Red Raider Cocktail

Red Raider Cocktail

(page 146 Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Black Label)
1/2oz Triple Sec
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

A pretty good drink albeit a little tart. It's worth another try somewhere down the road.

Weather was also great which probably contributed to the drink tasting better than the recipe sounds!

Palmer Cocktail

Today I selected a whiskey-based drink, a 'Palmer Cocktail'.  It was a pretty good drink - if you like the taste of whiskey, which I do. We enjoyed it outside on our patio, again, as the weather was almost perfect. Olga didn't care for it very much; I guess she doesn't like whiskey!

The recipe (page no. 133 from the Bartender's Guide):

2 oz Whiskey (Old Forester)
1 dash Bitters
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Stir with ice and strain in cocktail glass. (I used a shaker since the drink contained lemon juice.)

Enjoy!

Rattlesnake Cocktail

Today we mixed another outstanding cocktail - a 'Rattlesnake Cocktail'. The taste belied the name, fortunately.

The recipe (page 145 of the Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz Whiskey (Old Forester Bourbon)
1 Egg White (I left this out!)
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Powdered Sugar (I used 1 tsp of sugar syrup)
1/4 teaspoon Absinthe Substitute (Pernod)

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

This was about the best whiskey cocktail we've had. The weather has also been outstanding. Everything is better in weather like this!

Salud!

Commodore Cocktail

Tonight we tried a 'Commodore Cocktail' (page 67 of the Bartender's Guide). We even shared the evening's drink with neighbors who thought it was good, although "strong". No one ended up under the table, thank goodness.

The recipe:

Juice of 1/2 lime or 1/2 lemon (1/4 oz lemon juice)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar(2 tsps simple sugar syrup)
2 dashes Orange Bitters (Fee Bros.)
1 1/2 oz Whiskey (Old Forester)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

It was a good drink; one we'll have again.

Cheers.

Manhasset Cocktail

I selected a whiskey based drink tonight, a 'Manhasset Cocktail'.  It's on page 119 or the Bartender's Guide.

The recipe:


1 1/2 oz Blended Whiskey (I used Jim Beam instead)
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 teaspoon Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 tablespoon lemon juice


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

The drink, I think, has the makings of a good cocktail. However, the lemon juice was very tart; 1/2 oz was too much for this drink. A teaspoon was probably sufficient (although in that case it would be a different cocktail!).


Enjoy!

Opening Cocktail/Old Pal Cocktail

Today was sunny, windy, and downright cold if just sitting. We experienced just that this afternoon when we drove to Baton Rouge to watch the LSU ladies' tennis team take on South Carolina. We lasted about 2 1/2 hours, long enough to see LSU put the match on ice (no pun intended). They ended up winning all the matches.

We selected an 'Opening Cocktail' on page 131 in the Bartender's Guide for our drink of the day. It is almost the same recipe as an 'Old Pal Cocktail' (same page in the Guide), the difference being the Old Pal uses 1/4 oz more whiskey. I'm considering them identical drinks.

The recipe:

1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Blended Whiskey (Jim Beam Bourbon instead)

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

I actually short-changed the Grenadine by about 1/3 oz (ran out), but the drink was very tasty even with that omission. More Grenadine would have made it too sweet. I would be more than willing to have either of these cocktails again.

Salud!

Preakness Cocktail

This rainy Friday I chose a 'Preakness Cocktail'.  It didn't sound very interesting but turned out to be one of the best drinks we've had recently. Definitely worth another try.

The recipe (page no. 140 from the Bartender's Guide):

3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 1/2 oz Blended Whiskey (Jim Beam Bourbon, instead)
1 dash Bitters
1/2 teaspoon Benedictine

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

Cheers!

Trilby Cocktail

Today was a fairly comfortable day, temperatures in the 40's last night to the 70's this afternoon. We sure enjoy wearing shorts and golf shirts although it was cool in the AM.

The drink I selected today was a 'Trilby Cocktail', pretty much like a Manhattan with Orange Bitters. It was actually an excellent drink. I like Manhattans so my enjoyment of this drink was no surprise.

The recipe (page no. 174 from our Bartender's Guide):

1 1/2 oz. Kentucky Bourbon (Jim Beam White Label)
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
2 dashes Orange Bitters (Fee Bros.)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I chose to garnish with a cherry and orange slice.