Tag: cocktail

Ultimate Old Fashioned with Spiced Maraschino Cherries

 

Here we walk through the three keys of craft mixology with this cocktail:

1. Quality Ingredients

This Old Fashioned recipe uses spiced maraschino cherries as a key ingredient. I use the recipe from the Cupcake Project Blog here. These are well worth the time to make.

Do not use standard “maraschino” cherries! If you must buy, get a real maraschino cherry like the Oregon Bordeaux cherries.

2. Precise Measuring

Put your bitters in a dropper bottle. It’s far to easy to overwhelm a cocktail by dashing just a bit too much bitters in it. Measure your alcohol, too! If you don’t have one, the OXO SteeL Double Jigger is the best I’ve ever used.

3. Perfect Technique

Shake, then shake some more. It’s an arm work out to get the sugar to dissolve this way but it’s worth it because the sugar abrades the orange and cherry and extracts maximum flavor into the drink.

Double-strain! There’s an enormous difference between a finely-strained cocktail and one with pulp. If you leave fruit pulp (or – shudder – pieces of fruit) in a cocktail like this, it will cause separation over a few minutes. You’ll wind up with fruit bits on one layer, alcohol on another and a skin of water on the top.

Fruit juice and oils are in the drink, whole fruit is in the garnish. Keep it that way.

[recipe]

Ultimate Old Fashioned with Spiced Maraschino Cherries

  • YIELD: 1 drink (1 Servings)
  • PREP: 5 mins

The best Old Fashioned you’ll ever have.

INGREDIENTS

  • hard ice
  • 2 half-moons orange
  • 2 spiced maraschino cherries
  • 2 oz bourbon prefer a premium or super-premium like Woodford Reserve or Four Roses Small Batch
  • 8 drops Angostura bitters (app. 2 small dashes)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add to shaker: * 1 half-moon orange * 1 spiced maraschino cherry * sugar * bitters * bourbon
  2. Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds or until sugar is disolved.
  3. Double-strain (hawthorne & fine mesh) into double-old fashioned glass.
  4. Fill glass with ice and top with a flag made using the other orange half-moon and spiced maraschino cherry.
  5. Stick in a straw and enjoy!

Woodford Reserve cocktails from NYC for the 3rd annual Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience 2012

In honor of tonight’s 4th Annual Woodford Reserve Manhattan Contest I’m going to post the recipes from the 2012 contest. If you would like to follow along with this year’s contest, starting at 7:30pm EST January 7th 2013, follow Woodford Reserve’s Twitter feed at: twitter.com/woodfordreserve

There was a full house at the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience in NYC 2012. 79d077189c66dc6184b9262e4cedf474 1a9dc7731036a072cf028490f6c60678

The bartenders scurry to prepare garnishes for the competition.

 

Recipes are in order of the competition:

First up is Rob Turek’s Buffalo Plains Manhattan: 1.5 oz buffalo bacon fat washed WR, 3/4 oz black peppercorn infused vermouth, 1/4 oz elderflower liqueur, 1 dash chocolate bitters.

Now up is Karla Ramsey from Louisville, KY with the Ramsey’s Manhattan: 2 oz WR, 1 oz apple brandy, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 2 splashes bitters

Curtis Parker from Indy makes the Downtown Manhattan while we sip on a WR Bourbon Ball manhattan. pic.twitter.com/fUDFjJlH Downtown Manhattan: 2 1/2 oz WR, 1/4 oz cherry syrup, 1 orange rind, 2 coffee beans, 2 vanilla beans

From Philly comes Colin Shearn’s Radiation Blues Manhattan: 2 oz WR, 1/2 oz orange curaçao, 1/2 oz Italian bitters, 3 dashes bitters

Seattle’s own Brien Hendershott makes a Vintage Manhattan: 2 oz WR, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 oz port vinegar reduction, 3 dashes bitters

NYC’s Joann Spiegel’s “Leaving Manhattan”: 2 oz WR, 1/2 oz Italian vermouth, 1/4 oz dark creme de cacao, 1/4 oz black tea

Joe Raya from Charleston presents his Connecticut Shade Manhattan: 2 oz tabasco infused WR, 1 oz vermouth, 1 dash homemade Tabasco bitters

Last years winner, Nick Nistico from Miami, creates Mr. October: 2 1/2 oz WR, 1 oz mandarin liqueur, 1 oz ginger syrup, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes bitters, 2 dashes orange bitters

Now up is John Miller’s “The Big Apple” from Annapolis: 2 oz Maple infused WR, 1 oz cinnamon infused vermouth, 2 dashes baked apple bitters

From the nation’s capital comes Erik Thompson with his Blackened Cherry Manhattan : 2 oz WR, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 5 sprays cherry bitters

From Scottsdale, AZ comes Matt McCullough’s “The Big Orange”: 2 oz WR, 1/2 oz Tuaca, 1/2 oz orange liqueur, 1/4 oz Madeira

Up now – Michael Cerretani’s “Woodford Dey Manhattan” from Denver: 2 oz WR, 1/4 oz bitters, 1/4 oz vermouth, 1/4 oz yellow chartreuse build

Chicago’s own Jonny Abens concocts his “Chicago Sunday”: 2 oz WR, 1/4 oz maple syrup, 4 dashes peach bitters, 1/4 oz lemon juice

And now for Sin City’s Jessica Fesler with “The Mayan 212”: 2 oz WR, 1 oz Licor 43, 2 dashes bitters infused w/ red chili pepper.

Last 2 bartenders… Now up is James Potter from ATL with “The Absinthe Minded Professor”: 2 oz WR, 3/4 Chai-infused swt vermouth and 1/4 oz orange liqueur

Last but not least is Christopher Asay from Asbury Park, NJ with “The Hothead Manhattan” : in heat resistant container Ignite 3 oz WR with 1 1/2 oz jalapeño infused ginger syrup and 3/4 set vermouth. Also add 3/4 oz high proof rum and 4 dashes bitters and ignite in 2nd heat resistant container add 3 oz boiling water. Pass solution back and forth w/ ignited water. After a few passes snuff the flame and pour!

 

The 2012 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Contest Winner:

Joann Spiegel’s “Leaving Manhattan”: ” 2 oz WR, 1/2 oz vermouth, 1/4 oz creme de cacao, 1/4 oz Lapsang tea syrup, 2 dashes orange bitters

 

 

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Coffee

  • YIELD: 1 cocktail (1 Servings)
  • PREP: 5 mins

Rich, creamy, warm and bourbon-y.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 oz sorghum syrup
  • 1.5 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
  • coffee
  • heavy cream
  • holiday spice mix

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In coffee mug, mix together sorghum syrup, bourbon and coffee. Leave 1/2″ room at top of mug for cream.
  2. Layer the cream on top of the coffee. You can do this by pouring it slowly over the back of a spoon just barely dipped in the coffee.
  3. Sprinkle generously with the holiday spice mix.
  4. * The holiday spice mix is just pre-ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves mixed together. I keep mine in a mason jar.

Woodford Reserve Applejack Ginger Hot Toddy

  • YIELD: 1 cocktail (1 Servings)
  • PREP: 5 mins

Bright and sweet with apple, ginger, caramel and vanilla.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 oz ginger syrup
  • 1/2 oz applejack
  • juice of 2 half-moon lemon slices
  • 1 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
  • 1 bag strong black tea

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In coffee mug, combine all ingredients. Fill with hot water. Stir gently.

Woodford Reserve Holiday Spice Manhattan

  • YIELD: 1 cocktail (1 Servings)
  • PREP: 5 mins

Rich, spicy and buttery. Tastes like drinking Christmas.

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 drops holiday spice extract
  • 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
  • 1/4 oz hazeulnut liqueur
  • 1.5 oz Woodford Reserve bourbon

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into chilled martini glass.
  2. Perfume with two sprays of holiday spice extract.
  3. * To make the holiday spice extract, place into a one-cup mason jar: 1 cinnamon stick broken in half, 6 cloves and hearty pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg. Let sit for 4 to 10 days (taste frequently until desired flavor is achieved). Filter into dropper bottle and spray bottle.

Review: Bespoke Post’s Smoky Burb

Description from Bespoke Post: “The modestly spicy love child of a dirty martini, and a whiskey sour.” Full recipe here.

When I found out I was getting a gift of the November 2012 Bespoke Post – the Slate box – I immediately checked the website for the list of goodies inside. (You can see my unboxing and review videos here.) My professional curiosity was piqued by a front and center cocktail recipe using the brine from the spicy pickled okra, aka the Smokra. Continue reading Review: Bespoke Post’s Smoky Burb