B.A.F. (Death & Company Recipe)

The story goes that when trying out this recipe on a Death & Co. guest, the response was, "That drink is bitter as fuck!" I don't know how bitter this was, given that Campari wasn't in the mix, but I know Gran Classico and it is sort of bitter. 

I also didn't have it, so I used the closest gentian spirit I did have: Suze. Now Suze is bitter AF. I also used Ambrosia as a stand in for Aperol (both of which are pretty sweet) and that allowed me to make this drink without needing a simple syrup or honey. That and the Oloroso sherry are the sweet part of the drink. There is still a lot of bitterness even without dashes of bitters. One of those things--the final step--is the twist of lemon over the glass. This gives bitter lemon oil scent on top without any of the acid in the juice or even the pith from dropping it in the glass. 

• 1 oz. MacCallan Fine Oak (Highland Park Spirit of the Bear used)
• 1 oz. Lustau Oloroso (Faraon used)
• 1/2 oz. Aperol (Ambrosia Apertivo used)
• 1/2 oz. Gran Classico (Suze used)
• 1 lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe. Twist the lemon over the glass and discard.

 

Shruff's End

This scotch cocktail is really going for medicinal flavors. There's nothing wrong with it, but it is a little jarring to smell and taste something that has iodine and plastic notes in it like a hospital wing or a box of Band-Aid bandages.

All of the ingredients are designed to magnify the medicinal quality, from the Peychaud's bitters to the Islay scotch--Laphroaig 10 is specified--and even the Benedictine and apple brandy are a calculated ploy to add other properties to the nose and taste that strike one as a medicinal compound from a pharmacy. And let's face it, cocktails were born at pharmacies and were used as curatives for all sorts of things before Prohibition and the FDA. It just takes a little getting used to these flavors. After sitting with them for a while, you start to appreciate what this cocktail is doing with ingredients; and you do start to feel like it is having a healthful effect on you. 

I'm not sure what occasion warrants a dose of Shruff's End, but this is clearly not a drink for all occasions and more of a specific tool for scratching a particularly unusual itch.

• 1 oz. Laphroaig 10 (Laphroaig Select used(
• 1 oz. Laird's bonded apple brandy (Applejack 86 used)
• 1/2 oz. Benedictine
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

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

Faithful Scotsman (Death & Co Recipe)

 

A stirred drink with pineapple and lemon juice? Even weirder is the toasted whole cumin syrup. But how does it taste? Amazing. And yes, it all works.

Death & Co. has taught me that a rich syrup cocktail with juice can be stirred and swerved on the rocks like an Old Fashioned or, in this case, something very similar to the Harlem Cocktail. 

Again the tropical Island cocktail works well with scotch. Roasted barley whiskies like scotch also go well with savory notes as well. I'm talking about the cumin syrup. To make this golden syrup, toast 1 tbsp. of whole cumin seeds in a saucepan for about three minutes before adding 1/2 cup of water and sugar. Cook until it reduces and the sugar is dessolved. Then strain through fine mesh or cheesecloth. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Compass Box Asyla Scotch (Speyburn 10 used)
  
• 1/4 oz. Massenez creme de peche (1/4 oz. Evan William's peach bourbon used)
• 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. cumin syrup 
• 1 pineapple leaf garnsih

Stir all ingredients, then strain into a double rocks glass over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with the pineapple leaf. 

Grouse Rampant (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

"X" Marks the spot with the Grouse Rampant. This a spicy take on the classic egg white foamed Sours served in a coupe glass. There are some very specialized ingredients at work here: fuji apple infused Famous Grouse scotch is the main one, requiring a few days panning in advance. Then there's honey and cinnamon syrup (or cinnamon whiskey flavored honey syrup in my case.) Finally the Peychaud's bitters "X" makes this drink as fun to look at--almost, anyway--as drinking.

To make the infusion of fuji apples, I used one large fuji apple diced and a half bottle of Famous Grouse. Apples infuse quickly, so 24 hours is all that is really needed to get rich apple flavors from the fruit. But after a few days the scotch loses a lot of its smoke and pepper and you are left with something like a sweet apple whiskey.

I make my cinnamon syrups with MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey. A few drops per cocktail (added right to the jigger) is all I need to transform honey or ordinary simple into something similar to cooking cinnamon sticks into the syrup. So as long as I have this shortcut available, I'm taking it. 

• 2 oz. fuji apple-infused Famous Grouse Scotch
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. acacia honey syrup
• 1/4 oz. cinnamon bark syrup (1/2 oz. honey syrup and 1/4 oz. MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey used)
• 1 egg white
• Peychaud's bitters

Combine all ingredients except bitters in a shaker and dry shake to create foam. Add ice and shake again to chill and strain into a chilled coupe. Use Peychaud's bitters to form an "X" on the foam in two swipes.

Vejk Sling (Death & Co. Recipe)

Slings are popular, tasty and easy to make. They are some of the oldest cocktails in history, and yet they are not going away anytime soon. Basically, you need only a base spirit, some juice and soda, and a dash of a flavorful liqueur or a garnish usually helps distinguish one sling from another.

This Sling is mostly distinguished by scotch. It needs little else to make it interesting, however Dolin blanc and orange bitters send it in an appropriately fruity direction. Furthermore, a chamomile infusion in the Dolin blanc adds earthiness and apple-like notes

• 2 oz. Compass Box Asyla scotch (Spyburn 10-year-old used)
• 1 oz. chamomile-infused Dolin blanc vermouth
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 dash Bittermen's orange bitters (Hella used)
• club soda
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with soda and twist the lemon zest over the drink and drop it in. 

 

Scottish Dram

 

Pretty much any cocktail you make with Drambuie will be good--and it will taste Scottish. That is because Drambuie is a liqueur with teroir. It is made from aged scotch, heather honey and Scottish botanicals. It's pretty amazing stuff. From putting it in your coffee to a few drops in your cocktail, it has the potential to change your whole experience.

This cocktail is a take on the Rusty Nail, a common drink for scotch enthusiasts from way back before the single malt craze. Usually an inexpensive scotch is used to spread the Drambuie flavor around in a rocks glass full of ice. This time it is up, neat and dry, in a recipe almost as simple as the Rusty Nail.

• 2 oz. scotch (Speyburn 10-year-old used)
• 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi di Torino used)
• 1/4 oz. Drambuie
• 1 dash Pechaud's bitters

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

Eye of the Torino (Death & Co. recipe)

 

Scotch from Islay is still an island spirit. That's the thinking behind Eye of the Torino. Death & Co. is at it again, changing people's expectations of spirits like Scotch. No, even a single malt scotch like Bowmore 12 doesn't have to be trapped in a Glencairn glass or on the rocks. You can make an excellent Tiki cocktial with single malt from Islay because it has a rich profile similar to rum. 

Yes. Bowmore 12 (or in this case McClelland's Islay, which is my less expensive way to get Bowmore in a different label) is the main ingredient in this tropical drink that features huge coconut flavors. The title of the drink suggests the need to hide Cocchi di Torino in a fruity drink that resembles a Bahama Momma. With all the coconut, pineapple, cream and orgeat, it's hard to taste that sweet vermouth, but spicy scotch still stands out with peat notes and a bit of smoke. But don't tell your Tiki drinking friends it's in there, just pretend it is smoke from the Tiki torches. 

This drink is intended to be served in a coconut shell, which is a lot of trouble to get and cut. I figured a large Tiki mug would be fitting. 

• 2 oz. Bowmore 12-year scotch
• 1/2 oz. cocchi vermouth di Torino
• 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. orgeat
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. coconut cream
• 1/4 oz. heavy cream
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash chocolate mole bitters
• 1 pineapple wedge and cherry flag for garnish

Combine all ingredients is a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coconut mug (or Tiki mug, as pictured) full of crushed ice. Use a pick to pin the stem cherry to the pineapple wedge and stick it on the rim.

Scotch Lady

 

The Pink Lady is a great gin cocktail that is at once classic and up-and-coming in the bar scenes. It's a descendant of the Fizz without soda. Now that gin is coming back, The Pink Lady is popular again. I think it is because it is so light and refreshing, and that means a change in the base spirit changes the drink. Any restaurant can swap out a unique gin, something like Old Tom or infused gins, and you have a drink that many will enjoy as if for the first time. 

This rendition, the Scotch Lady, is a simple swap out of ingredients that goes slightly richer with apple brandy and scotch as the main ingredients. When you first try it, you get mostly apple and lemon notes. A lot of the freshness of the Pink Lady. In the aftertaste, there is a throaty hum of peat and malt from scotch. Famous Grouse is a nice blend for this drink because it isn't shy. A rustic blend, the Grouse has character by itself but is tame with company like egg white and lemon juice. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Famous Grouse scotch
• 1/2 oz. Laird's Applejack 86 
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• 1/4 oz. grenadine
• 1 egg white
• brandied cherry garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a shaker and shake without ice. Then add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled coup and garnish with a cherry. 

The Highlander

 

I love scotch; I love the peat smoke, the sweet maltiness of the barley, and the raisin-like fug of sherry cask that you get from whisky of the northern Scottish Highlands. For me, a chilled scotch cocktail is a rival of any bourbon or rye Manhattan. But quality single malt scotch is super expensive right now. It's not something that you just want to throw into a mixed drink and slam quickly. That is why I went to some effort to create a scotch cocktail using local Virginia whiskey.

Scotch has a flavor that is hard to imitate with other ingredients. Blended scotch is particularly hard, but it is possible to knock off regional expressions of the Highland spirit. Highland whiskey is well rounded, with it's maltiness central to the flavor profile. Smoke is understated in most cases, but some distillers rely on used sherry casks to finish their whisky. In The Highlander, I bring together each of these flavor notes from three different ingredients: Virginia beer whiskey, smoked black tea leaves, and amontillado sherry.

First, a limited release of MurLarkey Brutality uses Octoberfest beer for its mash build. That means actual beer, hops and all, is distilled and aged for two years in oak. The whiskey is then proofed down with more beer, which gives Brutality its mellow malty flavor. Octoberfest lager is malty beer to begin with. That brings this Virginia whiskey closer to scotch than bourbon. German style hops linger in the finish, also imitating the style of Highland peat water. 

For smoke, I used a tsp. of lapsang souchong tea leaves steeped in whiskey. This black tea that is smoked on pine embers. When steeped in whiskey, it is not as smokey as it is if you steep it in hot water. This is further downplayed when used in small proportion in the cocktail, but it hints at smoke that the Brutality does not have in itself.

Finally I cut the corner of finishing in sherry by adding amontillado sherry in a small proportion. This also rounds out some of the beer notes of the Brutality and takes the flavor toward the fruitier style of Highland whiskey. 

• 2 oz. MurLarkey Brutality Octoberfest whiskey
• 1/2 oz. lapsang souchong infused whiskey
• 1/2 oz. amontillado sherry

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

Eric The Red

I've done this cocktail before, but I wanted to return to it with a single malt that is better balanced. I especially liked Highland Park Spirit of the Bear bottling for cocktails. It is fitting to use the distillery that brands itself as the viking scotch for a drink commemorating a viking.

This drinks is rich, but better balanced than the Red Dane (following post) because of the dry vermouth that gives it space and the fact that scotch, especially a single malt like Orkney Highland Park is pretty balanced to begin with. Add to that the high proportion of scotch versus the rest of the ingredients and you have a cocktail that is great and difficult to mess up.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch (Highland Park Spirit of the Bear used)
• 1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
• 1 tsp. dry vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a large cube (or any fresh ice).

Freefall (Tiki Version)

This is a great tropical scotch drink. I've done it many times to prove that scotch and pineapple juice are awesome together. This time, I went all out and used crushed ice and mint. A tall pilsner glass also makes a big difference with presentation.

• 2 oz. scotch 
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. creme de cacao
• mint sprig

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and strain with open gate into a chilled pilsner glass. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig. 

Scotch & Milk

What's this? I mean, really... What? An old man showed asked me to make this at the bar today. It turns out that scotch and milk, specifically Dewar's and milk is not so bad after all. This is, of course, the time of year when you will drink the strangest things because it is part of a holiday tradition. I'm talking about eggnog. If you think that is normal, than' what's wrong with scotch and milk.

The milk simply softens the scotch's liquor flavors and gives the drink fattiness on the mouthfeel. Scotch is naturally spicy, so it fits with a holiday theme. I thought this was so funny I had to post it.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch (Dewar's recommended)
• 1 1/2 oz. milk

Build drink in a rocks glass full of ice and stir.

Derbey Fizz

There's a few Derby cocktails out there, but I don't think these have anything to do with Kenducky, or else I'd see bourbon in this drink. This whole egg fizz is unique in that it uses scotch and doesn't just ask for the egg white. I chose a kolsh glass simply because I needed the space for all the ingredients, and that whole egg was pretty big.

The effect of this cocktail is a silky and fizzy taste that pairs peaty scotch and triple sec very well. It is definitely a dessert drink, but the lemon and triple sec keep it light and easy to sip.

I'm not going to recommend doing this cocktail over other fizzes, but as a member of the fizz category, I think it is valuable and proves the point that eggs are important in changing the texture of a cocktail, even a fizzy one. A whole egg changes the color as well, and gives a drink a thickness that cream cannot match, especially when mixed with lemon juice.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. triple sec
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• sparkling water

Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker and shake until foamy. Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain over fresh ice in a highball glass, top with sparkling water and stir.

Pyewacket's Revenge

This is a very esoteric name for a simple drink. Let me break down some of the history of it's name. Pyewacket was supposedly the name of a "familiar spirit" that an Essex, England, woman consorted with when she was tried for witchcraft in 1644. The name has been applied to black cats, experimental missiles, and witch characters in comedies ever since. It's strange to see such a singular name have no human antecedent!

Then there's the drink. Just 1 1/2 oz. of scotch in an Old Fashioned glass topped with cola. Here's the recipe just for consistency's sake:

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch
• cola (about 6 ounces)
• lemon peel

And you just build it in a glass with ice. The lemon peel actually does a lot to change the nature of the drink, both in the nose and on the tongue. But there's a strange sensation when you drink through the sweet cola and taste the peat of scotch and sense the alcohol in there. It's kind of cheap tasting and a little gross. There are better ways to drink scotch and better ways to enjoy a Coke, for sure.

Flying Scot

Ever wonder what a frozen Rob Roy would taste like? Now you can find out with the Flying Scotsman. Ordinarily the term "flying" implies a strong drink like the Flying Grasshopper. This one has none of the sense of a fortified cocktail. Rather, it is a beguiling and bitter frozen slurp. I recommend using lots of bitters because really cold slush tends to dampen flavors. Antica formula vermouth also made this a paradoxically rich and bitter drink. Not all frozen drinks need to taste like Popsicles. And the cherry is optional, but like a Rob Roy, the drink needed a cherry for contrast.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• 3-5 dashes of angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass.

Walters

I expected Walters, a juicy scotch cocktail, to be watery and uninteresting. My feeling was that whoever this Walter guy was, he didn't like scotch much. But after making the drink, I noticed that there was a lot of smoke and spice sneaking through. I shouldn't have been surprised, Johnny Walker red label is one of the more robust blended scotches. It doesn't go quietly into a cocktail. Maybe Walter wasn't much of a Johnny Walker fan. Or maybe he was.

• 3 oz. scotch
• 1/2 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

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

Glasgow

Glasgow is the whisky capital of Scotland. Most blend recipes are maintained by master blenders working in the city. This is a soft cocktail that makes use of almond syrup or orgeat to make a sour drink more smooth. It makes for one of the best rocks sippers. For this recipe, I chose Cutty Sark's Prohibition Edition, which already has a caramel candy flavor to go with the almond.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. almond syrup

Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice.

Shetland Pony

I was waiting to try this drink once I got another bottle of Irish Mist. Then I realized that I could go to the Dubliner and have the drink made for me there. After a little searching, the bartender found the Irish Mist--the trouble was the way the bottle is now labeled as a honey whiskey and not a liqueur. Not that the Irish Mist recipe has changed, but the liqueur is trying to benefit from the popularity of honey whiskey and has changed its appearance and so confused those who already know and love the sweet and spicy liqueur.

Shetland Pony is a cute name for this cute drink that effectively combines Ireland and Scotland into a bit of a mutt of a drink. It's lovely and full of complex spice and citrus, not to mention peatiness from the scotch. Bitters makes the whole thing pop, and I definitely had the classiest looking drink at the bar.

• 2 oz. scotch (Dewar's white label used)
• 3/4 oz. Irish Mist
• dash orange bitters.

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

Kiss Me Again

This drink is one of the short "Kiss" series. I made it before making the original Kiss Me Quick, which will follow. This is served up with an orange slice.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch
• 1/2 egg white
• several dashes Pernod
• orange twist

Combine scotch, egg whit and Pernod in a shaker in ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange slice.

Morning Glory Fizz

So there's a handful of morning drinks involving scotch. I'm guessing that this has to do with reducing the pain of hangovers if scotch was the drink of choice the night before. So these scotch drinks are the equivalent of a Corpse Reviver or Bloody Mary, except with grapefruit juice in the case of the Highland Morning, or egg in the case of the Morning Glory and Morning Glory Fizz. The latter cocktail including club soda to make a tall fizzy drink with egg white.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 1/4 oz Pernod (Absente Refined used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 egg white
• dash Peychaud' bitters
• club soda
• lemon slice

Combine scotch, lemon juice, Pernod, sugar and egg white in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a Collins glass. Add more ice and top with club soda. Stir gently and decorate with lemon slice.