The Whiskey Cobra

The next treat I have for your caroling consumption is similar to an Old Fashioned but not as sweet. It grows on your palate as the flavors blend and the oils seep from the orange peel, the last sip will be the best and leave you wanting more.

The Whiskey Cobra is another recent revelation originating in 2007at the Cambon Bar. The Cambon Bar resides near the back door of the Ritz in Paris. As mentioned earlier, I spent some time enjoying the cocktails of the Bar Hemingway recently, and Colin Field introduced this drink to me. It is named after the Bell 209/AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter.

Start by carefully peeling a mandarin orange so that the peel resembles a cobra. I find it easiest to start by cutting around the end of the orange in a circle, but stopping before finishing the circle and then peeling around the orange to create the body and tail. Place the peel in the glass tail first so that the head protrudes above the age of rim of the glass. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the glass; add four drops of Angostura bitters. Fill the glass half full of bourbon, I suggest Marker's Mark, and stir. Fill the glass with ice and serve with the cobra facing outward.

Whiskey Cobra

3 oz bourbon

4 drops bitters

1 mandarin orange

Peel the orange in the shape of a cobra, place in an empty old fashioned glass tail first. Add the juice of the orange, the bitter and bourbon. Stir well and fill with ice.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

As the halfway mark of our holiday journey falls on a Sunday just two short weeks before Christmas, I can only hope that the rest of you are feeling better than I am this morning.  Apparently there is such thing as too much Christmas spirit.  But fear not, along with being one of the all time classic brunch cocktails, the Bloody Mary is also an amazing hangover cure (the shampoo effect).

While there is some evidence to discredit the commonly held belief that the Bloody Mary was invented at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris around 1920, I love the bar and its history so I am going to stick with that until proven otherwise.

At its most basic level this morning after favorite is a combination of vodka, tomato juice and any number of fruits, vegetables, spices and seasonings. Everybody has their own personal touches to the point that one of the only compliment’s I can still give Delta Airlines is the Bloody Mary condiment tray in the crown room that allows each weary traveler to dress their cocktail as desired. I like this version as it is heavy on the citrus and a packs a nice kick. Start by mixing the tomato juice mixture below in a large pitcher and refrigerate until well chilled, it should make enough for six to eight cocktails. The time of day will dictate the amount of vodka to use. Prior to 10:00 AM use use one ounce, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM work your way to an ounce and a half, and from 11:00 to noon work from an ounce and a half to two. Once the clock hits twelve all bets are off, make them as strong as you desire. When ready to serve fill a glass with ice. Add the appropriate amount of vodka, fill glass with tomato mix and stir. Garnish each drink with a lime wedge and a spear of pickled asparagus.

Bloody Mary

46 oz tomato juice

¾ cup fresh orange juice

3 tbs worcestershire sauce

2 tbs prepared horseradish

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp tabasco sauce

1 ½ tsp celery salt

Vodka

Mix first seven ingredients in a large pitcher and chill. For each drink pour one to two ounces of vodka into an ice filled glass. Pour in tomato mixture and stir. Garnish with a spear of pickled asparagus and a lime.

Serendipiti

I had the good fortune of spending some time with bartender Colin Field at the Bar Hemingway at the Ritz in Paris recently. We discussed many topics ranging from cocktails to shotguns, mostly cocktails. This is a calvados and champagne based concoction of his creation and is a great way to start a cold winter’s eve.

While this is a recent creation it comes from one of the all time classic cocktail birthing grounds and it has all the characteristics of a good cocktail.  It was created in 1994 by Colin at the Bar Hemingway.  Based on the name I am guessing it was somewhat of an accidental discovery, but that is purely conjecture on my part so let's move on to the best part.

There is just something about Calvados that calls out to be consumed in the late fall and winter, this is a perfectly balanced blend of flavors that will dance across your tongue. In deference to Colin’s unimpeachable credentials (and an already perfect cocktail) I am leaving the proportions just as he wrote it.  Begin with an old fashioned glass, add one and a quarter ounces of calvados, a teaspoon of sugar, and two sprigs of fresh mint, muddle.  Fill with ice and add one and three quarter ounces of apple juice, stir, and top with champagne (about three ounces).

Serendpiti

1 ¼ oz calvados

1 ¾ oz apple juice

1 tsp sugar

2 springs of fresh mint

champagne

Place the first four ingredients in an ice filled old fashioned glass and stir. Fill with champagne.

The Brandy Alexander

Next on the list for December’s barrage of cocktails, is one that is sure to delight your most decadent guests and repulse those looking to maintain their figures this season. This silky, creamy, dream is wonderful as a cold-day warm-me-up or as a capper just before settling down for a long winter’s nap.

The roots of the Brandy Alexander are much like Henry VIII of the Tudor dynasty in that this cocktail gets all the glory and all the women, while it was the father (Alexander, a gin based variant) is largely forgotten in history. The original Alexander first appeared early in the twentieth century. While the Anne (or Mary) Boleyn chasing playboy we are drinking today was created for the wedding celebration of Princess Mary and Viscont Lascelles in London, in1922, and became widely known by the middle of the twentieth century.

This is a very simple drink to make. Start with one and a half ounces of brandy in an ice filled cocktail shaker, any mid-priced option will work here. Add one half ounce of heavy cream and one half ounce of crème de cacao. Shake briskly (I’ve been using the thesaurus again) and strain into a cocktail glass. The traditional garnish is fresh ground nutmeg, but I prefer a light dusting of cocoa powder. Serve this with the rakish arrogance of Henry VII to all of your guests and see how the night proceeds.

Brandy Alexander

1 ½ oz brandy

½ oz crème de cacao

½ oz heavy cream

Mix all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder.