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Archive for the ‘Cocktails & Recipes’ Category

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Cocktail Hour: The Ice Wyrm

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 30, 2016

This recipe came about when I was choosing a suitable short cocktail for a particular Añejo tequila (shown below). I studied my previous cocktail creations and a cognac recipe of mine called the Medusa Coil caught my eye. That particular recipe is basically a sweetened Brandy Sour with added elements of Amaretto and bitters to give the serving extra dimensions of flavour. I thought to myself, I wonder if amaretto and tequila can share a harmonious coexistence?

Although this was a sour recipe, I wanted my chosen tequila (Dulce Vida Añejo Rocky Mountain) to shine through the bar drink so I decided to adjust the proportions of my agave based Medusa Coil by increasing the amount of Añejo Tequila and pairing back the Amaretto and the bitters both of which I felt might overpower the nuances of flavour in the Special Edition Dulce Vida. Things were not quite right until I also reined in the lemon and sugar as well.

The Dulce Vida Rocky Mountain Añejo Tequila was now the star of my cocktail. Do try this one, it tastes quite delicious.

Ice WyrmThe Ice Wyrm

2 oz Dulce Vida Rocky Mountain Añejo
1/8 oz Luxardo Amaretto
1/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 dash Fees Cocktail Bitters
1/8 oz Simple Syrup (1:1 ratio)
Lemon peel
ice

Add the first five ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a coil of lemon peel
Add a small lump of ice to the center of the lemon coil

Please Enjoy Responsibly!

If  you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Originally, I was going to call my recipe, the Mexican Rattlesnake as my final recipe shared some characteristics with another bar drink called the Rattlesnake Cocktail. And, it did seem to me that the coil of lemon with the lump of ice in the middle (used as the garnish) sort of looked like a coiled up rattlesnake. However once I photographed my creation, I realized that no rattlesnake would ever survive our cold Edmonton winters. Then I remembered a fanciful creature that is said to haunt the ski slopes of our Canadian Rockies swallowing up those skiers who dare wander into the forbidden areas out of bounds, the Ice Wyrm. It seemed a more fitting name for the cocktail pictured upon my snowy back deck.

And please note, my review of the wonderful Dulce Vida Organic Rocky Mountain Añejo Tequila will publish tomorrow.

 

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Cocktail Hour: The Ice Wyrm

Cocktail Hour: The Dog Star Daiquiri

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 26, 2016

In mid to late January, if you look upwards to the southern sky at about 11:30 in the evening, you will see the mighty constellation Orion dominating starry landscape. Taurus the Bull is above the Mighty Hunter to his right, and Gemini is also above him, but the twins are to his left. The major stars of the Nimrod are Betelgeuse and Bellatrix which serve as his shoulders; Rigel and Saiph which serve as his knees;  and Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak, the three belt stars, shining brightly like sparkling yellow-white gemstones. These belt stars are, at this particular time aligned almost vertically in the sky.

If you follow the belt line down towards the horizon and just a little to the to the left, you will find the most magnificent twinkling star in the winter sky, the blue-white giant star, Sirius, also known as the Dog Star.

Dog StarIt is that brilliant Dog Star (located directly below the belt stars of Orion) which is the inspiration for my delicious winter daiquiri creation:

The Dog Star Daiquiri

2 1/2  oz Bacardi Gold Rum
1/2 oz fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 oz fresh squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 oz fresh squeezed Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz sugar syrup (more or less to taste)
dash Maraschino liqueur
3 drops Fees Cocktail Bitters
Ice
Lime slice

Add the Bacardi rum, and the rest of the ingredients into a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the sides of the shaker frost
Strain into a cocktail glass
Add a Lime Slice for garnish

And of course enjoy responsibly!

If  you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

Note: My new review for Bacardi Gold Rum publishes tomorrow.

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Cocktail Hour: Blood and Sand

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 22, 2016

Mixing a cocktail with a Single Malt Whisky always brings out a few cat calls from persons who believe such a thing is sacrilege. However, having discussed the topic with more than a few of the master blenders and whiskey makers from Canada, Scotland (and elsewhere), I have found almost unanimous support for my point of view which is that a spirit of any quality may be the focus of a cocktail. In fact, ‘the better the spirit, the better the cocktail’ is a sentiment I hear often. With that in mind I have chosen to follow my chosen path and bring together a classic Scotch whisky cocktail, Blood and Sand, with the highly regarded Single Malt, the Highland Park 12 Year Old.

Blood and Sand (the cocktail) was apparently named for the Rudolph Valentino 1922 bullfighter movie of the same name. The connection is by no means certain, as the first printed recipe for the bar drink did not appear until 8 years later in the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930).  The Savoy Cocktail Book’s recipe calls for equal parts orange juice, scotch whisky, cherry brandy and Italian vermouth which makes the bar drink easy for both the home and the profession bartender to master.

Today, it is common to see recipes which replace the orange juice with the juice of the Blood Orange. Not only does this play nicely with the name of the cocktail, but the tart, almost raspberry-like flavour of the blood orange is complimentary to the bar drink making it slightly drier (and to me more appealing). When a high quality peated single malt whisky is used as well, the Blood and Sand becomes a wonderful wintertime cocktail.

For my suggested construction, I tweaked the ratios slightly to increase the light punch of smoke and to further limit the sweetness of the serving. This of course allows the Highland Park 12 Year Old Whisky to be the star of the libation.

Blood and SandBlood and Sand

3/4 oz Highland Park 12 Year Old
5/8 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini Rosso)
5/8 oz Cherry Brandy (Bols)
3/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice
ice
Orange Zest or Peel (optional)

Add the first four ingredients into a metal shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker frosts
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with orange peel (optional)

If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more mixed drink recipes!

Note: a new review based upon a recently acquired bottle of Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky will publish tomorrow.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Cocktail Hour: Tequila Añejo Old Fashioned

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 18, 2016

The Old Fashioned Cocktail is usually associated with whisky, perhaps rum and even brandy; but only recently has it become fashionable as a cocktail suitable for the agave spirit, Tequila. This is perhaps because the spicy flavour characteristic of tequila (añejo or otherwise) does not lend itself easily to this simple cocktail. The peppery spice and the earthy fruity agave flavours are aggressive, and in an Old Fashioned, these aggressive flavours are given free rein. Many persons find the result just a little too demanding and intimidating for a drink we aspire to enjoy in our easy chair after a long day at work.

What I have found is that rather than adding simple syrup as the sweetener, a better course of action is to add a mixture of agave syrup and orange Curacao. In particular, the orange Curacao plays wonderfully with aged tequila tempering its wild side, without diminishing its rich depth and character.

Anejo Old FashionedWith a wonderful tequila like the Dulce Vida Organic Tequila Lone Star (Anejo), the results of this simple tweak can be quite stunning.

Tequila Añejo Old Fashioned

2 oz Dulce Vida Organic Tequila Lone Star III (Anejo)
1/4 oz Orange Curacao
1/8 oz Agave Syrup
ice
Orange Peel

Add a thin coil of Orange Peel to the bottom of a rocks glass
Add a few cubes of ice
Pour 2 oz Añejo Tequila over the ice
Stir Gently
Enjoy Responsibly

Note: If  you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

Note: My posting for Dulce Vida Organic Tequila Lone Star III (Anejo) will publish tomorrow.

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Cocktail Hour: My Rum Club Cocktail

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 15, 2016

My Rum Club Cocktail has its roots in the Brandy Crusta which is a classic cocktail traced back to Joseph Santini (circa 1840). Santini was a celebrated bartender and caterer in New Orleans at that time. Almost forty years later, Leo Engels used Santini’s 1840 Brandy Crusta as the basis for his Rum Crusta recipe in his Bartender’s Guide, American and other Drinks, 1878). The recipes in Leo Engels guide give us an important glimpse at the bar drinks of his time and how they had already began to evolve into more complex forms.

My Rum Club Cocktail has its roots firmly in Santini’s and Engels’ early Crusta recipe; however I have tweaked the proportions and added a small splash of ginger-ale to lengthen it slightly. My bar drink is perhaps a little harder to construct than a typical rum and soda; but the effort is well worth the prize.

Abuelo rum club cocktailThe Rum Club Cocktail

2 oz Ron Abuelo Anejo 7 Anos
1/4 oz Orange Curacao
1/4 oz tsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar Syrup
1 dash Fees Bitters
1 dash Maraschino Liqueur
Ice
Sugar
Lemon Peel
Splash Ginger-ale

Add the first six ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the sides frost
Rim the edge of a chilled cocktail glass with a lemon slice and dip it in sugar
Strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled, sugar rimmed, cocktail glass
Garnish with lemon peel and a lump of ice
Complete with Ginger-ale

Please Enjoy Responsibly!

Note: If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

Note: My review for Ron Abuelo Anejo 7 Anos will publish tomorrow.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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