Room 554 - There is a Place between Sun and Moon

If you search long enough out there in the Universe, you can find some very cool cocktails. Here’s some drinks from several interstellar–active–minded bartenders.

When a scientist has the chance to work way above the earth, what could be a better move than taking a trip to Space Station #5. It’s built like this: In a pint glass filled with cracked or cubed ice, pour 1¼ oz Level vodka, ½ oz Cointreau, splash with club soda, fill with equal parts guava and passionfruit juices, and top lace with ¼ oz Gaetano blue curacao. Garnish with a cherry.

In case you need a shot to lay things out a little bit, try a dose of Solar Power – Layer pour equal parts of the following in a shot glass: Bols triple sec, Drambuie, and Compass Box scotch.

For those who wish to cruise in the shadows of the sky, catch a night ship with Us and Them to the Dark Side of the Moon. Fill cracked ice to the top in a pint glass, then add 1¼ oz Hangar 1 vodka, ½ oz Malibu rum, fill with cold pink lemonade, slide a dash of Arrow blue curacao over the pink, and top with a ¼ oz float of Bacardi dark rum. Garn with a kink of lemon peel.

The moment at which the sun passes through the celestial equator having a northerly motion is called a Vernal Equinox. It tastes like this: In an old fashioned glass packed with cracked ice, pour the following over – 2 oz Port, 1oz Grand Marnier, and ½ oz Hiram Walker triple sec.

Hot as it is even in September, an ice cold drink with vitamin C always hits the spot, Therefore carrying over from last month is the August Moon, and goes like this: In a martini glass, shake and strain 1oz each of amaretto Di Saronno, Van Gogh triple sec and fresh orange juice.

Determining one’s character or fate, what was the position of the stars at the time of your birth ? The Constellation knows. Stir and strain this stellar drink into a cocktail glass by adding ¾ oz each of Lemon Hart dark rum, Gallo Italian vermouth, and green ginger wine. Add dashes of Angostura bitters and lime juice and chill nice and cool. No garnish.

If a tonic cure may be to your liking as the day starts to shade, have a taste of the Sundowner. In a large martini glass, shake and strain 2 oz 10 Cane rum, ¼ oz Dekuyper triple sec, ¾ oz Triple L sweet & sour, and 1 teaspoon Trader Vic’s grenadine. Strain in, and splash-fill with cold Schweppes tonic water.

Descended from French exiles from Acadia, this Louisiana native tongue enjoys a Cajun Moon from time to time, having a flavor quite like no other. Stir chill and strain the following in a martini glass: 3 oz Absolut pepper vodka and a splash of onion brine. Garnish with a pearl cocktail onion.

Turn the key and unlock the door, see what your fate might have in store. You’ve now entered the Twilight Zone, the place of unknown . . . so close your eyes and prepare by using 1oz Ron Matusalem white rum, ¾ oz Bols white creme de menthe, ½ oz Marie Brizard Parfait Amour, ½ oz lime cordial and ½ oz cream. Shake & strain in a chilled martini glass and slide a cherry garn.

It’s the night and it’s beautiful, so take the top down and go for a cruise from one end of old Mulholland Road to the other. The sky is full and close for this Moonlight Drive. Breathe deep and take in this flavor romance. In a pint glass, build or shake this concoction over cracked or cubed ice: ½ oz each of Fris vodka, Cabana Boy white rum, RedRum coconut rum, amaretto Di Amore and Bols sloe gin. Follow with 1oz orange juice and 2 oz pineapple juice. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a cherry.

Out Here in the Fields

Cocktails with American-made premium Vodka’s

Even though Russia and Poland are considered the native lands of vodka, there are now over 50 countries that produce this spirit, with the United States being the largest marketer of vodka in the world. Produced since the fourteenth century, vodka is a shortened name for what was originally known as zhizennia voda (“water of life”). Our own homeland is hot, serious, and creative with some special V blends that hold their own in an ever competitive market. Here’s some Martini ideas beyond the norm.

Alpine Martini
1 ½ oz Charbay Meyer Lemon vodka (Grains – Corn, Wheat, and Rye – out of California) 1oz scoop of Douglas Fir Sorbet, and garnish with 1 small cedar frond Sorbet – house-made using syrup made from the sap and needles of fir trees. Stick the cedar frond straight up in the sorbet, and placed in chilled martini glass, prepared in advance and stored in freezer. To serve – Shake & strain the vodka over the sorbet and sip as the sorbet melts.

Naked Glacier
Rim a chilled martini glass with superfine sugar. Shake & strain 2 ½ oz Teton Glacier vodka (Grain – Potato – out of Idaho) and ¾ oz Dekuyper peppermint schnapps. Garnish, especially in December, with a small candy cane.

Organic Cherry Pie
Pour 2 oz Rain organic vodka (Grain – organic Sweet White Corn – out of Kentucky) and 2 oz Santa Cruz organic cherry nectar in a shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish – real cherry with the pit, and let your customer know.

Pepperontini
Chill together in a shaker the following: 2 ½ oz Shakers vodka (Grain – Rye – out of Minnesota) and ¾ oz pepperoncini brine. Strain in chilled martini glass and garnish with 1 medium-sized pepperoncini and a small slice of warm garlic bread.

Melange
Rim half the chilled martini glass with cinnamon sugar. Then pour the following in a
shaker: 1 ½ oz Hampton’s vodka (Grain – Yellow Corn – out of New York), ½ oz of Goldschlager, ¼ oz Hiram Walker triple sec, the juice of ½ lime, and a dash of Bols blue curacao to achieve the topaz blue color. Strain in, and no garn necessary.

Meloncholy Baby
In a chilled martini glass, shake & strain 3 oz of 3 vodka (Grain – Soy – out of Florida) infused with cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. Garnish with very small bits of these fresh melons placed in the bottom of the glass, fresh or frozen together beforehand.

Petit Zinc
Pour 1 ½ oz Hangar One Mandarin Blossom vodka (Grain – Wheat – out of California), ½ oz Cointreau, ½ oz Cinzano sweet vermouth, and ½ oz fresh orange juice in a shaker. Chill and strain in glass. Garnish with a slice of mandarin orange and a maraschino cherry.

Eden
2 ½ oz of Liquid Ice vodka (Grains – Barley, Oat, Rye, Wheat, and Corn – out of Idaho) and ¾ oz Berentzen apple liqueur goes in a shaker to chill and strain in a martini glass. Garnish – small pieces of different apples floating on top.

Robin’s Nest
Shake & strain 2 oz Tito’s Handmade vodka (Grain – Corn – out of Texas), 1oz Ocean Spray cranberry juice, and ¼ oz Bols white creme de cacao in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 1 cranberry and a small piece of chocolate just out of the fridge.

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

Wie Drams known in Pubs the world over, from the Blarney Stone to the luck of the Four-Leaf Clover

In a chilled cocktail glass goes the Rory O’More, by stirring and straining the following in a shaker: 1 ½ oz Midleton Irish whiskey, ¾ oz Boissiere sweet vermouth, and a dash of Fee Brothers orange bitters. “Slainte, and may we be alive this time next year”.

Brace yourself as you sip a bit of the Belfast Bomber. In a rocks glass filled with cracked ice, pour 1oz of Remy McMartin (who?) XO cognac along with 1oz Emmet’s Irish cream.“May the walls stop shakin’ and the glass stop breakin’, for evil returns to the evil doer”.

This next drink is dedicated with love to the one and only Sister Mary Ellen “Mell” Flynn, who says in times of strife, “God’s mill may grind slowly, love, but it grinds finely”. Before her years in the cloister she was a finer than fine bartender, teasing many a man with the preparation of her favorite martini, the Irish Milkmaid. All eyes were on her as she shook her shaker, filled with 1oz each of Boru vodka, Brady’s Irish cream, and Celtic Crossing liqueur. “God loves you Mary, and so do we”.

Get off your seat and on your feet for a toast to the Dancing Leprechaun. Grab a highball glass filled with ice and pour in 1 ½ oz Jameson Irish Whiskey, ¾ oz Drambuie, ¾ oz lemon juice, and fill with Canada Dry ginger ale. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel. “A good run is better than a bad stand”.

In for a bit of a body warmer, are ya’now ? Well then, the Nutty Dubliner is for you. In a warm mug, pour in ¾ oz each of Clontarf Irish whiskey, Carolan’s Irish cream, and Frangelico hazelnut liqueur. Fill the mug with hot coffee and top with whip cream, topped with chopped hazelnuts. “Top’O the Mornin’ to ya, and a hundred thousand welcomes”.

By now, everyone should be ready to celebrate the green day with a special cocktail.
St. Patrick’s Day goes in a chilled cocktail glass, but first stir and strain ¾ oz each of the following: Bushmills Irish whiskey, Bols green creme de menthe, green Chartreuse, and add a dash of Angostura bitters. “Beannachtai na Fiele Padraig – Happy Saint Patrick’s Day”.

The colors of a country mean so much to the people who live within it. The Irish Flag goes in a pousse cafe glass, starting with ½ oz Hiram Walker green creme de menthe, layered over with ½ oz Bailey’s Irish cream, and a ¼ oz top layer of Christian Brothers brandy. “Ireland forever, for a country without a language is a country without a soul".

The legendary Irish rock band U2 has a drink named after one of their songs. The Zoo Station goes in a rocks glass over ice with a ½ oz each of Amaretto di Amore, Kahlua, Dekuyper banana liqueur, Devonshire Irish cream, and 1oz of cream. Stir well. “May the road rise with you, for it takes time to build castles”.

For a simple combination, belly up to the bar and order a Dublin Doubler. Shake 1 ½ oz each of Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey and Brady’s Irish cream and strain into an old fashioned glass. There you have it. “Say little but say it well”. “May the bearer of the news be safe”.

The luck of the Irish is on your side. The Blarney Stone Cocktail is to be shaken & strained in a cocktail glass, with 2 oz Brennan’s Irish whiskey, ½ teaspoon of both Bols anisette and Dekuyper triple sec, and ¼ teaspoon of Rene Neil maraschino liqueur. Add a twist of orange peel and an olive on the side. “Many a time a man’s mouth broke his nose”.

Updates - Was just in the studio today laying down the unabridged voice narration for my upcoming CD release of my book Spirits and their Popular Drinks. I have to go back next week and finish it up. Luckily, it looks like all of the content will fit comfortably on one 80-minute disc, instead of making it a double-disc, which of course, allows me to sell it at a lower price. A win-win for everyone. Later, kb

Room 776 - And the Winner is . . .

Winning Cocktails at International Bartending Championships

For the preparation of this following set of drinks, they are to be shaken or stirred, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass, unless otherwise noted.

1955 – Amsterdam – Conca D’Oro
1oz Beefeater London dry gin, ¼ oz Bols cherry brandy, ¼ oz Dekuyper triple sec, and ¼ oz Rene Neil maraschino liqueur. Garnish with a twist of orange peel

1959 – Copenhagen – Petite Fleur
1oz Bacardi white rum, ½ oz Cointreau, ½ oz grapefruit juice.

1964 – Great Britian – Mar Del Plata
1oz Boodles gin, ¾ oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth, ¼ oz Benedictine,
and a dash of Grand Marnier. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel

1967 – Spain – Mallorca
1 ¼ oz Barbancourt white rum, ½ oz Gallo dry vermouth, ½ oz Hiram Walker creme de banana, and ½ oz Drambuie

1973 – Los Angeles – Festrus
¾ oz each of the following: Skyy vodka, Grand Marnier, Cinzano bitter. Garnish with a twist of orange peel

1979 – Yugoslavia – Alleluja
This drink goes in a tumbler filled with cubed or cracked ice. Shake & strain over
ice. 1oz Don Julio tequila, ½ oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur, ½ oz lemon juice, ½ oz Bols blue curacao, and a dash of egg white. Strain in and top with Schweppes bitter lemon. Garnish with a slice of lemon, twist of orange peel, a sprig of mint, and 2 cherries

1982 – Portugal – Moonlight
1oz hot coffee, ½ oz fresh cream, ½ oz Mandarine Imperial, ¼ oz Hennessey cognac, ¼ oz simple syrup. Garnish with a twist of Mandarine orange peel

1990 – Mexico – Raquel
¾ oz Ketel One vodka, ½ oz Marie Brizard Parfait Amour, ½ oz Dekuyper blue curacao,½ oz Peter Heering cacao, and ¼ oz cream

1996 – Tokyo – Sweetheart
¾ oz Marie Brizard Parfait Amour, ½ oz amaretto DiSaronno, ½ oz vanilla syrup, ½ oz cream, and ¼ oz Marie Brizard red curacao. Garnish with a dust of cinnamon, a sprig
of mint, a twist of lemon peel, and a cherry

2002 – Slovenia – Smile
This drink goes in a tall glass of choice, filled with cubed or cracked ice. Shake & strain over ice, 1 ¼ oz Absolut Mandrin vodka, ¾ oz Marie Brizard Charleston Follies, ½ oz Martini & Rossi dry vermouth, ½ oz strawberry syrup, and 3-4 oz pine-apple juice. Garnish with slices of apple, pineapple, and plum