Mexi-Gin Martini (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

With all the parts of this cocktail that are not Martini ingredients, this Mexican-themed Martini is very much what it says. Yes, it is basically a Martini with ingredients added, but it is so much more than that. 

Mezcal, celery bitters and alpine spirit really lift the standard Gin Martini to new and more festive heights. The flavor of the Mexi-Gin Martini is very Mexican, similar to tequila Martinis I've had at nicer Mexican restaurants in D.C. It's super herbal with a little burn of jalapeno-infused blanco tequila. Mezcal itself adds to herbal and fruity flavors, and it helps to have a heavily botanical gin like ImaGination from MurLarkey to carry off the gin portion of the cocktail.  

Finally celery bitters is the lifting effect that bridges the connection between dry Martini and fruity tasting spirits. Celery adds earthiness as well as additional herbal boost to hold together juniper from the gin and smokey mezcal by Del Maguey. 

• 2 oz. dry gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 1/2 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
• 1/4 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 dash celery bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Yeoman Warder (Death & Co. Recipe)

A yeoman was a master woodsman, leader of the hunt and a skilled fighter with a yew bow. Picture Robin Hood in green garb standing around in the woods. With all the herbaceous flavors going on in this cocktail, you can taste that medieval trope right in the glass.

I picked up a bottle of Cynar 70-proof to make this drink, and I find that this new release of Cynar is even more flavorful than the original artichoke amaro. I don't know if that is because more flavor can be packed into an infusion of botanicals when the proof is higher, or it is just a more intense formulation. Either way, a little Cynar 70-proof goes a long way.

In addition to the vegetable notes of artichoke in the Cynar, I used my homemade gin that has asparagus as one of the botanicals. You notice it, but not as much as the spice and bitterness. Overall I'd say this drink is intense with all flavors dialed up to the max. Despite that, sweet and bitter, tart and spice, are all balanced and contribute to an enjoyable sip.

• 2 oz. dry gin (homemade gin with asparagus botanical used)
• 3/4 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Cynar (70-proof used)
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo maraschino 

 Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 

 

The Joy Division (Death & Co. Recipe)

I'm often looking for a different take on a Gin Martini. The Joy Division appealed to me because I was feeling like enjoying French ingredients and you can easily make this cocktail without leaving the country of France with its gin, wines, and liqueurs. 

Here I've chosen Citadelle dry gin principally because it is French, but also because it is dry and of such a quality that you can replace Beefeater with it and only improve your cocktail. The recipe calls for Cointreau, and triple sec is a fair substitution, but I wanted Royal Combier for the spice and orange of this French liqueur. Finally absinthe and Dolin dry make this an herbal cocktail like no other.

• 2 oz. dry gin (Citadelle gin used)
• 1 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau (Royal Combier used)
• 3 dashes absinthe (Ricard Pastise used)
• 1 lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

 

Mediterranea Martini (Original Recipe)

I've already made a Greek Martini with kalamata olives and ouzo, so that name is taken. But now that I have feta cheese stuffed olives, I wanted to take another stab at a Mediterranean Martini with gin and Skinos masthia spirit. 

As far as Martinis go, this recipe is not too different from the classic: gin, a half ounce of dry vermouth, and olive garnish. The slight change--and I recommend doing this with gin for the simple reason that you don't exactly want your only note in the drink to be masthia--makes the drink herbal and bright with just a hint of the sweet piney flavor of Skinos. I really like Skinos, especially as a substitute for sweet amari in cocktails, but I don't feel that it needs to be prominent in a Martini. And when I want a Martini, I want spicy gin and herbal dry vermouth. 

This was a somewhat dirty Martini, but not in the traditional sense. The Divina olives are packed with sesame oil, not the usual olive brine. This makes them a little more useful for cooking than cocktails. (If you use olives packed in oil, be sure to rinse them off before putting them in a drink.) Even after rinsing them off, there was a delicious slick of oil floating on top of the glass, adding richness to each sip. 

• 3 oz. gin (homemade dry gin used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1/4 oz. Skynos masthia spirit
• 3 feta cheese stuffed olives (Divina used)

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with olives on a cocktail pick.

 

Ambassador West

 

I'm not sure which historical figure that this drink's name refers to, but I bet it isn't the Ambassador West hotel. If I had to decide, I think I would go with the novel by the same name by Mark West. The fact that the book is about an assassination plot against South Vietnam's president in the 1960s is a not congruent with a Martini variation that makes copious use of brandy. 

As far as Martinis go, this variation is a winner. I really like how brandy changes the texture a little so that it is richer and a little silky. I knew that the brandy had potential to cover over the gin, however, so I went with a spicy gin that I made at home through infusion. This gin is high on juniper and as dry as 100-proof vodka that it is made from. There is some lemon peel and fresh herb garden notes, but overall, the gin is designed to stand out, and it should. The ingredients that flavor it were steeping in vodka for a week and their influence arrives in the glass. 

• 1 1/2 oz. brandy (Korbel used)
• 1 oz. gin (homemade used and dry gin recoomended)
• 1/2 tsp. dry gin (Dolin used)
• green olive

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Drop the olive into the drink. 

San Remo

 

San Remo is a beautiful coastal town in northern Italy. Like the bright colors of the rooftops of San Remo, the cocktail of the same name has a brilliant hue. The Italian Alpine spirit, Strega is a white brandy-based liquor flavored with a secret recipe of herbs and spices such as saffron and mint. 

The San Remo is designed to spread out this flavor across a dry palate of herbal gin. That is the reason I chose Bulldog for its light London dry style. Is it a good drink? It is balanced, is is fresh and herbacious and bright despite having no citrus juice. So yes, unless you don't like Strega, and then I can't help you.

• 2 oz. gin (Bulldog used)
  
• 1 oz. Strega
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin extra dry used)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Boomerang (Swedish Punsch Version)

The Boomerang that I know is a Martini variation with a dash of Angoastura bitters and maraschino liqueur. This is more of a Manhattan variation. There's rye, dry vermouth, and Swedish punsch, which is a rum-based spirit with spices and citrus. (Note: the bottle pictured is actually my own recipe for Swedish punch, not the name on the lable.) The punsch added a sweetness that I was not accustomed to in a dry Manhattan, and it was a welcome change that made this cocktail unusual and more international than the standard New York drink. This is another cocktail recipe that I came across in researching Swedish punch and does not appear in any recipe book I've used.

• 1 oz. rye (North Fork rye used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1 oz. Swedish punshc (homemade used)
• 1 dash lemon juice
• 1 dash angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Bourbon Rose #2

 

Rose cocktails are numerous. I'm a little surprised that this is my first Bourbon Rose variation. The majority of Rose cocktails are a combination of a spirit, grenadine and lime juice. They have a brilliant red color that is cloudy from juice and the color of whatever spirit you chose. The Bourbon Rose #1 is one such drink. This is a deeper rouge colored Rose owing to the creme de cassis and there is (quite contradictory to typical Rose recipes) dry vermouth. 

Another unusual thing about this cocktail, and it is fitting that it is a bourbon drink, is that it is served on the rocks. Bourbon drinks are often re-worked recipes designed to appeal to southern drinkers. It's unlikely that southern men, for instance, would find a long-stemmed glass an appealing way to consume their favorite spirit. 

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon (Evan William's bonded used)
• 1/2 oz. creme de cassis (G.E. Massenez used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin extra dry used)
• 1/4 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into an Old Fashioned glass. 

Continental Perfect

This is a sweet tasting Manhattan variation that is done on the rocks with twice as much vermouth as whiskey. I'm not sure if "continental" refers to the European or American continent: with so much vermouth, both French and Italian, there's a strong case for Europe. 

On the other hand, I like the idea of making this cocktail with a blended whiskey made from the island nation of Scotland and American whiskey. That is Virginia Distilling Co. Brewer's Batch. It's similar to scotch and super mellow with a strong malt character and oak but very little peat if any. Then the whiskey's are married in a Scotch ale cask. This, I think unites the continents I mentioned above and makes for an unusual Manhattan variation.

• 1 oz. blended whiskey (Virginia Distilling Co. Brewer's Batch used)
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi dopo tetero used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin extra dry used)
• several dashes Angostura bitters
• orange slice for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the orange slice. 

Tommy Latta

Is there any chance that this cocktail was named after the Scottish-born doctor who invented the saline solution drip method for the treatment of patients? If not, it is pure coincidence that this Manhattan variation is so easy to drink, I might consider enjoying it bedside from a drip straw.

All jokes aside, I felt that the cocktail itself was a conservative approach to a Perfect Manhattan, both in the ordinary selection of ingredients and its overall size: it was rather small for a cocktail and fit neatly in a cordial glass.

After trying it, however, I recognized that there was an excellent balance of acid and sweetness. The bite of the whiskey was diminished in part because of the sugar syrup and lemon juice and also because of my choice of whiskey. I still stand by an Irish or perhaps unpeated scotch whiskey, as I think that this is an old world kind of recipe designed to make early distilled spirits more palletable for new drinkers. That would also explain the small proportions. This is a great cocktail to be swallowed in one go after a toast, a practice far more common in the British Isles even to this day.

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (Proper Twelve Irish whiskey used)
• 1/2 tsp. dry vermouth
• 1/2 tsp. sweet vermouth
• several dashes lemon juice
• several dashes sugar syrup or to taste

 Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Fifty-Fifty Martini

Sometimes you want a little more out of your Martini. The Martini was originally a wine cocktail with a good helping of vermouth (fortified wine) and some bad prohibition-era gin to back it up. It was really a vermouth-lover's drink and did its best to hid the poor quality of spirits available at the time. If one purpose of the cocktail is to spread the expensive stuff thin over a lot of cheap liquor so that it goes farther and has more effect, than the Martini is guilty of this.

But following prohibition, the quality of gin went way up as imports became available. People's tastes changed and they wanted stronger drinks. Most vermouths made in California were of lesser quality than the stuff from France and Italy. We imported less of the good vermouths because of our taste for dry cocktails, until eventually only poor quality vermouth was available in most bars. So we had the reverse of the original cocktail with almost no vermouth present.

Now, though, you can get good stuff all around. And most bars don't mind pouring a little more vermouth in a cocktail. It's not something that they often charge for. So go ahead. Get a Martini made with half gin, a strong one like KO Battle Standard Navy Strength gin, and Dolin extra dry. You won't regret it--or maybe you will.

• 2 oz. gin (KO Battle Standard Navy Strength used)
• 2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin extra dry used)
• Spanish olive

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the olive.

Gilroy

Other than being a small town in California, I'm not sure if there is any significance to this cocktail's name. It must then belong to some now unknown bartender or some drinker with this unique gin preference.

Thankfully, this gin cocktail is pretty interesting with a fun interplay of flavors. A powerful blast of Angostura bitters is offset with sweet cherry brandy. Now quality spirits like Bluecoat gin and Dolin dry vermouth add booziness behind lemon tartness. Did you get all that? Here's the recipe to help you through it.

• 2 oz. gin (Bluecoat gin used)
• 1 oz. cherry brandy
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 3-5 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. 

Sloe Vermouth

Even better than the Sloe Gin Cocktail, a Sloe Vermouth cocktail is a low-proof treat when you use Dolin dry vermouth. There's more bitterness and the vermouth dries things up a bit. Lemon juice keeps things tart and avoids the cough syrup tendency of most sloe gins.

• 2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 oz. sloe gin
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Vermouth Cocktail

Plenty tasty and low ABV means that this cocktail is enjoyable all evening. It looks like a Manhattan but is very sippable and even refreshingly herbal.

This is a swap of the traditional nationalities of vermouths here in this photo. I am using an Italian dry vermouth, which the French are better known for making. Conversely, I'm using a French sweet vermouth that usually is the specialty of Italian vintners.

• 1 1/2 oz. dry vermouth 
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters 
• maraschino cherry

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry. 

Sweet Martini

A Sweet Martini is a great drink in its own right. Not as sweet and vermouth heavy as a Martinez, this drink developed off the older cocktail to the similar proportions of Dry Martinis consumed today.

Dolin sweet vermouth is very French, but I used Hella Orange Bitters to give the cocktail a spicy bite. The orange twist is mandatory!

• 3 oz. gin (Strange Monkey used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin used)
• dash orange bitters (Hella orange used)
• orange twist

Combine all ingredients except twist in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist orange peel over the glass and drop it in.

Newbury

This is pretty much a very Sweet Martini. I'm not sure it deserved a different name except that there is the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of triple sec (which is a way of adding sweet orange bitters to a Sweet Martini).

Vigilant gin is so bracing in a Martini, so a sweeter variation did the spirit justice. You can taste the tarragon, grapefruit, and juniper of the gin behind the soft caramel sweetness of Dolin. Since I rarely have the same drink twice anymore, a Martini variation like this one was nice to return to.

• 2 oz. gin (Vigilant used)
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1/4 tsp. triple sec
• lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze the twist and drop it in.

Bronx Cocktail

This is the first and original of the Bronx series of cocktails. It is also known as a gateway cocktail. Those too gentle-palated for a dry Martini will find the wetness of this gin cocktail a nice starter course on gin served up. Sweet vermouth really adds complexity to what would simply be a gin and juice drink.

• 2 oz. dry gin
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 oz. orange juice

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Duchess

At the end of the night, I want a Pernod cocktail to settle my stomach, but sometimes a Pernod based cocktail is a little much. The Duchess is really well balanced, though and sweet enough to remain soothing and not to gripping. I felt over and over that this drink took me to a Paris cafe in the Montmartre village of the 18th arrondissement.

I also decided that a Pousse Cafe glass (or cordial glass) would be better suited to the smaller proportions of this cocktail than a full blown cocktail glass. It's pretty, isn't it?

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a shaker (which really makes the Pernod turn cloudy green) with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Tulip

Tired of those fizzy Daisies? Drink a Tulip. This is a very rich and dessert-like drink, or at least one for after dinner. There's a gooey wallop of apple brandy and sweet vermouth in here. There's also Angostura bitters, so it is interesting. It doesn't change much as it warms up, though far from a one-note drink. Apples and wine are the dominant flavors, not apricot, as you might think. The lemon juice doesn't do much to take it in a tart direction, only enough to reinforce the apple pie flavors.

• 2 oz. apple brandy or calvados (Laird's Old Apple Brandy used)
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
•  1/2 oz. apricot brandy
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Kup's Indespensable Cocktail

In what is increasingly likely to become a Martini Week, we have another variation in which a bartender, supposedly named Kup, came up with a unique Martini variation. This one has a huge vermouth component and requires a little more heft from its gin. Vigilant gin should do the trick, with one of the most robust and dry spiced gins profiles out there. This turns out to be a very rich and rewarding Martini.

• 2 oz. gin (Vigilant used)
• 3/4 oz. dry vermouth (Mancino used)
• 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin used)
• orange twist

Stir all ingredients except orange twist in a mixing glass full of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.