Marsala Sour

     Sifting through our endless bottles of unused liquor at the bar yesterday, the owner/chef challenged me to create a drink using marsala wine. Definitely not my drink of choice by any means, but challenege accepted. The nose  was of sweet wine and old grapes. The first drink that came to mind was a play on the classic Sidecar.
     I grabbed a bottle of Courvoisier the Sweet Marsala, and some fresh squeezed lemon juice. Trial number one yielded a drink too sour for most drinkers palates. A splash of simple syrup really opened the drink up alot. The initial taste was of Courvoisier, a good sour and sweet middle that we all love in the hot days of summer. (We are getting closer and closer.) The finish was pure marsala wine which in this cocktail tasted very much like honeyed fig. We have a winner!

Marsala Sour
1.5 oz. Courvoisier VS Cognac
0.75 oz. Marsala Wine
0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
splash simple syrup
- shake and strain

Breakfast Cocktail

     I've been wanting to concoct this drink ever since I made my bacon-infused whiskey so long ago. A Screwdriver variation only seemed natural. Substituting ginger syrup for maple as I had originally proposed, the drink came out spicy with a sweet and savory bacon-y finish. The nose was of pure bacon. I like this one much more that the Breakfast Martini of so long ago.

Breakfast Cocktail
1.75 oz. bacon-infused Whiskey
0.5 oz. ginger syrup
3 oz. orange juice

Orgeat Punch

Oh, the Orgeat Punch. What better way to make use of a thick, viscous, sweetly amazing ingredient. What ever did we do before this lovely syrup? Now I know there are not very many cocktail recipes calling for orgeat out there, which makes this one a duly needed trial. And who doesn't like port, or brandy?

Orgeat Punch
1 1/2 oz. brandy ( i like Hennessy Black)
3/4 oz. orgeat (homemade)
1/4 oz. lemon juice
fill with soda
-float 1/2 oz. port





The drink came out sweet, but not cloying. I did like the transition from port on the initial sip to the brandy-laced orgeat drink lying underneath. This is a great lower alcohol content drink that I would greatly enjoy in the summer. Do try.

Rough & Tumble

     Looking through the pages of eGullet forums I came across the very interesting header of " Bad Ass Cocktails." I first made the Rough & Tumble for a friend and he found the drink to be aggressive and mentholated. I can see that, seeing as how the Smith & Cross Navy Rum is so intense. So intrigued by the drink as I am enamored by Fernet-Branca and anything rum, I crafted to cocktail at home with a lovely bottle of Brugal 1888.

Rough & Tumble
2 oz. Brugal 1888
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1/2 oz. Fernet- Branca
-stir and strain

The Bradley

     Challenge accepted. A co-worker of the I.O. asked to try something different, something outside his comfort zone perhaps. Knowing how much he likes our black cardamom syrup I was reminded of a drink that The Manifesto did some time back where they were playing around with a smoked Campari-Grand Marnier mix. Playing upon that idea I mixed in some rye and the cardamom syrup to mimic the smoke, I came up with a drink that everyone found to be pleasing. The right amount of bitter, and sweet with a good backbone and plenty of smoke. Stumped upon what to name the concoction we named it after the drinker, thus I give you;

The Bradley
3/4 oz. Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. black cardamom syrup
-stir and strain

Old Hat

     One of my favorite patrons came in the other night and as per usual requested something a little more unusual. His wife wanted something similar to a Manhattan but slightly different. She explained that she also loved Old Fashioned but wanted something adventurous for the evening. Why not find a nice middle ground, I thought. I had some walnut-pecan syrup I've been playing around with and figured this would also work nicely. A good stir,strain, and a quick taste... The drink presented itself with an upfront sweetness, blending into a more familiar Manhattan feel, and finishing with a nice nuttiness. All in all a great drink especially for the season.

Old Hat
2 oz. Rittenhouse 100 Bonded Rye
1/2 walnut-pecan syrup (great on pancakes)
1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi di Torino)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
-stir and strain over Tevelo ice cube
-orange twist garnish

The Tipperary

     The Tipperary is a great rendition of the classic Manhattan, in which Green Chartreuse is substituted in place of the bitters. But the great debate becomes, as per usual, upon the ratios. I personally prefer a cocktail of (in oz.) 2:3/4:1/2... being Irish whiskey to sweet vermouth and Chartreuse. As most of my bar patrons prefer a 2:1 whiskey to sweet vermouth mix with a Chartreuse washed glass.

     All in all the Tipperary is a great variation of the classic Manhattan and variety is the spice of life, so why not try it several ways.     -The picture shown is of the cocktail with differing sweet vermouths. I am not a fan of the more bitter Punt e Mes vermouth and am very outspoken of the fact, but oddly it works amazingly well in this drink. A more recent discovery in the vermouth world has led us to Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, a great sweet vermouth with an amazing balance of bitter and sweet. I now use this more and more especially when I crave a well rounded drink, although with Chartreuse at my proportions I may think otherwise. Anyway you take it don't forget the lemon twist.

Tipperary
2 oz. Irish Whiskey (Power's)
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Punt e Mes)
1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
- stir and strain
     lemon twist garnish