I decided I wanted to get better at making cocktails, since I often find myself at a friend’s place, unsure what to do with bottles of alcohol and various mixers. I pretty much always stuck with really basic alcohol + fruit juice combinations, which usually turn out decently. But then when I want something different, I have to look something up on my phone, which makes me feel kind of dumb.
So earlier this year, I tried some classic cocktails. Just for practice, of course.
First up is the Manhattan:
1.5 oz bourbon
0.5 oz vermouth
dash Angoustra bitters
Maraschino cherry
orange peel
My orange peel is admittedly quite sloppy. This drink was really strong for me. All I could taste was bourbon. I didn’t really think this one was worth experimenting with, since any variations of this would probably just taste mostly like bourbon. Such a classy drink, though.
I also tried making a cocktail that I’ve actually had at a bar, the Sidecar:
1.5 oz brandy
1 oz Grand Marnier
0.5 oz lemon juice
orange wedge
I liked this one a lot better than the Manhattan, but it’s still pretty strong. The sugared rim helped. I think I might make this one again, but with a sweeter Triple Sec, rather than Grand Marnier, which is pretty strong. I also kind of cheated on the garnish; it’s really supposed to be a lemon wedge. But I’d rather eat an orange wedge than a lemon wedge any day.
I love having girly drinks, so I had to try making a Cosmopolitan:
1 oz vodka
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz cranberry juice
lime wedge
I found this one pretty strong, actually. Like the Sidecar, I think I’ll try making this one again with a sweeter Triple Sec instead of Grand Marnier. My cranberry juice was also not as bright red as some juices I’ve seen, so the color isn’t quite as vibrant as I’m used to.
I saw this post on the vodka gimlet, and I was immediately attracted by its simplicity:
2 oz vodka
1 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
lime wedge
Even though it’s 57% vodka, I actually found this drink to be quite enjoyable. The acidity of the lime juice probably helps cover up the taste of the vodka. Gimlets are kind of dangerous, since they’re deceptively strong. I could easily get drunk off of just two of these, which I could down quite easily. I didn’t do the extensive experimentation done on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, though. Perhaps a flavored vodka would be interesting.
Looking forward to more mixology in 2011!