Cocktails of the American West

When you’re out on the Range, a Cowboy can muster up quite a Thirst

Wake up and start gettin’ the coals hot. The Solar Cowboy goes in a rocks glass filled with cracked ice. Pour in the following: ¾ oz Jack Daniels, ¾ oz Chinaco tequila, ¼ oz Kahlua coffee liqueur, and ¼ oz of Dekuyper butterscotch schnapps. So, tattoo your rear end with this surprisingly tasteful combination and start the day off with the right boot on the right foot.

With a little slither to hither pillow talk near the dawn campfire, Tumbleweed Morning Cream may just be the heartwarmer you need before you saddle up. Either shake & strain this drink or pour over ice in a tumbler glass. The ingredients are 1oz Christian Brothers brandy, ¼ oz Bols white creme de cacao, ¼ oz Coco de Oro coffee liqueur, ¼ oz Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, and 1½ oz cream. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.

After a light rain, the cactus and surrounding shrub can create a delightful scent in the air. This duo of vitamin T and vitamin C can help power up your system for a long day’s work.Desert Sunrise is built in a highball glass over ice, with 1 ½ oz Porfidio tequila, a dash of Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy’s sweet & sour, fill with fresh squeezed orange juice, and top it off with a lace of Hiram Walker blue curacao. Garnish with a slice of orange.

When you get to town, you should head on over to the local blacksmith for a repair. ¾ oz Martin Miller’s gin, ¾ oz white Port, ¾ oz vermouth Bianco, 2 dashes of Bols anisette, and 1 egg yolk shakes up and makes up the Broken Spur Cocktail. Shake & strain in a standard cocktail glass. No garnish.

Sometimes no matter how many layers you have on, a chill in the air can still seep into your bones. Therefore, in a warm mug, Indian Summer gets 1oz Calvados apple brandy, a pinch of cinnamon sugar, and fill the mug with hot apple cider. Garnish with a slice of apple, a cinnamon stick, and stir. No need to be on the warpath today.

Grab a tall glass, throw some cubed or cracked ice in, and build the Horse’s Neck over ice, with 2 oz Cardenal Mendoza brandy, 5 oz Boylan’s ginger ale, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Stirrup and garnish with a twist of lemon peel. Treat your 4-legged creature well, and pretty soon you’ll be running like the wind.

Before you pass the imaginary line in the sand, running away from the marshal and his deputies from a wrong you done did, do the two-step over to the closest cantina, and order up a Border Crossing. The barkeep snags a bucket glass and begins the preparation of what could be your last cocktail for awhile. Built over ice, it gets 1 ½ oz Partida tequila, ¼ oz of fresh lime juice, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and fill with ice cold Coca Cola. Garnish with lime.

If all you need is a quick shot between chores, than the
Water Moccasin is yours. Get a shot glass and shake with ice and strain ½ oz each of the following: Crown Royal, Dekuyper Peachtree schnapps, and Tavern sweet & sour. It may bite like a snake, but you asked for it.

Riding through the botanicals of the countryside, you’ll soon belly up to the bar for a Cowboy Martini, but make sure your horse is getting watered and fed first. The saloon owner may ask you where you’re from as he twists and turns his handlebar mustache,but don’t take offense, he’s just making polite conversation. In a chilled martini glass, shake & strain 2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin, a dash of simple syrup, and a dash of Fee Brothers orange bitters. Garnish with fresh, crisp mint leaves. Now that’s a drink!

This next drink is dedicated to songwriter David Rodriguez, whose title-catchy tune “Ballad of the Snow Leopard and The Tanqueray Cowboy” is not only a perfect fit on Lyle Lovett’s album “Step Inside This House”, but great for this drink as well. With flower
petals as the garnish to this cocktail, the Western Rose is made up of 1 oz Tanqueray gin, ½ oz Hiram Walker apricot brandy, ½ oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth, and a dash of lemon
juice. A chilled cocktail glass is where this shake & strain ends up.“Comfort me she said, with your conversation, with the
cocktails, and the candlelight in your eyes”.

Haven’t you put up enough fence for the day ? With all the
hammering, I’m surprised you heard the dinner bell. I guess the hunger helps the hearing! But what about the thirst ? Well, here’s a green apple variation on a Long Island favorite. In a pint glass filled with cracked ice, the Jolly Rancher is prepared by building/pouring ½ oz each of Hangar 1 vodka, Beef-eater’s gin, Sea Wynde rum, and Leroux triple sec. Add 1-2 oz of
Triple L sweet & sour, fill close to the top with 7-Up, and top
with 1oz of Dekuyper sour apple Pucker schnapps. Garnish with a slice of green apple, a twist of lemon peel, and a maraschino cherry if you’re interested.

With many a family heading out West during the days of the California Gold Rush, the Wagon Wheel Cocktail was born. Shake & strain this drink in, you got it,
a chilled cocktail glass. 1oz Southern Comfort, ½ oz Korbel California brandy, ¼ oz lemon juice, and a few dashes of Trader Vic’s grenadine. Garnish with a cherry and a wheel of lemon, and good luck with your panning. May you get rich beyond your wildest dreams.

You’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name, it felt good to get out of the rain and into a small cantina where they were mixing up a batch of Cactus Juice especially for you. Shake & strain the following in a collins glass filled with cubed ice: ½ oz VooDoo spiced rum, ½ oz Cazadores tequila, ½ oz Montezuma triple sec, and ½ oz amaretto DiSaronno. Add splashes of sweet & sour, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, and garnish with half wheels of lime, lemon, and orange.

Finished at the shooting range for the day, it’s now time to put your guns away. The Smith and Wesson is poured in a tumbler over ice. 1 ½ oz Patron coffee liqueur, partial fill with cream, and top fill with ice cold Pepsi Cola. No garnish necessary.

An immigrant from Russia comes to the new world and discovers the final frontier. While bartending in a saloon, he creates the Moscow Mule for all to hear. Build this tasty libation over ice in a collins glass with 2 oz Stolichnaya vodka, 1oz Rose’s lime juice, and fill with Cock n’Bull ginger beer. Garnish with a squeeze of lime.

You’ll have a hard time keepin’ yer jeans on after a couple of these. In a poco grande glass topped with cracked ice, the Denim Lemonade gets ½ oz each of Ketel One vodka,
Boodles gin, Bacardi rum, and Arrow triple sec. Add a couple ounces of cold Santa Cruz organic lemonade, fill with Sprite, and top with dashes of Dole pineapple juice and Dekuyper blue curacao. Garn with a cherry and a pineapple slice.

This is kind of a long one, but I always like giving a little
something extra to all of you out there in the web universe. I hope you enjoy all of the drink posts so far, hopefully giving you some cool ideas for your own parties at home or in the bar, club, or restaurant you may own. Till we meet again . . . KB

Room 116 - Play Misty For Me

Drinks asking for an atomizing of vermouth, dry or sweet or other

Using small glass bottles equipped with fine spray tops, atomizing is the process of separating liquid into small particles,producing a fine spray or liquid mist. The vermouth can be sprayed into the chilled martini glass before the rest of the liquid preparation has been strained in, or it can be sprayed directly into the container/shaker you’re using to stir chill the chosen base spirits over ice before you strain in. Due to some of the amounts of vermouth asked for in the following drinks, you’ll have to spray a few times, or pour from the bottle All of these cocktails are either shaken or stirred and strained, at your choice.

GLASS – Martini or Cocktail
ICE – Cubed or Cracked in shaker
PREP – Shake or Stir & Strain

Starting off the set with a rum base is a drink called Stranger in Town. With 1½ oz Ronrico white rum,
½ oz Cinzano sweet vermouth, ½ oz Calvados apple brandy, and ½ oz Bols cherry brandy. Garnish with a cherry.

If you’re looking for a Spaniard, but slightly Southern and sweet, you may want to dip into the Comforting Tiger. Begins with 2 oz Christian Brothers brandy, ½ oz Southern Comfort and a dash of Tosti sweet vermouth. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Waking up in the late morning, a lover can get a glimpse of your birth mark. During breakfast, toastings will go to you by way of the Beauty Spot Cocktail. 1oz gin, ½ oz Boissiere dry vermouth, ½ oz Gallo sweet vermouth, a splash of orange juice and a dash of grenadine.

Speaking of down South, head on into this dry county for something wet and cold, but you’ll have to prepare it at your relatives house. The Narragansett is a drink with 2 oz Basil Hayden’s bourbon, 1oz Cribari sweet vermouth, and a dash of Bols anisette. Garnish - twist of lemon peel.

With a double slant of orange to go with the botanical base spirit, go for the Martinez Cocktail. Mix up 1oz Bootles gin, 1oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth, ¼ oz Dekuyper triple sec, and a dash of Fee Brothers orange bitters. Use a cherry as a garnish.

A little bit of blue and a bigger bit of berry, combines for a mid-morning Dewberry Martini. Pour 1oz Level vodka, ½ oz Arrow blue curacao, a dash of Gallo dry vermouth, and 1½ oz cranberry juice.

A pleasing fruit cordial dances its way into the mix of this next flavorful martini.
Venezia combines 2 oz Bombay gin, 1oz peach
liqueur, 1oz Boissiere dry vermouth and a drop of Dekuyper blue curacao. A twist of orange peel as the garnish.

If bubbles turn you on, this one is sure to test your palate alley. In a chilled champagne flute,the Orancio Royal is a form of a champagne cocktail. No shaking here, just put 1oz Cinzano Orancio vermouth in the bottom of the glass, and fill with Brut champagne. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Dashing from England over to France, your roots may very well tell just how European you are. The recipe is as follows: 1oz gin, ½ oz cream Sherry, ½ oz Dubonnet rouge, ½ oz Cribari dry vermouth, and a dash of Grand Marnier. Garnish with a cherry.

Taking a tour of the Highlands, you can’t help but to grow a special Affinity for the Scots. This perfect combination with a hint of orange is for them. 1½ oz Compass Box scotch, 1oz Tosti sweet vermouth, 1oz Tosti dry vermouth, and 2 dashes of Fee Brothers orange bitters. Garn with a twist of orange peel.

As licorice root is known to raise the spirits in a healthy way, something sweet can also do the same thing.
Either way, the Gloom Raiser could be just the elixer for you. Pour together 2 oz Tanqueray gin, ¾ oz Martini & Rossi dry vermouth, 2 dashes of Pernod, and 2 dashes of grenadine. Cherry garnish.

In a white room with black curtains, at the station. The sound of the rock trio Cream twists and turns its music with insinuating slyness. The Serpentine is made with 1oz Bacardi white rum, ½ oz Korbel brandy, ½ oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, ½ oz lemon juice, and a pinch of sugar. Twist of lemon peel as the garnish.

Sometimes there’s nothing that feels better outside in the spring than an April Rain. Chill together 2 oz Rain vodka, ½ oz Rose’s lime juice, and ½ oz Cinzano dry vermouth (but wet). Garnish with a lime peel.

If you’re out on an island in the Caribbean to disappear for awhile, perhaps this chilled drink will inspire your desire for a Tropical Heat. Start off in the shaker with 1½ oz Beefeater gin, 1½ oz Cinzano Orancio vermouth, and a dash of San Tropique coconut rum. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Do you know the way to San Jose ? Just a bit further over towards the bay, slip into a lounge and order a drink from a cozy cocktail waitress. “Hello, I’d like a San Francisco Cocktail, please. Stirred, not shaken”. The recipe is ¾ oz each of the following: sloe gin, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth. Add a dash of bitters and a dash of orange bitters, and garnish with a cherry.

till next week. kb

Room 897 - The Dude Abides

Dedicated to The Big Lebowski, and Cows !

A variety of simple cream-based cocktails

Preparation for the drinks in this room
GLASS – Highball, Rocks, Tumbler, Old Fashioned, Tall, or Pint, unless otherwise noted
ICE – Cubed, Cracked, or Crushed
PREP – Noted with each drink as you go along


Banana Cow
Prep – Pour over ice
1oz 10 Cane rum, 1oz Bols creme de banana, 1½ oz cream, and a dash of grenadine. Garnish with a pinch of nutmeg

Sarsparilla Float
Prep – Build over ice in glass
1oz Ketel One vodka, ¾ oz Kahlua, partial fill with cream, ½ oz RedCliff liqueur, and a top fill with Coke or Pepsi. Garnish with a cherry

Jamaican Mother
Prep – Pour over ice
1½ oz Jamaicam rum, ¾ oz Tia Maria, and fill with cream or milk

Caucasian
aka White Russian
Prep – Pour over ice
1½ oz Hangar 1 vodka, ¾ oz Kahlua, and 2-3 oz of cream

Rocky Road
Prep – Build over ice
¼ oz Belvedere vodka, ¼ oz Sea Wynde rum, ¾ oz Frangelico, ¾ oz dark creme de cacao, and fill with cream or milk. Garnish with a half-side of whipped cream on top, with a side shot of chopped walnuts

Strawberry Sombrero
Prep – Pour over ice
1oz Kahlua, ½ oz strawberry liqueur or syrup, and 3oz of milk

Raging Bull
Glass – Shot
Prep – Layer pour in
½ oz Kahlua, ½ oz Sambuca, ¼ oz Patron silver tequila

Colorado Bulldog
Prep – Build over ice
1½ oz Shaker’s vodka, ¾ oz Kahlua, partial fill with cream, top fill with Coke or Pepsi. Garnish with a cherry

Mad Cow
Prep – Pour over ice
1oz Bacardi 151 rum, 1oz Kahlua, and 2oz of cream

Ambrosia
Prep – Build over ice
½ oz Blue Ice vodka, ½ oz Midori, ½ oz Dekuyper Peachtree schnapps, ½ oz creme de banana, and fill with cream or milk. Garnish with green grapes and a cherry

Cuban Mama
Prep – Pour over ice
1½ oz Havana Club rum, ¾ oz Copa de Oro coffee liqueur, and 2-3 oz of cream

Separator
Prep – Pour over ice
1½ oz Korbel brandy, ¾ oz Kahlua, and 2-3 oz of cream

Black Widow
Prep – Pour over ice
1oz Matusalem rum, and 1oz Kahlua

Tradewinds
Prep – Shake & strain over ice
¾ oz Cabana Boy or Cruzan rum, ½ oz Galliano, ½ oz Bols apricot brandy, ½ oz Leroux orange curacao, and splash the top with cream or milk. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon

Rootbeer Float
Prep – Build over ice
1½ oz Absolut vodka, ¾ oz Kahlua, partial fill with cream, ¾ oz Galliano, and fill with Coke. Garnish with whipped cream or a small dollop of vanilla ice cream

Sea Cow
Prep – Shake & strain over ice
Rim the glass with green creme de menthe and dip in sugar
¾ oz Hiram Walker dark creme de cacao, ½ oz Old Overholt rye whiskey, ½ oz anisette, and ½ oz of cream. Garnish with a dust of nutmeg

Smith and Kerns
Prep – Pour over ice
1½ oz Kahlua, 1 ½ oz of cream, and a top splash of cold Schweppes club soda

Roasted Toasted Almond
Prep – Pour over ice
½ oz 42 Below vodka, ¾ oz Kahlua, ½ oz amaretto di Saronno, and fill with cream or milk. Garnish with a thin layer of whipped cream with sliced almonds and a top lace of amaretto

Berryetto
Prep – Shake & strain over ice, or Blend with cracked ice
¾ oz amaretto di Saronno, ½ oz Gaetano dark creme de cacao, ½ oz strawberry liqueur (if shake & strain, or 4-6 strawberries (if blended), and a splash of cream or milk. Garnish with two strawberry halves – speared, with a tiny dollop of vanilla ice cream in the middle

A bit of a long one this time, but I was high, so I went for it.
KB

Room 662 - Apple of My Eye

Cocktail variations on a popular flavor of today.

Yeah, I know, the picture above. Shy Boy came over to me and asked to have something wiped off his lip. What am I gonna do, say no! He's a happy wild mustang now retired in luxury in Buellton, a small town up in the central coast of California.

Adam’s Apple goes in a chilled martini glass and is a shake & strain cocktail, getting 2oz of Van Gogh wild appel vodka, 1oz Cointreau, and a splash of Martinelli’s apple juice.
Garnish with a slice of any kind of apple.

The Cider House Cooler goes in a collins glass filled with cubed or cracked ice, and is a build-over-ice drink, getting 1oz VooDoo spiced rum, ½ oz Berentzen cinnamon-apple liqueur,a splash of club soda, partial fill with chilled white wine, and top with Santa Cruz organic cider & spice juice. Garnish with a slice of red apple.

The Washington Apple is a shake & strain drink going in a martini glass, with 2oz Stockholm Kristall vodka, ¾ oz Dekuyper sour apple Pucker schnapps, ½ oz Midori, and 1oz Ocean Spray cranberry juice. Garnish with a slice of green apple.

Apple Annie has a bit of a cream-base to it, starting with 1oz Dekuyper apple barrel schnapps,¾ oz Bols triple sec, ¼ oz Trader Vic’s grenadine syrup, and 1oz of cream. Shake & strain up in a martini glass. No garnish necessary

The Hyperactive Apple goes in a warm coffee glass or mug. Pour/add the following straight in: Put one chunk of caramel in the bottom of the glass, then pour 1oz Dekuyper apple schnapps over the chunk, followed by 1oz of steamed milk and the 2oz of hot espresso. Garnish with whipped cream over the top.

Johnny Appleseed goes in a mason jar filled with cubed or cracked ice, and is a build-over-ice drink, getting 1oz green apple vodka, ½ oz Arrow triple sec, fill with Schweppes club soda, and splash the top with Ocean Spray cranberry juice. Garnish with a slice of green apple.

The Caramel Apple is a shake& strainer going in a chilled martini glass, with 2oz Blue Ice vodka, 1oz Dekuyper sour apple Pucker schnapps, and ¼ oz Hiram Walker butterscotch schnapps Garnish with a slice of red apple and a piece of caramel candy.

Apple Pie with a Crust is a pour-over-ice drink going in a rocks or highball glass filled with cubed or cracked ice, getting 1oz San Tropique coconut rum, 3oz apple juice and a dash of cinnamon over the top. This drink can also be heated in a saucepan and served alamode.

The Baked Apple is a drop shot that goes in a beer mug. Drop a 1oz shotglass of Hiram Walker cinnamon schnapps into a mug filled ½ to ¾ with cider beer. Chug-a-Lug !!!

Newton’s Apple goes in a martini glass as a shake & strain cocktail, with 2½ oz apple vodka,1½ oz Midori, and ¾ oz fresh lime juice. Garnish with a slice of a dried Granny Smith apple.

The Tree Smacker goes in a pint glass filled with cubed or cracked ice as a build-over-ice drink, getting 1oz each of Bacardi apple rum, Dekuyper apple schnapps, and Dekuyper Peachtree schnapps. Add splashes of pineapple juice, orange juice, and sweet & sour. Add a dash of grenadine, and top with a lace of Bacardi 151 proof rum.

The Apple Cart is a shake & strain drink going up in a cocktail glass, getting 1½ oz Calvados apple brandy, ¾ oz Cointreau, and ¾ oz lemon juice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Granny Apple Blossom is a build-over-ice drink going in a collins glass filled with cracked ice,with 1¼ oz Partida anejo tequila, 1¼ oz apple schnapps, a splash of sweet & sour and fill with 7-Up or Sprite. Garnish with a slice of a Granny Smith apple.

I'm out of town next week, so I'll post up a the new one titled The Dude Abides when I get back. Later, KB