Tag: dry vermouth

Lucky Gold

byocksLeave a comment

I really should post here more often. Not sure why, but it always seems to be the impending deadline of finding the right cocktails for my annual Christmas party that gets me motivated. Granted it’s August and I have plenty of time, but still…

For this year’s gin cocktail I wanted feature my new favorite gin produced by a local microdistillery. Lucky Sign Spirits in Millvale, PA is cranking out some awesome products and this cocktail highlights both their rested gin and limoncello. From the moment I first tried the “Gin Rested in Bourbon Barrels” I was determined to make a martini with it. While the rested gin certainly elevates a standard martini, this MoM variation brings a lively and refreshing twist to the classic.

The Lucky Gold cocktail has a clean citrusy aroma and a jewel-like pale yellow color. On the front of you’re palette you’re greeted with a sweet honey flavor, followed by the rested gin in the middle. The finish for this drink is a wonderfully complex lemon and vermouth finish (a very earthy flavor) which delights the tongue for sure. For a spirit forward cocktail there’s very little burn which makes for a fantastic party cocktail. As far as a simple martini variation goes this is easily one of my best creations to date! If you can’t find yourself some rested gin (and I don’t expect it to be honest) then a simple American style gin with 1/2 a barspoon of a smokey bourbon or rye should get you very close.

Alcohol Taste Rating: 5/10
Overall Rating: 9/10

Lucky Gold
1 part Rested Gin
1/2 part Limoncello
1/4 part Dry Vermouth
Barspoon Honey Syrup
Thin Lemon Slice

Mix all in an iced mixing glass for 45-60 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a thin lemon slice.

lucky gold cocktail image
“They’re always after me lucky charms!”

Blue Christmas

byocksLeave a comment

Well I decided I better come back for at least once cocktail before the end of the year. The “Blue Christmas” I created specifically for my annual party, and based the color/title off of the old Elvis Presley Song of the same name. I went through a couple iterations creating the drink, but settled on potato vodka and the highlight special ingredient Rosemary Simple Syrup.

Base presentation is key here. A stemless cocktail glass makes for a short easy to hold but elegant designed drink. As the name suggests it’s a bright blueish/green cocktail, garnished with a lime wedge for some seasonal green. On the nose you’re greeted with mild citrusy notes. The palette on first sip is where things get interesting. If you go with a potato vodka (vs wheat like Absolut or a corn like Titos) you’ll get smooth refreshing start, which quickly moves to a sweet rosemary and vermouth flavor, and finishes with a slightly sweet and sour citrus from the lime. If you opt for a different vodka, you’ll likely get a little more burn on the back end. Either way this is a very easy drinking cocktail for your seasonal parties. If you’re less of a vodka fan and want to push the juniper flavor out more, I’d highly suggest trying the same recipe with a London Dry Gin such as Bombay or Beefeater!

Alcohol Taste Rating: 6/10
Overall Rating: 8.9/10

Blue Christmas

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Can also use Gin)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Blue Curacao (Increase to 1/2 if you want it bluer)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup*
Lime Slice

Shake all liquid ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float a thin lime slice on top.

*Rosemary Simple Syrup – Boil 1 cup of water with 2 large springs of rosemary for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir until dissolved and pour into a clean glass jar. (Optionally add the boiled rosemary springs into the syrup for further maturation of flavor) Refrigerate once cool.

“I’ll have a blue Christmas without you”

Side by Side: Canton Ginger and Bols Ginger

byocksLeave a comment

For today I’ve got another side by side review of two liqueurs. Bols Ginger and Domaine de Canton Ginger. Both are ginger liqueurs designed for a variety of cocktails, and have similar flavors but very different nuances and price points.

We’ll start with the Bols (since I have more of it at the time of writing). The liqueur has a strong ginger aroma similar to ginger beer and is virtually colorless. At 24% ABV it’s the heavier of the two in its sugar content, but it makes up for it with an intense bite of ginger flavor especially at the back end. Early on you’re mostly hit with a sweet sugary flavor and some interesting caramel notes. Overall it’s not a bad flavor additive, but you won’t be drinking it straight. At around $13-15 it’s a resonable price for the flavor needed for certain cocktails. I’ll give it a solid 7/10 overall.

Next is the Domaine de Canton. A french style ginger liqueur at a slightly higher 28% ABV. Side by side there is a noticable color difference in that the Canton is slightly gold in color. There is still a bit of ginger on the nose, but it’s much less pronounced and considerably sweeter smelling. It also feels slightly (but just barely) thicker in viscosity as when you swirl it in the glass it will temporarily coat its inside walls. The like the aroma the ginger flavor is more subtle mixing in hints of vanilla and possibly some orange notes. The biggest advantage for the Canton that I can see is the lack of a harsh ginger flavor burn at the end. It’s a smooth drink from start to finish and extremely well rounded! However at around $33-35 a bottle it’s going to be something for your extended bar rather than a daily mixer. That said I’ll give it a solid 8.5/10 overall. Despite the higher price point, you’re looking at a reasonably priced product that could easily be served over ice, or with a nice pairing of dry vermouth or gin.

At the end of the day however the two products are very different but also a little the same. For some cocktails I think the Bols could make an easy substitute especially in recipes calling for 5 or more ingredients. However, if you’re looking to put a simple twist on your martini, don’t skimp on the cost for the more premium product, it’s worth every penny!

 

WIN_20190531_18_11_50_Pro

Vermouth Cassis

byocksLeave a comment

Well, after over 2 months I figured it was time for a new cocktail review. To start this is certainly one of those drinks that has a terrible name, because it does nothing to inspire and just tells you what’s in the drink.

Names aside we’re talking about a simple drink that leans to be a significantly sweet drink best used as a digestif cocktail. The aroma lends it self very much to the creme de cassis (black currant) but also hints to the earthiness of the vermouth. With an inviting deep burgundy color accented by the lemon twist, it’s certainly a beautiful drink. The flavor profile is surprisingly smooth. Based on the two ingredient list I was skeptical but it’s in fact a well balanced cocktail. While I can normally pull a; front, mid, and after taste to a cocktail this simply teeters between cassis and vermouth over an over in that order. The flavor is very cassis forward, but you get the warm earthiness of the vermouth under it.

To rebalance the cocktail and make it more than just an after dinner sipper, I’d like to remake this with 3/4 oz of lemon juice and a dash of simple syrup. It’s a good drink but is lacking more citrus than the barely noticeable aroma on the twist. If you’re making this one for yourself try the citrusy variant for a better tasting cocktail.

Alcohol Taste Rating: 3/10
Overal Rating: 6/10

Vermouth Cassis

1 oz Creme de Cassis
1 oz Dry Vermouth
Lemon Twist

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist (spiral)

WIN_20181120_18_41_24_Pro
“Currantly needs improvement.”

Queen Elizabeth’s Wine

byocksLeave a comment

Well, at this point I think it’s safe to say that I can’t keep up with last year’s schedule of “a new drink every Monday,” but I will certainly try to keep getting drinks out to you guys. So, you may see a surplus of new recipes over the next week, then a bit of a break. Just remember to check back here occasionally for a new drink or two.

Ok so down to business. Today’s cocktail is certainly of a different caliber than most of the fruit based drinks you’ll find me making. The “Queen Elizabeth’s Wine” is appropriately named for both it’s color and taste. The cocktail’s main aroma comes from the dry vermouth in the drink, but unlike some other vermouth cocktails the flavor doesn’t overpower the drink. You’ll start off with a sweet wine taste (something like a Pinot Grigio), but it quickly moves to the lead liqueur of Benedictine. The finish has a nice mild vermouth taste and keeps you going back for more. It’s a rather small drink and fills a traditional small cocktail glass perfectly, but for a modern variation you could easily bump up the Benedictine to 2.5 oz and the lemon juice to 1.25 with a dash of citrus bitters. Even if you’re not huge on the taste of vermouth, this might be worth a try.

Overall Rating: 8/10
Alcohol Taste Rating: 5/10

Queen Elizabeth’s Wine

1 1/2 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
Lemon Twist

Stir and strain with ice into a chilled cocktail glass. Garish with a lemon twist (rub over edge of glass)

Queen Elizabeth's Wine
(Insert generic offensive Queen of England joke here)