Grasshopper

People generally think of cocktails as a pre dinner drink. There are many cocktails that are made just for dessert. One of these cocktails is the grasshopper. I often order one of these at the end of the meal instead of a dessert. Sweet, fresh, and delicious I always enjoy one after having a large dinner. As an added bonus it is very simple to make. Here is the final cocktail.


(image found at http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/NP/grasshopper-cocktail-1009-lg.jpg)

The three ingredients are creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and cream. I do not really have a favorite brand of any of these so I just use what I find at the store which just so happened to be these.


(image found at http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/creme-de-menthe.jpg)


(image found at http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/creme-de-cacao.jpg)

These two liqueur's with cream make a very clean and refreshing dessert cocktail. Here is the recipe.
1oz creme de menthe
1oz creme de cacao
1.5oz cream
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled. Strain into a martini glass.

You may get some weird looks when you order one of these but don't let that sway you. You are a true cocktail drinker if you feel no shame drinking something that is cloudy and green. Be proud of the fact you know what you like.
See you all next week.

Rum and Coke

Rum and coke. One of the best cocktails to have when you are at a club with friends. Sweet and delicious you will really start to enjoy the night with a few of these in you. The only problem with the ones you get at a club, is the rum. I personally only really like these when it is made with Gosling's dark seal rum. Probably my favorite dark rum. Without further ado here is the cocktail picture.


(image found at http://thepilver.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/rum-and-coke.jpg)

Im my opinion the lime wedge is unneeded when you have a quality rum. As I said before, my favorite for this drink is Gosling's dark seal.


(image found at http://www.drinkhacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/goslings-black-seal-rum.jpg)

Of course how are you going to have a rum and coke without the coke? I of course have to be difficult once again and suggest that you only get mexican coke from your neighborhood hispanic market. I can hear your questions already, what is the difference? The only difference that matters is that mexican coke is made with pure sugar and not corn syrup. This adds to more of a cola flavor and not as sweet.


(image found at http://www.acontinuouslean.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Mexican_coke_3.jpg)

As usual the recipe is simple because of the lack of ingredients.
4 oz rum
8 oz coke
Pour both ingredients over ice and stir gently.

There you have it. One of the best party drinks you can make at home for when you have friends over. I can guarantee that if you substitute mexican coke for american coke and Gosling's rum people will notice. Just because a cocktail is simple doesn't mean you have to skimp on the quality of the ingredients. On the contrary in my opinion. The simpler the cocktail is the better ingredients you should use.
I'll see you all next week.

Black Russian

Sometimes you just want to be alone with a good book on a rainy night. WHen this happens I tend to go for one cocktail in particular, the Black Russian. A simple and deep cocktail will warm you up on this type of night. Made from vodka and coffee liqueur you don't need to spend to much time making one so you can get back to your book quickly. Here is the final product.


(image found at http://pufuletenegru.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/black-russian-cocktail.jpg)

For this cocktail I like to use my favorite vodka, Ketel One. I don't really know why I like this vodka more than any of the others, but I do. It could do with the fact that several people have told me it is the best out there right now.


(image found at http://www.klwines.com/images/skus/640032x.jpg)

For the coffee liqueur I like to use Kahlua, but you can substitute this for your own favorite.


(image found at http://www.barnonedrinks.com/tips/dictionary/images/588.jpg)

The recipe for this is as simple as it seems.
1 oz vodka
2 oz coffee liqueur
Pour both ingredients into a glass with a few ice cubes. Stir until cold.

A simple and easy cocktail for those days you don't want to leave the house. You really can't go wrong. The coffee is delicious and the vodka gives it some warmth.
Until next week folks.

Rusty Nail

I love Scotch. No bones about it. Either in a cocktail or by itself over rocks or neat. I love it, I really do. The smoky flavor, the long finish, need say more? Well I am going to even if I don't have to. The rusty nail is one of those cocktails that just tastes great. The only two ingredients are scotch and drambuie(a whisky liquor). Here is a photo of the finished cocktail


(image found at http://www.scienceofdrink.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/rusty-nail.jpg)

For this cocktail I like to use a Macallan 12 year scotch. Some may say I am crazy for using a single malt scotch, but I beg to differ. This scotch is great in this cocktail and great if you just want to sip it alone.


(image found at http://www.klwines.com/images/skus/620009x.jpg)

And of course you need some drambuie.


(image found at http://www.monnik-dranken.nl/downloads/flessen/drambuie.jpg)

The recipe is simple.
2 oz scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Combine these two ingredients in a glass over ice and stir. Garnish with lemon twirl if so inclined.

For me this is a great cocktail to start a night. One of these sets the pace for the entire night. I won't only drink these but it gets me in the mood for the more simpler cocktails.
Until next time folks.

Gin and Tonic

As some of you may have guessed, gin is my favorite spirit. Therefore I am going to share with you one of the simplest and tastiest gin cocktails out there. For me this cocktail is always at hand. I drink one at least once a week and love it every single time. Here is a photo of the cocktail.


(image found at http://njcollegefoodie.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/gin_tonic.jpg)

This cocktail has only two ingredients, gin and tonic. Well, three if you include the lime wedge. For this I have to use my all time favorite gin, Hendricks.


(image found at http://www.formanandfield.com/images/categories/r9417_lg.jpg)

Along with this I use Canada Dry tonic. It is everywhere and does not have a taste to it at all.


(image found at http://7xpress.com/images/j63.JPG)

The recipe with this is quite simple as you can imagine.
Fill a glass almost full with ice. Pour the gin in until it is about 1/3 full. Top off with tonic and garnish with a lime wedge.
There you have it. An easy and excellent cocktail that is good for all occasions. I recommend you enjoy this quickly because the more the ice melts the less of a gin taste there will be. After a few of these you will be toasty for the rest of the night and feel great in the morning, as long as you don't over do it.
See you all next week

Whiskey Sour

When I get together with my friends at one of their houses we usually end up drinking whiskey sours more than anything else. It is a simple cocktail made with just a few ingredients(two if you cheat). We all like whiskey and whiskey sours are delicious. It is made made with a rye whiskey, simple syrup, and lemon juice. If you are prone to not do all the work you can just use a sour mix, but that is not nearly as good. The whiskey brings an oaky earthy flavor while the lemon freshens it up with some sweetness. Here is a picture of the whiskey sour up(meaning not over ice).

(image found at http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2006/07/18/ig0702_whisky_sour1_lead.jpg)

As you can see this one is served in a martini glass meaning it was ordered up. When not ordered up you will recieve your whiskey sour in a tumbler with ice. Here are the ingredients.


(image found at http://popsop.ru/wp-content/uploads/jack_daniels_presid_preview.jpg)


(image found at http://www.carpetcleaninglondon.net/pub/1267294899_lemon_istock_1.jpg)


(image found at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-IR0_s-zCL9K-w-_EjlYz85aHgQwYl1NvxhRt15kq-Zo3Y5bkImVRWny9MB_Nr2Zrun1k7WAqQB6uIrB0eqkFQxF0Gkoz97x00dToN2tLdvIRamJd-dP-PWgEbt-30r99O1hSHEj8ToF/s400/sugar.jpg)

The recipe for this is quite simple. Equal parts whiskey and sour mix(homemade of course). To make your sour mix you want to take equal parts water and sugar and put them into a pot. Heat this until the sugar is fully dissolved and cool. While it is cooling juice some lemons. Add equal parts lemon juice with the syrup and you have a sour mix. If you like you can also add some lime juice, just make sure you have equal parts of the syrup with your juice blend.
For this I like the Jack Daniel's whiskey because it is not to sweet and while this cocktail has sugar in it, you shouldn't just taste sweetness. This is one of my groups favorite cocktails and is always available to us. Hopefully you will enjoy it as well.
See you next week.

French 75

Lets take a step back. Back in time to the French 75. This cocktail was one of the first I ever tried. I was 21 and at the bar with a friend when someone I do not know comes up and orders a French 75. Seeing that the bartender actually knew what this man was talking about he got his cocktail and left. I could only think that what he ordered looked delicious and I wanted one. So placing my order I was ill prepared for what happened next. This is one of those cocktails that is way more powerful than you think and can easily drink 4 or 5 without knowing how much it is going to affect you. Consider this a warning, it is quite tasty but is secretly powerful. Here is a picture of the cocktail.

(image found at http://www.epicurious.com/images/articlesguides/drinking/cocktails/french75.jpg)

This cocktail is made with sugar, gin, lemon juice, and champagne. What is that you say? Gin and champagne together, travesty!! I know that is what I thought when I first tried it, but it works damn well together. Here are the ingredients.


(image found at http://www.cavahalari.gr/site/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/PLYMOUTH_GIN_49c1fc63ca4b0.jpg)


(image found at http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2008/12/30/entertainment/photos_galleries/G2043_photo11.jpg)


(image found at http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/sugar/image.jpg)


(image found at http://www.carpetcleaninglondon.net/pub/1267294899_lemon_istock_1.jpg)

The recipe for this one is quite simple.
2 oz gin
1 tbps sugar
1 tbps lemon juice
champagne(I like a brut for this)
lemon twirl for garnish
Take the gin, sugar, lemon juice, and add them to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until the sugar is fully dissolved and strain into a champagne flute or other cocktail glass. Top with as much champagne as is necessary and gently stir to mix. Garnish with a lemon twirl, serve.
The boldness of the gin, the lightness of the champagne, and the tartness of the lemon make this a sweet and simply wonderful cocktail. I only caution you when drinking this because of how powerful it is without seeming like it. I have fallen prey to that aspect of this cocktail and you will to if you are not careful.
Until next week, be careful

Mojito

With summer on it's way and a few summer cocktail posts, I have decided to post what I consider to be a summer only cocktail, the Mojito.
This cocktail is made from fresh mint leaves, white rum, sugar, and lime juice. The sugar with the lime juice and mint make for a very refreshing cocktail that is best sipped while on the porch with a friend in the middle of summer. Here is a photo of the final cocktail.


(image found at http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2009/01/mojito.jpg)

This cocktail is a little more complicated to make than most, but the work is more than worth it. First the ingredients.


(image found at http://intoxicologist.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/bacardi_white_rum.jpg)


(image found at http://expat21.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/mint-leaves.jpg)


(image found at http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/sugar/image.jpg)


(image found at http://www.photographyblogger.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/lime.jpg)

Here is the recipe:
1 teaspoon sugar(powered is better for this)
1 small lime
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
2oz white rum
2 ounces club soda
First you take the sugar mint and lime juice and drop them in the bottom of your glass. Drop the lime wedges you juiced in there as well. Then you want to take a muddler and muddle these together gently until they are mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Add crushed ice then the rum and top off with club soda.

This cocktail is quite refreshing and light because of the mint in tandem with the lime. It is a pretty sweet cocktail from the rum and the sugar, but when you add all these things together, well you would be hard pressed to make another cocktail that embodies everything that is summer. Sweet, fresh, and tangy it is one of the most well known and loved cocktails of all time.
That is all for this week, hope you all have fun until next time.

Gimlet

Since my Sidecar post I have been on a kind of citrus binge and I want to share one of my favorite summer cocktails with all of you. It is called the Gimlet. This cocktail uses my favorite spirit of all time, gin. Not only that but I also use my favorite brand of gin, Hendricks. This cocktail is easy to make and delicious to drink. The only two ingredients are gin and Rose's sweetened lime juice. Here is a photo of the cocktail.


I will admit that I made way more than is normal, a triple to be exact and I served it in a beer glass. I can't help it, this is one of my all time favorite cocktails with my all time favorite gin. How am I supposed to practice restraint when the drink gods line me up with this combination? Anyway here are some pictures of the ingredients.


(image found at http://www.adliterate.com/archives/Hendrick%27s%20bottle%20%20290107.JPG)


(image found at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQWRxJomUcRsIPRnxn5Jo5aKZAS95tKW1hfRoRWvUBHF_MyWOzgHY5mSj1BzzaBc9dx9NKT7qlCWKIKov-Cza7vkdGBn-wBGwFs-AtJJRKd3ccWcM__kI-DxeJ2NixA8QvYySQCK-E818/s320/10520L.jpg)

The classic recipe calls for equal parts gin and rose's lime juice, but I find it a little too sweet. Here is my own recipe:
2oz gin
1.25oz rose's lime juice
lime wedge for garnish
Add both ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice, or a martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge or twirl.

This cocktail is sweet and citrusy from the lime juice, but you also get the great taste of gin. Sweet and citrus make this a perfect summer time cocktail, or if you are like me an old standard.
See you all next week.

Sidecar

I am sure most have heard of the cocktail called the sidecar, but not many have actually tried it. This is one of those cocktails that people are just sort of afraid of to order. If there is one thing I have learned in my short time of drinking cocktails, is that you need to not be afraid to take a stab in the dark and order something you never have before.
Made from Cointreau, Cognac, and fresh lemon juice this cocktail is very refreshing and quite appropriate as an after dinner drink. Here is a picture of the finished cocktail.

(image found at http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/sidecar.jpg)

Just looking at this cocktail can give you the impression that it is refreshing. The Lemon juice and the cointreau marry with the cognac to make something that has warmth, but also citrus. Here are the ingredients.


(image found at http://www.chateau26.nl/shop/catalog/images/courvoisier%20vsop.jpg)


(image found at http://www.proof66.com/Images/Cointreau.jpg)


(image found at http://disconaplondon.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/lemon.jpg)

For those that do not know, cointreau is an orange flavored liquor which is found in many cocktails. It gives drinks a nice citrus and sweet side that some liquor's do not. And of course you will want to juice that lemon. Here is the recipe for the sidecar:
1.5oz cognac(I like the Courvoisier vsop but any vsop would be appropriate)
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. cointreau
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled. Strain and serve in a martini or other cocktail glass. Garnish with orange wedge or lemon peel twirl.

While this is the basic recipe you can always modify it to suit your own tastes. One very popular thing to do is line the rim of the glass with sugar so that you get some added sweetness with your drink. I strongly recommend that you do not use a cognac that is not below vsop grade. While the vs cognac's can be used they are to strong in this cocktail for me, so I opt to use the slightly softer Courvoisier vsop. This particular one is easily one of my favorite mixing and sipping cognac's.
Well that is all for this week, I will continue to find more cocktails to hopefully get you all to try.

Manhattan

Back again folks, this time with a whiskey cocktail. It is called a Manhattan and is one of my most ordered cocktails, along with the martini and the gimlet(more on this next week).
This cocktail is made from bourbon whiskey, bitters, sweet vermouth, and a cherry for garnish. Here is a picture of the final cocktail.



This cocktail is pretty strong and if you do not like whiskey I would strongly suggest you order something else. Those of us that love whiskey as much as I do, however, should have this cocktail at least once in our lives. Here are the ingredients.


(image found at http://www.caribbeanproducers.com/files/imagecache/product_main/files/beverage_images/Vermouth-%20Martini%20%20Rossi%20-Rosso%20Sweet.gif)


(image found at http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/makers_mark/image/14.jpg)


(image found at http://www.wbdistributionltd.co.uk/images/bitters.jpg)

The recipe is very simple:
1.5oz whiskey(I like maker's for this)
1.5oz sweet vermouth
2-4 dashes bitters
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the bitters, whiskey, and sweet vermouth. Shake until fully chilled and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cherry that has the stem taken off.

The first taste you get is the whiskey with a slight sweetness and spiciness from the vermouth and bitters. When you have finished the cocktail and eat the cherry it has had sufficient time to soak up the flavors and adds even more sweetness with a clean finish. In my humble opinion this is the go to cocktail along with the martini if you are out for drinks with friends.
Hope this post finds you all well, have fun

Black Velvet

I have been drinking a lot of champagne lately, so I have decided to post another champagne cocktail for you all to enjoy. This one is named the Black Velvet, I assume because of it's color. Here is a photo of the cocktail itself, two different glasses witht he same portions and ingredients, only made slightly differently, but I will get to that.


There are only two ingredients for this cocktail, champagne and guinness extra stout.


(image found at http://intoxicologist.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/korbel.jpg)


(image found at http://static.wix.com/media/3ff9088ad85efb18ae59052e07f179bb.wix_mp)

You may notice that I am using the Korbel natural again, I can't help it. It is my favorite champagne at the moment. There are two ways of making this cocktail. In the image above you see that the cocktail on the right is separated while the other is not. I like the separated look personally, and the way you make that is you take the guinness and fill a champagne flute up halfway with it. Then taking a spoon you pour the champagne onto the spoon so that it will flow down the sides of the flute and not mix with the beer. If you don't want it separated I would recommend taking the champagne and filling up the flute halfway and then pour the guinness directly into it to fill the glass. That is it, you now have a Black Velvet.
This cocktail is great to have before you eat as the acidity of the champagne cleans your palate while the guinness gives it body and a warmth. You also get those very fine champagne bubbles which is nothing but a good thing.
That is all for today, keep mixing.

Champagne Cocktail

What makes a cocktail a cocktail? In my opinion it is when you take a spirit of some sort and add one or more ingredients to it, creating something that is delicious but different from what it was originally. The champagne cocktail is the perfect example of this.
Most consider champagne something that is to be enjoyed by itself, however you can add two simple ingredients to make it something different, but still a very delicious cocktail. Thus, I give you the champagne cocktail.



Making this is a quick and easy way to take champagne to a different level. Made from just three items makes this cocktail perfect for dessert, or as an aperitif to a meal. These are the ingredients.


(image found at http://www.ecosalon.com/data/fe/image/WhiteSugarCube(1).jpg)


(image found at http://www.wbdistributionltd.co.uk/images/bitters.jpg)


(Image found at http://volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/images/korbel-natural-03.jpg)

All you need is a sugar cube, some bitters, and your preferred champagne. For me I like Korbel Natural Champagne, it is somewhere between a dry and a brut. Putting it together is simple as well. First you fill a champagne flute with your champagne. Then you take the sugar cube and holding over the spout on the bitters bottle, you give it a few shakes to have the sugar absorb the bitters. After that all you need to do is take the sugar cube and drop it in the champagne.
This cocktail starts out tasting only like champagne, but the more you drink it the more the sugar dissolves and the sweeter it becomes. By the time you are at the bottom, it is quite sweet and you really notice the flavor of the bitters.
Well that is all for this week, I hope you all keep drinking cocktails and having a good time

The Martini

Hello all, I thought I would start off my blog than with a classic and a personal favorite cocktail.

Most may remember the vodka martini as one of James Bond's cocktail of choice, shaken not stirred as he would put it. I however lean toward a classic or gin martini. Made from two ingredients it is a perfect cocktail to make at home for guests. First the components:



I Like the Plymouth gin for this as it is quite smooth. Martini & Rossi dry vermouth is also what I prefer for this recipe. It is a simple and cheap vermouth that is quite good in a martini (hence the name I suppose). Just these two simple ingredients are what make up one of the most famous cocktails there is. After mixing appropriately you end up with a gin martini.



Unfortunately I did not have any olives on hand for the garnish but you get the idea. The recipe I used for this is something I came up with on my own after trying a number of differing types of martini's.

3oz. gin
1/2 dry vermouth
olives for garnish

Pour the vermouth in a glass full of ice. Shake the vermouth by itself to thoroughly coat the ice. Strain the excess vermouth and then add the gin to the ice. Stir the gin and the ice together until chilled. Strain into a martini glass(of course) and garnish with 1 or 2 green olives on a toothpick.

One may ask why you would go to the trouble of using vermouth at all if you are just going to pour it out. I like to think of vermouth as the salt for gin. You want to put some in it to enhance the natural flavor of the gin, but not so much you start to clash with it. The amount that sticks to the ice is enough to make is taste just right.
Something else you may notice is that I did not shake the gin with the ice and instead stirred it. The reason for this is that when you shake gin with ice you end up with a drink that has very thin ice shavings floating on top of the martini. I personally do not like that but I have several friends that prefer it icy than not. It all comes down to personal preference.

This, my friends, has been one of my go to beverages for several years now. It is easy to make and is always a good choice for a pre-dinner cocktail.

As always, stay safe.

The First

Hello and welcome. This blog is meant to be a beginners guide to cocktails. I myself am a beginner in this field and I hope to share my experiences with you while I stumble about trying to make drinks that can be called cocktails. Expect recipes and reviews for all cocktails that are made and enjoyed. If anyone has a recipe that they would like to see reviewed just let me know. More to come in the days and weeks to come. I hope you enjoy your stay with my humble blog.



Neil