Princes Street

1 oz       (30 ml) scotch

1/2 oz    (15 ml) vermouth

1/2 oz    (15 ml) Aperol aperitif

2                        dashes of grapefruit bitters

Stir ingredients over ice and strain into chilled 

cocktail glass.  Garnish with lemon twist.

I used 21yo Nika Whisky -- a little over powering.  likely a standard brand would do.

Bourbon basil Rathbone

Made this up.

3 sliced of cucumber 

3+ leaves of fresh basil (spanked)

1 sugar cube

  muddle the above in a mixing glass.

1 1/2 to 2 oz of your choice of bourbon

   1/2 oz simple syrup

   dry shake for 20 secs.

add ice, shake, double strain into a chilled cocktail glass

garnish with a spanked basil leaf.

note: for this one I added half an egg white which I think softened it a a bit too much.

Sidecar

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1 1/2 ounces cognac

'not sure about this.  I used PAARL brandy from South Africa and it seemed very good.

other times I've used Napoleon and it was not as good.  when I figure out the perfect recipe i'll post it.

Pisco sour

1 1/2 oz Pisco

   3/4 oz lemon juice

   3/4 oz simple syrup

shake with ice, pour into a cocktail glass, add dash of Angostura bitters.

The Swami

   2 oz pisco
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 green chartreuse
      Splash of simple syrup
   1 dash of Fee Brother grapefruit bitters

Shake all the ingredients over ice
Strain into a cocktail glass

Centennial Canadian Rye Whisky

That's it. :)

Aperol spritz

 

1 oz Aperol

3-4 oz Prosecco

1/2 oz gin (as a tightener)

Made this for friends over the thanksgiving weekend.  They seemed to like it.  I'm doing my best to bring new people in to the world beyond wine and beer.

Cocktail à la Louisiane

 
















Had this at Clive's and liked it.  I swear George used Bourbon and not rye.

This didn't taste as good.
 
3/4 ounce rye whiskey
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce Benedictine
3 to 4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
3 to 4 dashes absinthe or a substitute (Herbsaint, Pernod, Ricard, or other pastis)

I used Wodford Reserve but it seemed to overpower the drink.  I also used an eyedropper for the absinthe but alas I think I got more than 3 drops.  Still a nice drink.  I think they also used Antica Formula which I have but didn't want to open as I don't have room in my fridge (don't want it to go bad) 

Old-fashioned

OLD FASHIONED  from Dale Degroff's book The Craft of the Cocktail

2 oz. Bourbon
3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Tsp. Bar Sugar
2 Orange Slices
2 Maraschino cherries
Water or Soda

Mull carefully in the bottom of an old fashioned glass the sugar, Angostura, one orange, one cherry, and a splash of soda. Remove the orange rind and add Bourbon, ice, and soda or water. Garnish with a fresh orange slice and a cherry.

Note: I don't have any cherries as I haven't found ones I like

Bourbon Basil Rathbone (attempt)

I tried to make a bourbon basil drink tonight after the after the Bourbon Basil Rathbone I had at the Orbit Room in SF

muddled cucumber & basil wi a cube of sugar

3/4 lemon juice

3/4 simple syrop

2oz bullet bourbon

dry shake

then shake with ice & double strain.

I was hoping for more basil and more cucumber.  The recipe at the Orbit room said cucumber puree.

The Hanky Panky

Made it before, will make it again.

1 1/2 oz Gin 

3/4 oz sweet vermouth

1 dash of Fernet Branca

stir with ice

strain into a glass

I didn't garnish with anything.

Old Bill

Made this tonight from Left Coast Libations:

1 oz oloroso sherry (I used Lustau East India sherry)
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz aged rum
3 dashes orange bitters

 Sir all ingredients gentl with ice.
strain into a small wine glass -- I used a chilled coupe

it was a success. Nice taste of the sherry

Zinfandel barrel aged (8weeks) Sazerac

This was from last night at Clive's
Shawn has been working on this for 8 week +
He told us that it took him months to get ahold of a barrel, 7 Months I think. He put the word out looking for a barrel with the only requirement that it be red wine. He got a Zinfandel. He said they were importing grapes from California and barreling it somewhere here on Vancouver Island.

How did it taste you ask? well..

first I notices the smell: cinnamon
The taste was "smooth" nicely sweet and nicely bitter. I don't know what the recipe was. It was busy and I didn't get to ask.
Try it while supplies last!!

The Toronto

Thanks again to Shawn at Clive's for giving me a taste of Fernet Branca. Clive's is hosting a Fernet Branca month and in honour of that I've been looking at and trying some recipes.

I used a variation on the following recipe from Jamie Budreau's blog spirits and cocktails

2 oz rye
¼ oz Fernet Branca
¼ oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass.
Take a disc of orange zest and flame it into the drink.
Drop the zest into the drink.

The Toronto

Um, not remembering where this was. I suspect it was OpenBar.

the recipe

2 oz rye
¼ oz Fernet Branca
¼ oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass.
Take a disc of orange zest and flame it into the drink.
Drop the zest into the drink.

Nikka 21 yo Japanese whisky

Same OpenBar night.

What I remember was that it was a fine whiskey but did not work with the other drinks being served that night.
I think I prefer the $59 Nikka whiskey more: higher alcohol which gives is a nice burn and distinct flavour.

The Toto

Either I had the gal over or a bunch of gals. This is from the Left Coast Libations book. I highly recommend it - though You must be fortunate enough to live somewhere where you have access to good quality and a variety of the listed ingredients: the majority of the recipes call for things I can't get here in Victoria BC.

The Toto

3/4 oz El Jimador reposado tequila
3/4 green Chartreuse
3/4 Cynar
Lemon twist, for garnish

Stir all the ingredients with ice.
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with the lemon twist

Ledaig from tobermoru on the island of mull

'hope I spelled that right. My parents just got back from a month in Ireland and Scotland. Dad brought this back. He asked for the peatiest one they had. it's a bute. 46% alcohol. Peaty and strong.

Three Pisco Sours

From a while back, when I had my parents over for dinner. I swear it was Solomon Seigle at Solomon's that got me into Pisco Sours. Thanks Solomon :)

3 oz Pisco (Pisco Capel)
1 oz lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white

dry shake, then add ice.
share between three glasses and add a garnish of a couple of drops of Angostura bitters.

A Sour Mon'dieu tete Carre

1 1/2 oz Canadian rye
1/2 oz laphroaig
1 oz sortileg
1 oz lime juice

Chill the glass
Mix all
Shake it like ya own it in a Boston shaker
Genuflect west ( towards clives)
Think of the voyageurs, the saskatchewanians, and the scots
Serve I'n chilled glass with a flourish of angostura bitters
Voi laden? (with a scottish accent)
(originally from Jan 9 2011)