The Daily Tippler

Bourbon & Ginger Ale is a really simple but great cocktail. But in the interest of better blogging; try making your own Ginger Ale.

Ginger Ale:
yields 14 ounces

-4 Teaspoons Ginger Juice
-1 Tablespoon Sugar
-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
-10 oz. Cold Club Soda

Stir Ginger Juice, Sugar & Lime Juice in a mixing glass until Sugar is dissolved. Add Club Soda and chill.

Horse’s Neck:

-2 oz. Bourbon
-Ginger Ale to fill

Build in a high ball glass over ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

This is by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina in San Fransisco, California

Californiafied Ramos Gin Fizz:

-2 oz. Gin (a low proof Gin like Plymouth)
-3 oz. Two Percent Milk
-1 Small Egg White
-1 Teaspoon bitter Orange Marmalade
-1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
-3/4 oz. Agave Nectar Syrup (1 part water to 1 part nectar)
-Seltzer to top

Combine all the ingredients except Seltzer in a shaker without ice. Remove the spring from a Hawthorne strainer and add it to the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes. (Shaking without ice will emulsify and aerate the drink). Remove the spring add ice and shake vigorously again, for a minute this time. Strain into a champagne flute and top with Seltzer.

A once forgotten cocktail from an underrated borough; The Bronx was ranked number three in “The World’s 10 Most Famous Cocktails” in 1934. What happened? It was a rival to the Martini and it appears as though the Martini won, but The Bronx is making a comeback.

The Bronx Cocktail:

-2 oz. Gin
-1/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
-1/4 oz. Dry vermouth
-1 oz. Orange Juice
-Dash Orange Bitters

Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail class and Garnish with an Orange Twist.

Today’s recipe is the one that got me drinkin. That’s not exactly true; but I was trying to trace back the roots behind my interest in Tippling and before I met this drink I was mostly a Frat Boy Drinker (i.e. Beer, Wine, Shots and the occasional Vodka Martini or Rum & Coke). There is nothing special about the recipe below and I have only ever seen it at my local bar; which has, in fact, changed the recipe from the one that caught my palette some years ago.

The Academy Roberts:

-3 oz. Maker’s Mark Bourbon
-Juice of 4 Lemon Wedges
-Splash of Orange Juice
-Dash of Grenadine

Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Serve in an ice filled Highball glass garnished with a cherry and a lemon wedge.

Since I had all this Calvados lying around from last week I have been playing around with it a little. Here is something that I think came out pretty good.

Calvados Collins:

-2 oz. Genever
-1 oz. Apple Juice
-2 Barspoons Calvados
-1 Barspoon Maraschino

Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Serve on the rocks in a highball glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

I have a friend who likes to do shots of Calvados. Not really my thing, but I wanted to come up with something that features the taste of the Brandy itself a little more. So I came up with this Vodka punch that features Calvados, the recipe should yield about 30 drinks.

Fall Punch:

-1 Liter vodka
-1/3 Liter Calvados
-2 Liters Apple Juice
-1 Liter Seltzer
-1/6 Liter Simple Syrup

It’s always fun to remix classics and the Sidecar is a Brandy classic and Calvados is Brandy.

The Calvados Sidecar

-1 1/2 oz Calvados
-1/2 oz Triple Sec
-1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
-Sugar to rim glass

Rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar. Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Strain into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

The Calvados Cocktail is like the Normandy in that it is a famous Calvados cocktail with a less then clever moniker.

Calvados Cocktail

-1 1/2 oz Calvados
-1 oz Orange Juice
-1/4 oz Cointreau
-1 Dash Orange Bitters

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Lots of apple based cocktails are heavy and plenty of them are served hot; Hot Toddies, Eggnogs. But since I’m focusing on Sall or Fummer I wanted to stay away from those more wintry drinks. So, the Normandy is a great choice for a couple reasons; one because it has Cider and two because it gives me a chance to talk about the origins a little.

Calvados is a region in Normandy, France where they grow apples, so they make cider and they make Apple Brandy. While cider can be made from any old apples real Calvados is treated like a French wine.  The region has a designation from the government, so to label Apple Brandy Calvados it must be from selected orchards in the region. Distillation first appears in print in the 1550’s and the distillation guild was formed in 1606. Calvados experienced it’s “Golden Age” in the late 1800’s when the Phylloxera outbreak devastated European vineyards. Calvados, like most fruit based Brandies, is flexible and works as an aperitif, a digestif, in cocktails and in Normandy it is customary to drink it between courses in a long meal.

Normandy Cocktail

-3/4 oz Brandy
-1/2 oz Calvados
-1/4 oz Gin
-1 oz Apple Cider

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Summer officially ends after labor, but Fall doesn’t begin until the Autumnal Equinox which is not until next week. So, what season is it now; Sall or Fummer?

At any rate Fall in the Northeast means fresh Apples. Since they are on my mind, but not available quite yet I’m going to replace them with Calvados all week.

Atlas Cocktail:

-1 oz Calvados
-1 oz Dark Rum
-1/2 oz Cointreau
-1 Dash Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.