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Here’s my drink for the picnic… it’s a thyme infused gin, oleo sacrum (juice added back), muddled blueberry Collins type of drink.  And it rules.

I’ll get back to you on pacific proportions, as I have yet to work them out, pacifically.

Infusing some Beefeater with fresh thyme for the upcoming GUD picnic. Go ahead and file this one under “making moves.”

This drink was created by Julian Cox, HNIC at Rivera in LA… I saw it on the Thirsty in LA blog – which is excellent – and since I’m probably not going to make it out to LA anytime soon, I fig’d I’d try it at home.  Here’s my version, which is delish, even tho it is lacking the “Hellfire Bitters.”

Hulk el Increible*
2 oz. Blanco Tequila
.25 oz. Green Chartreuse
.125 oz. Lime
Half a medium sized tomatillo
2 cilantro sprigs
4 slices jalapeno
drop agave nectar

I muddled the jalapeno, tomatillo and cilantro in the agave nectar and lime juice. Added the booze, shook over light ice and strained over a rock. Again, this is just my humble approximation, but it’s frickin’ rad, dude.

*Not to be confused with the drink of the same name that is equal parts Hennessey and Hypnotiq (insert blarf noise).

Yes, I probably should have gone thru the very simple step of asking Evan, the creator of this drink and co-founder of the GUD, if he ever gave it a name, but I’m just stupid lazy like that sometimes always, as evidenced by the fact that I also failed to ask him what his proper recipe is and instead made up my own, based on what I seem to remember was in it when I had it last summer, and also, it’s early, and I’ve been drinking all day.  Neither way, it’s a fantastic lil’ summer pick me up…

Evan’s Park Swizzle
1.5 oz. White Rum
.5 oz. Falernum (mine was Velvet)
.25 oz. Chartreuse
.25 oz. Pineapple Juice
.25 oz. Lime Juice

I had some really lovely ripe pineapple, which was the inspiration for the recreation of the heretoaforementioned drink. So I muddled some of that with some lime juice until it was all pulpy like. Thence, added the falernum and rum and gave the whole mess a bit of a stir. To which I proceedingly added a “butt ton” of crushed ice, followed by a brief, but firm, swizzle, followed by more ice, and finally the chartreuse – around 15 dashes.

Just saying, if you throw 2 oz. of Beefeater, an ounce of Lillet Blanc, four dashes of Maraschino and six dashes of my orange bitters in a tin, add some ice, stir for about 45 seconds, strain into a coupe glass and squeeze a orange peel over top, you’re gonna be like, “damn yes.”  Just saying.

I know, I know, I’ve already done this one… but unless you’ve read my blog from the very start, it’s new to you.  Also, I’ve learned so much about this drink, and drinks in general, and this is such a difficult drink to make with ease and sophistication, I just had to do an update post.  And, my photography has gotten sooooo much better since those early days. Plus, I just made a few swizzle sticks and I was just itching to try them out.  So you’re going to deal with it, for chrissakes – for once in your fucking life – and read my new QPS post:

Queen’s Park Swizzle
2 oz. White Rum
.75 oz. Lime
.5 oz. Demerara (2:1)
Mint Sprig
Trifecta Bitters*

In the bottom of a Boston tin, combine lime, demerara and all the bottom leaves of a very goodly sized mint sprig. Muddle, but so very gently. Seriously, don’t get all crazy with that shit, just rock that muddler back and fro, enough to let the mint know you’re the one in control, but no further. Thence, add the rum, give the whole mess a stir, and pour it unstrained into a Hi Ball glass. Assuming you’ve already crushed up a huge amount of ice, or are in possession of a Scotsman Nugget maker – fill the glass with said ice. Gently, and with an eye for the future, insert your swizzle stick…

[See post on DIY Swizzle Sticks]

…and swizzle gently and briskly, until a nice frost has appeared on the outermost side of your glass.  Remove said swizzle stick, and pack additional ice into glass, forming a bit of a mound.  Dash with bitters, garnish with a mint leaf and serve with a stir straw.

*Trifecta bitters is a blend of equal parts Angostura, Peychaud’s and orange bitters (house made). They taste excellent and look amazing. If you’ve got a decent orange bitters that you like, you could easily make them, but I wouldn’t advise using Ango orange as it tends to overpower them.

I’ve recently acquired a small trove of dasher bottles, pretty much exactly like the Peychaud’s bitters bottles.  So, in my infinite wisdom, I’ve started putting all sorts of things in them that I’ve always wanted by the dash, but never had.  Until now.  Fuck yes!

Taking a page from the Gazzer here… re-working my Tom Collins, which I’ve always considered pretty bland, towards something a bit more vibrant.  It’s still a super easy drink, but a few more seconds of prep can really make the difference.

Tom Collins
2 oz. Gin
4 slices Lemon*
1 tsp. Pure Cane Sugar

Drop the slices of lemon in the bottom of a Boston tin, pour the sugar on top, and muddle with abandon.  I mean, muddle the sweet jebus out of that shit.  Thence, pour in your chilled** gin, and a few ounces of soda. Give it a bit of a stir to make sure the bulk of the sugar is dissolved, and pour unstrained into a Collins glass (you may need to assist the crap with the spoon.)  Drop in a Collins spear (aka Chesterton) and top with soda (if required), and serve with a stir straw.

The issue here is vibrancy.  Muddling the slices of lemon makes all the difference, as you get that amazing lemon oil out of the rind that you just wouldn’t get if you only used juice.  It takes longer, but it’s so worth it.

*You’re going for .75 oz of lemon juice, so use your judgment. Maybe even muddle a few slices and see how much juice it yields.

**If you’re not chilling your gin for things like G&Ts and Collinses, then we don’t have much left to talk about. However, if had to use warm gin – like if you were stranded on a desert island or something – then it would be prudent to shake it over a small amount of ice, before adding the soda and pouring, unstrained, into the Collins glass, over said ice spear. Theoretically speaking, of course.

I came up with this drink for my brother over Christmas. He likes whiskey sours, but as far as brown stuff I was down to Knappogue Castle, so I just whipped something up and it turned out pretty friggin’ rad. I actually served it at the Hostel Detroit party, and it’s a contender for the opening menu.

Corktown Sour
1.5 oz. Irish Whiskey
.5 oz. Italian Vermouth
.25 oz. Demerara (2:1)
.5 oz. Lemon

Shake, double strain into a sour glass, and garnish with a super long ass lemon peel, if you’ve got the stones for it.