August 14-Gin Basil Smash
You know when I think of cocktails and tghe countries they are from, obviously you have the US and Japan, but today we are talking about a lowkey big country for cocktails that no one thinks of. That country is Germany, the cocktail today was created by Jorg Meyer at La Leon in Hamburg German. When you talk about well known cocktails from Germany, you typically think of Charles Schumann’s creations, but Meyer is becoming a well known bartender in his own right with this one and the Mrs Hendrickx Lemonade Highball.#
This cocktail is a very satisfying and refreshing take on the smash categrory of drinks, only without the lemon wedges smashed in as well. This drink instead uses squeezed lemon juice in its creation. But the main star of this drink is the basil included in its specs. Basil was not used very widely in cocktails before Mr. Meyer put it in this one. SSince thenm other bartenders like Greg Lindgren have been using it in a lot of their creations like the Basil Gimlet.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r8HgVCvLk7I4zv3WAzZXM_2T3C7I8SGM3wCUTgKuthU/edit?tab=t.0
August 13-Naked and Famous
Created by Joaqin Simo at Death and Co, the Naked and Famous is a brilliant Last Word variation that replaces almost every ingredient except the lime juice. The Gin is rerplaced with Mezcal, the Green Chartreuse is replaced with Yellow Chartreuse, the Maraschino is replaced with Aperol and the lime juice stays the same. This cocktail is the perfect representation of the falacy that a variation needs the same spirit to be related. But this cocktail has the soul of a Last Word while replaciing everything in it with something else.
This cocktail has just about every flavour desired in a drink. You get sour from the lime, sweetness and bitterness from the aperol, botanical elements from the chartreuse and smokeyness from the mezcal. I used Montelobos mezcal in this but the original is made with Vida and I would recommend that one in particular for cocktails in general. My store just so happpened to be out of it so I pivoted like Ross in Friends.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EP7xVb54euzfe2nxB2iS0iTtmgGTtPVZ1hD-5WKrDqw/edit?tab=t.0
August 12th-Amaretto Sour
I won’t lie to you and say this is the original Amaretto Sour. I did do Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s version of this classic cocktail which includes bourbon and demerara syrup. I’m not going to qualify why I did this outside of the fact that I just think the original recipe is a problematic one. This is the same way I think of the sidecar. The Morgenthaler recipe is still relatively similar to the original, but as I said it adds a few new ingredients.
A couple quick notews on the ingredients for this cocktail. Starting with the Amaretto, do not use Disaronno. It is artificial as hell so I tell everyone looking for a bottle of amaretto go with Lazaroni. Freom what I could find it is cheaper and the superior product. Second use a higher proof bourbon. This will proof up the drink , but it will also provide more flavour. Finally I used a rich demerara syrup. It adds weight to the drink that you just don’t get with the 1:1 counterpart.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15MnkdAc8BpNp3vWvYVFljgKss9WRQTjDWb4_BGFUut8/edit?tab=t.0
August 11-Vieux Carre
Everyone talks about the American Trilogy being the cocktail story of American spirits, but this is like a sequal trilogy. While yes the American Trilogy talks about the begining of American Spirits, this talks about the continuation. You see in New Orleans and all of Louisiana, the French spirits like Cognac were still king even when American Rye Started to hit shelves. This cocktail was one of the first to use both in its build, showing the evolution from the French spirits to the American spirits that would rule the cocktail scene in the Louisiana area.
As stated before, this cocktail uses a split base of cognac and rye. It is for this, I would use a spicier rye to hold up to the cognac and make the cocktail not too sweet. This cocktail also uses sweet vermouth, I would use a French one like Dolin. It also includes Peychaud’s Bitters for that New Orleans creole style. Not to mention the French Benedictine also adding to the vibe of this cocktail while providing those strong botanical notes. All of these together make a very boozy but satisfying cocktail.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GcQiG0RQv3AnwX1Sw7U96fXcmyIEnxBKF9Zgs7G69E0/edit?tab=t.0
August 10-Picante De La Casa
This is a weirder entrant to the margarita zeitgeist. The fact that this placed much higher than the classic marg is super surprising. Now when I say that it is nothing against this drink I am just always surprised when a variant outdoes the original. I feel the same way about the penicillin which is even more surprising since it’s a variant of a variant. This cocktail was an immediate interest for me since it looks like if a Margarita and a salsa verde had a baby.
This cocktail includes muddling jalapeno and cilantro into a Tommy’s Margarita. If you don’t know what a Tommy’s is, it’s pretty much a margarita without being a daisy which essentially means that the liqueurs are replaced with syrups. A typical margarita istequila, lime and triple sec. A tommy’s replaces that triple sec with agave and it is divine.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x5YMRJckd46f1uCrf47VE4O5_vO-68VOxckedZY10Ig/edit?tab=t.0
August 9-Last Word
I am way too deep into this experiment to start having doubts about Difford’s Guide, but here we are. This drink in particular is what gave me apprehensions. I started to suspect something when the Jungle Bird a couple days ago callled for purely Blackstrap rum rather than a blend of that and a lighter one, but the recipe for the Last WOrd has confirmed this in my head. The Last Word is meant to be one of the simplest cocktails you can put together, once you have all the ingredients. I admit green chartreuse is hard to find and even harder to afford right now, but I am fortunate enough to still have some, so I used it.
This cocktail is just equal parts at 3/4 oz Lime juice, maraschino, green chartreuse and gin. Difford’s Guide changes this ratio a bit to be more gin forward and reducing the rest to 2/3 oz. I am a traditionalist when it comes to these drinks so I did the specs I was taught which are the original. These specs are iconic after all and inspired modern classics like the Paper Plane which we talked about already.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qdulsS8qovjfBAdBxw0q0d7G3_VXxTUReWyfYIL0GAs/edit?tab=t.0
August 8-Espresso Martini
Want to get screwed up? Want to wake up? I have the cocktail for you. The Espresso Martini was created by Dick Bradsell around 1983 and is by far his most overrated cocktail. Now when I say itis overrated this sin’t me saying it’s a bad drink, it’s pleasing enough and I doubt it would have blown up as much as it did without any merits to it name. I just mean this cocktail is not deserving of being hailed as the next coming of cocktail jesus.
When I say this cocktail is not all that I mean there is nothing about it to make you think. Personally, I like cocktails taht make me wonder at the flavour with complex flavour pairings that I don’t see too much of, stuff like pineapple and ginger together. This cocktail is just an alcoholic cup of coffee. If I wanted that I would pair coffee with somehting, it would be bourbon. That is even a crust I use for steak. Vodka doesn’t add any flavour.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wEMnjxYqsHIziq6uss5ytDioWgLyDrloTn_E1fW6O-8/edit?tab=t.0
August 7-Jungle Bird
Now I was not expecting this cocktail to be this high up. Not because its bad or anything, I just didn’t expect many people to know this one. I guess that this is one of the more popular tiki drinks that came out in the early days of tiki. This is also one of the more balanced drinks from that era. In the Mai Tai post I did 2 days ago i talked about how most drinks from that time were overly sweet and off balance with 10 different juices per drink. This one does a nice job of balancing the sweetness with Campari.
Surprisingly enough this was not made by Don Beach or Trader Vic considering the niche it has in tiki. It was actually made by Jeffrey Ong at the Aviary which was a hotwel bar for a Hilton. Since the bar’s name is the Aviary, it makes sense their flagship drink mentions birds, especially tropical ones considering the tiki vibe it has. This cocktail includes campari which gives it its distinctive colour and flavour. Ity also balances the cocktail out quite a bit.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pSPM50vP2HNmBVYCZ1AE5IBepcZXKbvf3IL_uUlYwUM/edit?tab=t.0
August 6-Margarita
Another cocktail that everyone should know and also my favourite pizza. The Margarita is the national drink of Mexico and has quickly become the poster boy for any tequila cocktail. More often than not, if you see a tequila cocktail it is referred to as a Margarita riff. Some people even refer to a paloma as a margarita riff, that is incorrect however. The Paloma was talked about before however so I won’t go into that drink again.
The margarita is one of the best purely becaus of the variety. You can have it naturale, frozen and you can add any flavour practically. You can even put in a tajin rim if you want a kick or muddle in jalapeno for a similar effect. The only limit to what you can do in a margarita is your imagination and wallet.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1STUd41Wigh1IjpRgDU_9IiCezxVNMvr3pt60jrDVWaA/edit?tab=t.0
August 5-Mai Tai
This cocktail is known as the sexy grand daddy of every tiki drink. Created by Vic Bergeron also known as Trader Vic, this cocktail is probably the most popular cocktail from the early tiki canon of the 1930’s post prohibition. This time was known as a problematic time for tiki cocktails since most of them were just pure juice blends with a lot of rum in them. They were incredibly popular due to the ease of drinking and wasted feeling people got, but looking back there isn’t much going on in a lot of these. Luckily this era inspired the likes of modern tiki historians like Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove, Garrett Richard of Sunken Harbour Club and evenm Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry of Latitude 29.
I mention those last 3 because it is their work that has reinvented tiki for the better. Simplifying the recipes as well as adding complexity. I could even go into even more about their work but I will leave you at this, it’s as Martin Cate references in his book Smuggler’s Cove, “the older tiki era is a time that should be studied in order for us to break what it was.” Once you do that, you can make some brilliant cocktails with the modern tiki formula.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jdFNmspyO4LwtUCSKavdS4l954_54q0pQ50cRHVlJK4/edit?tab=t.0
August 4-Manhattan
Wait we are talking about the Manhattan already? I felt this way with the Old Fashioned too but this is probably one of the most ordered drinks in higher end bars along with the old fashioned as I alluded to earlier. When it comes to this cocktail, it has everything and very little in a cocktail all at once. When I say that I mean it has everything I want in a cocktail but 3 ingredients. This makes me think it will score highly with my judge tonight. This cocktail consists of Rye, Sweet Vermouth and Bitters. You will notice that similar to the old fashioned, this cocktail is another whose recipe is the definition of a cocktail. Your Rye is your spirit, your bitters are your bitters and the sweet vermouth is water and sweet.
This cocktail was created at the famous manhattan club in New York City. The cool thing about this cocktail is that it started a whole family of cocktails, that familyu even has a subfamily. The Manhattan family is essentially any cocktail that features whiskey of some kind, vermouth and bitters, under that is a fake sub family of these variations that are named after fellow New York neighbourhoods. Such examples of these are the Greenpoint, Little Italy and the Slope.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRTQPauXBCt7ehkjSGdzo496I3gWv4gkVJwHqF1Zarc/edit?tab=t.0
August 3-Paper Plane
One of the most well traveled cocktails is that which we are discussing today. The Paper Plane was a cocktail that I originally didn’t think much of since when I first started bartending for my parents, they kind of limited me to their tastes, then as I got older and more mature in the craft, I introduced them to more and more and now I have a bar that rivals most places around me. The reality of that is that since this cocktail had 2 ingredients that they thought they didn’t like, I never got to truly make it. Now however its one of my dad’s favourites. Still can’t get mom into whiskey however.
The Paper Plane was created by Sam Ross. When I first heard that I assumned it would have been for Milk and Honey or Atta Boy. But no, it was for the Violet Hour. Sam Ross first developed the cocktail for the storied Chicago Bar and originally used Campari instead of Aperol. LAter when it was broughtr to Milk and Honey they swapped it and it became synonimous with that bar.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A31Vg5eRchzL-uGfI_Rgp17i_5MSF-scJEZ3_4FMfJ8/edit?tab=t.0
August 2-Paloma
The Paloma is probably the second most popular Mexican cocktail right after the Margarita. This cocktail is very similar to the Margarita however it includes typically grapefruit soda on top of a typical Margarita but here I do a different. I use fresh grapefruit juice and club soda this makes a better cocktail in my opinion as it's more enjoyable that way and it can be less cloyingly sweet even though some grapefruit juices aren't as sweet as squirt but squirt is what's typically used.
In terms of the creation details we've actually seen a cocktail by the creator itself already this summer. Just a couple entries ago we discussed the batonga which is created by Don Javier Delgado the same creator of the Paloma.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/178JZsLABYPT8MVRHEwcnDfc3-EcdlU6Wtoh3Dgml9g4/edit?tab=t.0
July 31-French Martini
The French Martini kind of makes me mad. This cocktail is called the French Martini but it has no truly French ingredients. This cocktail relies on Pineapple and Raspberry. I know hypnotiq would want you to believe these are French, that’s the same as saying plantains are an american food since pineapple and raspberry are found in French territories. If this cocktail featured pernod or cognac as ingredients I would’ve understood the name. Even gin would make more sense since it can be French.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f0K69yn5qZyzSeXELjzgQXETdka-dBV1OReyjvKO98M/edit?tab=t.0
August 1-Thaigarita
The Thaigarita is essentially what the name says, a margarita with Thai flair. Speciofically it includes pineapple and Sweet thai chili sauce. The latter might seem wieid but think of it like this. We like chili in cocktails, we also like sugar and water in them. Those are the main ingredients in sweet thai chili sauce so why can’t they be in cocktails? The same reason Brittney Spears can’t be a pop star. We let the latter happen so why not the former?
Aside from that I don’t haver anything. I found this cocktail on the Educated Barfly website created by someone named Rob Knatz. I don’t know if he is a professional bartender or a brilliant home one. Either way this is a great cocktail by this man.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LTHFeXrDLDFcZpzWbs9CzN48Tzui8IngIP8dogJgZrY/edit?tab=t.0
July 30-Daiquiri
When I talk about this cocktail to others I describe it as pretty much holoy to bartenders. They would always argue with me about that statement since most bartenders are typically annoyed when you order thius drink. I want to clear that up. Bartenders in my experience hate frozen daiquiriss. There are 2 main reasosn for this. The first is they are a pain to make since they require a blender and that can be a pain to clean and care for after use especially when you are busy.
The second reason is related to the first but its because it is seen as a bastardized version of the daiquiri naturale, which is the non frozen version. The bastardization aspect comes from the frozen version being watered down and less boozy tahn the naturale version as well as having the blender aspect of the clean up being a bitrch for most people in the service industry. My main piece of advice is if you agree with these points, donb’t work at a poolside bar in FLorida or the CAribbean in general.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WeyjiTsBu8jQuQDc4vZ53Fb-tJXQQ5_BpCneFPRCl-s/edit?tab=t.0
July 29-Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour was created in the early 1800s. This cocktail has a very big misunderstanding attached to it. Everyone thinks the original had egg white. The thing is it wasn’t until the 1890s when the New York Sour came out that egg white was added. Until then the sourn was just the citrus, sugar and whiskey. Now is the time I was kind of dreading,. what kind of whiskey do you use? I say either. I know, I know people want an official opinion on cocktaiuls like this that can go either way, especially since I diud have an official opinion on this with the Old Fashioned. The issue is the main whiskey I use is outside of these categories of whiskey.
The whiskey I’m talking about is Michter’s Sour Mash. The best way I can describe it is higher end Jack Daniels. The mash bill of this whiskey is unknown but it tastes like it has a more even ratio of corn and rye witrh notes of barely. This makes it appropriate for anyone who doesn’t know what kind of whiskey they like.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SqbNS894Cw-T0NJ_-xIqq1IkyVfwrn_xz8vsYvFXwrw/edit?tab=t.0
July 28-Negroni
Most cocktails you can play around with the specs. This is one of very few cocktails that has stayed exactly the same in terms of the cocktail’s specs. The garnish switches between an orange slice and an orange twist depending on who you ask, but the spirits are all the same all the time. Even close cousins of this cocktail like the Boulevardier have fluxing specs. This cocktail is always the same no matter where you go, well that is depending on the bartender’s competence.
The specs I am raving about for this cocktail that are always the same is simple. 1 oz of Sweet Vermouth, 1 oz of Campari and 1 oz of Gin. It’s a very simple cocktail as I said and one of the most refreshing you can have. I will admit that this cocktail can be seen as polarizing as all 3 ingredients are among those that you either love to death or hate with a passion.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y9jR9pMsraEz420cRAZE3UUTV7fcT0pYfNshscscoIA/edit?tab=t.0
July 27-Screaming Orgasm
You guys saw the name of this cocktail, I will not be my usual held back self. I’m letting go on this post. Enjoy me unhinged. Club shots are widely viewed as throwaway pieces of shit that only scumbags order when they want to get drunk and nothing else. I agree and disagree. That is what they are mostly used for but they can be legitimately good cocktails. I have seen shots like the Washington Apple and Lemon Drop become legitimate cocktails outside of shots.
This cocktail is essentially a mudslide with coffee liqueur. This sounds delicious but the name is what gets me. I don’t liuke the names of most club shots that have a sexual context. If I’m going to a bar and ordering a shot I don’t want to drunkenly be saying “Give me a screaming orgasm” in front of either friends or family. Also this name prevents it from being a regular order at every bar. Higher end bars obviously wouldn’t put this on the menu and even if yoiu order it, you’re getting thrown out.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-7c41CTCRe1r7WWWmU3hdQn8vIX_zJ5fASi7aqcn0pA/edit?tab=t.0
July 26-Penicillin
Sam Ross is widely viewed as the more prominent member of the Atta Boy duo. While I would say his partner Michael McElroy deserves more notariety than he gets, today we are talking about a Sam Ross cocktail. The Penicillin is a variant of a gold rush cocktail and this is one of feww times that a variant became more popular than the original. This cocktail could be traced back to a Gold Rush or a Bee’s Knees and it is still outdoing those before it.
This cocktail gets its name form the medicinal properties the main non alcoholic ingredients were believed to have. Those 3 I’m talking about are ginger, honey and lemon. It also has a medicinal taste from these 3, but I mean that in the best way. If I were a doctor, I would prescribe this cocktail for any problem. Now this cocktail typically uses ginger syrup and honey syrup. I would 100% make the honey syrup as its the best way to get the flavour in the drink. All you need to do is boil 1 part water and combine with 1 part honey. The ginger syrup can be replaced with muddled ginger which is what I did here.
Full judging here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HdKuhI28tr-jPpRD1Fz0oSbDvYKKqU6zodk4XmG5yHo/edit?tab=t.0