The first one up was the Basil Faultless Cocktail. It was surprisingly dry and tart, with a light spice from the Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. The basil adds a fresh aroma that further adds complexity to the drink. Given how much Domaine de Canton is in this cocktail, it really wasn’t too sweet at all.

Basil Faultless Cocktail

1.5 oz gin
1 oz Domaine de Canton
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
3-4 basil leaves

Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass, add dash seltzer.

The drink that I really enjoyed was the Cook Strait Sling. This is a cocktail that Phil created for a Cocktail World Cup hosted by 42 Below vodka. It has made it to the US finals and is still in the mix to win a big prize. The Cook Strait Sling is a variation on a Singapore Sling, with vodka replacing gin and Domaine de Canton replacing Benedictine. The Cook Strait is between the north and south islands of New Zealand, where 42 Below vodka is made.

Cook Strait Sling

1.5 oz vodka
.75 oz Domaine de Canton
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz Cherry Heering
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes orange bitters

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, top with seltzer

This was a really great cocktail. I tend to not like vodka-based cocktails, as I think they are primarily a missed opportunity to add some flavor. But this was so rich with layers from the lemon, cherry heering, and bitters that it’s hard to imagine much more coming into play had this been made with, say, white rum or gin. It was tart and slightly bitter, with enough sweetness to make it really palatable. It’s no wonder that it’s had success in the Cocktail World Cup, as it is a phenomenal use of ingredients.

Domaine de Canton is a really great ingredient. It is sweet enough to replace a sweetener in many recipes, but adds a great spiciness to drinks and opens doors for expanding flavor profiles in classic cocktails. The drinks I had last night by Phil Greene at Bourbon were perfect examples of the flexibility of Domaine de Canton. No wonder he’s out repping for the brand!

Anyway, Han was at Elixir last night and sent along details about what sounds like a great drink, The Monk’s Cherry. He got the recipe:

The Monk’s Cherry

2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
4 Bourbon Bing Cherries
Fresh Lavender

Muddle 4 bourbon Bing cherries along with a bar spoon of fresh lavender (sans stems) in a mixing glass. Add ice, bourbon, vermouth, and Chartreuse. Shake and fine-strain into coupe cocktail glass. Garnish with de-stemmed bourbon cherry 1/2 sliced to sit on stem with a small spear of lavender stuck into it, as if it’s the stem.

Han writes of The Monk’s Cherry:

Naturally, it’s quite floral but the sweet, boozy cherries and lavender and chartreuse balance each other beautifully and the unique vermouth (I know you’re a fan) rounds out the slightly spicy Bulleit. Damn, it’s good! Try it if you can find some decent fresh lavender… and if you have the patience to steep some cherries in bourbon for a while (maybe you already have?). I’m definitely gonna try to add this to my repertoire.

Well Han was right – I keep batches of bourbon, rye, and maraschino cherries in my fridge for moments like this, when you just have to have some beautiful big cherries soaked with bourbon! Actually, this is one of the first and easiest things I got into in the cocktail world. It takes literally no effort to make these cherries and the bonus is you will always have some to put in your Manhattan that matches the base spirit.

In terms of The Monk’s Cherry, this looked so good I just had to try it tonight. The only problem is that I am currently sans Carpano Antica and, not surprisingly, I don’t have any fresh lavender lying around, either. So I had to improvise. Here’s what I came up with:

The Monk’s Garden

2 oz Four Roses Small Batch
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Dolin Rouge
1 bar spoon Creme de Roses
4 Bourbon Bing Cherries

Muddle 4 bourbon Bing cherries along with a bar spoon of Creme de Roses in a mixing glass. Add ice, bourbon, vermouth, and Chartreuse. Shake and fine-strain into coupe cocktail glass. Garnish with de-stemmed bourbon cherry 1/2 sliced to sit on stem with a small spear of lavender stuck into it, as if it’s the stem.

Now, given I wasn’t using Carpano Antica, I thought a less spicy bourbon was in order. The Four Roses is still strong and rich, but it doesn’t have the same pepper as the Bulleit. It works really well with the Dolin. Creme de Roses is not available in the US, but if you’re reading this blog you can probably imagine what it is like. It’s similar to Creme de Violette, only with a rose base instead of violet. It’s sweet and oily, but not overpowering. Added here, it provides a nice floral bouquet to the cocktail. The drink is surprisingly balanced for the amount of Chartreuse here, though I’m sure a little tinkering could get this to the point where it really hums without as much of a sweet taste.

All that said, the folks at Elixir are clearly onto something with the marriage of this range of ingredients. It’s a fun cocktail – close in relation to a Manhattan, but with far more going on. Give one or both of these recipes a stir and let me know what you think.

Police Gazette Cocktail
Adapted by Gaz Regan from a recipe by Francis Schott, Catherine Lombardi and the Stage Left restaurants, New Jersey.

2 1/2 ounces Old Overholt or other straight rye whiskey
1/4 ounce Dolin Blanc vermouth
1/4 ounce Senior’s Orange Curacao di Curacao
1/4 ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1 cherry marinated in maraschino liqueur, as garnish
1 dash Angostura Bitters, as an aromatic garnish
1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6, as an aromatic garnish

Place all the ingredients, except the cherry and bitters, in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the cherry, and dash the bitters onto the top of the drink.

The Museum of the American Cocktail Presents:

Introduction to Cocktails – Mastering the Classics

$45.00 per person pre-register

The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.

Monday, March 22 2010, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Occidental Grill & Seafood
1475 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20004

At this fun and informative seminar, you’ll learn the general history of cocktails by looking at four classics, the Old Fashioned (which is simply a variation on the original “cocktail”), the Manhattan, the Martini, and the Daiquiri. From these four classics we’ll look at variations on each one, how each drink and category evolved, historical anecdotes, pop-culture references, etc. Looking especially at the Daiquiri, we’ll see how this drink is one of the many “sours,” and to master one is to master a concept that allows you not only to make other classics (Sidecar, Margarita, Whiskey Sour, Aviation, White Lady, Pisco Sour, Jack Rose, and many others), but to invent your own variations, as well. You’ll also learn many basic cocktail making tips throughout this event.  All the while, you’ll enjoy tasty appetizers created especially by the Occidental’s acclaimed chef.  Please register at:

http://museumoftheamericancocktail.org/Events/Default.aspx#Seminar52

Winner: Matt Hamlin
Score: 4-1
Game Summary: York’s cocktail was interesting because it contained a cloaking device (tequila was disguised as the main liquor). However, it couldn’t hold the jockstrap of Hamlin’s tequila Rob Roy, which was well balanced, finished beautifully, and forced most of us to drink the whole thing.

Not the diction I may have chosen, but hey, it’s fun. In Round 2 I’m up against Gary Cartwright’s very successful entry:

Gary Cartwright

Ingredients:
4-6 mint leaves
1 3/4 oz bourbon
3/4 Citronge or other quality triple sec
splash sweetened lime juice

Instructions:
Rip and lightly crush mint leaves in a shaker tin with spoon or whatnot, then add lots of ice, the spirits and lime. Stir well, until tin dews up, and strain carefully over ice, with a lime twist or wheel garnish.

I can see that there’s a lot to like with this drink, which looks to be a julep relative. Cartwright’s drink cleared the first round 5-0 with the judges.

I’m guessing the results for Round 2 won’t be in for another week or two, but I’ll keep you all posted.j

The only other thing I’ll say is the long waits and the round by round color commentary make this a far more stressful contest that most judged-in-one-night events.

But only rarely do they look laughably bad.

Today I received an email promoting Jagermeister-based Mardi Gras cocktails that included this recipe:

Bourbon Treat

1/3 oz. Blue Curacao
1/3 oz. Goldschlager
1/3 oz. Jägermeister
1/3 oz. Ouzo
1/3 oz. Rumple Minze
1/3 oz. Bourbon

Layer in a 2 oz. shot glass in the given order.

Now, I’m guessing since this is a layered shot, it looks fairly cool in a glass. But it’s really hard for me to imagine a recipe that, at least on paper, looks worse tasting than this concoction without specifically calling for spoiled milk or Marmite. I mean, orange, cinnamon, Jager, anise, peppermint and bourbon? Really??

It got me thinking – what’s the worst cocktail you’ve ever seen marketed or put on a menu in a bar? I’m not thinking about things you drank in college for the sake of getting drunk. I’m talking about something that someone, somewhere, presumably with a straight face, said, “Gee, I think people will like this!”

So, let me know in the comments – what’s the worst cocktail you’ve ever seen or tasted?

Kidding aside, I’m up against Bill York’s submission, which while including St. Germain, also looks pretty damned tasty:

Bill York’s Magnificent Bastard

2 oz Herradura Silver Tequila
1 Tbsp St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
2 healthy dashes Angostura Bitters
Lemon twist

Combine ingredients in an ice filled glass. Strain into cocktail glass & garnish with lemon twist OR serve on the rocks.

Bill’s drink is basically a tequila Old Fashioned sweetened by St. Germain. I’ve had plenty of drinks that pair St. Germain with a silver tequila and I’ve always been a fan of the results, so I’m clearly up against a tough first round opponent.

As a reminder, here’s what I’m bringing to the table in the Magnificent Bastard cocktail contest:

1 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Chichicapa)
.5 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin Dry)
.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin Rouge)
1.5 bar spoons Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I like how my cocktail stacks up against Bill’s, but then again, I’ve been working this a while and have grown quite fond of it.

The first round of judging begins on February 11th, so I’ll keep you posted on what happens. The contest will conclude on April 5th.

Some good summer drinks for mid-winter. Recipes here:

Piñasca

2 oz Sagatiba Cachaça
2 Slices of Grilled Pineapple*
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
½ oz 1:1 Simple Syrup
Sweet & Spicy Rim**

Muddle, Shake and Strain into an ice filled, sweet & spicy rimmed high ball glass. Garnish with grilled pineapple and lime peel.

*Cut fresh pineapple, slice lengthwise and grill until the simple sugars are caramelized with beautiful grill marks.
** 1T sugar, 1/8 t salt, 1/8 t cayenne pepper

The Fong

2 oz Beefeater
½ oz Lillet
½ Garam Masala Grilled Lemon
¾ oz Honey Cardamom Syrup

Method: Squeeze Lemon and add addition ingredients, shake, double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grilled lemon zest.

Via my mom.

The Magnificent Bastard Cocktail

1 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Chichicapa)*
.5 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin Dry)
.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin Rouge)
1.5 bar spoons Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I think this is a cocktail that really fits into the idea of Magnificent Bastard and the type of drinks their editors seem to enjoy. It is very complex – smokey, sweet, bitter, deep and balanced. Each sip reveals a slightly different layer, showing the magnificence of this drink. But it’s also straight spirits and packs a strong punch. You may be intimidated by the mezcal, but don’t be — this isn’t the Mezcal from your college visit to Tijuana or Cancun. This is A Serious Spirit. Embrace it and let it free you.

* I also have made this with Del Maguey’s San Luis Del Rio. It is smokier than the Chichicapa, which has a strong citrus mix that I think works better for this cocktail.

But then I recently received an email from someone with Bärenjäger that included a variation on a classic cocktail, The Bees’ Knees. The Bee’s Knees is one of my favorite sweet-tart gin cocktails and it’s spent a long time on the menu at Bar Pilar. It’s traditionally made with gin, lemon juice and honey, though Jeffrey Morganthaler has a great variation using white rum in lieu of gin. In any event, I like to see spirit companies do outreach with classic cocktails so it piqued my interest to try Bärenjäger.

Their promotional materials describe Bärenjäger as:

Made in Germany, this 70 proof vodka-based honey liqueur is made with premium quality honey from the Mexican province of Yucatan. Each 750ml bottle contains 225 grams of natural honey and a mixture of botanicals resulting in a subtly sweet, spicy and herb edged taste profile.

One thing that immediately stands out to me is how sweet Bärenjäger is. It is sweet. Really, really sweet. Not subtle at all, in fact. It smells intensely of honey and it tastes like honey, with a light bit of spice at the end. Sipped warm, it’s not very appealing. Taken as a chilled shot, I can see this having a lot of appeal as a Jagermeister alternative.

But that doesn’t interest me all that much. What interested me was the Bärenjäger variation on the Bee’s Knees. This is the recipe I received from the company promoting this spirit:

Bees’ Knees

2 parts Gin
1/2 part Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1/4 part simple syrup
1/2 part fresh grapefruit juice
Combine gin, Bärenjäger, simple syrup, and grapefruit juice in a bar glass over ice an shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

The first thing that stands out is that there is no way in the world this cocktail will need the simple syrup. The Bärenjäger is more than sweet enough and adding more sugar will make this unpalatable, at least to me. So I took the simple syrup out and did the rest as described:

Bees’ Knees (MBH variation)

2 parts Gin
1/2 part Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1/2 part fresh grapefruit juice
Combine gin, Bärenjäger, simple syrup, and grapefruit juice in a bar glass over ice an shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

This was actually a pretty great cocktail. It was light, sweet, tart and refreshing. It’s different from a classic Bee’s Knees, but the changes are positive.

Like many sweet liqueurs, Bärenjäger is an interesting and challenging ingredient for craft cocktails. It’s sweetness makes balance harder to achieve. But I’m sure people will find other good applications of this spirit in quality, balanced cocktails. I could see it playing a nice role in a Whisky Skin variation, for example. I’ll also be curious to see if Bärenjäger is able to compete with the famous shooting liqueurs or if they push more towards craft cocktails.

Disclosure: This post was made possible because I received a free sample of Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur.