1½ oz vodka
½ oz peach liqueur
1½ oz orange juice
1½ oz cranberry juice
Orange wedge or twist to garnish
Add all ingredients except the garnish to a Collins glass with ice. Garnish with the orange.
187 KNOW YOUR FETISHES
There are just as many twists on the classic Sex on the Beach. Here are three notables:
SEX ON FIRE Uses cinnamon-infused whiskey (like Fireball) in place of the vodka
MADRAS Uses only vodka (2 oz total) without the liqueur
WOO WOO This variation gets straight to the point and ditches the orange juice altogether
188 CHOOSE YOUR HOT & SWEET DRINK
USBG | OREGON CHAPTER
KATE BOLTON
Bar Manager | Americano
189 PULL SHOTS LIKE A BARISTA
Lured by the gleaming espresso machine at Americano, bartender Kate Bolton incorporated coffee into her cocktails by turning traditional espresso drinks into something perfect for postwork. Dust off that espresso machine and shake yourself awake.
190 SHAKERATO
USBG | OREGON CHAPTER
KATE BOLTON
Bar Manager | Americano
The Shakerato is a classic Italian drink to be enjoyed on hot days, usually made by shaking espresso and simple syrup with ice. This version gets wired with Italian amaro and creamy dairy additions.
1 oz espresso
1 oz Melletti amaro
½ oz half and half
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a small rocks or old-fashioned glass.
191 ROCKAWAY BEACH
USBG | OREGON CHAPTER
KATE BOLTON
Bar Manager | Americano
Since one of the founders of Americano, Blair Reynolds, also owns the tiki bar Hale Pele, Bolton wanted to bridge the coffee and tiki culture in one cocktail. This simple combination allows coconut to stand out while the strong, funky backbone of Jamaican pot-still rum plays with the earthy qualities of the coffee.
2 oz cold-brew coffee
1 oz coconut milk
¾ oz Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum
¾ oz rich demerara syrup (2:1)
Half orange wheel sprinkled with shredded coconut
Combine the coffee, coconut milk, rum, and demerara syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a rocks or old-fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with the half orange wheel sprinkled with shredded coconut.
192 THE BURNSIDE
USBG | OREGON CHAPTER
KATE BOLTON
Bar Manager | Americano
This drink was created by Americano bartender Eric Rickey as a play on the classic combination of mint and chocolate in a hot coffee drink. The Fernet Branca Menta is a very minty version of the Italian amaro, and the Mud Puddle Bitter Chocolate vodka is made by local Portland distillery New Deal.
1½ oz Fernet Branca Menta
½ oz Mud Puddle Bitter Chocolate vodka
1½ oz espresso
3 oz steamed milk
Cocoa to garnish
Mint leaf
Add Fernet, vodka, and espresso to an Irish coffee or double-walled coffee glass, then add hot steamed milk. Garnish with a sprinkling of cocoa and mint leaf.
193 UNDERSTAND IRISH WHISKEY
First introduced by Christian monks, the Irish smartly distinguished their whiskey from Scotch by developing a cleaner, floral, and fruity whiskey that comes in a variety of styles. Single-pot still whiskey is a unique style in which a mix of both malted and unmalted grains are distilled in a pot still. Pot-distilled single malt is made from malted barley and also blended whiskey that combines single malt or single-pot still whiskies with grain whiskey (made from unmalted grain in a continuous still). A large majority of the popular Irish whiskies are blended.
194 IRISH COFFEE
An easy-drinking hot cup of coffee sweetened with a little sugar and braced with a shot of Irish whiskey, the Irish Coffee is an ageless classic. Originally created by a County Limerick chef for weather-weary travelers in the 1940s, the drink has spread around the world.
1½ oz Irish whiskey
3 oz coffee
2 teaspoons sugar
For the cream:
2 oz heavy cream
1½ teaspoons sugar
In a chilled shaker, combine the heavy cream and 1½ teaspoons sugar, and shake until the cream thickens and the sugar dissolves. You don’t need stiff peaks—nor butter (which will happen if you shake too long). Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in an Irish Coffee glass and stir to combine. Top with a float of cream.
195 HOT ENGLISH RUM FLIP
This old-timey concoction is a little like a hot eggnog but without the dairy. Originally made by plunging a hot piece of metal, called a loggerhead, into an ale mug, this version goes a little more modern by using the stovetop.
2 oz rum
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice (molasses or sorghum preferred)
6 oz English-style beer (or a dark beer)
Nutmeg, to grate
Make a small ring with a kitchen towel and place a small metal bowl into it, making sure it fits snugly. Add the rum, egg, and sweetener into the bowl and whisk until combined.
Add beer to a saucepan and heat until the beer begins to simmer. Remove from heat. While whisking the rum-egg mixture, slowly add the hot beer.
Ladle into a mug and grate nutmegover drink.
196 LAKE EFFECT
USBG | INDIANAPOLIS CHAPTER
JASON FOUST
USBG Midwestern Regional VP
Named after the heavy snow caused by the winds coming off the Great Lakes in the Midwest, this variation on a hot toddy will keep you cozy when you are stuck inside. Or outside.
1½ oz whiskey (Tincup preferred)
½ oz Bitter Truth pimento dram
½ oz ginger syrup
½ oz lemon juice
2 oz hot water
Cracked black pepper
Combine all ingredients except pepper into a coffee mug and stir. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.
197 YOU HAD ME AT HOT TODDY
USBG | ATLANTA CHAPTER
IAN COX
Craft Spirit Specialist | National Distributing
This toddy variation was developed for a 750-person event; on a lark, Ian decided to serve a hot drink. While November in Atlanta can still be beautiful, the weather was miserably cold and rainy. The name stuck when a young woman screamed, “You had me at hot toddy!”
1½ oz bourbon
2½ oz hot vanilla black tea
¼ oz fernet (Vittone Menta preferred)
Orange peel
Combine all ingredients except orange peel in an Irish Coffee glass and stir to combine. Express orange peel over the top and place in drink.
BRANDY
BRANDY LIES IN AN INTERSECTION OF VINICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE, ENCOMPASSING EVERYTHING FROM COGNAC AND GRAPPA TO APPLEJACK AND SLIVOVITZ.
198 KNOW THE HISTORY
In the 9th century, the distillation process was developed with wine, making brandy the first liquor ever distilled. Initially used for medicinal purposes, the popularity of cognac and Armagnac brandy soared in the 15th and 16th centuries, as Dutch traders began to export unaged grape eau-de-vie in barrels.
That trade began to transform brandy. No longer a potent spirit to be watered down or used to fortify wines for shipment, it was now defined as an aged spirit. The traveling added a negligible amount of wood age, and soon fluctuations in demand and production led to more oak making its way in.
But brandy is more than just cognac or Armagnac. The general definition of brandy is a spirit made from distilled fruit. Any fruit could be used to produce a type of brandy, and in large part it developed as an agrarian tool to preserve bumper crops or, in some cases, to utilize fruits that were too bitter or acid
ic.
The best brandies don’t usually share fruit with the best wines. Grape-based brandies like cognac and Armagnac are primarily made of ugni blanc (also known as Trebbiano), folle Blanche, and Colombard grapes, which yield thin, acidic wine. Calvados often incorporates bitter, aromatic apples, and eau-de-vie brandies are best made from fruit varieties that need cooking or processing to make them palatable. Unlike with wine, the skin of the fruit is as important as the flesh when it comes to brandies for flavor and aroma.
199 KNOW YOUR FRENCH FRIED VINES
In the late 19th century, an aphid pest called phylloxera, which feeds off grapevines and destroys the roots in the process, started attacking French vineyards. The pest practically annihilated the wine and brandy industries, destroying nearly half of all vineyards in France. The Great French Wine Blight thus created a shift in the way people made cocktails. With supplies of French brandies devastated, Europe and the United States developed a taste for gin along with whiskies—and began drinking cocktails featuring those spirits.
200 LEARN THE PROCESS
Brandy production always starts with fruit in some form, with the style defining how its fermented, if and for how long it is aged, and what kinds of distillation are allowed.
STEP ONE The fruit is crushed to allow the juices (and, most important, the sugars) in the flesh to be extracted and come in contact with wild or cultivated yeast. Sometimes the juice alone is fermented, while other recipes use the whole mash with water added to facilitate fermentation.
STEP TWO The fermentation of the fruit can last anywhere from a few days to many weeks, depending on the conditions. Often the fermentation is cooled in order to control the type of yeasts that thrive, a process that also lengthens the fermentation time.
STEP THREE The fruit mash or wine is distilled. Most aged brandies are pot distilled, but some, like Armagnac, are distilled once through a special column to achieve a moderately low proof of about 52–60 percent. Neutral brandy for fortification is often distilled through columns, leading to a much higher proof.
201 IDENTIFY THE TYPES
Brandy is determined not only by its fruit but by its process and uses. Here are the three types of brandy to know.
WINE BRANDY The most commonly associated subcategory with the term “brandy” are the aged grape-based varieties like cognac, Spanish jerez, and Armagnac; but anywhere wine grapes are grown, you’ll find a tradition of the aged spirit—such as in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Cyprus, South Africa, and the United States (primarily in California). The wine brandies also include unaged spirits like Pisco from Peru and Chile.
POMACE BRANDY This style is also grape-based, but it’s focused on economizing the winemaking process by utilizing the leftover solids (or pomace). Originally the staple of vineyard workers, pomace-based brandies—like the infamous Italian grappa—can be found in most winemaking regions. There are unique and refined brandies to be found here, so don’t pass it all off as rotgut.
FRUIT BRANDY A bit of a catchall category, fruit brandy includes aged brandies like Calvados and applejack, as well as unaged eau-de-vie like Poire Williams (pear), kirsch (cherry), and many other varieties of the fruit distillates. When well made, they boast the many aromas and flavors of fresh fruit (without the sugar and acidity) that make them great digestifs—or flavorings for desserts. Be sure to read the label when buying fruit brandies, as some inexpensive brands are actually just artificially flavored grape brandy and not made from the fruit that might be on the label.
202 PINK SANDS
USBG | SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER
MONICA SNYDER
Sales Representative | Glazer’s Distributors
Hailing from South Padre Island, Texas, Monica Snyder wanted to create a drink that reminded her of the beach and also tasted like a beach drink. Don’t forget the suntan lotion.
1 oz coconut rum
½ oz rye whiskey
¼ oz raspberry liqueur
4 oz coconut milk
Dash of simple syrup (1:1)
Cherry and umbrella to garnish
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a large rocks or old-fashioned glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a cherry and umbrella.
203 BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY
USBG | LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
RICH WILLIAMS
Bartender | The Spare Room
After touring a gin distillery, bartender Rich Williams visited an ice cream shop that offered Negroni ice cream—and so the idea for this drink was formed. The balance of bitter and creamy, sweet flavors make this rich drink a dessert and cocktail in one.
2 oz gin
¾ oz bianco (or blanc) vermouth
½ oz heavy cream
½ oz egg white
½ oz aperitivo liqueur (like Campari)
¾ oz simple syrup (1:1)
Mint leaves and cherry to garnish
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a Collins or highball glass. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint and cherry.
204 COCO-ALEXANDER
USBG | DENVER CHAPTER
MATT COWAN
Cocktail Curator | La Cour
Aside from being vegan, this version of the Brandy Alexander has the added advantage of not curdling with tart liqueurs, such as raspberry. If you prefer the dairy version, simply swap out the coconut for heavy cream.
Toasted coconut
Lemon wedge
1½ oz dry vermouth infused with rhubarb
1 oz crème de cacao or other liqueur
1 oz unsweetened coconut cream (not cream of coconut, which is sweetened)
On a small plate, place enough coconut to create a thin layer. Moisten the rim of a coupe or cocktail glass by running a lemon wedge around the lip, then dip and twirl the glass into the coconut to coat half of the glass rim. Set the glass aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into the prepared glass.
205 THE GOLDEN FLEECE
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
NAT HARRY
Spirits Buyer for Cask
Named after the golden coat of the mythical winged ram, this cocktail carries a similar sheen—with a spicy kick, like a quick hoof to the face. Assemble your own Argonauts and set off to find this gilded treasure.
1¾ oz aged cachaça (Avuá Amburana preferred)
¾ oz sweetened condensed milk
¼ oz Ancho Reyes liqueur (spicy dried pepper liqueur)
1 dash chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers Aztec chocolate bitters preferred)
Cinnamon stick, to grate
Combine all ingredients except cinnamon in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake 8–10 seconds, and strain into a cold coupe or wine glass. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.
206 THE GREAT COMPROMISE
USBG | ASHEVILLE CHAPTER
MATTHEW KORZELIUS
Barman | Manna
After realizing that cola was originally a style of sweet amaro (with the flavors built from a blend of botanicals), Matthew Korzelius started thinking about pairing it with other Italian digestives. The name refers to the middle line where bitter flavors (often an acquired taste) are mixed into something more approachable.
¾ oz cola reduction
1½ oz bourbon whiskey
½ oz fernet
¾ oz Punt é Mes vermouth
2 dashes cherry bitters
Cherry to garnish
To make the cola reduction, simmer store-bought cola over medium heat until reduced to about 1/6 its original volume; let cool.
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a rocks or old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a cherry on top.
207 DEVIL’S BACKBONE
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
CHRIS LANE
Bar Manager | Ramen Shop
This cocktail is a bracer, best enjoyed after a big meal, a long day of work, or by anyone who loves big, smoky flavors and a little bitter with the sweet. Based on the smoky whiskies his dad drank (for which Chris gained an early appreciation), this cocktail is a blend of two whiskies, two amari, and two bitters. Rich and heavy with just enough bitterness balanced with sweetness, it ends a meal like a nap by the fireplace.
1 oz rye whiskey
½ oz Ardbeg 10-year single malt (or other smoky Scotch)
¾ oz Averna amaro
½ oz Gran Classico (or other aperitivo liqueur)
1 dash aromatic bitters (Angostura preferred)
1 dash orange bitters (Bitter Truth preferred)
Orange peel disc to garnish
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a pint or mixing glass, add ice, and stir 20–30 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a Nick and Nora or small coupe or cocktail glass. Express orange peel over drink and garnish with the peel side up on the surface.
208 FERNET ABOUT DRE
USBG | PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER
RYAN SHIPMAN
Bar Manager
While minty fernet is often taken as a digestive, here it’s combined with another Italian-style amaro, floral with saffron, anise, and violets. The black walnut bitters bridges the gap between the whiskey and the amari to make for a strong post-feast tipple.
The Complete Cocktail Manual Page 12