Riggs and Murtaugh
I am on a mission to convince you that rhum and tequila are a really, really good pair. They complement each other better than partners in a buddy cop movie (Lethal Weapon anyone?). They’re as natural as PB&J. You get the idea. Recently I brought this dynamic duo starred in a stirred, martini-esque format. If that’s not your style, then how about a fruit-forward sour?
Rose Colored Glasses
First of all, happy National Cocktail Day to all my fellow drinkstagrammers and cocktail enthusiasts! I would be remiss if I didn’t post today, of all days, a cocktail (with a bonus mocktail version!) to celebrate. Today I have a very pink drink quite literally served in rose colored glasses, but hopefully you won’t have to wear yours to see what makes this drink delicious [Dad joke alert🤓].
Hophead
Before becoming a cocktail nerd, I was a beer nerd. I know, shocker. I still enjoy beer, especially a really hoppy IPA. I tried @leopoldbros Fernet (as part of my R&D for @homebarawards finals— congrats @denisgor!), and my initial impression was…that is was very bitter. I don’t say that very often, but I also don’t back down from a spirit that seems challenging at first impression.
Luckiwi
Before you ask, I’m not really sure how to pronounce the name of this drink. As my wife can begrudgingly attest, I love combining words, so today we have a Lucky Kiwi drink in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Kiwi has a distinct enough flavor and some acidity that lends itself well to cocktails (amiright @cocktail.complex?). And it’s green, so it’s perfect for today.
Lucky Lime’rick
This drink brings lime, mint, and chocolate together in a boozy green sipper. The lime peel rhum infusion provides a surprisingly strong limey presence thanks to the prolonged infusion (2-3 days), which gives a touch of bitter that plays perfectly with the grassy notes of the rhum. The homemade cordial gives an enormous depth of real mint and chocolate flavor that is complemented nicely by the remaining ingredients. The drink finishes with a welcome minty note that grows slightly as the ice melts. It’s an amazing flavor combo and well worth the effort!
Apologetic
As a general rule I really try not to be “that guy”. You know who he is. Blissfully unaware of his jerk-iness, not treating his partner well, always needing to make things right. Do flowers and wine say I’m sorry without saying I’m sorry?
Roasted Cauliflower Pizza
There’s this cauliflower salad that I adore in my one my favorite cookbooks (though in reality it’s wayyy more than just recipes), The Food Lab, by J. Kenji López-Alt. It has roasted cauliflower covered in a lovely dressing with olive oil, capers, sherry vinegar, hot honey, toasted pine nuts, and raisins, garnished with parsley. It’s seriously delicious. As with many delicious things, I wondered: could we make it into a pizza?
Gold Pal
I’m not as familiar with Irish whisky as other styles, but I must say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the bottle that @mcconnellsirishwhisky kindly gifted me. It may be lacking an “e” but it’s not short on rich flavors of honey, malted grain, almond, and vanilla. It’s certainly more delicate than some other styles, which is not a bad thing, but it takes a different approach to fully honor and appreciative the spirit in a cocktail.
The Real Streets of Cabbagetown
I posted a drink called Cabbagetown (1/18/21) that was named for an area of Toronto, since the drink itself was a Toronto riff. Many people commenting on the drink were expecting actual cabbage in the drink, which made me really happy to know that people think I am bold (?crazy) enough to try such a thing. I mean, it would be on-brand given my love for food-inspired, often savory-leaning concoctions. Yeah, you see where this is going-- I had to do it.
Biscotti Italiani
This food-inspired cocktail is the brainchild of my dear friend @rogzor and came about during our fernet-inspired cocktails R&D session for the @homebarawards (so honored to be in the top 3!). While this wasn’t one of my official entries, it’s a darn good drink and conceptually really fun. Lazzaroni makes a lovely fernet, minty but not quite as intense as branca. The Lazzaroni family is also known for making an almond biscotti. While I couldn’t locate the original, I did acquire a chocolate-dipped almond biscotti.