2 Pumpkin Cocktails for Halloween from two of NY's Finest Bartenders

Recipe by Jim Meehan of PDT

Great Pumpkin

2 ounces Pumpkin Ale (I chose Elysian "The Great Pumpkin")

1 ounce Lairds Apple Brandy

1 ounce Sazerac Rye Whiskey

1/2 ounce of Maple Syrup (Grade B)

1 Whole Egg

Nutmeg

Add ale, apple brandy, rye whiskey, maple syrup to a cocktail shaker and gently swirl the shaker for 30 seconds to decarbonate the beer. Add the egg and shake for 45-60 seconds without ice. Add ice and shake for 15-20 seconds. Double-strain into collins glass and garnish with grated nutmeg. 

Recipe by Jessica Gonzalez of Death & Co.

Vampire Blues

1.5 ounce Bourbon Whiskey (I used rye in the video, feel free to use your favorite whiskey)

.5 ounce East India Solera Sherry 

.5 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 ounce Simple Syrup

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Butter

2 dashes Angostura Bitters (I used Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters in the video)

Cinnamon Stick

Add all ingredients except cinnamon stick to mixing glass filled with ice. Shake for 15-30 seconds. Strain into Old Fashioned glass over large ice cube. Garnish with cinnamon stick. 

3 Cocktail Recipes for Variations of the Manhattan

KATU was nice enough to invite me back to their morning show to mix up a few more cocktails. This time around we are starting with the classic Manhattan, and then mixing two simple and delicious variations, a White Manhattan and a Black Manhattan. The beauty of the Manhattan is both it's simplicity and it's versitility. The base ingredients of the Manhattan are whiskey (traditionally rye), sweet vermouth, and bitters (typically Angostura). 

Classic Manhattan

2 ounces whisky (Maker's Mark 46) 

1 ounce Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)

2 dashes of Bitters (Angostura)

Add all ingredients to cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30-45 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherry or orange zest (optional).

The White Manhattan is a fun variation swapping the aged whiskey out for moonshine (unaged whiskey) and Dolin's white, but sweet version of their vermouth, Dolin Blanc. 

White Manhattan

2 oz. White Whiskey (Corsair Artisan)

1 oz. Dolin Blanc

2 Dashes of Bitters (Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)

 Add all ingredients to cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30-45 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherry or orange zest (optional).

The Black Manhattan swaps out the sweet vermouth for a sweet herbal liqueur called Averna, which has a vanilla-like sweetness and warming finish that pairs perfectly with whiskey. 

Black Manhattan

2 oz. Whiskey (Maker's 46)

1 oz. Averna

2 Dashes of Bitters (Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters)

 Add all ingredients to cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30-45 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherry or orange zest (optional).

What is your idea of the perfect Manahattan?

Check out my video from this morning's show!

Remember the Maine

Remember the Maine:

2 oz. Rye Whiskey (High West Double Rye)
.75 oz sweet vermouth (Vya)
2 barspoons Cheery Heering 
.5 barspoon absinthe (Amerique 1912)
orange zest

This is a cocktail that everyone should try at least once in their life. It's a bit like a dolled up Manhattan, with absinthe filling in as the bitters and the cherry heering adding a touch of sweetness for a perfect balance and additional depth. Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte is one of two absinthes offered by Great Lakes Distillery and is an excellent, highly aromatic chioce. We will have cocktails featuring their other abinsthe (as well as a Kirschwasser) in future posts. The High West Double Rye whiskey is proving to be one of our favorite rye's, makes exceptional Manhattan's, and it performs equally well in this drink. We first read about the cocktail on Oh Gosh, but it's invention is attributed to Charles H. Baker and it's history can be read in further detail at the Oh Gosh web page here.

The Algonquin Cocktail

The Algonquin Cocktail:

1.5 oz rye (Michter's)
.75 oz dry vermouth (Vya)
.75 oz pineapple juice
opt. dash pineapple gum syrup (Small Hand Foods)

Shake over ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This is an excellent classic cocktail from Ted Haigh named for the New York hotel the Algonquin Round Table. Rye and pineapple go particularly well together, the sweet pineapple mediating the spiciness of the rye, and the Vya lends additional botanical notes. The pineapple we were using was unfortunately a little on the bland side, and lacking some necessary sweetness. Luckily, we had Small Hand Foods amazing pineapple gum syrup to save the day and a dash gave the cocktail the sweetness and pleasant mouthfeel (the pineapple syrup is a historically accurate gomme syrup) for a true prohibition style cocktail.