Sunset Recession

Rosemary is a great match for the botanicals of No. 3 London Dry Gin and the Peychaud's helps to ramp up the anise flavors brightened with a bit of lemon juice. Simple, herbaceous and refreshing. 

Sunset Recession:

1.5 oz No. 3 London Dry Gin

.5 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup (1:1)

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

2 dashes Peychaud's Bitter

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with rosemary and lemon zest.

Back at AM Northwest for Valentine's Day Cocktails

KATU AM Northwest had me back on the show again to mix up some 'love potions". You can watch the full video here. We made a cocktail from Sam Ross of Little Branch in New York, a refreshing sparkling grapefruit-ginger cocktail and a timeless classic cocktail, the Sazerac. What are you drinking this Valentine's Day?

Paper Planes

3/4 oz. Eagle Rare Bourbon

3/4 oz. Aperol

3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino

3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Share for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Mi Amor

1/2 oz. Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

1 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Top with Prosecco or Sparkling Wine

Add all ingredients to champagne flute. Garnish with grapefruit zest.

Sazerac

1.5 oz. Koval Lion's Pride Organic Whiskey

2 dashes Amargo Chuncho Bitters (or substitute Angostura Bitters)

2 Dashes Peychaud's Bitters

St. George Absinthe Verte

Lemon Zest

Add ice to old fashioned glass to chill glass while building cocktail. In a cocktail mixing glass, add whiskey and bitters and stir with ice for 30-45 seconds. Discard ice from first glass, and pour a small dash of absinthe into the glass. Tilt the glass and slowly swirl to coat the inside of the glass with absinthe. Add sugar cube and a few drops of water to dampen the cube. Crush the sugar cube. Strain and add whiskey and bitters from the second glass into the absinthe rinsed glass. 

Champs Elysees

1.5 ounces Cognac

.5 oz Green Chartreuse

.25 oz lemon juice

1/8th oz simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Recipe from The New Old Bar, Steve McDonagh and Dan Smith. Some versions will call for Yellow Chartreuse. We recommend experimenting with both and seeing which you like more, but for us, Green Chartreuse takes the win. 

3 Simple Summer Cocktails

We put up with the rain all year in Portland, but it is well worth it for the spectacular summers filled with blooming flowers, bountiful gardens, back-yard barbecues, and of course- plenty of drinking! While grabbing a twelve pack of microbrew beers is a great route for outdoor entertaining, it's great to be able to offer your guests a boozier option that showcase summer flavors. KATU News, AM Northwest was kind enough to have me on their show to mix up some drinks. You can watch the full video clip at the bottom of the post. 

Lavender Lemonade:

1.5 oz Vodka (Crater Lake) or Gin (Corsair)

1 oz. Lavender Simple Syrup* 

1-1.5 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Cucumber slice (optional)

Mint Sprig (optional)

Soda Water

Add first four ingredients to old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Top with soda water. Gently stir. Garnish with lavender sprig. 

Lavender Simple Syrup: Add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Add zest of 1 lemon. Gently heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add 1 cup lavender blossoms. Let steep overnight, and strain into food-safe glass jar for storage.

Caipirhina:

2 oz Cachaca (Novo Fogo) 

1/2 lime 

1.25 tbsp sugar

Remove the white pith from the lime and discard it. Cut the remaining lime in slices; toss them into the glass. Muddle them with sugar in the glass. Fill the glass with ice. Add cachaça and pour everything into a shaker. Give it a go; pour everything (including the ice) back into the same glass.

Cucumber Cooler:

1 1/2 oz. Gin (Corsair) or Vodka (Crater Lake) 

3/4 oz St. Germain

3/4 oz lime or lemon juice

2 slices cucumber

2 sprigs mint

soda water

Add first three ingredients and 1 sprig of mint and 1 cucumber slice to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and double-strain into old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with cucumber slice and mint sprig. Top with soda water if desired.

(If you're reading this on a mobile device you can watch the video here.)