Friday (March 24) is National Cocktail Day — not that one needs an excuse to enjoy the occasional cocktail. However, the made-up holiday is a good excuse to write about cocktails.
It isn't a daily thing, but often when the weather is pleasant, I like to greet the evening sitting on my porch with an adult beverage in hand. Some days it is something simple like a bottled beer, a rum and cola or just my favorite scotch with a big ice cube. Other days I like to pretend I'm someplace far way with a tropical breeze and I pull out my stash of tiny umbrellas. It all depends on how much energy I have at the end of the work day. On weekends when we have no place to be, husband Joe and I may spend the day sipping mimosas.
I tend to keep home cocktails fairly simple, limiting them to just a handful of ingredients and base spirits with long or indefinite shelf lives (read: no vermouths here). If we don't make it to the bottom of a bottle of bubbly on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday evening's cocktails will likely feature something sparkling, such as the Moonwalk or Fleur de Paradis recipes that follow.
There are countless styles of bar glasses out there. It is true that glass shape makes a difference (to an extent), but there's no need to run out and buy special glasses unless you're looking for an excuse to do so. If a recipe says to serve the drink in a coupe (a shallow, stemmed glass with a round bowl), but you only have basic wine glasses, that's fine. If the recipe says to use a rocks glass, pick any short squatty glass in your cabinet that holds 6 to 10 ounces. You could even use a half-pint Mason jar, if you feel inclined. Does the recipe specify a highball or collins glass? Use any glass you have with tall sides that holds at least 10 ounces. Don't feel like washing glasses? Those famous red plastic cups will be just fine. Don't fret about the glassware. Do use the best quality alcohol and mixing ingredients you can.
For those wishing to do a deep dive into creating better cocktails at home, the following recent(ish) and soon-to-be-released titles may be of interest:
- ◼️ "The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails" by Michael Ruhlman (Scribner, May 23, $28)
- ◼️ "Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink" by J.M. Hirsch (Voracious, $27)
- ◼️ "60-Second Cocktails: Amazing Drinks to Make at Home in a Minute" by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley
- ◼️ "The Cocktail Cabinet: The Art, Science and Pleasure of Mixing the Perfect Drink" by Zoe Burgess (Mitchell Beazley, $25)
Just for fun — especially if you are a book lover or were an English major (like me) — there's "Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails With a Literary Twist" by Tim Federle (Running Press, $17). Originally published in 2013, this delightful little book was expanded and re-released for its 10th anniversary and hit bookstore shelves this week. Other Federle titles on my bar bookshelf: "Gin Austen: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen" and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita: More Cocktails With a Literary Twist."
Here are some of the drinks I've been sipping lately, which would all make excellent drinks for toasting National Cocktail Day.
Note: Many of the following drinks call for simple syrup, a blend of equal parts sugar and water, or rich syrup, made with two parts sugar to one part water. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to one month. If you happen to have any of the citrus syrup I wrote about back in January on hand, feel free to use it in place of the sugar syrup in any of the recipes that also call for citrus juice.
I came across this cocktail, a close relative of the Stinger, at Punchdrink.com and couldn't resist trying it — for obvious reasons.
This recipe is credited to Frank Caiafa, author of "The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book," but Punch notes, "the Brant originally appeared in George Kappeler's 1895 book, 'Modern American Drinks.'"
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It's minty, but not too sweet and much more complex than I expected. Will it become a regular player in my rotation? Probably not, but it is fun to share my name with such a historic drink.
Brant Cocktail
- 2 ¼ ounces VSOP cognac
- ¾ ounce white creme de menthe
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Lemon twist
Combine the cognac, creme de menthe and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Serve garnished with lemon twist.
Makes 1 drink.
Fleur de Paradis (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This drink is a delight. It's not too heavy, but still packs a punch with layers of floral and fruity flavors. Be sure to use a floral-forward gin rather than juniper forward gin here. Use any edible flower you have available for garnish, or skip the garnish entirely. A twist of grapefruit peel would work well, too.
Fleur de Paradis
- 2 ounces gin (a floral, less juniper-y gin works well here, such as Hendrick's, Plymouth or Bluecoat)
- ¾ ounce elderflower liqueur
- ½ ounce grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Chilled sparkling wine
- Edible flowers such as violets, pansies, grape hyacinths or redbud blossoms for optional garnish
Combine the gin, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and orange bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into two coupe or cocktail glasses. Top with the sparkling wine.
Garnish with an edible flower, if desired.
Makes 2 drinks.
Recipe adapted from Liquor.com
Moonwalk (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This light sparkling cocktail has all the vibes of a mimosa, but the kick of a real cocktail and a roundness from fresh grapefruit juice.
Moonwalk
- 1 ounce triple sec or other orange liqueur
- 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
- 2 to 3 drops rosewater extract OR 2 to 3 dashes real rosewater
- Ice
- Chilled sparkling wine
Combine the orange liqueur, grapefruit juice and rosewater in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a champagne glass (flute or coupe) and top with sparkling wine.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe from "The Cocktail Deck of Cards: 50 Sparkling Cocktails for Every Occasion" by Elouise Anders and illustrated by Sarah Hankinson (Smith Street Books/Rizzoli, $25)
Tequito muddles fresh mint, lime juice and tequila. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This is a mojito for tequila lovers.
Tequito
- 1 part silver tequila
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Handful fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 4 parts sparkling water
In a tall glass, combine the tequila, simple syrup, lime juice and mint leaves. Crush the mint with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds. Add ice to fill glass and then top with the sparkling water. Stir for a few seconds. Serve garnished with additional mint.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe from "60-Second Cocktails: Amazing Drinks to Make at Home in a Minute" by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley
Parisian Blonde (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This is another drink that surprised me. It's just creamy enough for a rich mouthfeel, but not heavy at all. Between the cream and orange liqueur and bitters, this drink may remind you of an adult creamsicle.
Parisian Blonde
- 1 ¼ ounces orange liqueur
- 1 ounce aged rum
- ½ ounce heavy cream
- Dash orange bitters
- 6 to 10 grains kosher salt
- Ice
In a cocktail shaker combine the orange liqueur, rum, cream, bitters and salt with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe from "Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink" by J.M. Hirsch
Pineapple Martini (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This drink would be lovely garnished with a wedge of one of those pink pineapples so popular right now, but I tend to stick with the ripest regular pineapple I can find.
Pineapple Martini
- 1 ¼ ounces vodka
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- ¼ ounce lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon rich simple syrup
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge, for garnish
Combine the vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe from Liquor.com
Frangelico and Zooey combines espresso, mezcal, Frangelico and cream. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Kelly Brant) This drink, from "Tequila Mockingbird" was inspired by J.D. Salinger's 1961 two-part novel "Franny and Zooey."
I may or may not use fully caffeinated espresso when I make it. To "float" the cream, pour it slowly over the ice. If you've never floated a layer in a drink before, it may be helpful to hold the back of a spoon very close to the surface of the drink and slowly pour the cream over the spoon. After marveling at the float and taking one sip, feel free to stir the drink.
This is the kind of coffee cocktail one could start their day with, if one were the kind to start their day with a cocktail.
I've left Federle's instructions in his words because they are so clever and give you an idea of what to expect if you pick up a copy of "Tequila Mockingbird."
Frangelico and Zooey
- 2 ounces decaf espresso, chilled
- ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur (such as Frangelico)
- ½ ounce mezcal
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1 ounce heavy cream
Put on a cardigan, a jazz album and a frown. Then pour the espresso, liqueur, mezcal and syrup over ice in a rocks glass, floating the cream on top. Not smiling yet? For the love of Brooklyn, be thankful you've got this much time — and this little responsibility — to feel so full of angst. It won't last forever, baby!