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 >>>

.

The Case To Use More Grapefruit Peel

Since the incarnation of social media and photo sharing, cocktail garnishes have grown and gotten more inventive. Garnishes are mostly decorative ornaments on a drink, but some serve a specific function in cocktails by imparting fresh flavor. But these days the better your garnish game the more "likes" you get.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for innovation and creativity, but I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to garnishes. The simpler the better (not to mention easier), except for tiki-style drinks where I tend to take more imaginative liberties. 

One garnish that hardly sees any playing time in stirred drinks is the grapefruit peel (ruby or pink). Mostly reserved for gin or agave based drinks, the grapefruit peel can be used in a variety of spirit based drinks. Yes, grapefruit with gin and tequila or mezcal works phenomenally, but it can also be used in a brandy, rum or whiskey based stirred drinks. 

The grapefruit is slightly tart and sweet and has a much more pronounced floral and aromatic quality. It can liven up a cocktail and bring a whole new profile to an ordinary, stirred drink. That doesn't mean that any cocktail recipe can work with a grapefruit peel; it needs the right components. By components, I mean modifiers. For instance, below I used Ramazzotti which has citrus and licorice characteristics and holds up nicely to the grapefruit flavor. I also used Dolin Blanc and Punt e Mes that pair rather well too. I even incorporated other flavors like orange, cherry and apricot bitters, which all would work nicely mixed in a fruit cup if they were served together.

Confused? Don't be. Think of the flavor combinations that work in food recipes. For instance, grapefruit and vanilla, grapefruit and basil, grapefruit and mint, grapefruit and chocolate or grapefruit slices in everyday salads work tremendously well together. The point and my case is that grapefruit goes well with a huge variety of diverse flavors, so why should the lemon or orange peel get more use? 

Below are examples of two stirred drinks that use the grapefruit peel as a garnish, which help improve the overall taste of the cocktail. 

The Ramazzotti Negroni or "Milano Negroni":

• 1.5 oz gin (I recommend Beefeater)

• .75 oz Dolin Blanc

• .75 oz Ramazzotti Amaro

• 1 dash orange bitters

• Garnish: grapefruit peel

• tiny pinch of salt or a drop of 1:1 Salt to Water tincture

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until properly diluted. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Bourbon Spiced Apricot or "Veronica CornNStone":

• 2 oz bourbon

• .5 oz Punt e Mes

• .5 oz Ramazzotti

• 2 dash apricot bitters (or any stone fruit bitters)

• 1 dash spiced cherry bitters

• barspoon gum syrup

• pinch of salt or a 1:1 drop of salt to water tincture

• Garnish: grapefruit peel

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until properly diluted. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Substitutions:

Punt e Mes: A full-bodied vermouth, like Carpano Antica can be used in a pinch. However, add an extra dash of spiced cherry bitters to give more body to the cocktail.

Ramazzotti: Ramazzotti is an extremely versatile and affordable amaro. I highly recommend keeping a bottle on your homebar. But if you don't have it, you can try some other amari, like Amaro Lucano, Averna, or Amaro Ciocaro. 

Gum Syrup: Demerara simple syrup can be used in a pinch. If necessary, a small bar spoon of Luxardo Maraschino can be used, but will change the flavor profile of the cocktail. The gum syrup adds sublte sweetness, but what you are looking for is mouth feel or a more viscous consistency.

Bitters: The bitters can be bought or made at home. However, orange bitters can be substituted for Apricot if necessary. Angostura can be substituted for cherry, but both would make an entirely different, but balanced drink. I would also use an orange peel garnish instead. 

Note: The use of Ramazzotti in both cocktails was shear circumstance as it was on my counter at the time I made these drinks and is also an incredibly versatile modifier. 

Big Apple

Fall weather calls for Fall cocktails. This original Manhattan variation gives you apple and spice with subtle sweetness. 

The Big Apple recipe:

• 1 oz bourbon (I recommend Old Grand Dad Bonded or something over 90 proof)

• 1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy

• .75 oz Punt e Mes

• 2 dashes apple bitters

• 2 dashes orange bitters

• barspoon maple syrup

• Garnish: burnt cinnamon stick (about 4inches long)*

In a mixing glass, add your ingredients and then add ice. Stir until properly diluted and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Take a match and light the end of your cinnamon stick until it is nice and charred. Place your cinnamon stick into the cocktail and inhale before you drink. 

*An example on how to burn the end of your cinnamon stick. 

Substitutions:

Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy: Regular Laird's Applejack can be used here if necessary. Or even Calvados.

Punt e Mes: Sweet vermouth can be substituted, but try to use Carpano Antica, which has more body and depth than the standard sweet vermouth's.

Bitters: Apple and orange are relatively common bitters these days. I would suggest finding brands you like and using those. The apple bitters really accentuate the Fall spice notes in this drink. Spiced orange bitters would work nicely too.

Garnish: A pinch of ground cinnamon can be used instead of a burnt cinnamon stick. The burnt cinnamon adds another element to this cocktail for your sense of smell. The aroma fills the glass and compliments the apple notes. A flamed orange peel also works nicely here.

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.

Dry and Golden

This drink may look like a brown, bitter and strong Whiskey drink, but it is actually gin based and dry. This cocktail is a nice summer sipper that would be a great aperitif before a meal to open up your appetite, and would pair nicely with cheese and crackers. 

Dry and Golden recipe:

• 1.5 oz Gin (use London Dry style, like Beefeater)

• .75 oz Lillet Blanc

• .25 oz Bitter Truth EXR

• Barspoon Benedictine

• 2 dashes orange bitters

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

• Garnish: lemon peel 

Add your ingredients to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until properly diluted and cold. Pour into a chilled glass and add the garnish.

Substitutions:

Bitter Truth EXR: Ramazzotti Amaro can be used here. Other Amari can  be used as well, like Nardini, Averna or Lucano. I have only tried with Ramazzotti though, which is very common and affordable. 

Lillet Blanc: Cocchi Americano can be used. Dolin Blanc can also be used in a pinch, but won't be as floral or citrus forward as it would be using Lillet.

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 >>

Pre-Que

Barbecue (or BBQ) is synonymous with beer. BBQ season tends to be during the hot months and beer is refreshing and will wash down your big, rich, savory meal. This cocktail was created for the pre-BBQ. You know, before the grill is even lit or when you are prepping the meal. The Pre-Que will open up your palette, stimulate your appetite and introduce the BBQ flavors to your taste buds before you even eat anything.

The Pre-Que cocktail recipe:

• 2 oz rye whiskey

•  .75 oz Dolin Blanc

• .5 oz Ramazzotti Amaro

• Barspoon Vanilla Giffard

• 1 dash Cocktail Punk Smoked Orange bitters

• 1 dash Crude Smoke and Salt bitters (salt tincture can used with whole peppercorns in the mixing glass)

• orange peel for garnish

Add your ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until properly diluted and cold. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel. 

Substitutions:

Ramazzotti: I highly recommend using Ramazzotti as it imparts nice root beer and caramel notes. Amaro Averna or Amaro Meletti can be substituted in a pinch. Amaro Sibilla would probably work perfectly here instead of the Ramazzotti with the smokey oak and honey flavors, but it's expensive and hard to find. If you have a bottle, go for it and report back.

Vanilla Giffard: Vanilla simple syrup can be used here or Tuaca, if necessary. 

Smokey bitters: Try using a smokey/peaty scotch, like Laphroaig, to rinse the glass prior to adding the cocktail. Be sure to discard the residue before adding cocktail.  I have never tried this, but another route could be to use liquid smoke, but only the tiniest of drops. Be sure to add a drop of aromatic bitters and orange bitters as well as a tiny pinch of salt, if you do either of these methods.