(This Way to) The Egress

A riff on the Barnum with Ransom Old Tom instead of dry gin. P.T. Barnum’s American Museum in New York was a 5-story showcase of curiosities of every description. The exit was marked by a cleverly worded sign, “This way to the egress.” Not realizing that this simply meant the way out, people took the bait and assumed the egress was an exhibit, only to find they had left the museum.



(This Way to) The Egress

• 2 oz Ransom Old Tom gin
• 1/2 oz apricot brandy (Apry)
• 3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and  strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Ransom’s maltiness seems very 19th-century here, combining with the lemon and apricot in a slightly floral way that reminds me of an old-style punch.

Autumn Decade

I got the idea for this while sipping gold Rhum J.M one evening with some friends. Someone pointed out the apricot note in the rum, especially when it opened up a little with water. I’ve kept the apricot brandy in the background so you can still taste the rum. The color of J.M is apricot too.



Autumn Decade

• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi 8
  
• 3/4 oz gold Rhum J.M
• 2 tsp Grand Marnier
• 1 tsp apricot brandy
• 1/2 oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Shrapnel

Maybe it was the odd name, but something made me try this one even though it seemed like just another Perfect Manhattan with an addition. The addition is apricot brandy, which I like with whiskey, and it goes with corn and fruit notes in bourbon especially. I thought the vermouth would dry it down some and round it out, but the version in the CocktailDB is too light and sweet for me with only a mere one and a quarter ounces of spirits. As it often goes with so many of life’s minor difficulties, the solution was to add a bit more bourbon.



Shrapnel

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz apricot brandy

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Orange twist.
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM A RECIPE IN THE COCKTAILDB

There was an orange slice garnish but it wasn’t doing much except looking pretty, so it became a twist and contributed to the flavor profile. Upping the bourbon didn’t hurt the punch-like fruit notes and turned this into more of a grownup drink.

Fort Greene

This cocktail owes some inspiration to the Slope, which Frederic posted last week and I wanted to try. But it would’ve meant opening a bottle of Punt e Mes, and my fridge was looking a little overcrowded with similar bottles of aromatized wine and the like. I reached for the sherry instead.

Like the Slope, Fort Greene is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.



Fort Greene

• 2 oz rye
• 1/2 oz Amontillado sherry
• 1/4 oz apricot brandy
• dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Copper Swan Cocktail; the Brownie

Here’s one from Gary Regan and one of my own on a similar theme. I like the combination of Scotch and apricot brandy. I had found this while experimenting a few years ago with new combinations for shooters for a party. The resulting recipe appears below Gary’s.



Copper Swan Cocktail

• 2 1/2 oz Highland Park single-malt Scotch
• 3/4 oz apricot brandy
• lemon twist, for garnish

Stir and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass or a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

Source: Gary Regan, The Joy of Mixology

The Brownie

• 1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch
• 1 1/2 oz apricot brandy
• 1 tsp amontillado sherry
• 3 drops Angostura bitters

I prefer not to ice this, as it’s very warming and smooth tossed off in one go. Stir and pour into shot glasses. Makes 3 drinks.

Source: Rowen, Fogged In Lounge