The Gibson

Our next cocktail is another classic variation on a classic. While many would say that the Gibson is just a Martini with onions, the flavor imparted by the garnish is different enough that it deserves its own place in your mixing repertoire.

The Gibson has a history as sordid as this authors, with many rumors, half-truths and unverifiable alibis. The most likely origin is from the Bohemian Club in San Francisco in the 1890s, named after prominent San Francisco businessman Walter D.K. Gibson, this seems to have the most corroborating evidence. Another popular story places its creation in New York at the Players Club as a challenge to bar tender Charley Connolly by Charles Dana Gibson. In the scheme of things though who really gives a shit, it is a damn fine cocktail.

This is another drink where the ratio of gin to vermouth can be debated ad nauseam but I prefer about a 5 to 1 balance. As this is a clear drink and the onion deserves to stand out, I like to mix this is a pitcher. In the ice filled pitcher add two and a half ounces of gin, I really like Hendricks in my Gibson. Then add one-half ounce of Lillet Blanc. Stir until the ingredients are well chilled and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with three onions and serve to your most distinguished guests.

Gibson

2 ½ oz gin

½ oz dry vermouth

Mix both ingredients in a chilled pitcher with ice, stir. Strain into a chilled glass. Serve with three cocktail onions.

The Hot 'n' Dirty

Not only has this replaced the Suffering Bastard as my favorite cocktail name, but it is also up there in my regular rotation of mid-week standbys. Don’t let the name deter you; it is a classic cocktail at heart with a little flair thrown in for good measure!

In the spirit of disclosure I have strayed across the channel for my version and stuck with gin, most people make a “Hot and Dirty” with pepper vodka, I find “Hot and Dirty,” much too long on the tongue and prefer my martini’s with the Queen’s chosen spirit.

Since there is no history to be had with this drink let’s get right on to the goods. This is really just a variation on the dirty martini, but adding a little heat to the flavor combination produces a truly rewarding experience. So we begin with two and a half ounces of gin, for shits and giggles I have been experimenting with some different brands, right now I am partial to Beefeater, it has a certain “my dad poured this,” quality to it. Put that in a shaker (I’ve recently defected to a Parisian shaker, but that’s a story for a later post) and add a quarter ounce of dry vermouth. This is where we diverge from the dirty martini, now I add only another quarter ounce of olive brine, but this needs to come from a jar of jalapeño stuffed olives (don’t worry you’ll use the olives soon), then add a quarter ounce of the juice from the jar of jalapeños you have sitting in the back of your fridge (we all have them, don’t lie). Shake vigorously, don’t worry about the shaken-stirred dilemma, this drink is just looking to break all the rules, strain into a chilled glass and garnish with three jalapeño stuffed olives. Take a sip and savor the fact that fortunately, that slight burning sensation on your lips will go away without a shot of penicillin…

Hot ‘n’ Dirty

2 ½ ounces gin

¼ ounce dry vermouth

¼ ounce jalapeño olive brine

¼ ounce pickled jalapeño brine

Add all ingredients to a shaker full of ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with three jalapeño stuffed olives.

The Dirty Martini

In a very scientific poll I recently conducted, I was quite surprised by the landslide majority of people who prefer the Dirty Martini over all others. While I am also a fan, I didn’t realize so many others were too, but who wouldn’t like a little salty brine in their cocktail?

If you thought the history of the Martini was light, the facts of this one will prove to be nothing more than a speed bump on the path to your next drink. The best I could come up with, after months of research was a vague reference to Russians adding pickle brine to their vodka as a hangover cure. Another reference simply stated that it can be traced back to the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, like that has any relevance. So I am going to take this opportunity to write my own history for the drink.

A product of the Yalta conference, the Dirty Martini was slightly overshadowed by other world changing moments. The drink came about one morning when FDR commented to Stalin that he was feeling a little hung-over. Joseph, being the caring and compassionate man he was, suggested his favorite morning cure-all of vodka and pickle juice. Regrettably, neither pickles nor vodka had been served with breakfast that morning. Fortunately, Churchill, being a man of the sauce, reached into his valise and produced a bottle of gin and a jar of olives.Dumping the coffee out the window and using the silver coffee pot as a makeshift shaker he quickly fashioned a batch of cocktails, tinted slightly dark (or dirty) by the remaining coffee. The three of them unanimously proclaimed the recipe a victory and the rest is history.

Enough poetic license, on to the important part. Like the Martini, the proper ratio depends on the palate of the imbiber. I prefer two and one half ounces of Plymouth gin mixed with one-fourth ounce of dry vermouth and one-half ounce of olive brine. This drink falls into a grey area for my translucence test since the brine does make the drink slightly cloudy. I typically shake this one because of its ease and I like the tiny slivers of ice that come through the strainer. I also prefer bleu cheese stuffed olives in this drink. With your first sip, just imagine what the fate of post-war Germany could have been had FDR been hung-over.

Dirty Martini

2 ½ oz gin

½ oz olive brine

¼ oz dry vermouth

Add all three ingredients to an ice filled shaker. Mix vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with three olives.

The Martini

I know it’s been a while; in fact it’s been an eternity. In a feeble attempt to make up for leaving you all to your own alcoholic devices, I have a true classic for you. The cocktail by which all others are judged, the Martini. More specifically the dry Martini.

For a cocktail whose reputation far precedes it, information on the exact origin of this drink is sparse at best. A few theories exist, none standing out as the most likely or reliable. The most popular is that it is a variation on the Martinez, which I plan to cover in the very near future. The Martinez was made with gin, maraschino liqueur, sweet vermouth and bitters. By the late 1800s this evolved into a mixture of gin, dry vermouth and orange bitters that became known as the Martini. The drink gained popularity during prohibition when bath tub gin was one of the more readily available spirits.

In practice today, the bitters have been eliminated and the cocktail is a simply elegant combination of two ingredients, gin and vermouth. The debate rages about the proper ratio between the two ranging from 7:1 to 2:1. The truly perfect Martini though is in the eye of the drink-holder. Of course I will give you my humble opinion, but I encourage you to experiment for yourself. The other great Martini debate is whether to shake or stir. There are arguments for both, the James Bond defense not being one of them. The rule of thumb I use is translucence, if you are using dark or cloudy ingredients it doesn’t matter, if they are clear though the agitation of shaking the mixture makes it cloudy, it doesn’t alter the taste only the appearance. Shaking does seem to cool the liquids faster though, so I recommend chilling your glasses, your pitcher and your ingredients if you plan to stir. On the plus side, stirring seems to leaves a slight velvety feeling on the drink.

Enough already, let’s get to the good stuff (who knew I could be so long winded for a drink with two ingredients). Start with your chilled pitcher and your favorite gin, I’m pouring Plymouth. Measure a precise two and one-half ounces and gently pour it into the pitcher. Pour in one-half ounce of dry vermouth (for the mathematically challenged that is a five to one ratio), add ice and stir. When you feel the mixture is properly combined and chilled, pour it into an ice-cold cocktail glass and garnish with three olives of your choice.

Martini

2 ½ oz gin

½ oz dry vermouth

Combine both ingredients in a chilled pitcher with ice, stir. Strain into a chilled glass. Serve with three olives.

The Old Pal

To kick of the season of the brown liquors I present to you the Old Pal. A name that just sounds comforting, conjuring memories of great friends and college haunts, or the loyal dog that you grew up with. This is a surprisingly simple recipe that produces a very complex balance of flavors. At first glance it looks to be similar to the Boulevardier, but the difference between sweet and dry vermouth makes to two drinks very distinct.

There is not much history to be discovered with this drink, it appeared in the 1922 version of Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails and is apparently one of the first drinks to use Campari, one of my personal favorites, as an ingredient. What I really like about it is that it is a great introduction to both the distinct flavors of rye and Campari.  At first sip, this drink is very bold, but it will quickly grow on you, and you will find yourself ordering another.

As I said, this is a fairly simple drink, start with an ounce of rye whiskey in a shaker or pitcher, I have been using High West’s Rendezvous Rye, add ¾ ounce each of dry vermouth and Campari, shake or stir with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve.

Old Pal

1 oz rye whiskey

¾ oz dry vermouth

¾ oz campari

Mix all three ingredients with ice in a shaker or pitcher, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

El Presidente

Right on the heels of the Old Cuban, a fantastic drink that is not really old nor Cuban, I bring to you the El Presidente, one that is both old and Cuban. This is a rum based drink that is more reminiscent of a Manhattan, and will be a pleasant surprise to your palate if you always associate rum with excessively sweet and fruity cocktails.

As with many of the fine cocktails we have enjoyed together, this one has its origins during prohibition. Also like many others, this one was created by an American bartender who had gone overseas to share his God given gift of cocktail creation with the world, and the hoards of Americans who had to leave the country just to get a good drink. The man credited with the creation of this masterpiece is Eddie Woelke. After bouncing around in the US and Europe a bit, Mr. Woelke settled on Havana, an excellent choice in my opinion, at the Jockey Club. In a shrewd political move he named the drink after then Cuban President Gerardo Machado.

Enough history, let’s get onto the drink. In an ice filled cocktail mixer, start with 1 ½ ounces of a quality aged rum, I am currently pouring Cruzan Estate Single Barrel, but any of the better rums work well in this drink. Next add ¾ ounce of dry vermouth and ½ ounce of orange curacao (Cointreau can be substituted). Add ½ teaspoon of grenadine, try and find one that actually uses sugar and fruit juice instead of just high fructose corn syrup and “flavorings,” I like this one. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist or cocktail cherries.

El Presidente

1 ½ oz aged rum

¾ oz dry vermouth

½ oz curacao

½ tsp grenadine

Stir all ingredients in an ice filled mixing glass. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist or cocktail cherries.

Rosita

I know that my long hiatus has left many of you longing for the early days of June when new recipes were coming out with some regularity. Well fear not, after a short recess for extensive “research,” I have the first tequila based cocktail to wet your whistle!

While many of the cocktails featured here have been rich in history, this one is a little hard to pin down. While the story does not have the cachet of most, it is a cocktail well worth enjoying. The best I have been able to come up with is it was deduced in the late eighties or early nineties (yes, nineteen, not eighteen) by a bartender/writer. The references I have found are all circular between three cocktail writers. One wrote about it and forgot about it until he read about it from another writer, the first writer then asked a third writer about it who told him the he (the first writer) had written it; or something along those lines, there are too many pronouns in this sentence for even me to follow, so let’s all just agree to move on to the best part, the drink!

I think I may be falling into a rut here as the supporting cast for this drink has become very familiar, in the coming weeks we’ll be breaking out of this shell and delving into brave new worlds. For the time being though, Campari, vermouth and bitters are here to stay. In an old fashioned glass full of ice, start with an ounce and a half of your favorite anejo tequila, I like Patron’s mild flavor for this drink. Add ½ ounce each of sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and Campari. A dash (or two) of Angostura bitters rounds out the ensemble. Stir well and garnish with a lime twist. Turn on your favorite Mariachi music and be prepared to sing along and dance til dawn!

Rosita

1 ½ oz anejo tequila

½ oz campari

½ oz sweet vermouth

½ oz dry vermouth

dash of angostura bitters

Build this cocktail in an ice filled old fashioned glass and garnish with a lime twist.

Satan's Whiskers

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that gin is an area of cocktail knowledge where I am severely lacking for recipes that I really enjoy. I partially blame my devotion to bourbon for this deficiency; I also blame the fact that I have not taken the time to get past the very basics. To remedy this misfortune, I have committed to trying at least one new gin based cocktail per week for the next eight weeks. I was hoping to find three or four that are suitable for publication; on my first dive into the gin filled pool, I came up with a winner. With a name like Satan’s Whiskers how could I have gone wrong!

The earliest reference I could find to this cocktail is the original Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. Craddock’s recipe is slightly different from mine; I prefer a little less orange juice and a little more Gran Marnier. I was worried that the orange flavor would overpower the rest of the drink, but the gin and sweet vermouth have a nice presence and provide good balance.

This is a fairly straightforward cocktail to make. Since juicing the orange is the only step that requires any effort that is where I like to start. I tried this using both Plymouth and Hendrick’s gin and preferred the flavor of the Hendrick’s, but with all of the other flavors going on, any decent gin should yield favorable results.

One note of caution, this is one of those drinks that can really sneak up on you!

Satan’s Whiskers

¾ oz gin

¾ oz dry vermouth

¾ oz sweet vermouth

½ oz gran marnier

½ oz orange juice

2 heavy dashes orange bitters

Put all ingredients into an ice filled shaker.  Shake vigorously.  Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with cherries and serve.