Cocktails

This is a handy recipe book for myself, but feel free to enjoy. You can see that I like a bit of smoke (Mezcal in most of these) or heat (muddled chilies, Ancho Reyes, St. George’s Green Chili Vodka) or both (Pura Vida, Pica Pika; Passenger). Afici0nados typically prefer less sweet and more bitters. I haven’t acquired that taste yet, but I wouldn’t mind seeing how far I can dial down the syrup in some of the drinks below.

*My cocktail-making pride and joy, a zircote PUG muddler turned by Chris Gallagher on his lathe.*

Recommendation for Newcomers

Always use fresh fruit, lemons and limes; everyone can appreciate the difference.

Many ingredients, and all alcohols, can be mixed beforehand, but add the citrus, fruit, leaves, and other fresh ingredients just before serving.

Nearly all of the following recipes, call for infused syrups (cucumber, raspberry, Thai chili, pineapple). Bars can save a lot of time preparing these infusions ahead of time, rather than muddling each drink. So, I suspect their nearly unanimous promotion of infusions as superior is somewhat biased. Since infused syrups don’t have general applicability, and will only last about a month, I’ve found it more practical to keep unflavored simple syrup on hand and muddle fresh ingredients. Given my now embarrassingly well-stocked liquor pantry, I can make a quick trip to the store and pick up a single chili, raspberries, a cucumber, and a few lemons and limes and offer guests a choice of most of the drinks below.

My Ginger Cordial: Juice an unpeeled hand of ginger (I recommend my Sana Supreme juicer) and strain with cheesecloth. Add 1/2 teaspoon per 1.0 or 0.75 ounce of simple syrup, depending on the particular cocktail and personal taste.

An average lime is approximately 1.0 ounces and a lemon 1.5. It makes it easier to prepare drinks if recipes are based on these units.

Honey listed as a cocktail ingredient usually means honey syrup, made like simple syrup (1/2 water) except with honey instead of sugar.

Egg Whites are frothiest (read best) added in a process called a Reverse Dry Shake. 1) Shake the contents with ice & without the egg white; 2) remove the ice; 3) add the egg whites and shake again.

First, a Pilgrimage

Every bar and restaurant I've experienced pale in comparison to The Punch Room, located in the Edition Hotel in London’s SoHo district.  Here bar tenders  take the time to describe the history of cocktails, and their precursor, punches, in a small, intimate setting.  It’s an experience that will provide context to every cocktail you have thereafter.  I was dubious of the Milk Punch, but get it, and explore from there.  Since you’re in London, I can swear by Tayer + Elementary as a world class experience.  I never made it to Bar Termini during drinking hours, but all the bartenders swear by it.  It’s a microscopic place, so plan on getting something EARLY, like 5pm, before the crowds crush it.

Fico d’India

This is delightfully tangy, smoky and has a little bit of heat on the rim. For every ounce of agave syrup, I add 1/2 ounce water and 1 tsp tamarind puree. The tamarind puree turns the drink into a somewhat unappealing muddy brown, but tastes amazing. Pausa’s version has a better color than mine, somehow. Maybe I could filter the syrup if I got enough complaints about it.

      
    Pausa, San Mateo, CA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Prickly Pear Brandy
  
    1 oz
    Tamarind Agave Syrup
  
    3/4 oz
    Lime
  
Rim
    Tajin Classico

Plane Crash

Inspired by the Paper Fox from Bea, NY, NY (recipe a few cocktails down). I highly recommend juicing raw ginger, the star of the cocktail; depending on your process, you’ll have to adjust the quantity which is intended to be quite potent. You can see from the photo that I tried it with egg whites, but I’ve come to the conclusion it’s better without. I’m experimenting with the herbs, but it totally works without any. I’m quite proud of this…

      
    Ken Filar
  
    1 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Apricot Liqueur
  
    1 oz
    Lime Juice
  
    1/2 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
1/2 tsp
    Ginger Juice (adjust)
  
2-3 dashes
    Aphrodite Bitters
  
TBD
    Muddled aromatic leaves (Sage?)

Sunday Best

My current favorite that I can make at home (as opposed to ANYTHING from the Punch Room or Tayer + Elementary). Very balanced, very yummy. It took me 3 visits to weasel this recipe from Beretta. You’re welcome.

      
    Beretta, SF, CA
  
    3/4 oz
    Mezcal
  
    3/4 oz
    Apple Brandy
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon Juice
  
1/2 oz
    Benedictine
  
1/2 oz
    Honey
  
    Shake with 3 Sage Leaves
  
    Garnish with Sage Leaf

Strange Vine

      
    Beretta, SF, CA
  
    2 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Cynar
  
    1/2 oz
    Honey Syrup
  
    3
    Muddled Mint Leaves
  
    1
    Mint Leaf Garnish

Elkano

      
    Piperade, SF, CA
  
    1-1/3 oz
    Rum (infused with cloves, nutmeg & cinnamon)
  
    1-1/3 oz
    New Deal Ginger Liqueur
  
    1 oz
    Lime
  
    1 oz
    Fresh Pineapple Juice
  
    2/3 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
    1
    Orange Peel Garnish

Cocchimaro

There are periods of my life where I drink Cardamaro daily. Upon hearing of this obsession, a bartender in SF, who’s name I cannot remember but need to credit/thank, told me about this 50-50 mix. He didn’t have a name for it, so why not this?

      
    Unknown Bartender, SF, CA
  
    50%
    Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
  
    50%
    Cardamaro

Paper Fox

      
    BEA, NY, NY
  
    1 oz
    Rye
  
    1 oz
    Luxardo Maraschino
  
    1 oz
    Ginger Syrup
  
    1 oz
    Lime Juice
  
    1
    Orange Peel Garnish

Dragon Punch

I need a photo. When there’s nothing on the menu that sounds appealing, maybe I’ll try asking for this supposed “classic”, which has the basic flavor profile of a lot of drinks I like: smoky, tangy, sweet, spicy.

      
    Porto 51, Ischia Porto, Italy
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    0.5 oz
    Green Chartreuse
  
    1 oz
    Lime
  
    0.5 oz
    Orgeat Syrup
  
    Dash
    Tobasco

Basil Empress 1908 Gimlet

Fun for the whole family (concocting, not consuming). This gin has a pH-sensitive coloring agent in it. Adding citrus changes the coloring to a luminescent pink! Check out the video.

      
    Simon Rupp-Greene variation on a Classic
  
    2 oz
    Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
  
    1 oz
    Lime Juice
  
    1 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
3
    Muddled Basil Leaves

San Francisco Cocktail

I’m prioritizing this drink because it requires zero trips to procure fresh ingredients. Sometimes that matters.

      
    Zuni Cafe, SF, CA
  
    1 oz
    Gin
  
    1 oz
    Campano Antica
  
    1 oz
    Dolin Blanc
  
Dash
    Orange Bitters

Rye All Day

      
    Mr. Tipples Recording Studio, SF, CA
  
    1.5 oz
    Rye
  
    1 oz
    Bonal
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon (adjust sugar down if Meyer)
  
    1/2 oz
    Simple Syrup         
  
    5
    Muddled Raspberries, well strained afterwards

Pica Pika

      
    Pagu, Cambridge, MA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Tequila
  
    1 oz
    Lime
  
    1 oz
    Apricot Liqueur
  
    3/4 oz
    Simple Syrup        
  
    1/4
    Muddled, Seeded Thai Chili

Disco Nap

      
    Central Kitchen, Cambridge, MA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1/2 oz
    Yellow Chartreuse
  
    1/2 oz
    Lime
  
    1/2 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
    1/2
    Muddled, Peeled, Seeded, English Cucumber

Ninth Ward

      
    Outerlands, SF
  
    1-1/2 oz
    Rye
  
    3/4 oz
    Velvet Falernum
  
    1/2 oz
    Elderflower Liqueur
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon
  
    2 dsh
    Peychaud's Aromatic Bitters
  
    slice
    Lime Garnish

Passenger (a.k.a. Moonshake)

      
    Outerlands, SF
  
    2 oz
    Mezcal (confirm)
  
    1 oz
    Ancho Reyes (confirm)
  
    1 oz
    Lime (confirm)
  
    1/2 oz
    Simple Syrup (confirm)
  
    1/2 oz
    Carpano Antica (Sweet Vermouth) (confirm)
  
    3
    Muddled, Pineaple Chunks (confirm)

Clair de Lune

	The Ivy Club, London
1.5 oz	Gin
1 oz	Lemon Juice
2/3 oz	Poire Liqueur
1/3 oz	Almond Syrup (Monin)
Dash	Aphrodite Bitters

	Metric (time to get that metric jigger)
50 ml	Gin
30 ml	Lemon Juice
20 ml	Poire Liqueur
10 ml	Almond Syrup (Monin)
3 ml	Aphrodite Bitters

Paper Moon

      
    The Ivy, London, UK
  
    1 oz
    Rye (25 ml)
  
    1 oz
    Suze (25 ml)
  
    1 oz
    Lemon (25 ml)
  
    4/5 oz
    Grapefruit Liqueur (20 ml)
  
    1/5 oz
    Honey Syrup (5 ml)
  
    pinch
    Salt

Pura Vida

      
    La Costanera, Montara, CA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Pomegranate Liqueur
  
    3/4 oz
    Lime
  
    3/4 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
    1/4
    Seeded & Muddled Jalepeno Chili
  
    2
    Muddled Mint Sprigs

Pink Jaguar

      
    Waypoint, Cambridge, MA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1.0 oz
    Watermelon Syrup
  
    0.75 oz
    Cappalletti Aperitivo
  
    0.75 oz
    Lime
  
    0.1 tsp
    Salt

El Diablo

Traditionally, this cocktail is made with Tequila and Ginger Beer. Instead, I prefer Mezcal and Ginger Cordial, respectively. A 50-50 mix of New Deal Ginger Liqueur and Simple Syrup is a passible substitute for the cordial.

      
    Variation on a Classic
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1.0 oz
    Cassis
  
    1.0 oz
    Ginger Cordial
  
    1 oz
    Lime

Robin Hood

      
    Sunset Reservoir Brewing Co, SF, CA

(this is a wonderful and complex cocktail, worth a destination drive, 
      based on a house chili liqueur made from over a dozen infused chilis.  I'm still searching for a convenient substitue.  Ancho Reyes (red) works, sort of.
  
    2.0 oz
    Mezcal
  
    0.75 oz
    House Chili Liqueur
  
    0.75 oz
    Lemon
  
    0.5 oz
    Creme de Cacao
  
    0.25 oz
    Honey
  
    0.12 oz
    Cocktail Cherry Juice

Naked and Famous

      
    Zuni Cafe, SF, CA
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1.5 oz
    Aperol
  
    1.5 oz
    Yellow Chartreuse
  
    1 oz
    Lime
  
    pinch
    Salt

Gin Twilight

      
    Zuni Cafe, SF, CA
  
    TBD oz
    St. George Terroir Gin
  
    TBD oz
    New Deal Ginger Liqueur
  
    TBD oz
    Lime
  
    TBD oz
    Simple Syrup
  
    TBD
    Muddled & Strained Raspberries

Cadenza

	Eastern Standard, Boston
1 oz	St. George Terroir Gin
1 oz	Lavender Cordial
1 oz	Cardamaro
1 oz	Lemon Juice

	Sewer Cocktail (my Halloween variant: looks awful; tastes great)
1 oz	Creme de Violette instead of Cordial

	Cordial Substitute #2
1 oz	Simple Syrup
1/4 tsp	Lavendar Bitters

I’ll Have What She’s Having

      
    Beach Chalet, SF, CA
  
    1 oz
    4 Roses Bourbon
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon
  
    1/2 oz
    Grapefruit Marmalade
  
    1/4 oz
    Simple Syrup (Optional)
  
    2
    Muddled Raspberries
  
    1
    Grapefruit Peel Garnish

Memento

This is spectacular and worth a trip to Viale when they promise me they’ll put it back on the menu in the fall.

      
    Viale, Cambridge, MA
  
    1 oz
    Mezcal
  
    3/4 oz
    Sugar Pumpkin Puree
  
    1/2 oz
    Zucca Amaro
  
    1/2 oz
    Creme de Melon
  
    1/2 oz
    Applejack
  
    1/2 oz
    Lemon
  
    1/4 oz
    Honey
  
    1
    Muddled Sage Leaf
  
    1
    Burnt Edge Sage Leaf Garnish

Lipstick on a Fig

Viale warned they were going to pull their Memento from their seasonal menu, but it still came as a shock. Jeff slid his latest creation in front of me and I’ve never looked back. Visual appearance is a bit of a crap shoot, but the taste is always t… — Viale warned they were going to pull their Memento from their seasonal menu, but it still came as a shock. Jeff slid his latest creation in front of me and I’ve never looked back. Visual appearance is a bit of a crap shoot, but the taste is always transformative.

      
    Viale, Cambridge, MA
  
    1 oz
    .
  
    3/4 oz
    .
  
    1/2 oz
    .
  
    1/2 oz
    .
  
    1/2 oz
    .
  
    1/2 oz
    .
  
    1/4 oz
    .
  
    1
    .
  
    1
    .

Maximilian Affair

      
    Intercontinental Hotel, Boston
Misty Kalkofen, creator
  
    1 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    St. Germain
  
    1/2 oz
    Punt e Mes
  
    1/2 oz
    Lemon Juice

Division Bell (Misty Kalkofen, creator)

Knightrider

      
    Committee, Boston, MA
  
    1.5 oz
    Apple Jack
  
    1/2 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1/2 oz
    Lime
  
    1/2 oz
    Ancho Reyes (red or green?)
  
    1/2 oz
    Agave (Simple Syrup)

Last Night at the Alamo (The Last Word, except Mezcal replaces Gin)

      
    Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company, SF
  
    1 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1 oz
    Green Chartreuse
  
    1 oz
    Maraschino
  
    1 oz
    Lime

The Perfect Pear

      
    The Morris, SF, CA
  
    1.5 oz
    Vodka
  
    3/4 oz
    Clove-Infused Simple Syrup
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon
  
    1/2 oz
    Pear Liqueur
  
    Grnsh
    Thin-sliced, Bosc Pear depped in simple.  Bake 2-3 hours at 215 degrees.

Wallflower

      
    Pigeonhole, Calgary, Alberta
  
    1.5 oz
    Gin
  
    2/3 oz
    Lemon
  
    2/3 oz
    Orgeat
  
    1/2 oz
    Cognac
  
    1/4 oz
    Yellow Chartreuse

Misty Fig

A combination of my favorite spirit and favorite liqueur. Sweetness can be adjusted to taste. I highly recommend not skipping the bitters. Aphrodite Bitters seem to complement this cocktail as well as the Peychaud’s. Sage is prolific in my back yard, but other aromatic leaves could work as well. I have a simple syrup version which is less pulpy.

      
    Ken Filar
  
    1-1/2 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1-1/2 oz
    Cardamaro
  
    1 oz
    Fig Preserves
  
    3/4 oz
    Lemon Juice (1/2 Lemon)
  
3 Dash
    Peychaude's Bitters
  
5
    Sage Leaves Shaken & Strained

Paper Plane

      
    The Ivy, Soho, London, UK
  
    ? oz
    Bourbon
  
    ? oz
    Aperol
  
    ? oz
    Amaro Nonino
  
    ? oz
    Lime

Moustro Verde

      
    Lolo, SF
  
    ?
    Herbsaint
  
    ?
    Mezcal
  
    ?
    Lime
  
    ?
    Cucumber

      
    My Interpretation
  
    1.5 oz
    Mezcal
  
    1/2 oz
    St. George's Green Chili Vodka
  
    1/2 oz
    Lime
  
    1/2 oz
    Simple Syrup
  
    1/2
    Muddled, Peeled and Seeded English Cucumber

Dill or No Dill

Ginger Daiquiri

      
    Berners Tavern, Edition Hotel, London, UK
  
    ?
    Gin
  
    ?
    Elderflower Liqueur
  
    ?
    Lemon Juice
  
    ?
    Dill