Rocky Cove Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. London Dry Gin
3/4 oz. Rosato Vermouth
1/2 oz. Benedictine
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Dash Fee's Grapefruit Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe.

The Irene Cocktail

Another evening of mixing with my brother resulted in this maelstrom of spirits and juices.

1 oz. Aged Rum
1/2 oz. Cognac
1/2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Orange Liqueur (we used Rhum Clément Creole Shrubb liqueur)
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
1/2 oz. Orange Juice
Dash of Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

The Junior Cocktail

This week I went to have dinner with my brother and his family at their home. My brother had picked up some things to add to the fine liquor cabinet he keeps, including rye and Benedictine. While searching for an appealing cocktail to make with these ingredients we came across the Junior cocktail. A search for the history of this cocktail is nearly impossible, as most hits bring up references to junior cocktail dresses. It turned out to be a tasty sour-style cocktail, and one that I'd recommend to whiskey fans.

The Junior

1 1/2 oz. Rye
1/2 oz. Benedictine
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Camera Obscura Cocktail

"She walks in beauty like the night."

Use up your leftover homemade ginger syrup and enjoy this drink, which I'm calling the Camera Obscura.

1-1/2 oz. London Dry Gin
1/4 oz. Absinthe
1/2 oz. Ginger Syrup
A dash of Orange Blossom Water

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Sebago Cocktail

The Sebago is a delicious cocktail I created over the weekend. Initially I tried making it with gin, but ended up switching to Lee, NH's Flag Hill Josiah Bartlett Apple Brandy because the overall flavor of the cocktail was superior this way. The highlight of this drink is the combination of the orange juice with the ginger syrup, which marries very well with the complex foundation of apple brandy. The lemon juice adds some balance to the drink as far as tartness is concerned, and the Peychauds bitters add additional depth as well as helping provide its distinct salmon color. This drink should go over equally well with cocktail drinkers of all kinds.

2 oz. quality apple brandy such as Josiah Bartlett
1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. ginger syrup*
dash Peychauds bitters.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

*Make your own ginger syrup: Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and add 1/3 cup sliced ginger. Return to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for a half hour. Remove from heat and let cool, then add to a bottle and store in the refrigerator.

L'Aquitaine

I created this drink using deliciously fresh strawberries I picked from Applecrest Orchards in Hampton Falls. It's similar to the Satan's Whiskers cocktail in its use of both sweet and dry vermouth, as well as using gin as the base spirit, but replaces the orange juice with strawberry juice. I settled on all French spirits for this drink, and if I lived in France I'd use fresh-picked Gariguette strawberries to bring this Francophile concoction full-circle (the majority of cultivation occurring in the Aquitaine region--hence the name I'm giving this creation).

1 oz. Citadelle gin
1/2 oz. Noilly Prat dry vermouth
1/2 oz. Noilly Prat rouge vermouth
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. fresh strawberry juice
dash of orange bitters

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Gin & Tonic?

I spent this past independence day weekend up at my family's camp in Maine. To me the 4th is the thing that most says "summer is surely here", and what better way to celebrate than with that quintessential summer drink the gin & tonic? Not content, however, to simply top some gin on the rocks with tonic water, I came up with what I suppose I'll call...

Gin & Tonic Royale (..ha ha ha....)

2 oz. gin
4 oz. tonic water
dash orange bitters
lime wedge
clementine or orange wedge

Cut the lime and clementine wedges in half and muddle in a double old fashioned glass. You can either leave the spent fruit wedges in or remove them at this point. Fill glass with cracked ice and add gin and orange bitters. Stir a bit and add tonic water. Stir once more and serve with two sip straws. I guarantee this will taste a bit more special than your typical G&T.

Mexican Martini

I'm sure this has been done before, but it occurred to me that a classic dry martini made with tequila instead of gin or vodka might be pretty good, so I gave it a try. I found the amount of vermouth I'd put in a standard martini wasn't quite appropriate for this so I reduced the amount. Also, a lime twist instead of a lemon twist or olives was a good call. I think a salt rim might work well for this too.

2 1/2 oz. 100% de agave silver tequila
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
lime twist

Stir with ice until very cold and sufficiently dilluted. Garnish with a lime twist.

Jamie Boudreau's Denny Triangle Cocktail

Here's a wonderful modern cocktail created by celebrated mixologist Jamie Boudreau from Seattle. You can check out his video blog "Raising The Bar" over here. I love the combination of sweet and bitter in this cocktail.

2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. benedictine
1/4 oz. fernet branca
2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Pimm's Cup

I find Pimm's generally difficult to like. However, mixed with ginger ale, as in the famous Pimm's Cup, it finds a way to shine. It's one of the most refreshing summer drinks I can think of, and I go to it often on hot summer afternoons.

1 1/2 oz. Pimm's
Ginger Ale

Measure Pimm's into a collins glass. Fill glass with ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a cucumber spear and a lemon wedge.

Satan's Whiskers

The Satan's Whiskers is from Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. It's delicious and has an old fashioned flavor which makes me think of what a candy confection from 1930 would taste like. Surprising and delicious.

"Of Italian Vermouth, French Vermouth, Gin and Orange Juice, two parts each; of Grand Marnier, one part; Orange Bitters, a dash. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass."

Italian vermouth = sweet vermouth
French vermouth = dry vermouth

Lebanese Mary

This is my Lebanese variation on a bloody mary. Being of Lebanese descent I wanted to create a cocktail that evoked the summery freshness of the ubiquitous combination of tomato, cucumber and mint. I infused the vodka with sumac to add that special tang to it. This drink succeeded beyond what I expected. It works more as an after noon refresher than as brunch fare. This photo came out a bit fuzzy though.

LEBANESE MARY

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. sumac infused vodka
dash of arak
3 oz. fresh tomato juice
1 oz. fresh cucumber juice
1/2 oz. lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 sprig of mint (slap sharply between hands to "wake up" oils)

Tools:
Boston shaker
Srainer

Method:
Combine ingredients in Boston shaker with ice, roll to chill. Strain into an ice filled double old fashioned. Garnish with two grape tomatoes skewered between a cucumber peel, and top with a dusting of ground sumac.

Classic Dry Martini

According to many cocktail purists the classic dry martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters. The "dry" referring to the type of vermouth, and not how little vermouth one uses. I prefer mine with a lemon twist. You'll be impressed with how much flavor one lemon twist or peel will add to your martini. I agree that the martini is best stirred, a lot, until exceedingly cold.

DRY MARTINI

Ingredients:
2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
Dash orange bitters

Tools:
Mixing glass
Bar spoon
Srainer

Method:
Stir (+/- 40 turns) with ice until ice cold and well diluted. You can pause and let it sit for a moment after some initial stirring, perhaps while preparing your glass or a garnish, as this will help make your drink even colder and smoother, then finish stirring. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist or lemon peel.