HAIR OF THE DOG COCKTAILS
Here is my pick of the crop of restorative cocktails*, some made with less alcohol than usual so as not to overwhelm an already overloaded system. Unless otherwise stated, each makes one glass of liquid healing. All will soothe your ailing body. Trust me. I’m a bartender.
*Some recipes contain raw egg. Consuming raw egg may increase the risk of a food borne illness.
AURA
A three-part whammy to revive you, starting at 7 am, with a quick breakfast hit of honey and milk.
2 OZ. (60ML) MILK
2 TABLESPOONS HONEY
Stir to boiling point in a saucepan. Pour into a mug and drink as hot as you can.
By 9 am you’ve reached the office. A bit of rum will cheer you up.
FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICE OF ONE ORANGE
FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICE OF HALF A LEMON
1 OZ. (30ML) LIGHT RUM
Stir to boiling point in a saucepan and pour into a heat-proof glass. Drink as hot as you can.
The final part of the Aura is your very own version of the 11 am morning coffee break. By this time, your eyes look more alert and a smile is beginning to play around your lips. You are ready to face the rest of the day.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
3 OZ. (90ML) TOMATO JUICE
1/2 OZ. (15ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
3 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a highball filled with ice. Add a stick of celery, which you eat—it’s good for you.
APOTHECARY COCKTAIL
This fantastic combination of herbal-based spirits is designed to restore your stomach to feeling the way it did before you went out. The very word “apothecary” conjures up the pharmacist’s ability to dispense magical cures. Italian ingredients Punt e Mes and Fernet Branca combine with a creamy mint flavor to soothe the stomach.
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
1 OZ. (30ML) WHITE CRÈME DE MENTHE
1 OZ. (30ML) PUNT E MES
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir. Strain into a cocktail glass.
BALTIMORE EGG NOG
A classic combination of a hair of the dog (brandy, dark rum, and Madeira) and soothing bulk (cream, egg, and milk). It’s particularly good during the festive season.
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 OZ. (30ML) MADEIRA
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) DARK RUM
1 TABLESPOON SIMPLE SYRUP
1 FREE-RANGE EGG
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) HEAVY CREAM
3 OZ. (90ML) MILK
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top.
BANANA COW
This recipe originally comes from Trader Vic’s restaurant in Beverly Hills and was created by Chris Papajohn back in the 1960s. He believes it is the best hangover cure ever made—just like taking a cold shower. It can be made with or without alcohol, and served confidently.
1 OZ. (30ML) WHITE RUM
1 WHOLE, RIPE BANANA
3 OZ. (90ML) MILK
DASH ANGOSTURA BITTERS
DASH VANILLA ESSENCE
1 TEASPOON SUPERFINE (CASTOR) SUGAR
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend for ten seconds. Add half a scoop of crushed ice and blend again until smooth. Serve in a goblet.
BARTENDER’S BREAKFAST
A cracking combination of herbs and spices designed to wake up the system. It’s a good way to start the day; if you don’t feel like eating breakfast, this will fill you up. The fresh ingredients, such as the tomato and herbs, will give you the vitamins you need to restore the spirit.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
HANDFUL CHERRY TOMATOES
1 LEAF FRESH BASIL
PINCH GROUND CORIANDER
PINCH CELERY SALT
SPRINKLING CHOPPED CHIVES
PINCH CRACKED BLACK PEPPER
Pour all ingredients into a blender without ice. Blend until smooth. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry tomato and basil leaves on a cocktail stick— if you can muster the coordination!
BATONNET
My good friend Colin Peter Field, the bartender at Bar Hemingway in the Ritz Hotel, Paris, recommends this if a customer is lagging in energy. Cognac is always a great reviver, especially when it’s combined with tonic.
1 OZ. (30ML) COGNAC
3 OZ. (90ML) WHITE WINE
TWO CINNAMON STICKS
TONIC WATER
Pour the Cognac and white wine into a tumbler filled with ice. Break the cinnamon sticks and drop them into the glass. Top up with tonic.
BLACK VELVET
Here’s a heavy but delicious morning-after-the-night-before cocktail. The Guinness is full of iron, and is perfect combined with the sparkle of the Champagne. This drink was created to commemorate the death of Prince Albert in 1861, when England was in mourning. The bartender at the Brook’s Club felt Champagne ought to be in mourning, too—and so combined it with Guinness.
1/2 GLASS CHILLED GUINNESS
1/2 GLASS CHILLED DRY CHAMPAGNE
Combine both ingredients in a tankard (like a stein). Sip slowly. Feel revived.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION
This deals with the stomach (through the Fernet Branca), then the headache, and finally the general malaise in the body. The combination will either cure you, or finish you off!
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
2/3 OZ. (20ML) SHERRY
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
1 OZ. (30ML) FRESH LIME JUICE
PINCH CELERY SALT
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Pour the vodka and sherry over the ice first, then add the tomato and lime juice, then the celery salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Float a layer of Fernet Branca on top.
BLOODY BULL
Known as the invincible hangover cure, this is an oldie but goodie. Based on the belief that beef makes the body stronger, it’s a clever combination of two classic recipes: a Bullshot and a Bloody Mary. You end up with the best of both recipes.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
2 OZ. (60ML) BEEF BOUILLON
2 OZ. (60ML) TOMATO JUICE
1 OZ. (30ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
PINCH CELERY SALT
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
BLOODY CAESAR
This invigorating and restorative long drink was created for crooner Tony Bennett while he was performing a season in Las Vegas. On a night when he’d had one too many, he needed a quick reviver. The bartender at Caesars Palace came up with this mix. It worked.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
4 OZ. (120ML) CLAMATO JUICE (A MIXTURE OF TOMATO AND CLAM JUICE)
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
PINCH CELERY SALT
DASH TABASCO SAUCE
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Pour the Clamato and lemon juices into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the vodka and other ingredients. Stir. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim. Serve with a stirrer.
BLOODY MARIA
This recipe is actually a Bloody Mary made with silver Tequila—great when you had too many Margaritas the night before.
1 OZ. (30ML) SILVER TEQUILA
4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
DASH FRESH LEMON JUICE
PINCH CELERY SALT
PINCH BLACK PEPPER
4 DASHES TABASCO SAUCE
4 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a celery stick and a wedge of lime.
BLOODY MARY
For the history behind this classic, see pages 38–39. Some brands of tomato juice contain spices, but they’re not always listed. Best to add your own to make the Bloody Mary your body knows and loves.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
ABOUT 2/3 FL. OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
PINCH CELERY SALT
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 DASHES TABASCO SAUCE
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
CELERY STALK (OPTIONAL)
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes, then pour in the tomato and lemon juices. Add the vodka. Add the other items and stir. Add a quick grinding of black pepper. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim, and a stalk of celery if requested. Serve with a stirrer.
BLOODY SWEDISH BLONDE
A remedy for those who cannot face eating a pickled herring with schnapps first thing in the morning. Fennel is helpful in calming the nerves, as well as being full of minerals and high in calcium.
1 OZ. (30ML) AQUAVIT
ABOUT 4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
PINCH GROUND TOASTED FENNEL SEED
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
LARGE PINCH CARAWAY SEED
LEMON TWIST
SALT AND PEPPER, TO TASTE
Combine the aquavit, tomato juice, and ground fennel in a mixing glass and swirl it around gently. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add the lemon juice. Garnish with caraway seeds and a twist of lemon. Serve with a stirrer.
BODY & SOUL REVIVER
The name of this cocktail says it all. Both spirit ingredients are restorative, and the orange bitters is medicinal, too.
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANCA MENTHE
1 OZ. (30ML) COGNAC
DASH ORANGE BITTERS
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a shot glass.
BOSTON FLIP
The flip was traditionally made by flipping the combination between two containers to obtain a smooth consistency. During the seventeenth century, a flip featured beaten eggs, sugar, spices, rum, and hot ale. The innkeeper would mull the mixture with a hot iron “loggerhead” (poker) before serving it. The cocktail has changed dramatically since then. It is now a short drink, served cold with a sprinkling of nutmeg. It can be made with any spirit.
1 OZ. (30ML) BOURBON
1 OZ. (30ML) MADEIRA
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
DASH SIMPLE SYRUP
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a goblet. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
BOURBON PICK-ME-UP
The combination of the earthiness of the bourbon and the fresh mint, combined with the aroma of the Branca Menthe, makes this one a sure-fire solution to a hangover. It’s especially good for bourbon lovers who drank too much of it the night before. This really wakes up the system, helps the digestion, and the citrus-fruit/mint flavor cleanses your mouth, leaving it fresh and kissable.
1 OZ. (30ML) BOURBON
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) BRANCA MENTHE
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
8 FRESH MINT LEAVES
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
BRANDY FLIP
Flips are in the same family as egg flogs. They contain the yolk of a fresh egg but never milk. They can be made with any of the following spirits: gin, whisky, brandy, rum, port, sherry, or claret. Serve in a regular wine glass. This brandy recipe has lots of sugar to balance blood-sugar levels, as well as brandy to liven you up.
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 WHOLE FREE-RANGE EGG
2 TEASPOONS SUPERFINE (CASTOR) SUGAR
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a wine glass. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top.
BREAKFAST EGG NOG
Eggs are rich in the amino acid cysteine, high in protein, and they aid the liver in producing glutathione. Eggs and milk are a soothing combination, and also help provide energy. Brandy gives you a kick, and the Curaçao gives you just the sweetness you need.
1 FRESH FREE-RANGE EGG
1 OZ. (30ML) ORANGE CURAÇAO
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
5 OZ. (150ML) MILK
Pour all ingredients, except the milk, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass and add the milk. Stir. Sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg over the top.
BROKEN SPUR COCKTAIL
If you’ve overindulged and are facing a day on horseback and can’t get out of it, try one of these. Remember not to spur the horse too hard—it’s not his fault!
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) GIN
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) ITALIAN VERMOUTH
1-1/2 OZ. (40ML) WHITE PORT
1 TEASPOON ANISETTE
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
BUCK’S FIZZ
Mr. McGarry, a bartender at the Buck’s Club, London, created this delicious combination in 1921. His recipe is specific about the ratio of two-thirds Champagne to one-third fresh orange juice. This is good for anyone who drank too much Champagne the night before. It’s the hair of one very sophisticated dog!
FRESH ORANGE JUICE
CHAMPAGNE
The size of the Champagne glass dictates how much of the above you will use. Follow his two-thirds Champagne to one-third orange juice, and stir gently.
BULLDOG
A little bit of alcohol, a sour citrus, and the spicy heat of a pepper to awaken the senses, calm the stomach and, hopefully, give you a little boost in your day.
1 OZ. (30ML) GIN
1/2 OZ. (15ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
1 TEASPOON HONEY
2 OR 3 DASHES RED TABASCO
Pour all the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake, and strain into a small glass. For an extra kick, add a slice of fresh chilli to the drink.
BULLSHOT
A classic, nutritious, and invigorating drink that can replace lunch if you don’t feel like real food. Its name was inspired by the beef bouillon ingredient. Protein from the beef is balanced by all the other flavors. The kick comes from the Tabasco and Worcestershire.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
4 OZ. (120ML) BEEF BOUILLON
DASH FRESH LEMON JUICE
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
CELERY SALT
TABASCO SAUCE
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Pour the bouillon, lemon juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauces into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, along with the vodka. Shake. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Add a quick grinding of black pepper. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim. Serve with a stirrer.
CAMPARI NOBILE
An award-winner I created for the 1993 Campari Barman of the Year competition. The juices are full of vitamins, and the bitter lemon is refreshing. Limoncello, from Italy’s Amalfi coast, adds sunshine to your spirits.
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) VODKA
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) CAMPARI
1/3 OZ. (10ML) LIMONCELLO
3 OZ. (90ML) COMBINED FRESH ORANGE AND RASPBERRY JUICES
BITTER LEMON
Pour all ingredients, except the bitter lemon, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top up with bitter lemon. Stir. Garnish with five raspberries and a sprig of mint, plus a twist of orange on the rim. Serve with a stirrer.
CECIL PICK-ME-UP
A pre-Prohibition recipe with three essential pick-me-up ingredients: Champagne, egg, and brandy. Who was Cecil? A mystery man, he must have been well known for being hungover to have a cocktail named after him.
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 TEASPOON SUPERFINE (CASTOR) SUGAR
CHAMPAGNE
Pour all the ingredients, except for the Champagne, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a Champagne flute. Top up with Champagne.
CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
The origins of this cocktail are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have come from the southern states of America. Whatever its roots, it remains a classic—and it’s unlikely anyone will refuse it, if offered.
CHAMPAGNE
COGNAC
1 SUGAR CUBE
ANGOSTURA BITTERS
SLICES OF ORANGE
Place a cube of sugar in each Champagne flute and soak with the Angostura bitters. Add enough Cognac to cover the sugar cube and fill the glasses with Champagne. Garnish with slices of orange.
CHAMPAGNE PICK-ME-UP
A flavorful combination for Champagne lovers. The citric ingredients will certainly help buck you up after a night on the town—and the vitamins they contain will help you get back on an even keel.
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH ORANGE JUICE
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
Champagne
Pour the first three ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a Champagne flute. Stir. Top up with Champagne. Stir.
CORPSE REVIVERS
Bars tend to be piled with corpses after a heavy night’s drinking. The bodies are there, but the souls are missing. They need reviving; that’s why they’re in the bar—back where it all started. Fortunately, every good barman knows the curative effect one of these can have upon a departed soul.
Version 1
Created circa 1926 by Frank Meier at the Cambon Bar, The Ritz, Paris.
1 GLASS PERNOD
JUICE OF A QUARTER LEMON
CHAMPAGNE
Pour the lemon juice and Pernod into a Champagne coupe over a cube of ice. Fill with Champagne. Stir slowly. Serve.
Version 2
From The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) and still popular in nearly every bar in the world.
1/2 OZ. (15ML) BRANDY
1/2 OZ. (15ML) SWEET VERMOUTH
1/2 OZ. (15ML) CALVADOS
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Version 3
Created in 1948 by Johnny Johnson at the Savoy’s American Bar in London.
1/2 OZ. (15ML) BRANDY
1/2 OZ. (15ML) WHITE CRÈME DE MENTHE
1/2 OZ. (15ML) FERNET BRANCA
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir. Strain into a cocktail glass.
DRUGSTORE
Here’s a medicinal cocktail with a touch of sweetness from the wine-based vermouth. It is quite refreshing, and very good for the digestive system.
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
1/2 OZ. (15ML) SWEET VERMOUTH
1/2 OZ. (15ML) WHITE CRÈME DE MENTHE
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir well. Strain into a liqueur glass.
EGG NOG
This is the traditional, Christmas morning egg nog recipe. Its origins are unclear, but the name could date from the seventeenth-century English habit of adding a beaten egg to a “noggin”—a small mug of strong beer. You can thicken the mixture by adding more egg yolk, or thin it by adding more milk.
1 FREE-RANGE EGG
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 OZ. (30ML) DARK RUM
3 OZ. (90ML) MILK
1 TBSP SIMPLE SYRUP
Pour all ingredients, except the milk, into a cocktail shaker. Shake. Strain into a goblet. Stir in the milk. Grate fresh nutmeg on top.
EYE-OPENER COCKTAIL
This is an old recipe and will certainly open your eyes wide in an instant. Absinthe makes the eyelids stronger; don’t have too many, though, or they’ll remain open permanently.
2 DASHES ABSINTHE
2 DASHES ORANGE CURAÇAO
2 DASHES CRÈME DE NOYAU
1 OZ. (30ML) RUM
1 TEASPOON SUPERFINE (CASTOR) SUGAR
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
FALLEN ANGEL
A classic gin-based cocktail to be taken after a restless night searching for the angel who was by your side and seems to have disappeared at dawn.
1-1/2 OZ. (45ML) GIN
DASH WHITE CRÈME DE MENTHE
DASH ANGOSTURA BITTERS
DASH FRESH LEMON JUICE
Pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.
FERNET BRANCA COCKTAIL
One of the best morning-after cocktails ever invented. Fernet Branca is an Italian bitters made from over forty herbs distilled in grape alcohol that has been produced since 1844 by the Branca family. The herbs include: aloe vera, which purifies the blood and cleanses the liver; angelica, which stimulates digestion; chamomile, which calms nerves and muscles; cinchona, the source of quinine, used to treat digestive disorders and fevers; gentian, which stimulates the appetite; peppermint, effective against nausea and heartburn; and finally, saffron, rue, and wormwood.
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
1 OZ. (30ML) SWEET VERMOUTH
1 OZ. (30ML) GIN
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
GERETY’S REMEDY
This is from an Irishman, the late father of a very good friend who enjoyed a drink or two. He guaranteed that you would feel better after this dark and potent concoction. It’s full of vitamins and iron. If you think two eggs are a little too much for you, use only one.
10 OZ. (300ML) OF GUINNESS
5 OZ. (150ML) MILK
2 FREE-RANGE EGGS
SALT AND PEPPER
GRATED NUTMEG
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper, pour on the milk, add a pinch of nutmeg, and give it a good stir. Pour the mixture into a pint glass, top up with the Guinness, and stir well.
HAIR OF THE DOG
According to The Jeeves Cocktail Book, this is what Jeeves used to serve in the morning to his befuddled master, Bertie Wooster. The honey will stay in your system longer than straight sugar. Also, it’s purer and contains helpful trace minerals.
1-1/2 OZ. (45ML) SCOTCH
1 OZ. (30ML) DOUBLE CREAM
LARGE TEASPOON CLEAR HONEY
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to let the honey infuse. Strain into a cocktail glass. Serve.
HARRY’S PICK-ME-UP
Grenadine, which is a pomegranate syrup, adds an exotic touch to this pick-me-up-while-I-am-down-in-the-dumps cocktail.
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 TEASPOON GRENADINE
JUICE OF HALF A LEMON
CHAMPAGNE
Shake all ingredients, except the Champagne, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute, then top up with Champagne and serve.
PORT FLIP
Here’s a recipe that my friend Dale DeGroff recommends for when you want the night to continue until dawn. It’s very hair-of-the-dog material, but effective—and it’s a pretty color, too.
1-1/2 OZ. (45ML) RUBY PORT
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a small wine glass. Garnish with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.
RED SNAPPER
This is the recipe for a Bloody Mary made with gin, not vodka. Parisian Fernand Petiot, who worked at the King Cole Bar in New York’s St. Regis Hotel, made this at John Jacob Astor’s request.
1 OZ. (30ML) GIN
4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
DASH FRESH LEMON JUICE
PINCH CELERY SALT
2 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 DASHES TABASCO SAUCE
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes, then pour in the tomato and lemon juices. Add the gin. Add the spices and stir. Add a quick twist of black pepper. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim, and a stalk of celery, if requested. Serve with a stirrer.
RITZ REVIVER
If you wake up in Paris with an elegant hangover induced by too much vintage Champagne, head for the Ritz Bar and have one of these to re-energize your soul.
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
1 OZ. (30ML) CRÈME DE MENTHE
DASH ANGOSTURA BITTERS
TWIST OF ORANGE PEEL
Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with the orange peel. Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Drop in the twist of orange peel, and serve.
ROSA’S MAGICAL CURE
This is the concoction my mother used to make when she saw I needed revitalizing, and it was my first encounter with a hangover cure. I remember the sensation of many layers of flavors, ranging from the sweetness of Marsala, sharpness of lemon juice, the spice of chili, and the egg that binds it together.
1 FREE-RANGE EGG YOLK
PINCH GROUND CHILI PEPPER
1 SMALL TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE
1 OZ. (30ML) SWEET MARSALA
Separate the yolk from the egg white and discard the latter. Place the yolk, without breaking it, in a small glass. Add the ground chili, the lemon juice, then the Marsala. Don’t stir it. Drink it all down in one gulp. Serve with a freshly made zabaglione to follow—this gives you even more energy.
SALVAMENTO!
This is an old recipe invented by Horacio Tamayo, a bartender from Mexico City. The word salvamento means “lifesaving”—so appropriate in this situation.
1 EGG, BEATEN
JUICE OF ONE LEMON
1 TEASPOON SUGAR
1 OZ. (30ML) GIN
SODA WATER
Pour all the ingredients, except the soda water, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top up with soda.
SPIRIT LIFTER
I like this combination of bittersweet citric flavors—perhaps because I love Campari. This little cocktail will work very well on a chihuahua-sized hangover.
1 OZ. (30ML) COINTREAU
1 OZ. (30ML) CAMPARI
1 OZ. (30ML) FRESH ORANGE JUICE
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glasses and serve.
STOMACH REVIVER
An excellent recipe for an upset stomach, and Fernet Branca’s medicinal qualities will help calm your nerves. Drink this slightly bitter-tasting cocktail down in one gulp and you’ll feel much better.
1 OZ. (30ML) FERNET BRANCA
1 OZ. (30ML) BRANDY
3 DASHES ANGOSTURA BITTERS
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a shot glass, then knock it back and breath a sigh of relief.
SUFFERING BASTARD
An apt name for the state you’ll find yourself in when you need this cocktail. Whatever your poison the night before, the ginger ale in this will be good for you. Trust me.
ANGOSTURA BITTERS
1/2 OZ. (15ML) GIN
I/2 OZ. (15ML) BRANDY
1 TEASPOON LIME JUICE
COLD GINGER ALE
Swirl the Angostura bitters around a highball glass and toss away the excess. Half fill the glass with ice and add the gin, brandy, lime juice, and ginger ale. Stir. Garnish with slices of lime, cucumber, and orange. Add a sprig of mint.
SURF AND TURF
This dream of a recipe is for more than one person. Prepare this the day before for your guests to drink the morning after; you may not be capable of doing it in the next day. It’s liquid brunch.
Serves 6:
6 OZ. (180ML) VODKA
15 OZ. (450ML) TOMATO JUICE
4 TEASPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE
4 OZ. (120ML) CLAM JUICE
1/2 OZ. (15ML) STEAK SAUCE OR BROWN SAUCE
2 TEASPOONS FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
4 DASHES CELERY SALT
4 DASHES HOT CHILI SAUCE
Garnishes:
CHILLED LOBSTER TAILS (COOKED)
FILET MIGNON CUBES GRILLED (BROILED)
SPRING ONIONS (SCALLIONS)
Combine the vodka, tomato, lemon, clam juices, and steak sauce in a jug or pitcher and stir well. Add the pepper, the celery salt, and hot chili sauce to taste. Fill wide-brimmed highball glasses with ice cubes and pour the mixture to three-quarters full. Garnish with a lobster tail and a piece of grilled beef on a single skewer. Trim the spring onion and add to the glass. Serve. Watch guests come alive.
TOKYO BLOODY MARY
Specially designed for those suffering from a sake hangover. It’s basically a Bloody Mary with sake.
I OZ. (30ML) SAKE
4 OZ. (120ML) TOMATO JUICE
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
8 DASHES TABASCO SAUCE
4 DASHES WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
4 DASHES MEDIUM SHERRY
1 PINCH CELERY SALT
1 PINCH BLACK PEPPER
Pour all the ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a stick of celery. Serve.
VAMPIRO
The national drink of Mexico. It’s a strange combination of orange and tomato juice, spices, honey, and onion (yes, really)—but it creates a drink full of flavor. Make it the day before and leave in the fridge overnight.
ABOUT 2-1/2 OZ. (75ML) TOMATO JUICE
I OZ. (30ML) FRESH ORANGE JUICE
I OZ. (30ML) SILVER TEQUILA
1 TEASPOON CLEAR HONEY
ABOUT 1/3 OZ. (10ML) FRESH LIME JUICE
HALF A SLICE OF ONION, FINELY CHOPPED
A FEW SLICES FRESH RED-HOT CHILI
A FEW DROPS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
SALT, TO TASTE
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well to release the flavors. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim.
WAKE-UP CALL
I created this for New Year’s Day after the millennium. Tomato juice and Champagne you ask? Trust me, it works. Lemon juice is good for the liver. The Tabasco sauce? Well, it just tastes good in this combination.
1 OZ. (30ML) VODKA
ABOUT 2/3 OZ. (20ML) COINTREAU
ABOUT 1/3 OZ. (10ML) FRESH LEMON JUICE
3 OZ. (90ML) TOMATO JUICE
CHAMPAGNE
TABASCO SAUCE
PINCH CELERY SALT
PINCH SUPERFINE (CASTOR) SUGAR
Pour all the ingredients, with the exception of the Champagne, into a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice to about three-quarters full. Top up with Champagne. Stir. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
007 REVIVER
Brunch in a glass with a hit of vitality.
Serves 6:
10 OZ. (300ML) VODKA
4 MEDIUM CELERY STALKS
2 MEDIUM CARROTS
1 LARGE RED PEPPER, SEEDS REMOVED
1 LARGE GREEN PEPPER, SEEDS REMOVED
1/4 ONION, CHOPPED
20 OZ. (600ML) BOTTLED TOMATO JUICE
1 TABLESPOON HOT PEPPER SAUCE
1 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 TEASPOON SALT
LEMON WEDGES
Juice each vegetable separately and combine in a large jug. Add the tomato juice, hot sauce, black pepper, and salt. Stir well. Place in the fridge to chill. To serve, pour 1-1/2 oz. (45ml) vodka into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the vegetable mix and a wedge of lemon. Stir.
