One, One, One (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

While Death & Company is known for complicated recipes and combining flavors that are seldom experienced together, they are big fans of the three equal-part cocktail. The name says it by itself. I picked up a bottle of Dolin blanc just for this drink, and it is necessary to give it any sweetness and breathing room.

In terms of flavor, I would put this in the category of Martini variations. It is very dry, despite the wetter vermouth, and the orange and spice of bitters and akvavit really distinguish it from anything made with vodka. That said, it is one of Death & Co.'s many Martini variations that I want to try, mostly because I want to drink more gin and akvavit stirred in a cocktail that is easy to make. 

• 1 oz. akvavit (homemade with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey used)
• 1 oz. London dry gin (Citadelle used)
• 1 oz. Dolin blanc
• 1 dash orange bitters (Hella used)

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass full of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Mediterranea Martini (Original Recipe)

I've already made a Greek Martini with kalamata olives and ouzo, so that name is taken. But now that I have feta cheese stuffed olives, I wanted to take another stab at a Mediterranean Martini with gin and Skinos masthia spirit. 

As far as Martinis go, this recipe is not too different from the classic: gin, a half ounce of dry vermouth, and olive garnish. The slight change--and I recommend doing this with gin for the simple reason that you don't exactly want your only note in the drink to be masthia--makes the drink herbal and bright with just a hint of the sweet piney flavor of Skinos. I really like Skinos, especially as a substitute for sweet amari in cocktails, but I don't feel that it needs to be prominent in a Martini. And when I want a Martini, I want spicy gin and herbal dry vermouth. 

This was a somewhat dirty Martini, but not in the traditional sense. The Divina olives are packed with sesame oil, not the usual olive brine. This makes them a little more useful for cooking than cocktails. (If you use olives packed in oil, be sure to rinse them off before putting them in a drink.) Even after rinsing them off, there was a delicious slick of oil floating on top of the glass, adding richness to each sip. 

• 3 oz. gin (homemade dry gin used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1/4 oz. Skynos masthia spirit
• 3 feta cheese stuffed olives (Divina used)

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with olives on a cocktail pick.

 

Shiedam Manhattan (Original Recipe)

 If you get Schiedam gin from the Netherlands or if you can make it yourself, you will enjoy this Manhattan recipe with soft malt and juniper notes for the cooler months. It is nearly the same as any Manhattan recipe out there that uses sweet vermouth, but it substitutes Schiedam gin (A.K.A. my homemade bathtub gin) for whiskey. 

I rather like the spiciness of this cocktail: it has something for both the whiskey drinker and the classic Prohibition-style gin drinker. It's fun and makes your usual Manhattan interesting.

• 2-3 oz. Schiedam gin or low-juniper bathtub gin
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Cocchi di Torino used)
• several dashes orange bitters (Hella used)
• maraschino cherry garnish

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

Classic Cocktails Using Vitae's Modern Rums

 

Rum Martini--Yes it has been done before, but rarely is it this good. That is because mass marketed white rums are blended to be as flavorless as possible. Generally a Bacardi Superior Martini is what you'll find in this niche mixology of replicating a classic cocktail with rum. In the past I've broken from this mold to make a Rum Martini with Cotton and Reed's dry spiced rum. The result was a dry tasting and complex Martini that was similar to one made with gin with a dash of orange bitters. I didn't opt for any garnish, but if I had, I would have used a lemon or lime twist. 

My most recent rendition with Vitae's Platinum rum is closer to a Vodka Martini, however. I knew that the clean flavor of Vitae's rums, and the not too sugary body, would work well with a savory garnish like an olive. Going light on the vermouth was a good call. Just like drinking a Vodka Martini, the main spirit is the thing. 

• 3 oz. Vitae Platinum rum 
• 1/4 oz. dry vermouth (Dolin used)
• 1 olive garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the olive. 

Rum Old Fashioned--It's been done frequently and with much success, but this one is a beauty. Try making an Old Fashioned the traditional way with rich sugar syrup, Angostura bitters, and an orange peel. But make sure that you choose a richly aged rum, not just something that is dark or spiced. Dark rums, especially black strap, are sweetened with molasses, which gives them that dark color. Their flavor will be simply muddy sweetness and ethanol. You should look for a barrel-aged rum with some years on it. These rums are dark from contact with wood and are superior in quality. 

When I first tried Vitae's Barrel Aged Distiller's Reserve rum, I wanted to make Old Fashioneds with it. 

• 2-3 oz. aged dark or gold rum (Vitae's Barrel Aged Distiller's Reserve used)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar syrup
• several dashes Angostura bitters
• lemon, lime or orange peel

Build cocktail in an Old Fashioned glass by disolving sugar syrup and bitter in the rum by stirring. Then add large ice chunks and continue to stir to allow the cocktail to chill. Twist a fruit zest over the drink and drop it in. 

Aged Rum Manhattan--I've never seen this done before, at least not with only rum as the principal ingredient. But I knew that Vitae's Barrel Aged rum would work fine. It is aged in ex bourbon and wine casks, so it picks up plenty of oak and vanilla notes that make it a good substitute for whiskey. Plus the Manhattan is a wine and spirits cocktail, so everything about Vitae's Barrel Aged rum would work well. And does it ever!

• 3 oz. aged dark or gold rum
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth 
• one dash Angostura bitters
• maraschino cherry

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry for garnish. 

Marnier Martini

There's so many Martini variations: many that don't even use the word Martini, but are pretty much the same thing. Still others that carry the name have nothing in common with the classic recipe--I'm looking at you Espresso Martini. The Marnier Martini is more traditional than most. Sometimes the addition of a garnish, whether it be a pickle, a beet, or roasted vegetables, can make a huge difference. For the Marnier, the garnish is anchovies and anchovy vinegar.

Let's start off by saying that this is a cocktail for seafood lovers. You really have to enjoy the briny and salty flavor of anchovies. Whether you use vodka or gin, the overall profile, while light, is going to have ocean funk--hence the name.

To make the anchovy vinegar, simply take a few tiny anchovy fillets and pat them dry. Soak them in enough white wine vinegar that they are submerged (1-2 ounces only unless you plan on making a ton of these). Leave them to soak for at least two days until the anchovy flavor infuses into the vineger. Use the rest of the anchovies in the can for stuffing olives if that is your thing. I find an olive is a great delivery system for these guys, since they don't look too appetizing floating in the drink.

• 2-3 oz. Gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• anchovy infused white wine vinegar (several dashes to 2 tsp. according to taste)
• olives (preferably stuffed with anchovies