Modern #1

Ever since I made the Modern #2, I've been looking for a good Modern #1 recipe. The problem is that this is very much a sloe gin cocktail, not a scotch or rum one. This makes it significantly wetter and juicy. Hella orange bitters helped dry the flavor out and give it some complexity. Interestingly, I found myself relishing the plum and absinthe flavor that rises from this drink and that the bitters help along. Another interesting point was how well Johnnie Walker Red Label blended with the flavors, only appearing mid sip and almost unnoticably. I recommend trying this with more peaty single malts for more spice or a softer blend for something silkier.

• 1 1/2 oz. sloe gin
• 3/4 oz. scotch
• several dashes triple sec
• several dashes Pernod
• several dashes orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain over fresh ice in an 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. 

Spirit Of Scotland

This cocktail features Drambuie, the proprietary "spirit of Scotland." It is Scotland's answer to Irish Mist, Southern Comfort, and Chambord (or maybe Chartreuse). So the Spirit Of Scotland is lemon juice, scotch and a liqueur that is made of old (reportedly 15-year-old) scotch and heather honey and spices. You can use a pretty uninspired blended scotch for the base liquor--it is really only intended to turn a small amount of Drambuie into a cocktail-sized portion. Johnnie Walker red label will be more than adequate because it has a lot of character. After trying a cocktail with Johnnie Walker black label, I noticed the smoke and reek of red standing out better than the black label did.

• 2 oz. scotch
• 3/4 oz. Drambuie
• 1/4 oz. lemon juice

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