Hophead
Before becoming a cocktail nerd, I was a beer nerd. I know, shocker. I still enjoy beer, especially a really hoppy IPA. I tried @leopoldbros Fernet (as part of my R&D for @homebarawards finals— congrats @denisgor!), and my initial impression was…that is was very bitter. I don’t say that very often, but I also don’t back down from a spirit that seems challenging at first impression.
Gold Pal
I’m not as familiar with Irish whisky as other styles, but I must say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the bottle that @mcconnellsirishwhisky kindly gifted me. It may be lacking an “e” but it’s not short on rich flavors of honey, malted grain, almond, and vanilla. It’s certainly more delicate than some other styles, which is not a bad thing, but it takes a different approach to fully honor and appreciative the spirit in a cocktail.
Biscotti Italiani
This food-inspired cocktail is the brainchild of my dear friend @rogzor and came about during our fernet-inspired cocktails R&D session for the @homebarawards (so honored to be in the top 3!). While this wasn’t one of my official entries, it’s a darn good drink and conceptually really fun. Lazzaroni makes a lovely fernet, minty but not quite as intense as branca. The Lazzaroni family is also known for making an almond biscotti. While I couldn’t locate the original, I did acquire a chocolate-dipped almond biscotti.
Big Fat Tiki
Happy Tiki Tuesday! Happy Fat Tuesday! I have one big whopper of a tiki drink for you today. This one makes me really excited because there are too few whiskey-based tiki drinks in my opinion. When @alpinedistilling kindly gifted me their spiced bourbon, I knew I had to go in that direction. I love my strong, overproof whiskies, but I gotta say— this is really delicious all by itself, maybe not too surprisingly since I love cinnamon and stone fruit.
The Double Doink
In football, the infamous Double Doink refers to a (partially blocked) missed field goal attempt by the Chicago Bears that tragically hit the goal post twice before bouncing out. This hilarious event resonates with me today because of the way that this drink played out. Since this post is for the Super Bowl I was very excited to use my football ice mold. I wanted to make the ice football-colored, so I came up with a (surprise) overly complicated recipe that would impart lovely flavors and color.
Diamond in the Rough
Seriously though, I love that scene in Aladdin where the Giant Sand Tiger rumbles on after he gets rudely woken up for nefarious reasons—almost as much as I love these gorgeous glasses from @thewinesavant that I got for Christmas. I wanted to stir up something dark and handsome to show these bad boys off, so here we are. And it’s February so love and diamonds and stuff❤️
Cabbagetown
This drink is a riff on the Toronto (rye/fernet/syrup), so I called on my friend @sidds.pix for some Toronto neighborhoods. Cabbagetown (sweet name right?) isn’t too far from Toronto proper, and this riff is not far from the original. It’s a revitalized area that still retains a lot of its older, Victorian architecture. And from what Google tells me, it’s kinda… fancy, with farmer’s markets, trendy coffee shops, and higher-than-average priced homes.
Open Sesame
Another flip coming your way today. Gotta make up for all that lost time of my “pre-flip” days. This one is closer to my “core” in that in takes a more culinary approach and evens flirts with some savory flavors. The driving force for this build was the honey sesame cashew orgeat. Ever had those irresistible cashews from @traderjoes? If not do yourself a favor and pick up a bag…or don’t, if your new year’s resolution wasn’t to snack uncontrollably. The oregeat is a syrup made from this top-notch snack.
Big Fall Highball
I’ve seen a few Fall highballs floating around, so here is one I’ve been working on lately. It is truly Fall in a glass — plenty of apple and spice, a bit bitter citrus and a dash nuttiness. The Toki works perfectly here as a lighter whiskey with some subtle apple notes of its own. The Cynar brings the sweetness into check and shows a slightly earthier, richer taste of the apple. I love using non-traditional means to lengthen a drink, and the hard cider is just magic here (caution, it packs a bit of a punch!).
Peanut Boo-Ter Plop
It’s about time for a Halloween-themed drink. This one is more “treat” than “trick”, a peanut butter and chocolate themed Manhattan. The inspiration for the drink comes from @brooklynmixologist, and a few of us have decided to make a “plop-o-ween” drink (the photograph contains a “plop” of an ingredient). The last photo is more of a classic “ploppy”; the first two are… pre/post Big Ploppy?