Science Of Drink

The Pimm`s #1 is old and famous premixed bottled drink which make with gin, herbs and liqueurs. The recipe of this liquor is secret. This beverage was created by James Pimm – the owner of an oyster bar in the City of London, near the Bank of England.

The Pimm’s Cup is traditional english summer drink. The simple version of Pimm’s Cup is:

Pimm’s Cup

45 ml Pimm’s No. 1
Sprite or 7-UP
Build over ice in collins glass. Garnish with herb borage, or cucumber spear and green apple slice.

The Pimm’s Cup is so interesting refreshing drink with great taste of gin and herbs.

Also I try more complex version which I found in very interesting book menu of The Merchant Hotel (Bar Book Vol. II by Sean James Muldoon). The Part 1 and 3 also interesting.

Pimm’s Cup (Courtesy of Pimm’s Oyster Bar, London, circa 1840’s)

50 ml Pimm’s No. 1
20 ml fresh lemon juice
10 ml cane syrup
1 coin fresh root ginger
chilled seltzer
Muddle ginger, then add all ingredients except seltzer. Shake hard and strain into an ice-filled cup (glass), then add seltzer.

This version of Pimm’s Cup has more complex and very refreshing taste with great palate of sour-ginger and herbs.

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.

Second classic summer drink with same inhredients (alcohol, lemon juice, sugar and soda) at my blog is a Collins. Collins is a versatile cocktail. In the Collins you may use any alcohol that you prefer.

On of the first mention about Collins drink we can find at Bartender’s Guide by Jerry “Professor” Thomas (1876).

Collinses and Fizzes has some distinctions. Fizzes must be hard shaken but Collins may be shaken and no so hard. Fizzes are served in special delmonico glass without garnish but Collinses are served in collins (what else?) and garnish with red maraschino cherry and piece of orange. Actualy both cocktails are served in collinses or highballs at present time. The difference depicted on this foto:

First glass close on delmonico. The collins glass is cylindrical in shape and narrower than a highball glass. The highball glass is shorter and wider than a collins glass.

But return to our drink. First Collins I prepare in classic version with London dry gin – the Tom Collins.

Tom Collins

45 ml gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
up to 90 ml soda water
Shake (except soda) with ice. Strain in to tallest collins as you have and add some large ice-cubes. Top with soda. Garnish with red maraschino cherry and orange slice.

You may use another proportion for yours Collins. You may use sugar powder or castor sugar instead simple syrup. You may build your collins, but I recommend shake.

The Tom Collins is a brilliant cocktail. Simple but elegant cocktail has smooth and compose taste of gin botanicals with sournes of lemon. Very refreshing and very delicious.

I prepare the John Collins with bourbon also. I use Jim Beam Black for this cocktail.

John Collins

45 ml bourbon
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
up to 90 ml soda water
Shake (except soda) with ice. Strain in to tallest collins as you have and add some large ice-cubes. Top with soda. Garnish with red maraschino cherry and orange slice.

The John Collins is great drink too. It has smooth and refreshing taste with pleasant palate of whiskey.

I decide to explore two cassic sours – the fizz and the collins now. I do not prepare this cocktails before and this is my first experience.

The fizz is realy very old mixed drink from strong alcohol (preferable gin), lemon juice, sugar and carbonated (or aerated) water. The fizz must be shaken. This drink should serve in the special delmonico glass.

Gin Fizz

45 ml gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
up to 60 ml soda water
Shake thoroughly all ingredients (except soda) with a lot of ice. Strain in to delmonico glass (or another tumbler) filled with ice-cubes. Fill with soda. No garnish.

The amount of all ingredients may be vary.

Actually, properly made Gin Fizz is fantastic drink! The Gin Fizz has light smooth and very refreshing taste of gin’s botanicals and sweet and sour citrus taste.

You may use flavoured gin for this drink. For example you can prepare Orange Gin Fizz.

Orange Gin Fizz

45 ml orange gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
soda water
Shake thoroughly all ingredients (except soda) with a lot of ice. Strain in to delmonico glass (or another tumbler) filled with ice-cubes. Fill with soda. No garnish.

I use Seagram’s Orange Gin for this drink. The Orange Gin Fizz has bright citrus and very refreshing taste. It is great drink.

You may use in yours fizzes some liqueur also. Some times ago I posted about Fraises Fizz, one of my favorite summer cocktail. Now I prepare the Watermelon Gin Fizz with watermelon liqueur.

Watermelon Gin Fizz

45 ml gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml watermelon liqueur
15 ml simple syrup
soda water
Shake thoroughly all ingredients (except soda) with a lot of ice. Strain in to delmonico glass (or another tumbler) filled with ice-cubes. Fill with soda. No garnish.

Watermelon Gin Fizz is very pleasant refreshing drink with light and fancy taste of ripe watermelon. If you use liqueur by MB you obtain almost clear drink.

The Bramble Cocktail was created by famous english bartender Richard “Dick” Bradsell in the mid 1980s. This cocktail is very popular in England. This modern cocktail has strong classic base. The original version include gin (preferable plymouth), lemon juice, sugar syrup and creme de mure (blackberry liqueur).

The Bramble

45 ml Plymouth gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml simple syrup
20 ml creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)
Build gin, juice and syrup over crushed ice in a olf-fashioned glass. Stir, the pour over liqueur. Garnish with a lemon slice and two raspberries.

The Bramble Cocktail is very interesting so sweet but refreshing drink with great blackberry and gin palate. It has very smooth taste. It is admirable cocktail.

I try the Bramble Cocktail with London dry gin too. This version of the Bramble Cocktail has bright and a bit strong taste with very pleasant berry and herbal palate.

The Bee’s Knees Cocktail is real Prohibition cocktail. The honey was great choice for masking awful smell and taste of bathtub gin. But in other side honey is very interesting natural ingredient with a lot of worth.

Bee’s Knees

50 ml gin
20 ml honey syrup
15 ml fresh lemon juice
Shake. Cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

I use honey syrup (1:1) instead of pure honey for ease.

Well. Actually the Bee’s Knees Cocktail is a wonderfull drink. It has so sweet and aromatic taste with pleasnt palate of gin and honey. Admirable!

This MxMo hoster is Mike at Hobson’s Choice. He propose so interesting and so wide theme for this MxMo – Punch. I think that any so big cocktail with many ingredients is appropriate. Some times ago I found one interesting mixed drink in one of my cocktail book – Imbibe! by D. Wondrich. It is Gin Punch. This old and rare cocktail come into my notice with one uncommon ingredient – the Holland Gin. The recipe from Imbibe! by D. Wondrich looks like that:

1 TABLE-SPOONFUL OF RASPBERRY SYRUP
2 TABLE-SPOONFUL OF POWDERED SUGAR
1 WINE GLASS [2 oz] OF WATER
1 1/2 WINE GLASS [3 oz] OF HOLLAND GIN
[JUICE OF] 1/2 SMALL-SIZED LEMON
2 DASHES MARASCHINO
2 SLICES OF ORANGE
1 PIECE OF PINEAPPLE

Fill the tumbler with shaved ice.
Shake well, and ornament the top with berries in season.
Sip through a glass tube or straw.

My first interpretation of this recipe include dutch gin (genever, geneva) – Jonge Bols Graanjenever (or Plymouth Gin, or London Dry Gin as D. Wondrich specified). I use berry grenadine by Routin instead raspberry syrup. I decrease a quntity of sugar for 2 little bar-spoon and use 1 oz of fresh-pressed lemon juice:

Gin Punch

15 ml raspberry syrup
2 tsp. sugar powder
60 ml water
90 ml Holland gin (genever) / Plymouth gin / London dry gin
30 ml fresh pressed lemon juice
2 dash maraschino liqueur
2 slices of orange
1 piece of pineapple
a few berries
Shake all ingredients (except fruits) with a lot of ice. Pour into tumbler with shaved or crushed ice and garnish with fruit and berries. Serve with a straw.

The Gin Punch in this version is admirable drink. It has very smooth sweet and sour taste with berry and fruit palate. The best results I obtain with genever and Plymouth gin. This mixed drink is so similar to Fraises Fizz.

Also I try version with raspberry syrup. In original version the Gin Punch is amazing drink. It has very interesting taste with main palate of gin with pleasant raspberry note. It is not so sweet as version with berry grenadine. It is good-balanced light and refreshing drink.

This simple cocktail is standart woman cocktail as specify many authors. Equal parts of gin and sweet vermouth (It) and some interesting for garnish. My favorite Salvatore “Maestro” Calabrese garnish own Gin & It with a maraschino cherry and orange peel. I think is it optimal choice for this cocktail :)

Gin & It

35 ml sweet vermouth
35 ml gin
Stir. Cocktail glass. Garnish with a red maraschino cherry and orange peel.

The Gin & It Cocktail has good-balanced sweet and dry herbal taste. It is good evening cocktail and not for woman only. Some mixologist (like Dale DeGroff) reccomend to add some drops of Angostura bitter in the Gin & It Cocktail.

Gin & It (Dale DeGroff)

35 ml sweet vermouth
35 ml gin
1 dash Angostura bitter
Stir. Cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

This version has more complex palate with wide herbal bitternes of Angostura. It is good cocktail for any romantic evening.

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The Lucien Gaudin Cocktail is one of key-cocktail for my blogging. Some years ago this cocktail was found at Slakethirst (now defunct) and I was fascinated by it.

The Lucien Gaudin is an interesting cocktail which consist of four components – gin (as main alcohol), vermouth (deluent), cointreau (sweetener) and Campari (for piquant taste).

Lucien Gaudin Cocktail

30 ml gin
15 ml vermouth dry
15 ml cointreau
15 ml Campari
Stir. Cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Lucien Gaudin Cocktail is awesome drink with compose bitter-sweet palate. It is great aperetive.

P.S. The Lucien Gaudin Cocktail is so popular in mixosphere – about Lucien Gaudin Cocktail wrote drohnenton (russian), anonimous с (Slakethirst), Robert Hess (DrinkBoy) for The Spirit World, Rick Stutz (Kaiser Pinguin), Paul Clarke (Cocktail Cronicles) for Serious Eats, Chuck Taggart (Looka!), Jessica (сocktail virgin slut). Not bad! It is like great MxMo roundup :)

The Paradise Cocktail was invented by Harry Craddock and it is a pure classic. This cocktail has absolutely classic composition – gin as main alcohol, apricot brandy (actually is not a brandy, it is sweet fruit liqueur) as sweetener and orange juice as diluent.

This recipe was found on The Pocket Bar Book by Mickhael Jackson (this recipe is so similar to the IBA-version).

Paradise

45 ml gin
30 ml apricot brandy
30 ml fresh orange juice
Shake. Serve in cocktail glass and garnish with a thin orange wedge.

I use Gordons London Dry Gin (47%) (or Befeater London Dry Gin (47%)) and liqueur BOLS Apricot. The Paradise Cocktail is admirable drink. It has smooth and sweet fruit taste with light bitternes in aftertaste.

Extremely interesting results was obtained with apricot liqueur by Nannerl. This austrian liqueurs are very natural and has very organic taste. The Paradise Cocktail made with Nannerl Apricot Liqueur and Bombay Sapphire Gin has great sweet and fruit palate.

Also I prepare this cocktail with liqueur DK Apricot brandy. This liqueur has very artificial taste. Actually it is bad choice for this cocktail.

On my Favorite CocktailDB I found next recipe of the Paradise Cocktail. It seems that it is version from The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock.

Paradise

45 ml gin
20 ml apricot-brandy
20 ml fresh orange juice
1 dash fresh lemon juice
Shake. Cocktail glass.

This version is so similar the above. If you use good gin (like Bombay Sapphire), good liqueur (like BOLS) and fresh-squeezed orange juice from ripe, fresh fruit you obtain great cocktail with fresh and right taste.

This modern version of the Paradise Cocktail I found in The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff.

Paradise (Dale`s DeGroff ver.)

60 ml gin
20 ml apricot-brandy
20 ml fresh orange juice
2 dash orange bitter
Shake. Cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

This cocktail is very aromatic. It has so compose and piquant taste.