What's Up Doc?

I love Cocchi Americano. I also love Plymouth Gin. Aperol?  Love it. And I can't get enough of Meyer lemons. They make winter more tolerable. What can I make with all 4 ingredients?

What's Up Doc?
1.5 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz Plymouth Gin
0.5 oz Aperol
0.5 oz Meyer Lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

The color is a beautiful cloudy apricot. The flavor starts out with a hint of sour, pungency, slight sweetness, and ends with a significant bitterness. This, my friends, is cocktail magic.

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

 

Valentine Sour

2 oz Maker's 46
1 oz Meyer lemon juice
1 oz Toschi Vanilla syrup
1/2 oz Joseph Cartron Pomegranate liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a short glass filled with ice. Happy Valentine's Day!

Edelster Aventinus Cocktail

So I've been getting more into beer as of late. Thanks to a cool new audio blog, Expert Drinking hosted by Dr. Bill (Bill Sysak) and his ever-faithful side-kick and drinking companion, Stephen Johnson, I've been learning about the history of beer. 

As usual, once I begin learning more in depth information on a new aspect of the world of delicious booze, I cannot resist jumping in with both feet in terms of tasting. Schneider Aventinus is one of the few 100 point beers on ratebeer.com, and as such, I couldn't resist, inspired by my new-found beer "expertise", trying it. With it's rich, deep brown color and sweet pumpernickel bread meets over-ripe banana nose, this is one 100 point beer I can get solidly behind.

Along side the eminently recognizable purple-labeled Aventinus beers at my favorite liquor store, I noticed a 375mL clear bottle with the same label. What was this? Beer liquor? In a sense, yes. It is actually distilled Aventinus beer, and according to reviews, it tastes strikingly similar to the beer from which it comes. Tonight I bought a bottle and brought my new discovery home. First I sampled it neat to discover that the critics were correct--the taste is entirely recognizable as a distilled form of Aventinus beer. But could a cocktail be made with this already delicious and complexly flavored spirit? A quick internet search revealed nothing. So it was up to me. I wanted to create something that didn't mask the signature Aventinus flavor, but rather brought it forth even more so...

Aventinus Cocktail
2 oz Edelster Aventinus
1/2 oz Scrappy's Sirop de Gomme
3 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a spiral of Meyer lemon peel cut over the glass. 

While Edelster Aventinus is very drinkable on its own, mixed with the gum syrup, it gains a slight sweetness and weight, which when paired with the orange bitters and lemon oils, make it into a wonderful cocktail that allows all of the inherent complexities of the spirit shine through. 

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation 
 

Full Metal Jacket

I recently read on Eye Weekly about a Toronto bar, Melody Bar , located in the Gladstone Hotel, whose mixologist, Sandy De Almedia, has created a beautiful new cocktail...the Full Metal Jacket.

Yet being without any Crown Royal, and sans Flor de Cana 5 year, I made a few alterations and came up with my own riff on this beautiful drink. The only question, is this still a Full Metal Jacket if I tweak the ingredients slightly? Is it other? I don't rightly know. I do know, however, that it is important to cite my sources (hence the links above) and give credit where it is due. Regardless, here is my own riff on this cocktail and I must say it works quite nicely.

0.75 oz Averna Amaro
0.75 oz Sazerac Rye
0.75 oz Mount Gay XO
3 heavy dashes Fee Bros Grapefruit bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and pour into a lowball glass over a large ice sphere and garnish with a long swath of Meyer lemon rind that has been cut across the glass to capture the essential oils.


Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

Sweet and Spicy Caipirinha

It's a cool late Summer evening and I'm in a spicy mood, due in part to my neighbor's generous donation of  some hot red peppers of unknown lineage. I was asked to make a caipirinha and decided to take this Brazilian favorite in a different direction. The resulting spicy, yet pleasant, decoction, is offered for your enjoyment...

2 oz Leblon Cachaca
1 oz Thatchers Tres Chilis
1/3" ring of a medium-spicy small pepper
Juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 larger key lime
1 bar spoon raw sugar
3 strawberries
Muddle key lime, strawberries, and pepper in cocktail shaker with sugar. Add liquid ingredients and ice and shake hard. Strain into ice-filled short glass.

The drink is the color of a sunset and is sweet, spicy, and perfect for a summer night.

Cheers, ~Dr. Cocktation

Jack Rose Cocktail

Tonight I'm revisiting an old friend--the Jack Rose cocktail. I ordered some Laird's Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy from Drink Up New York. This crucial ingredient plus some Fee Brothers grenadine and Meyer lemon juice make a damned tasty Jack Rose--better than any I've ever had before.

Jack Rose Cocktail
2 oz Laird's Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy
1 oz Meyer lemon juice
1/2 oz Fee Bros Grenadine
Shake over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a piece of lemon peel. 


When prepared in this manner and with these ingredients, the Jack Rose cocktail tastes fresh and inviting, with layers of fruit and a hit of tartness that fits perfectly with the transition from Winter to Spring. It's as if my glass is heralding the coming of warmer weather and blooming red and pink flowers. Also, don't forget this weekend we switch back to Daylight Saving Time. Spring forward!

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation