictine

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

This drink was a favorite; very good. I would pay for an repeat!

Cheers!

Blue Bird Cocktail

Today we selected a 'Blue Bird' cocktail (page no. 43 from our Bartender's Guide). The  drink was the closest we could find that sounded "bird-like" to commemorate a strange sight I saw by our pond yesterday (described below).

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Gin (Hayman's Old Tom Gin)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 dash bitters

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

I used a cherry and a slice of tangerine for garnish.

The drink was surprisingly good, either because of the Old Tom Gin or the recipe. I'll try my standard gin tomorrow to compare.

Here is the Heron with his catch of the day (a 1 or 2 Lb. largemouth bass!). After killing the fish ... it took 10 minutes for that ... he proceeded to eat it. His throat was really distended but he was able to swallow the whole thing! Quite a sight.

Enjoy.

Fontainebleau Special Cocktail

The drink selection tonight was a 'Fontainebleau Special' cocktail.

The recipe (page no. 82 in our Bartender's Guide):

1 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1 oz Anisette (LeRoux)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

I did garnish with a tangerine twist (honey tangerines are in season!).

The drink was actually pretty good. I was expecting to be overwhelmed by the anise but the overall taste was very pleasant. It is a drink I would have again.

Salud.

Imperial Cocktail

After the Income Tax Cocktail last night (a disappointment), I chose another gin-based, similar drink, the 'Imperial Cocktail'.  It was a likeable drink, one worth another try.

The recipe (page no. 101 from our Bartender's Guide):


1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Gin (Booth's)
1/2 teaspoon Maraschino (Luxardo)
1 dash bitters

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

The drink tonight was pretty close, ingredient-wise, to the Income Tax last night. Slight proportion changes and no orange juice (plus Maraschino) helped the taste significantly. This drink was a success!


 Sante.

Income Tax Cocktail

This is an 'Income Tax Cocktail'. The drink tasted too much of orange juice (I used 1 oz. per quarter orange) and the alcohol taste was lost; not a good characteristic in my book.  It was tasty (if you like orange juice) but I would not make another one.

The recipe (on page 101 of our Bartender's Guide):


1 1/2 teaspoon Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 teaspoon Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Gin(Booth's)
1 dash Bitters
Juice of 1/4 orange (1 oz.)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Beals Cocktail

I chose a recipe for a cocktail from page 38 in the Bartender's Guide (listed right after last night's drink). We were invited out for dinner with friends at our new neighborhood golf course restaurant, so I mixed our nightly cocktail before we went out.

The drink was 'Beals Cocktail', no idea where the name originated. It was a scotch-based drink, similar to the Beadlestone Cocktail from last night. It made use of different proportions and types of vermouth.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)

Sir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The drink was not as good as the Beadlestone; the sweet vermouth muted the scotch taste so much it was difficult to tell it was scotch! It is not on our repeat list.

Cheers!

Beadlestone Cocktail

I tried to find the origin of the name 'Beadlestone Cocktail' that I found on page 38 of my Bartender's Guide, but had no luck.

The recipe:


1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

It is a good drink that we shared with neighbors who also enjoyed it. The taste of Scotch was predominant but toned down by the vermouth. The drink is worth having again (it seems as though most of our recent drinks fall into the "worth having again" category!).

Cheers!

Classic Cocktail

Tonight we had a 'Classic Cocktail' using our new Mardi Gras glasses. We also shared the drink with a neighbor who came to visit bearing a gift! Although cocktails aren't her favorite form of alcohol enjoyment, even she liked the drink enough to ask for more than the small sample I gave her.

The recipe (page no. 65 from our Bartender's Guide):

Juice of 1/4 lemon (I'm using Meyer lemon juice)
1 1/2 oz Curaçao (Marie Brizard Orange)
1 1/2 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1 oz Brandy (E&J XO)

Prepare rim of old-fashioned glass by rubbing with lemon and dipping into powdered sugar.
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into prepared glass.

The drink was very good with the Luxardo cherry taste coming through; very pleasant. We will have this one again!

Sante.

Andalusia Cocktail

Tonight we had neighbors over who joined us for  an 'Andalusia Cocktail'. We used our Auburn plates for snacks; our little commemoration of the big win Monday night.

This drink was a little different from our usual picks, and turned out to be very good. The ingredients were very different than our usual suspects and I was quite curious to see how sherry and the liquors would be together. As mentioned, the result was surprisingly good, well worth a redo.

The recipe:

1 1/2 oz Dry Sherry (Fairbanks medium dry Sherry)
1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1/2 oz Rum (Ronrico)

Stir well with cracked ice and strain into cocktail glass.

I garnished the drinks with orange slices.

Cheers!

Canadian Cherry

Tonight's choice was a 'Canadian Cherry' cocktail from page no. 55 of our Bartender's Guide. I chose this drink so we could use our new old-fashioned Mardi Gras glasses a friend gave us (Mardi Gras season is starting up here in Louisiana).

The drink was very good. Olga and I both enjoyed it and will have another at some point.

The recipe:
1 1/2 oz. Canadian Whiskey (Canadian Club)
1/2 oz. Cherry Brandy (LeRoux)
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsp Orange Juice

Shake all ingredients and strain into old-fashioned glass over ice cubes. Moisten glass rim with cherry brandy.

 I skipped the last instruction!

 Cheers.

Liberty Cocktail

I was late (!) posting the daily cocktail because I had to watch the BCS last night, won by Auburn, I might add. Either Oregon was better than I had believed or Auburn didn't play quite as well as I expected. However, victory is sweet so War Eagle!

Anyway, the drink of the day was a 'Liberty Cocktail' (page 114 in the Bartender's Guide). It was a very good cocktail, well worth having again. The rum and apple brandy worked well together.

The recipe:

3/4 oz Rum (Ronrico)
1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/4 teaspoon Sugar Syrup

Cheers

Damn-the-Weather Cocktail

37 degrees F in Baton Rouge and raining; so, it's
time for a 'Damn-the-Weather' cocktail ( on page 71 of my Bartender's Guide). It really was an uncomfortable day in our area.

The recipe:


1 teaspoon Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 tablespoon Orange Juice
1 tablespoon Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Gin (booth's)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

This drink was quite good, not as sweet as it appears to be. Well worth repeating.

Salud!

A note about measures; Mr. Boston's Bartender's Guide, which I have been using as the source for most of the drinks in this adventure, mixes tablespoons, teaspoons, dashes, and ounces, and is, if not confusing, very inconsistent. One drink may call for a tbsp while the next may call it a 1/2 oz. It's good to be flexible!

Golden Slipper Cocktail

The drink for tonight from page 92 of the Bartender's Guide is a 'Golden Slipper Cocktail'. It was on the sweet side but still a good drink. I did omit the egg yolk!

3/4 oz Chartreuse (Yellow)
2 oz Apricot Brandy

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Float an unbroken egg yolk on top.

When researching the name I found a similar drink (one part Yellow Chartreuse and one part Goldwasser and an egg yolk shaken together). This one didn't appeal to me.

Cheers!

Brandy Alexander Cocktail

A great night for LSU! They won the Cotton Bowl (Geaux Tigers).

We got home from watching the game with a great bunch of friends and fixed a 'Brandy Alexander Cocktail'. It was a good after an excellent jambalaya dinner.

The recipe from page 47 of the Bartender's Guide:

1/2 oz Créme de Brown Cacao (Dekuyper)
1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
1/2 oz Heavy Cream (I used 2% milk!)

Shake well with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

It was a very refreshing drink.

Salud!

Oriental Cocktail

A tart cocktail. I used the amount of lime juice specified but should have used about half as much, at most. I must change my routine to one where I taste fruit additives like this to make sure I don't add too much.

This 'Oriental Cocktail' is found on page no. 132 in the Bartender's Guide. Despite being tart, the drink was pretty good. I would try it again with less lime. The whiskey taste came through, which I liked.





The recipe:

1 oz Whiskey (Old Forester Bourbon)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (LeRoux)
Juice of 1/2 lime

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Harvard Cocktail

Last night (trouble on the blog prevented posting yesterday) I chose a 'Harvard Cocktail' from page no. 96 in our Bartender's Guide. It was a pleasant drink, not as good as many of the others, but still very drinkable.

1 1/2 oz Brandy (E&J XO)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 dash Bitters (Angostura)
1 teaspoon Grenadine
2 teaspoons lemon juice (Still using Meyer)

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

Cheers

Highland Fling Cocktail

As you can see from the picture, tonight's choice is another Scotch-based cocktail (page 97 in the Bartender's Guide).

I thought the cocktail was good and would have another. Olga, however, doesn't care for scotch (she drank it, anyway).

I liked it!

The recipe for a 'Highland Fling Cocktail'.

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 1/2 oz Scotch (Dewar's)
2 dashes Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.  Serve with an olive.
(As you can see, I chose not to use an olive as a garnish.)

Cheers!

Hole-In-One Cocktail

Tonight I chose a 'Hole-In-One Cocktail' on page 97 of my Bartender's Guide.  With thoughts of my return to the golf course after hip surgery, this one sounded appropriate.

The recipe:

1 1/4 oz Scotch (Dewar's White Label)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 dash Orange Bitters (Fee Bros.)

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

I thought the drink was pretty good but Olga didn't care much for it. Of course I do like scotch. I would have this one again.

One note: the recipe in the guide just specified "vermouth". I researched it on the internet to try to determine whether sweet or dry was called for. I finally found one reference for "dry", which I used. Does anyone have any better info?

Salud!

Bloody Mary Cocktail

Tonight we chose a 'Bloody Mary Cocktail'.  My great son-in-law gave me an Absolut Vodka/Bloody Mary kit and it was a good night to use it. Those of you who don't live in Louisiana need to look for a mix called ZingZang for your Bloody Marys.  It is the best!

The recipe I used was loosely based on the Bloody Mary cocktail shown on page no. 42 of the Bartender's Guide.





The Recipe:

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Absolut)
3 oz. Bloody Mary mix (Zing Zang)
1 Dash Lemon Juice (Meyer)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Horseradish (Prepared)

Shake (well) with ice and strain into old-fashioned glass over ice cubes. A wedge of lime may be added.

As can be seen, I used a taller glass along with a lemon wedge! The drink was excellent. We shared the drink with our neighbors who also really enjoyed it. Since I have a lot of mix and vodka, I will definitely have more of these.

Resolute Cocktail

Today was the time for a 'Resolute Cocktail'. This one seemed appropriate since I couldn't find a "Resolution" cocktail! The recipe is on page 146 of the Bartender's Guide.

The recipe:

Juice of 1/4 Lemon (I use a Meyer)
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy (LeRoux)
1 oz Gin (Booth's)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I chose to garnish with an orange slice

This was a very nice cocktail, maybe a little tart for those not favoring that quality in a drink. I liked it and would have it again.

Cheers