Cocktail No 60 - Berlin

Madeira is a new drink for me, so this is the first time I have tried this cocktail. Where else could I rely on stocking Madeira, but the Wine Rack in Birkdale, where they have 3 varieties. I went for the traditional Blandy's as that would fit the chronology for the original Berlin Cocktail.

The Madeira surprised me as I was expecting something similar to port, but it is much lighter in colour, almost rosé in colour and lower viscosity. Sweet as an after dinner drink should be. but not cloying.

The Berlin isn't the prettiest drink in the world. The orange juice gives a turbidity and the Madiera dampens the colour from a bright orange to tangerine.

The nose is mainly from the Madeira, but the Angustura bitters are also poking through.

Then the first taste - orange hits you immediately. Very full, very strong and very delightful if you like your citrus. The Birkdale Gin is giving it a kick, but isn't over-powering - I would almost say you can't tell its there. The Madeira is also doing something, but its all blended in. The Angustura is contributing, but not over-powering.

I have to confess that I am extremely surprised by this cocktail - its a perfect blend of its component parts and the Birkdale Gin and Madeira are supporting roles boosting the orange to an unexpected height.

I have just added a dash of orange bitters and that extra zest boosts it even more.

Very, very, very pleased with this cocktail - think alcoholic and complex oranges.

Looks like Madeira is going to be in the cocktail cabinet from now onwards.

Recipe

1 part Birkdale Gin
1 part Madeira
1 part Orange Juice
1 dash Angustura bitters
(Optional 1 dash Orange Bitters)

Put ice in shaker with other ingredients. Shake well and pour into cocktails glass. Serve with straw, which I did not have, so omitted.

Cocktail No 49 Brandy Crusta

From the ingredients this tastes very different from what I was expecting. Its quite sweet from the sugar syrup and the Maraschino (kindly sent over from Naples by my brother, where it costs 2.60 Euros compared to £23 here in the UK!).

There is a deepness from the Angostura Bitters, mixing with the Brandy which is always a great combination. But its the small amount of Maraschino which is the star of the drink. Its a sweet bitter cherry infusion and it subtly changes the brandy - I don't think I would identify it as Cherry in a blind tasting, but I wouldn't have said Brandy either.

Due to the price of Maraschino, this is one to order in the Cocktail Lounge I suspect, unless you have a link to southern Italy.

Its meant to have a sugar coating on the rim of the glass, which is what Crusta means, but I couldn't be bothered with that.

Recipe

If you want the Crusta, dip the rim of the cocktail glass in lemon juice then in caster sugar.

Put ice in shaker with 2 measure Brandy, 1 teaspoon sugar syrup, 3 dashes of Maraschino and 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Shake and strain into the cocktail glass. Decorate with spiral of lemon peel.

Cocktail No 46 Ray Long

I haven't uncovered the origins of this one and the Savoy Cocktail book from 1930 gives a different ratio of Brandy to Vermouth. My recipe has more Vermouth and the Savoy more Brandy. It also looks like the original called for Absinthe. Mine substitutes Pernod, because Absinthe was a banned drink when it was published (I've had the Cocktail book close to 30 years now).

So mine is quite a mild cocktail in alcohol terms. Some Brandy diluted with Vermouth. Its a beautiful hazel colour. It only has a teaspoon of Pernod, but it carries through so strongly - great if you are an aniseed fan.

First impressions is the chill of the drink, followed by a blast of aniseed at the back of the mouth with that typical warming of the Brandy spreading. Lastly, the herbs from the Vermouth and the Angostura Bitters creeps through leaving a tingle and slight fell of a film on the teeth.

That's a rather nice drink! Not sure why its int he wine based section, especially if the original had more Brandy than Vermouth.

Recipe

Add 3 ice cubes to a mixing glass with 1 measure of Bianco Vermouth, 3/4 measure of Brandy. 1 teaspoon Pernod (or Absinthe) and a dash of Angostura Bitters. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass.

Cocktail No 31 The Stem Cell

My own creation based on the research we are doing to harvest stem cells from liposuction waste (body fat is very rich in stem cells and everyone thinks that research will be improved if you use fresh stem cells straight from the body instead of growing them through culture which changes them - end of science lecture).

The squeamish won't like the next bit, but I was really going more for an optical feel than taste. I wanted a milky reddish tinge to the drink to reflect the combination of fat emulsion and traces of blood in the washings from the lipoaspirate. So a mix of cream, with a splash of Pernod and water from sugar syrup creates the right emulsion and Rosso Vermouth and Angostura Bitters gives the red tinge. The pearl onion is the single stem cell in the mix - it doesn't really work like it does in the Gibson, but its white like a stem cell.

Perhaps the viscosity could be increased, so addition of an egg white would turn it into a Stem Cell Fizz.

The Squeamish can now start reading again.

Tastewise it works rather well. Really minimise the Pernod, otherwise it overwhelms the drink - you just want a hint of aniseed in the background. The Rosso Vermouth balances the drink surprisingly effective considering the small amount added. Its a little sweet, velvety and wonderful aftertaste. There will probably be several iterations of this until I perfect it.

Recipe (Working)

Add to a shaker 2 measures of Gin, a capfull of Rosso Vermouth, a teaspoon of Pernod, a teaspoon of single cream, a splash of sugar syrup and Angostura Bitters. Shake on ice and strain into a Cocktail glass. Garnish with a pearl onion.

Cocktail No 30 East India (Brazilian style)

OK I admit that I am just trying to get the total no of Cocktails to 30 for the first month to make it one a day on average. And its a little cheat in remaking the East India with Cachaça .

In fact this is a mistake and doesn't work at all. Amazing how such similar spirits have such a different effect on taste. I had to remix it and triple the Pineapple Juice to get close to a balanced flavour.

Its astringent and not as in the bite that lemon juice provides, more vinegary. Fans of Cachaça may like this, but for me I am relegating it back to the Caipirinha, where it is unsurpassed.

Not one that I will be repeating.

Recipe

As for East India, but using Cachaça instead of rum and triple the amount of pineapple juice.

Cocktail No 29 East india

Its a Rum night tonight and the East India is fabulous on a cold, miserable night like tonight.

I am really surprised by this cocktail. It only has a splash of pineapple juice, but it mixes and blends with the Rum to a much greater flavour that I would have predicted. As alcohol strength goes, its up there with the Martini, as its basically neat rum diluted with a teaspoon of juice. However I wouldn't be tempted to increase the pineapple juice otherwise the drink will be overly sweet. If its too strong, then add a splash of soda.

This is another one of multiple sensations. Initially just coldness on the tongue and no flavour, developing into sweetness after 1/2 a second, which rapidly becomes recognisable as pineapple, then as you swallow that wonderful harshness of the rum biting then warming at the back of the throat - me likee. This could be fantastic made with Cachaça instead of rum and then it would be a very aggressive drink.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures white rum to a shaker with 1 teaspoon of Cointreau, 1 teaspoon of pineaple juice and a dash of angostura bitters. Shake on ice until chilled and strain into a cocktail glass.

Cocktail No 28 Planter's Cocktail

Wasn't quite planned as I had mixed the orange and lemon juice in the wrong quantitiy for the original cocktail, but a pleasant mistake indeed. The lemon juice cutting the rum is the dominant taste note. The rum give its usual earthy caramel warmth, taken a bit deeper by the angostura bitters. Then the orange comes through to balance everything out.

A perfect drink for a balmy summer night.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures of rum to a shaker with 3/4 measure of orange juice and 3/4 measure of lemon juice. Add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters and a teaspoon of caster sugar or a splash of sugar syrup. Shake well on ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with cherry.

Cocktail No 27 Amaretto Sour

By request of my Sister-In-Law, the Amaretto Sour.

This is a really sweet drink. The Amaretto itself is already sweet and you add extra sugar syrup. I thought this would be over the top, but in fact there is just the right amount of lemon juice to cut through this and prevent it becoming cloying.

As cocktails go, it is very mild in terms of alcohol strength, so a good choice for people who are not big drinkers and like sweet things.

Personally, I would still cut back on the sugar syrup. The egg white doesn't add any taste, but does help the texture.

Recipe

Fill a tumbler with crushed or preferably shaved ice. Add 1.5 measures of Amaretto to a shaker with 3/4 measure of lemon juice, 1/2 measure of sugar syrup, an egg white and 2 dashes of Angustora Bitters. Shake on Ice (some recipes call for shaking without ice). This needs to be vigorous to ensure the egg white in blended in with the other ingredients.

Strain into the tumbler over the shaved Ice and decorate with a Maraschino Cherry on a stick.

Cocktail No 20 Old-Fashioned

Another of the classics and well deserved it is.

A sweet blast of ice cold bourbon hits the taste buds, with the unmistakable aftertaste of the bitters resonating across the tongue until the next sip. There is a very slight hint of Southern Comfort in this one, although I have also made it without the sugar and its just as good.

I think I am becoming hooked on these cocktail cherries!

The mixing is simplicity itself:

Recipe:

Add 1 teaspoon caster sugar to a tumbler with 1 teaspoon of water and 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters (I started with 1 dash, but the bourbon overpowers it and it really needs the 2nd one). Stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Add 2 measures of Bourbon and 2-3 ice cubes. Stir until chilled. Garnish with cocktail cherry and orange slice.