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. 

Sullivan's Special

Sullivan's Special:

2 oz. Irish Whiskey (John L. Sullivan) 
2 dashes gum syrup 
3 dashes Blackstrap bitters (Bittercube) 
Lemon twist

Stir with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This cocktail features one of our favorite Irish whiskeys, John L. Sullivan, which gets its name from the last bare-knuckle boxing champion of the world, a man whose catch phrase was "I can beat any son-of-a-bitch in the house", and a man who often did. He was a true sporting man, a hero to those who frequented dusty saloons, who would admire his many portraits that were sure to grace the walls of such establishments while enjoying their choice spirits. It's quite the challenge to make a whiskey to honor a man with such a reputation, but Cooley Distillery is a choice distiller for such a task. John L. Sullivan whiskey is a blend of 4-10 year single grain and single malt whiskeys that have rested in single use American white oak bourbon barrels. The barrels imbue the whiskey with a rich oaked honey nose, a touch of citrus on the mid palate, and a spicy vanilla finish. We thought this would make a fine pairing with Bittercube's Blackstrap Bitters, which have a flavor profile of molasses, sarsaparilla, and ceylon cinnamon. At three dashes, the bitters really get a chance to shine here, and adds cinnamon to the nose and a general warm spice throughout the drink, in a cocktail sure to help us get us through the last days of winter. A touch of gum syrup from Small Hand Foods balances out the cocktail, and the citrus zest helps to pull out some of the citrus hints in the whiskey, as well as adding a bit of brightness. On a related note, Small Hand Foods Jennifer Colliau will host a DIY Sodas, Syrups, and Bitters course here in Portland as part of Cocktail Camp PDX on Sunday April 10th. If you have not yet purchased tickets you can here. Hope to see you there!

Turf

Turf:

1.5 oz Old Tom gin (Ransom)
Dash Angostura bitters
3 Dash orange bitters (Urban Moonshine)
Lemon zest

Stir over ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Express oils over cocktail and garnish with lemon twist.

This recipe is from Modern American Drinks:How to Mix and Serve All Kinds of Cups and Drinks by George J. Kappeler, published in 1900. Ransom Old Tom Gin is one of the best offerings from Ransom Spirits, as it is very unique and delicious. With no addtional sweeteners, this cocktail is not for the faint of heart (though the Old Tom Gin does contribute more sweetness than a tradtional London Dry, a result of it's brief stint spent in barrels) The gin is citrus forward with grapefruit, lemon peel, ajowain, peppercorn, cardamom, cedar, pine, and juniper notes. In the same vein as the flavor profile of Ransom Distillery Small's Gin, cardamom takes the lead role. Thanks to brands like Urban Moonshine and Ransom Distillery, the ability to authentically make this classic cocktail with modern ingredients has become a reality. What's your favorite recipe with Old Tom Gin?