Apple Bobber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’ve been wondering how to work the delicious, fresh apple cider available this time of the year into your cocktail strategy, without serving up a cup of sticky sweetness more suitable for a children’s party, the Cocktail Vultures have figured it out for you. We’ve been toying with the bounty of our beautiful Hudson Valley for awhile now, using both refrigerated fresh cider from local markets, and the even-better liquid Autumn being squeezed in our very own cider press. Here’s the result of our (hic!) labor, and don’t be surprised when your happy guests start asking for another Babble Popper, or Papple Bopper, or…

To a shaker filled with ice, add:

1 ounce caramel vodka
1.5 ounces Amaretto
2.5 ounces of fresh apple cider
1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Now shake that vigorously for a good 20 seconds. The density of the fruit juice needs to break up in the drink and completely emulsify with the liquors. When shaking is complete, strain the result into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Dust with cinnamon. Add a cocktail straw and a twist of lemon. Dapple Doppers to you, too!

The Switchblade

The Switchblade

At the end of a busy day, or when a flock of thirsty vultures descends suddenly upon your roost, it’s nice to be able to serve up a sophisticated yet two-fisted drink without ruffling your feathers. You can accomplish this easily by always keeping a supply of your own homemade sweet-and-sour mix on hand.

Sweet-and-sour is quick to prepare and can be put together while you’re prepping for other cocktails or even making a meal — hey, you’re messing up the kitchen anyway. To a clean bottle or jar, add:

One part freshly-squeezed lemon juice
One part freshly-squeezed lime juice
One part simple syrup

Shake vigorously and refrigerate. If you don’t know how long you may keep it, add a jot of vodka or white rum as a preservative. Throw it away after a week and make more. If you have more lemons than limes in hand, or vice versa, don’t sweat it — sweet-and-sour can stand a little fudging in its preparation and eventually you can adjust it to your own tastes.

Now, on to our manly cocktail!

The Cocktail Vultures love both bourbon and amaretto and have now put them together in this very American take on the Stiletto. It will nonetheless stand you in good stead when contemplating your next vendetta.

To an ice-filled shaker, add:

1.5 ounces Bourbon
1.5 ounces Amaretto
1.5 ounces sweet-and-sour
A hearty dash of Peychaud bitters

Shake vigorously and pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with lemon and lime peels and add a straw.

Amaretto Sour ala Cocktail Vultures

Amaretto Sour
a la The Cocktail Vultures

The Sour is a category of cocktail which has stood the test of time, first appearing in print in 1862 in Jerry Thomas’ indispensable book for bartenders, How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant’s Companion. Your basic Sour requires some sugar, unless the spirit in use is a liqueur like Amaretto. It provides all the sweetness required, and puts this neglected little recipe into a sub-category we now call International Sours.

A very complicated provenance for such a simple drink. The Amaretto Sour is here to rescue the dusty bottle that’s been crowding your liquor shelf since a relative dropped it off last Christmas. It’s wonderful for sipping during the cocktail hour or after dinner with dessert, and it delivers a relatively low alcohol content. All you need to do is squeeze a couple of pieces of fruit and do some shaking. This leaves you time to be creative and play with garnishing, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

To an ice-filled shaker, add:

2 ounces Amaretto liqueur
1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice

Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled sour glass. (A sour glass is a small glass with a stem, usually between 3 and 6 ounces.) Garnish with an orange wheel and perhaps a cherry.

Alternatively, strain the drink into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes or crushed ice. Add a candied orange slice and a bourbon cherry. Take the garnishing into the dessert direction and decorate with some almond brittle or a lovely hunk of chocolate-covered orange peel. The fresh citrus in the cocktail counteracts the sweetness of the Amaretto, but feel free to adjust these elements to your personal taste.

We don’t understand why this simple and refreshing drink isn’t featured on more bar menus; anyone can make it. The Cocktail Vultures are old enough to remember home bartenders complicating their Sours with chemical additives to give them the fluffy white “head” that good shaking provides. Whatever you do, don’t add the fake fluff!

Always drink responsibly; always drink well.

The Viennese Hour

Have you ever wanted a special beverage at the conclusion of a lovely evening, a “little something” but not a steaming cup of coffee OR a heavy, cream-based dessert drink? We think we have it here: CV ORIGINAL RECIPE

To an ice-filled shaker, add:

4 ounces freshly-brewed coffee (cool to room temperature)

1.5 ounces Amaretto liqueur (we favor Luxardo’s)

1/3 ounce Jagermeister

1 fresh egg white

Shake vigorously; you’ll be glad you did. Strain the richly-foamed results into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sophisticated cookie or sweet.

And now a word about raw eggs:

Fresh, uncooked eggs have been a part of cocktail history since the days when these drinks functioned as medicine or fortifying meal substitutes to be taken in the morning, in order to get you through the day. They add silkiness and body to a well-balanced cocktail. In fact, you can make a drink very rich and creamy and non-dairy by using a nutritious, protein-providing egg. We use only fresh eggs from local providers who have happy chickens with names. But if you’re nervous about these things, pasteurized egg whites and even whole eggs are available at most large supermarket chains. Be undaunted in your quest for the perfect cocktail!