St. Patrick's Day Shamrocks

 

The Shamrock is a dessert drink designed for consumption on St. Patrick's Day. The basic formula for most recipes (not the Shamrock #1 which involves green Chartreuse and has no dairy) involves Irish whiskey, milk or cream, and green creme de menthe. They are all sweet, minty and creamy and go well with cookies. That is why I show them with good snack options. 

The first I want to show off is J.J.'s Shamrock, my favorite one and definitely a special recipe of some Irish bar belonging to the so-named J.J. 

• 1 oz. Irish whiskey (Proper Twelve used)
• 1/2 oz. white creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. green creme de menthe
• 1 oz. milk

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

Another variation is the Shamrock #2, done on the rocks with a cherry garnish. This subtracts the creme de cacao and adjust proportions accordingly.

• 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey (Proper Twelve used)
• 1 1/2 oz. green creme de menthe
• 2 oz. heavy cream 
• maraschino cherry

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the cherry. 










Another quality version of the Shamrock is the P.V. Doyle, named after the Irish Hotel chain pioneer. For this drink, you want to use crushed ice or a blender and pour it all in a large Martini glass to enjoy the minty-slushy goodness. 

• 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey (Proper Twelve used)
• 3/4 oz. green creme de menthe
• 1 oz. heavy cream
• maraschino cherry

Add all liquid ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Shake or blend and pour into a large Martini glass. Garnish with cherry. (I recommend using a cocktail spear.)

Panama Cocktail

I really am not sure how this drink fits the Panama theme of its namesake. It is a dessert drink with lots of sugar and cream and rich brandy flavors. The color might be similar to a Panama hat, but I think that's a stretch. The Panama Cocktail is a tasty, if a little boring, drink with slightly more than one note of milk chocolate covering the rich brandy.

This is my last cocktail needed to finish the New York Bartender's Guide circa 1997. I still have several punches to go before I can claim to have done them all.

• 2 oz. brandy (Asbach Uralt used)
• 1 1/2 oz. white creme de cacao
• 1 1/2 oz. half-and-half

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

Kahlua (Coffee Whiskey) Toreador

I've done the Kahlua Toreador before: egg white, coffee liqueur, brandy blended--done. But it's not really living up to the name of Toreador if there's no topping, no fluffy whipped cream.

This Toreador is rich, but not so much as those dessert cocktails that included blended half-and-half. The egg white adds the creaminess that you expect from a coffee dessert drink. The fun thing about this recipe is that chocolate chunks are perfect to pair with brandy and MurLarkey coffee whiskey.

• 2 oz. brandy (Asbach Uralt)
• 1 oz. MurLarkey coffee whiskey
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1/2 egg white
• whipped cream
• grated dark chocolate

Combine brandy, coffee whiskey, sugar syrup, and egg white in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. 

London Fog

This dainty cocktail is a combination of one ounce of Pernod, one ounce of white creme de menthe, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Blend these together, but I recommend doing it with a whisk in a mixing glass or shaker. My feeling was that using a blender without adding ice would only make the ice cream watery. I wasn't wrong.

The recipe will make about two pousse cafe glasses full of the drink, so feel free to offer it to a second person if you have takers.

• 1 oz. Pernod
• 1 oz. white creme de menthe
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Combine all ingredients in a blender (shaker tin recommended) and blend (whip recommended) until smooth and pour into a chilled pousse cafe glass. 

Nutcracker

Creme de Noyaux is an important part of making the Nutcracker nutty. It is made with almonds, stone fruit pits, and herbs and is more bitter than amaretto. I am using Tempus Fugit's excellent Creme de Noyaux, which is great to sip by itself--something you can't say about those bargain cremes.

The other ingredient the recipe calls for is coconut amaretto. I'm not sure that this spirit ever existed, or if it did, it was a limited run. My guess is that the New York Bartender's Guide includes this drink as a way to showcase liquors that existed at some time in the past, but I doubt that you'll find a commercially available coconut amaretto now.

So to make it I used cream of coconut, vodka and amaretto. (Note: I really only made enough coconut amaretto for one cocktail, but the basic process and proportions should hold true for a larger batch if you wish to make it.) I especially liked how this homemade spirit was reminiscent of amaretto but with a cloudy white color and coconut sweetness. Put one part coconut cream in a jar and add an equal part of vodka to it. Add several dashes of amaretto to the mixture, seal the jar and shake it until the coconut is suspended. Store it in the refrigerator for a few hours and the thicker, white and fatty parts of the coconut will float to the surface, leaving a cloudy coconut vodka underneath. Skim off the white coconut fat and you have a coconut amaretto underneath!

The cocktail itself is much simpler to make.

• 2 oz. coconut amaretto
• 2 oz. creme de Noyaux (Tempus Fugit used)
• 2 oz. half-and-half

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

Brandy Alexander

This is the most common cocktail of the Alexander family of dessert drinks, the original Alexander being made with gin. It is an easy recipe to remember because it is equal parts brandy, chocolate liqueur and half-and-half and topped with nutmeg sprinkles.

I'm making this Brandy Alexander very American by using east coast ingredients: namely, the Copper & Kings brandy and MurLarkey chocolate whiskey. As I often state with MurLarkey flavored whiskeys, there is no sugar. If you want your drink to be sweet, and you do with the Alexander drinks, you have to add sugar.

• 1 1/2 oz. brandy (Copper & Kings used)
• 1 1/2 oz. dark creme de cacao (MurLarkey coco whiskey and 1 tsp. sugar)
• 1 1/2 oz. half-and-half
• freshly grated nutmeg

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. 

Velvet Hammer

I've made this drink before with vodka and dark creme de cacao. Everyone I made the Velvet Hammer for enjoyed it as a strong dessert drink, as the name suggests. Using MurLarkey cocoa whiskey changes it a little (add a tsp. of sugar syrup if you do this). The flavor of cocoa nib whiskey adds more traction that I liked. The drink is less velvety (which I take it to mean smooth and soft like a creamy dessert.) I think that cocoa whiskey works here for the whiskey drinkers who like to taste the spirit in the drink.

• 3 oz. vodka (MurLarkey Divine Clarity used)
• 1 oz. creme de cacao (MurLarkey cocoa whiskey and 1 tsp. sugar syrup used)
• 1 oz. half-and-half

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

Bannana Italiano

The question isn't what to do with MurLarkey banana whiskey, there's dozens of uses for that. It's what to do with that bottle of Galliano. This herbal and vanilla liqueur is strong on alpine flavor and alcohol and wants to be used in drinks that soften it up, usually with cream or sugar.

MurLarkey banana whiskey doesn't have added sugar. It is an infusion of dried bananas and white corn whiskey. It is rich and sometimes needs a little sugar for the flavor to stand out. I've substituted it for creme de bananes in this cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. Galliano
• 1 oz. creme de bananes (MurLarkey banana whiskey used)
• 1/8 banana (optional)
• 1 oz. half-and-half

Combine all ingredients in a blender with cracked ice. Blend until smooth and pour 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. 

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.  

Liebfraumilch

This funny named cocktail is bizarre and pretty disgusting. You can tell that something bad will happen when you add so much lime juice and cream with creme de cacao and shake it. It will curdle into a brick, or so I thought.

The interesting thing about Liebfraumilch is that making the cocktail in the shaker does cause curdling, but on the micro level. The whole drink becomes like a foam. When you taste it, it reminds me of Greek yogurt with a chocolate and lime finish. It's actually not terrible.

But then I would never drink a whole one of these, and the idea that this drink being so mildly alcoholic makes it seem unthinkable. It is more of a treat that Europeans might give a child back in the old days when strange alcoholic formulas were given to colicky babies.

Which leads me a new understanding of the name: Liebfraumilch. This means the "beloved wife's milk" or, loosely translated as Mother's Milk. I'm almost certain that this is an old cocktail given to children.

• 2 oz. lime juice
• 2 oz. half-and-half
• 2 oz. creme de cacao

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

Anatole Coffee

You can't go wrong with this list of ingredients used with iced coffee and prepared perfectly. This coffee drink is mild on alcohol and strong on caffeine, so enjoy it in the afternoon as a nice treat.

I did a few things that made Anatole Coffee especially nice. One was I used MurLarkey coffee whiskey, which is dry with no sugar. There's enough sugar in there anyway, but the coffee whiskey has a lot of real cold brew coffee flavor. Then I used coffee chocolate shavings that give off a great mocha scent and flavor in the whipped cream.

• 6 oz. cold coffee
• 1/2 oz. Frangelico
• 1/2 oz. cognac
• 1/2 oz. coffee liqueur (MurLarkey coffee whiskey used)
• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings

Combine liquid ingredients in a blender with cracked ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled wine glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle chocolate shavings on the whipped cream. 

Bosom Caresser

A nice bosomy wine glass is perfect for this rich egg, Madiera and brandy cocktail. The impression you get from a sip of the Bosom Caresser is a warm and silky drink with lots of candied grape and orange flavors. This is definitely a dessert drink. Use brandy or cognac, but don't skip out on the Madiera, it adds the needed wine component.

• 2 oz. brandy (Hennessy used)
• 1 oz. Madiera
• 1 oz. triple sec (Vitae orange liqueur used)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a red wine glass.

Lil Naue

This drink's name comes from a Spanish Expression "Lil Naue," which translates directly to Little Nave. The meaning is a backhanded term of endearment, like calling a cute kid a "Little Devil."

The three dessert spirits, brandy, apricot brandy and ruby port (plus an egg yolk) mean that this drink is sweet and fluffy, yet plenty strong for the serious cocktail drinker. It is also a flavor combination that is a little unrecognizable in the U.S. We're not brandy drinkers usually, and mixing with porto is mostly out of the question.

I strongly suggest this one, though. Keep the proportion of ice down to the amount you would put in a glass and you get a nice thick frappe that is rewarding and not to icy. The boozy center is the best.

• 2 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. apricot brandy
• 1 oz. ruby port (Sandeman used)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients except cinnamon in a blender with cracked ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a red wine glass. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. 

Port Milk Punch

Another winter cocktail in the vein of "everything can be made into a Milk Punch" category. Port makes for a very sweet Milk Punch and its rich grape nature lends itself well to a holiday spiced milk. It isn't as strong as brandy, bourbon, whiskey and gin.

You'll want to up the dusting of nutmeg on top if you like stronger tasting milk punch. The heat of the ground nutmeg really does a lot to give the drink that swooning winter spice warmth that you are looking for from the liquor, but which it doesn't always provide.

• 3 oz. ruby port (Sandeman used)
• 1 cup or 8 oz. of milk
• 1 tsp. sugar
• grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass. Grate nutmeg on top. 

Chocolate Cocktail

This drink isn't made with chocolate liqueur. The only chocolate in it is grated on top. It is a sweet combination of silky egg yolk, port and yellow Chartreuse. The port is the major spirit here, and gives the frothy drink the flavor of a Port Wine Flip, or some other colonial cocktail. Chartreuse, especially the yellow type adds more sweetness of honey and plenty of herbal complexity without upping the alcohol content too much. Sipping through the foam topped with bittersweet chocolate is a decadent experience.

• 3 oz. ruby port (Sandeman used)
• 1 oz. Yellow Chartreuse used
• 1 egg yolk
• grated semi-sweet chocolate (Taza super dark used)

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a wine goblet. Grate chocolate on top. 

Strega Flip

Like the Pernod Flip, this dessert drink proves that you can flip anything. I was surprised that the recipe calls for brandy, but it makes sense. Strega is pretty tart and brandy can smooth it out. Also like the Pernod flip, this drink is especially herbal. There's also a lot of juice for a flip in there. Citrus from the lemon and orange juice and spice notes come through even on the nose from beneath the nutmeg top.

• 2 oz. strega
• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. sugar syurp
• 1 whole egg
• grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled highball glass. Grate nutmeg on top.