Corpse Reviver #2

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Something new
Style of Drink: aperitif
Spirit of Choice: gin
Last Drink: Manhattan

The Partner had one tough week at work this week.  So rather than tax him with something new, I made him our now standard Manhattan.  For me, how could I not mix up something called the Corpse Reviver #2??  I’ll need to find Reviver #1 – which Meehan ties to the Savoy Cocktail Book.  Wow, was this enjoyable!  Think of a smoooooth lemonade.

For A. & R., you may want to consider this one for Orphans’ Easter.  I know you’ve already made a choice from the Dilettante's list.  But this one is really nice, not to mention easy-breezy to mix.  Plus, you still get to use Lillet!

As for The Partner, it’s a good thing I love the man.  Whenever I don’t make him a new concoction, mixing him a Ketel or Manhattan instead, he always asks, “What’ve you got there?”  The question is usually tinged with envy.  Read: "How come you didn't make me one too?" and pouted through boo-boo lips.  I got the same this time around too.

“It’s a Corpse Reviver #2.  And no, you can’t have a sip.”  He shot back with some faux wounded quip about it not mixing with a Manhattan anyway.  But sure enough, by round two he wanted a sip and I was willing to give it over.

“Oh wow!  That’s like a smooth lemon drop.  That’s gonna be a regular on the deck this summer.”

Husbands.  He really oughta just trust me from the outset  :-P

Corpse Reviver #2
¾ oz. gin
¾ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. Lillet Blanc
¾ oz. lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled Absinthe-rinsed coupe*.
No garnish.

*: Again, we don’t own coupes and we’re not fans of Absinthe – even a rinse of it.  So I didn’t use them here.

UPDATE:  This was the other offering for The Partner's birthday cocktail party mentioned in the Pimm's Cup #1 Update.  And A. & R. did wind up featuring it for Orphans' Easter, as recommended above.  Easily this could've been a more regular feature on the roof this summer.  However, we ran out of Lillet pretty early on and, for whatever reason, it didn't get restocked in a timely manner.  Still, the CR2 became my order of choice when cocktailing "off-site".  If the mixologist is worth his rimming salt, he knows the beverage.  If not, with it's equal proportions and short ingredients list, it's easy to remember and coach him through.  That said, be sure to ask if Lillet is behind the bar.  This is not the same cocktail without it.

Old Pal

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Headin’ out & need to get into the groove!
Style of Drink: Something on the rocks
Spirit of Choice:  Tilting towards something brown
Last Drink: vodka up

As mentioned yesterday, The Partner & I are heading out to Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat.  It’ll be our second time at what is by far the most commercial & trendy of our top Chef  experiences.  I suppose it’s to be expected when you set up shop along the Randolph strip.  The food is decent and derives its wow factor from some of the different offerings (like the infamous ham frites, duck tongues, and, of course, various goat dishes).  The ambiance is crowded and loud to the point of being nearly unenjoyable.  So the dining company is crucial at this venue.  After our first time, finally getting a reservation after a year, we left saying we did it and didn’t need to rush back.  We went with friends N., C., M., & B. the first time and tonight we’ll go with them again.  The company will be much fun.  And thanks to N. who got the reservation both the last time and tonight!

I wanted to be sure to get back in the blogging swing and start shakin’ again tonight.  So our cocktail this evening, the Old Pal, is to get us in the mood for a late reservation.  Campari contributes the ruby hue as well as the bitter finish that makes this a good aperitif.  An enjoyable sippin’ bev that stimulates the appetite and provides a comfortable buzz without wasting you.  The Partner reports that it grew on him.  He wanted another bev for the shower as we get ready to head out, "But not another one of those.  Yeah."  Can't win 'em all.

The plan is to take my phone tonight and take some snaps of GatG.  Tune back in for an update tomorrow.


Old Pal
2 oz. rye
3/4 oz. dry vermouth
3/4 oz. Campari
Stir with ice and strain into chilled coupe.  No garnish.

Best Laid Plans...

What's one to do when one comes home from a great afternoon with colleagues and finds his 20 year old cat stumbling around with a quarter length of his tail bent 90 degrees to the floor?  Well, not prepare for Date Nite with a yummy new cocktail like one planned, that's for sure.

The internet is a horrible thing at times.  Because after all of 120 seconds online and seeing that my poor cat's tail could be a symptom of anything from a fractured spine to a pelvic abscess, he was in his kitty carrier and out the door to the vet so fast he didn't know what hit him.

The Partner, though, awesome dude that he is, had it covered when we got home.  Chilly Ketels up with limes to get me through the shower and a schmear of Core Wellness Turkey & Chicken with a cold bowl of water on the side for the kitty.  Then a fantastic bottle of Guenoc petite syrah to accompany some great panko-crisped talapia with wild rice & broccolini (for me, not the kitty).

And here we are.  I'll try to post something on topic tomorrow.  Though we will be dining with friends at Girl and the Goat, so no promises there.

Meet Puck.... Not a fan of me right now.

(Oh, and if you're wondering, the Old Man, after 2 1/2  hours, a thorough palpitation, a neurological exam -- the details of which I will spare you -- and 4 x-rays, turns out he's in pretty good shape for a 20 year old.  Looks like some age-onset arthritis is effecting some vertebrae in his tail and some spurs in his hips.  A shot of pain-killer and a wrap and hopefully he'll be fine.  He probably forgot he's a feline geriatric and got carried away with the crazies and wacked his tail on something.  Hopefully, he'll be around for another 20 years.  Ha!)

Cocktail Chat | Catching Up

...And we're back!

"Air" & liquid nitro at "Molecular Bar"

Has it been a month already??  Let's see.  Three days in Bonita Springs, FL.  Eleven days on board Celebrity Equinox.  Three days upon our return to put on our fabulous annual Mardi Gras party.  The party itself. Then two days to clean up.  A week of not feeling well with some nebulous, nondescript illness.  A very busy week of work and here we are.  Yup. That was February.

Not much to report during this month on the mixology front.  High marks for the Celebrity Equinox and it's contribution to bringing cocktail culture to the high seas.  After six cruises now, I'd say Equinox has one of the best cocktail setups going.  Yes, there is the so called "Molecular Bar" where a shorter, hipster version of Gordon Ramsey struts around behind the bar in his custom tailored chef coat mixing with liquid nitrogen and topping concoctions with all kinds of foams and airs and freeze-dried bits.  But save our first night checking out the Friends of Dorothy meeting there, it was not our happy hour or after hours hangout.  That honor was reserved for "Martini Bar" where very talented bartenders deftly mixed up classic cocktails as well as a bunch of other more contemporary specialty cocktails tailored to the sweet, modern palate.  The coolest feature of the bar was the fact that the bar surface itself was frozen -- coated with the thinnest film of water and chilled to frost.  Very cool.

The frosty top of Martini Bar

The bartenders even do some fancy flair à la Tom Cruise in Cocktail.  Naively, I thought we were lucky enough to have a very talented barman when we were there.  But as this YouTube video will attest, it’s clearly a standard routine learned for the ship.  The performance we saw was exactly the same right down to the configuration of the glasses for the pour.

More coming soon as we get back into the swing of things.