(A year ago, we launched our site with this cocktail, a lovely integration of bubbles, gin, citrus, and a touch of syrup. We’ll gather the ingredients tonight for a celebration.) The French 75 was the first in a series of drinks named after military artillery pieces. This caliber of cannon saw service with American soldiers […]
This is not a daytime cocktail. The whiskey, rum, and cream push this recipe firmly into the after-dinner category. If you can find it, use Baby Blue, a blue-corn whiskey from Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas. Another choice, and definitely available, is George Dickel Tennessee Sour Mash. Midnight Cowboy 2 ounces of whiskey 1 ounce […]
Spirits, collegiate and alcoholic, seem to go together. This cocktail, named after Yale University, is a return — almost — to the 1890s. The original recipe called for Creme Yvette, a liqueur flavored with violet petals and berries, and originally made in Connecticut. Production stopped in 1969 and was restarted in 2009. We’ve substituted Chambord, […]
A Prohibition-Era creation, this drink was first mixed by Ada Coleman, the first female head bartender at London’s Savoy Hotel. It has been adapted by the Gin Foundry in London, a company organizing gin-related events and offering, on their site, an array of cocktails and ginews. Hanky Panky 1 ounce gin 1 ounce sweet vermouth […]
Here’s a drink named for a small tool used for boring holes or a British naval physician who saw how lime juice prevented scurvy. The original recipes called for almost equal parts dry gin and sweetened lime juice. Over time the gimlet has become less sweet, almost a summer cooler. Our version adds a splash […]
Phoebe Snow was an an early 1900s white-clad fictional character used to show how clean it was to travel on trains powered by anthracite coal. And then there is Phoebe Snow, the singer, song-writer and guitarist with crackling bluesy voice who died in 2011. Phoebe Snow 1 1/2 ounces brandy 1 1/2 ounces Dubonnet Rouge […]
It is National Tequila Day. And in case you are wondering why tequila, a spirit from Mexico, is honored in the U.S., the reason is simple: After Mexico, we consume more tequila than any other country. Last year, Americans drank more than 13.5 million gallons of tequila. That’s more than 75 percent of Mexico’s total […]
Forget the movie. The featured drink in that classic film — aside from Bogart swilling bourbon — was the Champagne Cocktail. This rum-based recipe gets its name from the white painted homes of Caribbean plantation owners. The lime juice cuts through what might appear to be a recipe on the sweet side. Casablanca 2 ounces […]
The newer recipes for a Black Devil call for dark rum, but we find the lighter rum allows the vermouth to show through in this very simple mix. The olive garnish gives the drink its name. Black Devil 2 ounce light rum 1/2 ounce dry vermouth Pour rum and vermouth into a mixing glass with […]
This cocktail belongs in the 1,2,3 and it’s done category. An American original, the first mention of the recipe dates to 1890s in New York City. While it calls for brandy as the spirit, it is often made with bourbon, rye or lighter Canadian whiskey. The visual signature is the long curl of lemon peel […]