Cocktail Hacker

The week of Apple Martinis, although not the manliest thing I’ve ever done, actually wasn’t a terrible experience. In fact, I’d be so bold as to say that this drink has gotten a bad rap. Sure, given the recipe you choose it can be a little unnatural tasting there are options to help out. Let’s start there.

Apple Martini (Joy of Mixology) – [2 oz Vodka or Gin – 1 oz Apple Schnapps] – This recipe made with vodka had a very light apple flavor and interestingly it wasn’t as artificial as I expected. Although, I wouldn’t go with vodka again. It simply didn’t bring anything to the party and was a little boring. Now, you mix it with gin, albeit a light one, and you’ve got a serious cocktail on your hands. In my case I wanted a lightly flavored citrus forward gin so the obvious choice was Bombay Sapphire. It worked great in this drink and would definitely be my choice going forward.

Apple Martini (Difford’s Guide – Recipe 1) – [2 1/2 oz Vodka – 2 oz Apple Juice – 1/4 oz Rich Syrup] – This recipe is sweet and apply but lacks the tartness that the schnapps brings to the party. If you could score fresh Granny Smith juice this would be a great option.

Apple Martini (Difford’s Guide – Recipe 2) – [2 oz Vodka – 3/4 oz Apple Pucker – 2 oz Apple Juice] – This version really tastes like fresh apples. The pucker adds a nice bit of tartness which is really pleasant. I really like this recipe.

Apple Martini (Equal Parts) – [1 1/2 oz Gin – 1 1/2 oz Apple Juice – 1 1/2 oz Apple Schnapps] – This is another good variation. It pumps up the tartness even more but maintains the fresh flavor. Another good recipe, especially with the gin.

For me it’s a toss up between the second Difford’s recipe and the equal parts recipe. They’re both pleasantly fresh tasting with a nice tartness. In the end it’s up to you and the amount of tartness you’d like in your drink. For either recipe go for the gin option. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the additional flavor. But make sure you use a light gin otherwise it could get funky.

Finally, I got to do a little experimenting over the week. One of the things that has always intrigued me about Apple Pucker is that it turns completely clear over time. I decided to see if I could speed up the process. I put about 3 oz of Pucker (left) in a flask and set it in my south-facing for the week. After only 5 days it was crystal clear (right). Interestingly the flavor really didn’t change noticeably. I have absolutely no clue what causes the change but it is kinda cool. Oh, and in case it wasn’t completely clear that I’m a geek, this is the container I used to sun age the pucker.

I’ve spent two weeks with the Gin Rickey and they’ve been a good couple weeks. I mentioned last week that there were experiments I wanted to conduct. The results are mixed, but I’m getting ahead of myself. In Gary Regan’s writeup of the Rickey in The Joy of Mixology he mentioned that you could really use any clear base spirit that you like for this drink but gin is the most common. This naturally got me thinking about what the Rickey would be like when paired with other bases. So I broke out the collection and went to work.

I think the most interesting thing I found from all of the experiments was that no matter the base spirit (gin excepted) I always found myself wanting a different cocktail that was only a slight change from the Rickey. Now for some results.

Rum [Flor De Cana Extra Dry] – This variant has a slight sweetness from the rum but the overall flavor is much less complex. Still a very dry drink. (Preferred Drink – Daiquiri)

Tequila [Milagro Silver] – No sweetness here, very dry. An interesting Margarita like aroma (not surprisingly). This variant actually works pretty well, I’d even consider drinking this one again. (Preferred Drink – Margarita)

Pisco [Montesierpe] – Not really an outright bad drink. I was worried about this one as I mixed it. I had visions of fail dancing through my head. Flavors actually work out pretty well though, although it’s not something I’ll be reaching for in the foreseeable future. (Preferred Drink – Pisco Sour)

Cachaca [Leblon] – Definitely not my favorite variant. This one, like the rum, lacks depth and complexity in the flavor. (Preferred Drink – Caipirinha)

So there you have it. The variants weren’t bad, but each left me wanting a different drink. Sure, I left out vodka. But does it really matter? Methinks, no. As for gin you’ve got a good cocktail on your hands. This drink, due to its simplicity, is really all about the ingredients. Don’t use anything but fresh lime juice for this I implore you. There are times when that’s an okay substitute in my book. This, is not one of them. The gin is more dependent upon your tastes but I’d reach for something in the mid to strong flavor range. A delicate gin like Bombay Sapphire is simply going to get lost. I tried Tanqueray, Beefeater and Junipero, all with good success.

Finally, I’m going to leave you with one parting comment. Some of the recipes you’ll find call for sugar or simple syrup. Don’t do it. You lose what the Rickey is really about when you add the sugar. A Gin Rickey is about sipping. It’s supposed to be dry. It’s supposed to be sour. That’s the way the originator wanted it. If you want something sweeter, reach for the lemon juice and make yourself a Tom Collins.

The Dude certainly had the right idea. The White Russian is truly a tasty cocktail. There isn’t a huge amount of room for experimentation here so I’m going to leave this one mostly up to the drinker. That said, I do have a few bits of advice.

One – Branch out from your normal coffee liqueur. There are others out there and as you saw in my rave review of Corretto, some of them are really spectacular.

Two – Change up the ratio. Switching things up allows you to control the level of sweetness, richness and flavor levels in this drink. This will be especially necessary if you choose a different liqueur that may not have the same sugar content as Kahlua.

Three – Finally, not all cream is created equal. I’ve been using table cream for my drinks and find it to be the right choice. Heavy cream has an even higher fat content and will make your drink even more rich, which isn’t necessarily a good thing in this case. Half and half is an okay choice, but it’s lower in fat than table cream and may make your drink a bit watery.

So there you have it. My brief commentary on the White Russian. Enjoy!

If you had asked me 6 months ago if I liked Mojitos I would have been hard pressed to say yes. Heck even a week ago I was still on the fence, but this week has made me a believer. The drink is ubiquitous as I mentioned in my intro and I now realize why. When mixed properly with good ingredients the Mojito is a fantastic drink. It’s refreshing like few other cocktails I’ve sampled.

I really don’t have much to say about the recipe as I found Gary’s to be just right for me. I definitely suggest you try some variations (check out the comments for some interesting suggestions). They can certainly elevate this drink to even higher levels of greatness. As for lime juice versus lime wedges I say go lime wedges all the way unless you’re mixing up a bunch for a party. The visceral sensation of muddling the lime, sugar and mint really adds to the whole experience. Also, people far smarter than me have said that the muddling extracts oils from the lime peel that you wouldn’t get by using juice. Same goes for sugar versus simple syrup. Go sugar, it adds to the experience and acts as an abrasive to extract flavors from the mint and lime.

So, I guess if I can only leave you with one thing about this cocktail it would be this. If you’ve had Mojitos and since convinced yourself you don’t like them, give it another go with good fresh ingredients. I bet you’ll be surprised by what you find.

At the start of this week I adamantly stated that sour mix is terrible. But, I have to tell you I hadn’t ever really tasted that much sour mix. So, for the greater good, I picked up a bottle of Freshies Sour Mix, invited some friends over and put it to the test. We started with a quick amaretto tasting.

Romeo – 28% ABV – This was definitely our bottom shelf amaretto for the evening and it was apparent from the first sniff. There was a disturbing sharpie (as in the marker) note to the aroma and the almond smells you’d expect were very light. The flavor was quite sharp and for only being 56 proof the spirit burned more than I’d expect. There was little to no almond flavor which truly echoed what we experienced in the aroma. This exchange summed it up. “Reese – ‘It doesn’t taste almondy at all’ Sean – ‘Oh, but it does. . . In the Matrix!'”

Disaronno – 28% ABV – Disaronno is the liqueur most people think of when they hear amaretto. But there’s an interesting twist. It seems Disaronno is trying to make themselves into something other than an amaretto. To that end you won’t find the word amaretto anywhere on the front of a bottle of Disaronno anymore. In fact, the only place I found mention of it was on the back in rather small type. Pouring yourself a bit you’ll note the aroma is fairly non-descript although very pleasant with a very light hint of almond. The almond flavor too is lighter than I expected. Thankfully there was none of the burn we found in the Romeo. Overall a good liqueur but not as complex as I’d like.

Luxardo – 28% ABV – At Tales I had the opportunity to meet and share a drink with Matteo Luxardo. He introduced me to Luxardo Amaretto explaining the use of apricot kernels in the mix. The aroma is more fruity and has very pleasant subtle almond notes. I think the flavor could best be described as buttery. The fruity flavors and almond come through wonderfully as well. I like the additional complexity of this liqueur. For me this is definitely my amaretto of choice. That said, in this application both the Luxardo and the Disaronno are excellent choices.

Now on to some cocktails. We first sampled the drink using lemon juice (2 oz amaretto : 1 oz lemon juice). The sourness of the lemon juice cuts the sweetness of the liqueur perfectly. The resulting drink is very flavorful and refreshing, although a bit sweet for my taste. Next came the sour mix varieties. First one made with the same ratio (2 oz amaretto : 1 oz sour mix). Good lord is this sweet. The sour mix increases the sweetness of the drink and doesn’t have enough sourness to stand up. Finally, I looked up a recipe online (specifically the one from the American Bartending School) and we mixed that up (1 oz amaretto : 2 oz sour mix). Oh, good god. Really, seriously nasty. The sweetness is even more pumped up and the amaretto gets lost completely.

So, the final result of all this? Freshies Sour Mix is actually not bad, as sour mixes go. It has 20% real fruit juice and actually requires refrigeration. Will I be buying more? Not likely. The resulting cocktail simply wasn’t good no matter how I mixed it. I did learn some other useful information along the way, though. First, I like my amaretto sour with a touch more lemon juice 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 oz. Second, stirring an Amaretto Sour doesn’t work. It doesn’t dissolve enough water and it doesn’t chill enough. Shake please. Finally, I like the Amaretto Sour but I can’t see myself drinking a lot of them. Still too sweet. But one every now and then. Now you’re talking.

Amaretto Sour (Cocktail Hacker)

2 oz Amaretto (Luxardo)

1 1/4 oz Lemon Juice

1) Shake with ice

2) Strain into a chilled glass