My neighbor and his brother came over tonight. My neighbor was sick. I’d been reading Imbibe! the other day, so I made him a cherry smash:
Cherry Smash
by Julie Reiner via Imbibe! by David Wondrich
1 1/2 ounces Courvosier VS cognac (I used the Castarede XO armagnac)
3/4 ounce orange curacao (Cointreau)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce cherry heering
Muddle four brandy soaked cherries in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add the other ingredients and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and add two more cherries.
He liked it a lot; the big thing was that it was a bit strong in normal for what he usually drinks (as a note: he showed up drinking Jameson’s in a glass filled with ice – so it’s not a completely weenie drink that he’s looking for).
I didn’t try it, because he was sick, but I’m thinking of making one for myself.
I made myself a Rochester Cocktail, from Robert “Drinkboy” Hess in Imbibe!.
Rochester Cocktail
2 ounces rye whiskey (I polished my old bottle of Sazerac rye.)
1 ounce Dubonnet (rouge, I assumed)
1/2 ounce Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres)
1/4 ounce absinthe (Pernod)
Stir, up, garnish with a lemon twist
I still suck at doing lemon twists but goshdarnit, I’m sure I can figure it out at some point. Still, this was a good lush drink.
After he finished his cherry smash, I made my neighbor a Winter’s Touch:
Winter’s Touch
2 ounces bourbon (Maker’s Mark)
3/4 ounce vanilla vodka (Absolut Vanil)
1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (I put in 3/4 oz.)
2 dashes mint bitters
Shake, strain into a cocktail glass
I figured it’d be too much for him but he liked it – it was just strong.
But that led to me wondering: for someone not used to cocktails the way WE like cocktails, how do you inch them into cocktails that may be a lot stronger than what they’re used to? I know I’ve made ones for other neighbors and my brother that they’ve liked – but they always comment on how strong they are.
Any thoughts?
