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What a beautiful, lovely-tasting cocktail to make. I like to think of the Cherry Blossom as a Sidecar with grenadine added, which it pretty much is.
This recipe comes courtesy of The Silver Book of Cocktails, though I did tweak it a bit. Not because I wanted to, but because I HAD to. Y’see, I don’t own any cherry brandy (iknorite), so I kinda fudged the recipe a bit. Here’s what the “official” recipe calls for:
The Cherry Blossom
1oz brandy
2/3oz cherry brandy
1/2oz Cointreau
1/2oz grenadine
1/2 fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Sugar for the glass rim
Easy, right? Now what I did sounds pretty ghetto, but it turned out so tasty! I’ll add what brands I used for my particular “vision.”
1.5oz Korbel brandy
.5oz Cointreau
1oz Rose’s Grenadine
.5oz lightly-sweetened lemonade
Naturally, combine all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and go to town! Strain into a chilled martini glass and enjoy. Simple as that. Now let’s see if I plan to make another…
The backstory to the Algonquin is a tad surprising. Not, like, “whoa, what?!” surprising, but it made me say, “Oh?” when looking it up.
The Algonquin Hotel, opened in 1902 in Manhattan, was the namesake, though the hotel refuses to take credit for that. The hotel used to be the meeting place for well-known names in the literary, acting, and publishing industries, whom were considered the Algonquin Round Table. Originally starting in 1919, the Algonquin Round Table started when a group of friends were roasting one of their own. They ended up enjoying themselves so much that they continued to meet for lunch day after day. Eventually, by the late 20’s, their meetings had become a sort of tourist attraction, which ultimately made them feel more on display than anything.
The Alongonquin
2oz Rittenhouse Rye
1oz Martini & Rossi extra-dry vermouth
1oz unsweetened pineapple juice
Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Shake vigorously (as always) and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. When shaken very well, a beautiful, lasting froth develops and really gives the drink a feel of layering. The color is a very nice dark blonde, thanks to the pineapple and whiskey. The pineapple’s sweetness definitely takes the bite out of the vermouth and whiskey, but it still has a kick. This is most definitely a wonderful sipper, something to savor instead of pound. I’ve found that most drinks these days feel like they need to be gulped instead of enjoyed as a tasty experience.
Okay, I tried to make my own version of this one bev I saw entitled “Let it Be tea.” I would LOVE to make a Beatles-themed cocktail menu, so the above was what I tried doing. Yeah, no good.
Honestly, I’ve really been trying to incorporate sweet tea vodka into recipes, but I think it might be that I just don’t like it. When it comes to tea, I prefer bourbon to vodka, mostly because I feel the bourbon has the spicy sweetness that better complements sweet tea than straight vodka does. Maybe I could use some Balcones Rumble instead, and make some sort of “tea” bev outta that? I’ll try it in a bit and see how it works.
I’ve been trying to think of some awesome recipes that involve hibiscus tea, which seems like a fairly easy thing to do. This is what I came up with:
Heavenly Hibiscus
1.5 oz Tito’s vodka
1 oz Paula’s Texas Orange
4 oz freshly-brewed iced hibiscus tea
Juice of one lime
1 tsp Superfine sugar
2 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters
Shake vigorously and pour over cracked ice in a highball glass. Refreshing, slightly tart, and lightly sweetened. I realize my recipe isn’t completely original, but it’s one I came up with on the fly. Besides, I try to use bitters as often as I can because, well, why not? Also, I love citrus flavors, so this one definitely appeals to someone like me. This would definitely be fun to make for a Sunday brunch or even a summer patio party.
As I was trying to gather information on this particular cocktail, I discovered that many different recipes exist. Some with gin, some with pastis, some with blue curả«ao, even a recipe calling for absinthe. The one I’m using is sourced from The Cocktail Handbook.
The Volga
2 oz Ketel One vodka
.5 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
.5 oz fresh orange juice
1 dash grenadine
1 dash Fee Brothers orange bitters
Naturally, this particular beverage is to be shaken then strained into an old-fashioned glass pre-chilled with broken ice. The combination of the two juices almost reminds me of grapefruit. The addition of the grenadine adds a depth of color, but no real flavor, I found. The bitters, too. If I used Angostura bitters, maybe that would’ve added something. Still, very drinkable!
A good cocktail shaker is a mixologist’s best friend. I’m into the ones with the built in strainer, as that’s how I prefer almost all of my beverages to be served.
As a rule, anything made with fruit juice, thick syrups, or strong-flavored liquors should be shaken. Why? Shaking allows for all the flavors to mix as well as letting the ice dilute the beverage to create a nice balance of strength and refreshment.
There’s, of course, a proper way to shake. Lift the shaker to shoulder-level, parallel to the floor, and go to town! Side-to-side is best for 8-10 seconds. Lift off the cap and strain into your favorite glass!
This could easily segueway into a discussion on what glasses are appropriate for what beverage, but I’ll leave that for another time.
Okay, so this is a basic yet classic cocktail that always feels elegant to have. It’s super easy to make, and the rusty color is always visually engaging, especially with the white froth that develops after a vigorous shaking. I like using a bunch of sweet vermouth in this, as it gives it that depth of color and more of a wine-like sweetness.
The Manhattan cocktail is believed to have been invented at the Manhattan Club in (where else?) NYC for none other than Winston Churchill’s momma, Lady Randolph Churchill. Snap!
The Manhattan
2 oz Rittenhouse rye whiskey
1 oz Gallo sweet vermouth
1 dash Fee Brothers orange bitters
Garnish with a maraschino cherry
I’m sure I’ve noted this before, but I like to list the brands I used when creating a particular recipe. Try it for yourself!
I acquired some Romana sambuca and Caravella limoncello today (FOR FREE), so I’m definitely going to look up some fun recipes to make with each of those.
Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavored liqueur, where the essential oils of star anise are added to pure alcohol, a concentration of sugar and other flavors. The origin of the word “sambuca” isn’t clear, but it could come from the Latin word “sambucus” that meant “elderberry.”
Limoncello is, if you could’ve guessed, an Italian lemon liqueur. Limoncello is traditionally made with Sorrento lemons, which reportedly can grow as huge as grapefruits. This type of lemon is also among the richest sources of Vitamin C, so its inclusion in alcohol has got to be awesome, right?
Stay tuned.
Domaine de Canton, a beautifully-flavored super-premium ginger liqueur (its spirit base is VSOP cognac!!), is an ingredient I’ve been wanting to play with for some time. I’ve read a few cocktails that seem like it’d be fun to try, so I played with one today.
The Gold Rush
1.5 oz Domaine de Canton
1 oz Maker’s Mark bourbon
.5 oz lemon juice
1 tsp superfine sugar (optional)
For this recipe, I actually used Evan Williams brand bourbon since I didn’t have any Maker’s at home. (For the price, Evan Williams is a great bourbon, but, of course, my faux-elitism always wants me to get Maker’s.) The recipe for the Gold Rush that I read didn’t call for the sugar, but I like the sweet stuff, so I added just a teensy bit to get a hint of sweet.
Since I broke my fruit squeezer (what a handy tool, but god damn it, why did I buy plastic? I’ll tell you - the color matched my kitchen decor), I had to hand-squeeze my lemon, so I think I added a little bit more juice than I meant to, and I can definitely taste my error. I can taste a hint of the ginger, but it’s definitely overpowered by the lemon. Really, it’s just an example of how precise one must be when it comes to cocktails. When working with ounces, yeah, a little overstepping can definitely make a cocktail turn out differently than planned.
I love cocktails, so much so that I decided to create a blog centered around my love for them.
I believe in quality ingredients, from fresh juices and fresh ice to premium spirits and a nice hand. A lot of my training has come from playing with recipes and trying (really hard) to create the best cocktail I possibly can. Trial and error, really. I’ve messed up a few times (wayyyy too much lime or too alcoholic has definitely been an issue), but that’s the best way to learn, I think.
So here I am, documenting the fun I’ve had with classic recipes and the outcomes I’ve created from those recipes. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I’ve had making everything.
