Dahil Sa Iyo

Dahil Sa Iyo is a classic Filipino love song. The translation is, "Because of you." This cocktail is meant to incorporate a variety of ingredients that are popular in the Philippines--coconut, rum, lime, and calamansi. My intention was to create a drink that is tropical but with a distinctly Asian, and specifically Filipino, flair. Supplies obtained at my favorite local liquor store, The Wine Merchant, and also Global Foods, provided the ingredients and inspiration for this drink.

1 oz Rhum J.M Agricole Blanc
1 oz Rhum J.M Agricole Gold
1/2 oz Calamansi juice
1/2 oz Orgeat syrup
3 oz coconut juice
3 lime leaves

Muddle two lime leaves in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add liquid ingredients and ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a tall ice-filled glass and garnish with one lime leaf and a short straw.  

Apple Brandy Old Fashioned & A Twist on the Caipirinha

I seem to enjoy making cocktails in twos, and tonight is no exception. First I created a variation on the Caipirinha, and decided to quickly name it...

Not Your Mama's Caipirhina
1/8th wedge of lemon, lime, and orange, muddled in a large shaker tin
1/2 oz Orgeat syrup
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
Fill shaker 1/2 full with ice
Shake and pour out all contents (fruit shells and ice) into a lowball glass

Using multiple citrus fruits, rather than just lime came from the Leblon room mixing lesson at 2009 Tales of the Cocktail. I also decided to substitute orgeat for the sugar, and found its flavors worked beautifully with the mix of citrus.

The Apple Brandy Old Fashioned is just a tweak of the Applejack Old Fashioned I discovered somewhere on the net last weekend. This Fall I have become enamored with Applejack, Calvados, and Apple Brandy and have been substituting with these spirits in a variety of whiskey and bourbon-based cocktails.

Apple Brandy Old Fashioned
1/8 wedge of orange muddled in a mixing glass
1 tsp of maple syrup
2 oz Clear Creek Eau de Vie de Pomme
3 dashes Fee Bros Old Fashioned Bitters
Stir with plenty of ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

The apple flavor of the brandy pairs very well with the maple, hint of orange, and spiciness of the bitters. To put it simply, to me, this cocktail tastes like Fall.

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation

Maita'i roa ae!

It is a beautiful STL evening in November, following a 70+ degree sunny Fall day. Last weekend I snagged my first bottle of Fee Bros Orgeat and so tonight I am celebrating the end of a gorgeous and productive day with a Mai Tai. I used Robert Hess' [aka Drinkboy's] recipe, but found I needed just a tad more sweetness present. My own recipe (a riff on Drinkboy's) follows.

1 oz Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
1 oz Appleton Estates Rum
1/2 oz key lime juice
1/2 oz Luxardo Triple Sec
3/4 oz Fee Bros Orgeat
1 cherry (frozen from Trader Joes, not a soulless maraschino cherry)
1 orange slice

Shake all liquid ingredients (including lime shells) over ice and strain into an iced low-ball glass. Garnish with cherry and orange slice. Ideally, add a sprig of enlivened (smack it between your palms) fresh mint (which I do have access to in my back yard, but am too lazy to go out and get).

Cheers! ~Dr. Cocktation