Ah, the Cosmopolitan that most fancy of cocktails that just can’t seem to hold the cachet of the Manhattan… Made famous by HBO’s Sex and the City. The Cosmopolitan is the drink that is always reaching for respectability but never quite capable of escaping it’s humble origins as a twist on the Cape Codder.
The ingredients
Cosmopolitan
1 1/2 oz. citrus vodka
1 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 to 3 dashes of cranberry juice
Add all to shaker. Fill shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
It seems we’re finally moving into Autumn here in Northern California. The temperature during the day day isn’t rising into the 90s or 100s and the nights are cooling down into the 60s. (Edit: Of course as soon as I write this up the temperature shoots up into the 90s again…) With the move into Fall you can expect the cocktails to be less fruity and a little warmer. To welcome in the season I picked up some cognac and made that most classic of cocktails, the Sidecar.
The ingredients
Sidecar
3/4 oz. triple sec
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1 1/2 oz. cognac
Pour ingredients into a shaker with cracked ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
The rim of the glass may be sugar coated and a lemon twist may be used as a garnish
The Sidecar is first mentioned in a book around 1907. It’s current form is believed to have taken shape around the end of the First World War in either London or Paris. I’m most reminded of a sour when drinking a Sidecar, the lemon juice providing most of the flavor with the cognac and triple sec mellowing out and sweetening the drink. Some of called the Sidecar the only good thing to come out of Prohibition. Which is a silly thing to say because the drink came out of Europe… The cocktail is a beautiful, glowing strawberry-straw color and it’s taste is a wonderful blend of citrus and brandy. Don’t be afraid to tweak with the amounts until you find the blend you find most please. Just be careful! So smooth is this drink that it can sneak up on. Two or three go by before you know it!
Summer’s here, isn’t it? Well, it sure has hell felt like summer yesterday out at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Or maybe it’s just the drought? With the coming of the long, hot dog days of summer my mind turns to margaritas. Delicious, delicious margaritas. But, I’ve already covered those, many, manytimes. So what to do? Come up with my own take on the signature drink! Though, if someone else hasn’t done this before I’d be truly shocked. My contribution to the world of mixology is the Margarita Fizz. Simply make a margarita in a Collins glass and top it off with Squirt soda. Yes, yes I am a visionary…
The ingredients
Margarita Fizz
1 part tequila
1 part triple sec
1 part lemon juice
Squirt soda
Fill Collins glass with ice. Add tequila, citrus liquor, and lemon juice to glass, stir. Top glass with Squirt soda. Garnish with lemon or lime slice.
Turns out this is delicious! Also, I don’t have to wait to chill the mixture or use a blender or do any of that. Just add everything together and stir! If I had a poolside I’d be drinking these while relaxing there! Or maybe I’m inordinately fond of Squirt soda… Anyway, if you’re looking to enjoy a cool, bright, fizzy drink this summer you could do a lot worse than the Margarita Fizz.
Lucian Gaudin was a fencer, at least that is what this wikipedia page says, I like to think the reason a drink is named after him was because he won gold in fencing a couple times at the Olympics and at the time the French were super into fencing. Who knows though?
This cocktail is another request by D, who seems to find all sorts great cocktail recipes without even looking. I didn’t have any Campari on hand but a quick trip to the store rectified that. After sampling the Campari before making the cocktail I was a little worried, because it was really bitter. And, no, I didn’t notice that Campari is a bitter. Nor did I notice the giant calligraphic ‘bitter’ printed on the label. I am a moron. My fears were unnecessary.
The ingredients
The Lucien Gaudin
1 oz Gin
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Cointreau (or triple sec)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
Mix all ingredients with ice. Pause, then mix again. Strain and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist if you so desire.
This cocktail is a beautiful soft, pink color. I commented to D after making it that it looked like Kool-aid a little. It does not taste anything like Kool-aid or any other sugardrink you might be familiar with. The Campari and Cointreau are a perfect pair with the gin and vermouth adding little hints and subtle variations to the flavor. This is a surprisingly strong drink though. Definitely a drink to sip, and slowly enjoy before dinner.
