(I tried to think up something witty to say there but alas, it was not to be.? What I will say is that I made his eggnog recipe the other day and it was damn delicious.? Of course, I also saw his coverage of Repeal Day and man, I need to learn how to pose for the camera like he’s learned so well to do…)

But enough about that.? If you missed it, you missed out, ha ha!? It was quite possibly the most fun party I’ve ever had in DC.

Back on topic.? Earlier this week I was logging in to work where my browser, be default, goes to www.msn.com for whatever reason (possible reasons: I’m too lazy to change it, it is IE after all, PopCap.com would be too obvious).? There they had a link to “95 Chic Cocktail Recipes for the Holidays”.? Me being me, I felt compelled, after viewing a few of them, to go through and comment on EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM just for you, our loyal readers.

And because I’m such a nice guy, I’ll put it after the cut.

First off, a definition.? I use the term “marketing cocktail” a lot in here.? What do I mean by that?

What I consider a marketing cocktail involves the following aspects:? It usually has a cute name that doesn’t identify the drink well (or at all), it’s made using very specific ingredients (or, at least, main liquor) by brand, and it is extremely unlikely that it is in any well-used bartending guides.? A marketing cocktail may, over the years, become a mainstay of the cocktail world, but right now is used for advertisers to say: “Look at these cool drinks we make with our great stuff in exotic, cool bars”, for people to say: “It’s so cool to drink this drink” and for bartenders to say: “What the #%*! did you just order?!” and curse marketers.

Note that many bartenders will also specify brands, so as to make sure the drink tastes the same as when they make it, so telling what’s “Use OUR brand” versus “It needs to taste like this” is a matter of my own, personal judgment.? And no telling if the bartender is paid by the companies involved…

Given that this IS “95 Chic cocktails” – alas.

1. The Dijon Sidecar – basically a sidecar replacing the triple sec with creme de cassis.? Interesting.? I like the idea, might have to try it some time.
2. Warhol Crush – this is right out of a Martini & Rossi press release I’ve already covered.? I guess it looks Christmas-y with the rosemary and the red and stuff.
3. Gingerbread apple cocktail – thank you for calling it a martini!? It has vanilla vodka in it, so the cool kids might beat me up for saying this, but hey (whispering) it might be kind of tasty.
4. Bailey’s Spiced Coffee – Bailey’s + pear flavored liquor, layered.? Sure, whatever.? Sounds like a marketing cocktail to me.
5. Hot Buttered Rum – a classic recipe.? Appropriate for the season.
6. Bolshoi Basil – A number of these look like they were provided by Russian Standard Vodka (as they all call specifically for that vodka and, to me, appear to be marketing cocktails).? Why vodka and basil in the winter?
7. Cointreau Teese – definitely a marketing cocktail, leveraging Dita Von Teese and Cointreau.? I have to admit, however, that I keep thinking “what if you used creme d’violette…”
8. Bonbon of the Vanities – Another from Russian Standard, what’s with the crazy proportions (.85 oz?? 2.7 oz?) and it’s basically “let’s dump a bunch of stuff together” kind of drink.? And is it holiday themed or what?
9. Banana Caipirinha – I hate bananas with a passion.? Don’t see what this has to do with the holidays, either.
10. Royal Fusion – More Russian Standard, more wacky proportions, more Greek references, no holiday references.? Marketing cocktails unite!? Form of…
11. Grown Up Grape Soda – the slightly more rare “hotel” marketing cocktail, it appears.? Where’s the holiday connection again?
12. Mocha Nog Punch – at least this one has a holiday connection.? It might be an MC but, then again, I tend to overly guess at that when vodka (aka poser fluid) is involved.? (And this might be good!? But it’s probably going to be made using store bought eggnog, ick.? Maybe this would make the eggnog passable…)
13. Basil Gimlet – this sounds really good.? But am I missing something, and is basil a traditional holiday thing?? I am confused.
14. The Kasbah – another Russian Standard marketing cocktail with no connection I can tell with the holidays.? Seriously.? How much of this guide did the editors just cut and paste from press releases?
15. The Flash – from the same place as the Basil Gimlet, I tried not to groan too loud when I saw “organic simple syrup”.? Again, it sounds good, but what holiday connection does it have?
16. Smoked Anise – this sounds really … weird.? I’d like to try it, I think.? And it seems kind of holiday to me, maybe it’s the garnish of a star anise.
17. Bloody Martini – well, they say it’s perfect for holiday brunches, at least they tried!? No attribution to the recipe, so maybe it’s a marketing cocktail from Belvedere (given the requirement for Belvedere Cytrus, too), but it might not be too bad.
18. Bourbon Crusta – well, a really classic cocktail.? It doesn’t seem holiday-ish, but for some reason, when I think about it, I think it’s the garnishing that makes me say “hey, I could see this at a holiday party.”
19. Sweet Tail – another thing about marketing cocktails: putting one brand in all-capital letters.? Yet another thing: describing in florid sales talk about how the liquor tastes.? Since I’ve never had or even heard of “BULLDOG GIN” I have no idea if I could make this or how it’d taste.? Again, to me, it screams “we didn’t bother to look at the cocktails, we just cut-and-paste”.
20. Depaz Hottie – clearly a marketing drink (brand name in the name of the cocktail, usage of Depaz brands only in the ingredients) but it does evoke a holiday feel.? And it’s not like you can go wrong with those ingredients.
21. Lillypad – Another “I don’t know what this has to do with the holidays” drink but interesting idea – however, Lillet Rouge?? Makes me think it’s a marketing one, who drinks Lillet Rouge?? I thought it was always “Lillet Blanc, Dubonnet Rouge”.? But maybe it’s good.
22. Kiwifruit Lychee Sparkler – Kiwi and Lychee?? A brand name kiwi something in the ingredients in all caps?? Should I put a certain passage into my AutoText a la TMQ?
23. French Martini – called thus because it’s…uh…vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice?? WHY CALL IT A MARTINI?!? And blah blah blah “no holiday connection that I can see” blah blah.
24. Cappucino Up – Probably a marketing cocktail.? No real holiday connection.? On the other hand, probably goshdamn delicious.
25. Depaz Winter Mojito – well, see #20, but hey – it has winter in the name, too, and cranberries in it.? So one for, one against.
26. Mad Bellini – okay, it’s a Bellini variation.? So…?
27. Velvet Edie – See #2.
28. Tinsel Bellini – marketing cocktail, no holiday connection except name, no connection really to a Bellini except champagne.? Why not call it the “Kir Tinsel” or something?
29. The Cavitini – a vodka martini, no vermouth, is called what class?? That’s right.? Straight vodka.? Like the difference between the Gibson and the martini, this one is just garnished differently.
30. PAMA Pine – Marketing cocktail with a holiday connection.? And this one calls for 8 OUNCES OF LIQUOR!? SERIOUSLY.
31. Home Made Coquito – very interesting drink with a Puerto Rico/holidays connection.? I wonder if it’s advertised by the people who make the “La Abuelita Coquito” mentioned below it…
32. Wild Apple Pie – marketing cocktail.? Straight American Honey with a garnish and rim.? The flavors are vaguely holiday.
33. The French Kiss – ignoring the lack of holiday, I’d make that for a lady who didn’t know what she wanted in a drink…
34. Sazerac – possibly probably my favorite cocktail.? I don’t see why it’s a holiday one, though.
35. Sweet Standard – marketing cocktail.? Says it’d be good by the fireside in winter.? Okay.
36. Chambord Manhattan – OH MY GOD A DRINK WITH BITTERS.? Honestly, this one sounds like a legitimate Manhattan variation, though see Sazerac as per: holiday connections.? Maybe just the Chambord is (which would explain #33).
37. Cozy PAMA Cider – marketing cocktail with a winter/holiday connection.? Okay.
38. Eggnog – clearly the Mount Gay advertising version of eggnog.? More cooking required than Morgenthaler’s.? Might be better for large groups.
39. Belvedere Sparkle – marketing cocktail, limited holiday connections (cranberries, I guess,? and it’s red).? Next.
40. Versailles Cocktail – 1.? RIM IT WITH WHAT?!?!? 2.? Probably a marketing cocktail.? 3.? WAITAMINUTE isn’t this a sidecar?? IT IS ONLY WITH TOO MUCH LEMON JUICE.? 4.? Definitely a marketing cocktail, then.
41. G’Vine Frost Bite – marketing cocktail, winter themed name, … lemon pepper zest?!? Eh.? Whatever floats your boat.? Or bite.? Whatever.? (Given that I’ve greatly enjoyed black pepper gin rickeys, it’s really not that big a deal, and is probably tasty.)
42. Cranberry Spice – huh.? Neat idea.? See cranberry re: holidays.
43. Rum Butter Cider – I will ignore the Bols Butterscotch, or more importantly, my feelings on it.? Sounds like a solid holiday idea.? Very precise ingredients, but I wonder if that’s more the person who makes it wanting to keep it straight.
44. Bohemian Cocktail – if I remember correctly, see #2.
45. The Marie Claire Cocktail – okay, so this whole list is courtesy of Marie Claire, and I’m going to go out on a limb and assume this one is made FOR the magazine.? I have to say that I like the idea of it and might actually consider making it.? And it has bitters!? Yay!? However, past that – no holiday theme to it.
46. La Roma – no real holiday theme, and one of my pet peeves – “juice of one lime” is maddeningly imprecise to me.? That’s probably the big difference between bloggers and most bartenders – they are more likely to free pour and use counts, or use “1/2 lemon” or whatever, while bloggers often meticulously measure everything out.
47. Absinthe Frappe – mmmmmm, tasty.? I think more summer than winter on these but with the Kubler absinthe it kind of looks like snow!? Also, this is an old school cocktail.
48. The Flirtini – Hee hee hee, can I have one of those flirtinis?? OH MY GOD it’s almost midnight we have to cheer and then kiss! (retch)
49. French Bulldog – see #19.
50. Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Martini – NO
51. Cranberry Dram – holidays: has cranberries.? Marketing cocktail: Probably not.? Delicious: Quite possibly, I love me some allspice dram.
52. Mexican Cosmopolitan – Holidays: no (well, splash of cranberry juice, but since they’re naming it after the Cosmo I’m DQ-ing that.? My blog, my rules).? Marketing cocktail: Maybe, let me check my Agavero material when I get home…nah, I’m too lazy.
53. Mexican Coffee – But I’m getting very suspicious.? Hello…Agavero.
54. Delicious Night Blackberry Martini – NO NO NO.
55. Bailey’s Cherry Cafe – Holidays?? I’m not feeling it.? Marketing cocktail?? Probably.? “Maraschino cherry juice”?? Red food dye + high fructose corn syrup that has had reconstituted cherry balls soaking in it.
56. Passion Potion – We jumped from 52 to 53 to…here…maybe?
57. Crouching Tiger – Guess where my dragon is hidden?? Sorry.? No holiday connection, and – dunno.? Sorry.
58. Royal Pomme Punch – this one sounds disturbingly good…oh, it’s from PDT!? Cool.? The punch thing could work for parties, I guess, and it’s red.? And bubbly.
59. Spanish Cobbler – this in no way, shape, or form represents a holiday cocktail.? But in summertime I bet it’d be good!
60. Marnier Chocolate Bonbon – Another sign of marketing cocktails is often a lack of attribution to its creator.? This one has that as well – but, to be honest, sounds pretty tasty.
61. Ave’ Martini – okay, I get the joke.? Cute name.? I don’t know with the rest of it, however.
62. Banana Flip – another PDT one, ewwww bananas, and whatever on the holiday connection, again, I don’t see it.
63. Cinnamon Fig Martini – OH COME ON GUYS IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A MARTINI.
64. Black Pearl – Scotch + Apricot + Pomegranate Sour syrup (what is that, even) does not equal HOLIDAYS.
65. Brandy Bird – looks like a marketing cocktail, but they included how it fits in to the holidays and, well, I guess that’s about it.? Interesting to have what is basically a shooter on here (so it appears).
66. La Canne Creuse – I’m guessing marketing, given that the only specific ingredient is Pernod Absinthe, but it does seem like a pretty traditional cocktail.? Again, though – for the holidays?
67. Diamonds & Pearls – created by Charlotte Voissey (le sigh) and using Hendrick’s, so unfortunately – well, you know.? But it doesn’t sound bad.? Or Christmas-y.
68. G’ingle Bell – marketing cocktail with a holiday related name and I really want to know what the G’vine Nouaison is!? I like G’vine gin a good bit.
69. The Ginger Caipirissima – Heh.? Okay.? Sure.
70. Ginger Jubilee – maybe ginger is a holiday spice?? I guess it is…that doesn’t mean EVERYTHING with ginger in it is a holiday thing, though.
71. Hennessy Sidecar – marketing version of a classic with too much lemon juice.
72. Winter Wonderland – a tasty sounding drink from a well-known bartender.
73. Kahlua Mayan Passion – such a marketing cocktail that it has marketing speech at the bottom.? Again, nothing with the holidays.
74. Kobe Punch – I mean, I guess, holidays = parties = let’s have punch, and you have no idea how much I wanted to type “panties” in there at some point.
75. Ginger Drop – AUGH WITH THE GINGER AGAIN.? And nothing else, really.
76. Merry Christi – am I losing my holiday buzz?? Yes, this one works…the name is a play off the vodka it’s made with, too, and I’m starting to feel stabby.? Only a few to go!
77. Ginger Soju – (sobs uncontrollably)
78. NAVAN Orchid Martini – (crawls into the fetal position under his desk)
79. Vanille Bourbon – (pulls himself back up to his chair) … huh, that doesn’t sound bad…
80. Cozy Cafe con Crema – (twitches)? What’s “1 espresso” and how much is a “touch of Kahlua”?
81. Chandon Fizz – calls for a specific kind of champagne but seems like an okay drink.? Still – holidays people.
82. Ruby Sipper – I wonder if they meant slipper.? Sigh.
83. Yuletide Punch – I only suggest it as a marketing drink thanks to the fact that they use the whole name of Sobieski, but other than that, seems to be fairly ok.
84. Somerset Sidecar – another variation of a classic, this one by a fairly well-known bartender (see #72), and inspired by a holiday tradition.? Okay.
85. Spicy Pear Mojito – (head hits desk)? IT DOESN’T EVEN USE *#%)!-ING RUM!? IT HAS VODKA!
86. Teddy Tini – (tears are flowing again) another chocolate martini sort of kind of drink hiding lots (over 3 oz) of liquor.
87. Wall Street Crush – reminds me a bit of certain variations of the Old Fashioned, but with Marie Brizard Grand Orange, which I think is a triple sec (correct me if I’m wrong).
88. The Pama Kiss – NO NO NO NO NO.
89. Belvedere Tangerine Twist – at least it’s not called a martini.
90. Minted Memory – ooo, a Pimm’s drink just in time for TDN tonight.? And it’s Pimm’s night.
91. White Russian – Obviously the “Russian Standard Vodka” version, and they carefully layer it.? But why, for the love of Lebowski?? And, like the previous one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…drinks, how does it relate to the holidays?
92. Chambord & Champagne – Isn’t this just a Kir Royale?
93. Purus Organic Rasputini – OH DEAR GOD NO
94. Santiago Sun – Might be tasty, but kumquats + falernum do not equal holidays.
95. Love on the Rocks – no, it’s straight Agavero on the rocks.? What are we, back in the #50s?

And dear lord, is it over?? IT IS!

So here’s the deal: Delish seems to claim the holidays cover Thanksgiving through New Year’s.? That’s okay, though this wasn’t posted – or, at least, it wasn’t advertised as posted on MSN – until after Thanksgiving.

What’s Thanksgiving like, if we’re being gracious?? Turkey, football…pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, etc.

Christmas is often more of the same, plus sweets and the such.? Hanukkah – well, I don’t know.

One may argue that any cocktail that contains champagne can be considered a New Year’s cocktail but I call shenanigans on that.

And the thing is, it could just be “hey, these are the ‘hip’ and ‘cool’ and ‘radical’ cocktails out in the world right now” kind of thing, since it is “chic cocktails”, but they specifically listed it as “95 spirited drink recipes perfect for the holidays.”? You would think, then, that they’re designed for the holidays, not just random ones like the Warhol ones or various tropical drinks.

So I’ve counted.? Some drinks, like Sidecars and the bourbon crusta, are not specifically holiday drinks, but have that “feel” to me – I think the sugared rims help, but whatever, I’m willing to be open.? I’m thinking of the big three holidays here (that I know, personally) Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, but Thanksgiving I’ll be tougher on.? If I’m trying to have a holiday party, which of these would I have?

I did a rough count and tried to be generous.? I counted 34 that I’d consider a “holiday” drink, and that means 61 weren’t.

But hey – 95 cocktails for the holidays sounds better than 34, I guess!

And if I think about it – the drink I’m making for a Christmas party is apple cider, applejack, Irish whiskey, and allspice dram, plus bitters.? But I did try to include “apple” drinks in with the holiday ones…

As I’ve mentioned before – you’ve got to give The Gibson a shot if you haven’t yet.

We tried to go to Bar Pilar afterwards but it was just packed; we got to speak with Adam briefly but then hailed a cab and headed back to Virginia for pizza and relaxation.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend came Friday night, however.? Owen was showing off some really cool liquors and cocktails all night, but at one point Chris (and I’ll explain about this in about a week or so) had Marshall and I buy a drink.? He got his favorite, the cocktail a la louisiane, and I got a Sazerac.? Chris had never had a Sazerac so he tried one and absolutely loved it.? It’s always great to see someone try a new drink and see their eyes light up like that!

2.? Repeal Day is up to $90 for a ticket and coming up soon – December 5th.? Hope to see y’all there, I’m really excited about it.

3.? Phil Greene asked us to post an announcement about the Holiday Cocktails seminar at Bourbon on December 9th.? It is presented by the Museum of the American Cocktail and will feature the dynamic trio of Derek Brown (The Gibson), Justin Guthrie (Central Michel Richard), and Owen Thompson (Bourbon) as well as Phil Greene.? $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and that includes light appetizers and sample sizes of the cocktails.? I know Marshall will be there!

You can register here.

4.? TDN – sponsored by Leblon Cachaca – was a heck of a time!? There were a lot of good drinks made and while we wait for the recap (AHEM) I thought I’d share one of the drinks I came up with that people seemed to like.

The Braziliagroni
1 ounce Leblon cachaca
1 ounce Carpano Antica
1 ounce Aperol
2 dashes Fee’s Rhubarb Bitters
Shake over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I have to admit that I wasn’t a big cachaca fan before Thursday night but I’ve definitely learned to enjoy some of the complexities of the spirit.? Check out the TDN round up when it’s posted and look also for my Brazilian Frog – it’s an orange flavored drink that needs a bit of tweaking but I think turned out pretty well also.

5.? A friend invited my brother and I over to watch football yesterday and asked that I bring some “tasty drinks”.? I pieced something together and made it which ended up being a big hit.? It was fairly improvised, but the basic recipe is here and we’ll be making both cold and hot versions of this for our Christmas party (we only made cold ones yesterday).

Apple Cider Heaven
2 ounces applejack
1 ounce Jameson’s
1/2 ounce St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
2 dashes Fee’s aromatic bitters
4 ounces apple cider
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.? Alternatively, build over ice in a collins or pint glass using 50% more of each ingredient and stir, then serve.

That’s about enough for now, I think.? This week is Thanksgiving so everybody think of what you want to give thanks for and have a good time with your friends and family!? Remember: don’t drink and drive.? Which means – don’t drive.

Sorry.? I’ll try to distract y’all away from the horrors of my singing.

Tonight is Thursday Drink Night (TDN) at the Mixoloseum – and for the first time, it’s sponsored, this time by Leblon cachaca.? I’m very excited about some stuff with that!

I’ve not experimented a lot with cachaca but I’ve got some real ideas in store.? And speaking of “in store”, I still need to go to the store.? I also need to get a haircut, but that’s for something special that we’ll tell you about soon enough.

It’s also almost the weekend.? We’ve got trips to Bourbon and The Gibson planned, so obviously, that should be a lot of fun.? If you see us out, say hi!? Then it’s Thanksgiving, and I’m thinking of something to take home with me, and then there’s Repeal Day…not to mention my brother and his fiancee’ want me to come up with cocktails just for them for their wedding…

I’ll be putting up some of the drink ideas we come up with using cachaca after TDN.? Not necessarily tomorrow, that’ll be dependent on hangover, I guess…

Anyway, I hope all of ya’ll out there had a great Thanksgiving and was able to spend it with friends and family.? I do want to send my thoughts and prayers to Sean Taylor’s family during this trying time.? Especially his little girl.? Even though she is very young, having lost a parent myself, I have some idea of what his family is going through.

While I was visiting my mother this past weekend she asked if I wanted this really nice martini set.? It came with a pitcher, six glasses and a serving tray.? Unfortunately, I couldn’t take it now because I simply have a finite amount of space in my apartment and one more thing in the kitchen/bar/laboratory could cause havoc (and exploding cabinets.)? But I seemed to remember a cocktail book that she and dad used to have.? I asked her about it and she said yes, they did have an old cocktail book tucked away in a bookcase somewhere.? After a bit of hunting we found it.? And it was just as I remembered.? Thin and tall, with covers made out of wood, bound by a strap of leather.? The cover has an etching of a rooster drinking a cocktail.? It was an awesome find.? But why don’t you judge for yourself . . .

So the book is titled “Just Cocktails” and was published in 1939 by Three Mountaineers, Inc.? My mom believes she bought the book for my father as a gift during one of her trips to Washington, DC as a chaperon on a senior class trip.? (Mom was a high school teacher before retiring.)? There are a lot of recipes that we’ve seen before and some new ones that I haven’t been able to look at too closely . . . yet.? But one thing that I found interesting was the recipe for the Aviation.? It called for applejack, pernod and grenadine . . . hmmmm . . . strange.? Sometime I want to do an Aviation post, but not until I get a bottle of Creme de Violette so I can make a proper Aviation.

I’ll start exploring this little treasure as soon as I finish reading David Wondrich’s new book “Imbibe.” If you get a chance to pick up this book, I highly recommend doing so.? It is a fascinating read.

Something else I really have to share with ya’ll.? You know of my love for bourbon.? You know of my growing fondness and appreciation of Rye.? Well, I may have mentioned this earlier, but about two months ago I got wind that Buffalo Trace distillery were releasing their 2007 Antique Collection.? Now this is something I just couldn’t pass up.? I contacted the Virginia ABC and put in a special order.? After waiting a little over a month, I get a phone call saying my swag had arrived.? Luckily, I live two blocks from an ABC store (dangerous, I know) that was holding my new babies for me.? If you click on the link above you can find out information about the individual bottles.? But here are a few pictures and some notes for you to drool over.

Here are all five of my children in a row.? Notice the color difference from left to right.? From left to right we have, Eagle Rare 17 Year Old, Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old, Thomas H. Handy Rye, William Larue Weller Bourbon and, finally, the granddaddy, George T. Stagg Bourbon.? It should be noted that two of these bottles are older than the rest.? The Eagle Rare and the Thomas Handy are from the 2006 Antique Collection.? It is so hard to find any of these at any given time, I had to snatch those up when I could . . .

Here is a close up of the Thomas Handy Rye and the WL Weller bourbon.? If you notice in the picture both of these are uncut, unfiltered and bottled at barrel proof.? This is some potent firewire!? The Weller is bottled at 58.95% Alc. by Vol. (117.9 proof.)? The Handy comes in at 66.35% Alc. by Vol making it a whopping 132.7 proof.

Here is another photo of all of the bottles together.? Again, notice the color differential.? If you check out the bottle on the far right (the Stagg), you’ll notice that it too is uncut, unfiltered and bottled at barrel proof.? That is why this is the granddaddy of the bunch.? Mr. Stagg comes to the table at a staggering 72.4% Alc. by Vol., aka, 144.8 proof.? Damn.

Well folks, that’s it for me tonight.? I’ll be back in a day or two.? Keep watching this space because next week we’ll have another Mixology Monday post.? This month it is being hosted by Jeffrey Morgenthaler and the theme is Repeal Day.? Yee-Haw!!!!? (From a family of moonshiners, I love this idea!!!)

See ya’ll later!