Martinez

I find I'm not terribly inspired to write about the Martinez.  It wasn't all that pleasant, though I tried to rationalize it as an aperitif.  But neither The Partner nor I felt like finishing it.  It tasted very familiar and was not unlike the Leap Year or the Sensation.  

Below is the recipe.  But don't dwell here.  Instead, click to read a Cocktail Chat entry on bitters.  I needed to do a little research into Boker's bitters to see if I had what I needed to make substitutions.  As it turns out, reading about Boker's was much more interesting!

Martinez
1.5 oz. gin
1.5 oz. sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Boker's bitters*

Sir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.  Garnish with an orange twist.

*: Read the Cocktail Chat entry linked above.  I approximated the Boker's with a dash each of orange bitters and Jamaican #1 (allspice, ginger, & black pepper).

Newark

A keeper on the menu list for those with a sweeter palate.

As much as I loathe to admit it, it's October.  The summer has passed in the blink of an eye, and it feels like we barely got a chance to enjoy it.  Today is a cool, damp, cloudy day.  And while I don't want summer to end, resistance is futile.

So in an act of capitulation, I hit the PDK's seasonal recipes and found the Newark under "Fall".  We did not have the Fernet Branca.  I looked it up to see if there was a substitution I could make.  (I'm getting pretty chefly with this mixology thing!)  It's described as "a dark, syrupy alcoholic drink similar to an amaro, with a flavour that's best described as being a cross between medicine, crushed plants and bitter mud." Yum. And we don't keep Jager on the bar. So what do we have that comes close to this to add that dimensionality? I opted for a splash of Pimm's. Thinking about it again, Campari might have been a better choice. 

Still, I don't know if I'd try again with either the Campari or the Branca, assuming I could find it.  Both The Partner & I were in agreement from the first sip -- way-aay too sweet.  Oddly enough given the pear base, it had a smooth, apple quality to it.  It is the essence of fall.  Despite it not being our cup o' tea, I don't know that I would discount it out of hand.  This is a good bev to keep on hand for the guest who might be up for something new and has a palate for sweet tipples.  In that case, I think this could be a hit.

Newark

2 oz. pear brandy

1 oz. sweet vermouth

1/4 oz. Fernet Branca

1/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur

Stir with ice & serve in chilled coupes.  No garnish.  

Tuxedo

Looks pretty.  Tastes less so.

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences:  Something to kick off Friday Date Nite
Style of Drink: A stiff aperitif
Spirit of Choice:  gin or vodka-base, fruit or citrus accent
Last Drink: Pimms Cup #1

It’s been a while since we had such a stinker.   A true disappointment since the Tuxedo looks pretty good on paper.  I made two versions.  The one as prescribed by PDT, complete with the absinthe rinse and one without for The Partner’s licorice-averse tastes.  I thought the cherry and the absinthe might work together.  But honestly, unless you want a mouthful o’ licorice, I find nothing redeeming about absinthe.  It’s simply impossible control in any way whatsoever.  A “rinse” or a pour, there’s no difference; the result of which is to completely deaden the palate for any other flavor or nuance.

That said, even without the absinthe, The Partner was not a fan and with a couple sips off his bev, I have to say, this was not special enough to warrant making again.  To his credit, he didn't whine about "these classic cocktails" and in this case he would have been well within his rights to do so.


Tuxedo
2 oz. gin
1 ½ oz. dry vermouth
¼ oz. Maraschino liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled, absinthe-rinsed coupe.  Garnish with cherry & lemon twist.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Very elegant & a total bomb.

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: warming, winter pick-me-up, using a new liquor
Style of Drink: rocks
Spirit of Choice: Maraschino liqueur, peach liqueur, pear liqueur, honey bourbon
Last Drink: Pearl Button

We won’t spend much time on this one.  In both versions it wasn’t the best and far from “improved” in both my book and The Partner’s.  The recipe calls for the glasses to be rinsed with Absinthe.  The Partner can’t stand licorice.  So his didn’t get the rinse.  I’m not a fan of strong licorice either, but wanted to see if there’s any way to include Absinthe without it overwhelming the entire bev.  Besides, I always want to get the baseline before I start improvising.  No luck.  Mine was all licorice.  The Partner was done with the one round.  I made another without the Absinthe.  Still, the one word was cloying.  I couldn’t even finish it.  If I were to do this again, I’d definitely leave out the Absinthe and the simple syrup.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail
2 oz. rye
½ oz. Maraschino liqueur
½ oz. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir with ice and pour over a single ice cube into a chilled rocks glass that’s been rinsed with Absinthe.  Garnish with a lemon twist.  

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.