BETWEEN THE SHEETS
This drink is a relative of the Sidecar (this page). There are other versions that omit Bénédictine and use rum instead. I’m a fan of this recipe that I sourced from Bottoms Up (1951) by Ted Saucier. If desired, frost the outside rim of the glass with sugar (see this page).
1½ ounces Cognac
½ ounce Bénédictine
½ ounce Cointreau
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
Flamed orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the flamed orange zest coin.
BIG SPENDER*
I created the Big Spender for the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweet Charity largely because the Beckmann family of Jose Cuervo tequila were the “angels” behind the show. The original drink was made with Cristal Rosé Champagne.
1 ounce Gran Centenario añejo tequila
1 ounce Clément Créole Shrubb orange liqueur
1½ ounces blood orange juice
2½ ounces rosé Champagne
Orange zest coin (see this page)
Combine the tequila, liqueur, and blood orange juice in a large bar glass with ice and stir. Strain into a champagne flute and top with the Champagne. Stir gently, flame the orange zest coin over the drink, and discard.
BIJOU
This is The Savoy Cocktail Book’s version, with the green Chartreuse upgraded to V.E.P., which stands for vieillissement exceptionnellement prolongé, meaning “exceptionally prolonged aging.” I had the Bijou on my second menu at Rainbow’s Promenade Bar. It was a delicate cocktail to balance, maybe ahead of its time for my audience in 1988, but today it would be a hit.
2 ounces Plymouth gin
½ ounce green Chartreuse V.E.P.
½ ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
Dash of orange bitters (see Note)
Lemon zest coin (see this page)
Bordeaux cherry, for garnish
Stir the gin, Chartreuse, vermouth, and bitters with ice, and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Express the lemon oil over the drink and discard. Garnish with the cherry.
Note For this recipe, I like to use Pegu Club’s blend of two parts Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6 to one part Fee Brothers orange bitters.
BLACK RUSSIAN
This is a classic.
1½ ounces Kahlúa
1½ ounces Russian Standard vodka
Build over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.
Note For a White Russian, add 1 ounce cream, shake, and serve over crushed ice.
BLACK VELVET
This unusual drink dates to the death of Queen Victoria’s Prince Albert, in 1861, which set off deep mourning throughout the country. In this recipe, even the Champagne is draped in black. James Squire Four Wives Pilsener is the perfect glass to get this difficult pour under control. (Search online for James Squire Craftware and look for this glass by name or the #3.)
4 ounces Guinness stout
4 ounces Champagne
Slowly and carefully pour together the Guinness and Champagne into a Pilsner beer glass.
BLACKBERRY JULEp*
This was my signature drink at Blackbird Bar and also the most popular. We used a marinated berry sauce over the baked Alaska for years at the Rainbow Room, and that sauce was the inspiration for this drink and also the garnish. I altered the original recipe for this drink by adding gin for a dry version.
1½ ounces Plymouth gin
1 ounce Marie Brizard No 21 blackberry liqueur
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¼ ounce Simple Syrup (this page)
1 tablespoon Mixed-Berry Marinade (recipe follows)
Shake all the ingredients (except the marinade) with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Stir until the glass begins to frost. Garnish with the berry marinade. Serve with a teaspoon on the side so the guest can enjoy the berries!
MIXED-BERRY MARINADE
Makes 3 pints
Wash and dry a pint each of blueberries, hulled and quartered strawberries, and a pint of mixed black and red raspberries and place them in a bowl. Cover with 1½ cups superfine sugar. After 3 hours add 1½ ounces brandy and 3 ounces Cointreau and gently stir the mixture. Set aside to macerate for an hour, stirring occasionally.
BLACKBERRY SAGE SMASH+
This recipe is from Sean Kenyon, owner of Williams & Graham bar in Denver, Colorado.
4 large blackberries
3 medium sage leaves
½ ounce Simple Syrup (this page)
Dash of grenadine, homemade (this page) or store-bought
¼ ounce fresh lemon juice
2 ounces Woody Creek bourbon
In a Boston shaker, muddle 3 black-berries and 2 sage leaves with the simple syrup, grenadine, and lemon juice. Add the bourbon and ice and shake. Fine strain over crushed or cracked ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the remaining sage leaf pulled through the remaining blackberry. Run a bamboo cocktail pick through the center as well to hold the garnish upright.
BLACKTHORN
In his 1922 book Cocktails: How to Mix Them, Robert Vermeire credited nineteenth-century bartender Harry Johnson for this cocktail. The Black Thorn (two words) appeared in the 1900 edition of Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders Manual as an Irish whiskey drink. The Café Royal Cocktail Book’s recipe is made with sloe gin, and thanks to Gaz Regan, we have a modern version made with regular gin.
1 ounce Powers Irish whiskey
1 ounce Dolin dry vermouth
½ ounce Plymouth sloe gin
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 dash of Jade 1901 Absinthe Supérieure
Flamed lemon zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Stir all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with the flamed lemon zest coin.
BLAZER
Jerry Thomas’s famous flaming drink is challenging and can be dangerous. Use large double-walled stainless steel mugs (see The Crafty Bartender, this page). Finally, make a small amount for each batch to avoid spillage. Practice outdoors to avoid any chance of fire. Indoors, prepare the drink over a nonflammable surface. Never attempt it at the table.
¼ ounce Simple Syrup (this page)
Splash of fresh lemon juice
Boiling water
1½ ounces The Glenlivet Nàdurra single malt scotch whisky (60.3% ABV)
Lemon twist, for garnish
Add the simple syrup and lemon juice to a London dock glass. Warm two mugs with the boiling water. Leave about 2 ounces boiling water in one mug and add the scotch to it; immediately ignite the mixture. Pour the flaming mixture back and forth between the two mugs; the oxygen added by carefully pouring the flaming liquid back and forth will create a wonderful display. Smother the flame by holding one mug over the other for a moment, then pour the mixture into the prepared glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.
BLOOD AND SAND
At first glance, this unusual cocktail seemed a god-awful mix. But over time, I have noted that the recipe appears in some serious cocktail books, so I finally tried it. The taste convinced me to never judge a drink again without tasting it. The drink has inspired craft bartenders to come up with numerous variations on the theme.
¾ ounce The Famous Grouse blended scotch whisky
¾ ounce Heering cherry liqueur
¾ ounce Italian sweet vermouth
¾ ounce fresh orange juice
Flamed orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the flamed orange zest coin.
BLOOD ORANGE COSMO+
This was created by Julie Reiner at her original Flatiron Lounge in New York City, which closed in 2018 after a long, successful run. Julie and her partner, Susan, now own Clover Club in Brooklyn, as well as a share of Pegu Club in Manhattan. They recently partnered with bartender Ivy Mix at Leyenda, an agave bar and restaurant also in Brooklyn.
1½ ounces Stolichnaya Ohranj vodka
½ ounce Cointreau
¼ ounce fresh lime juice
¼ ounce fresh blood orange juice
Splash of cranberry juice
Orange slice, for garnish
Shake the ingredients (except the garnish) well with ice and serve in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange slice.
BLOODBATH IN THE BRONX
This recipe by Simon McGoram is related to the classic Bloodhound Cocktail. Simon spices the sweet vermouth with cinnamon and cardamom, but I choose Vya sweet vermouth for its unique spice profile.
1½ ounces Hendrick’s Orbium gin
¾ ounce Martini Riserva Speciale Ambrato vermouth
¾ ounce Vya sweet vermouth
¾ ounce blood orange juice
Dash of Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Half-wheel blood orange, for garnish (see Note)
Assemble all the ingredients (except the garnish) in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into a large chilled coupe glass and garnish with the half-wheel blood orange.
NOTEIf blood oranges aren’t available, use a regular orange.
BLOODHOUND COCKTAIL
David Solmonson, coauthor with his wife, Lesley, of The 12 Bottle Bar, listed this early twentieth-century nugget in his book. He didn’t have room to tell the entire story, so I encourage you to visit 12bottlebar.com/2011/05/bloodhound-cocktail [inactive] to enjoy his marvelous treatise on the cocktail.
3 or 4 fresh strawberries
1½ ounces Hendrick’s Orbium gin
¾ ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
¾ ounce Noilly Prat dry vermouth
Splash of maraschino liqueur
Mash the strawberries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and build the remaining ingredients on top. Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
BLOODY MARY
The Bloody Mary is like barbecue sauce: everyone thinks their recipe is the best—and, of course, I’m no different. My rule at the bar has been to appeal to the widest possible audience with my Bloody Mary. First, don’t destroy the heart of the drink: the sweetness of the tomato juice. Too much Worcestershire or hot sauce will make the drink muddy and too spicy, and the delicate balance of sweet and spicy may be lost. Testing one’s tolerance for spice is not the objective. Lemon juice is a must with tomato juice, and so the Bloody Mary mix should always have a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I garnish the drink with another lemon wedge and a lime wedge on the side, and let the drinker decide which—if either—to add. Use organic tomato juice if you can easily source it, but if not, I recommend Sacramento.
The arrival of the first tins of tomato juice right after World War I made this drink possible. I worked with Michelin-starred chef Gérard Pangaud to create a house-made tomato juice as thick and tasty as Sacramento canned variety without success. Evidently, Frank Meier, head barman at the Ritz Bar in Paris, had been mixing his famous Tomato Juice Cocktail from fresh tomatoes for years, basically mashing them with spices and straining. But his recipe was missing one fundamental ingredient: booze! At Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, barman Ferdinand “Pete” Petiot purportedly made vodka Bloody Marys, but somehow they never made it into any of the editions of Harry MacElhone’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. The name, according to a conversation I had with Duncan McElhone (Harry’s grandson), came into being because of the continued appearance at the bar of a woman named Mary, who was regularly left waiting for her man, nursing one of Pete’s tomato-and-vodka cocktails. The bartenders gave her the nickname Bloody Mary after Mary, Queen of Scots, pining in the tower. That story sounds suspect, but Pete Petiot did end up playing a major role in the Bloody Mary saga.
Pete emigrated to America and eventually joined the bar staff at the King Cole Bar at New York’s St. Regis hotel. He introduced the drink to New Yorkers with gin, since vodka was not well-known in the United States, and he changed the name to the Red Snapper at the behest of the Astors, who found the Bloody Mary name offensive. In a 1964 New Yorker interview, Pete gave away the fact that he was the one who added the spices for the first time, but he was not the one who first paired tomato juice and vodka; that, it seems, was comedian George Jessel.
John Martin, grandson of Heublein founder Gilbert Heublein, used the drink as a vehicle to promote a new product, Smirnoff vodka, in the 1960s. This led to an almost exclusive use of vodka in the drink and helped to make it the de rigueur morning-after cocktail.
BLONDE BLOODY MARY
Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix has spices added (and I include another couple touches), and it makes a lively and natural addition to the Bloody Mary repertoire.
2 ounces vodka
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
4 ounces Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix (see this page)
Freshly ground black pepper
Basil sprig, for garnish
Yellow bell pepper slice, for garnish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnishes) in a mixing glass and roll back and forth between two mixing glasses to combine the ingredients. Strain into a goblet or pint glass over ice. Garnish with the basil sprig and yellow bell pepper slice.
BLOODY BULL
This recipe and the Bullshot (this page) are the only Bloody variations that I shake. The beef broth lessens any unwanted frothing from the tomato juice.
1½ ounces vodka
Splash of fresh orange juice
4 dashes of Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces beef broth (see Note)
2 ounces tomato juice
Orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish) in the glass portion of a Boston shaker and shake well. Strain into a goblet or pint glass over ice. Garnish with the orange zest.
Note I use Campbell’s beef broth, and it works fine; just don’t use additional salt.
BLOODY BUTRUM
This Bloody Caesar variation from my buddy Carl’s kitchen, served at his infamous “Straight on ’til Morning” parties; prepared right after the late Chris Gillespie played “Rhapsody in Blue” just before the sunrise. Carl’s recipe called for half vodka and half juice, though I don’t recommend that version as a session drink.
2 ounces vodka
2 dashes of celery salt
Pinch of dried dill
Freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces Clamato juice or 1 ounce clam juice
3 ounces tomato juice
Lemon and lime wedges, for garnish
Build over ice in a mixing glass and roll all ingredients (except the garnish) between two mixing glasses. Strain into a goblet or pint glass over ice. Serve with lemon and lime wedges on the side.
BLOODY MARIA
Use the Bloody Mary/Red Snapper recipe (this page) but substitute Sangrita (this page) for the tomato juice, and tequila for the vodka. Serve with a lime wedge on the side.
BLOODY MARY/RED SNAPPER
This is my recipe, so naturally it really is the best recipe; actually, what it is, is a template upon which you can improvise with garnishes and ingredients. A dash of celery salt is a nice touch, and New Yorkers traditionally add horseradish. Have fun.
1½ ounces vodka or gin
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes of Tabasco sauce
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 splashes of fresh lemon juice
4 to 6 ounces tomato juice
Lemon and lime wedges, for garnish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish) in a mixing glass and roll it back and forth between two mixing glasses to combine the ingredients. Strain into a large goblet or pint glass filled three-quarters full with ice. Serve with lemon and lime wedges on a side plate for drinkers to garnish themselves.
BULLSHOT
Here’s the ultimate steak-house drink and, yes, Campbell’s beef broth is the way to make it. David Wondrich, our historical oracle, cites chapter and verse: Lester Gruber, owner of Detroit’s Caucus Club, and John Hurley, account man from Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (who managed the Campbell’s soups account) decided the drink would be a superior ploy for moving the slow-selling beef broth. I like to write out the full name of BBDO—Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn. It reminds me of ad man Ron Holland’s quip, that the whole name said out loud sounds like a suitcase falling down the stairs. Leave out salt; the beef broth is plenty salty enough.
1½ ounces vodka
4 dashes of Tabasco sauce
Dash of orange juice
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces Campbell’s beef broth
Orange zest coin (see this page), for ganish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish) in the glass portion of a Boston shaker and shake well. Strain into a goblet or pint glass over ice. Garnish with the orange zest coin.
DANISH MARY
Substitute aquavit for vodka in the original Bloody Mary/Red Snapper recipe (this page). Serve with a lemon wedge, a lime wedge, and a giant caper berry on a side plate.
THE BLOODY MARY BUFFET
This is a wonderful brunch party idea, featuring a buffet for preparing self-service Bloody Marys, stocked with vegetables and shellfish for garnishes. The simple tomato juice is augmented with several homemade vegetable juices and a variety of spirits is available.
Build a double-sided display on a six-by-three-foot draped table with the different Bloody Mary juice mixes in carafes or pitchers. Create two garnish displays on either side, so guests can garnish at the same time. Place an ice bucket with tongs or an ice scoop on each end of the table. Provide a Boston shaker set so the drinks can be poured back and forth for mixing.
Spirits Vodka • Gin • Tequila • Aquavit
Shellfish Clams • Oysters • Shrimp (Presented on a platter piled with crushed ice and surrounded with lemon wedges, with tongs for serving.)
Glassware Goblets • Pint glasses
Crudités Station with raw and pickled garnishes. Provide small bread-and-butter plates. • Radishes • Scallions • Olives • Cocktail onions • Tomolives • Elephant caper berries • Endive • Daikon radish • Fresh peeled horseradish root and a vegetable grater, for grating into the drinks • Tall spears of crudités that can act as stirrers: celery, carrot, and cucumber • Decorative fresh, potted herb plants: dill, basil, and oregano • Peppermills and salt cellars • Citrus wedges in bowls • Bottled hot sauces, including Tabasco • Worcestershire sauce
Using the glass portion of the Boston shaker, the guest pours one jigger of their spirit of their choice, followed by the spices of their choice, then fills it to the two-thirds mark with the juice of their choice. Pour the mixture back and forth between the two parts of the shaker to mix well. Then pour the drink into a goblet or highball glass, fill it with ice cubes, and garnish.
THE JUICE RECIPES
CLAM AND TOMATO JUICE
makes 60 ounces
Use this in the Bloody Butrum cocktail (this page).
14 ounces fresh chilled clam juice
46 ounces tomato juice, preferably Sacramento
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Chill.
RAINBOW V-7 JUICE
makes 60 ounces
Prepare this with a juicer.
40 ounces tomato juice, preferably Sacramento
4 ounces fresh celery juice
4 ounces fresh carrot juice
4 ounces fresh green bell pepper juice
4 ounces fresh red bell pepper juice
2 ounces fresh onion juice
2 ounces fresh fennel juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Chill.
SANGRITA
makes 60 ounces
¼ cup puréed stemmed and seeded jalapeño peppers
2½ ounces fresh lime juice
5 ounces fresh orange juice
1 ounce grenadine, homemade (this page) or store-bought
4 ounces Simple Syrup (this page)
46 ounces tomato juice, preferably Sacramento
¾ tablespoon kosher salt
¾ tablespoon ground white pepper
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Chill. Adjust the seasonings, if needed, and serve with shots of tequila or as a Bloody Maria (this page).
SPICY TOMATO JUICE
makes 50 ounces
2½ ounces fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
46 ounces tomato juice, preferably Sacramento
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Chill.
BLUE BAYOU*
Blue drinks are back…at least that’s what my friend Jacob Briars claims. Mr. Briars is the worldwide ambassador to the bartending community for the Bacardi company, and he knows these things. And true or not, if one has enough visibility in the press, then statements like that become true. Blue sour-style drinks are hard to pull off because the acid in lemon and lime juices turns the blue in blue curaçao green. Here’s a trick to overcome that problem.
1½ ounces Rutte gin
½ ounce blue curaçao
¼ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
¾ ounce Lime Acid (this page; see Note)
Flamed orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Tiki bird tchotchke, for garnish (optional)
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnishes) in a shaker. Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Flame the orange zest coin over the glass. Perch the tiki bird on the rim of the glass, if desired.
Note Lime acid is clear, so although it has the same acidity as fresh lime juice, it will not turn the blue curaçao green.
BLUE MONDAY
Blue Monday is an early vodka cocktail from The Savoy Cocktail Book. That is the most interesting thing about it. It calls for Cointreau and blue vegetable extract, but I have taken the liberty of replacing the extract with blue curaçao.
1½ ounces vodka
½ ounce Cointreau
¼ ounce Marie Brizard blue curaçao
¾ ounce Lime Acid (this page; see Note, above)
Flamed orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish) in a shaker. Shake well with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame the orange zest coin over the glass.
BOBBY BURNS
Frank Meier’s version of this drink in The Artistry of Mixing Drinks (1936) calls for one part sweet vermouth and one part dry vermouth.
2 ounces blended or lighter-style malt scotch whisky
1 ounce Italian sweet vermouth
¼ ounce Bénédictine
Shortbread cookie, for garnish
Stir all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve with the shortbread cookie on the side.
BOBBY BURNS, Naren’s+
This variation on the theme was created by Naren Young for Saxon + Parole, New York City.
1 ounce Dewar’s 12-year-old scotch
1 ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
¼ ounce Bénédictine
2 dashes of Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Shortbread cookie, for garnish
Stir all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve with the shortbread cookie on the side.
BOCCI BALL
1½ ounces Disaronna Originale amaretto
4 to 5 ounces fresh orange juice
Half orange wheel, for garnish
Build the first two ingredients in a highball glass over ice. Garnish with the half orange wheel.
BOSOM CARESSER
This variation on a classic includes elements from the The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) recipe and from George Kappeler’s recipe in Modern American Drinks (1895).
1 ounce Rainwater Madeira
1½ ounces brandy
1 teaspoon raspberry syrup, such as Monin raspberry syrup
1½ ounces whole milk
¾ ounce emulsified whole egg (see this page)
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Combine all the ingredients (except the garnish) in a shaker and add ice. Shake very well to completely integrate the egg. Strain into a chilled large coupe glass. Dust with the nutmeg.
BOULEVARDIER
We think this rye whiskey variation on the Negroni (this page) was created by expat American Erskine Gwynne, the publisher of Boulevardier, a newsletter for expat Americans living in Paris in the 1930s. Cocktails de Paris (1929) lists the drink as a contest winner of the Grand Prix au Championnat des Barmen by barman Robert du Viel with the following recipe: “1p Dubonnet, 1p Rapheäl and ½p each of Campari and Cognac.” Hmm. But I still prefer the following rye whiskey Negroni version over all the others.
1 ounce Bulleit rye whiskey
1 ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
Orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Combine the whiskey, vermouth, and Campari in a double old-fashioned glass over ice and stir. Garnish with the orange zest coin.
BRAMBLE+
Created in 1984 by Dick Bradsell, the godfather of the UK bar scene at Fred’s Club, the Dean Street destination bar for a decade that Dick helped put on the map. Dick opened Dick’s Bar behind a velvet rope in the Atlantic Bar and Grill that defined the bar scene in the 1990s.
1½ ounces gin
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce Simple Syrup (this page)
¾ ounce Giffard crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
Lime wheel, for garnish
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Combine the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup with ice in a shaker and shake well. Strain into a double old-fashioned glass over crushed ice. Dribble the liqueur down through the ice, and garnish with the lime wheel and fresh raspberries.
BRANDY CRUSTA
Crustas were extra-fancy cocktails invented by Joseph Santina, who opened the Jewel of the South on Gravier Street in New Orleans in 1852. The name of the drink refers to the crusted sugar around the rim of the glass.
Sugar, for the rim
1½ ounces Cognac
2 dashes of Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes of lemon juice
4 dashes of Monin apple syrup (see Note)
Dash of Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Lemon spiral, for garnish
Coat the top ½ inch of the rim of a small cocktail glass with sugar (see this page). Set aside.
Combine the Cognac, liqueur, lemon juice, apple syrup, and bitters in a shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with a wide spiral lemon peel around the inside rim of the glass and extending above the rim.
Note The apple syrup is substituting for orchard syrup. The recipe for orchid syrup has a lot of drinks historians stumped.
BRANDY MILK PUNCH
To turn this into quick brandy eggnog by the glass, add a small egg and substitute heavy cream for one ounce of the milk. I found a delicious version in The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer, called Arctic Regions; it is made with four ounces whole milk, two ounces Pedro Ximénez sherry, and one ounce brandy. Shake it well with ice and serve over ice that’s been dusted with cinnamon.
2 ounces Cognac
1 ounce rock candy syrup or Simple Syrup (this page) with a drop of vanilla extract
4 ounces milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Combine the Cognac, syrup, and milk in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain and serve in a highball glass over ice. Dust with nutmeg.
BREAKFAST MARTINI+
Salvatore Calabrese—one of the true masters behind the bar—created this recipe in 1996 at London’s Lanesborough hotel. Burke’s Complete Cocktail and Drinking Recipes (1934) by Harman Burney Burke has a marmalade variation called the Miami Cocktail, made with gin as the base and sweet vermouth, orange juice, bitters, and marmalade.
1½ ounces Bombay Sapphire gin
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce Cointreau
1 teaspoon light marmalade (without much rind)
1 small slice of buttered toast with marmalade, for garnish (my idea)
Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the buttered toast and marmalade on the side.
BRILLIANTE COCKTAIL*
The Brilliante Cocktail is a morning-after variation on the iconic Negroni (this page). I replaced the bitter ingredient, Campari, with brewed coffee. I start with medium-roast whole beans, I grind them with fennel seeds, and then prepare a pot of drip-brewed coffee; the fennel seeds add a slight spicy and vegetal note that the Campari usually provides.
1 ounce fennel-accented coffee (see Note)
1½ ounces Cynar
¾ ounce Hendrick’s Orbium gin
Orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Build the three ingredients in a double old-fashioned glass over ice cubes. Stir to chill and marry the three ingredients. Garnish with the orange zest coin.
Note To make the fennel-accented coffee, finely grind ½ cup medium-roast coffee beans with 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Use 3 cups filtered water to drip-brew the coffee. Cool to room temperature for use. Coffee keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
BRONX COCKTAIL
When the Waldorf Astoria New York was just the Waldorf and it stood where the Empire State Building stands today, it was the home of the famous “Big Brass Rail,” a watering hole for the robber barons of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was also the home of Johnnie Solon, top barman of the day. Shortly after a trip to the newly opened Bronx Zoo, as popular cocktail lore has it, Johnnie invented the Bronx Cocktail for a guest, claiming it was impossible to discern any difference between the zoo and his bar.
1½ ounces Ransom Old Tom gin
¼ ounce Italian sweet vermouth
¼ ounce Noilly Prat Original dry vermouth
1 ounce fresh orange juice
Dash of Angostura bitters (optional)
Orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) with ice and strain into a large cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange zest coin.
BROWN DERBY COCKTAIL
This cocktail is from Hollywood’s Vendome Club circa 1930 and is named after the famous hat-shaped restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard that opened in 1926. The restaurant was demolished in 1980, but the derby-shaped dome was saved and incorporated into the Brown Derby Plaza, a strip mall in the heart of Koreatown at Wilshire Boulevard between Normandie and Vermont Avenues.
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
¾ ounce Honey Syrup (this page)
Shake all the ingredients well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
BUD HERRMANN HIGHBALL
When I started working at the Hotel Bel-Air, Bud Herrmann, a very talented piano player who did a short stint with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, presided over the lounge. He was a master of ceremonies and a matchmaker in business as well as affairs of the heart. A good friend of Bud’s, who was a resident of the hotel, made a sizable fortune through an introduction made by Bud and awarded him with an apartment building in West Hollywood. Now that is a tip! Bud died in 1985, and the room changed. I took that as my cue to move on; six months later I went to work for Joe Baum in New York City. In 1987, I took over my perch on top of 30 Rock as head bartender of the Rainbow Room.
2 ounces Metaxa 5- or 7-star brandy
5 ounces club soda
Build in a highball glass over ice.
BULL’S BLOOD
¾ ounce Myers’s dark rum
¾ ounce Marie Brizard orange curaçao
¾ ounce Cardenal Mendoza Spanish brandy
1 ounce fresh orange juice
Flamed orange zest coin (see this page), for garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the flamed orange zest coin.
CABLE CAR+
The Cable Car was created in 1996 as a signature cocktail for the Starlight Room, a stunning nightclub and cocktail lounge atop the historic Kimpton Sir Francis Drake hotel in San Francisco. The Sir Francis Drake is located along the world-famous Nob Hill cable car tracks. Its Starlight Room was affectionately referred to as the lounge that could be found between the stars and the cable cars.
“I was approached by the folks at Captain Morgan to come up with a new cocktail featuring their rum. I looked, as we all should, to the classics and discovered the Brandy Crusta. Using that drink as a template, a drink that has given us many now-classic riffs, I came up with what would become my best-known cocktail, the Cable Car!” —Tony Abou-Ganim, owner of Libertine Social in the Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas
Cinnamon sugar, for the rim
1½ ounces Captain Morgan spiced rum
¾ ounce Marie Brizard orange curaçao
1½ ounces fresh lemon sour (see Note)
Orange peel sprial (see this page), for garnish
Frost the rim of a cocktail glass with cinnamon sugar (see this page). Chill in the freezer until ready to use. In a mixing glass, combine the rum, curaçao, and lemon sour with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into the chilled frosted cocktail glass and garnish with a thin orange spiral.
Note Tony’s recipe for fresh lemon sour is 2 parts filtered fresh-squeezed lemon juice with 1 part Simple Syrup (this page).