Science Of Drink

Actually sling is old mixed drink which made with strong spirit (like gin), water and sugar. This drink is no so popular today. This mixed drink continue now to its famous version – Singapore Sling.

One of the simplest recipe of Singapore Sling I found in one of my Salvatore Calabrese book. He notice that is not original version, but this recipe is so use.

Singapore Sling

40 ml gin
20 ml cherry-brandy liqueur
20 ml fresh lemon juice
soda
Shake (except soda) and strain into collins glass. Add soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge and red maraschino cherry.

It is so dry cocktail with bitternes of cherry. The taste of this Singapore Sling depend on cherry-brandy. I use cherry-brandy liqueur by BOLS. Also I use famous Cherry Heering Liqueur by Peter Heering with great results.

The “Original” Singapore Sling is more compose drink. This version is average from two recipes from The Essential Bartender’s Guide by Robert Hess and Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh with a hint of The Essential Cocktail by Dale Degroff :) .

The Singapore Sling

60 ml gin
20 ml cherry-brandy
10 ml Benedictine
10 ml Cointreau
60 ml unsweetened pineapple juice
20 ml fresh lime juice
2 dash real grenadine
1 dash Angostura bitters
soda (optional)
Shake (except soda) and strain into sling-glass. Add soda (optional). Garnish with an orange wedge and red maraschino cherry.

I use both cherry-brandy – BOLS Cherry and Cherry Heering – with similar results. The taste of this “Original” Singapore Sling depend on composition of Cointreau, Benedictine, cherry-liqueur etc. I use homemade-cold-process-real-pomegranate grenadine for this ultimate cocktail also.

The Singapore Sling has very unusual taste. The complex bitter and herbal palate is unique pleasure. It is cocktail for real gentleman and connoisseur.

This cocktail has interesting composition but veru familiar and annoing name. Great Scottish poet and a lyricist Robert Burns merit bigger respect that “Bobby”.

Dale DeGroff cpecify that Bobby Burns Cocktail was created at one of the great and famous pre-prohibited bar of Amirica – Big Brass Rail (Walrorf) for celebration of Robert Burns Day. This cocktail has so similar composition to Rob Roy Holiday Style.

Bobby Burns

35 ml scotch
35 ml sweet vermouth
8 ml Benedictine
Stir. Cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Some sources specify that Drambuie is substitute of Benedictine in this cocktail. I think that is bad idea. If you do not have Benedictine but Drambuie – please try the Rob Roy Holiday Style but not Bobby Burns Cocktail.

The Bobby Burns Cocktail is one of the great cocktail with scotch, actually. It has very smooth, so sweet and aromatic taste.

The theme of MxMo XLVI (February 2010), which hosted at Thinking of Drinking (actually it is a great blog with great name, the name of this blog is (realy!) the description of my life), is Absinthe. Great choice, Sonja!

The absinthe is one of the great alcohol beverage in the world. It has interesting and dramatic story, mystic way and cloud of pseuds. I do not have real absinthe in my bar, actually. Now I has one of the popular imitation of absinthe – italian liqueur caled XENTA Abseta (with real wormwood contetnt as specified) and historic substitute of absinthe – Pernod. Pernod is one of my favorite liquors, some cocktails with Pernod, like Monkey Gland or Gloom Riser are my favorite cocktails.

Usually absithe consumed with a lump of sugar and ice-cold water (Absinthe drip). In this way also consumes Pernod and pastis (for pastis like Ricard sugar is optional).

For this MxMo I prepared two interesting old cocktails with Pernod. First cocktail is famous Chrysanthemum Cocktail, which was found at CocktailDB:

Chrysanthemum Cocktail

30 ml dry vermouth
30 ml Benedictine
15 ml Pernod
Stir. Cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

The Chrysanthemum Cocktail has unique taste. In the palate are sweet notes, a lot of herbs notes, mint, light honey, star anise… It is awesome cocktail. Actually I was fascinated by Chrysanthemum Cocktail with my first sip.

Also I use in this cocktail XENTA Absenta. The result is not so great, but an interesting too.

If you don`t have the Benedectine in your liquor cabinet you may use in the Chrysanthemum Cocktail sweet vermouth instead Benedictine. The Chrysanthemum Cocktail turn into Duchess Cocktail in this way.

Duchess Cocktail

30 ml sweet vermouth
30 ml dry vermouth
15 ml Pernod
Stir. Cocktail glass.

The Duchess Cocktail has sweet, herbal and anise flavor similar to Chrysanthemum Cocktail. The palate of the Duchess Cocktail is not so rich as Chrysanthemum but so interesting.

This interesting cocktail was found on Esquire Drink Database and stand me in good stead on St. Patrick’s Day.

Brainstorm

60 ml Irish whiskey
8 ml dry vermouth
8 ml Benedictine
Shake. Cocktail glass, garnish with twist of orange peel.

I use Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey for this cocktail. The Brainstorm Cocktail has strong taste with slightly smoky taste of whiskey.

This interesting cocktail has interesting story and two versions – english and american. You can read very interesting article by Gary Regan here. I try cocktail Monkey Gland some times ago and use Anisette liqueur instead Pernod and it was very interesting. Now I decide to explore this cocktail with Pernod, Ricard and Benedictine.

I use follow recipe of Monkey Gland Cocktail:

Monkey Gland

45 ml gin
45 ml fresh orange juice
1 tsp. grenadine
1 tsp. Pernod (or Ricard, or Benedictine)
Shake. Old-fashioned glass.

Monkey Gland Cocktail with Pernod has bright and very interesting taste. It is my choice. I use hot process homemade grenadine for great color and real taste.

Monkey Gland Cocktail with Ricard has so sweet taste. It steel good :) Some great bartenders make this cocktail with Ricard.

Monkey Gland Cocktail with Benedictine is different cocktail. It has very interesting herbal flavor and taste.

The modern version of Monkey Gland Cocktail is strongest and serve in cocktail glass.

Monkey Gland

45 ml gin
45 ml fresh orange juice
1 tsp. grenadine
1 tsp. Benedictine (or Pernod)
Shake. Cocktail glass.

This Monkey Gland Cocktail is real short drink. It is very interesting version, but my choice is old-style Monkey Gland Cocktail. Actually is great cocktail.