Saz Who? (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Is it a Sazerac when it is made with rum and pear brandy? If you also use Peychaud's bitters and serve it with a hint of absinthe. 

The overall effect of adding pear brandy instead of the usual rye or cognac is the benefit of fruity softness. Catoctin Creek pear brandy is pretty strong stuff, but it has a soft nose and pear flavors that come from distilling fruit juice. That goes great with a soft Guyana rum like Hamilton 86. The rest of the recipe should look familiar to Sazerac fans. The one difference is that the glass is not rinsed with absinthe, but the liquor has several dashes of absinthe in it.

• 1 1/ 2oz. aged rum (Hamilton 86 Demerara River used)
• 1/2 oz. pear brandy (Catoctin Creek used)
• 2 dashes absinthe
• 1 tsp. demerara syrup
• 4 dashes Peuchaud's bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• lemon twist

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Twist a lemon zest over the glass and discard. 

Creole Saz (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

I described this cocktail as a "dank rum Sazerac." This caused some confusion about whether I was describing the rum or the Sazerac as "dank." To clarify, both dank and rum modified Sazerac. Hamilton Demerara River rum is not overly rich for a dark rum. Unlike the banana peel and funk of Jamaican rums, this one really only hits lightly on brown sugar and woody notes. 

The rest of this cocktail is perfectly Creole, and right in line with something you would find in a New Orleans bar. 

• absinthe (Absente used)
• 1 1/2 oz. Haitian rum (Hamilton Demerara River used)
• 1/2 oz. cognac (Meukow used)
• 1 tsp cane sugar syrup
• 3 dashes Peychauds bitters
• 1 lemon twist

Rinse a rocks glass with absinthe and dump. Stir the remaining ingredients (except lemon peel) in a mixing glass with ice, then strain into the glass. Squeeze lemon twist over the drink and discard. 

Devil Inside (Death & Co. Recipe)

I love the song "Devil Inside" by INXS. But humming along while drinking this scotch and rye cocktail makes me wonder which ingredient is the Devil. It must be the Rittenhouse rye. It is 100-proof after all, and it is nothing at all like the smokey scotches (of which there are two) in this recipe. 

Devil Inside is a take on a Sazerac that coats the glass in Laphroaig rather than absinthe like the recipe for Sazerac usually calls for. That's ok, because absinthe fans will still enjoy their favorite herbal spirit stirred into the glass. And maybe that's the Devil Inside after all.

• Laphroaig scotch
• 1 1/2 oz. Rittenhouse rye
• 1/2 oz. Bruichladdich scotch (or some milder Islay whisky)
• 2 dashes absinthe
• 1 tsp demerara syrup
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• lemon twist

Rinse a rocks glass with Laphroaig and dump. Stir the remaining ingredients (except lemon twist) with ice. Strain into a rocks glass. Squeeze the lemon twist over the drink and discard it. 

 

Cynard de Bergerac (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Bergerac is a French wine region known for its combination of Cabernet and Merlot grapes. This particular cocktail requires the mix of ingredients in its "Bergerac Mix" In the Death & Co. book, this works out as 6 parts blended red wine (Bergerac), 1.5 parts Cynar, 1.5 parts black strap rum (homemade used), and 1/2 part Demerara syrup. This stuff is bittersweet and savory, adding its own color and sweetness to any cocktail. 

The rest of the Cynard de Bergenac involves genever, old Tom gin, and Benedictine. It is further flavored with a dash of absinthe and Aztec chocolate bitters. The end result is a wine and gin cocktail that really comes across like a dark rum punch with lots of barrel-aged notes from the genever and an herbal lift from the absinthe. It is grounded, however by chocolate and orange in the finish. You almost can't taste the Benedictine, but it is in there adding sweetness and texture. All the way through, you get red wine tannin from Cabernet. It is pretty overwhelming and easily underestimated in such a cute little glass. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Bergerac mix
• 1 oz. Bols barrel-aged genever
• 1/2 oz. Vitae Old Tom gin
• 1/2 oz. Benedictine
• 1 dash absinthe vert
• 1 dash Aztec chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers used)
• orange twist garnish

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Roll the orange twist tightly and skewer on a cocktail pick.

Tommy And The Ron-Dels (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This is almost like having a Tiki redux cocktail in a handy Old Fashioned glass. It's got all the wild, exotic flavors of the Carbbean spirits mixed with the most herbaceous spirits of Europe. The Death & Co. recipe calls for Ron Del Barrilito Puerto Rican rum, which is where the name comes from. But it is also the base recipe for a Margarita by this bartender there named Tommy. 

Often enough, I find that I want to enjoy tequila and mezcal in ways that don't involve lime juice or take the form of a Margarita. This was different enough that I took it for what it was--something far richer than an ordinary Margarita.

• 3/4 oz. reposado tequila
• 1/4 oz. Del Maugey mezcal
• 1 oz. Ron Del Barrilito 3-star rum (George Boman used)
• 1/2 oz. Galliano
• 1 dash absinthe (Ricard used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. agave nectar
• 1 dash tiki bitters (Angostura used)
• 1 lime wheel garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with the lime wheel. 

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.

 

Espadin Queen (Death & Co Recipe)

 

This is a drink very much in my comfort zone. It includes all of my favorite things: mezcal, St-Germain, Ricard or absinthe, and cinnamon. As a bar, Death & Co. makes a lot of batched ingredients like cinnamon syrup and something called Don's Mix. Looking in the glossary, I discovered that Don's mix is really 2 to 1 grapefruit juice and cinnamon syrup. Having something batched for a drink and already in one bottle saves steps, but there are many steps to making Don's mix if you do it like a restaurant. At home, however, it shouldn't be so hard to make one cocktail.

To make cinnamon syrup you cook simple syrup with cinnamon sticks and allow it to cool before straining out the sticks. This takes about a half hour between dissolving the sugar, bringing it to a low boil and cooling it slowly. Then you have to juice grapefruit and bottle the juice and syrup together. That's three steps, but when you aren't making ingredients for mass consumption you can save yourself a step. If you have MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey you can save yourself two. 

Simply put a splash of cinnamon whiskey in the portion of simple syrup you were going to use for the cocktail and you have cinnamon syrup. Now to make Don's Mix, just adjust the amount of grapefruit juice you will need and think of it as one ingredient--the juice itself--and the cinnamon syrup as another separate ingredient.

That is why I will include my modifications to the recipe so that it is easy to follow. I more than nailed this cocktail with my home bar ingredients and it was easy. The cinnamon sticks in the photo are just for show. 

• Vieux Pontarlier absinthe (Ricard used)
• 1 1/2 oz. del Maguey Vida mezcal
• 1/4 oz. St-Germain
• 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice (1 oz. total grapefruit juice used)
  
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. Donn's mix (1/2 oz. cane sugar syrup with 1 tsp. MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey used)
  
• 1 tsp cane sugar syrup (not needed if you made the modifications above)

Rinse a coupe glass with absinthe (Ricard) and dump. Combine the remaining ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into the glass. 

 

Monet's Moment (Difford's Guide Recipe)

This cocktail was created by Eric Lorincz at the Savoy Hotel in London. But it is quintessentially French--from cognac to absinthe to Byrrh grand quinquina and Peychaud's bitters. It is like something straight out of New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century! 

I'm always impressed with French spirits: how flavorful and yet refreshing they are. This cocktail comes across as light and aromatic. You almost get the feeling that it is good for your health. And after doing so many cognac cocktails in coupes, the change of format to large ice really means a more social experience. The flavor doesn't weigh you down. Instead, you get herbal high notes right under your nose and the complexity of cognac that is chilled, not warm, doesn't pull you away from the dazzle of Byrrh bitterness and grape notes. 

• 1 1/2 oz. cognac (Martell single distillery used)
• 1 oz. Byrrh grand quinquina
• 1/6 oz. absinthe (Ricard used)
• 1/4 oz. sugar syrup
• 1 dash Peychaud's bitters

 Stir all ingredients and strain into a large glass with a large format ice cube. 

Black Magic (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

A Stinger is a beautiful thing. Usually served on ice and a simple pairing of cognac and creme de menthe, Stingers are surprisingly satisfying and balanced. This cocktail is Death & Co.'s attempt to add depth and quality to what often is thought of as a low-brow cocktail or a waste of good cognac. 

Quality comes from from Marie Brizard white creme de cacaco (which I've never tried, but I'm sure my mass-produced creme de menthe doesn't match up. Depth comes from the Fernet-Branca, which is earthy and mentholated. In small proportions, Fernet adds a dark chocolate note rather than overwhelming the drinker with bitterness. An absinthe rinse often is lost in a coupe glass, but this recipe is necessarily short so that the sides remain coated. Absinthe in this situation complements the cognac and gives an herbal high note to counter Fernet's bitter low notes.

That is the philosophy of this drink. You will find that Stinger fans will love it, and Fernet drinkers will enjoy it before asking for a Fernet-Branca chaser. 

• Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe (Ricard used)
• 1 oz. cognac (Martell single distillery used)
• 1 oz. Angostura 5-year rum (Rhum Barbancourt 5-year rum used)
• 1/2 oz. white creme de cacao 
• 1 tsp. Fernet-Branca
• 1 tsp. simple syrup

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

Yellow Parrot

This enormous cocktail has a pretty name. And I can see the resemblance to a parrot's plumage. But that's where the similarities between bird and beverage end. This is one of those self-destructive cocktails designed to wipe you out with one drink. It is three drinks in one!

The recipe calls for Pernod, an absinthe substitute. You can just as easily do it with real absinthe like Mt. Defiance. The reason is that yellow Chartreuse is milder and sweeter with honey and herbal flavors. But the sugar in yellow Chartreuse settles the strength of the absinthe a little. With Pernod you may consider switching your Chartreuse to the green label because it is less sweet, but Pernod has sugar of its own.

Here's the recipe as written:

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 2 oz. Brandy (cognac please)
• 2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

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

Glad Eyes

This is a great Pernod cocktail, and not too tarnished by its use of peppermint schnapps. I was concerned, and rightly, that Pernod would be too sweet to blend with schnapps. It wouldn't even be drinkable. I had the idea to use Mt. Defiant absinthe, which is real absinthe, as the base and use the schnapps to sweeten the bitter licorice of real absinthe.

The effect was awesome. The peppermint schnapps did add sweetness and a minty finish but the flavor remained strong and bracingly alcoholic. The shaking aerated the absinthe and made it turn white and spaced the flavor out so that it became a cool absinthe liqueur similar in flavor and thickness to Pernod. Do it this way if you do it at all.

• 2 oz. Pernod (Mt. Defiance absinthe superior used)
• 1 oz. peppermint schnapps

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

Loch Ness

This is not a drink for the fainthearted. Absinthe tends to overwhelm everything at even the smallest proportions, so I found it was wise to use a bitter sweet vermouth and a powerful scotch like an Islay single malt. After I got past the anise and licorice front end of this drink, I noticed bitterness and the cloying sweet malt flavor of the respective vermouth and scotch. That made what would have been a "two-note" drink into something more complex and interesting.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 1 oz. absinthe or Pernod
• 1/4 oz. sweet vermouth

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

Third Rail

There's a few drinks that are designed to have a powerful effect on the body, and this one is one of them. "Don't step on/ pee on a third rail," we're always told. That's where the power is channeled. This is a powerful drink with lots of aged oak brandy flavors to keep you interested. I loved that as strong as it was (all 40 proof alcohol, not juices) it was complex and balanced. I also like the moderate amount of absinthe that keeps it from being a brandy bomb.

• 2 oz. apple brandy (Catoctin Creek used)
• 2 oz. brandy
• 1/2 oz. light rum
• 1/4 tsp. Pernod

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

Monkey Gland

A very good drink for such an unappealing name. The Monkey Gland is tropical and intriguing with just a hint of absinthe.

• 1 3/4 oz. gin
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. absinthe
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine
• orange slice

 Combine all ingredients except orange slice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange.

Shanghai Cocktail

The Shanghai Cocktail is an odd pairing of Pernod and dark rum. It doesn't sound like it would be a good idea, but, as I am finding out, absinthe can be the ingredient that sets a drink apart from its familiar cousins. It makes sense then that this is named after an Asian city and not some Pacific or Caribbean island. The French liquor influence is both bitter and distinctive.

• 2 oz. dark rum
• 1/2 oz. Pernod
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. grenadine

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

Presto

Another cocktail with orange juice and French liquor. This one has an unappetizing color because of the sweet vermouth and juice. Orange juice is like a double-edged sword. It makes drinks taste great but it can wreak havoc with the color of the drink. I recommend using an orange liqueur like Cointreau and a little lemon juice in place of the orange juice to get beyond this problem. Here's the recipe:

• 2 oz. brandy (Courvoisier V.S. pictured)
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1 tsp. absinthe
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth

Shake on ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (Cherry garnish optional)

This drink is delicious and evenly balanced between sweet and bitter. Very aromatic with just a touch of liquorish flavor from the absinthe, which comes across as maraschino in the orange juice. Just a rich and sweet cocktail that pleases the taste buds if it offends the eyes.  

International Cocktail

This was a rich, full-bodied cocktail that took me a long time to finish. I had to put it in the freezer to save for later. That may be because 2 ounces of cognac is a hefty pour or it might be because I don't like absinthe very much. Still, it seemed in perfect proportions (which is what the vodka is intended to preserve so as not to be overly flavorful like the Four Score) and it was mighty strong to boot.

• 2 oz. brandy or cognac (Corvoissier V.S. pictured)
• 1/2 oz. absinthe 
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 2 tsp. vodka

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