French 75

The French 75 will kick your ass and you won’t see it coming. 

The drink looks (and tastes) innocuous. It sits pretty and sparkly in a champaign flute, and lemon and sugar mask the burn of gin. But after a couple rounds of the French 75’s, you will feel your head spinning. 

The French 75 is appropriately named after a 75mm field gun the French army used in the World War I. The weapon was famous for its precision and firepower. The cocktail lives up to the name; it always hits the mark. 

Although the origin of the cocktail isn’t crystal clear, it is believed that it comes from Harry MacElhone in Paris around 1915. The French 75 then crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed in New York City. It became iconic at the Stork Club, a Manhattan nightclub that often attracted a posh crowd in the Jazz Age. 

To make a French 75, add 2 oz gin, 0.5 oz lemon juice and 0.5 oz simple syrup to a shaker. Add ice, and shake briefly. You don’t want to dilute it too much. Strain it into a chilled champaign flute, and fill it up with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve. 

The name “French” 75 suggests that you should use French sparkling wine like Champaign. But hey, why spend extra when there are perfectly suitable alternatives? Like I mentioned last week (Aperol Spritz), I am a big fan of Cava from Spain. Dry, refreshing and cheap. 

It’s only May, but you can already feel summer in the air in NYC. What better way to celebrate the end of colder months than a sparkly, refreshing cocktail? I certainly can’t think of one.

À ta Santé!

French 75

Ingredients;

• 2 oz gin
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• sparkling wine
• lemon twist for garnish

1. Add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker.
2. Add ice, and shake briefly.
3. Strain into a chilled champaign flute and top off with sparkling wine.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve. 

Aperol Spritz

Ever since it was introduced by the Barbieri brothers at the Padua International Fair in 1919, Aperol became one of the most popular liqueurs in Italy. If you’ve never tried Aperol, think of it as a younger sister of Campari — although they are both delightfully bittersweet, Aperol is much milder, with more sugar and less alcohol. 

Cocktail historians traces the origin of the Aperol Spritz back to the traditional white wine spritzner from Venice. The drink grew in popularity during the ‘50s and ‘60s, and it is arguably the most adored cocktail in Italy today.

And it’s easy to see why. The Aperol Spritz is a great drink to sip on a warm, sunny afternoon. It is an easygoing, refreshing, and well-balanced drink. Also, it is relatively low on alcohol, so you won’t get too drunk off of it. 

To make an Aperol Spritz, fill a double rocks glass with ice, and pour in 1 oz of club soda and 2 oz of Aperol. Top it off with sparkling wine. Stir, garnish with an orange slice and serve. Easy, easy, easy.

Because of its Italian roots, the Aperol Spritz would traditionally be made with Prosecco, but Cava (from Spain) also works really well. I can’t justify paying too much for a bottle of sparkling wine, especially if I am using it in cocktails. I love Jaume Serra Cristalino; at $7 per bottle, it’s an absolute steal. 

Refreshing, delicious, and easy to make. It really is a perfect spring aperitif.

Summer is coming.

À ta Santé!

Aperol Spritz

Ingredients;

• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 oz Club Soda
• 3 oz Sparkling wine (Prosecco or Cava)
• Orange slice to garnish

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Add all the ingredient and stir briefly. 
3. Garnish with an orange slice and serve.

Bamboo

Sherry might be the most underrated drink in the world. From light and crisp fino to rich and nutty oloroso, the world of sherry is incredibly diverse. Although it’s been neglected for a long time, sherry is returning to the mainstream drinking culture. And Thank God for that. 

The Bamboo is a sherry-based cocktail created by Louis Eppinger, the manager of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan in the 1890s. The drink metaphorically represents the influx of European influences and globalization that swept Japan in the late 1800s; the sherry was Spanish, the vermouth was French and Eppinger was German. The only thing that’s Japanese about the Bamboo is its birthplace and vaguely Asian name.

Japanese bartenders suggest that Mr. Eppinger’s original recipe included 3:1 ratio of sherry and vermouth. However, the recipe changed over time — most bars now use 1:1 ratio. I prefer it the new way as well. Either fino or amontillado-type sherry is ideal to make a Bamboo. The drink doesn’t work very well with oloroso.  

To make a Bamboo cocktail, add 2 oz sherry, 2 oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes of orange bitters and 1 dash of Angostura bitters to a mixing glass. Ice the mixing glass and stir away. You don’t need to stir too much, since neither sherry nor vermouth contains too much alcohol. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with a lemon twist before serving. 

When I started bartending, I just wanted to shake cocktails, be a showman and entertain guests. But soon, I realized how elegant and artistic stirring drinks can be. 

There is something incredibly sexy about a properly stirred cocktail, served up. If you are not turned on by the way a crystal-clear drink glistens in a frosted coupe, please stop reading my blog. 

Just kidding. Not really.

À ta Santé!

Bamboo

Ingredients;

• 2 oz sherry (preferably fino, but amontillado works as well)
• 2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 dash orange bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist for garnish 

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and stir briefly.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve. 

Paloma

You’d think that the Margarita is the national cocktail of Mexico, but you are wrong. Although the Paloma flies relatively under the radar in the United States, it is the most beloved tequila drink of its native country. And there’s a good reason for it — it’s freaking delicious and refreshing. 

The Paloma incorporates grapefruit soda as the main ingredient. You can use something along the lines of Squirt or Fresca. You can try making your own version of grapefruit soda with freshly squeezed juice, agave nectar and club soda, but then you are missing the point. 

The Paloma should be an unfussy cocktail, something you can enjoy with your friends on a warm sunny day with a handle of tequila and a bottle of soda on a picnic table. No need to be all fancy. 

While the origin of the drink is pretty contentious, a popular theory suggests that it was invented by Don Javier Delgado Corona at the bar called La Capilla.

To make a Paloma, first fill a highball glass with ice. Add 0.5 oz lime juice and 2 oz blanco tequila. I like to use Espolón. Fill the rest of the glass with grapefruit soda. Now, here’s a little secret; a small pinch of salt. A little bit of salt opens up your palate, and it will highlight the sweetness of the soda, the herbal quality of tequila and the brightness of lime. Stir well, garnish with a lime wheel and a sprig of mint (purely for decoration) and serve with a straw. 

If you really think about it, the Paloma is essentially a glass of chilled grapefruit soda spiked with a shot of tequila with the works — a slice of lime and salt, lick it, slam it, suck it. What’s better than that for a warm spring afternoon? I do not know. 

À ta Santé!

Paloma

Ingredients:

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• grapefruit soda (about 6 oz)
• small pinch of salt 
• lime wheel and sprig of mint for garnish

1. Feel a highball glass with ice.
2. Add all the ingredients in to the glass, stir well.
3. Garnish and serve. 

New York Sour

Wine is only seldom used in crafting cocktails. Sure, vermouths and sherries are traditional cocktail ingredients, but they are products made from wine, not wine itself, strictly speaking. The New York Sour incorporates red wine both as a flavoring agent and a garnish. It’s an interesting drink.

The New York Sour, funnily enough, was invented by an anonymous bartender from Chicago in the late 1870s. It was originally called the Continental Sour or the Southern Whiskey Sour, but the name changed to the New York Sour after it was popularized by New York bartenders. 

Floating wine atop another liquid might sound like a daunting task, but it’s actually not too difficult. Using the back of a barspoon, slowly pour wine into the drink.

Now, as to what kind of wine to use in a New York Sour, I would say it really depends on your personal taste. Old records suggest that Chicago bartenders in the 1870s were using Bordeaux, but you can play around with it. Different types of wine offer different taste and aroma; world is your oyster. 

To make a New York Sour, add 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey, 1 oz lemon juice, and 0.75 oz simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. I usually use egg whites whenever I am making a sour-style drink to create a nice foamy head, but I wouldn’t with a New York Sour because the foam will get in the way of floating red wine. Add ice to the shaker, shake well, and strain into a lowball glass over ice. Now, pour 0.5 oz of red wine into the glass. Again, slow and gentle. Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve. 

It’s a pretty drink; the gradation of colors between the whiskey sour and the red wine paints a pretty picture in a glass. It doesn’t taste too shabby neither. 

It’s a good drink to sip on a nice spring day. It’s finally getting warmer in the city. About freaking time.

À ta Santé!

*disclaimer; use good wine. Don’t use a shitty bottle (like I did for the photoshoot), or you will ruin your drink.

New York Sour

Ingredients;

• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 0.75 oz simple syrup
• 0.5 oz red wine 
• lemon wheel for garnish 

1. Add bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker. 
2. Add ice, and shake well.
3. Strain over ice into a rocks glass.
4. Using the back of a barspoon, slowly trickle red wine into the drink.
5. Garnish with a lemon wheel, and serve. 

Margarita

This is a shoutout to all the spring breakers, getting terribly drunk off frozen margaritas and salt-rimmed tequila shots in all-inclusive resorts somewhere in Florida or Mexico. Just a quick reminder; don’t get too trashy, my friends.

Not too many people take tequila seriously, and that’s a damn shame. Good tequila is just as delicate and complex as good whiskey, and it deserves way more respect than it commends at the moment. Try drinking it on the rock (please only attempt this with a good quality tequila), it will change your life. Alternatively, you can make a Margarita. A real one.

Let’s be real. Frozen Margaritas blended with tropical fruits are freaking delicious. Although cocktail snobs like me will definitely give you a dirty look if you try to order them at a proper bar, I am not completely against them.

But one thing is certain. Frozen, fruit-blended Margaritas fail to highlight the beauty of tequila, and its vibrant vegetal and floral notes.

The recipe I like to use was invented in Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco. Unlike most margarita recipes that use Cointreau or triple sec, Tommy’s Margarita only uses three ingredients; good quality reposado (meaning slightly aged) tequila, lime, and agave nectar. It doesn’t get any simpler.

To make a Tommy’s Margarita, add 2 oz reposado tequila, 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1/2 oz agave nectar to a shaker. Add ice, shake well. and strain. I personally like to serve it on the rock in a lowball like a traditional sour drink. Garnish with a lime wheel.

People either love or hate salted rims with their Margaritas. I am not a fan, but I would rim half of the glass, so people can decide for themselves whether to drink it with or without salt. To rim a glass, rub a lime wedge along the rim of a glass and roll it around in salt, making sure salt doesn’t get inside of the glass.

Robust flavors of reposado tequila marry perfectly with the tartness from lime, and the smooth sweetness from agave nectar. For me, this simple cocktail really showcases natural bounties of Mexico.

Drink up before spring break is over.

À ta Santé!

Margarita

Ingredients;

• 2 oz reposado tequila
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz agave nectar
• 1 lime wedge for garnish
• salt (optional)

1. Salt the rim of your glass if you wish.
2. Add tequila, lime juice, and agave nectar to a shaker.
3. Add ice, and shake well.
4. Strain over ice, garnish, and serve.

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a classic. It’s an easy drink to whip up, but it really hits the spot especially on a nice spring day like today.

The recipe for the Tom Collins was first published in 1876 through The Bartender’s Guide by Jerry Thomas, who is celebrated as the father of American mixology. However, it is believed that the drink has been around since the early 1860s.

In the original recipe, the drink was garnished with a lemon peel and a maraschino cherry. But personally, I think it looks nicer with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint. The scent of mint elevates the herbal bouquet of gin, so that’s a plus as well.

To make a Tom Collins, add 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and 1 oz simple syrup to your shaker. Add ice, and shake briefly. Since we will be diluting the drink by adding club soda, you don’t need to shake it too extensively; just long enough to combine all the ingredients. Strain the drink over ice in a highball glass and top off with club soda. Garnish it with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint, and serve it with a straw.

After a long winter, spring is finally in the air in New York City; the sun is out longer and everyone is happier. The Tom Collins is a perfect drink to embrace this glorious time of the year.

À ta Santé, friends!

Tom Collins

Ingredients;

• 2oz gin
• 1oz lemon juice
• 1oz simple syrup
• club soda
• a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint for garnish

1. Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker.
2. Add ice, and shake lightly.
3. Strain over ice in a highball glass and top off with club soda.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint.

Ramos Gin Fizz

I miss yet another Mardi Gras and it’s killing me. Although I’ve never been to New Orleans, I have a weird fascination for the city. There is just something about the Crescent City — the local food scene, jazz music, carnivals and the easygoing attitude — that simply speaks to me. It is currently on top of my travel bucket list.

The Big Easy also played a major role in the history of cocktail. The drinking culture of New Orleans has brought us many classic cocktails like the Sazarac and the Vieux Carre, combining American ingredients and techniques with the city’s French and Caribbean influences.

One of my first favorite drinks that came out of New Orleans is the Ramos Gin Fizz. Invented by Henry C. Ramos at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in 1888, the cocktail became an iconic drink that represents the luxurious, relaxed lifestyle of New Orleans’s social scene.

The Ramos Gin Fizz never really took off in bar scenes outside New Orleans because it takes so damn long to make. The cocktail combines heavy cream and egg white to create its signature silky mouthfeel. To achieve that mouthfeel, it needs to be emulsified as much as possible. What does that mean? It means you need to shake the living daylights out it.

To make a Ramos Gin Fizz, add 1.5 oz gin, 0.5 oz each of fresh lemon and lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, 1 oz heavy cream, 1 egg white, and a barspoon of orange flower water to a cocktail shaker. Now, here is a tip. If you don’t want to strain your arms while dry shaking the drink for 10 minutes, I recommend using a milk frother, one of those used to make latte foam, to emulsify the drink. Add ice to the shaker, and give it a long shake. Strain it in a glass and top it off with club soda.

The orange flower water really sets the Ramos Gin Fizz apart from other cocktails. The herbal notes of gin marries perfectly with the subtle floral bouquet of the orange flower water. The creamy mouthfeel is simply heavenly as well.

Still dreaming of New Orleans just a few thousand miles away…

À ta Santé!

Ramos Gin Fizz

Ingredients;

• 1.5oz gin
• 0.5oz lemon juice
• 0.5oz lime juice
• 0.5oz simple syrup
• 1oz heavy cream
• 1 barspoon orange flower water
• 1 egg white

1. Add all ingredients in a shaker, and dry shake for 10 minutes. Or use a milk frother to get the emulsification going.
2. Add ice, and shake for a long time.
3. Strain into a chilled glass.
4. Top off with club soda.

Boulevardier

The Negroni is one of the most popular cocktails in today’s bar scene, and rightfully so. The Negroni, a bittersweet concoction with strong herbal flavors that mixes gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, is an amazing drink in its own right. However, its close cousin, the Boulevardier, does not get the credit it deserves at all. Well, personally, I like the Boulevardier better. In fact, it’s one of my favorite drinks at the moment.

While most people think that the Boulevardier originated as a variation of the Negroni, the former actually predates its cousin by two decades or so.

The first written record of the Boulevardier appears in Harry McElhone’s 1927 book, Barflies and Cocktails. In the book, McElhone accredits Erskine Gwynne as the inventor of the Boulevardier, which seems accurate since Gwynne was the founder of the Paris-based literary magazine, The Boulevardier.

In a mixing glass, add 2 oz of bourbon or rye whiskey (as I briefly mention in my post about the Manhattan, I prefer rye whiskey when I am mixing a cocktail with sweet vermouth), 1 oz sweet vermouth, and 1 oz Campari. Add ice, and stir thoroughly.

Although most bartenders seem to be serving the Boulevardier neat in a cocktail coupe, I actually prefer it on the rock, with a twist of orange peel. There is something incredibly sexy about the crystal clear Boulevardier beautifully glistening in an old-fashioned glass.

It’s a perfect drink for winding down after a long week. After work, I make myself a Boulevardier, crawl into bed, and watch TopChef. It’s a good drink, it’s a good life.

À ta Santé!

Boulevardier

Ingredients;

• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 oz Campari
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice, and stir.
3. Strain over fresh ice in a lowball.
4. Garnish with an orange peel and serve.

Godfather’s Amaretto Sour

When I am coming up with new recipes for cocktails, I draw inspirations from old cocktail recipes. By looking for common denominators between cocktails, be it reoccurring ingredients or flavor profile, I can create a new drink that embodies elements of both old-school drinks.

This week, I am combining two old and popular recipes — the Godfather and the Amaretto Sour. Here is how I came up with the Godfather’s Amaretto Sour.

The Godfather cocktail, named after the popular American film, is a traditional cocktail with two parts scotch whiskey and one part amaretto, a sweet almond-flavored liqueur originated from Italy. Amaretto also features predominantly in the traditional Amaretto Sour (hence the name), which combines the liqueur with fresh lemon juice and some sugar.

The recipe I use for the Amaretto Sour comes from Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Morgenthaler adds cask strength bourbon and egg whites in order to bring up the alcohol content of the drink, and give it a nice foamy head. I replace bourbon with scotch in order to play with the nuanced flavor profile of the Godfather.

To a shaker, add 1.5 oz amaretto, 1 oz scotch whiskey, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, a dash of simple syrup, and the egg white from one egg. Dry shake (I talk about the benefit of dry shaking in my recipe for the White Lady) for a bit, then add ice. Shake some more to chill the drink down. Strain the drink over a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Although I usually prefer to drink bourbon or rye whiskey over scotch, scotch works better with the Amaretto Sour component of the drink. Scotch whiskey brings an interesting complexity to the drink, adding a refined bitter touch to balance out the sweetness from amaretto.

À ta Santé!

Godfather’s Amaretto Sour

Ingredients;

• 1.5 oz amaretto
• 1 oz scotch
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 dash simple syrup
• 1 egg (white only)
• Lemon peel for garnish

1. Add all the ingredients to a shaker.
2. Dry shake to emulsify the egg white.
3. Add ice, shake again.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.
5. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve.