Who would imagine mixing Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey with anything more than a couple cubes of ice? I would. And that is what keeps it interesting around here. My friend Laura Baddish sent me a selection of liquor the other day that made me stand up to attention. Inside the packed box were samples from both Perrier and Four Roses Bourbon plus a bottle of Tuaca.
The creative juices started flowing immediately!
In past few weeks, many packages have arrived. There has been glorious, lush bottles of Carpano Antica Formula, but how to create something brand new (from a flavor perspective) with no history from a visual perspective? I'm not sure. I'm just going to have to Whisper my Cocktail knowledge into each experimental sip!
So- there are all these bottles are spilling out over the table. There is a bottle from the Rare Wine Company- Charleston Style Madeira- a bottle of Florio Sweet Marsala and a tall bottle of E. H. Taylor, bottled in Bond Bourbon.
With oranges charring away in the cast iron pan- I thought that I'd take this opportunity to create some new drinks. I usually go to Twitter to see what is out there- but today there seems to be an overload on this channel and I cannot Tweet my thoughts!
There is a little line of brilliance and beauty circling through my head from a chance meeting that I experienced recently on Twitter. "i never count what i lost just what i take" over and over.
They are most enlightened words that I read- written by a most intriguing friend and by saying them over a couple of times, they have made my day percolate to say the least.
I re-read this sentence- and it caused me to smile a knowing smile. A smile filled with the bounty of creative juices bubbling up inside of me.
Is this meant to teach me something? I believe so.
Thanks, I'm paying attention and listening.
A Twitter Hiccup Cocktail
Ingredients:
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
Perrier Pink Grapefruit
Royal Rose Three Chili Simple Syrup
Four slices of navel orange, charred in a cast iron pan
Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters
Preparation:
To a cocktail shaker, Muddle the charred orange slices then add 2 shots of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon and 1/4 ice. Add 1/2 shot of Carpano Antica Formula. Add 2 Tablespoons of the Royal Rose Syrup. Shake and strain into a coupe' glass. A couple drops over the top with Bitter End Memphis Barbeque Bitters will enliven this drink. Of course you should finish the cocktail with a splash of Perrier Pink Grapefruit to give it a lift.
Perrier. That's a venerable brand. When I was growing up there was always Perrier in the fridge at home. We drank that in Europe on our trips. The water was unsafe abroad and Perrier is in my mind's eye as the only thing we'd have on the table during a meal. When the bottles appeared at my door, I was drawn to the cocktail table and eventually into my glass. Not a bad choice for mixing!
Chicagoland Fizz
Ingredients:
Four Roses Bourbon
Rare Wine Company Madeira
Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
Charred Grapefruit juice
Perrier Lemon
Lucid Absinthe wash
Preparation:
Wash your glass out with a tiny bit of Lucid Absinthe
To a cocktail shaker fill 1/3 with ice. Add 2 shots of Four Roses Bourbon. Add a 1/2 shot of Rare Wine Company Charleston Sercial Madeira. Add 1/2 shot of Carpano Antica. Shake. Adjust sweetness with a bit more Vermouth if necessary. Strain into a champagne glass, top with 2 oz of freshly squeezed grilled grapefruit juice and finish with Perrier Lemon.
This cocktail came to me during a marathon session of the Blues Brothers. There is something to be said for the amazing "chase" scene that barrels through the streets of Chicago. I always get on the edge of my seat for this epic chase. I need a cocktail to calm myself down!
Hence-
Elevated Train through Channeling the Blues Brothers
Ingredients:
St. George Mt. Tam Botanical Gin
Tuaca Madagascar Vanilla and Italian Brandy liqueur
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Perrier Lime.
Preparation:
To a cocktail shaker fill 1/3 with ice. Add Botanical Gin, Tuaca and the lime juice. Shake. Strain into a short rocks glass and finish with a splash of Perrier Lime. Fizzy goodness!
Veritable White Out Cocktail
Ingredients:
JM Rhum Agricole
JM Syrop of Canne (Sugar Cane Syrup from Martinique)
Florio Sweet Marsala
Perrier Lemon
Coconut Water Ice- Freeze coconut water in an ice cube tray and use in this drink!
Preparation:
Fill a cocktail shaker 1/3 with ice. Add 2 shots of the Rhum Agricole. Add 1 shot of Cane Syrup from JM. Add 1/2 shot of Sweet Marsala. Shake and strain into a coupe' glass with a couple coconut water ice cubes and then finish with a splash of Perrier Lemon.
Show and Tell me Anything Cocktail
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon
Tuaca Liqueur
Charred Orange hunk
Perrier
Preparation:
Muddle charred orange hunk in a cocktail glass. Add 2 shots of Four Roses and 1 Shot of E.H. Taylor Bourbon. Add 1/2 shot of Tuaca and shake. Strain into a tall glass with a couple cubes of ice. Top with Perrier and a chunk of charred orange.
Enjoy these drinks! And please remember to use only good stuff when mixing these brand new classics!
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