Science Of Drink

Actually I posted about Hurricane Cocktail some years ago. Hurricane Cocktail (especially Dale DeGfroff’s version) is one of my favorite tiki cocktail. Now I want try the “original” version of this grink from Grog Log by Beachbum Berry. I was found this recipe with very good opinion at two great blogs – Kaiser Pinguin and Looka!

The Hurricane Cocktail was invented in 1940-s in famous New Orlean place – Pat’s O’Brien Bar.

The truth is that Hurricane is iconic tropical cocktail. There are many different version of the Hurricane Cocktail. The most described Hurricane as fruit rum punch preferable with passion fruit syrup of juice. But original recipe of Hurricane is another thing – strong, sweet and balanced. This recipe is so heavy for passion fruit syrup and role of rum is unclear.

First I try in the native Beachbum Berry’s recipe two my dark rums – Appleton Estate V/X and cheap White Diamonds Black.

Hurricane (Beachbum Berry)

120 ml dark rum
60 ml fresh lemon juice
60 ml passion fruit syrup
Shake well and strain into hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a flag – orange slice with red maraschino cherry.

Well. Seems that is not big different between this two rums. Both cocktail are very good and balanced with a thin note of rum and great kick. The Hurricane Cocktail has very sweet but acceptable, the main palate is taste of passion fruit. The drink has very smooth taste. Undoubtedly the Hurricane Cocktail is great tropical drink. But I am slightly disappoint with color of libation. Thus I add some artificial colored grenadine for ne plus ultra result.

My Hurricane

120 ml dark rum
60 ml fresh lemon juice
60 ml passion fruit syrup
2 tsp. grenadine
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Shake well and strain into hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a flag – orange slice with red maraschino cherry.

You may also increase lemon juice instead lime juice to achieve right balance.

This Hurricane Cocktail is unbeatable! Most great fruit tropical drink (not tiki, Mai Tai is the best forever!)! Very smooth, very balanced, great cocktail! As for me – It has right smell, taste and color. Admirable!

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This cocktail I found in Michael Jackson’s Pocked Bar Book (I have Russian edition of this book). The story and origin of the Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail are unknown. In my book are remark from author – “Louisiana Lullaby is an american cocktail for Francophils”. Not so informative…

Recipe of the Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail is so rare in a cocktail books. It is noticed in Complete Bartender Guide by Bob Sennett (1984) early.

First I try the Michael Jackson’s recipe:

Louisiana Lullaby

45 ml dark rum
10 ml Dubonnet Rouge
1 dash Grand Marnier
Stir well with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon sliver.

My first Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail I mix with Appleton Estate V/X Jamaican Rum. The Louisiana Lullaby are truly great cocktail. It has main taste or rum with rich and complex palate. The Louisiana Lullaby is gorgeous drink.

Second version of the Louisiana Lullaby I found in Salvatore Calabrese’s book Complete Home Bartender’s Guide.

Louisiana Lullaby #2

40 ml dark rum
10 ml Dubonnet Rouge
10 ml Grand Marnier or Mandarine Napoleon
Stir well with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon sliver or lemon twist.

It is another cocktail. Very good and interesting cocktail but different. This version of Louisiana Lullaby Cocktail has so sweet citrus taste with great palate of aged rum. Actually is admirable cocktail too.

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As you know the most of Russian and Ukrainian are orthodox christians. The Orthodox Christmas is celebrated January 7. Actually we don’t drink cocktail on the Christmas. On the over hand Americans has very interesting Christmas drink – Tom and Jerry. This drink is hot egg nog – the winter beverage with alcohol, eggs and milk or water.

The Tom and Jerry is very old drink. The recipe we may found in the first cocktail book – How to Mix Drinks, or Bon-Vivants Companion by Jerry “Professor” Thomas (1862). Some people say that Tom and Jerry was invented by Thomas. He specified in his book that this concoction has another name – Jerry Thomas. In one interview Thomas says that he named the drink in honor of two his mouses – Tom and, of course, Jerry. But we have and alternate story. It is currently reported that Tom and Jerry drink was invented by London sport writer Pierce Egan in the 1820s. The name is a reference to two character from his book Life in London – Jerry Hawthorn and Corinthian Tom.

The famous Harry Craddock wrote that “… The Tom and Jerry and the Blue Blazer … were the greatest cold weather beverages of that era”. And I completely agree with this opinion.

The recipes of Tom and Jerry drink is so simple. This hot egg nog contain brandy as main alcohol, rum, eggs and sugar. Optional ingredients are spice and milk. The authentic recipe from Jerry Thomases book is:

5 LBS. SUGAR.
12 EGGS.
1/2 SMALL GLASS OF JAMAICAN RUM.
1 1/2 TEASPOONFUL OF GROUND CINNAMON
1/2 DO. DO. CLOVES.
1/2 DO. DO. ALLSPICES.

Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and the yolks until they are as thin as water, them mix together and add the spice and rum, thicken with sugar until the mixture attains the consistence of a light batter.

Take a small bar glass, and to one table-spoonful of the above mixture, add one wine-glass of brandy, and fill the glass with boiling water, grate a little nutmeg on top.

The some points of this recipe is very interesting. First – the sugar. Five pounds of sugar or 190 grams per one eggs. It seems very, very, very sweet. Second point is spice. I hate ground spice, thus I try to use spiced rum instead.

My recipe of famous Tom and Jerry drink is (approx 5-6 drinks):

Tom and Jerry

the base (“batter”):
2 eggs
10 ml rich Jamaican rum (5 ml per one egg)
140 g sugar (70 g per one egg)
Separate the eggs. Mix yolks with rum and beat until it are thin as liquid. Beat the whites until stiff froth. Then mix all together and add sugar. Mix well.

drink (one servings):
20 ml brandy
40 ml spiced rum
2 tablesponsful “batter”
add boiling water or steamed milk
Stir well. Serve in the ceramic cup or London dock glass. Garnish by grating a little nutmeg on top.

I use kitchen handheld electric mixer for execution. I whip the white of the eggs in stiff froth and add beaten yolks with rum, then add sugar. I use mix of the refined sugar and demerara brown sugar.

Actually Tom and Jerry drink with water is no good as with milk. The Tom and Jerry drink is very delicious sweet holiday drink. Marry Christmas!

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New Year coming soon. And we need some special for our holiday party. We drink different cocktails year around and for New Year Night we need something unusual and festive. Many people has very good tradition – to celebrate New Year with glass of Champagne or another sparkling wine. Thus I select two very interesting and delicious champagne cocktail for this case. Now we try the Classic Champagne Cocktail and it’s special variation – the Alfonso Cocktail.

The Alfonso Cocktail was created for Alfonso XIII – dethroned Spanish King. The Alfonso Cocktail looks like French creation but first print mention we find in Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. The Alfonso cocktail is variation of Classic Champagne Cocktail with Dubonnet wine instead cognac.

Alfonso Cocktail

1 sugar cube
1-2 dash of Angostura bitter
15-20 ml Dubonnet Rouge
Champagne
Place sugar cube in the flute and coat it with bitter. Add Dubonnet and fill the glass with cold Champagne. Add lemon peel or twist. Stir gentle and serve.

Original wine in this cocktail is Champagne. It is AOC and it is so expensive stuff. I try this cocktail with another French sparkling wine – Cafe de Paris Blanc de Blancs Brut by Cusenier (Pernod Ricard). The result are pretty good. The Alfonso Cocktail has so sweet, light and smooth taste with some bitter notes. It is very good festive cocktail.

Also I try the original – Champagne Cocktail. This cocktail is very old creation. First mention about Champagne Cocktail is in Jerry Thomases How to Mix Drinks, or Bon-Vivants Companion. The Champagne Cocktail is real cocktail – it consist of alcohol any kind (Champagne), sugar and bitter.

I use unusual recipe of this cocktail from diffordsguide.

Champagne Cocktail

1 cubes of brown sugar
3 dash Angostura bitter
15 ml cognac
Champagne
Place sugar cube in the flute and soak it with bitter. Add cognac and fill the glass with cold Champagne. Add orange twist.

I use Remy Marten VSOP and sparkling wine mentioned above. The Champagne Cocktail is very interesting drink with main palate of cognac and pleasant aroma of orange. It is good way to improve unloved wine :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR my dear readers. I wish you health, wealth and good luck in New Year!

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This cocktail I was found in the awesome book – Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh. Dr. Cocktail suggest that this cocktail was created by Emil Bauwens – head barman of the Bar Saint-James in Brussels. The drink was described in the Emil’s book Livre de Cocktails. The name of this drink is unclear. Actually this cocktail has anything blue.

Blue Paradise

50 ml cognac
25 ml Dubonnet
4 dash Parfait Amour liqueur
Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Actually this refined mix was carefully stirred by me then shaked. I use Remy Martin VSOP Cognac and BOLS Parfait Amour liqueur for this cocktail. I think that the BOLS liqueur is best choice for Blue Paradise. This liqueur has main vanilla flavor with subtle hint of curacao orange and rose petals. This liqueur has so natural purple color which works well in cocktail.

Wow! The Blue Paradise Cocktail is amazing drink. It has very balanced so sweet round cognac palate. The Dubonnet and the liqueur play with cognac very good. It is great drink!

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The Deshler Cocktail attract my attention at the one interesting cocktail bolg with good fotos – . . Cocktails with M . . – Adventures with (Mostly) Vintage Cocktails. The autor of this blog like old and classic cocktail and thi is very close to me. Now I explore many cocktail with Dubonnet – the Deshler among them.

The Deshler Cocktail is so old and rare cocktail. It name derived from name of famous lightweight pugilist Davide W. Deshler Jr. I found this cocktail in two my cocktail books – The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff и The Essential Bartender`s Guide by Robert Hess. The recipes are different. It seems that recipe from The Essential Bartender`s Guide by Robert Hess is original. The same recipe contain the CocktailDB. I hope this recipe is equal to first printed in Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo Enslin. The Dale’s version look like modern adoptation. I decide to try both variations.

The original type of whiskey for Deshler Cocktail is rye whiskey. The most common substitute of so rare american rye whiskey is blended canadian whisky. Actually is so different kind of whiskey but they have some similar characteristics – spiciness above all.

First of all I try old formula of the Deshler Cocktail:

Deshler

30 ml rye
20 ml Dubonnet Rouge
1 tsp. Cointreau
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 orange twist
1 lemon twist
Stir all ingredients (yes, with twists) with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

The first Deshler was mixed with WILD TURKEY 101 Rye. It is magnificient cocktail with great whiskey palate. The rye absolutely dominate in the drink. Another ingredient has minor notes only – some vine notes of Dubonnet, hint of orange from Cointreau, some bitterness from Peychaud’s. Main palate is powerfull spiciness of rye. Great cocktail!

As rye substitute I try two ordinary blended canadian whisky – Black Velvet and Canadian Club. The results are not awesome but very interesting. This cocktail with ordinary product is great demonstration of mixology goal – to improve drink. Both cocktails has so sweet vine entry, spicy whisky palate and so citrus finish with a pleasant bitterness. Great cocktails too!

In second I try modern version of Deshler Cocktail from The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff. This cocktail is so close to another classic cocktail with Dubonnet – the Dandy Cocktail (see The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock or it’s web-monument for details).

Deshler Cocktail (Dale’s DeGroff var.)

35 ml Dubonnet Rouge
35 ml rye
1 tsp. Cointreau
dash of Angostura bitters
Shake. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

Actually the shaking of this mix is a grand mistake. This method ruine this cocktail completely. Both modern Deshler (with canadian whisky and with rye whisky) are so poor (but cocktail with rye has great aftertaste) with unplesant sharp bitterness in finish. Certainly, the modern Deshler is not very bad but it is no so good as original.

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With our today cocktail – Opera Cocktail – I decide to taste two my maraschino liqueurs – LUXARDO Maraschino Originale and generic BOLS Maraschino. My first maraschino liqueur was DK Marasquin. Then I acquire the BOLS liqueur I tested both and conclude that BOLS is more interesting, natural and complex. It is so sweet and flavorfull liqueur with specific cherry taste and bright floral notes. It has a little bitternes like almonds or cherry pit in the finish. Then I obtain LUXARDO I surprised. The taste if LUXARDO liqueur is so different. This liqueur has complex specific flavor of marasca cherry with floral and almond notes. The taste is sharp, intensive and interesting. The liqueur has unique taste of marasca distillate with sharp entry, roundish palate and long finish with hint of wood.

The Opera Cocktail is so old cocktail. It was so popular in the legendary Harry’s American Bar in Paris in 1920-s. I use recipe from United Kingdom Bartenders Guild Approved cocktails (1936).

Opera Cocktail

60 ml gin
15 ml Dubonnet Rouge
15 ml maraschino liqueur
Stir well. Strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.

In my opinion both cocktails are great. They have so sweet, strong and complex taste. The flavor has bright citrus, orange dominant. Actually cocktail with LUXARDO liqueur has more rich and complex taste. It is no so sweet as cocktail with BOLS. Main taste oh both cocktails is fruity-floral taste of maraschino with grape hint of Dubonnet. It is admirable cocktail.

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As you know there ara many kinds of cocktail – aperetive, digestive, all time drinks and over. Now I want to explore some interesting after dinner drinks – classic dessert coctails which groups to “Alexander’s family”. The main cocktail of this family is famous Alexander Cocktail. As Barry Popik suggest the Alexander Cocktail in its original version consist of gin, creme de cacao liqueur and fresh cream and id was created in early XX century by Troy Alexander barman of famous New York eatery Rector’s for fictional commercial character – Phoebe Snow. This cocktail was first mentioned in Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo Enslin (1915).

I use recipe with equal proportions of ingredients.

Alexander (Александер)

25 ml gin
25 ml creme de cacao white
25 ml cream
1 bsp. simple syrup (optional)
Shake. Cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg (optional).

For my first Alexander Cocktail I use Befeater, BOLS Cacao white and cream with 20% fat. Really the BOLS liqueur is not a creme. It is insufficiently sweet. Thus in my second Alexander I add one bar-spoon of simple syrup for best results. The garnish I propose to omit in any case as it is contrary to story of Phoebe Snow.

The Alexander Cocktail is sweet and creamy concotion with smooth chicolate and botanicals palate. The gin is very good company to chocolate.

Next cocktail from this company is Brandy Alexander (or Alexander #2). It is Alexander Cocktail with brandy instead gin. This cocktail is more popular than origanal and these two libations are confuse often. The early mention of Brandy Alexander we can find in the Burke’s Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes by Harman Burny Burke (1936). Some people say that creation of Brandy Alexander connected to wedding of Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood and Viscount Lascelles, in London, in 1922.

Brandy Alexander (Бренди Александер)

25 ml brandy
25 ml creme de cacao dark
25 ml cream
Shake. Cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

I use cognac instead brandy – Hennessy VSOP, BOLS Cacao brown liqueur and cream with 20% fat.

In this superb version it is admirable cocktail. It has mild creamy-fruity-chicolate taste. Excellent cocktail!

Also I try the Alexander’s sister Cocktail – it is Alexander with creme de menthe green instead creme de cacao white.

Alexander’s sister

25 ml gin
25 ml creme de menthe green
25 ml cream
Shake. Cocktail glass.

The Alexander’s sister is sweet and mint concotion. It is so palatable after dinner stuff. It is good substitution for after meal chewing-gum.

And finally I tasted the Alexandra (Special) Cocktail from The Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Frank Meier. Actually the Alexandra (Special) Cocktail is Alexander with brandy instead gin and Anisette (French sweet anise liqueur) instead creme de cacao. I use own equal proportion.

Alexandra (Special)

25 ml brandy
25 ml Anisette
25 ml cream
Shake. Cocktail glass.

Wow! It is amazing cocktail. It is very delicious. It has sweet, very smooth cocktail with anise palate and great hints of cognac. Excellent dessert cocktail.

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It is no secret that I prefer bitter-sweet cocktail. And now, after the great S.I.P. #2, which was devoted to one of the world-famous sour – the Sidecar, I am enthusiastic with bitter cocktail too. But I have not enough realy bitter ingredient in my bar – two bottle of fernet, one amaro and Campari. Two cocktails bitters are no object. Thus I remember that I have Dubonnet – one of the famous quinquina in the world. This bottle was unopened over one year. I open this bottle. It emerged that Dubonnet has no bitter taste. The Dubonnet Rouge has so sweet and spicy taste of muscat fortified wine with microscopic bitter feeling in the finish. But it no stopped me try this stuff in a cocktails.

First probe of mixing with Dubonnet is signature Dubonnet Cocktail. The recipe I found in the Cocktails and Mixed Drinks by Anthony Hogg.

Dubonnet Cocktail

35 ml Dubonnet
35 ml gin
Stir well with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Dubonnet Cocktail is too similar to Old Great Martini Cocktail with Dubonnet instead sweet vermouth. Not dry but very pleasant and palatable gin drink. It has main palate of gin botanicals with great little bitter finish with sweet muscat notes. I tested few my gins in this cocktail – Befeater, Bombay Sapphire and Broker’s. IMHO the best result give us Befeater – it has so clear and crisp taste. Also you may zest your Dubonnet Cocktail with lemon for best results or add dash of bitters as Robert Schnakenberg advice in his great book Old Man Drinks (Quirk Books, 2010).

Actually my soul and taste bud wait some different pleasure. And I prepare the Dubonnet Royal Cocktail that was found in Cocktails and Mixed Drinks by Anthony Hogg in next line.

Dubonnet Royal

40 ml Dubonnet
20 gin
2 dash Angostura bitters
2 dash curacao
1 dash pastis
Mix well with ice all ingredients except pastis. Strain into cocktail glass and add one dash pastis on the top. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Wow! It is great cocktail. It has magnificent taste – rich and complex. This cocktail seems as tastes firework. It is superb cocktail.

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The cocktail that I want to explore today I like for a long time. The recipe of this cocktail was at my blog some times ago. Actually the American Beauty Cocktail is in my Special Reserve. This flowery and extraordinary cocktail is one of the best choices for novice – it is not so strong, have interesting sweet taste and it has great look. This drink is great thing to look at as well as to sip.

The story of American Beauty Cocktail is forgotten. It is known that name of this drink connected with popular sort of the garden rose. American Beauty roses was best-selling roses from 1888 to 1920. The creator of this drink is unknown. Supposedly this cocktail was first mentioned in first edition of The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock.

My first American Beauty Cocktail I mixed with recipe was found at the CocktailDB. Now I taste this cocktail with authentic cognac and real Porto.

American Beauty

15 ml brandy
15 ml vermouth dry
15 ml fresh orange juice
15 ml grenadine
1 dash creme de menthe white
30 ml Port wine
Shake all ingredients except port with a lot of ice. Strain into cocktail glass and top with port wine.

The cognac in this cocktail is needless. The delicate flavor and taste of the cognac is invisible in this sweet and fruity drink. I prefer to use in this cocktail something powerful and complete brandy like young (about 5 years old) armenian brandy.

The American Beauty Cocktail in old proportions has sweet and fruity taste with little mint pleasure notes in the finish. The cocktail scent of port wine. With every sip you have both layer of the drink – the a luttle bit tart and sweet port and sweet and fruity mix – it is great feeling.

If you do not like so sweet old version you may taste the modern version of this rare cocktail. This recipe I found in the one of my favorite cocktail book – The Essential Cocktail by Dale DeGroff.

American Beauty Cocktail (DeGroff’s version)

20 ml brandy
20 ml vermouth dry
20 ml fresh orange juice
2 dashes grenadine
2 dashes simple syrup
1 dash of creme de menthe green
15 ml ruby port
Shake all ingredients except brandy in a ice-filled shaker. Strain into cocktail glass and float the port on top. Garnish with rose petal (organically grown or well washed).

Actually for old-style two layer look you must use a little bit more of grenadine. I use about teaspoonful of grenadine otherwise port wine do not make a separate layer.

This drink is perfectly balanced. It is not so sweet as old version. This cocktail has sweet taste with great brandy and vermouth palate with a hint of mint in the finish. It is admirable, amazing drink!

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