The Liberal

Even though I have a lot a gin drinks in the queue, I wanted a whiskey drink so I made The Liberal:

• 0.75 ounce 100-proof Wild Turkey
• 0.75 ounce Italian vermouth (Carpano Antica)
• 3 dashes Torani Amer
• 1 generous dash orange bitters

Stir energetically in an iced mixing glass, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

I was recently in a cocktail class where the instructor asked for everyone’s favorite cocktail, explaining that his was the Manhattan.

Fairbank Cocktail

Because I had crème de noyeaux I made the Fairbank Cocktail:

• 1.75 ounces gin
• 0.75 ounce dry vermouth
• 2 dashes orange bitters (Regan’s #6 recommended)
• 2 dashes crème de noyeaux

Stir in a mixing glass with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

One of the fun things about this little experiment is trying to locate all of the ingredients for these vintage cocktails. I bought a bottle of crème de noyeaux at [Binny’s][1] in Chicago, and I just wanted to point out to my two readers the effort I go to in order to get an ingredient that I will use on the order of “dashes”.

Fish House Punch

For the Fourth of July, what could me more patriotic than Fish House Punch?

• 2.0 quarts Jamaican Rum (Appleton recommended)
• 1.0 quart brandy (Hennessy recommended)
• 0.5 pint peach brandy
• 0.5 pint maraschino liquor
• 1.0 quart freshly made green tea
• 1.0 pint lemon juice
• 1.0 pound powdered (not confectioners’) sugar
• 1.0 bottle champagne

Stir together in a large pot with lid. Let brew (they advise for two days). When ready, pour over ice in a punch bowl and stir in the champagne

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Brandied Cherries

I have a drink I want to make that calls for Brandied Cherries. This is the recipe I went with:

• 0.50 cup white sugar or turbinado
• 0.50 cup cherry juice or water
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup brandy, maraschino liqueur, aged rum, or any combination of the three
• 1 pound cherries, stemmed and pitted if desired In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cherry juice (or water), cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to a low simmer. Simmer, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat. Add brandy or other liqueur, and stir to combine. Add cherries and stir until coated with syrup. Remove to clean canning jars. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight before serving.

I have a classic cocktail that I want to make that isn’t in the book, but I found a recipe on-line. It in pretty complex, but starts with muddling brandied cherries. While I have some Luxardo Cherries that would probably work, I decided I wanted to make my own. I had to wait until cherries came into season, however.

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The Derby

In honor of American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown, I decided to make The Derby:

• 1.00 ounce bourbon
• 0.50 ounce sweet vermouth
• 0.50 ounce orange curaçao
• 0.75 ounce fresh lime juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a mint leaf.

Growing up I didn’t think winning the Triple Crown of horse racing was a big deal. In the span of six years, from 1973 to 1978, three horses did it.

The Lion’s Tail

In order to try Allspice Dram, I decided to make The Lion’s Tail:

• 2.00 ounces bourbon
• 0.75 ounce Allspice Dram (or less, to taste)
• 0.50 ounce fresh lime juice
• 0.50 tablespoon simple syrup (or less, to taste)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a 5-ounce cocktail glass.

Let me state for the record that I am not a cocktail expert. I am simply on a journey of exploration and discovery led by people like Dr. Cocktail (Ted Haigh), David Wondrich and Jason Wilson. I love being exposed to new flavors and combinations found in classic cocktails, and this was the first time I had ever heard of Allspice Dram.

The Georgia Mint Julep

In honor of the Kentucky Derby, I decided to make The Georgia Mint Julep:

• fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A dash of water
• 2 ounces cognac (or other brandy)
• 1 ounce real peach brandy

Muddle several fresh mint leaves with sugar and a dash of water in a silver julep cup (A double-rocks glass works fine, too). Add the cognac, peach brandy and crushed ice to fill. Stir! Stir! Stir! Insert several more fresh mint leaves between the cup and the mixture, sticking out and pointing heavenward.

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