The Last Wynd

Adapted from a recipe by Sian Ferguson, 99 Bar and Kitchen, Aberdeen, Scotland.

“Twist on a Last Word, made for the ‘Who will have the last word’ competition in the UK. Winner of the Aberdeen round. Awaiting other cities winners to see who will win over all.” Sian Ferguson.

25 ml (.83 oz) Havana Club 3 Años rum

25 ml (.83 oz) yellow Chartreuse

25 ml (.83 oz) maraschino liqueur

25 ml (.83 oz) fresh lime juice

1 barspoon honey

Shake over ice and double-strain into a chilled coupette.

gaz sez:  Try this.  Run, don’t walk.  The Chartreuse and the maraschino bang out a beautiful duet in this baby, and the rum provides a sturdy stage for them.  Promise.

A Tale of Two Roberts (Robert Burns 2012)

Adapted from a recipe by Frank Caiafa, Peacock Alley, The Waldorf=Astoria, New York City.

“At Peacock Alley, we have debuted our Robert Burns Cocktail.  It’s a hybrid of the Old Waldorf Bar Book recipe which is essentially a Rob Roy with Absinthe, and the Bobby Burns, from the Old Savoy Cocktail Book, which is equal parts scotch, sweet vermouth, and a bit of Bénédictine.

“I did not add (orange) bitters to this version as I feel the drink is complex enough and the bitters helped to muddy up the mix.  To happily confuse things more, I asked the Waldorf=Astoria pastry kitchen to make shortbread cookies as a garnish (thanks, guys!).

“I think the small changes makes big differences (and the finish is awesome!).  Enjoy!” Frank Caiafa.

67.5 ml (2.25 oz) Sheep Dip 8-Year-Old blended scotch whisky

37.5 ml (1.25 oz) sweet vermouth

10 ml (.33 oz) Bénédictine

6 dashes Pernod/Absinthe Mix*

1 lemon twist, as garnish

2 shortbread cookies, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnishes: twist to the cocktail, cookies on a plate on the side.

*Pernod/Absinthe Mix: Ratio is 2/3 Pernod and 1/3 La Muse Verte Absinthe.

gaz sez:   Here’s a sort of modified Bobby Burns that works so very well, indeed.  Made with a great scotch, the addition of absinthe makes this one stand head and shoulders above the original.

Good Night Sazerac
Adapted from a recipe by Leonardo Leuci, Jerry Thomas Speakeasy, Rome, Italy.

“This is my personal twist on the classic Sazerac, using two typical Roman ingredients like the chamomile and the Sambuca, and also replacing the Peychaud’s with an Italian bitter like Campari.” Leonardo Leuci.

1 teaspoon sambuca

45 ml (1.5 oz) Evan Williams Black Label bourbon

1 teaspoon homemade chamomile syrup

1 dash Campari

1 dash orange bitters

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling with crushed ice. Discard the ice, then add the sambuca to the glass; swirl it around to coat the inside entirely. Discard the excess. Stir the remaining ingredients gently over ice and strain into the prepared glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  Leonardo’s using my house bourbon in this one, so he must be a decent lad, right?  This is a serious drink.  Something that makes you stand up and take notice.  It works well with or without the Sambuca rinse, so feel free to try it both ways.

Norwegian Negroni

Adapted from a recipe by Adam Harness, Cafe Maude, Minneapolis, MN.

“A very light and herbal/citrus taste, perfect for a before dinner libation. Due to the fact that many Minnesotans are of Norwegian heritage, I thought this would be a good starter for someone who wants to experience a craft cocktail.” Adam Harness.

60 ml (2 oz) Linie aquavit

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Noilly Prat dry vermouth

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Aperol

2 dashes Bittercube orange bitters

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain over an ice chunk in a low-ball glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  This is a delightful use of aquavit.  The drink is simple, dry, and very sophisticated.  One of my favorites this year.

Charterhouse Cup
Adapted from a recipe by Adrian Gomes, The Corpse and Cocktail, Aberdeen, Scotland.
“This creation was a regional finalist for a UK competition held in Edinburgh by cult French liqueur, Chartreuse. Although the drink didn’t reach the UK final, it received an honourable mention by ‘UK Bartender of the Year (2011)’ Jamie MacDonald of The Raconteur, Stockbridge, citing the drink as his favourite on the day.” Adrian Gomes.

25 ml (.83 oz) green Chartreuse

15 ml (.5 oz) Pimm’s No. 1 Cup

10 ml (.33 oz) Trois Rivieres rhum (or any unaged or young rhum agricole)

20 ml (.66 oz) fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 dash egg white

1 cucumber ribbon, folded repeatedly and threaded onto a cocktail stick and topped with a mint leaf, as garnish

Dry-shake, then add ice and shake again. Fine-strain into a chilled small wine goblet. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:   This is an interesting quaff.  It’s weird to witness the Chartreuse teasing the Pimm’s Cup on the palate until, just a couple of seconds later, the rhum jumps into the fray and the waters are stilled.  Nicely played, Adrian.

Smokin’ Hopps

Adapted from a recipe by Seth Laufman, Burritt Room, San Francisco, CA.

“Refreshing and unique.” Seth Laufman.

60 ml (2 oz) vida Mezcal

15 ml (.5 oz) simple syrup (rich)

15 ml (.5 oz) fresh lemon juice

15 ml (.5 oz) Licor 43

60 ml (2 oz) India Pale Ale

Shake and strain the first four ingredients into chilled fizz glass. Top with the ale.

gaz sez:   Oh.  My.  God.  How damned weird can you get?  I don’t think I could spend much time in Seth’s head, but I have to hand it to him-he came off with one very original drink here.  And it works, too.  Well done, young man.

The Glorious Socialite

Adapted from a recipe by Benjamin Davies, Oddfellows Chester, Cheshire, UK.

“A well-balanced and spicy aperitif-style drink, loosely based around a dry Manhattan. The majority of these ingredients before you can be found in your Nan’s drinks cupboard, which inevitably makes this drink cool.” Benjamin Davies.

35 ml (1.17 oz) Jameson Irish whiskey

20 ml (.66 oz) Aperol

12.5 ml (.42 oz) puerto fino dry sherry

5 ml (.17 oz) Lillet Blanc

1 drop Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters

1 lemon twist

Shake all ingredients hard and fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze the twist over the drink, then discard.

gaz sez:   Well, my Nan wasn’t much of a one for Aperol, but I think she’d have enjoyed this quaff.  There’s a bit of a céilidh going on in this glass, but the sherry pulls it all together, making sure that no one gets out of hand.  Nice on, Benjamin.

Irish Mermaid

Adapted from a recipe by Massimo La Rocca, ListenToTheIce.com.

“The name Mermaid refers to the statue of the little Mermaid in Copenhagen, which is where this great cherry liqueur comes from. When I created this drink, the bar I was working at was very famous for afternoon tea. I wanted to start selling cocktails during those hours, so I decided to throw this drink right at the customers’ tables with a crystal teapot so that people would get curious about cocktails.

“The drink showcases the warmth of the beautiful Irish whiskey with the slight bitterness of the Aperol, perfectly balanced by the combination of cherry and almond flavours. Angostura gives it a nice depth, while the orange twist provides nice and fresh citrus notes to the cocktail.” Massimo La Rocca.

35 ml (1.17 oz) quality Irish whiskey

10 ml (.33 oz) Cherry Heering

10 ml (.33 oz) Aperol

5 ml (.17 oz) orgeat syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 orange twist, as garnish

1 barspoon brandied black cherries, cooked and reduced in Cherry Heering, as garnish

Combine in a glass or crystal teapot and throw to create a beautiful froth. Strain into a chilled coupe and add the garnishes.

gaz sez:  Superb!  The Aperol and orgeat dance together all night in your mouth after drinking just one of these babies.  Max: It’s almost like you know what you’re doing! J

Patriarch

Adapted from a recipe by Daniel Brancusi, Vitae, New York City.

67.5 ml (2.25 oz) Rittenhouse rye whiskey

15 ml (.5 oz) Luxardo maraschino liqueur

10 ml (.33 oz) English Bishop*

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

1 large orange twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Add the garnish.

*English Bishop: Stud an orange with about 40 cloves and bake at 205 degrees C (400 degrees F) until golden brown. Quarter the orange and place in a saucepan with 750 ml of port. Simmer for 20 minutes and then add about 200 g (1 cup) of sugar. Cool and bottle.

gaz sez: I’d never made English Bishop before testing this recipe, and I’m here to tell you I’ll be making it again.   After trying the cocktail a couple of times, and deciding it’s one of the best new drinks I’ve tasted this year, I added cognac to the remaining Bishop—50:50 ratio—and sipped it for a nightcap when I felt I deserved it.  Okay, I sipped it every night till it was all gone . . .  Nice one, Daniel!

Rose Colored Glasses

Adapted from a recipe by Daniel Dufek, Hi Hat Lounge, Milwaukee, WI.

“Hey gaz, seeing as you’ve already tried this drink, I figured I’d throw it in the ring for the next edition of your book.  Thanks!” Daniel Dufek.

2 lemon twists (reserve 1 for garnish)

45 ml (1.5 oz) Plymouth gin

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Noilly Prat dry vermouth

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Lapsang Souchong Syrup*

2 dashes Angostura bitters

6 drops Bittercube Lemon Tree bitters

Stir over ice and strain into chilled coupe. Add the garnish.

*Lapsang Souchong Syrup: Brew tea at normal strength.  Add an equal amount of granulated sugar.  Stir until dissolved. 

gaz sez:   I did, indeed, sample this drink.  It was a finalist cocktail at a Plymouth Gin competition, and I tried it in Chicago when I was traveling with the good folk at Pernod-Ricard USA on the Pioneers of Mixology roadshow.

The Lapsang Souchong Syrup is what really pulls this drink together, and the Plymouth provides a sturdy backbone that can easily support all the bitters here, without getting lost in the crowd.

 Free Rider

Adapted from a recipe by Billy Helmkamp, The Whistler, Chicago, IL.

“I created this drink for February’s Mixology Monday, the theme of which was Tiki. Much like the song it was named after, this drink is a mash-up of sorts. It was inspired by two of my favorite cocktails at the moment: Robert Hess’ Voyager and Jeffrey Morganthaler’s Kingston Club.  You can read more about this drink here

30 ml (1 oz) Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum

30 ml (1 oz) Bénédictine

15 ml (.5 oz) Fernet Branca

45 ml (1.5 oz) pineapple juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) lime juice

7.5 ml (.25 oz) demerara syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 mint leaf, as garnish

Shake and strain into a Tiki mug. Fill with crushed ice and add the garnish.

gaz sez:  Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy!  The combination of Fernet, Bénédictine, and pineapple juice, all lying on a bed of Lemon Hart 151 with pineapple juice sweetening the deal and Angostura jumping in there to make you sit up and take notice is a treat you’ll never forget.  Billy has sold me on Tiki.  Something I never thought would happen.

“Most of my success stems from the fuck-ups of others,” Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Clyde Common, Portland, Oregon.  May 16, 2013

Old Quartermaster

 Adapted from a recipe by Michael Shea, Rum Club, Portland, OR,

 “Last November we were enjoying Manhattans at Rum Club made with Pampero Anniversario and PX sherry. I wanted to put the drink on the menu, but it had to be adapted so it wasn’t a $14 cocktail. I took my cue from an old Trader Vic’s recipe for a drink that we featured on our opening menu, the Quarterdeck Cocktail: Gosling’s rum, modified by a touch of blended scotch and cream sherry.

“The name come from a regular who often ordered the drink. He spent time enlisted in the Coast Guard as a Quartermaster, so we have a Quarterdeck Cocktail for an old Quartermaster!” Michael Shea.

30 ml (1 oz) Mt. Gay Eclipse Black rum

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Famous Grouse scotch whisky

15 ml (.5 oz) Pedro Ximenez sherry

4 drops smoky scotch (Ardbeg, Caol Ila), as garnish

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a small chilled cocktail glass or coupe. Add the garnish so that each drop represents a point of a compass. Squeeze the twist over the drink, then discard.

gaz sez:   This is one of those drinks that really shouldn’t work, but it does.  The sherry brings everything together in harmony in this one, and I love the aromatic garnishes.  Nice.

Bloomsbury Fizz

Adapted from a recipe by Giuseppe Santamaria, Boutique Bar / Ohla Hotel, Barcelona, Spain. (picture ©George Restrepo)
 

“This cocktail is a modern version of a Fizz. Its name is inspired by the London district where Charles Tanqueray founded a small distillery in 1830 and Tanqueray was born.

This drink uncovers the sharpness of the citrus flavour of this gin, combined with the summery, fresh notes of basil, perfectly balanced with the velvet warm of the port. Perfect at any time the day. (Cocktail winner the Spanish Tanqueray Ten World Class Semifinal 2010.)” Giuseppe Santamaria.

6 fresh basil leaves (reserve 1 for garnish)

20 ml (.66 oz) gomme syrup

40 ml (1.33 oz) Tanqueray No. TEN gin

10 ml (.33 oz) fresh lemon juice

10 ml (.33 oz) fresh lime juice

1 large egg white

Dash soda water

20 ml (.66 oz) ruby port

a few basil leaves, as garnish

Smash the basil with the syrup in a mixing glass. Add ice, the gin, egg white, and lemon and lime juices. Shake vigorously and double-strain into a chilled coupette.  Float the port then add the soda to the mixing glass to create a foam (in contact with the remains of the egg white) and float this foam on top. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:   Tricky little number is this one–I’m not the best layerer in the business.  Once it’s assembled, though, this is a stunningly fabulous drink—the T10 and the basil run a triathlon on the palate as they swim around and do a few wheelies before sprinting down the throat.  Masterpiece material is this baby.

            Google turned up no results whatsoever when I plugged Joe’s name into their search engine, but the words suffering and bastard, when entered in that order, surrounded by quotation marks, yielded “about 805 [hits] in 0.13 seconds.”  I was onto something.

            Webtender.com offered a recipe that called for gin, rum, lime juice, bitters, and ginger ale, and several other cocktail-related sites gave similar formulas for the Suffering Bastard, so I thought I should perhaps consult some of my old cocktail books.  Trader Vic Bergeron, the restaurateur who helped forward the Tiki-Bar movement started by Donn the Beachcomber in 1934, wrote a couple of cocktail recipe books, and I had a feeling that the Suffering Bastard was perhaps served at one of his joints.  I have only his first tome, though, published in 1948, and there was no sign of the drink there.  Next I consulted the index in Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log (1998), a fine compilation of Tropical drink recipes written by Jeff Berry and Annene Kaye.  My search, looking under “Rum Drinks” and “Gin Drinks” yielded naught.  Time to go back to my Google search.

            Cocktail.com sported a recipe for the drink and a little additional information:  “Served at the Rongovian Embassy, Trumansburg, New York, sadly out of business.”  And I got even more information at barnonedrinks.com where I found a recipe submitted by a certain John Lara, who thoughtfully added, “The series of drinks, Suffering Bastard, Dying Bastard, Dead Bastard is from the Rongovian Embassy to the USA., a weird bar in Trumansburg, New York.  Only a few have done the series and  found their car. Generally you end up waking up on a golf course somewhere.”  What’s this?  There’s more than just one bastard out there?  Three bastard drinks from one bar?

            While all this was going down I received a phone call from my good friend Doctor Cocktail, a drink maven in Los Angeles.  “You’ll never believe this,” I told him, and went on to spill the story about the three bastards from the Rongovian Embassy.  “No,” he said, “The Suffering Bastard is a drink from Trader Vic.”  Turned out that Bergeron did, indeed, include a recipe for the drink in his 1972 book, Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide (revised), but it was a mundane affair, calling for Trader Vic’s Mai-Tai “Mix,” according to Doc.  We decided that the Rongovian Embassy story was far more interesting.

            I heard from Doc one more time in regard to the trio of bastards.  He e-mailed to inform me that the Suffering Bastard was included in Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log, but the drink was listed under “Bourbon Drinks,” since their Suffering Bastard contained bourbon–not the rum found in the other recipes.  And underneath the formula was a short history lesson:  “From Shepheard’s Hotel, Cairo, Egypt, Circa 1950.”

            The book went on to tell the story about The Suffering Bastard.  It supposedly started out as The Suffering Bar Steward, words supposedly uttered by a harried bartender at Shepheard’s bar, and misheard, and subsequently bastardized, so to speak, by a group of British military types.  There was no mention of Joe Scialom, though.  I was beginning to feel sorry for the poor bastard.

            A Google search for “Rongovian Embassy” led me to therongo.com, a web site that informed me that this joint was once again in business, but not much more information was there save for their phone number, so I called, chatted to Mike Schott, a convivial bartender, and eventually I got the ear of Susan Elardo, a long-time manager of this quirky joint that features live music, Mexican food, and three bastard drinks on the cocktail list.

            Elardo guided me to Alex Brooks, the man who opened the Rongovian Embassy in 1973.  He now lives in Maine, is retired from the hospitality industry, and pursues his hobby of painting to pass the time.  Brooks* chuckled when I mentioned the drinks, but he wasn’t really sure where the recipes came from, and he’d never heard of Joe Scialom.

            Months passed.  I was lost.  I was suffering, too.  This story had so much promise, but I’d reached a dead end.  God took pity on me, though, and made me look through the 2002 book, Esquire Drinks, by David Wondrich, when I was looking for an entirely unrelated cocktail.  Lo and behold–Wondrich had covered the Suffering Bastard.  And he covered Joe Scialom, too.

            Turns out that Joe was, indeed, the bar steward at the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo that Beachbum Berry mentioned in his Grog Log.  Esquire magazine reported on the man, and the drink, in 1947.  Scialom created the drink as a hangover cure–”to be un-hung, you must be re-drunk” the book tells us–and its original name was, indeed, The Suffering Bar Steward. 

            Rest easy, Joe Scialom.  Your suffering is over.  Lucky bastard.

The Suffering Bastard

Adapted from a recipe in Esquire Drinks: An Opinionated & Irreverent Guide to Drinking, by David Wondrich, 2002.

1 ounce bourbon

1 ounce gin

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

Ginger ale

2 sprigs fresh mint

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the bourbon, gin, lime juice, and bitters.  Shake for approximately 15 seconds.  Strain into an ice-filled collins glass.  Top with the ginger ale, and add the garnish.

* Update 2013:  I’ve kept in touch with Alex Brooks over the years—he’s a fascinating man, and when he was young he actually knew Charles Baker, Jr. who apparently visited the island of St. Thomas when Brooks and his family lived there in the 1960s.

Click the links below to see pretty pictures of the books I’ve accumulated over the years

Bin 4

Bin 5

Bin 16

The Westie

Adapted from a recipe by Fredo Ceraso, Loungerati, New York City.

“I developed this cocktail as an ode to the classic ingredients in the ‘old man’ drink— Drambuie and Galliano. Cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger and the Rusty Nail evolved at a time when notorious tough guys like The Westies gang occupied Hell’s Kitchen bar stools. They drank hard but with flair. The Westie captures this feeling. After all, though a cocktail should be well-balanced and thought out, it never hurts to have a good story behind it. (Read the full story of the drink here.) I have also submitted this drink for the 2012 Loungerati section of the award-winning cocktail menu at the Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow.” Fredo Ceraso.

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Redbreast 12 Year Old Pot Still Irish whiskey

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Drambuie

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Liquore Galliano L’Autentico

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

3 drops Dutch’s Colonial Cocktail bitters (or Angostura in a pinch)

1 Bada Bing cherry, as garnish

Shake over ice for 15 to 20 seconds and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:   I’m a big fan of Redbreast so I had to try this one, and I was out of  Dutch’s Colonial Cocktail bitters so I used Angostura, just like Fredo suggested.  Result?  Fabulous.  The addition of Liquore Galliano L’Autentico was a stroke of genius.

 Sencha Flip

Adapted from a recipe by Jason Walsh, CocktailLogic.com, Brooklyn, NY.
“This cocktail was inspired by my adoration of Sencha Japanese tea. Many people use Matcha, however Sencha has more complexity and flavor so I prefer it over Matcha in certain cocktails.”  Jason Walsh.

60 ml (2 oz) Plymouth gin

45 ml (1.5 oz) Sweetened Sencha green tea (chilled)

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

1 large egg white

Dry-shake, then add a few ice cubes (not too many) and shake again. Strain into a chilled glass (I use a desert wine glass or pony) and enjoy.

gaz sez:   Sencha or Matcha?  Matcha or Sencha?  It’s one of those choices that needs a damned good ponder.  Jason called it well here!

“There are three essentials to the complete education of a Kentucky gentleman : 1st. Proper appreciation and respect for two men. 2nd. Thorough knowledge of horse flesh. 3rd. The ability to decide without hesitation, the qualities of Bourbon whiskey. With these complimentary touches the citizen is eligible for Congress, or any other position to which he may aspire.”  The Legends of the St. Lawrence: Told During a Cruise of the Yatch Hirondelle from Montreal to Gaspe by James MacPherson Le Moine, F.R.S.C.  Published by C.E. Holiwell, 1898.

 Adapted from a recipe by Kate McDonald, Veneto Lounge, Victoria, BC.

 “When I started bartending I was eager to make my own drink, but patience is necessary both for great things and product conservation. This was the first drink I created (with the newly acquired knowledge of flavour affinities), and years later it still seems to be the number one drink my patrons order and tell their friends about.

 “Yes, the name is supposed to have an exclamation mark. The chef I was working with at the time use to call me Jenkins. At first I simply thought he didn’t know my name, but I think he just liked to yell that more than ‘Katie.’ The name has now become a sort of ‘nom-de-bar’ used by those who have worked with me.” Kate McDonald.

 60 ml (2 oz) Hendrick’s gin

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Giffard Lichi Li liqueur

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

15 ml (.5 oz) honey syrup

7.5 ml (.25 oz) rose water

1 dash Bitter Truth lemon bitters

 Shake and double-strain into chilled coupe.

gaz sez:  Pure, simple, refreshing, and perfect for springtime sipping.  This drink will fly over the bar at a very rapid rate of knots.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here  Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

The Emperor

Adapted from a recipe by Valdez Campos, Manifesto, Kansas City, MO.

30 ml (1 oz) Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal

30 ml (1 oz) Campari

30 ml (1 oz) dry curaçao

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass with a large cube. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:   Wow!  I’m stuck for words.  So bloody simple and so bloody marvelous.  Standing ovation for this baby.

Spanish Inquisition

 Adapted from a recipe by Scott Diaz, Elliott’s Oyster House, Seattle, WA.

 “I am the Beverage Manager for Elliott’s Oyster House in Seattle, but I still get behind the wood quite often at the restaurant.  I wanted to create a full-bodied, and rich craft cocktail that showcased the wonderful flavors of raisin, bitter orange, and almond notes.  Be sure to properly measure the ingredients for this one, especially the sherry, as too much can make for a sickeningly sweet concoction.  Cheers!” Scott Diaz.

 22.5 ml (.75 oz)  Lustau Pedro Ximenez sherry

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Aperol

15 ml (.5 oz) Averna amaro

30 ml (1 oz) fresh blood orange juice

1 teaspoon orgeat syrup

1 orange twist, as garnish

 Shake over ice and strain into a chilled coupe.  Flame the twist over the drink, then add as garnish.

gaz sez:   I never expected a Spanish Inquisition . . .  This one’s like Forest Gump’s box of chocolates—you never know what’s coming next!  The Aperol hits first, then it’s the sherry, then the Averno take charge, and the orgeat has her say, too.  A complex dram is this one.  Nicely done, Scott.

Adapted from a recipe by Frederic Yarm, Cocktail Virgin Blog, Somerville, MA.

“St. Germain [cocktail] appears in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book, it pre-dates the elderflower liqueur of the same name by over 70 years, and it features a healthy slug of green Chartreuse that helped it get its name. The name is a reference to the Comte de St. Germain who claimed to have created the Elixir of Life; Chartreuse was referred to as an elixir of life as well, although the two elixirs were unrelated until the creation of this recipe. In my variation, I swapped the original’s green Chartreuse, grapefruit, lemon, and mint garnish for yellow Chartreuse, orange, lime, and orange bitters garnish but kept the egg white-sour base the same. For a name, I went with Milord Gower, who was a Parisian comedian that made making fun of St. Germain’s grand claims and far-fetched stories a large part of his act.  The resultant cocktail is rather ambrosial and easy to drink.” Frederic Yarm.

45 ml (1.5 oz) yellow Chartreuse

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh orange juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lime juice

1 egg white

5 drops orange bitters, as garnish

Dry-shake, then add ice. Shake again and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:   What a weird damned drink!  But what a fabulous story, huh?  “Get into the bar business and your education will be complete,” said my Dad.  You were right again, Bernard.  And this drink, weird as it might be, is worth a spin or two around the block.  Try it and tell me I’m wrong.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Scott Kennedy, Rubirosa, New York City.
“A variation on a perfect Rob Roy, this blends classic spirits into a masculine sipper that’s quick to please.” Scott Kennedy.

1 generous lemon twist

45 ml (1.5 oz) Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch whisky

15 ml (.5 oz) Dolin Blanc vermouth

15 ml (.5 oz) Dolin Rouge vermouth

shy 15 ml (.5 oz) Luxardo maraschino liqueur

1 dash Peychaud’s bitters

1 skewered brandied cherry, as garnish

Rub the inside of a chilled coupe with the lemon twist, then discard. Stir over ice and strain into the glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  This one’s right up my alley.  Big, strong, complex, and that one dash of Peychaud’s brings the whole darned thing to life.  Great job, Scott!

 See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Papa Needs a New Pair of Shoes

Adapted from a recipe by Patrick Halloran, The Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN.

“Christened by a coworker’s girlfriend who, upon smelling the rinse, said the drink smelled like a shoe.

“The Belcourt Theatre is one of the oldest independently owned movie theatres in the South, and it is the only such theatre in Nashville. We specialize in foreign, independent, arthouse and repertory cinema, 99% of which we still project in 35mm instead of digital. While perhaps not a bar in the strictest definition, we have a “full” bar which I’ve spent the last two years trying to improve. It is a slow and uphill battle, but I’m trying. Drinks like this, while simple, are starting to get customers in the habit of asking for something beyond a Jack and Coke.  

            “Since the ingredients are so simple, I searched up and down to make sure I didn’t accidentally invent someone else’s drink before I submitted this. The only one that came close was from the Washington Square Tavern which uses Overholt, Fernet, and demerara. Coincidentally the drink is called the Feet First! Apparently those three ingredients invoke feet to bartenders?” Patrick Halloran.

45 ml (1.5 oz) Old Overholt rye whiskey

15 ml (.5 oz) Fernet Branca

Fat 15 ml (fat.5 oz) 2:1 demerara syrup

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

14 drops Fee Brothers Old Fashion bitters

Laphroaig scotch whisky (for rinse)

Shake vigorously over ice and double-strain into a chilled coupe that has been rinsed with Laphroaig.  

gaz sez:   Hmm . . .  Feet, huh?   I always thought that Laphroaig—which I happen to adore—smelled more like a 3rd-world clinic filled with cigar smoke.  Each to his own, I guess.  I confess to using Bulleitt rye when I tested this drink, and there’s quite a difference between Bulleitt and Overholt, but what the hell.  This is my style of drink.  I love it.  Simple as that.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Red Barchetta

Adapted from a recipe by Mel James, BC’s Kitchen, Lake St. Louis, MO.

“I created this cocktail for the 2012 Campari competition. It is quite special to me because it was the first cocktail that I created 100% on my own, with no help, opinions asked or input from anyone (and only my second competition at that point as well). It tied first place with Ted Kilgore, and the tie breaker ended up being our technical scores. I took second place and was beside myself thrilled – I had never expected to even place, and the fact that people enjoyed one of my cocktails brought me a joy that is beyond words.” Mel James.

2 strawberries, hulled

45 ml (1.5 oz) Campari

30 ml (1 oz) North Shore gin #6

30 ml (1 oz) The Big O ginger liqueur

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Cherry Heering

7.5 ml (.25 oz) premium aged balsamic vinegar

3 dashes Angostura orange bitters

1 strawberry speared with a small rosemary sprig, as garnish

Muddle the strawberries in a mixing glass, then add the remaining ingredients. Shake over ice and fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  This is one of those recipes that shouldn’t work, but it does.  When I read it I nearly threw it into the circular file, but hey, it’s got gin and Campari, right?  I gave it a shot.  It worked.  I especially like the way the strawberries play with the balsamic in this one, and the ginger and cherry liqueurs dance well together, too, but it’s the Campari/gin combination that holds this drink together, and the aromatic rosemary garnish adds a special something, too.

Adapted from a recipe by Charalabos “Babis” Spiridakis, Cocktail Bar Passo Doble, Mykonos, Greece.

“The bar that I work for seven years now it’s in a hot island of Greece called Mykonos. That’s why I wanted a refreshing cocktail that is served in a glass full of ice but so tasty that in a hot day, somebody can drink it before the ice melts.

“Thank you Gary for the incredible work you are doing. I have learned a lot from your books and from the excellent bartenders that expose their work through you. Keep it going.” Babis Spridakis.

50 ml (1.65 oz) Stolichnaya vodka

40 ml (1.33 oz) homemade green apple puree

35 ml (1.17 oz) fresh lemon juice

20 ml (.66 oz) maraschino liqueur

25 ml (.83 oz) Monin cucumber syrup

Soda water, to fill

1 cucumber slice, as garnish

1 mint sprig, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and add the garnishes.

gaz sez:   This is so not my style of drink.  And this is so fabulous I wish that I lived on Mykonos so I could drink it all summer long.  Well done, Babis.  This is a brilliant creation.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Devender Sehgal, New Delhi, India.

“I wanted to enhance to flavor of orange in the rum by using both bitter and sweet. Beyond this, I used Taylor’s port to compliment the viscosity of the rum. In order to balance these sweet elements I added just a dash of Cynar, creating a well-balanced and delicious cocktail.” Devender Sehgal.

45 ml (1.5 oz) Ron Zacapa 23

15 ml (.5 oz) Taylor tawny port

10 ml (.33 oz) Cynar

1 teaspoon Cointreau

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

gaz sez:  I wrote about this drink in the San Francisco Chronicle, and I noted there that, “[The] Ellipsis is very well balanced, indeed, and the Cynar adds a nuance to the drink that makes it stand tall.  I really urge you to take this recipe to your local bar and ask the bartender to fix an Ellipsis for you.  Lots of bars stock the necessary ingredients.”  Nicely done, Devender.

Old Fashioned No. 6

Adapted from a recipe by Oron Lerner, Mapal Bar,Haifa, Israel.

“I did this for TotC’s Truly Old Fashioned entry, which is sadly the only one open to any bartenders and not just US ones. I sent this recipe for an Old Fashioned contest and was looking for a way to create something modern, new and still true to the Old Fashioned.

“I recently tried and enjoyed Guiseppe Gonzalez’s Trinidad Sour, using 1.5 oz of Angostura Aromatic Bitters, and the guests around here have recently found the Seelbach cocktail to be very pleasing so I decided to try and reverse the ratios in an Old Fashioned and create a recipe that uses bitters by the ounces. Yours was first on the list and sampling the bitters straight, I came up with the recipe. The cognac rounds the flavors, the sweetness balances the bitters and the smoky flavor adds a pop to the drink. Looking for a fitting garnish I found a jar of Bergamot peels infusing and gave it a try, which added perfumy scents and it just ended up splendid.

“I currently run the Mapal bar. Mapal is an abbreviation of ‘waterfall,’ but could also be short for ‘Word of Mouth,’ which is exactly what it is, a very small (20 seat), quiet bar, focusing on providing a cocktail atmosphere at reasonable prices. We are a speakeasy styled bar, so no address and no publicity, but we occasionally do open cocktail nights in other bars and are usually a great success, by local standards of course.” Oron Lerner.

30 ml (1 oz) Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6

30 ml (1 oz) V.S. cognac

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Demerara & Smoked Tea Syrup*

1 orange twist, as garnish

Build in an old-fashioned glass over a large chunk of ice. Add the garnish.

*Demerara & Smoked Tea Syrup: Combine 200 g (1 cup) demerara sugar, 240 ml (1 cup) water, and 1 tablespoon smoked tea leaves (I use Du Tigre, but any other variety such as Lapsang Souchong can be used) in a saucepan. Dissolve sugar in water and continue cooking until almost boiling. Filter, let cool, and bottle.

gaz sez:   I know young Oron from the G’Vine Gin Connoisseur Program, and I can vouch for the fact that he’s a great sport, and a fabulous bartender, too.  This guy is one of the few bartenders who has been experimenting with using large amounts of bitters in their new creations, and he’s got a good handle on how to make this work.  I think that it’s Oron’s Demerara & Smoked Tea Syrup that binds this one together and gives it a sturdy backbone, though.  It’s a very well-constructed drink.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

 Adapted from a recipe by Chad Larson, Cafe Maude at Loring, Minneapolis, MN.

“I was working on my opening cocktail list and I have used this spiced syrup and grapefruit combo before.  I wanted to use the Pierre Ferrand 1840 in a cocktail and this seemed like the one I wanted it in. I added the Bittermens bitters and the hops in there kicked the grapefruit notes to a higher level.  I was missing something and added the Pig’s Nose scotch and that tied the whole thing together.  I already have turned several people on to scotch who never really cared for it!  It seems like to be a gateway cocktail to enjoy scotch!” Chad Larson.

45 ml (1.5 oz) Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula cognac

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Pig’s Nose scotch whisky

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh ruby red grapefruit juice

15 ml (.5 oz) Spiced Tea Syrup*

12 drops Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters

1 grapefruit twist, as garnish

Shake vigorously over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze the twist over the drink, then add as garnish.

*Spiced Tea Syrup: Combine 1 teabag of Republic of Tea Cinnamon and Cardamom Tea and 180 ml (6 oz) boiling water in a small saucepan and steep for 30 minutes. Add 200g (1 cup) demerara sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator.

gaz sez:  Another hybrid cocktail that calls for two base spirits, cognac and scotch in this case.  It’s a weird marriage, but it works real well in this case.  I think that it’s actually the spiced tea syrup that makes it possible for Pierre Ferrand to kiss the Pig’s Nose nicely here, and the dozen drops of Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters doesn’t go unnoticed, either.  Nice work, Chad.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here  Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Nick Koumbarakis, Orphanage, Cape Town, Western Province, South Africa.

“I serve the drink accompanied with a side serving of high quality dark chocolate and orange served in a small bamboo bowl.” Nick Koumbarakis.

4 green cardamom pods (reserve 1 for garnish)

45 ml (1.5 oz) Johnnie Walker Green Label scotch whisky

20 ml (.66 oz) Bols white crème de cacao

20 ml (.66 oz) fresh lemon juice

20 ml (.66 oz) Rooibos Infused Syrup*

5 ml (.17 oz) Grand Marnier

1 orange twist, as garnish

Muddle the cardamom in a mixing glass. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake and fine-strain into a vintage stainless steel coupe. Add the garnishes.

*Rooibos Infused Syrup: Using a 1:1 ratio, add 500 ml (about 2 cups) water to a sizeable pan and bring to a boil. Add 500 g (2.5 cups) castor (superfine) sugar, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add 8 to 9 organic Rooibos teabags, for maximum infusion allow teabags to settle for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then strain into a clean bottle and refrigerate. To prevent the formation of sugar crystallization an emulsifying ingredient known as gum arabic can be added.

gaz sez:   I loves me some cardamom, that’s for sure—check out my orange bitters if you don’t believe me.  And this drink comes together so damned well in the glass, the Johnnie Walker Green Label scotch serving as a fabulous base.  And if you’ve never tasted Rooibos tea, here’s your chance to experience something really special.  Nicely done, Nick.  This drink is well worth the shout-out.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here  Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Carol Donovan, Intoxicatingly Fun Cocktails, Chicago, IL.

“I tried this with different flowers, and liked it with lavender, but the rose allowed for a beautiful glittery garnish!  (I edge rose petals with edible glitter and float them on top).  With the different flowers I had to tweak the ratios.  The apple is really the only weight in the cocktail at all, so it needs to be muddled fairly well to extract fibers and juice both.

For batching, I did use rose water rather than trying to get enough of the rose from petals.

“This drink was a finalist in the Paris of the Plains cocktail competition 2012, and in the spirit of the fun I stirred it with a French tickler for the judging.    It was universally well received by attendees and I am proud of how it turned out.” Carol Donovan.

1/3 Granny Smith apple, sliced

6 edible rose petals (reserve 1 for garnish)

45 ml (1.5 oz) Plymouth gin

15 ml (.5 oz) St. Germaine

15 ml (.5 oz) Cocchi Americano

15 ml (.5 oz) fresh lime juice

1 drop absinthe, as garnish

Edible disco dust, as garnish

Muddle the apple well in mixing glass.  Add the rose petals and muddle gently.  Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake well and double-strain into a chilled coupe. Top with a single drop of absinthe and a glittered rose petal.

gaz sez:   If you don’t know Carol, then make it your business to meet her.  She’s delightful, crazy as a March Hare, and she has a smile that’s unmatched in the industry.  This drink is just about as complex as they come, and the layers of flavors contained within burst to life on the tongue, singing glorious arias all the way down the throat.  Nice one, Carol.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here  Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Joanne Spiegel, Mercury Bar West, New York City.

“Leaving Manhattan, as you know, won first place in the final for the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience. The challenge was to enhance or contrast the existing flavors and notes of Woodford Reserve.  It being a cold winter’s day when I pondered on this, I thought touching on chocolate and wood notes would be a good place to start. I felt the use of Punt E Mes would add to the sweetness but would also bring enough bittering elements that once combined with the bittering elements of the orange bitters I would achieve an intriguing balance—plus I read somewhere that Italians love drinking the stuff when eating dark chocolate so in it went!

“For the garnish I had found the dark chocolate stir sticks in a tea house and I thought with the use of the tea syrup and the chocolate already this a perfect fun garnish—the orange spiral added a pop of much needed color and personally I can’t get enough orange essence and oils when I sip bourbon.” Joanne Spiegel.

60 ml (2 oz) Woodford Reserve bourbon

15 ml (.5 oz) Punt E Mes

7.5 ml (.25 oz) dark crème de cacao

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Lapsang Smoked Tea Syrup*

2 dashes orange bitters

1 chocolate or orange flavored stir stick wrapped with orange spiral**

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Add the garnish.

* For the Lapsang smoked tea syrup, combine 4 ounces hot strong lapsang souchong tea and 1/2 cup granulated sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate leftovers.

**When preparing garnish, peel orange spiral next to glass so essential oils spray over glass and cocktail. Wrap spiral around chocolate stick and rest garnish on the lip of the glass off to one side.

 Note:  Bartenders from sixteen cities across the country came to The Dream Hotel in New York City to show off their twist on the Manhattan cocktail at the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience, an event presented by Woodford along with Esquire magazine, and it was New York bartender Joanne Spiegel of Mercury Bar West that took top honors.  gaz was a judge at this event, along with David Wondrich, Leo Robitschek of Eleven Madison Park, and Chris Morris, Master Distiller for Woodford Reserve.

 gaz sez: I wrote about this drink in the San Francisco Chronicle, and I was amused to see the following comment from a reader: I might order it in a bar, but to make this at home? Nah. I am not going to galavant all over Clement St. looking for some obscure tea to make some syrup.  Now I’m the first to admit that some cocktail recipes have gotten a bit out of control of late, but to think of Lapsang Souchong tea as being too exotic brought a smile to my face.  Look in your local bloody supermarket, man!  Joanne did a fabulous job with this drink, and she deserves a round of applause.  Let’s hear it for Joanne Spiegel!

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here   Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Rob McHardy, Silencio, Paris, France.

“I use Cocktail Kingdom barspoons, which are roughly 3.4 to 4 ml to measure.

The caper juice is strong enough to destroy the drink if even slightly more is added. But totally makes it when I get it right. Enjoy!” Rob McHardy.

50 ml (1.65 oz) Tequila Ocho plata

20 ml (.66 oz) fresh lime juice

20 ml (.66 oz) Cointreau

4 ml (.13 oz) agave syrup (uncut)

3 ml (.1 oz) caper juice*

1 lime twist, as garnish

Shake well over ice and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

*Caper Juice: I just had a chat with my wonderful olive supplier here in Paris. They are Sicilians with a very intimate relationship with their suppliers back home and their shop la tete dans les olives in the 11th arrondissement is well worth a visit. They made the juice by taking quite a large quantity of capers and putting them in a bucket with holes in the bottom (to capture the juice), covering them with salt and letting osmosis draw the juice from the capers over time. Either that or get a load of capers in salt and press like mad/dance/sit /jump on them to extract the juice. They are not aware of anyone else doing this or at least bottling it (it does smell pretty rank).

gaz sez:  Rob is right about being careful with the caper juice in this one, and he also made a good decision when he decided to call for Tequila Ocho Plata—a fabulous bottling that comes on real strong in any sort of Margarita, Rosita, or Paloma.  I had a great night in Paris with Rob when Monkey Shoulder scotch flew me out there to conduct a Mindful Bartender workshop.  Rob is the real deal.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Geoffrey Wilson, Loa, New Orleans, LA.

“Made on Chris McMillian’s birthday using all ingredients that he’s used in his cocktails. I know, I know.  I promise not to name anything else after him and start naming cocktails after Laura now.  But I guess it’s a tribute to both of ‘em and how they welcomed my family into their family.” Geoffrey Wilson.

60 ml (2 oz) Rittenhouse rye whiskey

15 ml (.5 oz) orange curacao

15 ml (.5 oz) orgeat syrup

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Bénédictine

7.5 ml (.25 oz) fresh lemon juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

5 mint leaves (reserve 1 for garnish)

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled glass (use a strainer and tea strainer).  Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, are, for sure, a few of my favorite things.  They rank alongside Rittenhouse Rye, Bénédictine, and Angostura bitters, so this baby grabbed my attention immediately I saw it.  Chris McMillian: Your namesake cocktail ain’t too shabby at all!  Nicely done,  Geoffrey.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

Adapted from a recipe by Junior Ryan, Clyde Common, Portland, OR.

“I won the international Martin Miller Trade It Up Competition last year with this recipe.” Junior Ryan.

 45 ml (1.5 oz) Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength gin

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Strega

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

15 ml (.5 oz) egg whites

1 teaspoon Earl Grey honey syrup (2:1)

4 to 5 drops Angostura bitters, as garnish

 Dry-shake, then add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Drizzle or use a dropper to add the bitters in an attractive pattern on the foam.

gaz sez: I put this one into my column in the San Francisco Chronicle.  Here’s part of what I wrote about it: 

Strega liqueur is one of those herbal potions, flavored with just under 70 herbs and spices, and created in the mid-1800s.  Nineteenth-century producers were fond of making herbal potions, Bénédictine being another great example of this sort of liqueur.

Some of the botanicals used to flavor Strega are said to be juniper, mint, saffron, fennel, and cinnamon.  It’s a complex dram that can tear a drink down to its foundations unless it’s used judiciously.  I’ve always had a fondness for Strega, though I’ve usually sipped it as a post-prandial potion as opposed to a cocktail ingredient.

Junior Ryan . . . is a judicious sort of cocktailian.  He knows how to use Strega well.  Calms it down with a healthy tot of strong gin, he does, and it works a treat.  Why didn’t I think of that?  When in doubt, add gin.  It’s a good rule of thumb.

See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.

I’m really happy with this new book in its splendiferous colorful state, and beautifully designed by the wondrous Anistatia Miller of Mixellany, Ltd.  There’s a little surprise within these pages that you’ll not see in the table of contents, but if you turn to page 156 you’ll not only hear my true thoughts about a certain David Wondrich, you’ll also find a first-hand account of an American newspaperman meeting the one and only Count Camillo Negroni in Italy, circa 1928.  Thank you, Mister Wondrich.  Here’s a teaser:

“I went out to the Rockies in the late ‘80s and fell in love with the country. I learned enough about stud, keno and faro to get broke and stay that way. Punching horses suited me to death and I went adventuring over the ranges.” [Count Negroni's] colloquial English was shot with a strong Italian accent, though he nursed his glass like an old-time broncho buster—with the entire right hand.

BUY THIS BOOK HERE

Here’s the One and Only Erik Lorincz!

And here we have pictures of lots of the other luminary bartenders in India, 2011

Here’s the team they assembled in 2008 to make the video you can see here (don’t miss this video)

And here we have various and sundry mischievous bartenders at the 2009 final in London.

  In Athens, 2010, I hung with some very fine bartenders, indeed.  Here’s a great shot of one team in Greece.

I’ll post another blog soon that will fill you in on some of the bartenders I met in India and Brasil.

Adapted from a recipe by Rick Tose, Rolador, Newcastle NSW, Australia.

“This drink can either be stirred down or blazed, which is pretty cool. If it was blazed I’d usually scorch 3 coffee beans and set them in a vintage tea strainer over the top of the balloon to mingle with the burnt orange aromas of the drink. The garnish is a little less practical with the stirred down version, so I use a burnt orange zest, but this is my preferred one to drink as the dilution and chill takes the syrupy edge off the liqueurs…” Rick Tose.

50 ml (1.65 oz) Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Old

15 ml (.5 oz) Cointreau

15 ml (.5 oz) Licor 43

2 hefty dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame the twist over the drink, then add as garnish.

gaz sez: I just love the way the Licor 43 comes together with the Zacapa in this drink. I never got around to trying the hot version, but I do like Rick’s idea about straining it over scorched coffee beans. This is a versatile little drink if ever there was one.

This is one of 2012′s 101 Best New Cocktails.

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in next year’s list.

Click HERE to order 101 Best New Cocktails 2012

Click HERE to order the Annual Manual for Bartenders: 2012.

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 I just came across a file full of pics from the 2009 World Class final in London.  Here is Sean Muldoon, one of my bosses at the Dead Rabbit in New York.  Sean wasn’t a contestant–he was just hanging with us.

Here I am with a few bartenders at Callooh Callay.  What a great joint.

 And finally we have a pic of Dale DeGroff, King Cocktail himself, on his throne!

Here I am in Rio with two of my favorite World Class people: Ariel Miao from Diageo, China, and Tree Mao, China’s finalist in Rio, 2012

And here’s a great shot with two of my brothers from different mothers: Stan Vadrna, who just happened to be in Rio at the same time as we were there, and Ueno-San.  This was a fine day, indeed.

Here’s a glimpse of  Abdou El Asfar, finalist in Rio representing Morocco.  Abdou is a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

Here’s one of his recipes from the Retro-Chic round

Twisted Chic – Man in Black

Glass: Coupette

Garnish: None

Method: Stirred and strained

20ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label

20ml Grand Marnier

20ml Espresso

20ml Chocolate syrup

4 cherry tomatoes

60 ml (2 oz) Extra Virgin Olive Oil-Infused Lagavulin*

30 ml (1 oz) Martini & Rossi Rosso vermouth

Pinch salt

1 cherry tomato half, as garnish

Freshly ground black pepper, as garnish

Muddle the cherry tomatoes in a mixing glass. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake well and fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnishes.

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil-Infused Lagavulin: Combine 150 ml (5 oz) extra virgin olive oil and 400 ml (about 1 2/3 cups) Lagavulin scotch whisky. Let sit for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Freeze for 12 hours. Skim the oil from the top, fine-strain, and bottle.

gaz sez: Olive-oil infused Lagavulin? Really? Yes, really. Stop rolling your eyes, make this baby, and you’ll taste a drop of brilliance. Promise.

Herehere next one below

This is one of 2012′s 101 Best New Cocktails.

Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in next year’s list.

Click HERE to order 101 Best New Cocktails 2012

Click HERE to order the Annual Manual for Bartenders: 2012.

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