Posts Tagged ‘aperitif’

Strawberry Dimple, gin cocktail

What is a dimple? It is a miniature version of a martini served straight up in a shooter glass. This doesn’t mean the drink belongs in the college drinking game category. The name is too silly for that. It works well as an aperitif and as an after dinner drink. This cocktails calls for a […]

 

Vermouth Cassis, vermouth cocktail

I drank my first Vermouth Cassis at an outdoor table in a small Paris restaurant. It was a warm summer evening, the light was almost gone, and the menu promised rosemary roasted chicken. Vermouth Cassis was and is a perfect and simple drink for savoring such before-dinner moments. Vermouth Cassis 1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth […]

 

Pastis, aperitif cocktail

Pastis was created as a replacement for the once-illegal absinthe, also a spirit strongly flavored with anise. The pastis of France belongs to an extended family of anise-flavored drinks popular around the Mediterranean, including sambuca, ouzo, arak, rakı, and mastika. The word pastis, from the Occitan spoken in southern France, means “mash-up.” While pastis is […]

 

Before Dinner, aperitif cocktail

We were looking for a quick, pre-dinner whiskey drink, one that would pique the appetite. And one that would use ingredients on hand. There was a bottle of Colorado rye, the Italian vermouth Punt e Mes, and the paper-wrapped bottle of Peychauds bitters. Five minutes later, we were sipping and planning dinner. Before Dinner 1 […]

 

Brass Monkey, Galliano cocktail

There’s a lot going on in this tall drink: The rum masks in part the vodka; the orange juice provides a big citrus cushion; and the Galliano float offers a elusive flavor that brings it all together. Brass Monkey 4 ounces orange juice 1 ounce vodka 3/4 ounce light rum 1/4 teaspoon Galliano Pour the […]

 

Fragrance, herb cocktail

Fresh herbs can add interesting and deep bouquet and flavor to cocktails. Oregano and thyme are among the high taste profile herbs. We’ve combined the two in this drink. Do not use a fine mesh sieve when straining: the drink should have flecks of the herbs floating in it. Fragrance 2 ounces vodka 1/2 ounce […]

 

Icy Hot, minty cocktail

The slight warming zing in this cocktail is cinnamon and comes from the Goldschläger, a liqueur flecked with tiny bits of gold foil. (Put the strainers away, there’s not enough gold in a bottle to make it worth while.) The Falernum is a rum-based liqueur with vanilla notes. The Icy Hot demonstrates the miracle of […]

 

A.J., applejack cocktail

We capped our weeklong offering of Super Bowl week cocktails with Touchdown, a punch for eight based on Laird’s Applejack. The drink was a hit and led us to build other recipes using applejack. Here’s a very straight forward mix of applejack and freshly-squeezed juice. A.J. 1 1/2 ounces applejack 1 1/2 ounces fresh orange […]