Cocktail Experiments 2018

We always record cocktail experiments we would make again. Here are the ones from 2018 we deem delectable. Some of the ingredients may be hard to find in your area, in which case substitutions may be made. We always encourage messing around with ingredients.

Farewell, 2018. We are not sorry to see you go.

LEAF and Chopin Vodkas Express Themselves This Holiday Season

LEAF Vodka greets us with a stunning view of Lower Manhattan.

LEAF Vodka

Sometimes putting aside ones prejudices and saying yes to something that normally we would not give a second thought to can be a good thing. Take for instance a few weeks ago. We were invited to a vodka tasting at a location that promised a nonpareil view of the city. Being suckers for a grand view, and some sips of free booze, we decided to accept LEAF Vodka’s invitation to attend its NYC launch in the sky. We are happy to report that both the view and the vodka were breathtaking.

Since vodka is made up of mostly water, the folks at LEAF Vodka decided to focus on that one ingredient in its two expressions, and this proves to offer rewards most satisfying. LEAF’s solution is to the point: Make vodka using better water, but at an affordable price. So while the bottle will only set you back a little more that $15, you can relax and focus more on the content. Clean, pristine water can be found throughout the globe, and LEAF decided to focus its quest in the United States.

LEAF Vodka’s two expressions: green for Alaskan Glacial Water Vodka and Blue for Rocky Mountain Mineral Water Vodka.

First try the Rocky Mountain Mineral Water Vodka. This will taste most traditional to vodka aficionados; it is smooth and has a hint of natural mineral sweetness that occurs from aeons-old water trickling through layers and layers of stone. It is a true delight and will mix up well in a variety of traditional vodka cocktails. Try the Rocky Cucumber [SEE RECIPE BELOW], which is a riff on a classic Gimlet.

The other expression is distilled from the water of four glaciers that wends its way down Alaskan mountains into Blue Lake. We were floored by how different this expression tasted compared to the Rocky Mountain version. A little smoother and a little sweeter, you begin to wonder whether or not some sugar was added to the distillate, sort of the way some sugar is added to Champagne to alter its sweetness. But rest assured, there is no additive. It is pure and simple and exquisite. Try it in a Pink Glacier [SEE RECIPE BELOW], a variation of the classic Cosmopolitan. You’ll swear there’s no alcohol in the drink at all (until of course you start to feel a little giddy).

Pink Glacier
(created by LEAF Vodka)

Ingredients
2 ounces LEAF Vodka made from Alaskan Glacial Water
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce pink grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce cranberry juice
1 lime wedge

Method
In a cocktail shaker, combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, vodka, and ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Add cranberry juice for color. Garnish with a lime.

Rocky Cucumber
(created by LEAF Vodka)

Ingredients
2 ounces LEAF Vodka made from Rocky Mountain Mineral Water
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
4 cucumber slices
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
club soda
ice

Method
In a cocktail shaker, muddle 3 cucumber slices, hot pepper sauce, lime juice, simple syrup, and vodka. Shake and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top off with soda. Garnish with a cucumber slice and an extra dash of hot pepper sauce.

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Chopin Vodka

Wheat, Potato and Rye
Chopin Vodkas

They used to say in an old commercial, “When it rains, it pours.” Well, it’s been pouring vodka recently at Cocktail Buzz. We were very curious about all the different expressions of Chopin, the famous Polish vodka named after one of the greatest composers of piano music, so we sampled all three of its expressions, each distilled from a different plant: potato, rye, and wheat.

If you ask, most people will tell you that vodka is distilled from potatoes. But really, vodka can be distilled from any plant, and the distinguishing characteristics of each distillation will taste different from one to the next.

Trying the potato vodka reminded us of being reunited with an old friend. Its taste is traditional, smooth and creamy, with a slight sweetness that plays pleasantly with your taste buds. Chopin (the distiller, not the composer) suggests you pair it with a dirty martini when eating a classic steak. Try the Chopin Extra Olives “CEO” Martini [SEE RECIPE BELOW]. You’ll notice that not a trace of dry vermouth is present. Why? Well, we’re certain the people at Chopin know full well that dry vermouth and vodka do not make a good match, and, after all, they want you to enjoy the vodka, not a vodka that tastes of dry vermouth. We couldn’t agree more.

Next up was the rye vodka. After sipping it, we immediately looked at each other in disbelief. How could this vodka taste so different from the potato one? Its flavor spicier and less sweet and smooth. Intrigued, we looked to see what Chopin suggested making with it. The Chopin Splash [SEE RECIPE BELOW] is simple enough to make year-round, and Chopin suggests pairing rye vodka cocktails with a red-sauce pasta dish. Give it a whirl and see what you think.

Following that, we tried the wheat vodka, which turned out to be the most different vodka we had ever tasted. Its taste and consistency were like water-thinned honey, so we decided that this would be the perfect vodka for those who are uninitiated in the world of mixology and spirits, and would like to dabble without the fear of alcohol-burn. Chopin suggests pairing this expression of vodka with roasted chicken. Try it with the Chopin Bohemian Luxury [SEE RECIPE BELOW].

Of course, no holiday season is complete without a spirited cocktail, so the fine folks at Chopin have created a Christmas Cosmopolitan using the potato vodka, a cocktail that is sure to make you happy, before, during, or after a few hour of caroling, or perhaps shopping for the perfect cocktail shaker set for your office Secret Santa. And despite its moniker, we’re certain you can imbibe a few during Thanksgivukkah this Thursday. L’chaim.

Christmas Cosmopolitan
(created by Chopin Vodka)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Chopin Potato Vodka
3/4 ounce mulled cranberry juice *
1/2 ounce lemon juice
dash of Grand Marnier
a 3-clove–studded orange twist

Method
Shake all ingredients with cubed ice

* Heat cranberry juice with 2 crushed cloves; add nutmeg, cinnamon, and almonds to taste. Allow to cool and infuse. Sieve the juice and use accordingly.

Chopin Bohemian Luxury
(created by Chopin Vodka)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Chopin Wheat Vodka
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
5 large ice cubes
1 ounce Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé
orchid, as garnish

Method
Shake first three ingredients in ice. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé. Garnish with orchid.

Chopin Splash
(created by Chopin Vodka)

Ingredients
2 ounces Chopin Rye Vodka
1/2 ounce Aperol
1 ounce fresh pink grapefruit juice
3 ounces club soda

Method
Build in a tall glass with ice. Garnish with 1/4 slice pink grapefruit.

Chopin Extra Olives “CEO” Martini
(created by Chopin Vodka)

Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces Chopin Potato Vodka
3 extra large or blue cheese-stuffed olives

Method
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add garnish

Optional: Add olive brine to taste to make a Dirty CEO [even though the world is filled with enough of them].

top photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Tasting Spirits & Sipping Cocktails at Tales of the Cocktail 2011, Part II

When bouncing from tasting room to spirited dinner to booze-filled events at Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans’s annual gathering of all things spirituous, one must remember to—well, we already forgot. Oh right. Keep track of all the sips that pass ones lips in order to write about it later. We've waited over a week to jot down Part II of our tasting notes, so forgive us if some information seems fuzzy. We swear we were lucid at the time.

Our friends from Piedmont Distillers, the Makers of Midnight Moon and Catdaddy Carolina Moonshines, were in town to pour their new spirit infusions of Midnight Moon aged with fruit to a very eager public. At 50% abv to extend maximum flavor from the fruits and spices allowed to rest inside the bottles, the flavors are apple pie (apples and cinnamon), cherry, and strawberry (all delicious), but we swear we tried a blackberry or blueberry one too. Sarah LeRoy and Joe Michalak were on hand to answer all our questions and get us a little liquored up before our next tasting, as was bartender/author Joel Finsel, who was sharing his apple-pie mixed drink along with his new book Cocktails and Conversations.

Our spirited dinner at GW Fins was way too long, and featured too many cocktails that did not pair well with the dishes; however, the food was exceptional, and one of our favorite cocktails was created by New Yorker Jason Littrell, who came up with Behind God’s Back. This rum and juice-based drink has a long list of ingredients (it’s allowed to, since it’s a tiki-style drink), and if you’re willing to source all the ingredients, we say go for it. It paired beautifully with chef Mike Neslon’s Spicy Vietnamese Glazed Pork Belly with Jicama Relish and Cilantro Coulis.

Behind God’s Back
(created by Jason Littrell)

Ingredients
1/4 ounce sugar cane syrup
1/4 ounce cinnamon bark syrup
1/4 ounce orgeat
1/2 ounce fresh pineapple juice
1 ounce lime juice
2 ounces Chairman’s Reserve rum
Peychaud’s bitters
Angostura bitters
sprig Israeli mint

Method
Swizzle the syrups, orgeat, pineapple juice, lime juice, and rum with crushed ice. Pour into a Pilsner glass. Top with both the bitters, and garnish with a sprig of Israeli mint.

Imbibe Magazine threw a happy hour party at the Hotel Le Marais, and luckily we were early enough to try several of the drinks on offer, by award-winning bartenders. One that surprised us, and one that we are thinking about driving to Worcester, Mass., for to visit The Citizen Wine Bar is David Delaney’s Charentes Shrub. This tall rye cooler, mixed with Earl Grey–infused Pineau des Charentes (a French aperitif made by blending cognac with a slightly fermented grape must) is topped with India Pale Ale (IPA), and garnished with a rosemary sprig and a chunk of pineapple.

We spoke about Drambuie in our last post, but neglected to print the recipes of the two diametrically opposed flavor profiles in brand ambassador Anthony Caporale’s cocktails, in which he stressed that Drambuie was the only spirit used in both. Quite a feat.

Drambuie Highland Tea
(created by Anthony Caporale)

Ingredients & Method
In a mixing tin with ice, add:

2 ounces Drambuie
2 ounces Fig-Infused Black Tea (steep 8 ounces hot water with loose-leaf Black Tea and 2 sliced Dried Figs for about 5 minutes)
1 Orange Peel, zest only (squeeze to extract oils and drop in tin)

Shake until the tin is frosted, double-strain into a martini glass, float:

1/2 ounce Lavender-Infused Cream (thicken in shaker with Dried Lavender Blossoms and double-strain over bar spoon)

Garnish with a pinch of dried lavender blossoms in center.

Drambuie Krung Thep Nail
(created by Anthony Caporale)

Ingredients & Method
In a mixing tin, press:

1/2 Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper

Add:

Ice
2 ounces Drambuie
1/2 ounce Coco Real
1 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake until the tin is frosted, strain into a tall glass filled with cubed ice. Top with Reed’s Ginger Brew, stir gently. Garnish with lemongrass spear, bird’s eye chili pepper, and ginger slice.

Cocktails To Keep You Abuzz During HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”

HBO premieres “Boardwalk Empire” Sunday evening, September 19. Which of these cocktails will you be enjoying while watching the hands of Scorsese weave their magic? (photo ©HBO)

Once again, we received a desperate epistle from a thirsty gourmand:

Dear Cocktail Buzz,

I am anxiously awaiting the premiere of “Boardwalk Empire,” [the new HBO show about Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition]. Any suggestions for speakeasy cocktails to enjoy while viewing?

Thanks!

Cousin Barbara

We inquired as to what food Cousin Barbara would be serving so we could have an idea of what flavors might pair well with her fare.

Dear Cousin Barbara,

We are currently working on a progression of speakeasy era cocktails for you. Are you planning seafood for dinner that night to highlight the Atlantic City aspect of the show, or will it be something else? Will there be appetizers or hors d’oeuvres? Inquiring minds want to know. If you don’t know yet, not a problem. Cocktail Buzz can devise something special that will go with anything.

Cousin Barbara quickly got back to us:

What an excellent idea! First thing that comes to mind is clams. Maybe two dishes: one chilled, one hot? Clams Casino screams Atlantic City, don’t you think?

I’d love to hear your suggestions and am excited for your cocktail pairings.

We had so much fun researching and mixing cocktails, we decided to let Cousin Barbara choose what appeals to her with this list.

Cousin Barbara,

As we ease into fall’s brisker moments, we feel that Clams Casino is the perfect accompaniment to your soon-to-be-new HBO addiction. One of these cocktails might be a delightful foil to the salty, meaty bivalves:

If you’re feeling particularly witty, this may do you well:

Let loose with witty repartee and an Algonquin Cocktail. Or perhaps a Monkey Gland or a Scoff Law Cocktail would do you better.

The Algonquin Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces rye
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce pineapple juice

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

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If you want to start the evening with a bang (and who doesn’t?), try this little fella:

The French 75

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin (preferably one redolent with juniper)
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup*
1 – 1 1/2 ounces champagne
lemon twist, as garnish
brandied cherry, as garnish
ice

Method
Shake gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup for 15 seconds in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into wine goblet or highball glass halfway filled with ice. Top with champagne. Add more ice if necessary. Garnish with lemon twist and cherry.

* Over low heat, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water (stir occasionally). Remove from heat, cool in container, and refrigerate for up to a month.

[To watch our video pairing the French 75 with shrimp cocktail, click HERE.]

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If you’re the kind of person who likes a theme cocktail, then you’ll do well not to evade this concoction:

The Income Tax Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
juice of 1/4 orange
2 dashes Angostura bitters
orange wheel, as garnish

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

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This Prohibition biggie will certainly make a monkey out of y’all:

The Monkey Gland

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces dry gin
1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon real pomegranate grenadine
1 teaspoon plus 1 dash pastis (Pernod, Herbsaint, Ricard, absinthe)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

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Flout the Eighteenth Amendment and all the silly rules that make us so gosh-darned dull with one of these beauties:

The Scoff Law Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces rye
1 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce real pomegranate grenadine
lemon twist, as garnish

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

❤ ❤ ❤

Simple and refreshing, this elixir’s name evokes British Colonialism and other jolly exploits:

Pegu Club Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau or other 80-proof triple sec
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

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And if none of these is floating your boat, why not stick with tradition and down a martini or two.

The Martini

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)
2 ounces gin (try Bombay Sapphire, DH Krahn, or Death’s Door)
1/3 – 1/2 ounce dry vermouth (do not skimp on the vermouth; this is not a vodka martini ;)
2 dashes orange bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist.

❤ ❤ ❤

We couldn’t possibly forget an after-show cocktail, to be served with a sweet dessert:

Barbara Cocktail

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz from The Savoy Cocktail Book, by Harry Craddock)

Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce fresh cream
1 ounce crème de cacao (either white or brown, depending on your mood, or the lighting)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you’re feeling adventurous, shave a little chocolate, nutmeg, or cinnamon over the top, or a combination thereof, depending on with what dessert you are serving it.

Enjoy your opening. We’re enjoying an Algonquin and a Pegu Club as we write this e-pistle.

Bottoms Up!

Steve and Paul
Cocktail Buzz

This just in from Cousin Barbara:

This list is just swell, fellas! And more than enough suggestions to last the entire season. With cocktails this good, who needs to repeal prohibition?!?! You're the cat's pajamas!

Mixology Monday XLI: Vodka Is Your Friend

The Universe Cocktail. A Studio 54 Classic.

Vodka, the most loved and most hated spirit known to us. Flavorless, odorless, colorless. It’s like water with a kick. It can be the darling of the sorority house party or the butt of every serious cocktail-creators joke. Are the young ladies of the former drinking just to get drunk with the least amount of calories and flavor? Probably. Are the latter really snobs, poo-pooing the former’s love for such a boring way to get drunk? Most likely. But for some reason, vodka is the go-to spirit when you need to reacquaint yourself with an old friend like the Harvey Wallbanger. The Vesper. The Vodka Martini.

One of our favorite vodka drinks is perfect for a hot summer night, harking back to the age it was invented in 1978. The Universe, as our esteemed vodka cocktail is called, was unveiled at Studio 54, winning First Prize in the the U.S. Bartenders Guild Annual Competition.

The Universe
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1/2 ounces Midori melon liqueur
1/2 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Dumante pistachio liqueur
1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

Method
Shake for 15 seconds in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

If you want to know what pairs perfectly with The Universe, watch our video that places baked coconut shrimp side by side with this disco classic. A great combo for a summer barbecue.

Variation
The original Universe had 1 1/2 ounces of pineapple juice. If you’re a big fan of pineapple juice, why not give it a try. Have one with brunch or with a group of friends on a lazy afternoon.

photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz