Long Creek Cattle Co.

     Fernet; The mysterious Italian bitter liqueur. It's referred to as, " The Bartender's Love Affair." While playing around with this minty, herbaceous mix. I started with the ever popular Fernet con Cola. I added a splash of Stirrings Blood Orange bitters to the mix, and found a cocktail baffling. Super intensely minty, herbal and intriguing, No wonder Bartenders love this stuff.
     A trip to the I.O. Speak happened upon a drink called the Dirt 'n Diesel, but instead of blackstrap rum Binoy was using Pyrat Cask 1623. The drink sounded great but lacking Cynar and only having Pyrat XO Reserve on hand I decided to try another route. Craving a nightcap and wanting to play on the ever famous Verte Chaud, I started with Pyrat XO Reserve added a splash of Fernet and topped the mix off with some hot chocolate milk. This drink was so intriguing. Delicious and curious to say the least. It reminded me of a farm so much, the aroma and flavor... maybe hay? or silage? Whatever it is I think it tops the Verte Chaud, although Chartreuse and hot cocoa is great.

Long Creek Cattle Co.
1 1/2 oz. Pyrat XO Reserve Rum
1/4- 1/2 oz. Fernet Branca
3- 4 oz. heated AE Chocolate Milk

Yakuza Old Fashioned

     While out for a night at the I.O. Speak we decided to take on a few selections from the Anvil Bar Top 100 list. We tried to Scofflaw, a very nice drink. I do find whiskey drinks to my liking lately. We also tried the Knickerbocker as a bottle of Marie Brizard had recently been added to the speakeasy.
      Lastly I tried a Japanese Cocktail as the orgeat and brandy mix caught my interest. A couple months later I came across the idea for using the basic Old Fashioned and mixing the components into the Japanese.

     The drink came out quite intriguing. The orgeat and bitters mixed well to give the drink a good flavor. I chose a mix of cognac, rum, and bourbon for the base and mostly the bourbon came out of the drink, but it needed something more. Adding a splash of cola opened the drink up enormously. Very drinkable, very rounded taste. I think the trifecta helps add alot of flavor.

     Yakuza Old Fashioned

3/4 oz. Knob Creek Bourbon

3/4 oz. Remy Martin VSOP

3/4 oz. Bacardi Select Dark Rum

3/4 oz. Torani Orgeat

2 large dashes Angostura bitters

stir with ice and strain over fresh ice

top with a splash of Pepsi Throwback

LBC Mule

     My first Last Word was first sipped at my favorite drinking spot, the I.O. Speak, in Omaha's Old Market area. This drink gave me a great appreciation for Chartreuse, as I now drink it often. I found the sourness to be pleasing as well, I do love a sour drink.

      As I searched the Old Market more I found an agricole rhum version at another now favorite of mine, The Boiler Room. The strained the drink over crushed ice and used a rosemary garnish. I liked the new play on words, as it was called The Parabla, they also introduced house-made falernum into their rendention. Both are great drinks in my mind.

(this is the Last Word as presented at a new bar in Benson; Lot 2)

     For a third try I ventured home to Des Moines, Iowa on a one day trip to get away. At the newly opened  Americana Bar I sampled the Blake's Sage. The description sounded the closest to what I was looking for but as with most drinks there it's base was vodka. An easy switch to New Amsterdam gin and this produced a drink very much like a Last Word with way more herbal flavor. With some preperation the ginger- black peppercorn syrup wouldn't be a setback at all. Muddled with fresh cucumber, mint leaves and basil with the gin and lemon juice, now that's a drink right down my alley. 

     And for my creation for the herbal gin drinks, I have been pouring what I call the LBC Mule for over two years. It adds a great amount of herbal notes to the classic Gin Buck. 

    

LBC Mule

1.5 oz. Tanqueray Gin

0.5 oz. simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

juice of 2 lemon wedges and 2 lime wedges

1 Tblsp. chopped cucumber

4-6 mint leaves

1 large basil leaf

- muddle, shake and strain over crushed ice

top with gingerale

lime, mint and/or basil leaf garnish

Rum and Coke(Cola)

     Now let's try my favorite, the drink that I believe starts it all for most of us. It's only natural seeing as Americans drink on average of 275 cans of cola a year (http://www.prosebeforehos.com/image-of-the-day/10/13/cocacola-consumption-per-capita/).
     A little mix and match over the last decade for me has shown that "natural" colas are the best. Mexican Coke and Pepsi, Virgil's Real Cola, Boylan's, and for some funk, Fentimen's Curiosity Cola. Now for the rum; as most of this blog shows I use Bacardi 8 and Pyrat Gold primarily, but like nearly anything with a rick, bold or spicy taste. Proportioning is go with a 2-3 oz. spirit to 12 oz. cola mix; I use this for all my initial rum testings.
     As for the result I find for a rich mix to try: Zaya rum and Fentiman's, a citrus hint: Pyrat XO or Bacardi 8 and Pepsi Throwback or Virgil's Real Cola, and finally a nice rounded blend: either Mt. Gay XO or Ron Zacapa 23 mixed with Mexican Coke or Pepsi.

Mai Tai

Tonight I ran across a bottle of Marie Brizard Orange Curacao at the local liquor store. This is a rarity in the area and I couldn't help myself. After deciding what tipple to partake in I chose the ever favorite Mai Tai. I mixed it to what I assume is the traditional recipe as there are many out there to chose from. I set my parameters at heavy on the rum with lime, orgeat, and sugar syrup. I came up with this...

Midwest Mai Tai
1 oz. Bacardi 8 rum
1 oz. Pyrat XO rum
1/2 oz. Marie Brizard Orange Curacao
1 tsp. orgeat
1 tsp. simple syrup (raw sugar)
juice of a lime
shake and strain
discarded half lime garnish

As I research more it could of used a bit more orgeat, or even a dash of bitters for my taste. All in all this is a very tasty tart rendention of a daiquiri. As easy as this was to make it'll definitely go into the rotation of on hand cocktails for my home bar.

Weissen Sour

     As the warmer weather approaches I find myself craving a light tart drink from time to time. I ran across the Weissen Sour some time ago (http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Weissen-Sour-Recipe) and decided to take a whack at this one for myself.
     As I stormed my cupboard I find I'm lacking a descent flavorful whiskey as the backbone to this cocktail. I chose instead to go with a mix of half Canadian whisky and half American brandy. I grabbed the bottle of Wittekerke Winter White Ale that I received as a gift during Christmas; finally a reason to pop the cork.
    I hurriedly stirred my a heaping teaspoon of raw orange blossom honey with double the volume of lemon juice; Orange blossom honey has a funky flavor in my mind ad I figured it would work well to give this cocktail some character. I added the E&J and the Canadian Club and threw in a teaspoon of blood orange bitters, stirred it all and topped it with the Wit Ale.

   

I deem this the:
Fool's Guild :
1 heaping tsp. orange blossom honey
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
1/2 oz. E&J VSOP brandy
1/2 oz. Canadian Club whiskey
stir to mix and pour into goblet
top off with Wittekerke Dubel Wit Ale

     Upon further inspection of this cocktail I find that this to be an acceptable way to drink Wit beir, I don't love the stuff myself, but this cocktail could use a little something.... We'll definitely have to come back to this one.

Rum Manhattan

     For my next drink, let's try a rum based Manhattan. This was my first venture into strong cocktails. I figured might as well start with what you know. I grabbed a bottle of Bacardi 8, some Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth, and a bottle of Angostura. I figured straight alcohol was little harsh for my first prohibition-style cocktail so I added a few teaspoons of brandied cherry juice.

     I liked this one very much and find when I want a drier Rum Manhattan I just switch the base to Cruzan Single Barrel. Either way this makes for a great cocktail.

Eighth Avenue Manhattan
2 oz. Bacardi 8 rum
3/4 oz. Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 tsp. brandied cherry juice
     stir in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.