Any unusual recipes to share or drinks to recommend?
To get started:
The Smoking Gun
2oz Laphroaig or other Islay scotch
3/4 teaspoon fernet branca
1/2 tsp brown sugar syrup
2 shakes bourbon barrel bitters
Stir with ice, strain into chilled glass
I know, what’s better than straight up Laphroaig? But sometimes nothing hits the spot like this. Either as an apertif before dinner, or as a digestive that bucks you up after too big of a great meal, this is the stuff!
The brown sugar syrup is 2 parts brown sugar, 1 part water, boil two minutes. Add a shot of dark rum after it cools and store in fridge.
I agree. When I find myself at a social occasion like a wedding where there are limited ingredients and a not so exceptional bartender it’s a godsend: the best whiskey they have plus some ginger ale and maybe a lime and I’m good to go.
Equal parts scotch, sweet vermouth, cherry heering and orange juice. Garnish with orange peel.
Similar in flavor to an old fashioned but less sweet. Bars don’t always carry cherry heering so I’m loathe to order this anywhere that doesn’t put it on a menu for fear they will substitute maraschino cherry liquid or grenadine.
I’m not picky about the scotch. A decent blended scotch works fine here.
Just made this up:
Thanksgiving Eve Libation
2 oz knob Creek 100 proof bourbon
1/2 oz allspice dram
1/2 oz homemade hickory nut liquor (I insist on pronouncing this “nut licker”)
3 shakes homemade hickory bitters
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
6 leaves fresh sage
Muddle sage and cranberries, add ice, bitters, alcohol. Stir and strain into old fashion glass. Garnish with flamed orange peel and 3 dried cranberries.
I know there are some not readily at hand ingredients but I think this is a good example of how to be creative with a cocktail. This is essentially a custom Manhattan. I replaced sweet vermouth with my choice of liquors and used some fancy-ass bitters and did some muddling like an old fashioned.No big whoop.
In a tall glass filled with ice:
~6 oz of Ginger Beer
Top with ~2 oz of good dark Rum
Garnish with a lime wedge (If I’m making for myself, I just squeeze and drop it in)
I just call this one “Rage”. For when you want to go all-in without falling asleep. This tastes way better than it sounds:
2 oz Absinthe
1 large can Full Throttle Energy Drink
Drunken Pineapple Smoothie:
Chop the top off one pineapple. Hollow out the inside and place into a blender. Freeze pineapple shell
To pineapple in blender add:
Juice of 2 limes
3-4 oz light rum or other clear spirit (flavored rum like Parrot Bay or Malibu would work if that’s your thing)
Ice
Sweetener to taste (6 packets of turbinado is just right for me, depending on how tart the limes are - start low and taste as you go)
Blend until smooth & serve in pineapple shell.
NOTE: Pineapples are not completely water-tight, especially when ripe. Thicker filling and freezing the cored-out pineapple will minimize leakage.
Another favorite is a Corn and Oil. I learned about it reading Keith Richard’s autobiography: it was his favorite drink, which should tell you something.
Equal Parts Black Rum (Cruzan Blackstrap Rum is what I can find) and falernum built over crushed ice with a couple squeezes of lime. Falernum is made by infusing light rum with almonds, cloves, and lime zest. Homemade is preferred but Major Taylor’s Velvet Falernum works.
Dark Sky / Bachata Blue - aka Good Vacations
16oz Glass
3 cubes
3oz Coconut Rum
2oz White Rum
2oz Curacao Blue (Senior Curacao Curacao is the best)
3oz Pineapple Juice - fresh if possible
2oz floating Black Rum (Alnwick is my fav)
Serve with a slice of orange
Nothing says good morning on the beach like this drink.
