Spirited Cocktails

The recipe for this cocktail is long overdue. I’ve been wanting to reconstruct it since I first tried it at the Gramercy Tavern a few months ago. I’ll skip the excuses and get right down to business, with the exception of saying the following: make this cocktail. You won’t be sorry.

The premise is simple: a Greyhound has long been recognized as a a spirit combined with grapefruit juice. The spirit is usually vodka, but you know we don’t use much of that here.

The Cruzan Silver Greyhound follows that premise with two minor variations: the addition of a little sugar, and the critical addition of grapefruit bitters. If you don’t have any grapefruit bitters, you can order them online (Amazon). They play a huge role in giving this cocktail the depth that sets it apart from the standard Greyhound. Read More

I’ve been on the hunt lately for new summer cocktails. I’m hoping that, in a tribute to mind over matter, the imbibing of summer cocktails will actually cause summer to materialize (which, as those of you enduring the incessant rain along with me in New York know, is long-overdue).

So recently when the folks at Bulldog Gin sent me their list of new summer cocktails, Friday I’m In Love jumped out at me (you’ll see why in just a moment). It also gave me a good opportunity to give Bulldog a try.

Bulldog itself is very well suited to summer cocktails. It’s on the drier side with some nice hints of citrus and pine. It’s also got some interesting ingredients like poppy and Dragon Eye (which is related to lychee). I’ll admit though, I had trouble picking out the Dragon Eye in the flavor, but hey, I’m still an amateur taster :-) Read More

Editor’s Note: Today we’re lucky to have another small plate recipe from guest-blogger Katy. What could go better with cocktails than Prosciutto Palmiers?? That’s right – nothing. Oh – be sure to check out her blog, BirkenMommy.

Palmiers look fancy but are quite simple to make. If your a cooking newbie, I’ve written a more detailed (and photographed) palmier tutorial on my blog, BirkenMommy.

Ingredients

1 sheet of slightly thawed puff pastry  (storebought is fine)
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 slices prosciutto

Read More

Serious Eats has a great story today about the High Tech Cocktails class being taught at the French Culinary Institute. The class is being taught by Nils Noren and Dave Arnold, professors at the FCI and proprietors of Cooking Issues – their “Tech’N Stuff” blog. The combination of “cocktails” and “high tech” has me all wound up. This is a must read.

Cheers!

Father’s Day strikes me as a good time to celebrate the classics. I’ve mentioned before my own father’s love of the classics (ahem – Frank Sinatra). So it occurs to me that the best way to celebrate Fathers Day is with a classic spirit – whiskey. I’ve chosen Canadian Club Classic (see – it’s even in the name!) It’s a blended whiskey, aged 12 years in oak barrels. It can certainly be used in cocktails (some of the cocktail recipes in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book even call for Canadian Club by name), but I’ve chosen to just pour a shot in a solid, heavy-bottomed glass, and enjoy it neat.

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers out there – especially mine :-)

Cheers!

Last week, I told you about a mistake I made in preparing the Queens Park Swizzle (I used gin instead of rum, but I learned a lesson!) Well, since I teased you with one of my favorite rum cocktails, I thought it was time we walked through it for real.

A quick aside: this is the first cocktail I ever had prepared for me at a “real” cocktail bar – Milk & Honey (of London and New York City fame). Milk & Honey is largely credited (and rightfully so) with reigniting the love for the classic cocktail in New York, and whether or not that’s true, they definitely lit the spark in me. The staff and Milk & Honey are infamous for matching their customers with their ideal cocktail. Before serving you, they ask insightful questions about preferred spirits, flavors, and even mood. The first time I went to Milk & Honey, this is the cocktail they prepared for me, so it will always hold a special place in my heart :-) Read More

There’s currently a thunderstorm raging outside my window, so it’s not all that difficult to figure out why I decided to whip up a Dark and Stormy cocktail tonight. When the rain is pelting your windows, nothing will whisk you away (mentally, anyway) faster than rum and ginger beer.

This one is really as simple as it gets. Here’s what you’re going to need: Read More