Tag: Recipes

  • August Update: 25 Recipes for Master Cocktail Recipe list Download

    August Update: 25 Recipes for Master Cocktail Recipe list Download

    Woodford Reserve Bourbon

     

    More Classic Cocktails added to the list!

    I’ve  decided to make the Master Cocktail Recipe List (available as a printable/downloadable PDF) a little more useful by adding a whole bunch of modern and classic cocktails, bringing the list total to 25.

    Hopefully this will help give you some late-Summer cocktail inspiration!

    The newly added cocktails are:

    • Americano
    • Black Russian
    • Brandy Alexander
    • Champagne Cocktail
    • Cosmopolitan
    • Daiquiri
    • Dark n Stormy
    • El Diablo
    • Espresso Martini
    • French Martini
    • Margarita
    • Negroni
    • Old Fashioned
    • Paloma
    • Sidecar
    • Tom Collins
    • Whiskey Sour

    Remember that this list provides a quick reference of the recipes needed for making drinks. Don’t stress too much if you find some of the drinks difficult as we’ll be covering them individually and in much more detail over the next few months.

     

    Check out the Master Cocktail list here

     

    // Dave

     

  • Deconstructed Cocktails

    Deconstructed Cocktails

    Deconstructing the Cocktail

    Making great cocktails is a balancing act; using the right levels of sweetness, sourness or bitterness, or adding flavour while still allowing the character of the base spirit to show through is not always easy and requires an intimate understanding of the ingredients involved.

    Deconstructing a cocktail, where we take a drink and break it down into its separate components, can help us look at how each ingredient is being used and how it influences the cocktail, and also makes it easy for us to see the trends and patterns in different drink recipes.

    Breaking it down

    Many well constructed cocktails can be broken down into their core components which fit somewhere within the following five categories:

    Base Spirit –> Sour/Bitter –> Sweetener –> Flavour -> Lengthener

    Base Spirit

    Vodka, gin, whisky or similar

    As the name suggests, the Base spirit provides the bulk of the alcohol (usually) and, depending on the type of spirit used, can also provide the base flavour. Dark spirits (such as whiskeys or rums aged in oak barrels) can provide a lot more flavour compared to the cleaner, more neutral spirits (vodka, white rum or similar).

    Aromatic Bitters

    Sour/Bitters

    Lemon or lime juice, aromatic bitters or similar

    Sourness and bitterness, while very different tastes, are both used to further flavour and balance cocktails. Sour flavours tend to come from acidic citrus juices while bitter flavours may come from bitter aperitifs, such as Campari, or through the use of aromatic bitters such as Angustora or Reagans Orange bitters.

    Sweetener

    Sugar syrup, sugar cube, liqueurs or similar

    A sweetener is usually added to balance the sour/bitter component of the drink (we’ll cover balance in full in a later post as it’s an important concept). The most common sweetener is sugar which we find in crystal form, dissolved in a syrup, or in a liqueur but other sweeteners like honey can also be used.

    Mozart Chocolate Liqueur

    Flavour

    Orange flavour in Triple Sec liqueur, the raspberries in a raspberry Daiquiri

    In this case we are referring to the ingredient that is providing the most prominent added flavour to the cocktail, whether that is from a fruit or vegetable, syrup, mixer (such as Coca Cola) or from a liqueur. The flavour may be used complimentary to the base spirit (such as dark rum + chocolate flavour) or more heavily (when used with relatively plain base spirits like vodka).

    Lengthener

    Soda water, orange juice, tonic etc

    Often used to soften a cocktail and make it easier to drink the lengthener can also (depending on the ingredient) contribute to the overall flavour. While we usually think of lengtheners as mixers such as juice or soda, the water dilution from ice in a stirred or shaken cocktail also provide a lengthening effect. Used carelessly this component can often overpower or drown the other flavours in the cocktail (so be extra careful).

    Worth Remembering

    Not every cocktail uses every component, and like any general rule that covers a large topic you can find examples that don’t seem to fit at all. However you should generally be able to use this formula to break down a cocktail into its individual parts which can help us see where the particular flavours and tastes are coming from, and most importantly, how we can play with them. Breaking down the cocktail should also give us a pretty good indication of what the final drink will taste like.

    Let’s deconstruct a classic cocktail to give you a real example of how we can do this.

    Example:  Margarita

    The Margarita is a classic cocktail consisting of Tequila, Lime Juice and Triple Sec.

    If we deconstruct the Margarita we get:

    Base Spirit: Blanco Tequila (a light Mexican spirit distilled from fermented Agave)

    Sour: Lime juice – contains citric acid which will provide a sour taste.

    Sweetener: Triple Sec – Triple sec is an orange liqueur and liqueurs contain added sugar; it is this sugar that will give us the sweetener to balance the sour lime juice in this cocktail.

    Flavour: Triple Sec again, this time providing a flavour of orange to the cocktail.

    Lengthener: This drink is often served in a cocktail glass so it doesn’t have a legenther such as soda or orange juice, however if properly prepared it will be shaken hard which will add a small amount of ice shards and water which will add dilution (which we want) and also add some length to the cocktail.

    From this deconstruction we would expect a cocktail that is relatively light and acidic in flavour (from the white Tequila and lime juice), but balanced with a hint of sweetness and orange flavour coming through from the Triple Sec.

    Let’s try another.

    Example: Sidecar

    The Sidecar is another classic, made from Brandy, lemon juice and Triple Sec.

    Base Spirit: Brandy (a distilled spirit usually made from grapes and often barrel aged, Cognac is a well known variety from France. Tends to be a darker spirit with rich flavours)

    Sour: Lemon juice

    Sweetener: Triple Sec (a liqueur, contains sugar)

    Flavour: Triple Sec (a liqueur with an orange flavour)

    Lengthener: Small amount of water through dilution of ice

    By breaking down the cocktail we can see that the Sidecar shares ingredients with the previous Margarita – in fact both cocktails are members of the sour family and are a a mix of base spirit, sour and Orange liqueur.

    Side by Side:

    Margarita                   SideCar

    Blanco Tequila                      Brandy (Cognac)

    Lime Juice                     Lemon Juice

    Triple Sec                        Triple Sec

    We can see that the flavour of the Sidecar should be relatively similar to that of the Margarita; they both contain a sour citrus and Triple Sec, and the biggest difference in this case is going to come from the change of base spirit from the light Tequila to the heavier Brandy.

    From Here

    Deconstructing makes it easier for us to both make new cocktails and play around with existing ones. Try deconstructing some cocktail recipes you find on this site or around the web and see if you can figure out the flavour profile before you make the drink.

    If you feel more experimental, why not try and follow the formula to create your own cocktails. Think of different combinations of flavours that could fit within the Base spirit -> Sour/Bitter -> Sweetener -> Flavour -> Lengthener formula and create something of your own.

    Give deconstructing a try and let me know how it goes.

    // David

  • New : Download – Master Cocktail Recipe List

    New : Download – Master Cocktail Recipe List

    Master Cocktail List and Downloadable PDF  

    .  (

    (Update Oct 2012 – There are now 96 cocktails on the pdf! Check it out on the link below)

    I’ve added a new section to the recipes section of the blog today – The Master Cocktail List.

    All the recipes from the blog are presented in an easy list format  similar to a bartenders cocktail specs. You can use it to quickly check a recipe or it is also available as a downloadable and printable PDF, perfect for those times you are away from your pc.

    The list starts small right now but will grow as cocktails are featured on the blog so be sure to check back regularly.

     

    Check out the page now:

    Master Cocktail List

    .

     

    // David

  • Simple recipe to make Grenadine Syrup

    Simple recipe to make Grenadine Syrup

    Grenadine

    Sometimes it’s good to cheat…

    Flavoured syrups are a useful component to cocktails as they allow us to add flavour at the same time as adding the sugar that is necessary in many drinks to achieve sweet:sour balance.

    Unfortunately mass production and efforts to achieve economies of scale may be good for many of the big-brand syrup producer’s bottom lines but they have had a pretty negative effect on the quality of many of the products that reach the market. Spinning around to the ingredients list on a syrup bottle you’re more likely to find a long list of artificial flavours, colours, preservatives and other E numbers than anything resembling a simple combination of sugar, water and authentic flavouring. Grenadine is no exception.

    Originally made from pomegranates, modern store bought Grenadine is usually a bright red, artificial ‘red berry’ flavoured syrup sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and is commonly used to provide a berry flavour without the alcohol of berry shrubs or liqueurs.

    If we are going to make Grenadine to use at home then we want the original, proper pomegranate flavour; we could use real pomegranates but instead we are going to cheat and use pomegranate juice – its quick, easy, and still gives us the real fruity flavour we’re after.

    The “Cheaters” Grenadine Syrup Recipe

    What you need

    • Pomegranate juice (we see note below)
    • Fine sugar

    Method

    Very quick and easy; to make the Grenadine all you need to do is mix equal amounts of the Pomegranate juice and fine sugar in a bowl until the mixture is completely dissolved. Once the mixture has dissolved you can transfer the syrup into a bottle and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. It really is that easy!

    Sugar
    Sugar

    .

    Followed by juice...
    Followed by juice…
    then Stir! Stir! Stir!
    then Stir! Stir! Stir!
    The finished product - Grenadine
    The finished product – Grenadine

    Note:

    The key to making sure you make good grenadine this way is to ensure that you are using pure pomegranate juice – you want to make sure that the juice is 100% pomegranate juice so make sure you get a decent product like POM Wonderful. It’s worth paying a little more for a much better flavour.

  • Weekend Cocktail – Cuba Libre

    Weekend Cocktail – Cuba Libre

    Cuba Libre

    Another nice and easy cocktail just in time for the weekend, but don’t let the simple ingredients fool you as this is more than just a humble rum and coke – the addition of fresh lime juice gives a balance that makes this an easy drinking cocktail perfect in warmer weather. The balance in this case is achieved through the combination of sweet:sour ingredients, with the sweetness coming from the sugar in the Coca Cola and the sour from the citric acid in the lime juice.

    .

    A little History

    The Cuba Libre, as the name suggests, originated in Cuba sometime around 1900 when Coca Cola was first introduced to the island. The name is thought to be based on a battle cry of the Cuba Liberation Army during their war of Independence in 1898, and was called out in recognition of their newly found independence during some heavy drinking sessions.

     

    Making the Cuba Libre

     

    Cuba Libre Ingredients

    You will need

    • Collins/Highball glass
    • 50ml Rum (preferably Cuban)
    • 1 lime (preferably ripe)
    • Coca Cola

     

    Mixing Method

    Take your highball and use your measure to pour in 50ml Cuban rum (I’ve used Havana Club as it’s actually Cuban but if you’re from the USA then this isn’t going to be available – light Cruzan or Bacardi will do).

     

    Next, cut your lime in half and use a citrus press to squeeze 15ml lime juice (you can use your measure again to ensure you get the right amount.

     

    Fill your glass with cubed ice – nice big ice cubes are best as they will melt slower than smaller ones. Make sure to get as much ice in the glass as you can – more ice will allow the drink to cool faster and also stops us from pouring too much Coke.

     

    Rum, lime and ice in the glass means it’s time for the Coke. Fill the glass with Coke to the top, but leave a small amount of room so that you can actually pick the glass up and move it around without spilling your cocktail.

     

    Finish the Cuba Libre by cutting a nice wedge of lime and dropping it into the glass, and feel free to add a straw if you feel like it.

     

    Cuba Libre, ready to drink

     

    Done!

     

    Variations to Try

    Since you already have the ingredients a good little experiment is to make a Rum and Coke (Cuba Libra without fresh lime) and try the two drinks next to each other. What you should notice is that the addition of the sour citric acid from the lime juice in the Cuba Libra has offset the sweetness of the Coca Cola and helped even out the flavour, or balance, when compared to the rum and Coke.

     

    The next easy variation to try is changing up the rum. Cuban rums tend to be very light in style so if you swap it out for something darker (Mount Gay, Appletons or even darker with something like Goslings Black Seal) you’re going to end up with a heavier, ‘richer’ flavour. You could also try using a spiced rum (Sailor Jerrys, Kraken, Captain Morgan’s Spiced), depending on which brand you use you can get some strong vanilla, citrus and cinnamon style flavours coming through.

     

    Let me know what combinations you try and how they work out by leaving a comment below or posting on the facebook page.

     

    /David