Sensation | 40 down 235 to go

We had a number of lemons on the verge and the last of the mint in our garden beckoning before the first frost.  Hence the Sensation.  This turned out to be a decent bev to use them in.  What has become the usual reaction was the same here.  Our contemporary palettes found even this limited citrus in combination with the gin a bit too acidic in the first round.  Not as bad as some, but still a bit much for what we're used to.  However, The Partner agreed to a second and I poured slightly less lemon juice in the round.  The cherry heering – sweeter than maraschino liquer -- was brightened by the gin making it a palatable sweetness.  The mint lent an aromatic quality without being toothpaste-fresh. 

Happy Birthday, Kissy!

Sensation
1 ½ oz. gin
¼ oz. maraschino liqueur
½ oz lemon juice
3 mint sprigs

Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glasses and garnish with mint.

Adelle Special & Blarney | 39 down 236

Going a little crazy this week.  Doing two at once…oooooo!  I got one, The Partner the other.  Then we swapped.

Not too sure the Adelle Special was our favorite.  Peat dominated the flavor here.   Not really a surprise given the ounce-and-a-half of scotch.  For the avid scotch drinker who’s looking for something a bit different, this could be the thing with the nearly equal part or curacao.

Given the name and ingredients, I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to call the Blarney the Irish cousin to the Manhattan.  Sweet and on the thin side, this is a nice tipple when you want something with the flavor notes of a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned but not quite as heavy.  Between the two, it was the Blarney we had seconds of.  Good stuff before heading out for dinner and clubbing.

Adelle Special
1 ½ oz. scotch
1 oz. orange curacao

Stir with cracked ice; strain into chilled tumber filled with ice.  Garnish with a lemon or an orange twist.

Blarney
2 oz. Irish whiskey
1 oz. sweet vermouth

Stir with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Cocktail Chat | Prohibition

Enjoying a glass of Jester shiraz while watching Ken Burns's Prohibition on PBS, underwritten (in Chicago) by Binny's .

Delicious in so many ways!