After a freezing evening of astronomy, I thought “Fire in the Orchard” this would fit the bill. Created at No 9. Park in Boston, the fire comes from Del Maguey single-village origin mezcal, while apple brandy and pear liqueur supply the fruit. Lemon and agave give balance to the mezcal’s smoke.
Fire in the Orchard
SpiritAgave · Brandy · Liqueur
Cocktail familySidecar
FlavorsFresh · Herbal · Smoky
Makes
Ingredients
1 1/4ozApple Brandy
1/4ozMezcalDel Maguey Vida
1/2ozMathilde Pear Liqueur
3/4ozLillet Blanc
1/2ozFresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4ozAgave Syrup1:1
Method
Add all ingredients to shaker, fill with ice.
Shake 10-15 seconds, then double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Indeed not the simplest tiki classic (pictured with ingredients at left); this is one of a handful of tiki classics with its namesake glassware. I haven’t picked up any Fogg Cutter mugs yet (we don’t have room for much more glassware!), but it sure is lovely.
Fogg Cutter
SpiritBrandy · Fortified · Gin · Liqueur · Rum
Cocktail familyDaisy · Smash
FlavorsFresh · Fruity · Tart
Makes
Ingredients
1ozLondon Dry Gin
1ozAged Rum
1ozCognac
2ozFresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1ozOrgeat
1/2ozAmontillado Sherry
1/2ozOrange Curaçao
1/2ozSimple Syrup
1dash Angostura
Method
Combine all ingredients in shaker.
Add a half handful of crushed ice, shaking until ice is mostly dissolved, then strain into a tiki mug over fresh crushed ice, then fill with fresh crushed ice.
According to some sources, the French 75 is described as the only American classic cocktail born during Prohibition. But dig deeper, and that provenance becomes cloudy; in the mid-1800s Charles Dickens wrote about enjoying a gin and champagne cocktail that sounds suspiciously similar to what we now know as the French 75. Origins aside, the very makeup of this legendary drink is contested; the earliest versions are based on cognac, while gin only entered the picture later. But both are great! As cocktail historian David Wondrich explains, it’s not about who invented the drink but when the name was applied and stuck. When the formula combining gin or cognac, Champagne, lemon, and sugar took on the name of a World War I French army field gun, known for firing as many as 15 rounds a minute, the French 75 took on a life of its own.
French 75
SpiritBrandy · Gin
Cocktail familyHighball
Flavors
Makes
Ingredients
2ozLondon Dry Gin or Cognac
1/2ozSimple Syrup
1/2ozFresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
4ozChampagneor Other Sparkling Wine, Chilled, to Top
Method
Add gin/cognac, syrup and Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice to shaker, add ice and shake until chilled.
Pour into a chilled champagne flute or highball glass.
Top with sparkling wine and stir gently.
Garnish with a lemon twist, expressed over the top of the cocktail and dropped in.
This is a twist on the Japanese Cocktail that dates back to the mid-1860s. Cocktail historian David Wondrich (author of books Imbibe! and Punch) suggests that the name of the original stemmed from the frequent visits to Jerry Thomas’s bar by a member of Japan’s first diplomatic mission to America. The key “improvement” here comes by way of the addition of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice and Peychaud’s bitters.
Improved Japanese Cocktail
SpiritBrandy
Cocktail familyDaiquiri · Sour
Flavors
Makes
Ingredients
2ozPierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1ozFresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1ozOrgeat Syrup
3dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Method
Stir ingredients over ice, then pour over a large rock in a double old-fashioned glass.
