Grasshopper

From Menu #3:

This is either a drink you love or hate. I happen to love it. This is a fantastic after dinner drink as it is essentially dessert in a glass. 

To be honest, I actually find the original recipe of to be bit harsh with the mint flavor. It tastes artificial, like a piece of spearmint gum. To cut the mint, I use a 1/4 oz of vanilla liqueur, which works perfectly in this drink. 

The Grasshopper recipe:

• 1 oz Creme de Menthe

• 1 oz Creme de Cacao (white)

• 1.5 oz Heavy Cream

• .25 oz vanilla liqueur

• Garnish: shaved dark chocolate

Add your ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard for 20 seconds. Double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish.

Coffee Daiquiri

I created this daiquiri variation for my friend good friend Jen, who works for one of our favorite local distilleries, Berkshire Mountain Distillers. Their products are absolutely delicious and well made. I highly recommend looking for their product at your local liquor store.

Anyway, this drink uses two of their products, their Ragged Mountain Rum and their coffee bitters. There really isn't anything too special or complex about this drink, but the combination of the pineapple juice and coffee bitters really enhances the flavor of this drink. 

The Coffee Daiquiri recipe:

• 2 oz Aged Rum (I used Ragged Mountain Rum)

• .5 oz pineapple juice

• .5 lime juice

• 1 oz simple syrup

• 2 dashes coffee bitters

• Garnish: grated coffee bean

Put all your ingredients into a shaker tin and add ice. Shake hard and double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish your drink with grated coffee bean. The fragrance of fresh grated coffee 

Substitutions:

Ragged Mountain Rum: Plantation 5 year rum would work nicely here. Ipswich Tavern Rum from Turkey Shore Distilleries would work great too. For more common brands, look for Appleton Estate V/X or Bacardi Anejo. 

Coffee bitters: Over the last few years, this type of bitters has become more popular. Often, coffee is either mixed with pecan or chocolate in bitters, so if that is all you have or find, this should work too. 

Doctor Collins

Paging Doctor Collins...

The story behind this drink is about family. When I was a young boy, my parents had a small wet bar in our house and it was there that I learned of the Tom Collins. It was one of the first drinks I ever knew of. Fast forward a couple of decades and the Tom Collins has become one of my favorite summer drinks and will always remind me of my parents.

To this day, the Tom Collins is still one of my father's favorite drinks. Growing up he also fancied another drink with ginger ale and whiskey, often Canadian Club or Seagram's. Knowing this, I started making him whiskey Collins variations over the past 5 years. One day I infused some fresh sage herb into rye whiskey, and mixed it with some ginger syrup and fresh lemon juice. The herb infusion adds botanical characteristics that you would normally find in gin.

The name of this drink is a nod to my father, who happens to be a doctor. 

The Doctor Collins recipe:

• 1.5 oz Sage infused rye whiskey (I recommend using Bulleit or Rittenhouse)

• .75 oz ginger syrup

• .75 oz lemon juice

• 2-3 oz soda water

• Garnish: sage leaves and lemon peel

Add all ingredients, except soda water to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well for 20 seconds. Double strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with soda water and garnish.

Substitutions:

Rye whiskey: Infused Bourbon or Irish whiskey could be used as well. Gin will work nicely too. If you don't infuse a spirit, you can muddle sage leaves (4-6) in a cocktail shaker with your sweetener (ginger or simple syrup). Keep the muddle leaves in the shaker and shake with the rest of the ingredients with them in it. Double strain into Collins glass with ice, top with soda water or ginger ale. 

Ginger Syrup: Ginger Ale could be used in place of soda water. However, you will need to substitute the ginger syrup with simple syrup. 

View Sage Infused Rye Whiskey Recipe >>>

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Fall French 75

The traditional French 75 recipe is served in a Champagne flute. Cocktail purists will disagree, but I like mine in a Collins glass over ice. Bartender and author, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, prefers it this way too and I have come to agree with him. The ice dilution and modified recipe makes the drink more palatable. See for yourself.

The Fall French 75 recipe:

• 1.25 oz gin (I recommend Beefeater)

• 1 oz lemon juice

• .75 oz cinnamon simple syrup*

• 2-3 oz Champagne

• Garnish: cinnamon stick and/or lemon peel

Add your ingredients, except the Champagne to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard until properly diluted. Add the Champagne to the shaker tin and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Garnish and enjoy.

 "I totally get it now, a French 75 is just a Tom Collins with Champagne instead of soda water". - Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Substitutions:

Gin: Personally, I would stick with a London Style Gin here as I prefer the less floral, but juniper forward notes. But an American style gin (i.e. Greylock from Berkshire Mountain Distillers) can be used if that is what you prefer. 

Cinnamon syrup: Regular simple syrup can be used instead or some herbal simple syrup, like thyme or rosemary can be used.

Champagne: A dry Prosecco can be substituted.

*Cinnamon simple syrup recipe>>>

Lion's Tail

From Menu #2:

If you like tart drinks, this one is for you. It's not overly sweet, but it has exceptional spice and richness. This cocktail dates back to the 1930's and was introduced to me not to long ago by my friend Dave and it makes for a perfect shaken Fall cocktail. Bourbon and lime generally aren't mixed together, but the pair with the addition of allspice make for a refreshing drink.

The Lion's Tail recipe:

• 2 oz bourbon

• .5 oz Allspice Dram

• .5 oz lime juice

• 1 dash Angostura bitters

• barspoon simple syrup

• Garnish: grated nutmeg (optional)

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. The garnish is optional because it may become too aromatic and spice forward for some people's taste. I like a lot of spice, but I would recommend trying it without any nutmeg first and then add it next time if you like. 

Substitutions:

Bourbon: Stay with bourbon for this one. 

Allspice Dram: Any allspice or pimento dram brand will suffice. Or you can make your own at home.

Revolver

This drink is the embodiment of simplicity and genius. My friend and bar manager, Scott Shoer of Sycamore in Newton, MA, has a funny saying about too many ingredient cocktails. He calls them "T.M.I." and he's not talking about 'too much information' either. Scott, who is known for his great drinks, hospitality and witty sense of humor is all business when it comes to his bar program. This relatively uncomplicated drink is a perfect example of Scott's brilliant way of transforming basic ingredients into a staple on his cocktail menu.

"This is what an espresso martini would taste like if it didn't suck." - Scott Shoer

• 2 oz cold brew coffee*

• 2 oz espresso liqueur (Scott recommends Borghetti)

• 2 dashes mole bitters (Scott recommends Bittermens)

• Garnish: lemon peel or twist (served on the side)

Add your ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake hard with ice for 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled rocks or an old-fashioned glass (no ice). The head will eventually settle after a minute or two, similar to a Guinness beer. Serve the drink like you would a cup of coffee (with a saucer) and leave the garnish on the side for the imbiber to decide if they want to add the lemon. The lemon adds bright citrus notes and fragrances to a seemingly dark and bitter drink.

*Note: At Sycamore, Scott uses the NY Times Cold-Brewed Coffee recipe, but increases the steep time by several more hours. Be sure to use freshly ground coffee (medium coarse).

Want more Scott? Of course, we all do. Here is a Fall cocktail recipe from last year in the Boston Globe written by fellow cocktail blogger Raul Zelaya of Death to Sour Mix. VIEW RECIPE>>

Be sure to go check out Scott and his bar program at Sycamore located outside of Boston in Newton Centre. Their food and hospitality are exceptional. There is a strong possibility you may see me saddled up at the bar too.

Substitutions:

Cold-brewed coffee: You can use store bought instead of making your own. 

Espresso liqueur: I wouldn't use Kahlua here as the cold brew already has your coffee notes. Look for 'espresso' liqueur, like Borghetti or Luxardo, as these flavors give a subtle reminder to the drinker telling them, "hey - there is espresso in here!".

Mole bitters: I use Bittermens, but you can also use The Bitter End Mexican Mole bitters or The Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole bitters. Chocolate bitters can also be used if necessary, but the chili and spice notes from the mole really enhance this drinks depth.

Author note: Want to make this drink a dessert cocktail? Add two scoops of vanilla gelato and follow the rest of the instructions above. The gelato is light and airy and adds the perfect amount of velvety texture and creaminess to the drink. Regular ice cream would be too thick and greasy for this relatively delicate drink, which needs the coffee to be the focal point, not the ice cream.

House Daiquiri

I enjoy many different variations of daiquiris, but this one seems to be my preference. My friend and Bar Manager of Sycamore in Newton, MA, Scott Shoer, always makes this variation for me:

House Daiquiri recipe:

• 2 oz blend of rums (see note below)*

• 1 oz lime juice

• .75 oz simple syrup (I use Demerara syrup)

• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

• 1 dash salt tincture (1:1 salt to water)

Shake all ingredients with ice. Garnish with a thin lime wheel or nothing at all as the drink is a beautiful pink hue and looks great ungranished (see above pic).

Here is a great video from bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler on how to not to screw up a Daiquiri. Enjoy.

Substitutions:

Blend of rums: Any silver or aged rum can be used here individually. No need to use a blend although I encourage you to try it because it's wonderful. 

Peychaud's Bitters: Bitter Truth Creole Bitters. 

*Notes: Daiquiris are delicious with one type of rum but can be even better with several for added complexity and depth. At Sycamore, Scott does a nice 50:50 blend of Don Q Silver and El Dorado 12. For my house blend, I do 1:1:0.5 ratio. Let the booze marry together for at least 24-48 hours before consuming.

• 8 oz El Dorado 12 year

• 8 oz Plantation 5 year

• 4 oz Flor de Cana 4 year Extra Dry (Secco)

Cookies and Cream Fizz

Ah, the Ramos Gin Fizz...a bartender's nightmare. To quote Jackson Cannon, "this is probably the greatest confection drink the world has ever known." He isn't wrong. The issue bartenders have with the Ramos Gin Fizz is that the build is incredible tedious and the shake is even longer. These days the accepted head has become this lofty meringue of egg white and cream. The more lofty, the better. Please note, this drink does not need to have a lofty head to taste delicious, but it sure is pretty to Instagram. 

Anyway, I love playing around this this recipe concept and substituting different flavor profiles from the original. You will probably learn this if you read this website often. For this version, I went the dessert route, wanting it to taste like a boozy milk shake. 

Let's get started.

Cookies and Cream Fizz recipe:

• 1. 5 oz Cariel Vanilla Vodka

• .5 oz Chocolate liqueur (I recommend broVo Spirits)

• 1.5 oz fresh lime juice

• .5 oz Orgeat (almond flavored simple syrup)

• 2 oz heavy cream

• .5 oz Oreo batter*

• 1 egg white

• 1 drop vanilla extract

• 2-3 oz soda water

1. Add all ingredients except soda water to a cocktail shaker, without ice, and shake hard for 30 seconds (dry shake).

2. Once done shaking, add one large ice cube and shake for an additional 30 seconds.

3. Grab a chilled highball or Collins glass and add about 1 ounce of soda water to the glass. 

4. Double strain your Ramos mixture into the glass from 2 inches above the rim and directly into the center until the mixture comes up to the top. Be sure to leave some leftover for the head. Set shaker aside for now.

5. Take your glass and gently hit the bottom against the counter a couple of times so the meringue floats to the top. 

6. Wait about 10 seconds or so for the meringue head to rise and get nice and firm. At this point, no head should be above above the rim of the glass. 

7. Now, add about an ounce or two of soda water to your shaker. Swirl it around a couple of times and strain this mixture into the exact center of the glass from about 4 inches above the glass. You should notice your head start to rise. While pouring, don't slow down until it comes to your desired height. Also, be sure not to go to far and break the head as this can happen and overflow. 

8. Once done straining, garnish your drink and enjoy.

Substitutions:

Cariel Vanilla Vodka: This stuff is gold and not at all artificial like all the other types of flavored vodka. If you see a bottle, get one. And get me one too because I am low. If necessary, use regular vodka with more high-quality vanilla extract. 

Chocolate liqueur: White or dark Creme de Cacao will work. 

*Notes: For the Oreo batter. Take 2 Oreos and 2 ounces of heavy cream, and put into food processor or blender until smooth and a paste like consistency. This is now your Oreo Cream (flavoring). Store the rest in the refrigerator. Oreo ice cream could be used instead, but this batter's flavoring is a bit more concentrated.

For a video on how to make a Ramos Gin Fizz, check out Don Lee's Method below.

Coco'Deez'Nuts

I'll be honest, I am not a huge coconut fan, but this drink is very crushable, even for people who don't prefer coconut.

Coco 'Deez' Nuts recipe:

• 2 oz silver rum (I prefer to use Privateer Silver)

• 1 oz homemade coconut cream (see below for recipe)

• .5 oz Pineapple juice

• .5 oz tiki simple syrup (Don's mix works nicely here too)*

Shake ingredients with ice. Serve in rocks glass with fresh ice. Top with a couple drops of Angostura bitters (I use an atomizer to spray the top with the bitters)

Substitutions:

Privateer Silver: Highly recommend this rum, but most silver rums can be used. Try Flor de Cana Extra Dry (Secco) 4 year. 

Coconut cream: I would just make it or something similar. It won't be the same if you only use something like Coco Lopez without any modification. Link to my recipe below.

Tiki Simple: Cinnamon simple syrup. Or buy B.G. Reynolds Don's Mix. 

*Notes: Don's Mix can be store bought or you can make your own. 

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice

• 4-6 cinnamon sticks

Add the water, sugar and cinnamon to a pot and cook on low until the sugar dissolves. After this has cooled and the cinnamon has steeped for at least 15 minutes (taste often), add your fresh grapefruit juice. Place in airtight container in fridge for up to a week. 

Homemade coconut cream recipe >>

Homemade tiki simple syrup recipe >>