The Intoxicologist

Sours are one of the most challenging cocktails to nail down in proper proportion. Too much sour in the cocktail recipe and facial features distort as lips pucker to the distinct mouth watering bite in the tart flavor experience.  Adding too much sweet to the mix makes the sour drink something new altogether.  Though August 25 is earmarked as National Whiskey Sour Day it is possible to substitute a favorite base spirit for whiskey in a basic sour recipe.

Basic Sour Recipe

2 ounces Base Spirit

3/4 ounce Sour (Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice)

1 ounce Sugar or Simple Syrup

Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake hard to chill completely and create frothy texture.  Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.  Garnish with lemon twist or orange slice with maraschino cherry.  When shaken properly, sour and sugar combination create fizzy top to the drink without the need for added egg white.

There are stories that circulate as to how the Whiskey Sour came into play within history.  According to some, the Whiskey Sour’s creation was in direct correlation to sailors fighting scurvy due to vitamin deficiency.  Preservation of the fruit due to long periods at sea made the creation of sour drinks part of natural progression.  Another tale weaves the story of an English steward who opened a bar in a Peruvian city.  His signature drink creation became known as the sour for its tart taste.  No matter the historical record of the Whiskey Sour or how sours in general came to be established in the saga of cocktails, there are always variations to the basic sour recipe for the sheer enjoyment of flavor delight.

Whiskey Sour – The Flowing Bowl, William Schmidt 1892

Place juice from half a lemon or lime in bottom of mixing glass.

Squirt of Seltzer

Sugar to Taste

Drink of Whiskey

Ice

Mix well. Strain and serve. 

Big Fellow Apricot Sour – Stephen Siebert, Philadelphia, PA

1-1/2 parts Michael Collins Single Malt

3/4 part Honey Syrup

3/4 part fresh Lemon Juice

1/2 part fresh Orange Juice

1 bar spoon Apricot Jam

1 small Egg White

3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Wide Orange Twist Garnish

Combine all ingredients (except bitters and garnish) in cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously to blend and chill.  Double strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.  Garnish with bitters and orange twist.

New York Sour

2 ounces Rye Whiskey or Bourbon

Juice of half a lemon

1/4 ounce Simple Syrup to Taste

1/2 ounce Red Wine

Egg white Optional

Lemon Slice & Fresh Cherry Garnish

Combine whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup (egg white optional) in cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously.  Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.  Float red wine over top.  Garnish with lemon slice and fresh cherry.

More sour cocktails to enjoy include the Pisco Sour, the Ginger Sour with SKYY Infusions Ginger Vodka, Absolut Berri Acai Sour, the Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka Nirvana Sour-Aperitif, Barenjager’s Sour Bee, the 1800 Tequila California Sour, the Buffalo Sour, Beefeater Gin’s 24 Sour, and the Canadian Club Sour.

Find The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon or Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage contained within are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist.

Though travelers the world over complain about the state of airline accommodations, the cost of checking baggage, layovers, delays and the continual increase in fees incurred for the privilege of flying the vast open skies, at least once a year we pay homage to two men who made aviation possible.  National Aviation Day honors the endeavors of Orville and Wilbur Wright.  August 19 was chosen as Wright’s Brother’s Day since it is the birthday of Orville Wright and was created by presidential proclamation by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939.

The Aviation and Aviation Cocktail No. 1 recipes are widely known favorites in classic cocktail books.  Brands, bartenders and mixologists continue adapting the Aviation recipe to suit particular tastes, specific gins and varying liqueurs.  You could say the Aviation recipe veers off course now and again taking differing flight patterns for renewed twist on an old classic favorite.

Aviation No. 1 – Simon Difford, The Cabinet Room, London

Adapted from Hugo R. Esslin’s 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks

1-3/4 ounces Tanqueray London Dry Gin

1/2 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

1/4 ounce Benoit Serres Crème de Violette

1/2 ounce Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/2 ounce Chilled Mineral Water

Lemon Zest Twist Garnish (Sugar Rim Optional)

Place all liquid ingredients in Boston shaker with ice.  Shake to blend and chill. Fine strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with lemon zest twist.

More variations on the classic Aviation cocktail and fanciful flight related drink recipes may be found in Aviation Day Recipes to Celebrate the Day.  If you love gin and classically inspired drink recipes then Gin Temptation Recipes for Any Occasion and reader’s picks of Top 10 Classic Cocktails might also interest you.

Simon Difford’s adaptation of the Aviation No. 1 and The Mary Pickford adaptation by Bryan Dayton were both sampled at Diageo’s VIP Cocktails through the Decades Cocktail Hour at Tales of the Cocktail 2010 in New Orleans.  Valentino’s Demise using Clynelish 14 Year Old was also sampled at the same event.

Find The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon or Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

Classic cocktails make their way to bar menus due to their vast appeal in flavor and in some cases notoriety in name.  The American Drink Book by S.S. Field lists The Mary Pickford cocktail in the section, The 100 Greatest American Drinks.  The book attributes the simplicity of The Mary Pickford recipe as the reason for this particular cocktail’s survival since its creation in the 1920’s.  Fewer easy to find ingredients are certainly key to The Mary Pickford being able to be recreated in nearly any bar and in people’s homes with regularity.  The book goes on to read, “the affinity of pineapple juice to rum is one of the beautiful love stories in the world of libations.  The juice should be fresh, of course.”

The Mary Pickford

Adapted creation by Bryan Dayton, Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO

1-1/2 Oronoco Rum

1 ounce Fresh Pineapple Juice

1 teaspoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

1 teaspoon Employees Only Grenadine

Maraschino Cherry Garnish

Place all ingredients in mixing glass with ice.  Shake to blend and chill.  Strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with maraschino cherry.  Find more Oronoco Rum recipes in Oronoco Rum: Impressive from bottle to spirit.

The American Drink Book lists The Mary Pickford recipe as 2 ounces light Puerto Rican Rum, 3/4 ounces Pineapple Juice and 3 dashes Grenadine. 

The Mary Pickford adaption by Bryan Dayton was sampled at Diageo’s VIP Cocktails through the Decades Cocktail Hour at Tales of the Cocktail 2010 in New Orleans.  Valentino’s Demise using Clynelish 14 Year Old was also sampled at the same event. More tastings and mentions from Tales of the Cocktail include the ultimate House Party by Hendrick’s Gin, a few modern spins on classic cocktails from Chairman’s Reserve Rum and Martini & Rossi’s newest offering; Martini Rosato.  View photos from the Beefeater Welcome Reception and taste a few of the cocktail offerings. 

Find The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon or Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage contained within are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist.

Yearning for a taste of the sinfully delicious?  Take a walk on the wild side with a slight variation of the Bronx Cocktail.  Satan’s Whisker’s is almost identical.  The exception is the classic Bronx Cocktail omits the Grand Marnier and bitters.  The Bronx is excellent for those preferring less sweet, while Satan’s Whiskers gives the wicked a little sugar fix for the sweet tooth. 

Satan’s Whiskers – The Essential Cocktail, Dale DeGroff

1 ounce Gin

1/2 ounce Italian Sweet Vermouth

1/2 ounce French Dry Vermouth

1/2 Grand Marnier

1 ounce Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Dash Angostura Bitters

Orange Peel Garnish

Combine all liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake to blend and chill.  Strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with fresh orange peel.

Fresh orange juice is a definite must for this specific cocktail as it lends the perfect amount of lightness to the drink rather than weighing it down.  Vermouth shines as an extreme player by adding lush richness throughout the middle.  Change the essence of the cocktail a touch by playing with different gin brands with their varied flavor profiles.

More Classic Gin Cocktail Recipes of Interest

Blue Moon – Negroni Virtuoso – Lucien Gaudin Cocktail – Clover Club – Dubarry

The 75 – Fairy Belle, Hendrick’s Martini & Unusual Negroni – Naughty Negroni & Art’ Negroni

Corpse Reviver #2 – Monkey Gland – White Lady – Paradise – Classic T&T

Gimlet, The Holland House, Ramos Gin Fizz & The Last Word – Singapore Sling

Rangpur & Tonic – Peto Martini & Hanky Panky – Aviation variations & Aviator

The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com

Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

March 2010 saw the dawn of a new day.  The extraordinary Crème Yvette Liqueur once produced and sold in the United States and around the world from the 1890’s to 1960’s once again became available to U.S. shores.  This fruited, violet rich liqueur crafted near Bordeaux, France, had been out of circulation for nearly half a century.  Its unique quality and craftsmanship made it essential as a primary ingredient for many classic cocktails.  Due in part to the efforts of cocktail historians such as Ted Haigh, Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich, the Crème Yvette recipe was revived through Robert Cooper, President of The Cooper Spirits Company.  The Cooper Spirits Company also produces the incredibly luscious St-Germain Liqueur.  (St-Germain on Twitter)

Ted Haigh, Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich are among the greats in the field of bartending and mixology who research the classics extensively and endeavor to educate bartenders and consumers about the rich heritage of cocktail culture.  Their knowledge of spirits, the bartenders who originated the craft, the play of balance in cocktail creation, technique and the importance of fresh, quality ingredients come together to inspire career minded bartenders and at home cocktail enthusiasts.  The knowledge of these cocktail experts and others elevate the field of mixology and bartending beyond a mere glass filled with spirits.  They raise the bar of expectation for bartenders everywhere.  It should no longer be acceptable to stand behind a bar without knowledge, skill and desire to serve well built cocktails with pride. 

Once in a blue moon extraordinary spirits rise from the row of bottles lining liquor shelves.  Crème Yvette sits royally with magnificent color without need to perch above others.  There is no need for gold lacing or crowning significance for the intensity of this spirit to reach out and take hold of the senses.  Her regal color shows through with intensity from the start. 

Crème Yvette Tasting

Taste: Floral, berries, lightly sweet rather than sickly sugared, rolling lilt with deep richness in the flavor, boysenberry, raspberry, blackberry with cassis combined with bouquet of gentle flower petal softness.  A certain velvety feel with layering of fruit and skin of berries rather than one dimensional sweetness only.

Crème Yvette Notes: Blend of four berry fruits, mure, framboise, cassis and fraise sauvage, blended with dried violet petals from Provence and a final touch of orange peel and honey.

Crème Yvetted deeply satisfies.  No doubt as to why this particular liqueur is also enjoyed as an after dinner digestif.  Its subtle deliciousness may be sipped slowly for divine, succulent fulfillment without need to mix.  However the offering of more with added spirits brings creativity to a new level.  One could go spring flair or richly, warming depending on base spirit added.  Definitely see Crème Yvette combining well with champagne, lemonade, rosemary, basil and would go out on a limb to say it might possibly work exceptionally well with Rosangel Tequila.

Blue Moon – Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, Ted Haigh

2 ounces Gin

1/2 ounce Crème Yvette

1/2 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon Twist Garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake to blend and chill.  Strain into cocktail glass.  Garnish with fresh lemon twist.  Notation: Though not specified in the recipe, I chose Plymouth Gin as it mixes easily without heavy overtones.

Though the color did not appear blue to any degree, the flavor does indeed come across as one of those ‘once in a blue moon’ recipe styles.  Simple.  Easy.  Straight forward.  Memorable.  Classic.  This type of cocktail comes around once in a blue moon as does a liqueur as unique as Crème Yvette.  Ted Haigh describes the Blue Moon as “incomparable” in his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.  He also describes variations on this classic.  Find out what you’re missing by picking up a copy of his incredible book and this magnificent spirit.

Crème Yvette sample for review courtesy The Cooper Spirits Company.  All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage contained within are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist. 

The 75 and The Seelbach Cocktail vintage recipes found on The Intoxicologist site are both referenced from Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails book.

The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com

Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved