classic cocktails

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: the Manhattan

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Manhattan-2

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Tradition has it that the Manhattan was originally made with American Whiskey, which in the 1860s meant Rye.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.

Peggy Drinks a Manhattan

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.

Manhattan-3

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.

Perfect-Manhattan-2

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.

Fourth-Regiment-2

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.

Manhattan-Ingredients

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.

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: the Gimlet

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Gimlet-3

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.

I’m very emotionally invested in Mad Men. The characters are so well written, the fashion and attention to detail are unparalleled. It’s witty, charming and so so serious. I’ve watched the entire show multiple times and am looking forward to/nervous about the last Season!

For S7 E8 I’ll be drinking one of mine and Betty Draper’s favourite cocktails, The Gimlet.

Betty Draper gimlet

Doesn’t Betty look magnificent? Stunning. Image courtesy of AMC.

Traditionally Gimlets were made with Rose’s Lime juice with the following specs.

Traditional Gimlet

  • 1 oz Gin or Vodka
  • 1 oz Rose’s Lime Juice
  • Garnish: Lime wedge

Shake over ice and strain into Martini Glass or Coupe. Garnish with Lime Wedge.

Gimlet-2

Betty likes her drinks with Vodka but I’m a Gin Gal and this is how I like to make my Gimlet.

Fresh Gimlet

  • 2 oz Plymouth Gin
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Demerara Syrup
  • Garnish: Lime Wheel

Shake and strain over ice. Lime Wheel Garnish.

Gimlet-Variation

If you want to make really tasty variation on a Gimlet, add a couple of dashes of Chartreuse Vert, Absinthe or both.

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

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

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The-Bookseller-2

Happy St Patrick’s day to you all with a Teeling Irish Whiskey cocktail: The Bookseller!

On my way to creating the above cocktail, I read through a bunch of classic Irish Whiskey recipes for inspiration. A couple of them are too good not to post so here they are! I will definitely be making one of them at home today!

Belvedere Cocktail (The Wine and Spirit Bulletin, Louisville 1917)

  • 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey
  • 1/2 oz Dry Gin
  • 1/2 oz Red Vermouth
  • 2 to 3 dashes Absinthe

Shake with cracked ice and strain into cocktail glass. This cocktail is attributed to the Hotel Belvedere in Baltimore, MD. (source: Martin’s New & Improved Index of Cocktails & Mixed Drinks.)

Black Thorn (Harry Johnson, 1900)

  • 1 oz Irish Whiskey
  • 1 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 3 to 4 dashes of Absinthe
  • 3 to 4 dashes of Boker’s Bitters (or Aromatic Bitters)

Stir with cracked ice and strain into a wine glass. (source: Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual.)

Irish Cocktail (Harry Johnson, 1900)

  • 2 oz Irish Whiskey
  • 2 to 3 dashes Absinthe
  • 1 dash Maraschino Liqueur
  • 1 dash Orange Curaçao
  • 2 dashes Boker’s Bitters (or Aromatic Bitters)
  • Garnish: Lemon Peel and an Olive

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Express Lemon Peel and garnish, try it with the Olive. The salt and brine from the Olive will balance out the sweet. (source: Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual.)

Shamrock Cocktail (Hugo Ennslin, 1917)

  • 1 oz Irish Whiskey
  • 1 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 3 dashes Chartreuse Vert
  • 3 dashes Crème de Menthe
  • Garnish: Olive

Stir over cracked ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with an Olive. (Source: Martin’s New & Improved Index of Cocktails & Mixed Drinks.)

Cool right? I love that back in the early 20th C the answer to balancing out sweetness was to add an Olive garnish. Brilliant. I am really into the Irish Cocktail btw.

The-Bookseller-1

Now, back to St Patrick’s Day 2015: I decided to make a Manhattan Variation with Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey and Averna. I knew that I wanted to use Carpano Antica as the vermouth because it goes so well with Averna. Who am I kidding, Carpano Antica goes with everything! I was looking for a finishing touch and a way to bring out all those Rum notes in the Teeling and St Elizabeth Allspice Dram called to me from on top of the fridge*.

The Bookseller

  • 2 oz Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • 1/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1 dash St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
  • Garnish: Orange peel

Combine ingredients and stir over ice until proper dilution has been achieved. Strain into coupe. Express Orange peel and garnish.

*Yes, a lot of my liquor is kept in a nice red tray on top of the fridge. Remember, 500sq ft apartment y’all!
The-Bookseller-3
It’s like you and your bottle of Teeling took a trip to the Caribbean and ordered a Manhattan. Yes.
Thanks again to The Baddish Group for the delicious bottle of Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey!

Valentines & the Hanky Panky

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Hanky-Panky-3

So, it’s the week of Valentines, or as I like to call it, Valenspoons. I have no idea why I started calling it Valenspoons, perhaps it was because I like the way it sounds, it’s a silly sounding word. Perhaps I changed the name during one of those years when I did not have a sweetheart and was frustrated that this holiday even existed! Perhaps it was to mock the notion that there should be a Hallmark Holiday which encourages people to hit one another up on Tinder and have a dinner date + some Hanky Panky.

Speaking of Hanky Panky…

Do you all love Fernet-Branca as much as I do? Do you get that “Bartender’s Handshake” after a long night out? Do you drink Fernet-Branca after meals to savour the incredibly complex flavours and help settle your tummy? Do you think the Toronto is the best Manhattan Variation? Cause I do!

The Hanky Panky is one of my fave classic Gin cocktails, right up there with a Martinez, French 75 and Martini. Bonus: this drink was invented by a lady! Wooooo! Laaaaady! Ada Coleman was the head bartender at the Savoy American Bar in the early 20th C and the story goes that she created this cocktail for Sir Charles Hawtrey. When he had his first sip, he drained the whole glass and said, “By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!”

Hanky-Panky-2

Hanky Panky

  • 1 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin or London Dry Gin
  • 1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 dashes Fernet-Branca
  • Garnish: Orange peel

Combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into coupe, express Orange peel and garnish.

Dirty-Puzzle

And since it’s Valenspoons, I’ve got a little variation for y’all! I decided to dry it out with Plymouth Gin, different specs, swap out the Orange peel for a Blood Orange peel and add some Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters. Totes a Valenspoons drink now y’all! Fire up the Tindering!

Dirty Puzzle (Hanky Panky variation)

Combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into coupe, express Blood Orange peel and garnish.

Fernet-Branca

Luv u Fernet-Branca. Luv y’all. Happy Valentimes. 

Thanks to The Baddish Group for giving the opportunity to make these delicious drinks!

Classic Cocktails: Aviation

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Aviation-1

I have a lot of feelings about this drink. I went on a 2.5 year Aviation challenge during which time I went to many different bars, in many different States of the good old USA, ordered an Aviation, and took notes. Most of the time, these “Aviations” were WAY TOO lemony. Even bars I really respect used too much Lemon Juice in the drink and Lemon Peels as garnishes. HELL NO.

Where is your Maraschino Cherry? Where are your correct proportions? These are the questions and I’ve got the answer.

Honestly, the very best Aviation I’ve ever had (on more than one occasion) is made by Angel Negrín and here is his perfect recipe.

Aviation

  • 2 oz / 60 ml Plymouth Gin
  • 2 tsp / 10 ml Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
  • 1 tsp / 5 ml Crème de Violette
  • 1/2 oz / 15 ml Lemon Juice
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine ingredients and shake over ice. Place Maraschino cherry in coupe, double strain liquids into coupe.

Aviation-2

Bonus: Aviations make sensational Fizzes and even better Silver Fizzes.

Aviation Fizz: Make the Aviation, strain into Collins glass and add ice, Club Soda and Cherry.

Aviation Silver Fizz: When making the Aviation, use 2 tsp Violette and add Egg White. Dry shake like hell, add ice and shake again. Add 1 oz Club soda to Collins glass, add ice and Cherry, strain Aviation into glass. Top with more soda.

Aviation Royale: Make the Aviation, strain into coupe, add cherry and top with Champagne.

Aviation-Fizz

Muhhhhhhhhhhhgh. This drink is so so amazing. I can’t handle it…when it’s made properly. 🙂

Negroni + Sazerac = Negroniac

/ Dani DeLuna / 3 Comments

Negroniac-1

Ok, bear with me a moment because I want y’all to think about this before you read any further: What if one were to combine a Negroni with a Sazerac? Think about it.

Did you stop and think about it?

Okay.

Fireworks, explosions, singing choruses, high school bands waving banners and cheerleaders flipping through the air right? YES. This could honestly be the best tasting Serious Cocktail I’ve ever created.

This cocktail is especially fantastic if you are able to get that St. George Absinthe Verte. I’ve said it in the My Home Bar page of Home Bar Girl, but this Absinthe is the most delicious one in the world, IN THE WORLD! It’s an herbal paradise with a bouquet of lemon grass, basil, mint, fennel and other herbs.

Really though, the whole idea of combining these two classics was just too good to remain in my head and I had to know! Remember, I keep Negroni bottled so I can use it for occasions such as these. Also keep in mind that the measurements are exact! Too much Rye and the drink is way off!

Negroniac

  • 1 3/4 oz Negroni
  • 1 1/4 oz Rye (Redemption used here)
  • 2 Dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • St. George Absinthe Verte Rinse
  • Lemon Peel

Rinse rocks glass with Absinthe and chill. In tin, combine Negroni and Rye over cracked ice. Stir and strain into chilled glass. Express and discard Lemon Peel. Santé!

Negroniac-2

Remember, every week is #NegroniWeek!

Flor de Caña 7 Year is AMAZING

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

WOOOOOOOOOOOO! I FINALLY DID IT! I BOUGHT AGED RUM!

Daiquri-2

So, lately I’ve been meaning to get into the whole Rum Craze that’s hit the eastern USA but kept putting it off and putting it off and now I’ve given in! I was told by my cocktail mentor Angel Negrín to try and get El Dorado 12 Year or Havana Club 3 Year but I couldn’t find either of those in Prospect Heights. What I did find was a Nicaraguan Aged Rum, Flor de Caña 7 Year.

It’s delicious! I love it! I can’t believe I waited this long! Flor de Caña 7 Year has Caramel smoothness for days. FOR DAYS! Great rum to mix with and that’s precisely what I did with it!

Daiquri-1

This is the best damn Daiquiri I’ve ever had. Ever.

Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Turbinado Simple Syrup
  • Lime Wheel

In tin, combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into coupe and garnish with Lime Wheel.

Chiquitita-Margarita-2

An original cocktail here. As I had already started with a Daiquiri, I wanted to keep going with the Rum + Lime juice idea and decided to make a “fake” spicy margarita.

Chiquitita Margarita

  • 2 oz Flor de Caña Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Cointreau
  • 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 dropper Brooklyn Hemispherical Sriracha Bitters (or any bitters with heat and chili peppers)

In tin, combine Rum, Lime Juice, Cointreau, Agave Nectar, Angostura and Sriracha Bitters and shake over ice. Double strain into coupe and garnish with Lime Wheel.

Again, delicious. I feel like this Flor de Caña 7 Year will just destroy any citrus cocktail! Now to try and make some stirred drinks with it.

You’re So Kind: Berentzen Bushel & Barrel

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Bushel-&-Barrel

The very kind people at Berentzen USA have sent me several bottles to taste and review: Icemint Schnapps, Pear Liqueur and Bushel & Barrel. They’re so kind. Aren’t they kind? BERENTZEN, YOU’RE SO KIND! Each bottle is fabulous and totally bursting with flavour but I’m going to start with Bushel & Barrel cause this is America and nothing screams AMERICA more than Bourbon and Apples.

I’ve gotta be honest, this is truly delicious stuff! Upon opening the bottle, crisp, clear Apples come through, then the more complex spices from Kentucky Bourbon settle into your nose. It’s an awesome experience.  First taste also begins with Apple, fresh juicy Apple from Berentzen’s Apple Liqueur and then a bit of spicy kick from Bourbon. Again, awesome. At 60 proof, it’s neither too strong to use in cocktails, nor too weak to drink on the rocks. In fact, everything about this liqueur is super smooth and just right.

If this is the future of flavoured whiskey, then I am so happy to be taking part in the revolution. Bushel & Barrel is by far the best one I’ve ever had and honestly, everything Berentzen makes is outstandingly tasty. (This is the part of the post where you throw that nasty cinnamon flavoured whiskey out the window. There, I said it.)

And now, some Bushel & Barrel cocktails:

American-Rose-1

American Rose (Jack Rose Variation)

  • 1 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Applejack
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Grenadine
  • Lime Wheel

In tin, combine Bushel & Barrel, Applejack, Lime Juice and Grenadine over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe, garnish with Lime Wheel.

Obstacle-Three-2

Obstacle Three

  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Rye, Averna, Bushel & Barrel, Carpano and stir over cracked ice. Strain into coupe, Maraschino cherry garnish.

People-Watching-2

People Watching

  • 2 oz Cocchi Americano
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Cynar
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice

In tin, combine Cocchi Americano, Bushel & Barrel, Cynar and Lemon Juice over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe. Splash of Soda or Champagne on top.

Julian-Franco-1

Julian Franco

  • 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • Apple Peel

In tin, combine Bourbon, Bushel & Barrel, Raspberry Liqueur and Chartreuse. Stir over cracked ice and strain into coupe. Apple Peel garnish.

Well, that’s it for now! I’ve definitely got more recipes for Bushel & Barrel and will post them in the future! As for the Pear Liqueur and Icemint Schnapps, I’ll be reviewing them soon! This has been You’re So Kind, the post where someone nice gives me a bottle and I review it!

The Terroir Martini

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Terroir-Martini-1

I know we’ve talked about St. George Spirits but have we specifically talked about their Terroir Gin? This is the Gin that started it all. The Gin that got me hooked on Gin. The Gin that made me sob for 30 minutes in my Brooklyn apartment. You see, this Gin, THIS GIN, is from Marin, the Mt Tamalpias Gin. The botanicals in the Gin were selected on Mt Tam and when you open this bottle of Gin, you actually SMELL Marin County, California.

mt tam

Mt Tamalpias, Marin County. Photo via Summit Post. Don’t you just want to die? I do. Prettttttty.

For me, it was just too much. Just too TOO much. I’d spent over 10 years living somewhere that wasn’t Marin County, California and smelling those smells brought my entire childhood back to me. I saw myself walking in the hills, going to Stinson Beach, running cross country, hiking, riding bicycles, going to high school, the whole thing.

I smelled the Eucalyptus, Bay Laurel, Sage, Pine, Grasses, Sunshine, Ocean air. And I cried. I’ve never cried after opening a bottle of Napa Valley or Calistoga Wine before, but I started crying as soon as I smelled this Gin.

Therefore, I consider St George Terroir to be sacred and as a sacred spirit, I add little to it. Often I drink it neat or on the rocks. Sometimes I have it as a Fizz with Mint Simple Syrup and Lime juice. On even rarer occasions, I make it into this martini.

It is the greatest and most complex Gin that I’ve ever tasted and with absolute reverence I present to you:

The Terroir Martini

  • 2 1/2 oz St. George Terroir Gin
  • 1/2 oz Pear Eau de Vie (a dry Pear Eau de Vie is best)
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
  • Basil leaf garnish

In tin, combine Terroir Gin, Pear Eau de Vie and Dolin Dry over cracked ice and stir. Strain into chilled coupe, slap basil leaf between your hands and use as garnish.

Terroir-Martini-3

Classic Cocktails: Black Manhattan

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Black-Manhattan-1

So dark, so smooth, so rich in flavor, so Manhattan. Wait, what am I saying? There is NOTHING smooth about Manhattan, NOTHING. Sorry, are we talking about the Burrough or the Cocktail? As far the Manhattan Cocktail goes, there are as many variations as there are neighborhoods in NYC: Perfect Manhattan, 1920 Cocktail, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, Red Hook, Bronx, Slope, Greenpoint, Carroll Gardens, to name a few. Even the Rob Roy is essentially just a Scotch Manhattan!

The Black Manhattan or Averna Manhattan is excellent variation on a Manhattan, in fact it might be my favourite. A classic Black Manhattan stays true to the 2:1 ratio of Rye to Averna but I really enjoy a bit of Carpano Antica in this cocktail as well. Remember to sip slowly and feel the Averna. Let its velvety richness guide you into the winter months.

Black Manhattan

  • 2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Rye, Averna, Carpano and Angostura Bitters over cracked ice. Stir and strain into coupe. Garnish with Maraschino Cherry. Cheers!

Black-Manhattan-2