The English Bulldog

This drink was entered into the amateur portion of Tanqueray’s “Best T&T” contest and took the grand prize. It is a play on the traditional gin and tonic that incorporates additional ingredients which bring an increased complexity to the drink. The orange marmalade, in particular, is a nod to British history, which I thought was fitting for a British drink made with British gin.

Refreshing and not too strong, the English Bulldog is a great beverage for a summer picnic or a Sunday afternoon. Here’s the recipe:

The English Bulldog

• 1.25 oz Tanqueray Gin
• .75 oz Dry Vermouth
• .5 oz Lime Juice
• 1 bar spoon Orange Marmalade
• 1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
• Tonic

Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes and set aside. Combine first five ingredients in a shaker with cracked or crushed ice and shake vigorously. Strain into the Collins glass, top with tonic water, stir gently and garnish with an orange peel (flaming optional) and a lime.

Standard Tanqueray London Dry will work just fine, and is the gin that this recipe was based off of. Tanqueray Rangpur will bring even more citrus notes to the party and is definitely not a bad alternative. You could also use Tanqueray Ten, but personally I think if you’re going to buy an ultra-premium like that, you shouldn’t cover it up with too many other flavors. Better to just add some vermouth and a couple of olives and call it a day.

Oh, and if you prefer short drinks to long, you could always strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass, omit the tonic, and quaff it straight. Cheers!

So, it’s happened: you’ve invited a lady friend over for an evening of intellectual, witty conversation augmented by adult beverages, and she’s agreed to your suggestion. Now you need to put together some drinks she can appreciate, but you know nothing about mixology and your current bar contains exactly one bottle of Jack Daniels, and a container of grenadine so old that the cap has fused to the glass. You know that the woman you’re interested in has moved past the likes of Michelob Ultra and bad appletinis, but you’re not sure what would impress her. What to do?

Interested? Check out the whole article over on Primer!

I’m not worrying about sipping liquors. Obviously, you could spend the entire moderate budget on a single bottle of scotch or cognac, if you wanted to. You wouldn’t want to waste those as components in a cocktail, though. Everything listed in both categories is very drinkable, and you don’t have to mix them with anything. I frequently enjoy Buffalo Trace bourbon with nothing but an ice cube or two.

In both cases I’ve tried to provide as complete a bar as possible at a reasonable price (note: barware, fruit juices and garnishes not included). There are a zillion other liquors that you could buy, but I’ve tried to open up the most options possible without getting too pricey. You’ll note for example that the budget list recommends skipping scotch, light rum, and brandy. Why? Because you can substitute golden rum for light rum in 99% of cases, and because you can still make a ridiculous number of great drinks without scotch or brandy.

Obviously I’ve not tried every liquor on the market, and this list reflects my personal tastes. Please feel free to leave suggestions of other budget and moderately priced liquors that you think rock. I’d love to try them!

Prices reflect what the cost of a 750 ml or otherwise standard bottle in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Your prices may vary a bit, but if you’re in the US and paying a lot more than what I’ve listed, you’re being ripped off. Try the internet.

Without further ado, here are the lists:

A few notes: you can get a lot of mixers like curacao for less money if you go with DeKuyper. Everything I’ve tried from them has been bitter and very low-quality. Bol’s is a few bucks more but infinitely better. Also, the next few liqueurs on my list would be: Amaretto, Campari, Coffee, and Creme de Cacao or Chocolate Liqueur. Also maybe Creme de Menthe, though I’m not a huge fan of mint.

Did I miss or forget something? Drop me a line in the comments!

Photo by Lisa Salamida

The Manhattan. One of the quintessential cocktails, it was invented by a British lady, uses what was at the time the great American spirit as its base, and is named after one of the most international islands on the planet. It’s also my most favorite of cocktails, the drink that — were I forced to choose one elixir to tide me over for the rest of my days — I would pick over any other.

Yes, it’s an excellent cocktail, but even the stately Manhattan can do with some jazzing up from time to time. So I present to you these eight excellent Manhattan variations. Each has its own subtleties and all are delicious. Enjoy!

1. The Classic Perfect Manhattan

• 3 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Stir thoroughly with a bartender’s spoon until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with maraschino cherry.

2. Chris’s Manhattan

• 3 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 3 heavy dashes Angostura Bitters
• Orange Peel

Combine all liquid ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Stir thoroughly with a bartender’s spoon until well-chilled. Strain mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over the liquid, rub it once around the glass’s rim, and drop it into the drink.

3. The Bourbon Manhattan

• 3 oz Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine and serve as if making a Perfect Manhattan.

4. The Heering Manhattan

• 3 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Cherry Heering
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine and serve as if making a Perfect Manhattan.

5. The Italian Manhattan

• 3 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Amaretto
• 1 dash Campari
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine and serve as if making a Perfect Manhattan.

6. The Tropical Manhattan

• 3 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Curacao
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters
• Orange Peel

Combine and serve as if making Chris’s Manhattan.

7. The Smokey Manhattan

• 2.5 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Smokey Scotch
• 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine and serve as if making a Perfect Manhattan.

8. The French Manhattan

• 2 oz Calvados (Apple Whiskey/Brandy)
• 1 oz VS or VSOP Cognac
• 1 oz Dry Vermouth
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• Maraschino Cherry

Combine and serve as if making a Perfect Manhattan.

… Okay, I admit, that last one’s a bit of a stretch! If you want it to be a little more Manhattan-y and a little less French, replace the Calvados with Rye whiskey. The important thing is: experiment with your drinks! Even a classic cocktail can yield many interesting variations.

The end result? The Arizona Gimlet, which I’m really quite happy with. It’s got a real citrus kick, but the vermouth helps smooth things out and keeps the gin from being overpowering, and the agave syrup, when used with a light touch, avoids the cloying sweetness that Rose’s lime sometimes delivers. I’ve even come up with two different preparations, depending on what mood you’re in. Give it a try!

The Recipe

2 oz gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/3rd oz Agave Nectar (raw, amber, light … whatever kind you want)

Preparation 1: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker, shake like crazy, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve with a twist of lime. Delicious and potent!

Preparation 2: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker, shake like crazy, strain into a rocks glass over ice, top with club soda and stir. Serve with a lime wedge. Refreshing!

I wanted to produce something which was bold but not overpowering, not too sweet, and could be made by the glass or by the pitcher. I decided on a whiskey-based concoction which used Cherry Heering for sweetness, lemon juice for a bit of tang, and dry vermouth to smooth things out. Here’s the recipe:

The Bossman

2 parts Canadian Whiskey (I used Seagrams VO)
2 parts OJ (glass) or 3 parts OJ (pitcher)
.75 parts Dry Vermouth
.75 parts Cherry Heering
.5 parts Lemon Juice
Generous dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake or stir with ice, and serve over ice in a rocks glass. Goes very well with birthday cake!

Hope you enjoy the drink. Incidentally, this is the 100th post to this blog (since I redesigned and switched over to wordpress). Hooray!

This drink uses Applejack, which I’d never had before trying the Applejack Cocktail. It’s rather similar to calvados, the French apple liqueur, which I suppose is not particularly surprising. Still, it’s got more of a whiskey kick to it — there’s something less refined happening there, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Combine it with some dry vermouth, some orange juice, and some lime … and you get my latest cocktail:

Spring Break Jack

2 oz Applejack
1 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
Dash of Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake briskly with ice for a long ten count. Strain into a chilled cocktail/martini glass, and garnish with a twist of orange and a brandied cherry.

I know that “Jack” is typically used to refer to Jack Daniels, but I think it works in this case. After all, Florida is home to many an orange, and to many a spring break party destination!

Anyway, give the drink a shot, let me know what you think. I’ll be back with more, soon.

Thanks to Annie in Beziers’ for the image!

Faux Cider

1 oz Bourbon
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz Cola (regular or diet)
1 dash Angosutra Bitters

Combine Ingredients in a rocks glass over ice. Stir well. If you like, add a little ground cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a mulled taste.

The Lexington Limey

2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Dry Vermouth
1 oz Pimm’s
.33 oz Lemon Juice
.25 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Combine Ingredients in a rocks glass over ice. Stir well. Simple syrup can be replaced with eldeflower cordial, and both it and the lemon juice can be adjusted — more, and you get a “Bourbon Sour” kind of feel. Less, and you get a stiffer, slightly more bitter drink.

Tom’s Cousin

2 oz Gin
1 oz Pimm’s
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.33 oz Elderflower Cordial
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, strain into a chilled cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

The Brooklyn Almond

I named this drink because it’s kind of like a Manhattan, but it’s got a unique charm that’s all its own. Like Brooklyn, it’s an eclectic mix of flavors that blend into a whole.

2.5 oz Bourbon (I like Woodford Reserve a lot)
1 oz Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Amaretto
.25 oz Campari

I like this drink on the rocks … but it’s equally well served if you pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice, and strain it into a chilled martini glass (garnish with a brandied cherry or two if you so desire). At first sip, you’re hit by the strength of the bourbon, but then the vermouth smooths things out and transitions nicely to the almond notes from the amaretto. The Campari shows up at the end, giving a slightly bitter, dry finish. I really like this cocktail and make it for myself fairly often.

The Elder Pirate

This is a rum-based drink — thus the ‘pirate’ — but it gains herbal notes from several sources: campari, Lillet Blanc (a french fortified wine), and elderflower cordial, which takes the place of simple syrup. You could use an elderflower liqueur like St. Germain if you wanted to give it just a touch more kick.

2oz Golden Rum (I like 10 Cane)
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Elderflower Cordial
.25 oz Campari

Again, I drink this one on ice, but you could also shake it and serve it in a chilled glass. I’d garnish it with a lime wedge, because rum loves lime. Seriously, it’s basically impossible to screw up a drink with rum and limes in it! But even without the lime wedge, this is a pretty solid cocktail.

If you try either of these drinks out, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Oh, and thanks to Zoom Zoom for the cocktail picture.

Anyhoo … on a related note, I’ve come up with a new cocktail that I like quite a bit. Yes, it’s pink, but this isn’t some girly drink! There’s a lot of booze in this mutha, and it’s not super-sweet. In fact, it’s a really nice combination of lightly sweet and bitter, with some herbal notes. So here’s the recipe:

The Cloven Martini

3 oz Gin (I like Plymouth or Hendrick’s)
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Framboise (Raspberry Liqueur)
3 whole cloves
ice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and then shake the bejeezus out of them. Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a lime wedge and a brandied cherry (a common Flatiron Lounge garnish).

Smells nice, tastes good … looks wussy, but dare your friends to slam a couple and see if they’re still standing!