Whiskey Base Flashcards
Algonquin
1.5 oz. Rye 3/4 oz. Dry Vermouth 3/4 oz. Pineapple Juice 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters (optional) Shake all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass
Bartender Comments: Credit for this cocktail goes to the Algonquin Hotel in NYC. This is the most common recipe (although Dale DeGroff featured a rendition which combined rum, blackberry brandy, Bénédictine and lime juice). For an alternative preparation, David Wondrich recommends stirring this combo since pineapple juice has a tendency to foam when shaken.
Amalfi Cocktail
1.5 oz. Bourbon 1 oz. Lemon Juice 1 oz. Galliano 1 tsp. Orgeat Chilled Club Soda Shake all ingredients (except soda) with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Highball Glass
Bartender Comments:
Blood and Sand
1 oz. Blended Scotch Whisky 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth 3/4 oz. Cherry Heering 1 oz. Orange Juice Shake all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Orange Twist
Bartender Comments: Like many classics, this drink—named for a `20s silent film starring Rudolph Valentino—has seen quite a renaissance in recent years. Try using a blend that has a more pronounced smoky punch. Or if you’re feeling even bolder, try a headier version with a robust, yet balanced single malt like Talisker (thanks for this bit of inspiration goes to master barman Jim Wrigley).
Bobby Burns
2 oz. Blended Scotch
1/4 oz. Bénédictine
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Scotland’s famous son and bard is generally credited as the inspiration of this Rob Roy derivative. I take a bit of umbrage with the name, however: as Mark Kingwell points out in his book Classic Cocktails: A Modern Shake, Robert Burns did not contract his name to Bobby, but rather Rabbie. But the drink appeared in the seminal Savoy Cocktail Book as “Bobby Burns,” and therefore shall forever be known by that name. In David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks the cocktail appears in two forms: the above version, and a second recipe that swaps Bénédictine for Drambuie. Embury also suggests adding a bit of Angostura or Peychaud’s bitters. Dale DeGroff likes to serve his with shortbread cookies, but I’ve yet to see any of those in a bar’s mise-en-place. Try one on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30th) or on Burns’ Night (January 25th) I’m sure it beats the hell out of haggis, tatties and neeps.
Boothby Cocktail
1.5 oz. Whiskey (Bourbon or Rye) 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth 2 dashes Angostura's Bitters 2 dashes Orange Bitters 1 oz. Champagne Stir the first four ingredients into the glass and top with Champagne. Cocktail Glass, Orange Peel
Bartender Comments: This cocktail’s namesake is William Boothby, an iconic San Francisco bartender (later assemblyman) who worked at several of the City’s fine institutions, notably the Palace Hotel, Parker House bar, and the Silver Palace. Anchor Distilling Co. recently published a reprint of his 1908 bartending manual, complete with a recipe for the Boothby Cocktail (which never actually appeared in any of his original publications). A Manhattan variant, this is sometimes called the Boothby Manhattan.
Boulevardier
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Orange Twist
Bartender Comments: Bourbon takes center stage instead of gin in this cocktail made in the Negroni mold. This rendition carries some deeper bass notes notes, which may knock this drink outside of the aperitif category; in any case, you are a sommelier, so try one soon (if you have not already). Origins point to Harry McElhone’s 1927 publication Barflies and Cocktails. Adjust the amount of whiskey to suit your palate.
Brooklyn Cocktail
2 oz. Rye Whiskey 1 oz. Dry Vermouth 1/4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur 1/4 oz Amer Picon Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: It may be better to eschew this one altogether—at least in the US. It’s near impossible to find a genuine bottle of Amer Picon, and even if you do it will most likely be the reduced version (21% abv) as opposed to the original strength (39% abv.) However, there are a couple of substitutes for Amer Picon, such as Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Nonino, or Ramazzoti. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, check out Jamie Boudreau’s blog; he demonstrates how to create a good stand-in for the elusive liqueur.
Fourth Regiment
2 oz. Whiskey (Rye or Bourbon) 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth 1 dash Angostura Bitters 1 dash Celery Bitters 1 dash Orange Bitters Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Old Fashioned Glass, Orange Peel
Bartender Comments: With a glut of bitters on the market its important to know how to apply them. Celery bitters can be quite pungent; I recommend using The Bitter Truth brand, which has a softer edge than most.
Godfather
1.5 oz. Scotch Whisky
3/4 Amaretto
Pour ingredients over ice. Lowball Glass
Bartender Comments: If there was ever a quaffer of the cocktail world this would be it. An even mellower version, the Godmother, swaps scotch for vodka.
Horse’s Neck
2 oz. Bourbon
2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ginger Ale
Build the ingredients in an ice-filled glass. Highball Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Originally intended to be a non-alcoholic beverage, the drink gets its kick from a nice glug of bourbon (although just about any whiskey will work). The garnish is really its defining characteristic: the easy way to create the “horse’s neck” is to use a channel knife to make an extra long lemon twist, making sure a bit of length peeks out of the glass. For those a bit more ambitious, use a paring knife to create a wider swath of lemon peel. Avoid the pith, and pare the lemon like you would an apple, creating one continuous peel.
Irish Coffee
1.5 oz. Irish Whiskey 1 tsp. Brown Sugar 6 oz. Hot Coffee Heavy Cream Add Whiskey, Coffe, and Sugar to mug. Top with Cold Cream. Coffee Mug
Bartender Comments: In order to ensure the cream floats, it must be lightly whipped. My preferred method is remove the coil from a hawthorne strainer and add it to shaker with the cream. Shake vigorously for ten seconds or so, et voilà! Pour the cream over the back of a barspoon to float it on top of the spiked coffee.
John Collins
2 oz. Bourbon (or Canadian Whisky) 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup Chilled Club Soda Shake all ingredients (except soda) with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Highball Glass, Orange Slice, Cherry
Bartender Comments: At one point this drink was made with Holland gin (aka Genever) and was credited to a man named, perhaps unsurprisingly, John Collins. At some point Old Tom gin became the booze of choice, and the cocktail was rechristened “Tom Collins.” Nowadays John prefers bourbon while Tom likes gin.
Kentucky Colonel
2.5 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Bénédictine
2 dashes Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Bénédictine adds depth to this old-fashioned cocktail
Mamie Taylor
2 oz. Blended Scotch Whiskey 1/2 oz. Lime Juice 5 oz. Ginger Beer 1 dash Angostura Bitters Build the cocktail over ice. Highball Glass, Lime Wedge
Bartender Comments: Named after a popular Broadway star, this drink’s popularity peaked during the early twentieth century only to be nearly forgotten soon thereafter. Ted Haigh offers sage advice: “it’s the drink I use on people who profess not to like scotch.”
Manhattan
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Cherry
Bartender Comments: The drink’s oft-cited origin story revolves around Lady Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston’s mum. New York’s Manhattan Club claims the drink was made for her during a bash in 1874, but cocktail historians dispute this assertion, claiming that she was in London around this time, ripe with little Winnie and about to burst. No matter the tale, be sure to know this recipe; it appeals to a wide audience, all of whom claim to be experts in the preparation of a proper Manhattan.
Many variations exist. For a Perfect Manhattan, use 1 oz. of vermouth, half dry and half sweet. A Dry Manhattan replaces sweet vermouth with the drier stuff entirely. Other variations, including the Fourth Regiment, the Preakness Cocktail, and the Boothby Cocktail, merit their own entries in this table.
