Got home from work late tonight – I feel like something simple that doesn’t require too much effort (and I’ve got to use the Maraschino cherries before they go bad) so I’m fixin’ myself one of my “go-to” after work cocktails – the Manhattan. This recipe comes from Ben Reed’s Cool Cocktails book.

The Manhattan (Ben Reed’s “Perfect” version)

2 ounces Rye Whisky
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
dash of Angostura Bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish.

Shake over ice, decant into pre-chilled Martini glass. You *DO* have a Martini glass in the freezer, don’t you? I hope so. Savage. Plunk in the cherry once the ‘Tini is decanted.
Cheers,

JJ.

Ok, it’s late Sunday night (technically Monday morning) and BOY am I feeling rough. I need something to take the edge off, you know, like a late night snack for my hangover. I’d deal myself up a Bloody Mary but we drank all the mixer last night, plus I feel like having something kind of sweet that I can sip at rather than some big monster. Hmm… How’s about this?

The Brandy Alexander

2 ounces of Brandy
1/2 ounce of creme de cacao (light or dark, whatever you have)
1/2 ounce of cream

Nutmeg sprinkled on top for garnish.

Shake these over ice and decant into a chilled martini glass. Wait, my martini glasses are still in the dishwasher. It’s clean, but certainly not chilled. No worries! To quickly chill it I’m going to put it in the sink, load it with ice, and fill it with water and let it sit for a minute or two; that’ll cool off while I’m shaking up this little yummy midnight libation here.

Aaah…. that’s MUCH better. Hair of the chocolate dog.

Cheers!

JJ.

Here’s a modern spin of an old classic from the good people who bring you the always excellent Diffords Guides to Drinking (they also sell cocktail books, like this one which are FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. The Diffords cocktails books are GREAT, and they also sell quarterly “publications” from their webpage (”publications” is a loose term – they’re basically 300-some page softcover books) which list the best bars around the world, have even MORE drink recipes and loads of bartending tips, booze reviews, and the like. Big thumbs up for Diffords.

Anyhow, this recipe is one the Diffords Gang adapted from a recipe pulled out of the long-out-of-print The Savoy Cocktail Book (it’s from the 1930’s) by Harry Craddock – which is damned near impossible to find, unless you want to pay three hundred bucks.

Enjoy.

The Lutkins Special Martini

1 1/2 ounces of Plymouth Gin
1 ounce of Dry Vermouth
1/2 ounce Apricot Brandy (they recommend the Bols Liqueur one)
3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed orange juice

As we do with Martinis – chill the glass, fresh ice in the shaker, vavoom vavoom, decant into chilled glass. Garnish with a twist of orange zest.

A classic, reborn!

Cheers,

JJ.

This one comes from a fantastic book by Ben Reed, who among other things, is an award winning bartender and bar manager, and is the mixologist who created the cocktail menu of the legendary Met hotel in London. This recipe, named after the hotel, was created by Ben himself and comes from his Cool Cocktails book – which is excellent.

The Metropolitan

2 oz. Absolut Kurrant Vodka
2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. cranberry juice

Add all the ingredients to your cocktail shaker (filled with ice) and do that thing you love to do. Shake away, and then decant into a frosted martini glass. Me, I think the metal ones are swanky, but the glass onces stay colder longer (damn that science!).

Ben suggests garnishing with the following: squeeze the oil from a strip of orange zest, skin downward, over a flame. Rub the rim with the hot orange zest before dropping the drink in the glass.

Hey, if you’ve got the time, go for it. Me? I’m already mixing my next one, because DAMN, these things are GOOOOD.

Enjoy!