Kamikazi

I forgot how delicious a Kamikazi is when made with quality vodka. Three ounces of vodka, in such large proportion to the other ingredients, really makes the vodka you choose a main feature of the drink. I enjoyed sipping a Divine Clarity Kamikazi with it's 100-percent potato vodka. This is a really clean vodka that is still produced in small batches. You can find it in Virginia ABC stores now, but if you can't get MurLarkey spirits, make sure you use a good vodka. That will keep this drink from sliding back to the pre-craft era of the 90's when bad cocktails were the norm.

• 3 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. triple sec
• lime wedge

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lime wedge. 

Polynesian Cocktail

The Polynesian Cocktail is really an attempt at making a cocktail taste tropical with traditional bar ingredients. There are no native Polynesian spirits, so vodka is an acceptable base. The flavor comes from cherry brandy, which would be very rich if it wasn't for the citrus juices.

In the photo I'm paying homage to Duke Kahanamoku, the famous Hawaiian surfer, with this necklace of shells and coaster. These ideas are loosely connected to the theme of Polynesia. 

• 2 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1 oz. cherry brandy (Heering used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• lime wedge 
• sugar

Rim a cocktail glass with sugar. Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Gumdrop Martini

This was a complicated drink with difficult-to-handle garnishes. Why? Gumdrops have a mind of their own, and I didn't want them just sitting at the bottom of the glass, even though that is a perfectly good serving suggestion. The gumdrops do look beautiful on the edge of that sugar rim.

The 90's are responsible for funny ideas like the Gumdrop Martini, back when vodka drinks emulated candy and almost encouraged children to drink. (JollyBartender does not advocate for underage drinking.) It was the age of vodka and people's tastes were simpler then. Alcohol had to taste like candy to entice new drinkers. I know some people who have not evolved beyond this drinking trend. For this reason a 90's vintage bar manual will be full of vodka drinks with these kinds of flavors.

For this cocktail I made my own lemon flavored rum rather than use the Bacardi Limon that was common back in the 90's. This is a simple infusion of the zest of one lemon and four ounces of light rum. A ready-made alternative available in Virginia can be found in MurLarkey's lemon whiskey, which is made the same way but with a whiskey base. If you can get that, you'll also find that Divine Clarity is a suitable vodka at a decent price.

• 2 oz. lemon flavored rum (homemade infusion used)
• 1 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort (Bird Dog peach whiskey used)
• 1/2 tsp. dry vermouth
• lemon slice
• gumdrops
• sugar

Rim a cocktail glass with sugar. Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the glass and garnish with a lemon slice and gumdrops. 

Pineapple Lemonade

This is an easy drink to pull off with canned pineapple juice and lemonade, two common bar staples. I'm surprised how special it tastes, despite this. Pineapple Lemonade is the kind of drink that I want to recommend to beginner home bartenders.

• 2  oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 3 oz. pineapple juice
• lemonade

Combine vodka and pineapple juice in a Collins glass full of ice. Top with lemonade and stir. 

Apple Pie

Unusually, I made this entire cocktail with bootleg moonshine. I can't tell you where I got the stuff, but it is a very small amount, as you can see in the jars in the photo above. Vanilla infused vodka is a major part of the flavor of this drink. I made it by dropping a vanilla bean in a jar of vodka and let it infuse for several days.

The apple brandy I used is actually an infusion of winesap apples in apple brandy (moonshine). I used this in place of Calvados, which also has a strong apple flavor. Either of these spirits is preferable to applejack, which doesn't have much flavor.

As it was, this moonshine cocktail was too strong to enjoy. I recommend adding a touch of simple syrup or even a splash of water to make it more refreshing.

• 3 oz. vanilla flavored vodka (vanilla infused vodka used)
• 1/2 oz. Calvados (apple infused apple brandy used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• apple slice

Combine liquid ingredients in a Collins glass full of ice. Stir and garnish with the apple slice. 

Aqueduct Cocktail

This enigmatically named cocktail feels like it is trying to be European, but mixing a cocktail with vodka is mostly an American thing. More complex than a Lemon Drop Martini, the Aqueduct Cocktail has noticeably rich stone fruit flavor in addition to citrus. 

• 2 oz. Vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1 1/2 tsp. curacao
• 1 tsp. apricot brandy
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• lemon twist

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

Vodka Cooler

The Vodka Cooler is unusual in that it is one vodka drink that accentuates the flavor (little that it may be) of the vodka rather than trying to change it with syrups, liquors or juices. A quality vodka has a pleasant mouthfeel and richness, not just burn. It comes from multiple distillations and careful filtration.

MurLarkey Distillery gave me their Divine Clarity potato vodka to play with, and I am enjoying using it in non-traditional ways. This vodka recently won gold in the San Francisco Spirits Competition for craft vodka. They are still a small craft distillery and the quality of this spirit reflects this.

• 2 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• sparkling water
• lemon peel

Combine vodka and sugar in a Collins glass full of ice. Fill with sparkling water and stir. Garnish with the lemon twist. 

Pink Lemonade

Pink Lemonade is a flavored vodka and lemonade drink. The New York Bartender's Guide suggests maraschino liqueur, but the better maraschino cherry liqueurs are colorless and will not make the drink pink as its name suggests. Cherry Heering is the obvious solution to this problem. It does make the drink a red-pink color and really increases the amount of alcohol in the drink.

• 2 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• 1 oz. maraschino liqueur (Cherry Heering used)
• lemonade

 Combine vodka and liqueur in a Collins glass full of ice. Top with lemonade and stir.

Lemon Drop (Shot)

Sometimes a shot is just a shot. Vodka needs drinking and the flavors that follow are intended to help it along. The Lemon Drop shot predates the Lemon Drop Martini of the 90s. It is essentially a Tequila Shot but with sugar instead of salt.

The experience that this shot is selling is physical and it changes as you go through the motions. For this reason, it can't be called a cocktail; it is a serving suggestion.

Start with a quality shot of vodka--a 100-percent potato vodka like MurLarkey Distillery's Divine Clarity is a good choice. Place a pinch of sugar in the natural indentation between your thumb and wrist and hold a lemon slice in the same hand. Begin by licking the sugar off your wrist, then drink the shot in one swallow, and finish by biting and sucking on the lemon wedge.

• 2 oz. vodka (Divine Clarity used)
• sugar
• lemon wedge

Fancy Brandy

People ask me to make a cognac drink that really shows off the flavor of the brandy. This Fancy Brandy cocktail really does this. It's really similar to an Old Fashioned cocktail made with brandy.

I originally hoped to do this drink with a rich American brandy, but not finding one that is suitable when the desire struck me, I opted for cognac. I was glad that I did. This will be the perfect drink that fits that guest request for the cognac drink. The portion is small, so rather than use a cocktail glass, I like to serve it in a sour or cordial glass.

• 2 oz. brandy (cognac please)
• 1/2 tsp. Cointreau
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients except lemon twist in a shaker with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (cordial glass pictured) and garnish with a lemon twist.

Sundowner

What a beautiful name for an amazing rum cocktail. Rum and tonic is not so bad an idea in itself, but all of these tropical additions really up the game of this rum and tonic drink. First, the recipe calls for gold rum--which is really more a description of a color of the rum more than anything to do with it's flavor. Cruzan rums only include the label stating "aged rum" no matter the color of the spirit. But just for fun I used Cruzan 151-proof and the silver rum to give this drink some richness and a real punch of alcohol.

There's also lime juice, maraschino liqueur and curacao in there to make things even more tropical. I used Q tonic for an especially rich and bitey rum cocktial.

• 2 oz. gold rum (1 oz. Cruzan rum and 1 oz. Cruzan 151-proof rum)
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. maraschino liqueur
• 1/4 tsp. curacao
• tonic 
• lime slice

Combine all ingredients except for tonic and lime slice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass full of ice. Add tonic and stir. Garnish with lime slice. 

Count Stroganoff

I've made this drink before. It has that unmistakable taste of lemon juice sweetened by creme de cacao. But the last time the drink had more lemon juice and possibly a gin base. This cocktail makes a lot of sense, it tastes classic, if not a bit too sweet, but there's nothing unplesent here. And that I think is the point of Count Stroganoff, a classic Russian-themed cocktail named after the famous Russian historian, art collector and philanthropist (Sergei Gregoryevich--I think) and owner of the Stroganov palace.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

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

Shark Bite

More shark drinks with grenadine, this one is a delicious frozen dark rum cocktail. Dark rum tends to have a sweet taste, and this drink goes further with sweetness, adding a whole ounce of grenadine. This might not be necessary. The orange juice does a lot to spread the tartness out, but for a boat drink, the Shark Bite is very nice.

• 2 oz. dark rum (Pusser's British Navy Rum used)
• 3 oz. orange juice
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled wine glass. 

Caribbean Champagne

Caribbean Champagne is a rummy sparkling cocktail with banana notes. You can do it with creme de bananes and light rum, but that makes the drink cloudy with sugar and yellow dye. Cruzan banana rum is sweetened and flavored rum that doesn't have any artificial coloring. Skip using light rum and just use the banana rum instead for a clear sparkling wine cocktail with Caribbean appeal.

• 1/2 tsp. light rum
• 1/2 tsp. creme de banana (use a whole tsp. of Cruzan banana rum for simplicity and clarity.)
• champagne or sparkling wine
• banana slice

Add rum and banana liqueur in a chilled champagne flute. Top with champagne and garnish with a banana slice. 

Devil's Tail

This is a final Devil-themed cocktail, notably a blended drink in a champagne flute with a curious green twist of lime peel. It looks devilish, but I imagine the name comes from it being a rum drink and the old slander for the spirit--Demon Rum!

I like that this light fruity cocktail can still have a rich center with a tasty rum like Buzzard Point by District Distilling Co. This panela sugar rum has a natural and unrefined taste of the fresh pressed cane sugar that it is made from.

• 2 oz. light rum (Buzzard Point used)
• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 tsp. apricot brandy
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 2 tsp grenadine
• lime twist

Combine liquid ingredients in a blender with cracked ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled champagne flute and garnish with a lime twist.

Purple Passion

I just wanted to begin with a rant against grape juice that is mostly apple juice. When the bottle says 100 percent juice, it doesn't mean grapes. That's why when you mix with it, the drink doesn't become purple like the juice.

This drink is quite nice, whatever the color. I'm sure it would be more purple if the juice was 100 percent grape juice, but I doubt it would be much different with four ounces of grapefruit juice in there as well.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 4 oz. grape juice
• 4 oz. grapefruit juice

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

Shark Attack

I always thought that the Shark Attack was a showy drink that was supposed to look like blood in the water. Following the directions, though creates a pink lemonade drink that is pretty sweet. Not a bad drink but you lose that moment when you add the grenadine to make it look like blood in the water. Just thought I'd try this drink again to show it after it is stirred. For a look at the drink before stirring see my first attempt.

• 3 oz. vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. lemonade
• 2 dashes grenadine

Build drink in a Collins glass with ice and stir. 

Tropical Cocktail

It may seem antithetical to suggest a tropical cocktail that has no juices and is composed solely of liqueurs. But this drink succeeds in being tropical--a sort of liqueur Tutti Fruity with no actual fruit. It is also sweet, with creme de cacao and maraschino liqueur. That doesn't make it a bad idea. Just don't make it your first drink of the night. It is suited to a dessert, much like the liqueurs that compose it.

• 2 oz. creme de cacao
• 1 1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur (use Luxardo)
• 1 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters

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

Spanish Town

The Spanish Town is one of those quality liqueur cocktails that rests on an flavorless base. It is a way to spread out the good stuff and make it last in what becomes a much more potent drink. The specified liqueur in this drink is Cointreau. This deluxe orange liqueur is more complex and drier than budget brand triple sec. It is triple sec, however. Early bottles of Cointreau stated this at one time to avoid confusion--triple sec being one of the most prominent ingredients in all cocktail books.

This drink is very simple, and its simplicity will give it lasting power. You can go to almost any bar and order it if you know the proportions. Here they are.

• 3 oz. light rum (Bacardi superior used)
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau

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

Black Magic

This drink, basically a Black Russian, can go two ways. It can be sweet and juicy or dry and bitter. I went for the latter as a contrast to the Black Russian. You can't do this if you use Kahlua or your sugary coffee liqueurs, though.

MurLarkey distillery gave me a bottle of coffee whiskey to use and I felt that this dry spirit was needed here. This whiskey is basically cold brew coffee infused white whiskey. So now the drink comes across as a cup of cold espresso with a touch of lemon. Add sugar to taste, just like espresso, but you won't miss Kahlua if you are a real coffee and vodka drinker. Here's to having both at once.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur (MurLarkey coffee whiskey used)
• sugar to taste
• 1-2 dashes lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into an Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice.

Pantomime

This cocktail will take some getting used to. Vermouth lovers, and I'm beginning to count myself as one, will like the wine-forward flavor of this drink. Rivata is much spicier than French vermouth that I know and love. There's a lot going on here, though. Orgeat for sweetness and grenadine for the color, as well as egg white and all of it blended until fluffy. This is not a cocktail that comes highly recommended. I'm more excited to have made this obscure drink that isn't sure if it is tiki, or a pre-prohibition classic.

• 3 oz. dry vermouth (Rivata used)
• 3-5 dashes grenadine
• 3-5 dashes orgeat
• egg white

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and fluffy and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Palmetto Cocktail

This is one of the many rum Martini variations. It gets a punch of exotic flavors more from the amount of dry vermouth and bitters than anything else. A whole ounce of dry vermouth, especially a spicy one, makes this cocktail very much more like a wine drink with a strong alcoholic kick. The name though suggests a palm tree, a tropical landscape, and a rum cocktail among many.

• 2 oz. light rum (Cruzan used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

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

Ich Bin

I've been putting this cocktail off for a long time; the main reason is I don't want that much cream. But I like this drink in concept. Think of it as an Eggnog with apple brandy and Curacao. The color of the spirit and the addition of two ounces of cream make it fluffy white, and extremely rich.

• 2 oz. apple brandy 
• 1/2 oz. Curacao
• 2 oz. half-and-half
• 1 egg yolk
• freshly grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender with cracked ice. Blend until smooth and fluffy and pour into a chilled sour glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. 

Derby Special

Derby drinks are mostly juicy rum cocktails that are served up. This cocktail is especially fruity with Cointreau to boost that orange juice center. Think of the Derby Special as a Daiquiri meets Margarita.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 oz. lime juice

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

Moonshot

If you want a light and refreshing and light, clammy cocktail--this is perhaps the only one in the New York Bartender's Guide that doesn't turn into a Bloody Mary. This bottle of Wild Irish that Glendalough distillery sent me last year is not only a bright and uplifting gin to use with clam juice, it is also apropos Irish like Co. Conemara's famous cocktail.

I kept my dash of Tabasco light for this one so I could appreciate the gin, which come across as extremely fresh. This is because the botanicals that Glendalough uses are foraged from the wilds around the distillery and distilled with the gin the same day they are picked. It can be said that the taste of this gin is an expression of the natural environment of Glendalough.

• 2 oz. gin (Glendalough Wild Irish botanical gin used)
• 3 oz. clam juice
• dash Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into an (double) Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. 

Golden Hornet (Copper Hornet variation)

I've made this rocks drink with sherry before, but never with Amontillado sherry and never with American single malts. I'm back to using my gifts from Copper Fox to show what different directions these spirits can go.

Vir Gin gin and the Wasmund Single Malt whiskey mix very well together because they are made from the same single malted barley. The Wasmund malt is smoked with cherry and apple wood so it has the mouthfeel and nose of a robust scotch without the peat. It was an easy choice to ditch the carmel-tasting blend I used before (and the overly sweet blend of sherry). Now it is more reserved, a little more cohesive as a cocktail, since whiskey and gin don't usually mix so well.

• 2 oz. gin (Copper Fox Vir Gin used)
• 1/2 oz. scotch (Wasmund single malt used)
• 1/2 oz. amontillado sherry
• lemon twist

Combine gin and sherry in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into an Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Float scotch on top and add lemon twist garnish.

Valencia Cocktail

Valencia is a large city on Spain's east coast. This cocktail is a little more refined than the Straight Law Cocktail with a bit more gin and a twist. It's the perfect size for a coupe glass.

Vir Gin, a gin that Copper Fox distillery gave me to play with, has a wonderfully malty and rich body that comes with its all single malt barley base. There's a ton of botanicals in it as well, including basil, rosemary, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and lemongrass. It goes well with a little nutty and rich Amontillado sherry.

• 2 oz. gin (Copper Fox Vir Gin used)
• 1 oz. Amontillado sherry (Lustau Los Arcos)
• lemon twist

Combine gin and sherry in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon. 

Straight Law Cocktail

The name of this cocktail suggests that this drink belongs to the "Judge" category of cocktails. These are usually a clear spirit served up with juices or wines. On second look, though, this is a simple stirred cocktail designed to spread out the rich nutty flavor of Amontillado sherry.

I chose to use ImaGination gin that MurLarkey Distillery gave me because it has a deep earthy character. You mostly notice the large proportion of sherry in this drink, but that one ounce of ImaGination comes through with botanicals like grains of paradise.

• 3 oz. Amontillado sherry Lustau Los Arcos used)
• 1 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination gin used)

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

Cherry Cooler

When did a "cooler" begin to imply a cola drink? I've seen more than one cola "cooler," but this one stands out as the best. It has to do with Kammer Kirsch's high 45-percent ABV and its bright cherry flavor that is not unlike rum. Yes, this is just a cherry cola (Pepsi pictured), but it is also a good drink, specifically because of its simplicity.

• 2 oz. kirschwasser (Kammer Kirsch used)
• cola
• lemon slice

Build drink in a Collins glass full of ice. Pour kirsch into the glass and top with cola. Stir gently and garnish with the lemon slice. 

Cafe Romano

As far as dessert drinks go, the Cafe Romano is one of those excellent mixes of liqueurs and cream that have been around a long time but are often overlooked.

Part of the reason this drink doesn't fly in the U.S. is the use of sambuca and our hesitance to mix with it, particularly with Kahlua. But the Cafe Romano is evidence that this works. Even people who hate the taste of anise (which is most Americans) have to admit that this drink mellows and improves the bitterness of sambuca.

• 1 oz. white sambuca
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. half and half

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

Bongo Cola

Yes, there is cola in this drink, so the temptation is to view it as a special Rum and Coke. It's more than that. Actually, the Bongo Cola is very tiki-themed. The ugly color of the liquid after juice and liqueurs are added almost requires a tiki mug (pictured left) just to hide the drink. But there's reason to put Bongo Cola on full display--namely it's surprising simplicity and unexpected flavor experience.

The recipe calls for gold rum, but I think any aged rum will do so long as it isn't heavily molasses flavored or spiced. You want the drink to taste light and fizzy, not like Christmas. I used equal parts of Cruzan 151 and white rum to achieve this, and that made it pretty strong.

My own coffee liqueur suffices for that rich cold brew coffee and coke flavor that's made in heaven. Kirschwasser is a curious addition that I think would be more effective if substituted with maraschino liqueur, but I have kirsch so I use it when directed.

• 2 oz. gold rum (Cruzan rums used)
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• dash kirschwasser
• dash lemon juice
• cola
• maraschino cherry

Combine juice and liquors in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with cola and stir gently. Garnish with the cherry. 

Imperial Cocktail

Sometimes a standard Martini isn't enough in terms of liquor or flavor. That's when you need an Imperial Cocktail. The word "imperial" implies lots of things in the world of drinks. Often it denotes an especially alcoholic drink. This is true here. There's a good punch of gin and a whole ounce of dry vermouth. Imperial also means richly flavored or something extra has been added. That can be witnessed with the dashes of Angostura and maraschino liqueur.

For this cocktail I chose KO's Navy Strength gin at 114 proof. That was enough to set this Martini variation over the top.

• 2 oz. gin (KO Battle Standard Navy Strength gin used)
• 1 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin dry used)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/2 tsp. maraschino liqueur

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

Kangaroo

Like the Boomerang (previous entry) the Kangaroo is a Martini variation with a hefty amount of vermouth. Also like the Boomerang, there's some kind of allusion to Australia. I don't understand why. But if it looks like a kangaroo, and hops like a kangaroo, than it must be one.

This cocktail is made with vodka and a hefty dose of dry vermouth. I'm open to trying different vermouths, since the cocktail is mostly a wine drink and its flavor will be determined by the kind of vermouth you use.

Something nice about this drink is the ease with which it can be prepared. You only need three ingredients and a mixing glass.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. dry vermouth
• lemon twist

Combine vodka and vermouth in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into an Old Fashioned glass with fresh (large cube) ice. Twist lemon peel over the drink and drop it in. 

Boomerang

I like this Martini variation with a dash of Angostura bitters and maraschino liqueur serve to make it a little more special. There's a few of these types out there, so I guess the name suggests a recipe that keeps coming back.

• 2 oz. gin (Plymouth used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters
• dash maraschino liqueur
• lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.