Moon Cocktail (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

I must be mistaken, but aren't "moon" themed drinks supposed to have apple brandy in them? Anyway, this cocktail was that kind of rich version of a Bamboo, which is a variation itself of a Martini. It is terrific for all of that boozy warmth with a lot more going on with it than a bone-dry Martini with a twist. 

I made use of Bloom dry gin and Alejandro amontillado sherry for this cocktail, which kept things on the lighter, floral side. It was when I got to creme de peche (peach flavored whiskey in my drink) and honey syrup that things get a little heavier. And that's not a bad thing. Altogether this was a grounded drink. You may have been asking for the moon, but you got something just as good. 

• 2 oz. Plymouth gin (Bloom used)
• 3/4 oz. amontillado sherry (Alejandro used)
• 1 tsp. creme de peche (peach whiskey used)
• 1/4 oz. acacia honey syrup
• lemon twist

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Squeeze lemon twist over it and discard (or keep it as pictured.)

Flor De Jerez (Death & Co. Recipe)

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I love apricot liqueur. I used to make the stuff when apricots were plentiful in early summer. I'd soak the fruits in brandy and cook a sugar and apricot juice. When you cant find Rothman and Winter at your liquor store or you just don't have time to do all that with the apricots, you can use jelly. It comes together easily in the shaker tin when you stir a bar spoon of jam into citrus juices. 

 

In this case, I built the entire drink in the shaker before adding the apricot jam. (And I used a little less sugar syrup than I would have if I had liqueur because jams are sweet.) And, yes, I stirred in my shaker tin, but the result is pretty exceptional and I recommend the jam trick to any home bartender. Your refrigerator is loaded with good ingredients, so you don't need to go hunting around for liqueurs that are expensive and hard to find.

And Death & Co. knows this. How many of their drinks have marmalade or apple butter or some such ingredient or infusion. Be creative with your cooking staples, that's how cocktails were invented in the first place.

 

• 1/2 oz. Jamaican rum (George Bowman used)
• 1 1/2oz. Lustau Amontillado (Alexandro Amontillado used)
• 1/4 oz. Rothman and Winter apricot liqueur (apricot jam used)
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. sugar syrup (1/4 oz. when using apricot jam)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. If using apricot jam, make sure to stir before adding ice to dissolve the solids into the liquid ingredients. Add ice and shake, then double strain into a coupe glass. 

Shoots And Ladders (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Death & Co. have a handful of fortified wine cocktails. Some of these, like Shoots and Ladders, are low ABV cocktails. They are bold on flavor, but with fortified wine as the main ingredient, they are light on alcohol and you can have several of them in one sitting with no problem. 

This cocktail is served neat like an Old Fashioned, but it is far more herbal and spicy. Lots of infusions in here: basil infused Dolin Blanc and jalapeno infused blanco tequila. I'm trying out a new ingredient as well, Alexandro Amontillado is comparable to Lustau's Amontillado in price and style. It is dry and nutty and full of oak flavor. It is one of the two main components of this rich cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. basil-infused Dolin blanc
• 1 1/2 oz. Amontillado (Alexandro used)
• 1/2 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila (Sauza used)
• 1/2 tsp. cane sugar syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass. (Optional smacked basil leaf garnish.)

East India Trading Co. (Death & Co. Reciep)

 

Death & Co., like any bar, has to limit its ingredients to a set of standards that can be re-assembled in different configurations. This one is more variations on a theme involving dark spirits in a coupe glass that taste of exotic rum, chocolate and cinnamon. Here, I put a few of my own liquors to use to pull off this cocktail.

My Amer Picon (hiding behind the Aztec Chocolate Bitters) is made with Ramazzotti, so I used it as an obvious substitute. George Bowman's rum tastes like Jamaican rum, and it is a blend that might include some from Jamaica. Finally, the chocolate bitters are intended to have the cinnamon notes of Mexican chocolate, so Fee Bros. Aztec chocolate works just as well as Death & Co.'s Bittermen's Xocolatl mole.

• 2 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve rum (George Bowman's used)
• 3/4 oz. Lustau East India Solera Sherry)
• 1/2 oz Ramazzotti (homemade Amer Picon with Ramazzotti used)
• 2 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters

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

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. 

Whispers Of The Frost

I like the richness of the cream sherry in this cocktail. The tawny port I used was nutty, as was the bourbon, which went very well with the raisin flavors in the drink. So this was a big mouthful of dried fruits and nuts that was also appreciably strong as well. Perfect for a winter snowfall.

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1 oz. sherry
• 1 oz. port
• 1/2 tsp. simple syrup
• lemon twist

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

Fog Cutter Revisited

The Fog Cutter should really be done with a cream sherry, which I didn't have when I made it last. This time I also have my splendid orgeat syrup scented with orange blossom water. The difference is incredible. There's a lot of rum in this drink, but it is mixed down so you really notice the floral notes and even the warmth of the sherry before you say: "Arr. There's  rum in there' matey!" I enjoyed garnishing this drink with all the fruit I happened to have on hand.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. brandy (Cognac recommended)
• 1 oz. gin
• 1 tsp. sweet sherry
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. orgeat syrup

Combine all ingredients except sherry in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a highball glass. Float tsp. sherry on top.

Bamboo

The Bamboo, a recipe that Proof revived from 1890'€™s menu of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan. Sherry is one of the first wines brought to the U.S. and one of the earliest cocktail and punch ingredients. This drink is dry like a Martini, but lower in alcohol so you can have more than one. The photo is of a Bamboo from Poste! cocktail menu.

• 2 oz. dry sherry
• 1 1/2  oz. dry vermouth
• dash of orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (Orange peel garnish shown.)

Sherry Sangaree

Sangaree is the English word for the Spanish Sangria. It basically refers to any middling strength punch made with wines and sugar. This particular Sangaree is a grape bomb with ruby port to affect the color and sweetness.

• 2 oz. fino sherry
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1 oz. soda
• 1 tbsp. ruby port

Add sugar and sherry to a highball glass full of ice. Stir and top with soda. Float port on top.

Reform Cocktail

Sherry and strong wine drinks that are chilled and flavored are a great way to slow things down and keep your buzz going with a tasty drink. I didn't even miss the presence of gin or whiskey, but I do have to warn that these drinks have the same failings of fortified wines. Drink too many of these and you will have a wanging headache the next day as if you were guzzling cheap sweet wine.

• 3 oz. Amontillado sherry
• 3 dashes of bitters
• orange twist

Combine all ingredients except twist in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Golden Hornet

Choose your scotch carefully for this cocktail. A single malt will probably do, but an assertive blend works just as well. I like that it was a solid spirit rocks drink with a lot of flavor. The scotch and sherry make for a round earthy taste, while gin adds citrus and spice. Stir well so that this very hot drink stays refreshing and cold.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. scotch
• 1/2 oz. amontillado sherry
• lemon twist

Build drink in a highball glass full of ice by adding gin and sherry and stirring. Float scotch on top and add lemon twist garnish.

Soviet Cocktail

Sometimes vodka is just what I want, strong and clear. For some reason sherry makes it into a Soviet named drink, but I really approve. It is smooth and silky and, like the Russian Rob Roy, perfect when you want a hint of the flavor without the body of the mixed-in spirit.

• 3 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Manzanilla sherry
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• lemon twist

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

Sherry Cocktail

I want to save this Sherry Cocktail for an article on lower-proof drinks. It's one to drink when you want to slow things down and not get too tipsy from one drink. It even looks like a pretty stiff cocktail, too, but it is only as strong as the sherry you used. Keep in mind, though, that sherry is still fortified wine and if you drink this all night you'll get a wine hangover if you're not careful.

• 3 oz. sherry
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• orange twist

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

Sherry Twist

 It's Fall and this year I'm doing a lot of rich sherry drinks to celebrate differently! There's plenty of wine and grape flavor in the Sherry Twist, and with a minimum of citrus, it really amounts to a strong fruity drink. I used Catoctin Creek grape brandy for an even more smooth and even cocktail.

• 2 oz. sherry
• 1 oz. brandy
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• orange twist

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

Carmen Cavallaro

 If you notice over my last few posts with Bluecoat Barrel Reserve gin, I've been stirring the cocktails rather than shaking them. People say you can bruise gin by shaking ice crystals that melt into the cocktail. The effect is that it tastes watered down. Stirred cocktails are best when they are liquor heavy, which means you can do them with wines like vermouth and sherry.

Carmen Cavallaro is the famous pianist known for his light piano soloist style. That and the likelyhood that he enjoyed sherry are the only two links I can find between him and this drink. Sherry and oak notes are the stars of this cocktail with just a hint of orange from the curacao.

• 2 oz. gin (Bluecoat Barrel Reserve used)
• 3/4 oz. dry sherry
• 3/4 oz. dry vermouth
• dash curacao

Combine all ingredients in a shaker or mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass while listening to piano music.

Andalusia

This was a nice mellow cocktail to follow the Union League Club. More sherry than brandy means that it is full of soft grape flavors and less spice. Andalusia is the southern region of Spain where bull fights and medieval castles can be found--the very Spanish part of Spain.

• 2 oz. dry sherry
• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. light rum
• 1/4 tsp. bitters

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

Adonis

This was a rich tasting cocktail that was light on alcohol but heavy on wine flavors. Do this for day drinking or after dinner.

• 3 oz. sherry
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth (Amaro shown)
• dash orange bitters
• orange peel

Combine sherry and vermouth in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Banff Bang

Banff is a small town in the north highlands of Scotland that is particularly famous for its whiskies. Sherry is a common ingredient in highland scotch, which it takes from finishing in sherry barrels.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. scotch
• 1 oz. amontillado sherry
• 1 tsp. dry vermouth
• lemon peel

Combine all ingredients except twist in a shaker with ice. Stir or shake and pour into an Old Fashioned glass.

Kerry Cooler

Yes. That is James Joyce stepping out in front of that bottle sherry. This is my last Irish whiskey post for the Irish cocktail project. It makes a solid 20 (a guinea of drinks) and a sound finish to this adventure. I'm sure Joyce would approve. This last one took two tries, because I ran out of orgeat syrup. Now rectified, I think this is a respectable drink, and about as strong as I would hope for as a finale. Here's the recipe:

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 oz. medium sherry
• 1 oz. orgeat syrup
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• club soda
• lemon peel

Combine all ingredients except club soda in a shaker full of ice. Shake and pour into a highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with a lemon peel.