Cocktail Recipes Tonight

[plattetude]

3 hours ago, MitchW said:

In that wave, let's not forget Angel's Share and Milk & Honey, which both opened well before Pegu, D & C, PDT.

And also in that early wave, featuring Dale and Audrey one way or another, there's Rainbow Room, Bemelmens, Beacon, Blackbird....

And I've got a soft spot for Grange Hall in the mid-to-late '90s, where Del Pedro was mixing things no one knew about -- my first taste of Luxardo Maraschino, in an Aviation, that arguably put me on the path to cocktail geekdom.

3 hours ago, MitchW said:

I was lucky enough to attend Cocktails Over Canal any number of times.  That took place in the great Don Lee's apartment, atop 1 Ludlow Street, at the intersection of Ludlow, Division and Canal Streets. I wouldn't have called it a speakeasy, but you did have to know someone to get in. Both Don and John, who were the opening bartenders (along with Jim Meehan) at PDT, honed their craft up those rickety stairs.

So. Jealous.

[MitchW]

1 hour ago, plattetude said:

So. Jealous

But you got Dale and Audrey, which I never experienced!

And Del back then must’ve been awesome.  Always a favorite of mine.

[Wilfrid]

Certainly Angel's Share was the first serious cocktail bar I ever found in this city.

[small h]

Litchi lime mint vodka.

Also very excited to make some stuff with this.

[StephanieL]

Going to have Lillet & soda later because it's too darn hot for much else.

[MitchW]

Found a couple of bottles of this out-of-production, 80 proof Pikesville rye, stashed in the back of a closet.

Made perfect Manhattans.

[plattetude]

On 10/26/2025 at 10:47 AM, MitchW said:

Found a couple of bottles of this out-of-production, 80 proof Pikesville rye, stashed in the back of a closet.

Made perfect Manhattans.

I never saw 80 proof! I'm a big fan of the 110 proof for sipping, and it makes a phenomenal manhattan for sure.

[MitchW]

3 hours ago, plattetude said:

I never saw 80 proof! I'm a big fan of the 110 proof for sipping, and it makes a phenomenal manhattan for sure.

Yeah I think they stopped making it about 10 years ago. Back when Significant Eater’s job was in DC, there were plenty of drives back and forth.  And there was a great liquor store at the Maryland state line, forcing me to stop there often. 

[Wilfrid]

The Obituary looks good -- essentially a dry martini with a dash of absinthe. But is it worth buying a bottle of absinthe for?

I guess I could make some Sazeracs. I have a big bottle of Peychaud's just sitting there.

[small h]

Yes, because then you could make turf martinis.

[small h]

Also, absinthe comes in half bottles.

[MitchW]

There's also the Tuxedo and its variants.

I was at Clover Club last night, with too many bartenders who had come over from Gage/Sunken Harbor/LI Bar.  Essentially as an invited guest to this, with a few of bartenders from Brujas, in CDMX.

https://partiful.com/e/SINolr7L8ZUWdUp6HT1V

Needless to say, I probably had one too many, although they hit a little lighter than most rye based cocktails I like.  Still got home on the subway just fine.

[Wilfrid]

Maybe just a half bottle then...

[StephanieL]

Here's another recipe that calls for absinthe.

The Zeena (courtesy of the book Noir Bar, in homage to the movie Nightmare Alley [the original])

• 2 oz. rye
• 3/4 oz. Benedictine
• 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
• 2-3 dashes Angostura
• Absinthe

Rinse a chilled coupe or cocktail glass with absinthe. Stir the remaining ingredients with ice and strain into the glass; garnish with an orange peel.

[Wilfrid]

So, absinthe is more expensive than Chartreuse and not everywhere had it. Okay. Tracked down a reasonable bottle at Warehouse Wines & Spirits.

My Turf cocktail was a failure. The recipe called for two dashes of absinthe. I tried to trickle some from my free pouring bottle into the jigger too much. It masked everything else; no point using maraschino and dry vermouth.

Sazerac much more successful and probably the first I have ever made, but that's an absinthe wash. I think the Tuxedo calls for a wash so I'll try that next.

[small h]

52 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

I tried to trickle some from my free pouring bottle

It takes a steady hand!

[Wilfrid]

Did the Tuxedo 2 last night and it was great. Apparently I am good at absinthe washes.

[StephanieL]

N got me an atomizer just for absinthe rinses.  It seems to work well when a recipe calls for an actual dash or two.

[Wilfrid]

Will look that up.

[bloviatrix]

Sneakeater was a big fan of absinthe washes. Try the Mad Hatter, that's one I particularly enjoyed.

[Wilfrid]

There seem to be various cocktails called that. This looks like the best bet:

Quote

Rye, Sugar syrup, Lime juice, Lemon juice, Absinthe to rinse the glass

 

[StephanieL]

The Crux Cocktail: equal parts brandy, triple sec, Dubonnet Rouge (didn't have--I used Cinzano Rosso), and lemon juice, shaken over ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

[Wilfrid]

Severe weather causes a switch from gin to whisky. Armed with a bottle of Laphroig 10yo, I made an all-single malt Rob Roy. Then I noticed a suggestion for a Perfect Rob Roy, a Perfect Martini of course with the different liquor base.

Maybe a silver lining in the snowstorm.

[bloviatrix]

It's funny you think severe severe weather means transitioning to whisky from gin. To me it means moving from lighter single malts to the big bad boys from Islay with lots of smoke and peat. I traditionally make the gin to whisky transition in September.

Edited January 25 by bloviatrix

[Wilfrid]

I guess I linger on the gin longer. I was torn between Ardbeg and Laphroiag. Those are my peaty favorites.