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Browsing Tag: bourbon
Tonight we return with a potent tipple – the Big Chief. Punch states, this strong and stirred cocktail is “named after the Big Chief Indians down here in New Orleans that lead their tribes in the St. Joseph’s Day parade.” I really enjoyed this full bodied, spirit forward riff of the Manhattan (by way of the Longshoreman, Redhook, and Brooklyn) created by Abigail Gullo, head bartender at Compère Lapin in New Orleans. So if you enjoy Manhattans or any of the myriad of variations, give this one a try. It is well worth it! Save Print Big Chief Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 oz small batch bourbon ½ oz Amaro Averna ½ oz sweet vermouth…
Happy Friday before Labor Day, everyone! I am back and here is tonight’s tipple – the Hunter Cocktail. Recently, I was reading a viewpoint about mixing cocktails with few high quality ingredients being courageous. I will admit that I all acts of creation take a modicum of courage – it exposes the creator to criticism and review regardless of the ingredient count. The beauty is that people take the chance to share something and extend their experience and knowledge, regardless of the accolades or critique. This is one of those cocktails; ingeniously simple and full of flavor. It is perfect for saying goodbye to summer with its cherry influence while saying hello to fall with its warming bourbon. The origins of this cocktail are clouded in…
Today I want to share with you a delicious experiment I recently completed. After sharing the Balsamic Ginger Fig Jam with friends and co-workers (to rave reviews I might add), I found Adriatic figs at my local international store and decided to see if I could work the same magic with them. I was thinking something along the lines of the Fig Newton filling – but with a bit of something extra. How about an adult Fig Newton; one laced with bourbon? So, I set about to create this concoction and here are the results. Like the Balsamic Ginger Fig Jam, this recipe is super easy and foolproof due to cooking it sous vide. No scorching, no stirring, no hassle… and I like that. Besides, the…
I recently had this cocktail at a restaurant near my office. Yeah, it was happy hour so I thought, “What the heck?” Well, I liked it a lot even though this establishment made every effort to ensure I would never return! Anyway, I thought I could tweak this beauty a wee bit and share it with you. This cocktail, created by New York’s Sam Ross (of Penicillin fame), uses equal parts of 4 ingredients (Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice) to produce a beautiful and delicious drink. Given that one of the essential ingredients is difficult to get in my area (Amaro Nonino), I am going to make a substitution and an addition to compensate. The result is an interesting interpretation which I…
Tonight I tested our smoke infuser with a cocktail, something I think everyone that enjoys making their own cocktails should try. This negroni riff was perfect for adding a bit of smoke to; it tempered the sweetness of the bourbon and gave it a slightly scotch like quality. Experimenting with this new product is going to be fun (and delicious) based on the results of the few tests I have performed so far. This new product is easy to use and produces volumes of smoke. It will be useful for creating smoke effects as well as imparting the subtle hint of flavor. The only downside is that the product is not yet available for purchase. But if you have a little patience, we will have it available at…
Happy Friday the 13th! For all you triskaidekaphobics out there, put your worries about the 13th away and try this happy hour delight. Hot on the tail of the last week’s Old Fashioned cocktail post comes this variant. Do I sense a new theme here? Well, this variant will tickle your taste buds as I am substituting the sugar with St. Germain – that lovely elderflower liqueur that powered such favorites as St. Germain Spritz, Agave Bloom, Elderflower Thistle, Citadelle Germain, Next to the Last Word, and Holiday Spritz. And this cocktail really delivers. Part Old Fashioned, part Negroni in flavor, I like it. It is different, yet simple… and who doesn’t like that! Give it a try yourself and let me know…
During a recent conversation with friends about cocktails, specifically the old fashioned, a quick search of the blog from my phone left me quite embarrassed. I could not believe I have posted several variations of this classic, but never celebrated the original. Well, it is time to rectify that oversight tonight! This cocktail is considered one of the six basic drinks documented in David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. It’s earliest reference is in an 1806 response to a letter as the definition of a ‘cocktail’ – to wit – a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar. That is the very definition of the classic Old Fashioned, which really explains how this tipple received its name. I…
I finally found a cocktail that is as varied as this Spring weather. Meet the Prospector. While researching this evening’s tipple, I found recipes that used tequila, cognac, blended scotch, or bourbon as the main spirit and absolutley no consensus on the other ingredients. From what I can tell, all these cocktails named Prospector have their own origins but there is nothing easily identifiable in regards to an actual history. So I will through caution to the wind and present the Prospector that caught my eye – a Manhattan variant (imagine that – dang, I need to get out more!). Mixing bourbon and Averno Amaro seems like a natural pairing, but spiking it with a ‘pop’ of sherry is what got my attention. And…
Tonight’s cocktail is a riff on the Millionaire that I believe is aptly named since it is a step above. The key ingredient in this drink is the pomegranate syrup and while it is only a small amount, it is necessary. Of course, I did not buy any of the commercially available pomegranate syrups you can find at the store (although you can, but be aware that they may just be high fructose corn syrup with red food coloring!), I made my own. And I skipped the whole process of dealing with the actual pomegranate fruit to get the juice laden arils. How you ask? Simple, I reduced a small amount of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice which is 100% juice. The results… nothing short of…
Let’s celebrate another holiday season with a flavor bursting bourbon based cocktail with cherry and absinthe. This is yet another twist on a Manhattan (or a Sazerac), which is not a bad thing at all considering I really enjoy them. Yes, I am having fun trying all these variations and sharing them with you. Historically, I could not find out much about this cocktail. I can only think this cocktail was so named by some young bartender still harboring resentment at finding out Christmas presents were an ‘Inside Job’ and that Santa Claus does not exist. Or maybe that is just my fanciful yuletide imagination! Either way, let’s celebrate the holidays with this boozy Manhattan/Sazerac riff. After a few, you will…