Cocktail Recipes Tonight

[StephanieL]

A popular shooter in South Africa is called the Springbok, after the national rugby team (and symbol of SA) whose colors are gold and green.  It's a layer of Amarula liqueur and a layer of peppermint schnapps or creme de menthe, so you have two distinct layers in those colors.  I had one make with creme de menthe at a South African get-together today, and it was actually tasty.

[Sneakeater]

My neighborhood supermarket now stocks it!  ("It" being Fever Tree Distiller's Cola.)

I see a Fernet & Coke in my near future.

[Sneakeater]

Fernet con Coca

1 part Fernet

2 parts Cola (diehard Porteños [not to mention Córdoba college students] would probably mix equal parts -- but I'm a wimpy Norteamericano myself)

Build in Collins glass over ice.  Stir.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

[Sneakeater]

My initial impression is that, in this Collegetown Concoction, at least, Distiller's Cola is a little too refined.  I think Coca-Cola (Mexican if possible duh) is better.

Have to try this in a Cuba Libre, which I believe is what it was formulated for.

[Sneakeater]

SO:

Cuba Libre

2 oz. light Rum

4 oz. or so Cola

Juice of 1/2 lime

Pour the juice into a tall glass and muddle the rind in it.  Discard the rind.  Fill glass with ice.  Pour in the rum, then the Cola.  Stir gently.

 

This is the drink Distiller's Cola was forumlated for, so it had better work here.  And it does:  this is notably more complex than when made with Coke.  Is it better, though?  I'm not sure.

But then, I'm one of the people who think that Coke -- even our debased American Coke -- is one of those mass-produced commercial food products that are actually quite good.  Excellent, even.

It's time to quote Andy Warhol:

Quote

What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, too. A coke is a coke and no amount of money can get you a better coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the cokes are the same and all the cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.

Good thing he didn't live to see this.

[StephanieL]

An Old Fashioned.  Really an excuse to break out the fancy bar cherries we were gifted a couple of months ago.

[voyager]

24 minutes ago, StephanieL said:

An Old Fashioned.  Really an excuse to break out the fancy bar cherries we were gifted a couple of months ago.

May be repeating the story of a 4 year old grandkid approaching her, in my mind very fancy cherry topped, ice cream.   She, very well bred by her mother on totally organic produce, popped the cherry into her mouth and pronounced, spitting it out, "Tastes like chemicals."    Will hold off a few years before offering her one of our griottes en kirsch.  

  

[StephanieL]

Heh, I loved those chemical maraschino cherries.  Still do.

[small h]

I think I recently mentioned in another topic that my grandmother would place one in the center of the grapefruit halves she served as a first course. I loved them, too.

[Sneakeater]

I mean the cocktail cherries I use are hardly "chemical".  And I'm sure voyager's aren't, either.

[voyager]

2 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

I mean the cocktail cherries I use are hardly "chemical".  And I'm sure voyager's aren't, either.

Maybe not entirely.   For us, we like this product.    No sugar, all kirsch.

For the kids' ice creams, I bought something like this.     No kirsch, all sugar.

[StephanieL]

The latter is what I'm referring to when I say "chemical" maraschino cherries.  Still love 'em, though.

[Anthony Bonner]

Im actually surprised some hipster hasn't tried to reinvent them. The texture is a result of a lye bath and there are other traditional candied fruits that get a similar treatment.

[voyager]

A friend retired from banking to a cherry orchard country life.   In California commercial fruit has to go through a packing house which sorts snd grades fruit.   Small cherries are classified as “briners” and sold off for marischino cherries.   The farmer is paid a deeply discounted price for them and, of course, has no way of seeing/verifying how accurate the apportionment has been.    A satisfying retirement but not commercially rewarding.

[Sneakeater]

What season is it again?

Diamondback

1-1/2 oz. Rye

3/4 oz. Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy

3/4 oz. yellow Chartreuse

Pour into cocktail shaker.  Add ice.  Stir.  Strain into chilled Old Fashioned glass.  Garnish with a cocktail cherry (my Amarena Fabbri cherries, while sweet to a fault -- vg in this drink -- as far as I can tell have no chemical ingredients).

I won't lie:  I made myself a double (it's already being a tough work week).