The Bakon-CocoaTini

I just picked up a bottle of Bakon Vodka at The Wine and Cheese Place and started off with a Bakon Bloody Mary that was head-and-shoulders above any plain old Bloody Mary I've ever had. That said, I was struck with the notion to find a way to combine the delicious, smoky, baconlicious flavor of this vodka with chocolate in some way. I think I have done it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Bakon CocoTini ...

1 oz Bakon vodka
1 oz clear Creme de Cacao
1 oz half-and-half
2 dashes Fee Bros Aztec Chocolate bitters
Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 2 more dashes of bitters on top and use a toothpick to swirl a design into the top of the drink.

The sweetness of the creme de cacao, coupled with the smoky, meatiness of the bacon vodka, is complimented by the additional layer of chocolate and spice in the bitters, and held together by the richness of the half-and-half. I dare you to resist the temptation of the Bakon-CocoaTini!

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

Something Old and Something New

Tonight, as I embark on a glorious 9-day-stretch of freedom from my day-job, I am working on both an old standby and a new creation. The old standby is the Brandy Alexander, and tonight's new creation is the Purple Haze. Both are creamy cocktails utilizing half-and-half. Although I tend to eschew the use of such indulgent ingredients in my day-to-day drinks, there is something about entering into the Holiday Season that almost grants me permission to throw my usual fat-conscious cautions to the wind.

Let's begin with the time-tested favorite--The Brandy Alexander
1 oz of Camus Cognac
1 oz creme de cacao
1 oz half-and-half
2 dashes Fee's Chocolate Bitters
Freshly grated nutmeg
Shake all ingredients over ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

Although I initially started with Robert Hess' recipe that calls for 1/2 oz more of brandy, I discovered that the equal balance ratio that I found in Harry and Wynn's Barflies and Cocktails: 300 Recipes(1927) more to my liking. The addition of the chocolate bitters happened just because I have them and thought, "What the heck." And you know what, it works.

Moving on to my new creation for this evening--The Purple Haze
1 oz Absolut Los Angeles vodka [Acai, Acerola, Pomegranate & Blueberry]
1 oz half-and-half
1/2 oz Chambord
2 dashes of Fee Bros Chocolate Bitters
3 dashes of Fee Bros Old Fashioned Bitters
1 coffee bean
Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a dark cherry.

The inspiration for this cocktail was a co-worker mentioning her love of cocktails made with Chambord. I initially started this cocktail using Stoli Blakberi vodka, which gave the drink an odd, metallic taste. I found the Absolut LA worked much better in the drink and echoed the smooth, rich dark berry fruit flavors of the Chambord. I added the bitters to spice things up (literally and figuratively) and to add another dimension to the drink. And the coffee bean? I threw one it (locally roasted Kaldi's coffee to be exact) because I wanted to add a bit of a coffee oil note to the whole shebang.

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation