Solera Sidecar (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

I have been waiting to do this cocktail for a while, hoping to source the exact ingredients for the recipe. Unfortunately, I used up the last of my East India Solera sherry during Halloween and I haven't seen it in stores since then. But I figured I could make this recipe with cream sherry, and it definitely works. 

The idea behind this craft Sidecar is to substitute excellent ingredients (and sherry) into a well-known cocktail recipe that is essentially a cognac sour with orange liqueur. Sweet sherry adds richness, as does ameretto and cognac-based orange liqueur like Grand Marnier. The problem remained that I had neither of the latter ingredients as well. Then it occurred to me that I do have a cognac-based orange liqueur and an almond liqueur, they just weren't the brand names the recipe called for.

So I substituted homemade Mandarine Napoleon for Grand Marnier--which is an easy solution. I also used Tempus Fugit creme de Noyaux, a French, rather than Italian, almond liqueur. It worked out well, and the effect of the craft Sidecar was pulled off. In addition I got to use my homemade orange liqueur.

• 1 1/2 oz. cognac (Meukow used)
• 1/2 oz. East India Solera Sherry (Dona Luisa cream sherry used)
• 1/4 oz. Grand Marnier (homemade Mandarine Napoleon used)
• 1/4 oz. Lazxaroni ameretto (Tempus Fugit creme de noyaux used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. 

Stonybrook

I really liked the intense orange and nutty flavors of this cocktail. Yes, there is orange in there, but it is not a citrus drink at all. Triple sec is flavored with orange zest, not juice, and egg white and creme de noyaux soften and sweeten the drink. What you get is a burst of liqueurs with a silky texture and a pretty pink color.

I doubled down on the orange zest by substituting MurLarkey's orange whiskey for plain blended whiskey. It really improves the cocktail. You have to try it to understand.

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (MurLarkey orange whiskey used)
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. creme de noyaux (Tempus Fugit used)
• 1/2 egg white (Or one whole egg white for two)
• lemon or orange twist or both

Combine all ingredients except for citrus zests in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain to remove ice. Return liquid to a shaker without ice and shake again to increase foam. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lemon or orange twists. 

St. Patrick's Day Fizzy Drinks with Proper Twelve

 

I've revisited two good drinks for St. Patrick's day, or any day so long as you have a bar stocked with Irish whiskey and some quality mix-ins. My first attempt at the Wicklow Cooler was with orgeat. This is an alternative recipe using falernum. Either way, you get one of those tropical whiskey drinks that somehow work fine. You could be enjoying this on any island, but it just so happens that the whiskey comes from the island of Ireland. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey (Proper Twelve used)
• 1 oz. dark rum (Vitae Barrel-Aged used)
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 tsp. falernum (homemade used)
• ginger ale

Combine all ingredients except soda in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled Collins glass. Top with ginger ale.

Next up is the Glenbeigh Fizz. This is a nutty and pink cocktail that should be done in a long drink. My first attempt used different ingredients, but now I have quality Creme de Noyaux from Tempus Fugit and Proper Twelve Irish whiskey. The recipe calls for medium sherry and I remember using cream sherry. This update, Amontillado or lighter sherry only, increases the nuttiness of the drink and really draws forward the grain flavor of the whiskey.

• 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 oz. medium sherry
• 1/2 oz. creme de noyaux (Tempus Fugit creme de noyaux used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• club soda

Mix all ingredients except club soda and lemon slice with ice in a shaker. Pour into a chilled highball glass and fill with club soda.

Ricard Floridian

Alright. It's not Christmas anymore and this Florida-themed drink is neither a holiday treat, nor a tropical cocktail. It is a perfect example of a drink not knowing what it is. I do know, however, that it was surprisingly refreshing on crushed ice, and I can see what the bartender was thinking. This is an easy way to get tourists to try pastis in a refreshing and exotic mix.

Ricard is a strong anise and licorice spirit with a caramel color. When you add water to it, the herbs express out in a hazy cloud like absinthe. This pairs well with the boldly red Creme de Noyaux by Tempus Fugit. This is a peach pit and almond liqueur that adds a nutty sweetness to balance the bitter herbs and grapefruit in this drink. You can use amaretto or orgeat as a substitute, but you lose the effect of the bright color.

• 1 1/2 oz. Ricard
• 1 tsp. Creme de Noyaux
• 4 oz. grapefruit juice

Combine all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Shake or blend briefly and pour into a chilled double Old Fashioned glass. 

Nutcracker

Creme de Noyaux is an important part of making the Nutcracker nutty. It is made with almonds, stone fruit pits, and herbs and is more bitter than amaretto. I am using Tempus Fugit's excellent Creme de Noyaux, which is great to sip by itself--something you can't say about those bargain cremes.

The other ingredient the recipe calls for is coconut amaretto. I'm not sure that this spirit ever existed, or if it did, it was a limited run. My guess is that the New York Bartender's Guide includes this drink as a way to showcase liquors that existed at some time in the past, but I doubt that you'll find a commercially available coconut amaretto now.

So to make it I used cream of coconut, vodka and amaretto. (Note: I really only made enough coconut amaretto for one cocktail, but the basic process and proportions should hold true for a larger batch if you wish to make it.) I especially liked how this homemade spirit was reminiscent of amaretto but with a cloudy white color and coconut sweetness. Put one part coconut cream in a jar and add an equal part of vodka to it. Add several dashes of amaretto to the mixture, seal the jar and shake it until the coconut is suspended. Store it in the refrigerator for a few hours and the thicker, white and fatty parts of the coconut will float to the surface, leaving a cloudy coconut vodka underneath. Skim off the white coconut fat and you have a coconut amaretto underneath!

The cocktail itself is much simpler to make.

• 2 oz. coconut amaretto
• 2 oz. creme de Noyaux (Tempus Fugit used)
• 2 oz. half-and-half

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