Jamaica Hop

Jamaica Hop is a dessert drink that's not very strong, and more sweet and creamy than anything. The idea is to feature another one of Jamaica's exports: coffee.

You do get a hit of coffee, especially with natural homemade coffee liqueur. I made mine a while ago with fresh coffee and rum as well as a whole bean steeped simple syrup. The only other ingredients are Creme de cacao and half-and-half. This is a relaxing drink for any time of day because of its low proof.

• 2 oz. coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. white creme de cacao (but dark would be fine too.)
• 2 oz. half-and-half

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

Beverly Hills

It is a cognac day for me and here I've used Martell single distillery cognac in another California-themed drink. Everybody knows Beverly Hills. But the drink is little known. It is a strange combination of triple sec base, brandy and a taste of coffee liqueur. I chose Cointreau over plain triple sec because it is stronger and less sweet. There's plenty of sweetness in my home made coffee liqueur.

Martell single distillery VS is a solid cognac, much drier than its competitors. It is a new product designed to feature the craft of a single distillery, and therefore doesn't have the roundness, that chewy flagship brand taste, of a Hennessey or Remy Martin. You do get a nice traction on the tongue that is similar to apricot juice and lemon zest. I wouldn't call it smooth, though. And maybe that is the point.

Anyways, I liked this drink as a slow and luxurious sipper that combines bold fruit flavor with a little coffee, vanilla and chocolate bitterness--a real luxury.

• 2 oz. triple sec (Cointreau used)
• 1 oz. brandy (Martell single distillery VS used)
• 1/2 oz. coffee liqueur (home made version used)