lemon juice

Spring Cocktails with Jägermeister

/ Dani DeLuna / 3 Comments

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Yes, you read that right! Spring Cocktails with Jägermeister!

Do you know who had no idea how versatile Jägermeister is? ME! I had no idea but oh my goodness, I’m so into it!

When I was initially approached about this campaign, I was a tad hesitant because when I thought of Jäger, I thought of shots (and y’all know i’m averse to shots). But then I read about some of the ingredients in Jägermeister: Cinnamon, Star Anise, Orange peel, Ginger root, Cardamom, Lavender, and I got really excited!

Bonus: as a part of this campaign, I have been given a couple of recipes from one of my fave bartenders, none other than Sother Teague from Amor y Amargo! If Sother endorsed Jägermeister, then I most definitely wanted to give it a try!

Jägermeister

Jägermeister, a fantastic combination of herbs and spices.

If we’re going to make recipes with Jägermeister, then we should start by treating it like we should treat any good Amaro/Aperitif/Digestif and break down the flavors.

Tasting Notes:

  • Nose: Ginger, Licorice, Spices, Anise, Root Beer, Citrus,
  • Tongue: Mint, Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Honey, spices, earthy, robust
  • Finish: long and wide, full bodied

Exciting right? Totally totally exciting! Let’s dive into some recipes!

Precision-Timepiece-1

We’ll start with one of Sother’s Recipes, Precision Timepiece. This recipe feels like a Negroni variant, albeit one full of flavour and spices.

Precision Timepiece

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double Rocks glass with ice. Express Orange peel and garnish.

Bonus: if you add a little Club Soda, you suddenly have spirited “Root Beer”.

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For the next recipe, you’re going to want to keep that bottle of Aperol handy but also get some Strawberries cause what says spring like Strawberries? (The answer is: nothing)

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To the Jäger and Aperol we add Chartreuse Jaune which has a mille-fleurs + honey aroma and is magical in spring cocktails.

Little Red Jacket

  • 1 1/2 oz Jägermeister
  • 1/2 oz Aperol
  • 1/4 oz Chartreuse Jaune
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 Strawberries
  • Club Soda
  • Garnish: 1 Strawberry, Lemon Wheel, Rosemary sprig

Muddle Strawberries and Lemon juice in tin. Add Jägermeister, Aperol, Chartreuse and ice. Shake and double strain into Collins glass over ice. Top with Club Soda and garnish with Strawberry, Lemon Wheel and Rosemary sprig. Sensational.

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And now it’s time for perhaps the most exciting formula yet: Jägermeister + Aged Rum = spiced Rum. I mean, why isn’t everyone all over this? I don’t have any Spiced Rum in My Home Bar but by combining these two together, I NOW HAVE SPICED RUM.

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Again, we’ll start with a recipe from Sother Teague cause this recipe is BRILLIANT.

German Vacation

  • 1 oz Jägermeister
  • 1 oz Flor de Caña Aged Rum
  • 3/4 oz Ginger Syrup*
  • 3/4 oz Orgeat
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice (Lime Juice works really well too)
  • Garnish: Heavy dashes of Peychaud’s bitters. I added the Hollowed out Lime half, Maraschino Cherries and Sail. Really, as long as you add the Peychaud’s, use whatever garnishes you want! (Candied Ginger would be amazing btw)

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into Collins or Tiki Glass over Cracked or Crushed ice. “Paint” the top of the drink with Peychaud’s bitters and garnish as you please.

Ginger-Syrup

*Ginger Syrup – Combine 1 cup of Sugar (Demerara or Turbinado), 1 cup of water and 1 cup of roughly chopped Ginger root in a Saucepan. Heat on low until just before liquids start to boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for around 8-9 hours. Strain into jar and refrigerate. **If you are going to keep this syrup for several weeks, add around 1 oz aged Molasses Rum (like Flor de Caña) to syrup to preserve. Will make approx 2 cups of Ginger Syrup.

Gamekeeper's-Grog-2

The Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears are back again!

For the last Spring Cocktail with Jägermeister,  I’ve got a total West Indian Tiki cocktail for y’all!

Gamekeeper’s Grog

  • 1 oz Jägermeister
  • 1 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 1/4 oz Cinnamon Bark Syrup
  • Garnish: Hollowed out Lime half, Grapefruit peel Rose, Maraschino Cherry, Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into double Rocks glass and garnish.

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Wasn’t that totally delicious? Yes, it totally was! Don’t worry, this isn’t the end of my relationship Jägermeister as a cocktail ingredient. I’ll keep posting recipes as I come up with them.

Note: I cannot emphasize how thrilling of a discovery it was that Jägermeister + Aged Rum = spiced rum. YAAAAAAAAS Kween!

Thanks to M Booth for including me in this exciting campaign and sending the bottles of Jägermeister, Aperol, Amaro Montenegro and Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters!

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: Bloody Mary

/ Dani DeLuna / 4 Comments

Bloody-Mary-5

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 you’ve guessed by now, I’m obsessed with Mad Men. The tension is killing me, Joan’s outfits are unparalleled (absolutely undeniably unparalleled) and the drinks are classic. For this week’s Mad Men post, I nearly chose the title “Eye Openers” cause so many of the characters on this show drink in the morning. Don and Pete drink Whiskey neat or on the rocks as soon as they get to the office, Roger drank a Screwdriver several times and let’s not ever forget this:

Mad Men Roger Vodka Milk

Roger – “Mona, I AM drinking my milk right now.” (Hahaha, gross!) Image courtesy of AMC.com

Often though, in the conference room, at formal or informal meetings the Mad Men and Women are drinking a Bloody Mary.

Mad Men Joan Roger Bloody Mary

Image couresy of AMC.com

Mad Men Roger Bloody Mary

Image couresy of AMC.com

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Bloody Mary, the original drink of the #GarnishKween.

There are loads of Bloody Mary recipes out there with garnishes ranging from celery stalks, lemon wedges and pickled vegetables to strips of bacon and shrimp. If you’re looking for a place to start, I’d recommend the Wikipedia article about the IBA version of the Bloody Mary. Once you know what traditionally goes into “the most complicated cocktail in the world”, you can play around with it!

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Home Bar Girl’s Bloody Mary

  • 2 oz Vodka, Gin, or Tequila
  • ~4 oz Tomato Juice (Amount depends on your glass)
  • 1/2 oz fresh Lemon & Lime Juice*
  • 1/2 oz Olive Brine
  • 2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 dashes Cholula Mexican Hot Sauce
  • 1 tbsp prepared Horseradish
  • 1 dash Celery Salt
  • Cracked Pepper to taste
  • Garnishes: Celery Stalks, Cherry Tomato, Cucumber Slices, Lemon Wheel, pitted cocktail Olives, sprig of Rosemary

Build in Collins glass, add ice and stir. Garnish like a Kween.

*Lemon & Lime Juice: juice both citrus and combine so they are approximately equal parts

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Hope you enjoy your Bloody Mary! Cheers!

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

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: Tom Collins

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Tom-Collins-1

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.

Mad Men Sally Tom Collins

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”.

Mad Men Don Tom Collins

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.”

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

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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!

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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.

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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

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

Drinking with Mad Men Season 7: Tiki Cocktails

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Blue Hawaii & Mai Tai

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.

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!

Mad Men Megan Blue Hawaii 1

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!

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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.

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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.

Rachel Menken Mai Tai

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.

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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.

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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

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Stafford-Cobbler-4

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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

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

It’s Spring and I’m Twitterpated

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Twitterpated-2

Bring on the Spring cocktails y’all! All of my favouite bars in Brooklyn have switched over to their new programs and I keep eyeing the Lavender bitters up on my fridge. (Keep in mind, most of my bar is up on top of the fridge!) I also keep eyeing the Dolin Blanc ’cause it’s just right for this time of year. (It lives in the fridge. All of the Vermouths and the Sherry live in the fridge.)

Twitterpated-3

Twitterpated

  • 1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 dashes BarKeep Lavender Bitters
  • Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Double strain into coupe and garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

Twitterpated-1

Remember when Bambi learns about the “birds and the bees” from the Old Owl? The very first thing I thought after taking a sip of this drink was the line, “Don’t you know? They’re twitterpated.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WadHPTfxrPc

Happy Spring Cocktails to you all!

Classic Cocktails: Army & Navy + Variations

/ Dani DeLuna / 3 Comments

Sir-Joseph-Porter-2

Many moons ago, I had my first trip to The NoMad Bar with a whole bunch of newly acquainted friends. It has since become my favourite bar in NYC because they simply have the most adventurous and yet totally drinkable cocktails in the city. They consistently surprise, inspire and encourage me to push the envelope while remaining true to form. (i.e. They frequently use Fino Sherry and Amari in Tiki drinks. Brilliant.)

They also make a damn good Army & Navy.

I am a huge fan of Gin Sours in any form but something about the combination of Orgeat and Lemon Juice really moves my taste buds to flight! Oh and I highly recommend this B.G. Reynolds Orgeat, it’s a bit toasted, has just the right amount of floral notes and is quite tasty. Let’s make an Army & Navy right now, shall we?

Army & Navy (from David A Embury, Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. 1948.)

  • 2 oz English Dry Gin
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3/4 oz Orgeat
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish: Maraschino Cherries

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it up! Strain into coupe, garnish with Maraschino Cherries. Sip and smile.

Wasn’t that tasty? Yes, yes it was so damn tasty! Wouldn’t you like to drink another? Hold off on that ’cause we have a couple of variations:

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So obvi the Army & Navy is a drink begging for rum. I decided to split the base with Flor de Caña 7 and Hayman’s Old Tom Gin. The Old Tom then inspired me to use some of those Boker’s Bitters that I love so dearly.

Sir Joseph Porter

  • 1 oz Old Tom Gin
  • 1 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3/4 oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters
  • 1 dash Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters
  • Garnish: Maraschino Cherries

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it up! Strain into coupe, garnish with Maraschino Cherries. Sip and grin.

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Yes! The Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears are back!

If an Army & Navy variation was begging for rum, the next logical step (in my island themed brain) was to take it to Tiki Paradise! I’m obviously very excited about this drink. It’s just fabulous. Really, any excuse to use Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin in a cocktail is a dream come true for me.

Captain Corcoran

  • 1 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 1 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin
  • 3/4 oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters
  • 1 dropper Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters
  • Garnish: Three Maraschino Cherries and Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it up! Strain into coupe, garnish with Maraschino Cherries and Bunny Ears. Sip and giggle.

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Did you get the joke? The variations are named after characters from the HMS Pinafore. Clearly I think everything in life should be a tad silly but nary an April Fools prank shall I make.

Enjoy your Army & Navy and HMS Pinafore Variations! Cheers!

Seafarer’s Sour

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Seafarer's-Sour-1

Ahhhh, the sea. Nothing like months and months of being at sea to really make you miss dry land eh? Ay, nothin’ like it. Well, here’s a sour for a Seafarer with one wary eye on the sea and the other which yearns for spices, flowers and dry land.

Seafarer’s Sour

  • 1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
  • 1/2 oz Chartreuse Jaune
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
  • 2 droppers Elemakule Tiki Bitters
  • Garnish: Cinnamon Stick

Combine ingredients over ice and shake until ingredients have combined. Double Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Cinnamon Stick.

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Brunch Bonanza: Philosopher’s Breakfast

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Welcome to Brunch Bonanza, the segment where we talk about Brunch Cocktails!

Today’s BB is very special and dear to my heart y’all. “Why girl? Why is this one so special?” you may ask. Well, it’s the first time I’ve ever made a cocktail with Yamazaki 12 Year and THAT is a huuuuuuge deal. I always drink Yamazaki 12 neat or on a single rock. I always drink it with a heavy amount of ceremony. I always drink it with my girlfriend.

For me to break these traditions and use it in (of all things) a Brunch Cocktail caused me quite a panic! I was literally panicked! “Ok, girl, okokokok, calm down.” Phew, ok, I’ve calmed down. You see, I bought some Dundee Orange Marmalade and have been formulating a drink with it for quite some time but nothing was quite speaking to me until I looked over at my fancy glassware cabinet and the Yamazaki 12 Year was just STARING BACK AT ME.

So I said, “Ok Yamazaki 12, I’ll give you a try.” Obviously it was incredible. I actually can’t really talk about how incredible it was cause some of you would probably stop reading!

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Hello Marmalade, you delicious blob of pith. Pithy.

Philosopher’s Breakfast

  • 2 oz Yamazaki 12 Year
  • 1/2 oz Bonal Aperitif
  • 1 tsp Dundee Orange Marmalade
  • 1/2 oz fresh Orange Juice
  • 1/4 oz fresh Lemon Juice

Garnish: small bit of Orange Marmalade with Pith.

Dry shake ingredients to incorporate Marmalade, then add ice and wet shake. Double strain into rocks glass over rocks. Garnish with Orange Marmalade.

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Why Bonal you ask? Why not? It’s herbaceous and citrusy at the same time. Totally compliments the Yamazaki 12 and Orange Marmalade.

Happy Brunching to you all!