There are some drinks out there, like the Last Word, that combine extremely different flavors with complete success. I don’t hesitate to say this is one of those drinks. Instant fucking classic… Assuming you like extremely smokey, bitter, citrusy stuff. If not, this drink probably isn’t for you. Or whatever. The important thing is, I probably went through about ten variations of this drink, until I came up with this one, and now, honestly, I can say the world is a little better because of it.
"That shit is fucking McMazing" - David Foster Wallace
Famous Last Words
.75 oz. Laphroaig
.75 oz. Aperol
.75 oz. Bonal
.75 oz. Lemon
Shake, double strain into a coupe.
You’re welcome.
December 21, 2011 at 11:39 am | Be the first to commentThe Doug Cooper, as I like to call it, is a classic*, and was named after the HMS Douglas Cooper**, a British war ship that took heavy fire and subsequently sank in the south Pacific during the Cuban-Panamanian war of 1952***. Fittingly, it’s a really solid tropical rum drink (original formula: white rum, dry vermouth, lime & simple). Here’s an excerpt from the short lived Boston Spangler, dated 1953:
“Reports from the south seas suggest the boys are taking quite a liking to the native’s rhum, which they’re drinking down with lime (to keep off the scurv) and white Italian wine, seized from a ship outside the TanHauser**** Port. Apparently it’s really becoming quite the cocky-tail among the young seamen.”
The balance of the rum, lime and vermouth is really very nice, but I had a few modifications in mind for this one, to “sex it up” a bit.
The Douglas Cooper Cocktail #2
1 oz. El Dorado 3 Year aged Light Rum
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
.5 oz. Lime
1 barspoon house made apricot – ginger preserve
2 dash cardamom bitters
Shake, double strain into a coupe.
This thing is like the velvety sleeve of a wizard.
John Lennon once famously said, “I’m an artist, and if you give me a tuba, I’ll bring you something out of it.” Well, I’m like that, but with Laphroaig. What can I say? It’s my muse, my inspiration, and my life partner. So this one here, well, it’s gonna be huge… arguably bigger than Jebus himself.
Where There’s Smoke…
1.5 oz. Blended Scotch (I like White Horse here)
.5 oz. Grade C Maple Syrup
.5 oz. Lemon Juice
Shake, double strain into a rocks glass. Add a few ounces of Laphroaig foam*, and a dash of cayenne pepper over top.
*To make Laphroaig foam, combine five ounces of the balls, plus two of water and three of simple, and four egg whites in an iSi prof-whip canister. Chill and shake before use.
December 19, 2011 at 9:45 am | 3 CommentsSince the start we’ve had an old fashioned on our menu. First it was the Autumn Old Fashioned (wild turkey rye, apple cider reduction, ango), and then it was the Blackfoot Old Fashioned (riverboat rye, grade C maple syrup, blackfoot bitters, flamed orange peel). And these have been consistently our best seller. Maybe because they’re always the cheapest drink on the menu at $7 – but maybe also because people still enjoy simple, complimentary flavors without all the hoopla.
The concept for this drink actually came to me in the middle of the night. Not really in a dream, cause only pussies dream, so let’s say… in a whiskey induced hallucination.
The Johnny Rottenseed (Old Fashioned)
2 oz. Laird’s Bonded Applejack
.5 oz. Coca Cola Syrup*
Dash house orange bitters
Build this in the glass, add a few large cubes, and give it a stir. Let those cubes dilute a bit, since we’re dealing with 100* goods here, and then add a few more cubes. We use large cubes from our Kold Draft, but you can use whatever the fuck you want, my homey.
*Reduce Mexican coke down to about 25% of it’s original volume to make the syrup. It’s pretty rad stuff.
Tomorrow’s drink: Where There’s Smoke…
December 18, 2011 at 4:46 pm | Be the first to commentSince we opened in early October, we’ve changed our menu 19 times. I know…. like, really? And then we’re like, yes. Not complete makeovers, mind you, but swapping out this drink for that, etc. And not a single drink we opened with still exists on our menu, which you’ve got to admit is pretty cool. Now, not all of them have been the complex masterpieces we are known for, but we also wanted to keep the menu a bit accessible for those people who don’t really know what we’re about yet. I know what you’re thinking: that’s not what you signed up for. I get it. You want new and exciting, and we want to give that to you. But listen brohammers, it’s not easy being sleazy, as they say. Actually, that has nothing to do with the conversation, but I wanted to slip it in there… ahem … so to speak.
So, we’ve been plotting and planning, spending all hours working on new drinks that will eclipse our previous drinks in terms of complexity and sophistication. Yes, we’ll still make you a sazerac and be pretty happy about it, but we’re rolling out some balls-deep shit here. We’ve even got some fancy new toys we’re going to show off. But slow. Slowly. Slow. Don’t get all jazzed up. The new menu will be released on NYE. Until then, I’m going to drop a new drink from the menu on the blog, along with a photo and the recipe, so you can make it at home, or rip it off, or whatever. Consider it a gift, from us to you, during this holiday season.
Tonight’s drink: The Johnny Rottenseed
December 18, 2011 at 3:51 pm | Be the first to comment
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