Cure For Pain (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

There's a lot about this cocktail that is classic, simple, and straightforward. It's not a Pain Killer in coup glass format. There are no trendy ingredients or funky syrups that you typically find in Death & Co. recipes--just good old booze. 

I'm pleased that Rittenhouse, along with Old Overholt, seem to to be the ryes of choice for the New York speakeasy. You can't beat them for flavor and price. Overholt makes a great base for infusions of rich flavors. Rittenhouse is spicy and strong--also good for infusions but why bother when it already tastes so good.

Here is a port and rye cocktail I could enjoy in all seasons. My feeling has always been that port cocktails taste a little heavy on sugar and light on alcohol. They are the kind of thing you can handle on winter occasions, but not for everyday consumption. Consider that port usually sweetens a cocktail, and ever so slightly waters it down with grape juice. The craft of this cocktail is the balance, and you get it from depth of port, bourbon and cacao held up by spicy rye and bitter Campari (or bitters in general)

One funny thing I had to do to complete this recipe was to fudge the minuscule amount of Campari with other bitters I had on hand. I can't believe I don't have any Campari, especially since Death & Co. enjoy using it so much. It truly introduced bitterness into the cocktail revolution. For a small portion of Campari, a healthy 10 dashes of Peychaud's bitters in a quarter ounce of amaro (I used Amer Picon which has Rammazzotti in it). 

• 1 1/2 oz. Rittenhouse 100 rye
• 1/2 oz. bourbon (Ancient Age used)
• 1/2 oz. tawny port (Morgado ruby used)
• 1 teaspoon Campari (bitters substitution used)
• 1 teaspoon white creme de cacao
• orange twist garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a coupe glass and twist orange zest over the drink and drop it in.

Robert Johnson Swizzle (Death & Co. Recipe)

I have a bois lele (Caribbean swizzle stick) for my birthday and I'm excited to tackle the swizzle section of the Death & Co. cocktail book. Between crushing the ice and meticulous swizzling and freezing the glass, a swizzle is a lot of work. So I started by making some of the easier recipes. 

This recipe is good for people who love bourbon drinks. There's vanilla, whiskey bitters and some cirtus and fortified wine. What's not to like? 

Unfortunately I didn't have the Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters, but that's okay considering I had all the rest. I used my vanilla vodka to flavor the simple syrup for the sweetener. And you can taste it just fine under the Peychaud's that you have to dash on top of the ice so that you smell them while sipping through the straw. 

• 2 oz. bourbon (Ancient Age used)
• 3/4 oz. tawny port (ruby used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. vanilla syrup
• 2 dashes whiskey barrel-aged bitters
• 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• mint sprig garnish

Add crushed ice to a chilled Collins glass and the shaking tin. Combine all liquid ingredients in the shaker and shake to chill. Pour into the Collins glass and stir with a bois lele, adding ice and continuing to stir until the glass freezes and the contents of the glass reach the top. Dash bitters on the ice and garnish with the mint. 

 

The Dead Reckoning (Smuggler's Cove Recipe)

 

This Tiki cocktail is part of the Tiki revival movement--balanced but rich, classic ingredients, but made for the new Tiki bar scene. According to Martin Cate, a lot of restaurants have adopted something similar to this popular cocktail on the menu at his Smuggler's Cove.

You don't see all that many Tiki drinks with maple syrup (behind the glass). Nor did old-school Tiki drinks feature infusions like Smuggler's Cove. This drink has a vanilla infused brandy. I got around it by adding some vanilla infused vodka (that I always keep around for these occasions) to some cognac for a more than passable substitute. 

The experience is like I said above--balanced. A modern Tiki has the richness of the rum flavor as well as the lightness of soda and fresh citrus and fresh squeezed pineapple juice. There are no artificial mixers or canned juices involved, and it shows. I'm featuring George Bowman rum for the first time on my home bar as a great blended aged rum with all the Caribbean flavors of Guyana and Jamaica. It's going to be my main aged rum until I finish it off. 

One last note on preparation: the recipe includes directions for a drink mixing machine, which I don't have, but I was able to replicate a flash blend with agitator cubes in a shaker with pre-crushed ice. I'll include the recipe as written, but the photo in the book shows that this use of the mixing machine really gives you varied sizes of ice, which you can see in my photo above. Some tiny chips, some chunks, and some pretty big cubes. Just pre-crush some ice into tiny chips and lightly crush some cubes and load all of the chips and some of the cubes into the shaker tin and shake. When you strain, open the gate to allow the small and medium-sized pieces to flow into a glass that's already half-full of crushed ice and you are golden.

• 2 oz. blended aged rum (George Bowman used)
• 1/2 oz. tawny port (Porto Morgado used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. vanilla brandy
• 1/2 oz. grade A maple syrup
  
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 oz. seltzer
• pineapple leaves and mint sprig garnishes

Add seltzer to a Collins or highball glass. Fill the drink mixer with rum, port, vanilla brandy, juices and syrup. Add 12 oz. of crushed ice and 4-6 agitator cubes and flash blend. Strain the contents over the glass and fill the glass to the top with more crushed ice before adding the garnishes

Betsy Ross

A good colonial cocktail for a American colonial figure, the Betsy Ross has a lot of the spirits that we associate with old world cocktails. Cognac, egg yolk, port and nutmeg are the driving flavors, but they get help from a good bit of Angostura bitters and triple sec. These have the effect of tropicalizing the cocktail a little, or at least anchoring it in the new world scheme of the spice trade and the Caribbean islands.

• 1 1/2  oz. brandy (cognac please)
• 1 1/2 oz. ruby port
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3-5 dashes Angostura bitters
• 3-5 dashes triple sec
• ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (For best results, shake the chilled ingredients without ice to achieve more egg yolk foam before pouring into the cocktail glass.) Dust with grated nutmeg. 

Chicago Fizz

This Fizz drink is best served very tall, like a Chicago skyline. This fizz, like most Chicago drinks, is a little different from its family of cocktails. First, it is the only Fizz I know of that uses rum. Gold rum is really a blend of rums defined only by its color. I used a mix of Cruzan 151 and Buzzard Point, both of which are flavorful blends.

There's also port in this cocktail, which makes it pretty and pink and sort of fruity, beyond the typical lemon juice bite of a typical Fizz.

• 1 1/2 oz. gold rum
• 1 oz. port (Sandeman ruby used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 egg white
• sparkling water

Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into chilled Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. 

Port Wine Flip

An oldie but a goodie! Yes a port cocktail, especially a whole egg flip with nutmeg, is better suited for winter, or at least dessert, but I think it was excellent after a day of colonial-style cocktails. First, it was not overly heavy, as you might expect. There was a lot of interesting nutmeg and nutty flavors from the port, and of course it was deep and darkly fruity. Another bonus is that it was not too strong, so having it at the end of a series of drinks won't set you over the edge. This should be the first flip you try.

• 2 oz. ruby port
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1/2 tbsp. half-and-half
• 1 whole egg
• ground nutmeg

Combine port, sugar, half-and-half and egg (beaten) in a shaker. Shake until egg becomes foamy. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or sour glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Sloppy Rudy's Cocktail

So there's pineapple juice, grenadine, and it's served up--where's the light rum? Nope, this is an all grape spirits drink. Port and brandy totally change the character of this drink, which uses the pineapple juice to create that lovely foam and grenadine to maintain the brilliant color of port beneath.

This is also a potent colonial style cocktail, in flavor and in ingredients. It has the taste of so many "Royal" drinks that invoked the king's territories from which the spirits and pineapple juice could be obtained. The finish was interesting, too. Nutty port and unfiltered brandy heat rose up in the back palette like some scotches are known to do. I can't tell you how pleasing this drink is, despite the name and the list of ingredients below.

• 2 oz. brandy (Catoctin Creek 1757 Reserve used)
• 1 1/2 oz. ruby port
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine 
• 1 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp. triple sec

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

Port Wine Cobbler

I'm finding that I enjoy most cobbler drinks as they are similar to punch. They are also very colonial-style cocktails with ingredients that were available to our forefathers who first came to America. In this way, cobblers impart a sort of fun sense of "period" cocktail when you are enjoying one. This cobbler is sweeter than most, but a nice alternative to a wine spritzer.

Notice that I used a Michigan cherry rather than maraschino. I felt that this also accompanied the colonial flavors of the drink.

• 3 oz. port wine
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 oz. sparkling water
• orange slice
• maraschino cherry

Dissolve sugar in sparkling water in a wine goblet. Add port and crushed ice and stir gently. Garnish with fruit.

Crimson

There's not enough grenadine in the recipe (thankfully) to really make this drink actually crimson. And port tends not to be a bright red. What you have here is an old-school tasting gin cocktail that I wasn't especially fond of. It was still a nice summer drink with plenty of fruit flavor and port sweetness. You see my hand adding the port as a float, however, port tends to sink into juice, so you are left with a big gob at the bottom of the glass.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. ruby port
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. grenadine

Combine all ingredients except port in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float port on top.

Poop Deck Cocktail

Less of a pirate drink and more of a Royal Navy cocktail, the Poop Deck is reminiscent of old colonial wine based drinks. There's rich grape flavor and nuttiness from the American brandy and ruby port. The blackberry brandy doesn't register as much given how much fruity sweetness dominates the drink. I imagine George Washington tossing one of these back over his false teeth.

• 2 oz. brandy (Catoctin Creek 1757 Reserve used)
• 1 oz. ruby port
• 1/2 oz. blackberry brandy

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

Whispers Of The Frost

I like the richness of the cream sherry in this cocktail. The tawny port I used was nutty, as was the bourbon, which went very well with the raisin flavors in the drink. So this was a big mouthful of dried fruits and nuts that was also appreciably strong as well. Perfect for a winter snowfall.

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1 oz. sherry
• 1 oz. port
• 1/2 tsp. simple syrup
• lemon twist

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

Devil's Cocktail

 

If this is the Devil's Cocktail, there's not much to fear from the Devil. It is a low proof drink made of port and dry vermouth. I think that it gets its name from the evil look of that much blood red port in a cocktail glass, like you'd expect to see bubbles of lost souls rising to the surface. Get this look from stirring rather than shaking, which would cloud the drink and overchill it. The Devil doesn't like things to be too cold.

• 2 oz. ruby port
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Sip while thinking sinfully.

Japanese Fizz

I think this drink dates back to the early 20th century. Apparently there is a story about it if you ask David Wondrich, which I didn't know to do when I met him. Anyway, a very tropical whiskey drink that you can do with any whiskey except maybe bourbon. Otherwise it would be too much vanilla flavor. There's no pineapple juice in it, so the spear in the glass is really there for aroma, which works well too.

• 2 oz blended whiskey
• 1 tbsp. port
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• sparkling water
• pineapple spear

Combine all ingredients except soda and pineapple in a shaker without ice. Shake vigorously until foamy. Add ice and shake to cool. Pour into a highball glass and garnish with a pineapple spear.

Sherry Sangaree

Sangaree is the English word for the Spanish Sangria. It basically refers to any middling strength punch made with wines and sugar. This particular Sangaree is a grape bomb with ruby port to affect the color and sweetness.

• 2 oz. fino sherry
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 oz. soda
• 1 tbsp. ruby port

Add sugar and sherry to a highball glass full of ice. Stir and top with soda. Float port on top.

Montana

There's little about this cocktail that evokes that wide western state. I doubt that cowpokes would enjoy the Montana much either, so I am a little mystified by the name. Clearly, the bartender involved was going for a sweet highball drink that was spirits only--something that could be stirred and served on ice so the rodeo clowns wouldn't spill it when they ride on the mechanical bull.

• 2 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. ruby port
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• several dashes of Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled highball glass full of fresh ice. 

American Beauty

This is a drink I've been wanting to make for a while, but I didn't have port and creme de menth at the same time. I have to say that I had a few reservations, however, when floating the ounce of port. I used a spoon, but it still sank to the bottom, and with so much orange juice, I wasn't surprised. Still, the brandy, vermouth and port make for a very grape forward drink that is a little tropical. I used Christian Brothers American brandy to keep with the theme.

• 1 1/2 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 2-3 dashes grenadine
• 2-3 dashes creme de menthe
• 1 oz. port

Combine all ingredients except port in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float the port on top using a bar spoon.

Gleneagles Aerie

A sweet, pleasant scotch cocktail that I made with Famous Grouse. Port makes for a richer color and flavor and almost makes up for the fact that blends lack the wine-like quality of single malts.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch
• 1/2 oz/ dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. port 
• Dash Orange Bitters

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

Brandied Port

Apparently you can "brandy" anything, even other liquors. This one rocks with "the duct tape of cocktails" Luxardo.

• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. port
• 1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• orange slice

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

Union League Club

With bitters on the orange peel and a gob of sweet ruby port, this drink had a lot of the flavors of a classic gin cocktail. I'm not sure why it is named Union League Club, though. It almost sounds like three synonyms for groups, like three ingredients, thrown together. And that was pretty much the idea behind the drink.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. ruby port
• 3-5 dashes bitters
• orange twist

Combine gin and port in a shaker with ice. Shake or stir and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Add twist and dashes of bitters.

Princeton

I really appreciate what ruby port does to a gin cocktail. It tastes like desert wine and colors it pink. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the school's colors though. Anyway, it was a stand out among the Ivy League cocktails I've made this week.

• 3 oz. gin
• 1 oz ruby port
• 3-5 dashes of Angostura bitters
• lemon twist

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