Sarsparilla Whiskers

I finally broke down and bought Root by Art of the Age. A fan of root beer as a kid, I thought Root looked delicious, but I didn’t really have an idea for it. Each time, I just smiled at it and remembered a camping trip in my early 20s with some friends and a bottle of schnapps.

Root isn’t much like root beer schnapps. For one thing, it’s much, much drier. And it’s the real deal: thirteen botanicals including the cane sugar, illustrated beautifully on the back label. And it is indeed delicious, calling to mind other herbal blockbusters like absinthe and Fernet Branca. I thought right away of a rye cocktail.



Sarsparilla Whiskers

• 2 oz rye (Dickel)
• 3/4 oz Root
• 1 dash absinthe
• 1 dash Bittercube Jamaica Bitters #2

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
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People seem to feel strongly one way or the other about herbal digestifs. Root beer is polarizing as well. (The English people I’ve asked don’t seem to care for it. “Almost spat it out.” Maybe you have to be born in North America.)

Steady Freddy

One afternoon, my buddy suggested we turn his fresh mandarin oranges into Harvey Wallbangers. That sounded like a job for Freddy Fudpucker, Wallbanger’s tequila variation and my preferred version of the drink. It’s unbelievably good with fresh mandarin juice. I feel a little guilty posting this at the end of mandarin season—or so it is here in Northern California—but maybe it’s the perfect excuse for using up some fruit you have around. Proportions below are approximate. Don’t hold back on the juice.



Fresh Mandarin Fudpucker

• 2 oz tequila (we used blanco)
• 4 oz freshly squeezed mandarin juice
• 1/4 oz Galliano

Combine spirits and juice with ice in a tall glass, roll into a tin and back. Carefully float Galliano. (And if it sinks, so what? Sip and smile.)

Hm—I guess the Fudpucker’s a classic. (Again, just sip and smile.)

Reviving the Corpse

OK—maybe I’ve been a little preoccupied with other projects of late. However, I assure you that they have all been beverage-related. (You probably knew that.) While doing some research in the East Bay, a friend and I hit upon the happy idea of remaking a Corpse Reviver #2 as a scotch cocktail. The CR2 is a classic hair-of-the-dog gin concoction meant for those days when you’re still a little shaky from the night before. Whether you think chasing a hangover this way is really a good idea is a matter of personal discretion but CR2 is a fine thing all the same. And this scotch version is very quaffable.

Banquo’s Ghost

• 1 oz scotch (used Black Grouse)
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 dash absinthe

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The original Corpse Reviver #2 appears in the venerable Savoy Cocktail Book, edited by Harry Craddock, and turns up in a number of other good bar books as well. Since the amount of absinthe varies slightly from author to author, I turned to the acknowledged authority on Craddock’s book, Erik Ellestad of Savoy Stomp to see what he did with it. I swear I didn’t look at his photo before icing that glass. Clearly the thing to use.

Blackberry Irish Whiskey Sour

Here we are again in January, a little bleary…. But the dead of winter gets a bum rap. All the seasons have their beauty. And this one for me is largely about the rich, tasty, warming goodness of whiskey cocktails! Blackberry brandy is especially nice at this time of year, and pairs so well with whiskey. Recent visitors will note my current preoccupation with Irish whiskey, and the maltiness of that spirit is great with dense black fruit flavors. For the drink below, I used Clear Creek Blackberry Liqueur from Portland, Oregon.



Blackberry Irish Whiskey Sour

• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey (Paddy)
• 3/4 oz blackberry brandy
• 1/2 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Orange twist.
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Modern Irish Cocktail?—Molly Bloom

This one’s for a friend who was having trouble with Irish whiskey in the classic Manhattan formula. While distinctly more floral and fruit-forward from the inclusion of Cocchi Rosa, the bitter-sweet balance seems the closest to a Manhattan or Rob Roy of my recent Irish adventures. Maybe my favorite so far, too.



Molly Bloom

• 2 oz Irish whiskey
• 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano Rosa
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
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There’s something Modernist era about this one, and the pronounced rosé character of the aperitif made me think of James Joyce’s Molly.

Another Irish Whiskey Cocktail (or Two)

The second of my recent attempts at an aromatic Irish whiskey cocktail. So far, I’ve done two subtle variations, one with sweet vermouth and the other with Cocchi Americano Rosa, and both are more successful than my last try with an aromatic cocktail. (See previous post.) Curaçao turns out to be a great addition, rich yet bright.



John McCormack

• 2 oz Irish whiskey
• 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano Rosa (or sweet vermouth)
• 1/4 oz curaçao

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
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This is where I wanted to end up: fresh, light and lively, red citrus and herbs complimenting the whiskey. The vermouth version is good but I’m liking the Cocchi a lot at the moment.

A Pair of Irish Whiskey Cocktails

I came home with a bottle of Tyrconnell Single Malt a few days ago, and this post ought to have been written sooner but the whiskey was so charming that it took me a while to settle down to work. Maybe that’s the nature of Irish whiskey, and why experimentation seems limited. And then I bought a nice bottle of barley beer thinking it would compliment, Almanac’s Honey Saison, and that was pretty and quaffable too, and was soon sucked down without a thought to cocktails.



Raising the Stakes

• 1 1/2 oz single malt Irish whiskey (Tyrconnell)
• 1 1/2 oz amontillado sherry
• 2 dashes peach bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
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Amontillado is a great compliment to this whiskey, emphasizing vanilla and caramel. The peach bitters open up fruit aromas without adding sweetness on the palate. I tried playing with spicier flavors but they only got in the way.



Double Barrel Barley

• 1 oz single malt Irish whiskey (Tyrconnell)
• 1 oz amontillado sherry
• 3 oz Almanac Honey Saison

Stir whiskey and sherry with ice and strain into a wine glass. Add beer.
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Eventually, I managed to hold onto a bottle of beer long enough to make a cocktail with it. Almanac is a local brewery based in San Jose. The barley and honey compliment the gracefulness and flavor profile of the spirit. Rich but light.