Palmer Sessions
This recipe is my entry into this month’s @homebarawards’ session bourbon cocktails— something relatively low ABV and easy to drink more than one. As the temps rise in Texas, I wanted something thirst-quenching to enjoy while hanging out in the sun. The result is somewhere in between an Arnold Palmer and a Whiskey Smash and might be my official drink of Summer 2023.
Old Roots
This eclectic recipe is the brainchild of my buddy @rogzor during one of our typical “hangout & mix up something interesting” nights. The premise came about when we were discussing potential uses for jalapeño shochu. Michael proposed treating it like a vermouth, and adding syrup to make it more like a sweet vermouth for a very… unusual Manhattan riff.
Violet Crown
I have a fruit-forward Springtime drink to share today! The strawberry tarragon syrup has been a huge hit and is nearly gone, so here is one more drink featuring it. This one includes a beautiful purple gin kindly sent by @mcqueenvioletfog that is flavored with berry/hibiscus. The strawberry was a natural pairing here with the berry notes. I added a bit of tequila because I love the hibiscus/agave combo. Bitter bianco brought some depth and balance to the build. For being a fairly straightforward Tom Collins riff, this one was highly touted by my (albeit gin-loving) wife.
Stand Tall
This cocktail is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s a whiskey sour riff that features a delicious California bourbon kindly sent by @redwoodempirewhiskey and builds around a homemade strawberry tarragon syrup. [Muddle strawberries with equal weight of white sugar, stir in handful of slapped tarragon, refrigerate overnight. Fine strain, coffee filter, bottle, refrigerate.]. The Campari plays off the berry notes and provides some bitter depth, and the bit of Jäger helps draw out the gentle anise notes from the tarragon.
Grains of Sand
It’s amazing how much a few tweaks can change a drink. When I’m coming up with a new recipe, I try to be honest with myself. If it sucks, what went wrong? Is the balance right? If it’s awesome, what was the magic element? This drink started off… just okay. It didn’t “pop”. The awesome flavored vodka got lost. Somewhat counterintuitively, it needed more rum “character”— aged rum and a funky overproof rum instead of white rum and rhum agricole. Just tweaking the base made this one really worth the shake.
Happy Tears
Today’s recipe includes one of the spirits I brought back from Greece: Mastiha liqueur. It’s made from the resin that comes from an evergreen shrub native to Greece. When the plant’s resin comes out it looks like a tear drop, and can be used in a variety of culinary (and drink) applications (and more). The nose on the spirit is pine-y and not too distant from gin/juniper, but the taste is definitely distinct and includes more woodsy/cedar/earthy notes with a tiny hint of herbaceousness/?mint. Yum!
Inverted French ‘75
Happy National Cocktail Day! I figured it was prudent to post a drink, of all days, even though that’s pretty much business as usual around here. Today I have another “class switch” if you will— reimagining a classic cocktail in a different style.
One With Tea
Hey all! I’m back from vacation and have some new content for you. Today we’re going to keep it fairly simple with a martini-style drink using a delicious flavored vodka kindly sent by @chakravodkas. With this build, I wanted to highlight the jasmine by tying in some tea-leaning flavors with the Italicus (bergamot-forward liqueur) and gin— I used @jaisalmergin, which has green tea among its aromatic botanicals.
Espresso Con Formaggio
Yes, you translated that right: espresso with cheese. Parmesan to be exact. There has been a trend spreading around lately of grating parmesan cheese over an espresso martini (thanks @thebittergringo & @highproofpreacher). My first thought was “hmm… that’s so weird I have to try it”— I’m all on board with unusual (or downright strange) flavor combinations, and as I pointed out in my last post, I’m convinced coffee goes with about anything.
Low-Key
I have made this drink multiple times already, so that should tell you a lot (I don’t normally do that). Don’t let the homemade ingredients dissuade you, they are both as easy as throwing stuff in a jar (though I made the tincture in a sous vide, a room temp infusion should work fine). I’m a big fan of this gin, and I feel like its full potential is unlocked when paired with vegetal pepper.