Posts Tagged ‘mixology’
ALL ABOUT THE CLASSIC VESPER MARTINI
Posted: January 15, 2023 in Cocktails, drink recipes, Drinks, Food, MARTINI, mixology, RecipesTags: cocktails, drinks, food, James Bond, martini, mixology, recipes, Vesper
3 oz. Hendrick’s gin
3 oz. London dry gin (like Bombay Sapphire)
MY ESPRESSO MARTINI
Posted: December 31, 2022 in Cocktails, drink recipes, espresso, MARTINI, mixologyTags: cocktails, drinks, espresso, martini, mixology
Years ago, I gave my self an important research project: Create your own version of the perfect espresso martini.
It took painstaking research, which required drinking many espresso martinis in many a bar on my travels.
My favorite version came from a bartender working at Knave, the lobby bar at the at Parker New York, the former Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan. It featured Coole Swan, an Irish cream liqueur I had never heard of before. The bartender was nice enough to write down the recipe for me, but I guess I had a little too much to drink…because I lost it! So it was up to me to use those brain cells I didn’t fry and come up with my own combination.
For me, the perfect espresso martini needs to celebrate the unique, bold flavor of coffee. I never dilute my morning coffee with such nonsense as hazelnut or caramel flavorings, so there’s none of that here. I save the Bailey’s for mudslides.
I do, however, like a touch of cream in my coffee, and the Coole Swan works perfectly in this recipe to add that element to my martini.
A few years after I thought I came up with my perfect recipe, I discovered a coffee liqueur that blew Kahlua out of the water…50 proof versus 40 proof (and now Kahlua has reduced the alcohol in some countries to 32 proof) with less sweetness and more bold coffee flavor. It comes from Australia, and it’s called Mr. Black.
You won’t find Coole Swan or Mr. Black at your tiny corner liquor store, but if you have a quality store a little further away from home, make the trip.
Brewing your own espresso is another step toward martini perfection, but if you don’t have a machine, you can buy some pre-made espressos in the refrigerated coffee section of many supermarkets. Go for the ones without sugar.
3 oz. freshly brewed espresso
2.5 oz. good quality vodka (I think Stoli Elit is the best out there)
1.5 oz. Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
1.5 oz. Coole Swan Superior Irish Creme Liqueur
Espresso or coffee beans (optional)
Chill your martini glasses. Pour all the ingredients (except the beans) into a large shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with 3 beans. (Tradition says the three beans represent health, wealth, and happiness.)
This recipe makes 2 martinis.
And by the way, if you pronounce it “expresso,” we can’t be friends.
MOJITOS BY THE PITCHER
Posted: July 17, 2022 in Cocktails, drink recipes, Drinks, mixology, Recipes, UncategorizedTags: blueberries, cocktails, food, mixology, mojitos, raspberries, recipes, rum
It’s that time of year when friends are coming over, and you want to make one drink you can serve everyone, rather than playing bartender all night. This one hits the spot.
There’s only one thing better than a freshly made mojito…and that’s a pitcher of freshly made mojitos! Organic raspberries and blueberries are in the markets right now, and my mint plants are taking over the yard! All the ingredients for a great mojito!
Very often, I’ll use raspberries alone, but mojitos are even better when you combine the raspberries with blueberries. I stock up on organic berries, rinsing them and placing them in plastic bags that go in the freezer until I’m ready to make my mojitos. I always go organic with berries. Pesticides should never be a cocktail ingredient! Pay a little extra and get the good stuff…it makes a difference!
Once you make mojitos by the pitcher, you’ll never have them any other way. (Even if you’re drinking alone!)
Make ahead of time…
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/3 cups turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw is a common brand)
Mix both ingredients together, letting it stand at room temperature for a few minutes. I like to combine them in a Mason jar, then shake really hard until the sugar has dissolved. I keep it in the fridge, and it’s good for up to 3 weeks…ready to use any time. Shake it well again before using.
For the Mojitos…
1 cup sugar/lime mixture
1 cup mint leaves, packed
1/2 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 pint raspberries (fresh or frozen)
3 or 4 cups white rum (I use Don Q Cristal rum)
3 or 4 cups club soda or seltzer
Combine the mint leaves and 1/2 cup of the sugar/lime mixture in bottom of a pitcher. Muddle the mint up very well to release mint oils. Add the blueberries and continue to muddle.
Add the remaining sugar/lime mixture, rum and raspberries. Mix well. Just before serving, add the club soda and ice. Stir. Pour into tall glasses.
Or…for drinks one at a time, I put in a shot of the sugar/lime mixture into a tall glass. I throw in about 8 mint leaves and muddle them for a minute. Then I add 2 shots of rum, and a few raspberries and blueberries. I muddle again. I add ice, and I top it with the club soda, stirring well. An option is to pour it all into another tall glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.
THE VESPER MARTINI, UPDATED
Posted: December 2, 2021 in Cocktails, drink recipes, Drinks, Food, MARTINI, mixology, RecipesTags: cocktails, drinks, food, James Bond, martini, mixology, recipes, Vesper
‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’ ‘Oui, monsieur.’ ‘Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s (gin), one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’ ‘Certainly, monsieur.’ The barman seemed pleasant with the idea. ‘Gosh that’s certainly a drink,’ said Leiter.
Bond laughed. ‘When I’m … er … concentrating.’ he explained, ‘I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I can think of a good name.’
He watched carefully as the deep glass became frosted with the pale golden drink, slightly aerated by the bruising of the shaker. He reached for it and took a long sip.
‘Excellent,’ he said to the barman, ‘but if you can get a vodka made with grain instead of potatoes, you will find it still better.’
3 oz. Hendrick’s gin
1 oz. grain-based vodka (like Tito’s or Grey Goose)
1/2 oz. Lillet
3 oz. London dry gin (like Bombay Sapphire)
1 oz. grain-based vodka (like Grey Goose)
1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano
MY ESPRESSO MARTINI
Posted: November 23, 2021 in Cocktails, drink recipes, espresso, MARTINI, mixologyTags: cocktails, drinks, espresso, martini, mixology
Years ago, I gave my self an important research project: Create your own version of the perfect espresso martini.
It took painstaking research, which required drinking many espresso martinis in many a bar on my travels.
My favorite version came from a bartender working at Knave, the lobby bar at the at Parker New York, the former Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan. It featured Coole Swan, an Irish cream liqueur I had never heard of before. The bartender was nice enough to write down the recipe for me, but I guess I had a little too much to drink…because I lost it! So it was up to me to use those brain cells I didn’t fry and come up with my own combination.
A lot of mixing late into the night, and I came up with what I consider to be my perfect espresso martini. As the marines say: “There are many like it, but this one is mine.”
3 oz. good quality vodka, like Belvedere
3 oz. freshly brewed espresso
1.5 oz. Kahlua
1.5 oz. Coole Swan
Chill your martini glasses. Pour all the ingredients into a large shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled glasses.
This recipe makes 2 martinis. Let me tell ya…this tasted as good the first time as it did several martinis later! I’ve found that using a high-end vodka really does make a difference in the quality and taste of the martini…as does freshly brewing your espresso just before assembling the drink.
MOJITOS BY THE PITCHER
Posted: June 15, 2021 in Cocktails, drink recipes, Drinks, mixology, Recipes, UncategorizedTags: blueberries, cocktails, food, mixology, mojitos, raspberries, recipes, rum
There’s only one thing better than a freshly made mojito when you’re hanging out at home…and that’s a pitcher of freshly made mojitos! Organic raspberries and blueberries are in the markets right now, and my mint plants are taking over the yard! All the ingredients for a great mojito!
Very often, I’ll use raspberries alone, but mojitos are even better when you combine the raspberries with blueberries. I stock up on organic berries, rinsing them and placing them in plastic bags that go in the freezer until I’m ready to make my mojitos. I always go organic with berries. Pesticides should never be a cocktail ingredient! Pay a little extra and get the good stuff…it makes a difference!
Once you make mojitos by the pitcher, you’ll never have them any other way. (Even if you’re drinking alone!)
Make ahead of time…
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/3 cups turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw is a common brand)
Mix both ingredients together, letting it stand at room temperature for a few minutes. I like to combine them in a Mason jar, then shake really hard until the sugar has dissolved. I keep it in the fridge, and it’s good for up to 3 weeks…ready to use any time. Shake it well again before using.
For the Mojitos…
1 cup sugar/lime mixture
1 cup mint leaves, packed
1/2 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 pint raspberries (fresh or frozen)
3 or 4 cups white rum (I use Don Q Cristal rum)
3 or 4 cups club soda or seltzer
Combine the mint leaves and 1/2 cup of the sugar/lime mixture in bottom of a pitcher. Muddle the mint up very well to release mint oils. Add the blueberries and continue to muddle.
Add the remaining sugar/lime mixture, rum and raspberries. Mix well. Just before serving, add the club soda and ice. Stir. Pour into tall glasses.
Or…for drinks one at a time, I put in a shot of the sugar/lime mixture into a tall glass. I throw in about 8 mint leaves and muddle them for a minute. Then I add 2 shots of rum, and a few raspberries and blueberries. I muddle again. I add ice, and I top it with the club soda, stirring well. An option is to pour it all into another tall glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.
HERBACEOUS, DELICIOUS COCKTAILS
Posted: March 31, 2021 in Cocktails, Coppa, drink recipes, Drinks, mixology, RecipesTags: cocktails, drink recipes, herbaceous, mixology
I love cocktails that are full of herbaceousness. (Got that right without spell check!)
So whenever I’m dining in a higher-end restaurant, where I see that mixology matters to them as much as the food, I take advantage of their knowledgeable bartenders and have them create something special for me to try.
Coppa is a favorite restaurant in Boston–Toro is another–and both are part of the Ken Oringer/Jamie Bissonette empire. It’s been years since I visited, but the cocktails I’ve had there have always inspired me. This recipe is from Coppa, named “Hey Neon,” and is a personal favorite that I regularly re-create at home for myself.
Aquavit is a favorite in many a Scandinavian bar. Imagine vodka infused with caraway seeds, and you have a pretty good idea of what it’s all about, though there are other flavored aquavits as well.
Punt e Mes is a sweet vermouth from Italy, from the house of Carpano, the folks that also make the king of all vermouths: Antica Formula.
Cynar is a fascinating artichoke-flavored bitter liqueur from the folks that bring you Campari.
Chartreuse is naturally green in color, and they claim it’s made by Carthusian monks since 1737, from a secret recipe of 130 plants. There’s also a milder yellow Chartreuse.
The Coppa finished drink:
HEY NEON
1.5 oz. Aalborg aquavit
.75 oz. Punt e Mes
.5 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. green Chartreuse
Finely minced, dehydrated kalamata olives
Combine the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice. Stir briskly and strain into a rocks glass rimmed with the minced kalamata olives.
The home version:
I tried mincing and dehydrating the kalamata olives, like they do at Coppa. But the oils in the olives kept them from drying out enough, even in a dehydrator. Maybe I was just too impatient for a drink! And I couldn’t get the minced olives to stick to the rim of my glass.
My solution was pretty simple: pour the drink into a martini glass and serve with a skewer of kalamatas. Works for me!
THE STORY BEHIND THE VESPER MARTINI
Posted: March 24, 2021 in Cocktails, drink recipes, Drinks, Food, MARTINI, mixology, RecipesTags: cocktails, drinks, food, James Bond, martini, mixology, recipes, Vesper
‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’ ‘Oui, monsieur.’ ‘Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s (gin), one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’ ‘Certainly, monsieur.’ The barman seemed pleasant with the idea. ‘Gosh that’s certainly a drink,’ said Leiter.
Bond laughed. ‘When I’m … er … concentrating.’ he explained, ‘I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I can think of a good name.’
He watched carefully as the deep glass became frosted with the pale golden drink, slightly aerated by the bruising of the shaker. He reached for it and took a long sip.
‘Excellent,’ he said to the barman, ‘but if you can get a vodka made with grain instead of potatoes, you will find it still better.’
3 oz. Hendrick’s gin
1 oz. Tito’s or Grey Goose vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet
QUARANTINE COCKTAILS, PART 11: MY ESPRESSO MARTINI
Posted: August 15, 2020 in Cocktails, drink recipes, espresso, MARTINI, mixologyTags: cocktails, drinks, espresso, martini, mixology
Years ago, I gave my self an important research project: Create your own version of the perfect espresso martini.
It took painstaking research, which required drinking many espresso martinis in many a bar on my travels.
My favorite version came from a bartender working at Knave, the lobby bar at the at Parker New York, the former Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan. It featured Coole Swan, an Irish cream liqueur I had never heard of before. The bartender was nice enough to write down the recipe for me, but I guess I had a little too much to drink…because I lost it! So it was up to me to use those brain cells I didn’t fry and come up with my own combination.
A lot of mixing late into the night, and I came up with what I consider to be my perfect espresso martini. As the marines say: “There are many like it, but this one is mine.”
3 oz. good quality vodka, like Belvedere
3 oz. freshly brewed espresso
1.5 oz. Kahlua
1.5 oz. Coole Swan
Chill your martini glasses. Pour all the ingredients into a large shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled glasses.
This recipe makes 2 martinis. Let me tell ya…this tasted as good the first time as it did several martinis later! I’ve found that using a high-end vodka really does make a difference in the quality and taste of the martini…as does freshly brewing your espresso just before assembling the drink.
QUARANTINE COCKTAILS, PART 9: TEQUILA PIMM’S CUP
Posted: July 16, 2020 in Cocktails, Cucumbers, drink recipes, Drinks, Food, mixology, RecipesTags: cocktails, drinks, mixology, pIMM'S, tequila
I love tequila. I love Pimm’s. And I love Dark & Stormies. I’m a lush. This cocktail has an interesting nod to all three.
3 oz. Patron silver tequila
1.5 oz Pimm’s No. 1
good squeeze of fresh lime juice
Chilled ginger beer
Ice cubes
Fresh mint
Cucumber slices (optional)
Combine the tequila, Pimm’s and lime juice in a highball glass filled with ice.
Place slices of cucumber in the glass, if desired.
Top it with your favorite ginger beer and stir gently.
Garnish with a mint sprig.