First Waltz: an orchestra in a Cocktail

2015-04-262015-11-04 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Edit: if you’re here for #SherryWeek, get ready for one of the best Sherry Cocktails ever. 🙂

I’ve been sitting on this one for a couple of weeks cause it’s the best stirred drink with Gin that I’ve ever made. No seriously, it is. It’s a total showstopper. I’m holding my breath just writing about it. I’m actually drinking a different Cocktail (Ancho Chile Tequila, Pineapple, Cointreau some other stuff that I won’t divulge, #TequilaSeason) and thinking of throwing it out and making another First Waltz.

Ok, enthusiasm overload aside, the real deal with this is that I’ve been working on creating flavour arcs. I want my Cocktails to take us on a journey, to make our mouths and noses say, “oh this is…woah, now it’s…oh my goodness…duuuuude.” I feel like a great drink should take you on an adventure. In the way that a really great Bordeaux will take you straight to that region of France and change several times in your mouth/nose, cocktail ingredients should enter at different times once you’ve taken a sip.

Perhaps we should think of fine Cocktails like we think of an orchestra.

For First Waltz we experience: Gin, wide on the bright tones and treble (brass, wind instruments). Dolin Blanc providing a great support in the mid range (viola, violin, upper cello range). Fino sherry in the long base notes with fig, raisin, nuttiness, and salinity (double bass, bass clarinet, tuba, timpani). Finally Apricot again as a bright, trebbly wide note (flute, oboe solo, cymbals). The Apricot is actually what stays in your mouth the longest and which inspired the name of this springiest of spring cocktails. The Nutmeg garnish merely serves to reinforce the nutty notes of the Fino Sherry and tie the drink together (the conductor).

Blüten der Wachauer Marille (Apricot blooms from the Klosterneuberg region, these are called Marille locally)

Both Rothman & Winter and the Bitter Truth Apricot liqueurs come from Aprikosen in the Klostenberg region of Austria. So, no matter which Apricot liqueur you choose, you get the most beautiful Apricot and Floral notes. From such a lovely liqueur comes great inspiration. Of course my musical mind immediately went to the Strauss family and their legacy of waltzes.

First Waltz

2 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc
1/2 oz Inocente Fino Sherry
1/4 oz* Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur (or Bitter Truth Apricot)
Garnish: freshly grated Nutmeg

Combine ingredients over ice and stir until proper dilution has been achieved. Strain into chilled coupe, garnish with freshly grated Nutmeg.

*Keep in mind that this is a very exact recipe. Too much Apricot and the whole drink is off.

By the bye, this is totally a Flavor Bible drink meaning that I looked up Apricot in the bible and went from there. If you don’t have this book, get it! It’s the best tool for anyone creating recipes in the Kitchen.

May this be as exciting to you as it was to me! Bravo!

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: Tom Collins

2015-04-262015-05-09 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

To celebrate “The End of An Era”, welcome to a series of drinks from the television show Mad Men. Each week I’ll be featuring different cocktails from the show, so we can all drink along with our favourite Madison Avenue Ad-men and women.

As we get further into Season 7, one has to wonder, what is Don’s next step? His life has been completely upheaved and he feels very distant from his family and familiar connections. He is a man without a plan possibly for the first time since he became Donald Draper.

Sally Draper: the youngest Home Bar Girl

For this week’s drink, we harken back to a time when Don was very connected to Betty and his children. In S2E2, “Flight 1”, Francine and Carlton come over to the Draper’s house for Drinks and Cards. Don has instructed Sally on how to make Old Fashioneds which she gives to he and Carlton. Don then tells Sally to “go take Mommy and Francine’s orders”.

Don: the proudest father of a Home Bar Girl

Sally returns saying, “two Tom Collins.” Don replies, “ok, you don’t smash the cherry on that. Just plop it in at the end. Try to keep it in the top of the glass. Gin.”

Sally knows that a great Home Bar Girl is a great listener.

A Tom Collins is a simple drink by any standard but it’s origin story varies wildly and the “original recipes” have a range of amounts. The first recipe which could be considered a “Tom Collins” is a Gin Twist from 1871 calling for 2 oz Genever or Old Tom Gin, 1 oz Lemon Juice and 2 bar spoons of sugar. It is the use of Old Tom Gin in the drink which many suspect why its name was changed to “Tom Collins” in 1876. In this iteration as well as the next few of the Tom Collins, the amount of Lemon and Sugar and types of Sugar change.

Essentially, it’s one of those “whatever you think tastes best” drinks!

I like to make mine with Demerara Simple Syrup and Old Tom gin but you should use whatever you like the most! Superfine sugar and Bombay Dry? Sounds amazing! Agave and New American Gin? Sure!

I like mine in the following format.

Tom Collins

2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Simple Syrup
Club Soda
Garnish: Lemon Slices (Several versions add a Maraschino Cherry)

Combine Gin, Lemon Juice and Simple Syrup in tin and stir until ingredients have combined. Pour into Collins glass with Ice and Lemon Slices. Pour Club Soda on top and stir again.

If you want to liven up your Tom Collins a bit, add a dash or two of bitters. I’d recommend any of the above bitters, possibly even a combination!

18.21 Earl Grey Bitters
Angostura Bitters
Dr. Adam Elemegirab’s Boker’s Bitters
Regans’ Orange Bitters
Scrappy’s Celery Bitters

Cheers!

I’ll be doing this series until the end of Mad Men, so see you next week!

It’s Pimm’s Season

2015-04-242015-04-23 / Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Well here we are, together in the bright cheer of spring. And what do we drink in this most thrilling of seasons? We drink Pimm’s No. 1!

For those of you who haven’t had the supreme pleasure of sipping a Pimm’s Cup yet, it’s divine. Pimm’s No. 1 is a Gin based Liqueur which was originally envisioned as a “bottled cocktail”. There used to be six different Pimm’s Cups each with their own base spirit. Today there are the orginal Pimm’s No. 1, Pimm’s Blackberry & Elderflower, Pimm’s No. 3 Winter Cup, and Pimm’s No. 6 with a Vodka base. In the NYC area, I’ve only seen the No. 1 and Blackberry & Elderflower.

Pimm’s No. 1 tasting notes:

Nose: Ginny & juniper, coriander, delightfully fruity and herbaceous bouquet, Orange, Strawberry, spices
Taste: Gin, vegetal, citrus
Finish: short and wide

So essentially, we’re talking the greatest spring/summer Liqueur for anyone who loves Gin!

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup (official recipe)

60 ml / 2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
150 ml / 5 oz Lemon Soda (the dry British sort)
Garnishes: Mint, Strawberry, Orange Slice, Cucumber

Combine ingredients in a Collins glass over ice and stir. Serve with a straw and fabulous garnishes.

Now, you know this wouldn’t be a Home Bar Girl post without some variations, so here we go!

Pimm’s Collins

2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
1 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Top with Soda Water
Garnishes: Mint, Cucumber, Strawberry, Orange Wheel

Combine Pimm’s, Gin, Lemon Juice and Simple syrup and stir. Strain into Collin’s glass with ice and garnishes. Top with soda water and serve with a straw.

Caribbean Pimm’s Cup

2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
1/2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
1/2 oz Flor de Caña 7 Aged Rum
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Ale
Garnishes: Mint, Pineapple, Cucumber, Strawberry, Orange slice

Combine Pimm’s No. 1, Rums, Falernum, Lime Juice and stir. Strain into Collins glass with ice and garnishes. Top with Ginger Ale and serve with a straw.

Mexican Pimm’s Cup

2 oz Pimm’s No 1
3/4 oz Casa Noble Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Soda Water
Garnishes: Cucumber, Orange Wheel, “Mexican Flag” of Lime Wedge, Banana Slice and Strawberry

Combine Pimm’s, Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Lime Juice and stir. Strain into Collins glass with ice and garnishes. Top with Soda.

Let’s just look at this again cause this “Mexican Flag” garnish is my fave thing ever. Also, yummmm.

Cheers to you and yours during Pimm’s Season! Thanks again to the Baddish Group for the Casa Noble Tequila!

Sakura Martini

2015-04-222015-04-22 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Over the weekend all of the Cherry Blossom trees in my neighborhood bloomed and it’s been the most magnificent sight! There is a tree literally right in front of our apartment which was in full bloom ’til yesterday when a crazy rainstorm swept all of the flowers away. Tears. Fortunately, my girlfriend and I had already acquired some of these beautiful lil flowers for the following drink.

The inspiration for the drink was obviously the Cherry Blossoms, then I thought, Martini. Saké was my next choice and Dolin Blanc pulled all together.

Sakura Martini

2 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz Yoshinogawa Junmai Ginjo Saké
3/4 oz Fennel infused Dolin Blanc
Grapefruit peel
Garnish: Cherry Blossoms

Combine Gin, Sake and Dolin Blanc over ice and stir until proper chilling and dilution have been achieved. Strain into coupe, express Grapefruit peel and discard. Garnish with Cherry Blossoms.

Happy Sakura Festivals to all of you in Cherry Blossom Land and Happy Earth Day to us all!

MxMo + Santa Monica Sunrise

2015-04-202015-04-20 / Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Well, happy Monday to y’all! I’ve decided to participate in another Mixology Monday cause the theme for this month is “Drink of Shame”. Hah! The description for this Shameful Cocktail was something to the effect of, “You know how to make a great cocktail nowwww, but what about when you were young? What was your favourite drink from back in the day but something that you’d be too embarrassed or ashamed to drink/make now?”

Whitney Munro over at Tipicular Fixin came up with this brilliant idea and gave suggestions such as Mudslides, Jello Shots and Jolly Ranchers. Then we were encouraged to update the drink or make a variation which we would be unashamed to order in a bar. For me, this Drink of Shame is a Tequila Sunrise.

Image via Kitchen Riffs

Tequila Sunrise (IBA Recipe)

1 1/2 oz Tequila
3 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
Garnish: Orange slice & Maraschino Cherry

Yesssssss. When I first started going dancing in my twenties, this was my Drink of Shame but at least it’s a really pretty drink! Unfortunately, most of the time it was made with bottom shelf nasty Tequila (blech), canned orange juice (gag me) and terrifying candy tasting Grenadine (kill me now). I know this is a classic Disco Era drink which is why I thought it was perfect for dancing. I mean, it IS totally perfect for dancing but goodness, let’s get some REAL ingredients up in this bitch.

When I decided to update the Tequila Sunrise, I thought, “let’s skip the OJ all together and substitute the grenadine with something else.” The something else was Campari and the OJ became Ruby Red Grapefruit juice, Cointreau and Orange bitters. This is now a really damn tasty drink!

I named it Santa Monica Sunrise cause that’s where I was born, this actually does look like a West Coast sunrise and it totally seems like something you should order in LA.

Note, the drink fades and so does the Grapefruit peel. That natural fade gurrrrrrl.

Santa Monica Sunrise

2 oz Casa Noble Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Cointreau
approx 1/2 oz Campari
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters
Garnish: Grapefruit Peel

Combine Tequila, Cointreau, Grapefruit Juice and bitters over ice and short shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass with Cracked, Crushed or Pebble ice. Slowly pour the Campari down the side of the glass so it doesn’t mix with the other ingredients and forms a layer on the bottom. Garnish with a Grapefruit peel and serve with a straw.

Yummmmmy. I ain’t ashamed of this!

Thanks again to the Baddish Group for the Casa Noble Tequila!

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: Tiki Cocktails

2015-04-192015-05-09 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Blue Hawaii & Mai Tai

By now, y’all should know that my love for Mad Men is deeeeep. It’s a meticulously filmed show with fabulous fashion, the story has me in the grip, and the cocktails are beauuuuutiful!

Don’t you just love Megan’s hat? Beach hat perfection!

In the opening scenes of S6E1, Don and Megan are in Hawaii. (I want to be in Hawaii RIGHT NOW!) As Don reads an incredibly ominous passage from Dante’s Inferno, Megan’s second (third, fourth?) Blue Hawaii is delivered by one of the Hotel Staff. It’s almost like Don and Megan are in totally opposite worlds in these scenes. She, lost in her tan and tropical cocktails, Don in a brooding haze.

If I had to choose between those two temperments, I would totally be #TeamMegan in this scene. Give me the next Blue Hawaii!

When it comes to making classic Tropical and Tiki drinks, I like to be accurate! I use the Beachbum Berry Total Tiki app to look up recipes and then make them as closely to the original as possible. Blue Hawaii was created in 1957 by Harry K Yee of the Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki to promote Bols Blue Curaçao. Personally, I like to use “The Genuine” Senior Curaçao cause this shit is tastyyyyyy.

Blue Hawaii

3/4 oz White Rum
3/4 oz Vodka*
1/2 oz Blue Curaçao
1 oz Sweet & Sour Mix**
3 oz Pineapple Juice
Garnish: Not specified but usually Pineapple & Maraschino Cherry

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a glass filled with Cracked, Crushed or Pebble ice. Garnish with fruit.

*I’m a Gin Gal and ususally swap the Vodka for Gin. Ginny, Gin, Gin. This drink is even tastier with Gin. (shocking!)

**Sweet & Sour Mix is 1 part Simple Syrup and 2 Parts Lemon Juice. Make your own, never ever buy it pre-made. Freshness is key.

RIP Rachel Menken, you were such a serious lady.

Now let’s go back to the beginning. Yes y’all, there is a Tiki drink all the way back in S1E1!

Don has made a mess of things with Rachel Menken and is asked by the partners to patch things up. They go for drinks that same evening. Don orders a Whiskey Neat while Rachel orders a “special Mai Tai” and what a Mai Tai at that! Look at that Pineapple “Firebird” garnish! It’s totally fabulous! Someday I will achieve such garnish greatness. However, I’ve noticed that the Mad Men props people forgot one key element to a Mai Tai garnish, the Mint sprig.

If it be a Mai Tai, there shall be a Mint Sprig in the garnish!

Once again, I’ve referenced the Beachbum Berry Total Tiki app for this Mai Tai. The original Mai Tai was created by Trader Vic in 1944 for his famous Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. According to legend, Trader Vic created the drink for some friends of his who had just flown in from Tahiti. One of the friends tasted the drink and exclaimed: “Maita’i roa ae!” or “Out of this world!”

Mai Tai (Trader Vic’s Original Recipe)

1 oz Jamaican Rum
1 oz Aged Martinique Rhum
1/2 oz Curaçao
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Lime Juice
Garnish: Mint Sprig

Now, I’ve had to make some substitutions because I don’t have clear Curaçao or Martinique Rhum. I also would rather have a bit more Orgeat in my drink than add 1/4 oz Simple Syrup.

Mai Tai (this is what Home Bar Girl has in her apartment Recipe)

1 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
1 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
1/2 oz Cointreau Triple Sec
1/2 oz Orgeat
1 oz Lime Juice
Garnish: Mint Sprig, Pineapple, Maraschino Cherry

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into Double Rocks glass on Cracked, Crushed or Pebble ice. Garnish with Mint Sprig, Pineapple and Maraschino Cherry.

As far as the Mai Tai goes, there are a million variations so, have fun! I just recommend that you start with two kinds of Rum, some kind of Curaçao or Triple Sec, Orgeat, Lime Juice and a Mint sprig. Once you’ve got a feel for how these things taste together, get creative!

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed these Tiki drinks from the Mad Men series. I’ll be doing this until the bitter end. See you next week!

Fruity Cocktails with Fino Sherry

2015-04-172015-11-06 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Edit: If you’re here for #SherryWeek, have an excellent time with these recipes!

Y’all, I have been waiting for this post ever since I got that bottle of Inocente Fino Sherry back in January. From the moment I put my lips on this Sherry, I knew, I knew it was going to go with fruit and I knew I was going to use it Long or Tiki style.

I’ve been biding my time.

Today on Instagram, I was challenged to make a Fog Cutter by @el_nova_1 (the person behind last week’s Navy Grog challenge who loves Tiki as much as many of us do) and make the drink immediately! It’s DAMN FABULOUS! LIKE DAAAAAAAYUM FABULOUS. Citrusy, dry, great flavour arc, deep. I’m in luv. With this challenge comes a great opportunity for me to post a couple of other Fruity Sherry drinks I’ve had sitting in my notebook.

First things first about this Fog Cutter: I don’t have any Grape Brandy! I only have Calvados! The recipe also calls for Cream or Amontillado Sherry and I only have Fino Sherry. So, like any good Home Bar Gurrrrrrl, I’ve made some adjustments (ahem, Old Tom Gin) and named the variation “Karl the Fog Cutter” after my beloved San Francisco Bay Area’s archnemesis (or claim to fame), Karl the Fog.

Karl the Fog Cutter

2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
1 oz Calvados
1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Inocente Fino Sherry (float)
2 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Orgeat
Garnish: Sherry float, Orange wedge with Maraschino Cherry spear, Monkey

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into Tiki Mug or Collins Glass over Cracked Ice. Float the Sherry, garnish with Orange wedge with Maraschino Cherry and Monkey.

This next one came from a flavour pairing obsession I currently have: Fino Sherry + Apricot Liqueur. It’s to die for. The nuttiness from the Orgeat & Fino go sooooo well with the Apricot. Literally the greatest thing since Smith & Cross Rum + Teeling Irish Whiskey. This one is straight up Tiki, so be sure you have a mint sprig and some Orgeat ready to go!

Marley’s Map

1 1/2 oz Flor de Caña 7 Rum
1/2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Inocente Fino Sherry
1/2 oz Orgeat
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Mint sprig, two Pineapple chunks and a Maraschino Cherry

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into double Rocks glass or short Tiki mug over ice. Garnish with Mint sprig, two Pineapple chunks and a Maraschino Cherry.

Stafford-Cobbler-1

Now back to that Cobbler. Goodness, I get such a thrill out of making and/or drinking a Cobbler! This one came to me in the night and I had to write it down before I fell asleep. Again, we’re using the glorious Apricot + FIno Sherry combo along with Carpano Antica Vermouth, Old Tom Gin, and Boker’s Bitters. I wanted this one to taste Old Skool/Pre-Prohibition.

I definitely Flavor Bible’d the Rosemary + Blueberry + Strawberry + Lemon + Orange flavours. If you don’t have the Flavor Bible yet…get to it!

Stafford Cobbler

1 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
1 1/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz Inocente Fino Sherry
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
3/4 oz Lemon juice
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
2 dashes Boker’s Bitters
Small handful of Blueberries, muddled
Garnish: Strawberry, Blueberry, Orange wheel, Rosemary sprig

In tin, combine Lemon Juice and Blueberries and muddle. Add remaining ingredients, ice and short shake. Strain into Stemmed glass filled with ice and fruit, Orange wedge and Rosemary Sprig on top. Serve with a straw and a spoon so your guests may eat the fruit!

Yassssss gurrrrrrrl, Ms Stafford Cobbler, lemme get real close.

Thanks again to The Baddish Group for the fantastic bottle of Carpano Antica!

The Importance of Being Ernesto

2015-04-152015-04-14 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Recently, I did a post of recent acquisitons which included Amaro CioCiaro. In my initial few words about CioCiaro, I said that I was going to use it in Tiki. I totally still am and already have some Tiki recipes with it, but what I failed to mention was that I was going to use it with Tequila!

“Oh, sweet, beautiful Amaro CioCiaro, how Orange thou art!” -a short laudation by Home Bar Girl

When I get a new liqueur or any sort, I like to think how I can use it in lieu of something else. In the case of Tequila, I wanted to use it in lieu of Cointreau in the Tequila + Citrus + Orange Liqueur format. (Love you forever Cointreau, there will never be another!) I picked an Añejo Tequila (Corralejo is my jam!) as the richer notes would pair better with an Amaro than say, Blanco Tequila. It’s heavenly! You could probably use a good Reposado and it would work just as well.

Goodbye Piney, Alpiney Santa Maria, helloooooo CioCiaro!

The Importance of Being Ernesto

1 3/4 oz Corralejo Añejo Tequila
3/4 oz Amaro CioCiaro
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 dropper Brooklyn Hemispherical Sriracha Bitters or any other Chili Spiced bitters
Garnish: Orange peel and a Pinch of Salt

Combine ingredients over ice and shake until proper dilution and chilling have occurred. Double strain into coupe, express Orange peel and garnish. Drop a few bits of Salt into the glass.

Cheers!

The-Importance-of-Being-Ernesto-2

Don’t you want this right now? Like, right now/right now/right now!

#RumForTheHills: Or-zah Gabor

2015-04-132016-07-19 / Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Y’all, for real, this might be the greatest name of all time for a Daiquiri variation and I didn’t come up with it! My friend Eleni Crush and I were talking about the wonders of Orgeat and she said, “Orgeat Gabor would be a great name for a cocktail.” It stopped my heart! So perfect! We decided to change the spelling to “Or-zah” and I started searching for the right ingredients.

Now, the thing about Orgeats is that they all taste differently. BG Reynolds’ Orgeat is a tad toasty and not quite as sweet as some of the other ones I’ve tasted. You will probably have to adjust the ratios of the drink depending on the Orgeat you have. For example, I was working on this drink with KJ Williams at Flatiron Lounge and they use a homemade Orgeat. We totally had to toss the Falernum and decrease the Lime because their Orgeat was sweeter than mine.

Fair Warning: this drink will knock you on your ass, Navy Strength Rum is no joke. 🙂

Or-zah Gabor

1 3/4 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat
1 oz Lime Juice
No Garnish

Combine ingredients over ice and vigorously shake until your body feels like a thunderclap. (jkjkjk, don’t give yourself a heart attack.) Double strain into coupe. Sip slowly and dream of sunny days and fabulous times.

You will want to guzzle this Daiquiri, don’t do it! I want you to live!

Don’t forget to join in the Rum fun with #RumForTheHills on Instagram.

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: the Manhattan

2015-04-122015-05-09 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

To celebrate “The End of An Era”, welcome to a series of drinks from the television show Mad Men. Each week I’ll be featuring a different cocktail from the show, so we can all drink along with our favourite Madison Avenue Ad-men and women.

As previously stated, I’m a bit of a Mad Men fanatic. The characters and their struggles have gripped my soul. The fashion is so on point. The cocktails are so classic and powerful.

Yes, powerful. This week for S7E9, I’ll be drinking perhaps the most “powerful” cocktail of all time, The Manhattan. There is literally nothing more powerful than ordering what Gary Regan once called, “The King of Cocktails.” Manhattans make you feel like a supreme being, a conqueror of worlds, a leader of vast armies.

Tradition has it that the Manhattan was originally made with American Whiskey, which in the 1860s meant Rye. Some recipes call for Canadian Whiskey, Bourbon, or even Brandy (I’m looking at you Wisconsin) but they always call for Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth and Bitters.

In S4E7 “The Suitcase”, Peggy and her boyfriend Mark break up after Don forces her to work late into the night on her birthday. She vents her frustration to Don and tells him that she and Mark have split. Don and Peggy leave the office, go to a shitty diner and then end up at a bar. Don, always Old Fashioned in hand, chats with Peggy about how attractive Peggy is and cheers her up about her chances with men. Peggy slowly sips her Manhattan, savoring every moment.

Manhattans are usually made in a 2:1 ratio of Whiskey to Sweet Vermouth with a couple of dashes of Bitters thrown in and a Maraschino Cherry as garnish. Here in New York City 2015, the recipe is frequently made as follows:

Manhattan

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse is the fave)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica Vermouth or Cocchi Vermouth di Tornio are the faves)
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes of Regan’s Orange Bitters
Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

Combine Ingredients over ice and stir until proper dilution has been achieved. Strain into coupe and garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

An excellent Manhattan Variation is made by using equal parts Sweet Vermouth and Dry Vermouth with a couple of dashes of bitters. This is called a Perfect Manhattan. In my opinion, this tends to work better if you use Vermouths of the same house. i.e. Dolin Rouge & Dolin Dry, Noilly Prat Rouge & Noilly Prat Dry, Carpano Antica & Carpano Dry.

Perfect Manhattan

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Carpano Dry Vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 dashes of Orange Bitters
Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

Combine Ingredients over ice and stir until proper dilution has been achieved. Strain into coupe and garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

In what is perhaps my favourite Manhattan Variation, add Celery Bitters into the mix. The Fourth Regiment recipe was first published in The Hotel Monthly by Jacques Straub in 1914. I had one for the first time a few years ago at Dutch Kills in Long Island City and never looked back! The original recipe calls for the drink to be shaken, equal parts Rye & Sweet Vermouth and one dash each of the bitters. There is no garnish specification but I love to use an Orange peel.

Fourth Regiment

1 1/2 oz Rye (Rittenhouse or bust!)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica!)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
1 dash Scrappy’s Celery Bitters
Garnish: Orange peel

Combine Ingredients over ice and stir until proper dilution has been achieved. Strain into coupe, express Orange peel and garnish.

Now when it comes to making your own Manhattan, use whichever Bitters, Vermouths, garnishes and Whiskey you have on hand. Feel free to experiment and combine different ingredients together. If you have Maraschino Liqueur, an Amaro or Absinthe on hand, add a dash or two of that! Always keep in mind to start in small amounts and measure everything!

I’ll be doing this series until the end of Mad Men, so see you next week!

Thanks again to The Baddish Group for the fantastic bottles of Carpano Antica & Carpano Dry.

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