Author Archives: Greg

Caramel Guinness

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caramel guinness

Because we keep it classy at Simple Cocktails, the arrival of St. Patrick’s Day is more a reason to turn our drinking attention on the products of Ireland briefly, and less of a reason to dye things green and drink terrible beer.

Last year I gave you a few good ideas for simple St. Paddy’s drinks, and this year I focus on one of my favorites: the Caramel Guinness. Try this beer cocktail out for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day that calls for a great drink!):

Caramel Guinness

  • In a frozen pint glass, pour a shot (1 1/2 oz) of caramel liqueur (common brands include Lovoka and Godiva). Top with very cold Guinness Draught. Sláinte!

Americano Cocktail

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americano

The Americano is a cocktail that’s over 100 years old, a bitter and cool Italian drink that is the very first cocktail that was ordered in a James Bond novel (Casino Royale, 1953). It’s a simple recipe and a refreshing soda that’s great to drink outside on a warm day, and is very low-alcohol. Here’s the recipe:

Americano

Ubon’s Hot & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

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ubons hot & spicy

Bloody Marys are a strange cocktail for me to grapple with at Simple Cocktails. I’m big on pushing for natural, fresh cocktail ingredients, but a Bloody Mary is almost by nature not simple, and they often tip the scales at 10 ingredients or more. My personal solution to this is to find quality Bloody Mary mixes that I can keep in the fridge and mix with my favorite vodka come brunchtime.

I’ve reviewed Ubon’s Bloody Mary mix before, and now they have just released a Pitmaster’s Hot & Spicy version that I really wanted to try. So far, Ubon’s and Zing Zang have been my favorite mixes, and I preferred the thickness of Ubon’s, but the spiciness of Zing Zang. As you’d imagine, a thick Bloody Mary mix with extra spice would be a perfect recipe for me.

Pitmaster’s is the thickest and tastiest Bloody Mary mix I’ve had yet. The spiciness is pretty understated and not something to be nervous about. In fact, I used UV’s Sriracha Vodka in it, and it was the perfect level of heat for me (I like my Bloody Marys pretty spicy).

Ubon’s Pitmaster’s runs about $10 a bottle online, and if you’re closer to Mississippi or East Texas, you’re likely to find it at retail for about that price too.

Journalist Cocktail

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journalist cocktail

As far as I can tell, the Journalist cocktail was invented sometime around 1930, and appeared in the Savoy Cocktail book at that time. It’s a dry, crisp, refreshing drink with some pretty decent complexity to it. Try this one out:

Journalist

  • 1 1/2 oz gin
  • 1/4 oz dry vermouth
  • 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
  • 1/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1/4 oz triple sec
  • dash bitters
  • shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Genius Gin

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genius gin

Genius Gin is from Austin, Texas, a first product from a fairly new distillery. I got the opportunity to grab a bottle, and I’ve spent several weeks trying to get my head around it. Here’s what I think.

The botanicals in Genius include juniper (of course), cardamom, coriander, lime peel, lime leaf, and lavender. The last three ingredients take the taste of Genius is the direction of New American Gins like Aviation, Dry Fly, or Prairie, not a bitey, traditional London Dry like Tanqueray, Beefeater, or even Crater Lake. Genius Gin is a touch sweet, mild, and fruity, and because of this, the more common gin cocktails don’t work so great with it. I tried a martini and gin and tonic, and Genius’ mildness made it vanish with the stronger, more bitter vermouth or tonic.

Because I have spent a while with my bottle of Genius, and I have found some cocktails that work really well with it. Try these out:

Pink Gin

  • 2 oz gin
  • 2-3 dashes of bitters
  • (Angostura will make the Pink Gin more pink, or Peychauds will make a more red Pink Gin)
  • stir vigorously with lots of ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Austin Spritzer (by Greg Mays)

  • in a rocks glass filled with ice, serve:
  • 2 oz Genius Gin
  • 2 oz club soda
  • garnish with several fresh blackberries and raspberries

Cin-Cyn Cocktail

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cin cyn cocktail

There are several cocktails I’ve run across that use the Negroni formula, which is 1:1:1 of vermouth, liquor, and amaro. There’s the Boulevardier, which uses bourbon, or the Old Pal, which gets rye in the mix. Well, here’s another take on that 1:1:1 mix that uses a different amaro (and one I’m pretty fond of): Cynar. Give it a name based on the Italian toast “cin cin,” (pronounced chin chin) and guzzle it down!

Cin-Cyn

  • 1 oz Cynar
  • 1 oz gin
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • dash of bitters
  • shake and serve in a chilled cocktail glass
  • thin orange slice garnish

Trinity Absinthe

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trinity absinthe

Trinity Absinthe Superieure is distilled in Loveland, Colorado by Overland Distillery. As a southwesterner, I’ve been pretty proud of the liquors we’re producing in New Mexico and Colorado, and have found many of them to be excellent.

Trinity arrives in a 375 ml bottle for about $40, which is a pretty typical price range for Absinthe as it runs 60% ABV and above. This absinthe surprised me in that it pours a more pale yellow color as opposed to the traditional green. I drank this the usual way: 1 oz of absinthe in a glass topped with very cold water poured slowly over a sugar cube. As you can see in the photo above, Trinity clouded up nicely (called the “louche“).

I think I may have discovered the source of that yellow color. Trinity has a cool lemony citrus flavor that causes it to drink exceptionally easy, which is a good thing as some brands of absinthe can be overwhelming on the tongue. I like the anise-licorice bite of absinthe, but the touch of citrus in Trinity adds a nice flavor balance that I like.

Trinity is an absinthe that’s worthwhile and a really enjoyable addition to a connoisseur’s collection. While it’s a craft absinthe, it’s a bit easier to find than some others, and their distribution is currently in 6 states in a pretty wide spread across the country. If you’re a fan of absinthe, track some down and give it a try.

Licor 43

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licor 43

Licor 43 is a liqueur (sweetened liquor) from Spain that’s celebrating it’s 90th anniversary this year. It has a very good vanilla-and-spice flavor that makes this a very good choice for a liqueur in your home bar, since it goes well with lots of mixers, from vodka to rum, coffee, caramel, or even a rich, dark beer (like a stout).

Here are some cocktails I tried with Licor 43, including their “Mini Beer” shot:

43 & V (by Greg Mays)

  • 1 1/2 oz Licor 43
  • 1 1/2 oz of vodka
  • build in a glass with a stir stick and serve on the rocks

Mini Beer

  • Fill a mini beer mug (or shot glass) with Licor 43 and top with well-shaken heavy cream. Pour the cream slowly so it floats on top. I found that the longer you let the cream sit, the more it will separate to the top.

Loch Lomond

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loch lomond cocktail

Here’s another simple scotch cocktail, which reminds me a bit of the cocktail that Mark Twain loved. It’s matches the 100-year-old cocktail definition perfectly: spirit, bitters, sugar, and water. Enjoy!

Loch Lomond

  • 1 1/2 oz scotch
  • 3 dashes bitters
  • 1 tsp simple syrup
  • shake with ice and strain into a small chilled cocktail glass

Left Turn Distillery

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left turn distillery

Left Turn Distilling is the first distillery in Albuquerque, based on the research I’ve done. They’re making La Luz Vodka and Brothers Old Tom Gin right now, with plans for much more in the future.

The distillery is in an industrial part of Albuquerque and is a decent-sized facility with custom stills made by owner and distiller Brian Langwell. Brain was a welder in his former life, but has been home distilling since he got a chemistry set at 15. In the distillery, there’s a small tasting room where you can taste and buy their vodka or gin, with cocktail options too.

I’ve tried both of their current liquors, and they’re excellent. Yeah, maybe there’s 5% hometown pride in my taste buds (I blog from Albuquerque), but I’ve had a lot of booze, and these have a flavor that can rival top-shelf products.

La Luz Vodka is corn-based and sourced locally. I’m really fond of the syrupy sweetness a corn vodka can have, and La Luz is no exception. It has no harsh alcohol burn and is sweet on the tongue. This can easily take the place on your home bar shelf as a sipper or a mixer.

Brothers Old Tom Gin is one of less than ten Old Toms that are commercially distilled in the world. the Old Tom variety of gin hearkens back to the Gin Craze when folks drank gin out of wooden cats on the sides of bar walls. Gin of those days was sweet and high-citrus, usually to mask sinister ingredients like turpentine or acid. So how do you create a quality gin that’s based on its “bathtub” cousin? Ask Brain Langwell at Left Turn, because he did a great job.

I personally prefer a high-juniper gin and love the piney bite of a London Dry. I was admittedly nervous when Brian described Brothers as higher in citrus, less juniper, and basket vapor infused (like Bombay Sapphire). I was relieved to taste a quality gin with a nice bite, with just a touch of sweet that lingers on your tongue. The balance of flavors is great – this is a botanical-driven gin, and Brothers Old Tom has a flavor that a gin lover would appreciate, but it’s very unique – remember, there’s less than 10 of these in the world. This is an easy gin to drink straight, but the bottle also hails it as a “fine cocktail gin” too.

Left Turn is off to a great start, and Brian told me to expect whiskey and rum soon. With Left Turn Distilling’s products only available locally right now, the only bad news is that you have to come visit Albuquerque to try them.