Turf Club Cocktail

This is a wonderfully balanced cocktail. It's a Martinez with dry vermouth sub for rosso vermouth with a dash of absinth. I highly recommend trying this one if you have the ingredients on hand. It's worth the purchase if you are missing only one. Music accompaniment: Have You Seen It In The Snow by Magnetic Fields.

2 ounces gin / I'm using Beefeater

3/4 ounces dry vermouth

1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur

10 drops (2 dashes) absinthe / I'm using Absinth ordinaire

10 drops (2 dashes) orange bitters / I'm using Angostura

Garnish: lemon twist

Mix all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. 

Garnish with lemon twist.

Autumn in New England Cocktail

Great cocktail for fall when apple cider is available. Cider shows up here late October. Apple juice can be substituted. I tried adjusting the amounts and this is perfectly balanced. I think a little more bourbon helps it taste more like a real cocktail and less like something listed under Cocktails on a restaurant menu. Musical accompaniment while making and drinking: Moonlight in Vermont by Willie Nelson

Ingredients

3-4 fresh sage leaves, plus a small one for garnish

1/4 oz maple syrup

2 oz bourbon (maybe a splash more)

1 oz apple cider or apple juice

1/4 oz apple cider vinegar

Muddle the sage leaves with syrup in a shaker bottom.

Add the other ingredients and shake with ice. 

Double-strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice and garnish with small sage leaf. 

I also served this up in a Nick and Nora glass which looked great with a single sage leaf floating on top. 

Tumbleweed Cocktail

"The Dude abides... I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that."

Musical Accompaniment: Tumbling Tumbleweeds by Sons of the Pioneers

*You will need to make (or purchase) at least the Ancho Chile Liqueur in advance. The rimming sugar is probably worth it. I liked it. You can certainly use blanco tequila. I tried making this with more lime juice and learned ancho does not like too much citrus. 

Ancho Chile Liqueur

This makes a goodly volume. Share or cut in half depending on your needs.

24 oz blanco tequila

1 or 1/2 oz dried ancho chile seeded and torn into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cinnamon stick

8 oz simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a glass jar. Seal and let sit for about a week shaking once or twice a day. 

Strain the jar's contents through a strainer lined with 3x cheese cloth into a large bowl.

Add the 8 oz of simple syrup and stir. 

Funnel into suitable bottles and stopper. 

Smokey Rimming Sugar

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Combine the ingredients into a shallow tupperware container, seal and shake. Gets better as it sits a while. 

El Presidente

This drink is well balanced, and it requires no fresh ingredients. For more on this drink, visit David Lebovitz' site. 

Musical accompaniment: Another Saturday Night by Sam Cooke or Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte.

Celery Gimlet

This was surprisingly delicious. If you like celery this will not disappoint. If doing several I'd suggest using a juicer or maybe a blender to get a batch of celery juice. 

Musical Accompaniment: Celery Stalks at Midnight - Doris Day with Les Brown

Martinez Cocktail

 

I think using Hayman's make a huge difference. I tried Beefeater and Ransom Old Tom gins, but Hayman's works best here. Update: Chuck Taggart suggests trying Porter's Tropical Old Tom gin. Beefeater will always do in a pinch.

David Lebovitz is okay with Beefeater gin. He uses 1.5 oz gin to 1.5 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur with orange bitters. A bit fruity for my taste, but to each their own. 

Musical Accompaniment: Soul Sauce by Cal Tjader

Gold Rush Cocktail

This one's for you, Kendall!  Honey syrup is made with 1:1 honey and hot water. You can shake and strain into an ice filled glass if  you prefer. It's great either way. 

Musical Accompaniment: Just Like Honey

Bloody Perry's and Bloody Perrito's

 Two styles of Bloody Mary's here -- one with vodka and the other with tequila. 

Bloody Perry

Ingredients
4 cups V-8® vegetable juice, low sodium if you prefer
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 teaspoons horseradish, prepared
2 1/2 teaspoons shallot, grated or minced (i'm tempted to try onion powder or dehydrated onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
1-2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (up to you)
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons black pepper, ground
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, Omit if watching your sodium intake
2 medium lemons, zested and juiced

Combine the V8, and all the other ingredients in a one of those Rubbermaid pitchers or other shakeable container. Refrigerate until well chilled; around 2 hrs. Pre-chill your V8 the night before if you are in a hurry.

Add some to a glass filled with ice. Add  your vodka.

Garnish: pickled okra, picked onions, olives, lime wedges. Up north some folks add beef sticks, bacon, and/or pickles. Pretty much anything pickled is fair game. 

---

Bloody Perrito

Ingredients

Step 1

32 oz straight tomato juice 

2 oz worcestershire 

1.5 oz olive brine

2.5 oz pickle brine

2.5 tbsp prepared horseradish

2-3 oz lemon juice + the zest from the lemons

Step 2

1 bunch of fresh dill

Salt, celery salt, black pepper, hot sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients for Step One in a sealable 60+ oz container. I used an 84-ounce plastic pickle container. Mix well with a whisk and taste to get an idea of where you are at this point with the understanding the horseradish will add a bit more as it sits. 
2. Chop up a bunch of fresh dill and add to the container. Stir well.
   Add salt and celery salt till it approaches a point where it will work in the drink. This will vary based upon your tomato juice and your taste. It might be a good bit. Keep in mind this will be diluted by the ice, tequila and maybe beer when you make the drink. Stir with each addition.
   Add ALOT of freshly ground pepper. Add enough hot sauce to provide a sense of heat but realize one can add more when the drink is made. If preparing only for those in the household add to your taste. 
   
   

Continue to add more of whichever ingredient you think you need. Once satisfied, put in fridge overnight. 

Make a drink using tequila or vodka (suggest tequila) in proportions to your taste. You can float some Mexican lager on top. 

Garnish ideas: lemon wedges, pickled red onions, olives, poached or grilled shrimp (cold), rim salted with celery salt or salt-pepper combo,  pierced pepperoncini pepper, slices of spanish chorizo, dill pickle, celery

My Margarita

I like this ratio with these ingredients. I usually drink mine on-the-rocks with a salted rim. I change out my tequila and triple sec brands from time to time. Makes a difference. These are what I 'm using now.

Musical Accompaniment: In These Shoes by Kristi MacColl

My Papa Doble Cocktail

This is a great cocktail -- very well balanced all around.  I'll spare you all the Hemingway trivia cluttering up other recipes out there. The original recipe I found called for gold rum, but having none on hand I substituted a mix of dark and light rums. I am pleased with the results. Make one of these on Papa's birthday, July 21. Mark you calendar.
Warning: This makes a very large single drink. Consider sharing it with a friend.
Musical Accompaniment: Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club

Cocktails: You Know, That's Not Half Bad!

This is just my recipe list so I won't have to rely on my memory. First entry was the Vesper Cocktail (down at the bottom) which seems fitting. Use freshly squeezed juices for all citrus. Adjust amounts to your taste. Here is a link to the equipment I prefer (or equivalent if no longer available).  Use browser search function to find something specific below. Cheers!

---

What the Dickens? 
1 oz Cognac or good brandy
1 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 1/2 oz tonic water
lemon peel for garnish

Add crushed ice 1/2 way up an old fashioned glass or rocks glass. Add the liquids, stir, and add more crushed ice to fill. Express oil from and garnish with lemon peel.

---

Tom Collins
1 1/2 gin
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
3 oz club soda (or just top off)

Combine the first three ingredients in a glass of about 12 ounces. Add ice leaving room for soda. Add soda and garnish with lemon wheel. You can add a cherry if you so desire.

---

Alexander
1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz creme de cacao
3/4 oz half and half or cream
Whole nutmeg for garnish

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Grate a little fresh nutmeg on top for garnish

---

Gold Rush
2 oz bourbon
1 oz honey syrup*
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish

Shake with ice and strain into an ice filled rocks glass.
Garnish with lemon twist
*For honey syrup, combine 1 oz honey and 1 oz hot water, stir till combined. Makes enough for 2 drinks.

---

Sidecar
1.5 - 2 oz cognac
1 oz Cointreau (or triple sec in a pinch)
1/2 oz lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist

---

Oriental Cocktail

1.5 - 2 oz rye or bourbon
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz triple sec
1/2 oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

---

Sazerac
1 oz cognac or good quality brandy
1 oz bourbon
1/4 oz simple syrup
2-3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Lemon peel or twist for garnish

Add to liquids to a mixing glass with ice and stir until very cold.
Strain into a chilled martini glass. Express oil from lemon peel, run around inside of glass, and drop in or discard peel.

---

Vesper Cocktail
2 oz gin (usually Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire at our home)
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Cocci Americano
Lemon peel or twist for garnish

Add to liquids to a mixing glass with ice and stir until very cold.
Strain into a chilled martini glass. Express oil from lemon peel, run around inside of glass, and drop in or discard peel.