Sweet Hereafter (Deat & Co. Recipe)

This is an unusual pisco cocktail: it is sweet, stirred and aromatic. Nothing like the pisco cocktails you find in South America or California. Some people think the only thing pisco is good for is punch or Sours. Well, Capel pisco is dry and fairly neutral. It functions a lot like a vodka or gin and, therefore, makes a good Martini variation. 

I loved the elderflower and grapefruit nose that this cocktail brings upfront. It melts into rich aromatic wines like Dolin blanc and Cocchi Americano. It's a sweet Martini, and the name fits it perfectly.

• 1 grapefruit twist 
• 2 oz. pisco (Capel used)
• 1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 1/2 oz. Dolin blanc
• 1 tsp. St-Germain
• 1 dash hopped grapefruit bitters (Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters used)

Squeeze the grapefruit twist over a mixing glass and discard (or keep as shown). Combine the remaining ingredients in the glass and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Little Birdy (Death & Co. Recipe)

This is a wonderfully approachable cocktail. This is one case where I am not lamenting my purchase of Chileanl pisco, because I was glad that its relative tastelessness took on the infusion flavors so well. 

It starts with strawberry and pineapple pieces soaking in pisco for about a week. This is a perfect flavor combination that is a little bit tropical and a little familiar. Interestingly, the pineapple in the pisco still has a slight foaming effect that pineapple juice tends to provide--like a vegetarian foam. 

Then St-Germain and citrus juices balance out to make for a candy-like cocktail that is really a different taste experience. A little sweet, but so many changes in the waves of flavors you detect as they wash over your tongue. I would do this one again with a different spirit, maybe with a fruitier Peruvian pisco.

• 2 oz. strawberry and pineapple infused pisco
• 1/2 oz. St-Germain
• 3/4 oz. Grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. simple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. 

 

Dick and Jane (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

More champagne cocktails! I've been looking forward to using hibiscus flowers packed in syrup in a cocktail, and this cocktail presented itself as a likely candidate. It calls for hibiscus syrup, which provides sweetness and this lovely red color. The flowers themselves are chewy and sweet like brandied cherries, so I decided to use one as a garnish. 

There's something for everyone in this champagne cocktail. ImaGination gin and Peychaud's bitters for those New Orleans French 75 drinkers and St-Germain and hibiscus for a nice floral drink with bubbly. The nice thing is the recipe is not overly sweet and the color and garnish suggestion makes it look more royal than a Kir. 

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 1/2 oz. St-Germain
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. hibiscus syrup
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• dry champagne
• 1 long, thin lemon twist (and optional hibiscus flower) garnishes

Combine all ingredients except champagne and garnishes in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Curl lemon twist and drape it over the glass. 

La Dolce Vita (Death & Co. Recipe)

Like a Boulivardier or Negroni but with fun rye and St-Germain. That's how I think of this cocktail; and it was really enjoyable as a simple, ruby-colored cocktail that was both easy to make and easy to drink.

 

The think that makes this drink stand out is the infusion of chamomile tea into the rye. I used Republic of Tea's Chamomile Lemon tea (which doesn't have the acidity of actual lemon but lemon balm instead.) Rye and chamomile have really complementary flavors--not unlike apples and cinnamon--but spicy with alcoholic kick. This is balanced with sweet floral St-Germain and given bitter traction and an attractive look by the hefty pour of Campari. This drink, like life, is beautiful!

• 2 oz. chamomil-infused Rittenhouse rye (with Republic of Tea Chamomile Lemon)
• 3/4 oz. Campari
• 1/2 oz. St-Germain

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain over a large format ice in an Old Fashioned glass.