Archive for May 2021

Thyme in a Bottle

Thyme in a Bottle

  • 1.5 oz. Akvavit (Aalborg Taffel)
  • 0.5 oz. Thym liqueur
  • 0.5 oz. Kina L’Aero D’Or (Tempus Fugit)
  • 0.25 oz. Creme de menthe (Tempus Fugit)
  • 0.25 oz. lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into coupe. Spritz with absinthe.

I don’t make enough with akvavit (or aquavit), and I really should try more. Think gin with caraway in place of juniper (way oversimplification). So here was one recent attempt, playing with the combination of the thyme flavored liqueur. I needed the lemon for acid, and against this had to bolster the sweet, so I reached for the creme de menthe as I felt this was a nice combination with the lemon and thyme that didn’t detract from the herbaceousness of the akvavit. Finally for a bitter component I added the Kina which rounded things nicely.

The name was pretty immediate (a rarity), coming from the Jim Croce song. I know the first thing I want to do. Drink this.

Going Menthol

Going Menthol

  • 2.0 oz. London Dry gin
  • 0.75 oz. sloe gin (Plymouth)
  • 0.25 oz. creme de menthe (Tempus Fugit)
  • 0.25 oz. Fernet Branca

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

I really like Fernet Branca, but there are so few traditional cocktails that use it. Toronto and Hanky Panky, then you’re pretty much done. I wanted something to show off the Fernet and give a nice final drink for an evening. The mint liqueur pairs well with it, and the sloe gin is strong enough to balance it with sweet and tart. The base of gin certainly works with the sloe gin liqueur and offers botanical notes to play with the Fernet.

Nice, four simple ingredients. Strong, Fernet-forward taste. Puts me in the perfect place to end a night.

Or maybe I’ll also get a shot of Fernet.

Honeycomb Over

Honeycomb Over

  • 2.0 oz. Wigle Landlocked Spiced Honey Spirit
  • 0.5 oz. St. George Spiced Pear liqueur
  • 0.25 oz. Drambouie
  • 0.25 oz. Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice and strain into coupe.

I’ve had the Wigle Landlocked, a distilled mead that lies somewhere between rum and brandy, for a while and wanted to figure out something tasty with it. Although it might sound sweet, it is not, so I reached for the spiced pear, one of my favorites. It still needed some sweetness, so I thought the honey Scotch liqueur Drambouie would enhance the flavors already there. Finally, I added the Cocchi for some brightness and bitterness.

I feel the name doesn’t really need an explanation. Just having pun.

En Garde

En Garde

  • 1.0 oz. bonded rye (Rittenhouse)
  • 1.0 oz. Art in the Age Snap
  • 0.5 oz. Punt e Mes
  • 0.25 oz. Leopold Bros. Michigan Tart Cherry
  • 0.25 oz. Benedictine
  • dash of Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with cherry.

I love Art in the Age’s offerings just for their unique flavors. However, I sometimes have their bottles linger on my shelf since I find they can easily take over any cocktail (that was certainly the case with Root). And so as much as I enjoyed the cinnamon-ginger-vanilla bite of the liqueur (which does weigh in at 80 proof) I didn’t mix with it often.

So came this cocktail, which I made to see how I could harness Snap (and maybe clear some space on my shelf). The rye is a strong partner here. Make sure to use 100 proof or more. To that I added the vermouth for additional sweetness and some bitterness, then the Leopold Bros. added some sweet acidity. Benedictine grounded the drink for me and tied in to the spices from the Snap. The bitters, I admit, were just a recent acquisition that I wanted to try, but I did feel the allspice played well with the Snap as well.

This is a cocktail that has some heft to it, but I did find it went down smoothly, so be careful. Thus, en garde!