Bolster- 1.5 oz Bols Genever, 1 oz Cocchi Americano, .75 oz grapefruit juice, dash Peychaud's bitters @BolsGenever @BolsPDX

Bolster:

1.5 oz. Bols Genever
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
.75 oz. grapefruit juice
dash Peychaud's bitters

Shake all ingredients over ice. Double-strain into chilled cocktail glass.

The cocktail starts with a malted grapefruit nose, rich like marmalade. The drink could benefit with addition of lemon zest, but on subsequent versions, it seemed to overpower the already interesting aromas. The sip is light with a smooth mouthfeel and dry finish. There is a pleasant bitterness from the Cocchi Americano and Peychauds that lingers on the palate after the swallow when secondary flavors of juniper, bitter orange, anise, coriander,cinchona, and other botanicals emerge. There is enough sweetness from the ruby grapefruit and the Cocchi that aid in overall balance. Bolster, means to buoy up or hearten, and we hope this cocktail will help you accomplish such in good form.

H and H cocktail- 2 oz gin, 1 oz Cocchi Americano, 3 dash Curacao

H and H Cocktail:

2 oz. Gin (No. 209)
1 oz. Kina Lillet (Cocchi Americano)
3 Dash Curacao (Patron Citronge)
Dash homemade orange bitters (optional)

Stir with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This martini style cocktail can be found in The Savoy Cocktail book though it's name may remain a mystery. Erik Ellestad has his own guesses which can be found on his excellent blog where he is currently drinking through the entire Savoy Cocktail Book. The resulting cocktail is dry and only slightly sweet. Wonderful vessel for highlighting the botanicals of the gin, with a clean, strong juniper finish. This gin heavy cocktail will certainly not be for everyone but for adventerous classic martini sippers (particularly those with a penchant for Cocchi Americano) it will be a delicious, while not overly drastic departure from the norm.

Bich's Special/The Great Secret- 2 oz gin, 1 oz Cocchi Americano, dash Ango bitters @localwineco @hendricksgin

Bich's Special:

1 Dash Angostura bitters
1 oz Kina Lillet (Cocchi Americano)
2 oz. dry gin (Small's)

Stir with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze orange zest over cocktail.

Both of these cocktails appear in The Savoy Cocktail Book, though I was not able to find any information as to why they have different names, yet are comprised of the same ingredients using the same preparation techniques. While both recipes call for dry gin, we opted to use "alternative" gins in our recipes. If you are a stickler for authentic replication, Plymouth or Beefeater are both excellent and readily available options.

The acquisition of Cocchi Americano as our stand in Kina Lillet has led to a search for classic Kina Lillet cocktails to try in their "original" format (Vesper coming soon...). This one had a citrus nose from the gin, very clean, with forward notes of pine, juniper, and cardamom. The finish was a spice frenzy with the bitterness of the cinchona and warm-spice from the angostura which went well with the cardamom-heavy finish of Small's gin.

 The Great Secret:

1 Dash Angostura bitters
1 oz Kina Lillet (Cocchi Americano)
2 oz. dry gin (Hendrick's)

Stir with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze orange zest over cocktail.

Hendrick's seemed a worthy candidate for a mysterious cocktail given its own curious nature. The nose is complex citrus from the zest and the Cocchi, each having their own distinct, yet similar oranges notes, and a touch of rose petals. The sip is very smooth and light with a dry, slightly bitter finish. Angostura and Cocchi Americano make for a good pairing and the combination  leaves a cinnamon warmth on the tongue.

The Ringer- 1.5 oz Herradura Silver tequila, 1 oz. Cocchi Americano, .75 oz lemon juice, .25 oz cinnamon spiced agave syrup

The Ringer:

1.5 oz. Tequila (Herradura Silver)
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
.75 oz lemon juice
.25 oz cinnamon spiced agave simple syrup *(recipe below)
Lemon zest

Shake all ingredients over ice. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon zest.



While the bottles and branding may have changed (the topmost picture is the old bottle design), Herradura Silver remains a top choice for mixing when it comes to tequila cocktails. The Silver is aged 45 days, and results in a mild agave vegetal spirit, that is not overly grassy or oily. The slightly woody flavors imparted from the brief aging are heightened with the addition of the spiced raw agave syrup. The lemon juice provided contrast and assisted in pulling out smokier notes not first apparent. The Cocchi stretched an excellent canvas for the other ingredients, and contributed its own handful of botanicals . Dry vermouth can be substituted for the Cocchi for those not lucky enough to have access to it, though it adds some sweetness so you may have to adjust the spiced agave syrup accordingly (Recipe assumes 1:1 water:agave ratio). This cocktail is a good showcase for a solid Joven (Silver) tequila that demonstrates its mixability and accesibility.

*Cinnamon Spiced Agave Syrup

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raw agave syrup

Warm mixture in microwave. Steep 1 broken ceylon stick for 2-5 minutes. Strain. Bottle. Store in fridge. Lasts 7-10 days.