Short and sweet and stupid this month. Affinity CocktailTHE AFFINITY RECIPE 1 oz Scotch 1 oz Dry Sherry 1 oz Port Wine 2 dashes Angostura Bitters TASTING NOTES + This seems like an odd thing to do to wine. + If you're not a wine gal, this might beef up the mix for you, but if you're like me and you like your wine sweeter, this may not hit the way you like. + Sherry and Port go well together, but the Scotch is my jam. + I recommend some Tallisker and maybe 4 dashes of Ango instead, just to add a little bite and character to the palette. AffairAFFAIR RECIPE
2 oz Strawberry Schnapps 2 oz Cranberry Juice Cocktail 2 oz Orange Juice 1 oz Sprite TASTING NOTES + Personally, I'd swap the Orange and Sprite amounts. There's enough citrus in here. + Also, it's freaking delicious. + You might find the tart of the cranberry a little distracting. If so, just add more Sprite or Schnapps or both. That's all folks. Be safe out there. -Adamus-
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Abbey CocktailThe abbey is a gin and juice vehicle, and you'll encounter many variations throughout your life. Some splash in some sweet vermouth, others an ounce of citrus vodka, and still others a plethora of strange bitters. The additions are minute, though, so as never to detract from the original orange identity. RECIPE 1.5 oz Gin (I recommend Tanqueray if you've got it lying around) 3/4 oz Orange Juice 1-2 dashes of Orange Bitters TASTING NOTES + Gin has always been a match for juice. Its citrus back-burn carries the sweet of the orange juice. + And just in case the orange juice hanging out in your fridge is the other side of decent, the bitters will breathe new life into the flavor palette. Adrienne's DreamThis one's weird. Please continue. RECIPE 2 oz Brandy 1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapps 1/2 oz White Creme de Cacao 1/2 oz Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp. sugar 1 oz Club Soda TASTING NOTES + This is a strange soda. + Mint and chocolate always go well together... + ...but the Brandy is a curious goose. + Lemon and Sugar go well with soda, producing a nearly Sprite sensation. + Does it all work together? Uncertain. Carbonation can sometimes serve as a great equalizer in this instance. + The mini cocktail of Peppermint-Cacao-Lemon-Sugar is great in the soda, and might be fine on its own. + Brandy *might* pull you into a trans-dimensional wormhole. Mint brandy might ground you in reality better. AcapulcoThe Acapulco is definitively an island drink. Garnished with mint leaves and powered by rum, there's a sophistication to the addition of egg white, but no necessity. Considering the use of triple sec, this can be pretty low-brow if you feel like it.
RECIPE 1 3/4 oz Rum 1/4 oz Triple Sec 1 egg white 1/2 oz Lime Juice 1/4 tsp. sugar 2-3 mint leaves *Mix all but the mint leaves into a shaker, shake like hell, strain over ice in a glass. Stuff in the mint leaves after the fact, and sip on the beachside of Glaz Dukot, the perfect cocktail to view the End of the Age. TASTING NOTES + I have thoughts. + Egg White is mainly used to manifest froth in a drink, and though this works, I'm not sure I like it yet. + Triple Sec is fine, but I actually recommend Dry Curacao instead. + If you feel so inclined, swap out the sugar for a splash of Simple Syrup or Orgeat, and I think that will manifest something a little more special with the mint. + Lime works. Don't use Lemon - that would be bad. The Lime and sugar with the shake makes this *almost* a soda. So as you take in the sights and sounds of a resurrected cthulhu kraken wreaking havoc across the ocean styx, I hope you can, at the very least, get a little turnt on the way to oblivion. Drink up, me hearties. -Adamus This month we take a look at three shots I've drafted and adjusted several times over and are always hits at the table. Burnt Honey (shot)1/2 oz Wild Moon Birch Liqueur 1/2 oz Honey Liqueur 1/2 oz Jack Fire TASTING NOTES + Big hit of gentle cinnamon and honey. + Slight burn at the back. + Honey notes continue to punctuate the taste long after the burn fades. Bless (shot)1/2 oz Dr. McGillicuddy's Apple Pie liqueur 1/2 oz Wild Turkey American Honey 1/2 oz Ginger Ale TASTING NOTES + Bright and refreshing. + Apple Pie is often a win. Bane (shot)1/2 oz Johnnie Walker - Song Of Fire Scotch Whiskey
1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur 1/2 oz Lemon Juice TASTING NOTES + Song of Fire is a bit more burnt than other scotches. + Raspberry smoothes this out, though. + ...and then the Lemon is straight up a slap in the face...like a Bane on your senses. + Luckily...the lemon is over quickly. So get your dice out and prepare for an onslaught. -Adamus Let's get right into it. Three recipes discovered from the archives, plus my take on it. Use these simple recipes to warm your soul and keep the liquor cabinet well stocked. Jack Knife (shot)3/4 oz Jack Daniel's Whiskey 3/4 oz Bailey's Irish Cream TASTING NOTES + Easy match. + Warm, creamy, slight burn. Good stuff. Warm Woolly Sheep (shooter)1.5 oz Scotch Whiskey 1.5 oz Drambuie Fill the glass with warm milk (approx. 2-3 oz) TASTING NOTES + A throwback to english teas and many a nightcap, the warm milk elevates the dram well. + Scotch and Dram always go well together. Scottish Jersey (drink)1.5 oz Dewer's Scotch Whiskey Pour into some fresh hot chocolate TASTING NOTES + Not like it's hard to make hot chocolate boozy. This is good. That is all. Den Original - The Longknife (shot+)My take on the Jack Knife doesn't add much, but what it adds makes it something just for me.
1/2 oz Jack Honey 1/2 oz Bailey's 1/2 oz Wild Turkey American Honey liqueur 1/4 oz Drambuie TASTING NOTES + I like my whiskey with honey, so the double tap of Jack and Wild mixes well. + Bailey's is always a win. + The Drambuie just smoothes it all out. Shoot well. Never straight. -Adamus Easy setup. The lady in my life asked for a drink, and found this recipe on Pinterest...
So we tested it out. The Recipe according to the internet: 5 oz Silver Tequila 2 oz Blueberry Liqueur 4 oz Lime Juice 2 oz Triple Sec 2 cups of Frozen Blueberries 1 cup of Ice *Toss it all in a blender, churn it up, and pray. Makes 3-4 servings. TASTING NOTES + ...this is...a rough sipper. + The lime is a bit too much here. Lime is supposed to elevate the Tequila's iconic bite, but something in here makes it a weird soup. + Triple Sec is a decent thing, but it can't do much against the blueberry mash. + There's a drink here, but it seems confused. + I disagree with the silver tequila. In case it wasn't obvious, this did not succeed. So, I fixed it. INSTEAD 4 oz GOLD Tequila (might I suggest Patron) 2 oz Blueberry Liqueur 2 oz Lime Juice (sweetened) 1 oz Dry Curacao 1 oz Sweet and Sour Mix *Throw into a shaker with a few ice cubes, shake the hell out of it, and strain into two glasses. TASTING NOTES + Lovely and boozy. + Dry Curacao is a beautiful replacement for Triple Sec that maintains its flavor without overpowering, and you don't need as much for the same effect. + Sweet and Sour with the Blueberry Liqueur creates that "blueberry juice" sense that the original was going for, and true that there's no fruit in this, but isn't better to taste good anyway? The shaker is better than the blender. It's a concentrated dose, so we're making and drinking less, BUT it's stronger, so take it with some food. Enjoy your blueberries, and happy new year. -Adamus (for more recipes, fiction, and content, visit my Patreon) Alcoholic bottles look pretty funky. These bottles range from simple to scary (I'm looking at you, human skull vodka with flecks of rose gold mixed with blood), and are truly a deep dive masterclass in presentation. Maker to maker, the micro decisions involved in the glass used, the formation of the bottle, the height, cork, top, design, and art can be game changers. And this is especially true for new samplers of products. You've all seen my post on the Sexton Irish Whiskey - awesome bottle, great presentation, but not my favorite whiskey; disappointing, but they got the sale. Now, I embrace sampler bottles ("little nips" they're often called). Tiny 50 mL bottles, some for just a buck or two, and I can experiment. But even those decisions are still framed in the overall presentation. The honeycomb ridged bottle of my honey liqueur drew me to its sampler, and now it's a staple on my shelf (Barenjager, for those of you interested). This is how I discovered my love of Jack Daniel's - Original, Honey, Fire - that 750 mL bottle is cool; easy to move like a handle and a beautiful lower 2/3 block that rests well and sturdy. A large spread of certain "cheaper" brands tend toward the same bottle design. Hiram Walker uses the same design for every single liqueur in their suite; 750 mL high, with all vibrant, easily read labels. Vodka - Smirnoff, Ketel One, Grey Goose - follows a similar trend. Bacardi has its structure on lock. But then Wild Turkey shows up, and every pursuit is a different design; Longbranch is different from their standard which is different from their American Honey - all gorgeous bottles. And each, though sometimes visually unique or at the very least a variation of an old design, is still industrially standardized for measurement. 750 mL for standard retail size, 375 mL for a smaller version, and 1.75 Liters (1750 mL) for those big Tito's jugs (Captain Morgan and Dewers, and many others do the same thing). You may see some even variable 500 mL rebels, or the strange skulls of 900 mL, but those tend to be your ballparks. What this means is that when I find something I enjoy, whether by merit of its presentation or by discovery of its imbibing worth through taste and flexibility, chances are that the bottle it is delivered in...is still in my house. As I learn much about making bitters, wine, mead, syrups, and liqueurs all my own, I would be remiss to simply discard the numerous array of interesting bottles and containers I have collected through my personal explorations and mixology. So when I opened my cabinet this morning and saw a certain 750 mL liqueur nearly depleted, and a certain drink nearing the end of its secondary staging (soon to be in dire need of bottling for its final aging), a keen thought emerged. Make a trio of cocktails, and FINALLY use up that old bottle of Blue Curacao. Blue Margarita2 oz Tequila 1 oz Blue Curacao 1 oz Lime Juice Ice, salt on the rim, and a lime wedge TASTING NOTES + This is the classic margarita. Duh. + Refreshing, but I actually recommend the snooty tequila - get some gold Patron to avoid some of that burn. + Tastes like vacation. Blue Velvet1 oz Vodka 1 oz Gin 3/4 oz Blue Curacao 1 oz Orgeat Splash of Lime Juice 2 oz soda water (recommending Soda Water with Lime) Ice TASTING NOTES + This is super tasty + As a guy who can sometimes get ill with Blue Curacao, this feels like an excellent way to mitigate that triggered flavor. + Soda Water with some melted ice thins this into a bright lime soda; refreshing + Great little spice from the Gin + I would easily make this for myself. Blue Island Iced TeaGet ready for the beast. 1/2 oz each of the following: vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, blue curaçao 1 oz Lemon Juice Fill with Ginger Ale (3 to 5 ounces) Definitely ICE TASTING NOTES + The Ginger Ale is the defining feature here. It elevates the entire drink. + Strong, sweet, easy to drink... + ...do be careful, sweethearts. And with that, my Blue Curacao bottle is empty and I can get back to more important things. ;)
Be responsible, my Smurfs. -Adamus Today we'll swing by an old classic, its punchy siblings, and practice our alchemy in the construction of my own version. Our case study falls the Alabama. Simple cocktail; just a couple ingredients and some sour mix. Let's try it out to get a feel for its many variations. The AlabamaACTUAL RECIPE 1.5 oz Brandy 1/2 oz Triple Sec Fill with Sour Mix (2 oz recommended) TASTING NOTES + Simple and sweet + Brandy and fruit is a always a great match + Reason this is a classic + Might even be "too" sweet Alabama Slammer and its MANY CousinsAs is customary with so many older recipes, every braggart and boon under the pale white moon has had their way in the alchemical variations on a simple idea. Some of these get pretty involved, but each holds to one dynamic truth: Southern Comfort pairs well with Amaretto. The rest is garnish, displayed for you now. Alabama Slammer (original) RECIPE 3/4 oz Orange Vodka (or just Vodka) 3/4 oz Southern Comfort 3/4 oz Amaretto Dash of Sloe Gin or Grenadine Fill with Orange Juice TASTING NOTES + This is Hawaiian Fruit Punch + A tiki drink if there ever was one + Sweet and masked (you could load this up with stronger liquors and no one would notice...which might be the point) + Orange foundation Alabama Slammer 2 1 oz Vodka 1 oz Southern Comfort Dash of Sloe Gin or Grenadine Fill with Orange Juice Shake and pour over ice Alabama Slammer 3 1 oz Southern Comfort 1 oz Amaretto Dash of Sloe Gin or Grenadine Fill with Orange Juice Shake and pour over ice Alabama Slammer 4 1/2 oz Southern Comfort 1/2 oz Triple Sec 1/2 oz Galliano (a sweet, herbal liqueur) 1/2 oz Sloe Gin Fill with Orange Juice Shake and pour over ice Alabama Slammer 5 1/2 oz Whiskey (Rye recommended) 1/2 oz Southern Comfort 1/2 oz Amaretto 1/2 oz Sloe Gin Fill with Orange Juice Shake and pour over ice. My Take - Orlandin SlammerFor those paying attention (at your chair or on the floor, you do you), you might have picked up on the basic flavor profile presented by these tiki tocks (tiki-cocktail = tock...I made a word). The core of the drink is a fruity whiskey with an oak-y, cherry finish; the cloak is the orange juice - acidic, sweet, and masking. By now you all know my struggles in the Nine Hells Of GERD, so I made a rendition that I believe honors the original intention of the Slammer while lowering its acid content and using less ingredients. Original Recipe - The Orland Slammer 1/2 Dry Curacao (the richer Triple Sec) 3/4 oz Orange Vodka 3/4 oz Bird Dog Black Cherry Whiskey 2 oz Sour Mix TASTING NOTES + Dry Curacao does some heavy lifting and elevates the vodka + Orange punch with less cloy + Sweet and satisfying + Slight burn on the back + Bird Dog made something special that functions just as well as the Southern Comfort/Amaretto pairing, and it gets it done with a lower volume. Imbibe well, my dear friends.
-Adamus Found another "classic" deep in the tomes. It's not every day that we get to weave in some absinthe, so let's get started. Wolf BiteRECIPE 1/4 oz Absinthe 1/2 oz Midori 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice 1/4 oz Grenadine TASTING NOTES + Despite its name, the "bite" here is non-existent; this is a sweet, licorice vehicle. + Midori is a difficult flavor to mask, so if you're here for melon, you won't be disappointed. + The licorice of the Absinthe behaves much like my honey liqueurs; it comes through in pleasant intervals. + The pineapple, as expected, is mega strong. With the Midori here, you're getting quite the fruit bomb. It barely tastes alcoholic. Variation: LycanthropeRECIPE
1/4 oz Absinthe 1/2 oz Midori 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice 1/4 oz Grenadine Splash of Curacao 1 Draw of Blackstrap Bitters TASTING NOTES + In an effort to add new colors to this mixture, the Cranberry and Midori do so in visual and profile. I appreciate Cranberry because it cuts the blast of melon down to allow for other flavors to shine. + There are still great measures of sweet here, but the Blackstrap mingles well with Curacao to add darker notes. + Great vehicle for licorice. + In fact, the combo of Curacao's bitter orange + the smoky Blackstrap + the repeated pulses of Absinthe is really something interesting. + Highly recommend ice for this one. All in all, this was a transformative experiment and I highly recommend anything that's going to woof your howl. ...No, I don't know what that means. ;) -Adamus While out on the wine run (really, we should just buy a case - where's my sponsorship, Stella?), I passed by two opportunities. These bottles have been ones I've taken note of; one out of pure curiosity, the other out of academic experimentation. The former was Johnnie Walker's White Walker Scotch. Johnnie Walker is no stranger to Game Of Thrones, sporting an impressive array of custom scotches for the titular families and themes. But something about the fact that the White Walker is intended to be frozen first, then sipped as it thaws in order to activate and release its layered flavors, made me Hunter's Mark that bottle for the future. With its price more manageable today, I snagged it, along with a liqueur that has been popping up in my recipe books: 43 Licor. The latter here is something that tastes and smells strongly of amaretto, but with a citrus vibe and something very smooth. 43 is a Spanish liqueur of vanilla and citrus herbs, best enjoyed in coffee, milk, and chocolate. Despite its sweetness, it's no joke, clocking in at a whopping 62 proof - yet you could never tell with how smooth it is. Curious, I decided to take it for a spin 4 ways and see what I can learn. 43 CoffeeRECIPE 3/4 oz 43 Licor 3/4 oz Kamora TASTING NOTES + Gloriously sweet. + There is a citrus smokiness to this. + Definitely home for a cream addition, like milk or half and half. + I see why the classic Spanish rendition of this liqueur involves espresso, milk, and 43 licor. Because it's damn tasty. + ...but I need something with a bit more bite to cut through. A Lemon RoseRECIPE 1/2 oz Wild Moon Rose Liqueur 1/2 oz 43 Licor 1/2 oz Lemon Juice TASTING NOTES + The lemon juice and Rose liqueur are a beautiful match and I am here for it. + Oddly, the 43 pales in comparison to that pairing. + This is a great foundation to try something new...later. 43 CaptainsRECIPE 1/2 oz 43 Licor 1/2 oz Lemon Juice 1/2 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum TASTING NOTES + This might be another strange instance where the Captain murders someone. + ...and not in a good way. + I'm not joking. + The addition of the Captain kills the 43. Immediately. + I'm drinking muddled lemon juice. Tipsy Lemon Juice. + Glorified. Tipsy. Lemon. Juice. One More ExperimentWith the research of 43 Licor rattling around in my head, I recall many instances of Blueberry flavors, so I now endeavor to include this soul in the next batch. RECIPE 1/2 oz 43 Licor 1/2 oz Blueberry Liqueur 1/2 oz Stella Rosa Pink 1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur TASTING NOTES + STELLA ROSA WORKS SO WELL WITH BLUEBERRY. Just sayin'. + The 43 again takes a backseat. + Hard to go wrong with Raspberry and the Pink wine. + Lovely, and almost TOO sweet. All in all, the 43 feels a lot like a fruity amaretto, both in profile and function. It's a decent stand in and a real banger in almost any soda. I'll definitely be using it in my coming recipes, stay tuned.
-Adamus The Kamikaze ShotTHE RECIPE 1/2 oz Vodka 1/2 oz Cointreau 1/2 oz Lime Juice TASTING NOTES + This is a party shot. Simple and clean. + Fruity and covered. This goes down easy, and it's supposed to. Most settings that call for a Kamikaze call for a few over a period of an hour or two. You're working with Vodka; this is a no-brainer. Wanna' up the citrus? Use Citrus Vodka. Make it a little more interesting? Blueberry or Strawberry vodka. Easy peasy. The Scorpion ShotNormally I would see this in BOWL form.
An eldritch monstrosity ordered by college folk and grad students alike bent on poor choices and broken dreams, the Scorpion Bowl is a ridiculous fruity mixture served in a gaudy tiki bowl with a ritualistic column of fire roaring at its center. It is intended for AT LEAST two people, and it comes with straws. The full recipe is what you'd expect. SCORPION BOWL RECIPE 3 cups of Ice (told ya) 2 oz Gin 1 oz Dark Rum 2 oz 151 Rum 2 oz Light Rum 2 oz Vodka 2 oz Grenadine 8 oz Orange Juice 10 oz Pineapple Juice At least 2 pineapple chunks At least 6 Marachino Cherries With 3 oz of optional lemon juice Functional Strength: 28 Proof PAIRING IT DOWN This won't be a traditional shot. By volume alone, this is a shooter at best, and I aim to err on the side of greater strength rather than fruit juice. The physical cherries intrigue me as well, so I want to incorporate some of my classic cherry heering to up the strength a bit. The rest of its multitude of ingredients should be easy enough to shrink down. THE ELDER SCORPION 1/2 oz Gin 1/2 oz 151 Rum 1/4 oz Dark Rum 1/2 oz Light Rum 1/2 oz Vodka 1/2 oz Cherry Heering 1/2 oz Cherry Liqueur 1/2 oz Grenadine 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice 1/4 oz Whiskey Sour Mix SHAKE in a shaker with Ice, then strain into your favorite gentlemen's glass. Total Volume: 4.5 oz Total Strength: 31%. 62 Proof TASTING NOTES + HELLS YEAH. + This, in my honest opinion, elevates a Scorpion Bowl. The original is not drink of finesse, but of blunt force trauma and fruit. It's an excuse for a bar to burn a tremendous amount of cheap resources at high volume for high copper, and a low overall output. THIS achieves a tighter flavor profile, with lower volume, and higher buzz output. + Shaken with ice activates the Heering and the Gin in nuanced ways, coaxing out the flavor without sifting a straw through that ice. + I might even increase the Cherry Liqueur by 1/4 oz, and lower the pineapple by 1/4 oz just to explore the sweeter end of this cocktail. + It's still deceptively strong, but I'm not filling my belly with acidic juice, and I'lll achieve a big bad buzz with room for a fine burger. And really, isn't that the goal all along? Lol. Be safe out there, adventurers, and be careful what stinger you tempt. -Adamus |
Adam SummererProfessional Game Master musician, music teacher, game designer, amateur bartender, and aspiring fiction author. Honestly, I write what I want when I want. Often monster lore, sometimes miniature showcases, and the occasional movie/show review.
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