Tag: orange

Boulevardier, Cocktail of the Week

Boulevardier

I’ve had the Boulevardier on the list of cocktails to make for some time. It just kept getting kicked back another week as other cocktails came up that seemed more interesting. And then it got kicked back because I had that string of Campari based cocktails all in a row and I didn’t feel comfortable doing yet another.

So what is a Boulevardier? It’s the Fall/Winter cousin of the Negroni. Subbing out gin for bourbon or rye whisky. This single substitution though changes the entire drink. Whisky smooths out and mellows the edges of a drink that is already made sharp by Campari. Something that the Negroni really did need…

Boulevardier
The ingredients

Boulevardier

  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. sweet vermouth
  • 1 1/2 oz. rye whisky

Add all ingredients to ice filled rocks glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with a orange twist.

Boulevardier

Though as with the Negroni, you don’t want to hurry this cocktail. Take your time. Enjoy the interplay of rye and sweet vermouth. Embrace the medicinal brace of Campari as it splashes against the back of your throat.

The winter is long and cold and this drink can only keep you warm for so long. Embrace and enjoy it while it lasts.

Cocktail of the Week – Bronx

Bronx

Last week I highlighted that most iconic and classic of American cocktails, the Manhattan. As an aside in that post I mentioned that all five of New York City’s boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan,  Queens, and Bronx) have cocktails named after them. Everyone knows about the Manhattan but I don’t think many know about the other four. I tested this by visiting some local bars and asking for a Staten Island and a Queens, only to have blank stares in return. So consider this a public service message and just another example of my commitment to education and life-long learning!

The Bronx cocktail, like most older cocktails has multiple origin stories. One of which insists that the cocktail was created in Philadelphia! Though it seems that either a Joseph S. Sormani or a Johnnie Solan is responsible for the cocktail. The cocktail itself seems to be a riff on the Perfect Martini, adding orange juice to the drink.

Bronx
The ingredients

Bronx

  • 1 oz. Gin
  • 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
  • 1/3 oz. dry vermouth
  • 1/2 oz. orange juice

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, shake well. Strain in chilled cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Bronx

Before I drank this cocktail I had some worries because it puts me in a unique position. This, I think, is the one of the few cocktails I know solely through my own work. I’ve never had a Bronx made by anyone else. I only have my own efforts to compare with each other. What if I made the cocktail wrong? I worried I might be doing this cocktail a disservice.

It turns out my worries were for naught. The Bronx is delicious. It tastes a lot like a smooth Perfect Martini laced throughout with the citrusy tang of orange juice, which is especially strong at the finish. I only wish I were drinking it in a classier establishment than my apartment…

Cocktail of the Week: Negroni

Negroni

Earlier this year I wrote about the precursor to the Negroni, the Americano, a cocktail with Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. I had originally intended to follow up that post with the Negroni but got distracted for about six months… So, here we are today with this classic cocktail. Simple, delicious, with a flavor profile anyone would love. Unless, you’re not a fan of herbal or bitter liquors… If that’s the case you should probably ignore any cocktail with Campari in it. I really think the Negroni is delicious though. It’s a delightful digestif.

Negroni
The ingredients

 Negroni

  • 1 oz. gin
  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth

In an old fashioned glass half full of ice pour ingredients. Stir. Garnish with orange peel.

Negroni

I don’t know what I can add to the gallons of ink that has already been spilled in discussion of the Negroni. You don’t get labelled a classic for nothing. Smooth with a touch of bitterness at the end, this drink goes down easy. Though you don’t want to rush this one. Relax. Take your time. Enjoy the drink. Enjoy the moment. This too shall pass and there is nothing to guarantee that the future won’t be as delightful as this moment is.

Cheers!

Cocktail of the Week: Tequila Sunrise

tequila sunrise

I know, I know that looks nothing like a Tequila Sunrise… I guess my homemade grenadine isn’t think enough? So instead of sinking to the bottom it suffused into the drink? When I first poured it in it looked right, maybe I just waited too long before taking the picture? So, let’s call this a Los Angeles Tequila Sunrise? Nice and muddy looking through all that smog! Anyway, Tequila Sunrises are perfect summer drinks. Also, perfect morning drinks but you didn’t hear that from me! To the cocktail!

tequila sunrise
The ingredients

Tequila Sunrise

  • 3 oz. orange juice
  • 1 1/2 oz. tequila
  • 1/2 oz. grenadine

Pour the orange juice and tequila into an ice filled collins glass. Slowly pour grenadine into mix, the weight of the grenadine (should) make it sink to the bottom leaving some rather lovely red/pink trails through the orange juice. Garnish with a orange wedge.

tequila sunrise

Again, mine doesn’t look quite as it should. But, it did taste lovely. The acidity of the oj, the sweet tartness of the grenadine and the sharp alcoholic taste of tequila. Ah, what a delicious cocktail! As I said at the beginning. Enjoy for breakfast or as an aperitif before dinner! If you have a poolside or ocean side view even better! Enjoy the summer it’s going to get too hot soon!

tequila sunrise

 

EDIT: I think I figured out why my Tequila Sunrise looked so muddy. I transposed the figures for tequila and orange juice… Leaving me with a very boozy but not very bright cocktail.

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