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The Blue Business

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Blue-Business-1

Blue Curaçao is back y’all and I don’t mean in some frat-tastic “let’s have Blue Shots!” sort of way. I mean in a total Tiki, fabulous Tropical, creative cocktail sort of way. I recently posted a photo of my Seníor Blue Curaçao on Instagram and was met with several cries of, “oh no, I’m afraid of the Blue stuff!”. Don’t be afraid, be excited!

There is no better time for fun citrusy drinks than winter time! We need Vitamin C, we need Island type drinks, we need a little vacation in a glass because this weather is so cold and snowy! I’ll be posting these recipes one at a time instead of all at once because I’ve decided to go FULL TIKI during the chilly times! Tiki, it’s a state of mind.

The Blue Business

  • 1 1/2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
  • 1/2 oz Seníor Blue Curaçao
  • 1/4 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin
  • 1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/4 oz Vanilla Bean Syrup
  • Chartreuse Vert rinse
  • Lime Wheel

Rinse a coupe with Chartreuse and chill. Combine remaining ingredients in tin over ice and shake. Strain into coupe, Lime Wheel garnish.

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If you want to join in the fun on Instagram, use the hashtag #TikiTheSnowAway

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.

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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. 🙂

Punch for Two: Fernandez Punch

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Punch for Two continues with Fernandez Punch. Woo! The combination of the Pineapple infused Gin, Jalapeño infused Blanco Tequila and Brugal Extra Dry Rum makes for a VERY thrilling Punch! Perhaps I’ve found the best way to make a fake Margarita yet!

Remember, because this is Punch for Two and not Twenty, we’re gonna shake the Punch over Ice and serve into Punch Cups. If this was for Twenty, we’d put it in a punch bowl and stir it with one block of ice.

Fernandez Punch

  • 1 1/4 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
  • 1 1/4 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin
  • 1/2 oz Jalapeño infused Espolón Blanco Tequila*
  • 1/2 oz St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
  • 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
  • 2 dashes Elemakule Tiki Bitter
  • Lime Wheel
  • Club Soda

In tin, combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into Punch cups and top with Club soda. Lime wheel garnish.

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*Jalapeño infused Blanco Tequila: Espolón is perfect for this and Jimador would be sensational.

  1. Cut one Jalapeño into chunks (including the seeds!) and place it into 1 750ml bottle of Blanco Tequila.
  2. Taste after one hour and see if you like the heat. If not, wait another hour and taste again.
  3. Strain and bottle Jalapeño infused Tequila.

May your Punch times be amazing and your holidays be filled with Punch!

You’re So Kind: Berentzen Pear Liqueur

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Berentzen-Pear-Promo-Shot

As I’ve stated before, the very kind people at Berentzen sent me a fabulous bottle of Pear Liqueur. Aren’t they kind? I think they’re pretty kind. YOU’RE SO KIND BERENTZEN!

This Liqueur is a total knockout. I love it. It’s so fruit forward, crisp and refreshing. Pear all the way but in a totally different universe than many other Pear Liqueurs. This is not dry, subtle or mysterious. It’s PEAR! It’s happening! It’s fresh! I love it. I been using it with Gin, Tequila, Dolin Blanc, Soda, Tonic, Bourbon, Rum, EVERYTHING! Berentzen Pear Liqueur is awesome!

Bonus: now that it’s winter times, #PEARSEASON! Get into it!

And now, for the cocktails:

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Portrait of a Lady

  • 2 oz Smooth Gin (Plymouth used here)
  • 1 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • Cinnamon Garnish

In tin, combine Gin, Pear Liqueur, Dry Vermouth and Lemon Juice over ice and shake. Double strain into coupe and garnish with Cinnamon.

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A Long Hard Look In The Mirror

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Cocktail Crate Spiced Old Fashioned Mixer or Allspice and Cinnamon Simple Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur
  • 1 dash Black Walnut Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Bourbon, Spiced Old Fashioned Mixer, Pear Liqueur and Bitters over cracked ice. Stir and strain into Rocks glass. Add Ice and Cherry.

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The Feeling of Flight

  • 2 oz Dolin Blanc or Lillet Blanc
  • 3/4 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur
  • 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
  • Grapefruit peel

In tin, combine Blanc Vermouth, Pear Liqueur and Grapefruit Juice over ice and shake. Double strain into coupe, express Grapefruit peel and garnish.

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Sandals in Winter

  • 1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Cointreau Triple Sec
  • 1/4 oz Bonal Aperitif
  • 1 dropper Elemakule Tiki Bitters
  • Grapefruit peel

In tin, combine Blanco Tequila, Pear Liqueur, Triple Sec, Bonal and Bitters over ice and shake. Double strain into coupe, express Grapefruit peel and garnish.

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Woo, this Liqueur is all worn out and taking a nap now. So many uses, so many possibilities. This has been You’re So Kind, the post where someone nice gives me a bottle and I review it!

Brunch Bonanza: Golden Light

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Welcome to Brunch Bonanza. The segment where we talk about brunch cocktails!

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Golden Light at a Fancy party. Doesn’t it look Fancy?

I originally created this drink for Home Bar Girl Presents: A Party several weeks ago but have since realized that I love it as a Brunch or Afternoon cocktail. It’s so fresh and refreshing but still complex! The Celery Bitters and St-Germain work very well with the other mix of flavours. Enjoy!

Golden Light

  • 1 oz Smooth English Gin (Plymouth or Mayfair)
  • 1 oz Apple Brandy
  • 3/4 oz St-Germain
  • 1 oz Apple Juice
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 dash Celery bitters
  • Apple Slice or Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, Apple Brandy, St-Germain, Apple Juice, Lemon Juice and Celery Bitters over ice and shake baby, shake! Double strain into coupe and garnish with Apple Slice or Lemon Peel. Cheers!

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Golden Light at Home. It still looks fancy!

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Yummm! 

Flor de Caña 7 Year is AMAZING

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

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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!

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

Lemme See That El Camino

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Lemme-See-That-El-Camino-1

Whoop! Here’s another post where I get to talk about the Home Bar Girl Tequila Challenge and Something Awesome. Last time the Something Awesome was Penelope Cruz, this time it’s that oh so sexy El Camino.

1. The Tequila Challenge: to encourage us Home Bar Gurls and Dudes to think of Tequila as more than “shots!” and/or “Margarita Time”. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good Marg as much as the rest of the world but Tequila is versatile! Think about using Tequila in place of Gin or Whiskey in your cocktails. Pair it with Vermouth, Amari, Bitters and Chartreuse Jaune. Stir it, Shake it, Serve it, Sip it. Yep, Sip your Tequila, don’t Shoot it! If this means you need to stop buying gross Tequila like José or Patrón, then please do so immediately. Mmmk? So many other tasty Tequilas await!

2. The El Camino: I love the Early-70s El Camino SS. I think they’re awesome muscle cars and despite being half car/half truck, I still think they’re dead sexy.  Super Sport? Quit teasing, just lemme drive it! And dropped? Hot damn, gimme that Lowrider! Perhaps my inner SoCal Mexican is shining through a bit too much with all this El Camino talk. I would even say that the El Camino is the Mullet of the South Western USA. Business in the front, Party in the back, but oh so much party in the back!

1973 El Camino SS

This is not my car, I want this car, it will be mine. Photo via www.speedsports.net

Now, what does the badass El Camino SS have to do with a badass Tequila cocktail? You’ll have to make one to find out.

Lemme See That El Camino

  • 2 oz Blanco Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
  • 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
  • 1 dash Hella Bitter Citrus Bitters
  • Orange peel

In tin, combine Tequila, Averna, Grapefruit Juice, Agave and Bitters. Dry shake until Agave has dissolved. Add ice and shake shake shake again. Express Orange Peel and garnish.

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The Oldest Living Confederate Widow

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This drink is possibly the greatest version of a Gin Sour to ever exist. Ever. It’s truly refreshing, so very dangerous and I want to drink them all year round! I got the recipe from Angel Negrín, my mentor in Birmingham, AL who got it from Toby Malone at the Violet Hour in Chicago. It’s a fabulous cocktail and “super healthy” as Angel likes to say. Get ready to shake, shake, boogie!

The Oldest Living Confederate Widow

  • 2 oz Plymouth Gin or Bombay Dry Gin
  • 1 1/4 oz Honey Syrup*
  • 1 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
  • 2 dashes of Absinthe or Pernod Pastis

In tin, combine ingredients over cracked ice and shake, baby, shake! Strain into coupe. Feel the awesomeness. Try not to take down the whole cocktail in one big gulp, ok?

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*Honey Syrup: I like to make my Honey Syrup in a 1:1 ratio and shake it until the honey has dissolved. I find that if you heat the water and honey, some of the awesomeness in the honey is lost.

Improved MarTEAni

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photo by Virginia Linzee. Makeup Artist extraordinaire. 

While at a lady Tea Party for ladies today, I made my own improved version of Pegu Club’s MarTEAni. This is already a fantastic cocktail and my improvements simply consist of using a Whole Egg instead of Egg White and adding St-Germain.

Improved MarTEAni

  • 1 1/2 oz Black Tea Infused London Dry Gin*
  • 3/4 oz St-Germain
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
  • Whole Egg
  • Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, St-Germain, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Egg. Dry shake vigorously for appoximately 30 seconds to emulsify egg. Add ice and shake vigorously again.

*Black Tea Infused London Dry Gin: place approx 1/4 cup of loose tea into a 750ml Bottle of Gin. Shake, then let sit for approximately 2-3 hours occasionally shaking. Strain and bottle.