I stumbled across today's recipe while looking for something to do with the bottle of maraschino liqueur I bought to experiment with the Brandy Crusta. Maraschino isn't a bad ingredient to work with, but its charms are best experienced in small doses. A splash of maraschino can add a sweet complexity with a bit of bitter cherry flavor, but too much can dominate the balance of an otherwise well-thought-out cocktail.
A hundred years ago, maraschino would have been a common ingredient behind any good bar, and was often paired with vermouth to sweeten up a drink. This brings
Posts Tagged ‘cocktail’
Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
by James Maynard on May 16th, 2012 | Liquor
Bacardi introduced their dragon berry rum flavor late last year, and it is a smooth, though pungent spirit, which could have a multitude of uses. Retailing for about $12-14 a bottle, this is a wholly reasonable rum for the cost.
I still clearly remember the first time I tried a dragon berry. I saw them in a grocery store and I was awed by the strange way they looked. They are about the size of a mango, colored rosy to bright red with hues of pink spread throughout. The fruits have little green petals growing upwards, toward the top of
I still clearly remember the first time I tried a dragon berry. I saw them in a grocery store and I was awed by the strange way they looked. They are about the size of a mango, colored rosy to bright red with hues of pink spread throughout. The fruits have little green petals growing upwards, toward the top of
Daiquiri
by Dennis Mayer on May 15th, 2012 | Cocktails
Of all the crimes committed against drinks, none are more egregious than those suffered by the daiquiri. Say its name now, and it conjures up images of tall, frozen fruity abominations ordered by secretaries and housewives in a failed attempt to capture the spirit of some imagined tropical debauchery ... ordered, probably, in one of the thousands of identical chain restaurants you can find across the country. You know the type: decorated with faux-authentic kitsch purchased from a pub-decorating wholesaler, staffed by depressed community-college rejects, populated in equal numbers by philandering traveling salesmen and wailing children ...
But I digress.
But I digress.
Rhubarb Cocktails?
by Dennis Mayer on May 10th, 2012 | Ask the Bartender, Cocktails, Mixed Drinks
After a long winter, rhubarb is now in season. Is there a way to use this first sign of the growing season in a cocktail?
You ask a very worrisome question. I'm sure you're aware that rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so before we start talking about anything else, we need to start with a disclaimer; trim leaves from your rhubarb stalks as soon as you harvest them, dispose of the leaves immediately, and wash the stalks, your hands, and your tools thoroughly.
Now that that's taken care of...
Rhubarb stalks are going to act a lot like celery would act in a
You ask a very worrisome question. I'm sure you're aware that rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so before we start talking about anything else, we need to start with a disclaimer; trim leaves from your rhubarb stalks as soon as you harvest them, dispose of the leaves immediately, and wash the stalks, your hands, and your tools thoroughly.
Now that that's taken care of...
Rhubarb stalks are going to act a lot like celery would act in a
How to Make a Perfect Ten Speed
by James Maynard on May 9th, 2012 | Cocktails
Cocktails and other drinks tend to fall in and out of favor, like most anything else. Does anyone else remember the evolution last fall of whipped cream vodka, then whipped cream vodka and fruit juice, then the thankfully short-lived whipped cream vodka and pumpkin beer? Fortunately, the current drink trend is much tastier and much more versatile.
When I asked one of Keene, New Hampshire's, favorite bartenders, Steve, what was most popular with people in their mid-20's today, he recommended a Jamaican 10-speed. There are other variations on this drink, each named after a type of bicycle – 12-speed, 18-speed,
When I asked one of Keene, New Hampshire's, favorite bartenders, Steve, what was most popular with people in their mid-20's today, he recommended a Jamaican 10-speed. There are other variations on this drink, each named after a type of bicycle – 12-speed, 18-speed,
