The Delilah

This is a gentle, classic cocktail, smooth and refreshing. It also packs a serious punch when you least expect it, just like mom. It relies on gin as a foundation, so you’re going to need something special. I prefer Bluecoat American Dry Gin from Philadelphia Distilling. It’s certified organic–happy and healthy for the matriarch. The small batch production insures an intense aroma with hints of citrus peel popping off the nose. Mix 1.5 oz. with 3/4 oz. of orange liqueur–I suggest another organic spirit, Fruit Lab from Greenbar Collective–and 3/4 oz. of freshly squeezed organic lemon juice into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. The slight yellow tinge of the drink is complimented nicely with a slight zest of lemon peel.

Chocolatetini 

Mom loves chocolate. All women do. It’s scientifically proven. Satisfy her cravings with this modern twist on an old-fashioned classic. Replace the traditional vodka with New Deal’s chocolate-infused Mud Puddle. Not overly sweet, this well-balanced grain spirit has but a hint of cocoa, melding like silk alongside all sorts of mixers. For this easy recipe, all you need is 2 oz. of the Mud Puddle and 2 drops of a sweet vermouth–try Vya, from California’s Quady Winery. Shake them together with ice and strain into a cocoa powder-rimmed martini glass. As a nice touch, garnish the glass with a Hershey’s kiss.

Susan Sarandon

Here’s a drink inspired by one of my mom’s favorite actresses. It’s so simple and so obvious but requires a specialized ingredient: pepper-infused vodka! Again, I turn to Portland, Oregon’s New Deal Distillery to provide a proper starting point. Their Hot Monkey is handcrafted from a blend of 5 different southwestern-style peppers. It is hot, but not too hot. And the perfect way to bring out that zing? The lingering, root-heavy spice of ginger beer. Go with Fever Tree–hands down the best carbonated mixers on the market today. All you need to do is pour 1.5 oz. of pepper vodka on the rocks and top the glass off with the fizzy, ginger beer. A bold, zesty addition to a memorable meal with mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

When it comes to bourbon, you can’t mess around. The Bluegrass state won’t allow it, for one, nor will your own sense of decency. Thanks to the proliferation of American craft distilleries, the possibilities are endless. But without breaking the bank, I enjoy the versatility of Buffalo Trace. It’s smooth enough for sipping and complex enough to shine thru a mixed drink. It’s also usually sold for well under $30 a handle. I love the taste and don’t feel guilty going through it quickly–a lethal combination.

To really capture the taste and decadence of New Orleans though you need to mix it up right. I suggest Sazerac Praline Pecan Liqueur, “The Spirit of New Orleans.” This nut based drink has its share of sweetness, to be sure, but it’s all the right kind and it somehow melds mellifluously amidst the right whiskey. They are the perfect partners in crime. The getaway driver is a small dab of a crafty bitter. Without further ado, here is one of my true Taste of New Orleans:

Pour 2 ounces of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, 3/4 oz. of Praline Liqueur, a dab of Bittercube’s Jamaican #1 bitters on ice into a shaker. Mix vigorously and strain into a Mason jar with a zest of orange as garnish. Serve alongside a New Orleans praline candy for the most authentic experience. Brass band optional.

Cinco De Mayo

I’ve already discussed at length what makes their line of agave spirits so much better than the rest. In short, the world’s only 100 proof, 100% organic tequila is the smoothest, most refined product on the market today. And while it’s best-suited to sipping, their Blanco also lends itself well to a cornucopia of cocktails. Blanco–or, white–tequila is bottled directly after distillation. So along with the clear color, you also enjoy some of the purest essence of the agave before it is at all subdued by the barrel. These strong botanicals notes are the highlight of a number of straight forward, Mexican-themed recipes. Here are but a few of my personal favorites…

La Paloma Suprema is a simple, easy to make cocktail that involves 2 ounces of Dulce Vida Blanco, 3.5 ounces of grapefruit juice and a wedge of lime. Just shake the juice and tequila together and serve on the rocks of a salt-lined rocks glass. Refreshing and powerfully seductive.

The Tequila and Tonic is another straight forward recipe. It’s equal parts Blanco and Tonic water (around 2 ounces). In order to make it truly sparkle, I squeeze in the juice from a fresh lime and top it off with Fever Tree’s incredibly aromatic Indian Tonic Water. The result is an elixir of seamless subtlety.

If you want to bend more traditional, consider my take on a Skinny Margarita. Avoid the sugary sour mix in favor of something more elegant. Use 2 ounces of the Blanco, just about a 1/2 oz of orange liqueur (depending on desired sweetness). I prefer to use Greenbar Distillery’s Fruitlab Orange as an alternative to triple-sec. Next, add the juice from a freshly squeezed lime and half an orange. Shake it all up together and pour into a salt-rimmed martini glass. Pure class and an ideal way to toast to salud y sabor.

Derby Day

The Kentucky Cutter

Ideal for Derby Day, this Bluegrass beauty combines an ounce of Bulleit Bourbon, 1/2oz. of triple sec, 1/2oz. of lemon juice and 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Shake it all up on ice before straining into a Martini glass. Serve with a slice of orange and a cherry.

Old Fashioned Rye

In this minor variation on a timeless classic, I use an ounce and a half of Bulleit Rye, shake it up with ice, a touch of dry and sweet vermouth, muddle in a sugar cube laced with orange bitters, a small dab of fresh honey and a splash of elderberry syrup. Strain the ice and serve it neat in a snifter, garnished with orange zest and a brandy-soaked cherry. Now that’s a cocktail!

The Bulleit Manhattan

So straight-forward and yet there’s nothing quite like it. All you need is an ounce of the Bourbon, a little more than a 1/4 oz. of dry vermouth and a few splashes of Maraschino cherry juice. Throw it into a shaker with a LOT of crushed ice. Mix vigorously before straining neat into a rocks glass. Drop in a lonely Maraschino cherry for good measure. Kick back and take a sip. And you’re off…

The Sox on the Rocks is a drink commemorating the Yankees longstanding tradition of having the upper hand in this bitter battle (2004 withstanding). It’s based around 1.5 ounces of white rum, mixed with 3/4 oz. of apple cognac, a 1/4 oz. of sweet vermouth and a touch of apple puree to keep things smooth. The ingredients are shaken, poured over ice in a tumbler and garnished with a slice of the Big Apple right on the top (naturally).

To retaliate, Boston drinkers can turn to the Red Sox Revenge. To make this hard-hitting bad boy, you’ll need an ounce of Corsair Red Absinthe (this stuff is no joke). Mix it with 2 oz. of maraschino liqueur, shake it up, throw it on ice and top it off with an ounce of sparkling water. The end result literally glows red, signifying the team’s trademark color, of course, but also the seething contempt that the Fenway faithful have for all things Yankee. The good thing about this drink, is that it’ll get you to a place where you’ll be having an amazing time, win or lose.

No matter what side you’re on, at the end of the day we should all raise our glasses and toast to another great season in the Majors. Let’s play ball!

You’ll need 3 mint leaves, a pinch of saffron, 2 basil leaves, 1oz. of apple juice, gingerale and 2 ounces of Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey. Muddle the mint and basil at the bottom of a rocks glass, pour in the juice and hooch, shake with ice, then strain the drink over ice. Add some ginger ale on top and garnish with the saffron pinch over mint leaves. A sophisticated and sublime sipper awaits.

Today is National Margarita Day. I’m not sure exactly why it’s not an actual holiday nor why it lands in the dead of winter. But hey, that’s not going to stop you from celebrating. And while there are a million versions of the classic Mexican cocktail, here’s a South African variation that will knock your socks off…

The most important element, of course, is the tequila. For the backbone of my drink, I love to go with Austin, Texas’ own Dulce Vida. This 100 proof, organic spirit is handcrafted from 100% pure agave–as all tequila must be as a matter of definition. For alcohol this strong–about 10% stronger than traditional tequila–it is remarkably smooth and entirely full of botanical lusciousness. Break out a shaker, fill it up with ice, pour in 6 ounces of the Dulce Vida, 3 ounces of triple sec, 3 ounces of fresh-squeezed limes, and top it all off with about 2 ounces of the Van Der Hum. Shake it vigorously and garnish your glasses with salt and lime slices, obviously. This mixture will produce 4 servings, so invite over a few friends and tap into the holiday spirit, it’s fiesta time!

Beautiful Bottles, Terrific Tequila

Photo Credit: SkyBlue-Events.com

Super Sunday is right around the corner and you’re way too classy to rely on cheap beer to get you through the big day. If you’re lucky enough to be rooting for the Ravens or the Niners, here are two drink recipes tailor-made for your sports allegiance.

Baltimore’s football team rocks the purple and black. It’s not a fashion statement to be taken lightly. Any representative cocktail must incorporate this dark, regal motif into its color scheme. Enter the Ravens Royale. The recipe comes courtesy of Wit & Wisdom (200 International Dr.) in the Baltimore Four Seasons. The vodka-based cocktail incorporates fresh lemon juice, a dash of honey, an ounce of sparkling wine–preferably Prosecco–and then drop in a half ounce of Chambord for a signature violet finish (the actual version uses food coloring, but you’re too classy for that).

The San Francisco 49ers, of course, derive their name from the year of the famed California gold rush. To honor that proud heritage, any Bay Area cocktail connoisseur would be foolish to shy away from the notorious, cinnamon-infused Goldschlager liquor. Since the Niners defense has been striking fear in the hearts of opponents all year long, why not mix yourself up a 24-Karat Nightmare. This mind-melting concoction involves a 1/2 oz. each of Goldschlagers, mint Schnapps, 151-proof rum and Jaegermeister. And while that might seem like an abomination before all that is holy, when you combine all of these disparate parts into an unlikely whole, somehow it works. Kind of like the Niners under the direction of QB Colin Kaepernick.

Enjoy the game responsibly!

Photo Credit: Tyler Kaufman/USA Today

It was just about 200 years ago when Antoine Peychaud first assembled the necessary ingredients for his famed drink. Back then it was based around French cognac, but over the subsequent decades an Americanized version developed that substituted Bourbon as the centerpiece. The distinct anise-laced tone of a Sazerac is a result of a speciality spirit known as Herbsaint. This-120 proof liquor is not for the faint of heart. A little goes a long way, so once you secure a bottle of it you’ll have enough material to arm a legion of Sazerac devotees.

Here’s the traditional and simple way to get it done:

Take a few dashes of the Herbsaint, mix it with 2 ounces of Rye or Bourbon whiskey, pinch a few more dollops of Peychaud’s bitters and then top it all off with just a smidgeon of club soda. Garnish the finished product with a long twist of lemon zest and serve neat in a short tumbler. Bask in your classiness and ‘laissez les bons temp rouler!‘

Photo Credit: Epicurious.com

Merry Christmas e’rybody! The most festive time of year is also a terrific time for any fan of fine liqueur. Because, let’s face it: a big part of the holiday season is building a solid buzz with friends and family. No Christmas party could be complete with an offering of nog, so check out these fine examples and choose the one that suits your spirit…

This recipe is my personal favorite because it incorporates bourbon. You’ll need to beat 4 egg yolks until they lighten in color. Continue to beat as you add a pint of milk, a cup of heavy cream, 3 ounces of bourbon, and a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk four egg whites with a tablespoon or so of sugar for about 2 minutes. Mix the egg whites into the other mixture and let it cool off in your refrigerator for a couple of minutes before dishing it out. (Note: this recipe uses raw eggs, which greatly increases your risk of food-borne illness.) This will be good for about half a dozen servings.

If rum is your drink of choice, consider this tasty smattering of ingredients: mix 4 cups of milk, 5 whole cloves, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and ground cinnamon into a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil. In a large bowl, mix 12 egg yolks with 1.5 cups of sugar and whisk them together furiously until the consistency appears light and fluffy. Combine this into the milk mixture on a saucepan and cook over medium hit, with constant stirring. Don’t allow it to boil! Strain out the cloves and then let it cool. Next, stir in 2.5 cups of rum, 2 more teaspoons of vanilla and a half teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Stick that baby in the refrigerator for a few hours and let the magic materialize. You’ll have about a dozen servings.

Seasons Greetings!