The Ghosts of Manhattan

Ghosts of Manhattan

What to do with those interesting, un-oaked whiskeys hitting the market? They need taming if their flavors are to be enjoyed and not eliminated with an overabundance of sweet mixers. We took some Coppersea Raw Rye http://www.coppersea.com/blog/ and fashioned it into a dry, transparent Manhattan of sorts — cool and astringent, with an almost papery aftertaste. A couple of cocktail cherries won’t go amiss, as they add a touch of sweetness.

To an iced shaker, add:

2 ounces Coppersea Raw Rye
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
2 dashes lemon bitters

Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a few cocktail cherries.

Mint Julep meets Brown Sugar Syrup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mint Julep season is about to begin. The Kentucky Derby coming up sooner than you think and mint growing season is about to start blooming.

We have come up with an improved sweetener for the classic Mint Julep using a staple of Southern cooking: Dark Brown Sugar.

This methodology provides for another level of depth of flavor as well as a surefire guarantee against undissolved sugar in the bottom of the cup.

Dark Brown Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 cups Dark Brown Sugar

1 cup water

5-6 good dashes of Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Place sugar and water in a non-reactive saucepan and simmer until sugar is almost completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir until completely dissolved.

Add the bitters and when cooled to room temperature, bottle it up and keep refrigerated.

 

The Gin Julep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original julep, some believe. A whole different experience, refreshing but slightly astringent. A different gin will no doubt render a somewhat different result; we used Warwick American Dry Rustic Gin from the beautiful Hudson Valley.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle around two dozen mint leaves with a quarter cup of crushed ice.

Add:

3 ounces gin
1.5 ounces simple syrup
Another cup of crushed ice.

Shake vigorously. Strain into two julep cups (or two frozen Manhattan glasses) filled with crushed ice. Add a generous swath of fresh mint and a straw.

Happy afternoons on the porch…

The Sheik

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sheik

“At night when you’re asleep,
Into your tent I’ll creep…”

Well, we hope you’ll be carrying a tray of these serious cocktails. Something with brandy, fresh citrus, and the sweet darkness of vermouth and cherry. Where’s the fainting couch?

To an iced shaker, add:

1 ounce Napoleon brandy
1 ounce freshly-squeezed orange juice
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce Cherry Heering

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

For garnish: score an orange rind to create a crosshatching pattern, then peel a large swath and roll it around a pick to create the “turban.” (See picture below) Dropping in a brandied cherry would not be looked upon as amiss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An homage to the classic “Blood and Sand Cocktail” and inspired by clothing designer Matthew Camp and his love of this drink, with a nod to Rudy Valentino.

Prohibition Repeal Day! December 5th

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If ever there was a day for Cocktailians, Imbibers, Drunks and Casual Tipplers to celebrate, it’s today, which marks the 79th anniversary of the repeal of the 18th amendment, Prohibition, or as we like to call it, Alcoholic Independence Day.

So go out or stay in and raise a glass to common sense and good taste and to the fine work of forgotten bootleggers of yore who kept us at least in bathtub gin and smuggled rum, and to Al Capone who made his legend keeping the hooch flowing.

Peach Brandy: Back From the Dead

Before Prohibition, American peach brandy was a commonly-used cocktail ingredient and a lovely thing to sip on its own. It was real brandy, a distilled spirit, the peach equivalent of applejack or Calvados. And Americans made the best. Prohibition ended production — until now.

Dutch’s Spirits, in beautiful upstate New York, has brought back real peach brandy, aged in wood. Its hefty medicine bottle speaks to the gentle strength of its contents. This stuff is smooth fire, with a whiff of fruit. Don’t put it in a Fuzzy Navel, but do try it on its own or in any cocktail that uses brandy or cognac.

Thanks to Dutch’s for restoring another delicious ingredient we thought lost to time.

Dutch’s Peach Brandy