Havana Cocktail

Havana Cocktail

(Page 97 in Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

1 1/2 Oz. Pineapple Juice
1/2 Tsp. Lemon Juice
3/4 Oz. Rum (Bacardi)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The Havana Cocktail tasted an awful lot like pineapple juice. We missed the taste of the liquor, which was completely hidden by the fruit juices. One comment was that this would be better as a tall drink with an umbrella and fruit garnishes! Not very complimentary.

Stay with known quantities.

El Presidente Cocktail No. 1

El Presidente Cocktail No. 1

(Page 77 in Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

Juice of 1 lime (I use 1 oz.)
1 Tsp. Pineapple Juice
1 Tsp. Grenadine
1 1/2 Oz. Rum Bacardi Light)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Another daiquiri-like drink, except prettier. It was a light, refreshing drink but no better than the "real" thing. Actually, "bland" would be a good description vs a daiquiri.

East India cocktail No. 1

East India Cocktail No. 1

(page 76 of Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

1 1/2 Oz. Brandy (E&J XO)
1/2 Tsp Pineapple Juice
1/2 Tsp. Triple Sec (LeRoux)
1 Tsp.  Rum (Myers's Dark)
1 dash Bitters

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

As you can see from the photo, I forgot the garnish!

The East India Cocktail No. 1 was a somewhat bland drink but drinkable. There was a "tingle" on the tongue, probably from the Bitters or rum, which made it somewhat pleasant, texturally. There are so many cocktails to choose from which are a lot tastier than this one, though, that I doubt I will repeat it.

Happy mixing!

Cuban Special

Cuban Special

(from page 70 of Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

1 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice
Juice of 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz.)
1 Oz. Rum (Bacardi Light)
1/2 Tsp Triple Sec (LeRoux)

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Decorate with a slice of pineapple and a cherry. I had no pineapple so all we had was a cherry.

The Cuban Special was a very good drink. The pineapple juice offered a good counterpoint to the tartness of the lime.

Definitely have this one again. And the weather was great today as well!

Cuban Cocktail No. 1

Cuban Cocktail No. 1

(page 69 of Mr Boston Official Bartender's Guide)

Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/2 Tsp Powdered Sugar
2 Oz. Rum (Bacardi light)

shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I garnished with a lemon slice.

Another daiquiri-like drink that was good and very easy to mix. Having experience with daiquiris, I doubled the sugar called for in the recipe so it was less tart than it would have been. The recipe differed only slightly from a classic daiquiri, though. Just stick with the real thing!

Thistle Cocktail

Thistle Cocktail

From page 172 in Mr Boston's Official Bartender's Guide

1 1/2 Oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 1/2 Oz Scotch (Dewars's)
2 dashes Bitters (Angostura)

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. I added a lemon twist just because.

Another interesting drink. It had slightly smoky taste from the scotch with sweetness added by the vermouth; quite good, actually. I would mix this one again.

Might be the fact that scotch (single malt) is my favorite drink could be influencing me, you think? Anyway, my wife liked it as well!

Tropical Cocktail

Tropical Cocktail

page 174 in Mr Boston's Official Bartender's Guide

3/4 Oz Créme de Cacao (LeRoux)
3/4 Oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
3/4 Oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 dash Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

I've met very few cocktails over the past few years in my journey that I couldn't handle; this was one of them. The taste was almost pleasant (the Maraschino flavor almost saved the drink) but it was cloyingly sweet. It needed dilution with a rum/vodka/brandy and some citrus to make it palatable, at least for me. On the flip side, my wife seemed to enjoy it (at least she drank it)!

Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day.