Whiskey Base Flashcards
(33 cards)
Algonquin
1.5 oz. Rye 3/4 oz. Dry Vermouth 3/4 oz. Pineapple Juice 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters (optional) Shake all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass
Bartender Comments: Credit for this cocktail goes to the Algonquin Hotel in NYC. This is the most common recipe (although Dale DeGroff featured a rendition which combined rum, blackberry brandy, Bénédictine and lime juice). For an alternative preparation, David Wondrich recommends stirring this combo since pineapple juice has a tendency to foam when shaken.
Amalfi Cocktail
1.5 oz. Bourbon 1 oz. Lemon Juice 1 oz. Galliano 1 tsp. Orgeat Chilled Club Soda Shake all ingredients (except soda) with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Highball Glass
Bartender Comments:
Blood and Sand
1 oz. Blended Scotch Whisky 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth 3/4 oz. Cherry Heering 1 oz. Orange Juice Shake all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Orange Twist
Bartender Comments: Like many classics, this drink—named for a `20s silent film starring Rudolph Valentino—has seen quite a renaissance in recent years. Try using a blend that has a more pronounced smoky punch. Or if you’re feeling even bolder, try a headier version with a robust, yet balanced single malt like Talisker (thanks for this bit of inspiration goes to master barman Jim Wrigley).
Bobby Burns
2 oz. Blended Scotch
1/4 oz. Bénédictine
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Scotland’s famous son and bard is generally credited as the inspiration of this Rob Roy derivative. I take a bit of umbrage with the name, however: as Mark Kingwell points out in his book Classic Cocktails: A Modern Shake, Robert Burns did not contract his name to Bobby, but rather Rabbie. But the drink appeared in the seminal Savoy Cocktail Book as “Bobby Burns,” and therefore shall forever be known by that name. In David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks the cocktail appears in two forms: the above version, and a second recipe that swaps Bénédictine for Drambuie. Embury also suggests adding a bit of Angostura or Peychaud’s bitters. Dale DeGroff likes to serve his with shortbread cookies, but I’ve yet to see any of those in a bar’s mise-en-place. Try one on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30th) or on Burns’ Night (January 25th) I’m sure it beats the hell out of haggis, tatties and neeps.
Boothby Cocktail
1.5 oz. Whiskey (Bourbon or Rye) 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth 2 dashes Angostura's Bitters 2 dashes Orange Bitters 1 oz. Champagne Stir the first four ingredients into the glass and top with Champagne. Cocktail Glass, Orange Peel
Bartender Comments: This cocktail’s namesake is William Boothby, an iconic San Francisco bartender (later assemblyman) who worked at several of the City’s fine institutions, notably the Palace Hotel, Parker House bar, and the Silver Palace. Anchor Distilling Co. recently published a reprint of his 1908 bartending manual, complete with a recipe for the Boothby Cocktail (which never actually appeared in any of his original publications). A Manhattan variant, this is sometimes called the Boothby Manhattan.
Boulevardier
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Orange Twist
Bartender Comments: Bourbon takes center stage instead of gin in this cocktail made in the Negroni mold. This rendition carries some deeper bass notes notes, which may knock this drink outside of the aperitif category; in any case, you are a sommelier, so try one soon (if you have not already). Origins point to Harry McElhone’s 1927 publication Barflies and Cocktails. Adjust the amount of whiskey to suit your palate.
Brooklyn Cocktail
2 oz. Rye Whiskey 1 oz. Dry Vermouth 1/4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur 1/4 oz Amer Picon Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: It may be better to eschew this one altogether—at least in the US. It’s near impossible to find a genuine bottle of Amer Picon, and even if you do it will most likely be the reduced version (21% abv) as opposed to the original strength (39% abv.) However, there are a couple of substitutes for Amer Picon, such as Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Nonino, or Ramazzoti. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, check out Jamie Boudreau’s blog; he demonstrates how to create a good stand-in for the elusive liqueur.
Fourth Regiment
2 oz. Whiskey (Rye or Bourbon) 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth 1 dash Angostura Bitters 1 dash Celery Bitters 1 dash Orange Bitters Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Old Fashioned Glass, Orange Peel
Bartender Comments: With a glut of bitters on the market its important to know how to apply them. Celery bitters can be quite pungent; I recommend using The Bitter Truth brand, which has a softer edge than most.
Godfather
1.5 oz. Scotch Whisky
3/4 Amaretto
Pour ingredients over ice. Lowball Glass
Bartender Comments: If there was ever a quaffer of the cocktail world this would be it. An even mellower version, the Godmother, swaps scotch for vodka.
Horse’s Neck
2 oz. Bourbon
2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ginger Ale
Build the ingredients in an ice-filled glass. Highball Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Originally intended to be a non-alcoholic beverage, the drink gets its kick from a nice glug of bourbon (although just about any whiskey will work). The garnish is really its defining characteristic: the easy way to create the “horse’s neck” is to use a channel knife to make an extra long lemon twist, making sure a bit of length peeks out of the glass. For those a bit more ambitious, use a paring knife to create a wider swath of lemon peel. Avoid the pith, and pare the lemon like you would an apple, creating one continuous peel.
Irish Coffee
1.5 oz. Irish Whiskey 1 tsp. Brown Sugar 6 oz. Hot Coffee Heavy Cream Add Whiskey, Coffe, and Sugar to mug. Top with Cold Cream. Coffee Mug
Bartender Comments: In order to ensure the cream floats, it must be lightly whipped. My preferred method is remove the coil from a hawthorne strainer and add it to shaker with the cream. Shake vigorously for ten seconds or so, et voilà! Pour the cream over the back of a barspoon to float it on top of the spiked coffee.
John Collins
2 oz. Bourbon (or Canadian Whisky) 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup Chilled Club Soda Shake all ingredients (except soda) with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Highball Glass, Orange Slice, Cherry
Bartender Comments: At one point this drink was made with Holland gin (aka Genever) and was credited to a man named, perhaps unsurprisingly, John Collins. At some point Old Tom gin became the booze of choice, and the cocktail was rechristened “Tom Collins.” Nowadays John prefers bourbon while Tom likes gin.
Kentucky Colonel
2.5 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Bénédictine
2 dashes Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Bénédictine adds depth to this old-fashioned cocktail
Mamie Taylor
2 oz. Blended Scotch Whiskey 1/2 oz. Lime Juice 5 oz. Ginger Beer 1 dash Angostura Bitters Build the cocktail over ice. Highball Glass, Lime Wedge
Bartender Comments: Named after a popular Broadway star, this drink’s popularity peaked during the early twentieth century only to be nearly forgotten soon thereafter. Ted Haigh offers sage advice: “it’s the drink I use on people who profess not to like scotch.”
Manhattan
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Cherry
Bartender Comments: The drink’s oft-cited origin story revolves around Lady Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston’s mum. New York’s Manhattan Club claims the drink was made for her during a bash in 1874, but cocktail historians dispute this assertion, claiming that she was in London around this time, ripe with little Winnie and about to burst. No matter the tale, be sure to know this recipe; it appeals to a wide audience, all of whom claim to be experts in the preparation of a proper Manhattan.
Many variations exist. For a Perfect Manhattan, use 1 oz. of vermouth, half dry and half sweet. A Dry Manhattan replaces sweet vermouth with the drier stuff entirely. Other variations, including the Fourth Regiment, the Preakness Cocktail, and the Boothby Cocktail, merit their own entries in this table.
Mint Julep
2 oz. Bourbon
10-12 Mint Leaves
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
Add syrup and mint leaves to the base of the glass and muddle. Add crushed ice and 1 oz. of the bourbon the glass and mix with a bar spoon. Add more crushed ice and the rest of the bourbon to the glass, mixing again. Cap with crushed ice and garnish with two mint sprigs. Arrange the straws next to the mint sprigs. Silver or Pewter Julep Mug, Mint
Bartender Comments: 2 oz. may seem a bit scant at first glance, but there is a lot of crushed ice to provide dilution. That being said, I recommend a bourbon with a higher proof (100 proof or higher) works best. The cocktail’s name is supposedly derived from the Arabic julab, or “rose water.” When adding the mint sprigs for garnish, “wake” them by whacking them against your hand.
Monte Carlo
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir ingredients over ice. Strain. Cocktail Glass, Cherry
Bartender Comments: Since this is essentially a modified Manhattan cherries do make sense, but I prefer a lemon twist to add a touch of brightness.
New York Sour
2 oz. Rye or Bourbon 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice 3/4 oz. Simple Syrup 1 oz. Red Wine (fruit-driven) Combine the whiskey, lemon and sugar in a shaker, chill and strain into ice-filled glass. Using the back of a bar spoon, float the red wine. Old Fashioned Glass, Lemon Wheel
Bartender Comments: This is one of my favorite drinks to make. The delightful combination of whiskey, lemon and sugar is complemented by the addition of the wine, both in appearance and flavor. This drink is also known as a “whiskey sour with a claret snap,” although most red wines will work just fine. This was an extremely popular cocktail during the early part of the 20th century (as illustrated in episode 1, season 4 of Boardwalk Empire).
Old Fashioned
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 bar spoon Simple Syrup
Stir and strain over fresh ice. Old Fashioned Glass, Orange Peel
Bartender Comments: By now we all know that the first printed use of the word “cocktail” pertains to a combination of spirit, sugar, water and bitters. Whiskey cocktails appear to have been the most popular. However, somewhere along the way this simple and elegant recipe was tampered with, and various fruits began to find their way into the mix. Fed up with this adulteration, bar patrons began asking for their whiskey cocktails to be served “the old-fashioned way.” This has become the de facto method for the current-day Old Fashioned, so when serving customers of a certain (newer) generation be sure they know what they are getting in to…
Old Pal
1 oz. Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Dry Vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Stir the ingredients over ice. Strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Like the Boulevardier, this made its debut in a Harry McElhone tome, the ABC of Mixing Cocktails. This iteration is a bit firmer than its counterpart—it utilizes rye instead of bourbon and supplants sweet vermouth for dry. Both are delicious and should be tried together. Or on their own. Whatever; just try ‘em!
Preakness Cocktail
2 oz. Canadian Whisky 1/2 oz. Bénédictine 1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth 2 dashes Bitters Shake all ingredients with ice and strain. Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: While this is another fine Manhattan variant, a stroll through the official website for the Preakness Stakes lists another cocktail as their official drink: the Black-Eyed Susan. It combines Finlandia vodka and St-Germain elderflower liqueur (both sponsors) in addition to lemon, a lemongrass and blackberry syrup, Angostura bitters and sage. I think i’ll have a beer.
Presbyterian
2 oz. Scotch Whisky
Ginger Ale
Soda Water
Pour Scotch over ice and fill with equal parts ginger ale and soda water. Highball Glass
Bartender Comments: The base spirit can be just about anything since those who order a Presbyterian will announce what booze they’d like to feature, i.e. “vodka press,” “bourbon press,” etc.
Panama Cocktail
2 oz. Rye Whiskey 1/4 oz. Rich Syrup 3 dashes Angostura Bitters 2-3 dashes Tabasco Sauce Stir with ice and strain. Old Fashioned Glass
Bartender Comments: A fun riff on a classic Old Fashioned, this iteration features a wonderful edge of spice, vinegar and salt. William “Cocktail” Boothby likened it to a Bloody Mary, but “without all that red goop in it.” to create the rich syrup, use demerara or turbinado sugar in a 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio.
Paper Airplane
3/4 oz. Bourbon (Elijah Craig 12-year) 3/4 oz. Aperol 3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice Combine in a shaker with ice. Chill and double strain Cocktail Glass, Lemon Twist
Bartender Comments: Credit for this cocktail goes to Sam Ross of the iconic Milk and Honey cocktail bar. This drink wonderfully blends sweet, sour, bitter and rich qualities in a way that creates a very versatile drink. Try one as an aperitif, with dinner, or as a stand-alone cocktail. This will impress your friends.
