Distilled Knowledge Cocktails: Choose Your Own Adventure
I promised to get these recipes up here for fans of Distilled Knowledge, but I haven't managed to devote full posts to all of these yet. In the interest of keeping my readers happy, here's a quick-and-dirty rundown of some of those recipes with photos. And don't worry - they'll get proper individual posts soon enough!
Mint Julep
2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon
Drizzle of Simple Syrup
Shake vigorously with ice. Strain over crushed ice in a silver julep cup. Garnish with an enormous sprig of mint, smacked two or three times against your hand to release the oils.
Boston Sour (a.k.a., "Whiskey Sour with Egg White")
2 oz. Rittenhouse 100º Rye
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
Egg White
Shake without ice to unfold egg proteins. Add ice and shake again. Serve in a coupé glass and garnish with a maraschino or brandied cherry.
Mojito
1 1/2 oz. Privateer Silver Rum
Juice of 1/2 Lime
2 Sprigs Mint
Heavy Drizzle of Simple Syrup
2 oz. Seltzer
Muddle lime and mint in shaker. Add rum, lime juice, and simple syrup, and shake. Strain into a highball glass and top with seltzer. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
Vodka Tonic
1 oz. Tito's Vodka
6 oz. Tonic Water
Combine in a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a vodka-soaked lime, squeezed and dropped in.
Hemingway Daiquiri (Recipe adapted from Speakeasy, by the folks at Employees Only)
1 3/4 oz. Privateer Silver Rum
3/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 oz. Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Lime Juice
Drizzle of Simple Syrup
Shake and double strain into a coupé glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Monkey Gland (Recipe adapted from Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)
1 1/2 oz. Gin
1 1/2 oz. Orange Juice
1 bsp. Grenadine (Homemade or a nice pomegranate syrup like Monin's)
1 bsp. St. George's Absinthe
Shake. Strain into a coupé glass.
Due to equipment limitations, I'm going to defer for now to the Columbia Room's Matt Ficke on the subject of the Blue Blazer, and to Simon Ford and Liquor.com on the topic of the Absinthe Drip. (Stay tuned for more on Milk Punch and Hot Schnappsolate, the final drinks in the series.)