Eddie Haskell

Pretty cheeky, but always nice ...

This month, we proudly present another liquid delight made up by me. As usual, a few words of introduction are in order.
 
Many of you know I’m not a fan of vodka as a cocktail ingredient. While it can be lovely to sip by itself, vodka brings nothing to a cocktail party besides alcohol. No flavor, no color, just alcohol. Which results in alcoholic, yet watery-tasting, drinks. Not the best thing.
 
But I am a fan of flavored vodkas. (That’s what gin is, BTW. Neutral spirits flavored with juniper and other botanical ingredients.) One of my favorite brands of flavored vodka is Deep Eddy out of Austin, Texas. 
 
Deep Eddy makes several flavors, all good. An Eddie Haskell employs the grapefruit variety, along with gin (the best flavored vodka ever invented!) and lime juice. Gin and citrus is always an inspired combination and here you get two hits of citrus – grapefruit and lime.
 
The result is a bit tart, very tangy, and totally refreshing. It feels almost like bubbly on the tongue. Ward and June would have loved these! 
 
As summer begins to loosen its grip, I guarantee Eddie Haskell will ease you through the last of the hot afternoons. Who knew Eddie was really a nice guy ...

Eddie Haskell

• 2 parts Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka

• 1 part gin

• 1 part lime juice 

 Combine all the ingredients and shake ‘til it’s good and cold, and serve it straight up.

Juillet

Okay, folks. Summer has landed here in Music City. With both feet. After a lovely spring and a slow start to summer, we have finally hit the days of 90+ temps and 90+ humidity. Feh!
 
So what to do? Drink like the French.

 The French know how to live – the food, the fashion, the attitude, are all delicious – even in hot weather. And their drinks go way beyond good wine. Thus, this month’s cocktail, the Juillet (French for July – get it?) I got from a wonderful book, Aperitif by Rebekah Peppler. 
 
Gently alcoholic, the Juillet is soft, semi-sweet, and subtle. And, as with all things French, complex. The base – sweet and dry vermouth with a touch of St. Germain – combines with a splash of bubbly to create a multi-layered flavor that goes down oh-so-smoothly. Perfect for a hot afternoon, wishing you were somewhere other than Nashville – like at a café in Provence.

Juillet

• 1 ounce dry vermouth

• 1 ounce sweet vermouth

• .25 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur

• 1 ounce dry sparkling wine – or perhaps a bit more

Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to get very, very cold. Strain into a cocktail glass – a coupe is ideal – and top with the bubbly. Toss in a lemon peel to make it pretty.
 
Sip and travel to France in a daydream! 

1928 Sea Breeze

Among those who debate cocktail origins, debate swirls around the Sea Breeze. General consensus dates the typical version to the 1970s or 80s. That’s fine with me, and not terribly relevant to this discussion, because this is not the typical version. It’s much better.
 
The typical Sea Breeze is made with vodka, cranberry, and grapefruit. If you’ve been reading my emails or watching my Facebook videos, you already know I disapprove of vodka in cocktails. It adds alcohol but not flavor – resulting in hot, but watery drinks. And I’m just about over cranberry juice. Hear me Sex and the City ladies?
 
This version was concocted by a Brooklyn bar owner named David Moo, and it’s just about perfect. Made with gin (of course) instead of vodka and grenadine (has to be real grenadine) instead of cranberry.
 
The result is a full-flavored, slightly sweet, oh-so-refreshing summertime sipper. Just in time for summer! 
                                                   
You will love these!

1928 Sea Breeze

• 2 ounces gin

• .25 ounce grenadine. I'm using Jack Rudy, but anything that isn't Rose's will be fine.

• 3 ounces grapfruit juice. It ought to be fresh squeezed, but I will give you a pass if you get a high-end, nothing-but-juice bottled version.

Fill – all the way to the top – a tall glass with ice, add the ingredients, stir long enough to get it very cold, and drink it. 

Montparnasse

This gem – named for the left-bank neighborhood in Paris renowned as an avant-garde hot spot in the early 20th century – may or may not be a timeless classic. I don’t much care. It’s wonderful and that’s the whole point. This recipe comes from the redoubtable David Lebovitz, witty writer, food and drink expert, Francophile, and all-round bon vivant. And who could ask for a better reference?
 
It’s based on Calvados – apple brandy – and the whole thing has a crisp, slightly tart, apple-ish flavor that’s unusual and very refreshing. Perfect for a sip outdoors, at least six feet from the next person, enjoying a balmy evening.
 
Give this one a try. Pretend the current clouds have passed and you’re sitting in a left bank café. Or in Normandy. Or Provence. Or …

Montparnasse

• 1.5 oz Calvados (I use Daron)

• .75 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

• .5 oz lemon juice – fresh of course

• .5 oz dry white wine

Combine the ingredients in a shaker, get it good and cold, and strain into your favorite cocktail glass. For those who garnish, a paper-thin slice of apple looks wonderful. 

A word about ingredients
Lebovitz says you can ramp-up the apple flavor by using apple juice or cider instead of the white wine. I haven’t tried this because I like the degree of apple-ness just fine as-is and I’d suggest trying it this way before going deeper into the apple.
 
Also this: I’m aware that while I have a bottle of calvados on the shelf, relatively few others do. Not to worry. It’s not terribly expensive, you can substitute American applejack (usually cheaper) to no ill effect, and Drizly.com delivers.  Same day! Huzzah!

Old Fashioned

When things get stressy, and they certainly are in these covid-19 days, something simple, direct, and effective seems to be in order. And that’s the Old Fashioned to a tee. Think of it as comfort food in cocktail form.

It’s nothing more than a slug of whiskey with sugar and bitters. Basic. Yet it tastes delicious and sophisticated, and perhaps that’s why it has remained popular with tipplers from the early days of the nineteenth century up to the present moment. That’s 200 years of happy drinking. Can’t argue with that!
 
So, a couple of pointers. Always use good bourbon. The kind you’d sip neat or on the rocks. Middle grade spirits are fine in drinks that combine lots of flavors, but in an Old Fashioned the whiskey is the star (like the gin in a Martini), so make it the good stuff. 
 
Then there’s the sugar. There are two views on this subject: simple syrup or muddled sugar.  Simple syrup is quicker and easier, and really tastes the same, but the classic version uses a sugar cube or loose sugar and water muddled with the bitters. Suit yourself, but why not try the classic version first and go from there

Old Fashioned

• Half teaspoon sugar, or one sugar cube 

• 1 teaspoon water

• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

• 2 ounces bourbon

Put the sugar, water (or a teaspoon of simple syrup), and bitters into a rocks glass, and stir until sugar is nearly dissolved. Fill the glass with large ice cubes, add the bourbon, and stir gently to combine the flavors and get it good and cold.
 

Orange peel for garnish. Twist to express the oil before dropping it in.

Leatherneck

Okay folks, I’ve got another one from the vault of historic cocktails, and it’s just in time for St. Patrick’s Day – which, by the time you read this, will be only a few weeks away.
 
The Leatherneck is an excellent drink, but I present it to you now because it’s also … green! A lovely emerald green. So much nicer than the cheap beer with green food coloring served at watering holes that cater to frat boys. The color and flavor magic are the result of mixing whiskey with the delightfully odd, but always colorful and tasty, blue curaçao. It’s almost like magic!
 
As for the flavor, well, it’s interesting. But also good. Light notes of lime and orange combined with a surprisingly earthy base note from the whiskey. Give it a try – if only in honor of St. Pat. You might find yourself wearing a derby and leading a parade.

Leatherneck

• 2 ounces blended whiskey*

• .75 ounce blue curaçao* 

• .5 ounce lime juice – fresh of course

Shake with ice and serve straight up. Garnish with a lime wheel if you’d like.

* About those ingredients: Blended whiskey (Canadian Club or Seagram’s 7) isn’t very good for sipping, or for much of anything else really, so this cocktail may be the only reason to buy a bottle. Fortunately, it’s cheap. On the other hand, blue curacao, while also cheap, is good for all sorts of things. Tiki drinks, for example, and the always-delicious Kamikaze. 

Barbara West

This one’s origins are a bit obscure – probably dating to the 1930s, though no one seems certain – and it may, or may not, be named for the Barbara West who boarded the Titanic as a 10-month-old, survived the disaster, and lived until 2007, becoming the next to last survivor to pass on. It might as well be for her. Why not?
 
And really, who cares? This is a great drink! An unusual mixture of dry sherry and gin with the added kick of lemon, this one starts out a little sour on the tongue, but broadens out as it goes down. It ends on a rich, full-flavored note that’s hard to describe, though “bracing” works fairly well. Great for a pick-me-up on a drab winter day!
 
Dumb name. Excellent drink. Rush out today, grab a bottle of sherry, and try this one!

Barbara West

• 2 ounces gin

• 1 ounce dry sherry* 

• .5 ounce lemon juice

• Small dash Angostura bitters

* You can use any sherry you wish, but this drink is best if the sherry is dry. Amontillado is a good choice, but I’ve used Taylor Dry Sherry (found on or near the bottom shelf) and it works just fine.

David's Manhattan Plus

Here’s a variation on that rock-solid classic, the Manhattan, a perfect cold-weather quaff if ever there was one. 
 
I’ve said many times in this space that I love the classics from the golden age of drinking and I generally don’t like to mess with them. But sometimes a traditional Manhattan, with all that sweet vermouth, is just a little too sweet, and many of my drinking friends and I prefer something a bit drier. 
 
Enter Byrrh Quinquina. This oddly named aperitif is a French concoction from the 19th century (like so many classic aperitifs) and it contains hints of quinine. It had been absent from the American market for many years until recently, and we welcome it back!
 
That’s really all you need to know except that it’s sort of vermouth-like, but not as sweet. So the cocktail is drier than the traditional recipe, but it still tastes like a Manhattan.
 
So if you like it stout, but not too sweet, try this beauty. My gift to you.

David's Manhattan Plus

• Two parts rye (NOT bourbon, too sweet)

• One part Byrrh Quinquina (Midtown has it. Frugal's, too.)

• One dash bitters. (I’ve been using Dale DeGroff’s pimento bitters because they add a spicy kick, but the choice is yours. Try all sorts.)

Shake over ice and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. A stem-on brandied cherry is nice, but not necessary.

Satan’s Whiskers

Here’s another delight from the golden age of the early 20th Century, when drinks were strong, drinking was considered a creative pursuit – like a hobby – and drinks were named accordingly. And with a name like this, how could you not feel tempted?
 
It’s one of a great many variations on the ancient classic, the Bronx, in that it employs gin, vermouth and orange juice. But it uses them in equal amounts and adds orange curaçao and orange bitters, for a more balanced, less edgy flavor. 
 
Watch out though, a Stan’s Whiskers is plenty strong.

Think of it as diabolical orange juice. (Not recommended for breakfast!)

Satan's Whiskers

• .75 ounce gin

• .75 sweet vermouth

• .75 ounce dry vermouth

• .75 orange curaçao

• .75 orange juice (fresh of course!)

• 2 dashes orange bitters

Combine all the ingredients and shake ‘til it’s good and cold. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange slice.

Derby

There was a vibe in the first decades of the 20th century that generated some really outstanding drinks. What a hearty and hardy bunch those long-ago boozers were. We owe them a great debt!
 
So, here we go again with another of the old-time classics.
 
As we move – finally!– into cooler weather, we here at davidpainerealtor.com naturally begin to think of the more robust flavors brought to you by whiskey-based drinks. Think Manhattan and Rob Roy. 
 
Based on bourbon and sweet vermouth, the Derby certainly works those flavors, but adds orange curacao and fresh lime on top. Those two – especially the lime – add a kick that’s unexpected and really delicious. If a Manhattan is a little too sweet/heavy for you, a Derby will really ring your bell!
 
Mix up a few of these and you’ll be off to the races in no time flat! 

The Derby

• 1 oz bourbon

• .5 oz sweet vermouth

• .5 oz orange curaçao (plain old triple sec will do fine as well)

• .75 oz fresh lime juice

Shake until your fingers freeze, and serve straight up. A lime peel for garnish doesn’t change the flavor, but it looks really nice.

Corpse Reviver #2

A boost for the weary…

Here’s another beauty from the glory days of the early 20th century. Speakeasies, flappers, fox trot, roadsters, serious boozing. What fun!
 
The original concept was to revive a person who was terribly hung over – hair of the dog that bit you. I don’t drink before lunch (or maybe brunch) so I can’t speak to that, but they taste great, so wait until cocktail hour and go for it.
 
Plus who can resist a name like Corpse Reviver? I’d drink these even if they didn’t taste good. 
 
Actually there are least half a dozen Corpse Reviver recipes, dating back to the late 19th century. They are quite varied, and some are a little weird. I have no idea why this one happens to be #2 or who named it that, but it’s a lovely drink and I’m grateful for it.
 
It’s also pretty stiff, so go gently and you’ll feel revived. That said, have one too many, and you’ll get un-revived pretty quickly.

Corpse Reviver #2

• One part gin 

• One part Cointreau (any orange liqueur wil do, but a clear one will make a better-looking drink)

• One part Lillet Blanc

• One part fresh lemon juice

• Two or three drops (not dashes) of absinthe (Pernod, Herbsaint, or any anise flavored liqueur will work. Even ouzo will do in a pinch.)

Shake the mix until freezing cold and serve straight up. A brandied chery makes a nice addition.

20th Century

Just a little out of the ordinary ...

Frequent readers already know that I’m s sucker for the classics from the first few decades of the last century. Their inherent bravado and a slight sense of naughtiness lingers about them still.
 
Recently, a friend gave me a new book for my cocktail shelf, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, by a guy named Ted Haigh who bills himself as Dr. Cocktail. Sounds promising, doesn’t it?
 
The promise is fulfilled. I’ve been working my way through a list of wonderful drinks with crazy names and interesting ingredients, slightly updated, but true in spirit to the originals. 
 
One of my favorites so far is this aptly named delight. Gin, always a favorite of course, combines with the gentle sweetness of Lillet, and sour lemon juice in a classic spirit/sweet/sour combination. But what lifts this out of the ordinary is the addition of a bit of Crème de Cacao(!). Just a hint of chocolate flavor changes everything and elevates the drink to standout status.
 
In case you were wondering, it doesn't taste like chocolate. It just tastes a little bit out of the ordinary … and verygood. As Dr. Cocktail says in the book, “it goes down like light, zingy lemonade, but in the aftertaste there is an ethereal sense of chocolate.” 
 
Try this one! You’ll be glad you did!

20th Century

• 2 ounces gin

• 1 ounce Lillet Blanc

• 1 lemon juice

• .5 oz white (meaning clear) crème de cacao

Combine all the ingredients and shake ‘til it’s good and cold, and serve it straight up.

A word about ingredients

Lillet is a French, Bordeaux wine-based aperitif with a soft, slightly sweet flavor. It comes in three varieties, blanc, rose, and rouge, but the blanc is the classic and the best. Lovely to sip on the rocks with a slice of lime, but also used in cocktails now and then.

Crème de Cacao is chocolate-flavored liqueur, and is available from several brands like Hiram Walker and DeKuyper. It comes in two varieties, brown and white. The white is clear and a bit lighter in flavor. That’s the one to use in a 20th Century.

Lawn Dart

Everybody duck!
 
I’d love this one for the name alone, even if it didn’t taste good. But is does taste good – great even – so here we go!
 
Named for the now-banned yard game that resulted in thousands of injuries and even a few deaths in the 1980s, this drink may be damaging, but if you take care it won’t be lethal. The problem is, they taste so good, you may be tempted to throw caution to the wind.

 Aside from mixing tequila and gin (an almost shockingly smooth combo) the key feature of the Lawn Dart is muddled bell pepper – red, green or yellow, take your pick. The pepper adds a unique touch of aroma and flavor, putting the drink across as you take your first sip, and holding it all together as you sip again. And again.
 
This one's perfect for outdoor, hot weather shenanigans. So mix and muddle up a bunch of these delights, but do watch out for lawn darts – the thrown variety.
 
Lawn Dart

• One ounce gin 

• One ounce tequila

• .25 ounce green Chartreuse

• .75 ounce lime juice

• .75 ounce simple syrup

5" slice of bell pepper - the color of your choice. Though green and yellow tend to work better with the color of the lime juice, all are good.

Muddle the pepper at the bottom of a shaker. Add the other ingredients and lots of ice. Shake until cold and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wheel if you wish.

El Presidente

Serious summertime sipping …
 
I stumbled onto this delight on Fathers Day, when my son William took me out for drinks. (What a great kid!) We went to Pearl Diver, one of the dozens of watering holes that have popped up recently on the East Side near his house. The concept at Pearl Diver is Tiki/Caribbean/Tropical – or something like that – and the vibe is friendly. 
 
Lots of the drinks on the menu are crazy concoctions, but there are some more serious choices as well. This is one of those. 
 
Serious. 
 
Boozy to the max, it hits you hard at first sip, but smoothes out thereafter. Go slowly and you’ll find it refreshing and exactly right for hot, humid summer sipping.
 
It’s a classic from Havana in the 1920s. Recipes I’ve found in books and on line are all based on rum, dry vermouth, and usually dry curaçao. But they vary somewhat from there. I’ve tried lots of them – I consider cocktail research a public service – and this is the one I like best.
 
El Presidente

• 1.5 ounce white rum

• 1.5 ounce dry vermouth (I’m using Dolin in this one)

• .25 ounce orange curaçao

• .25 ounce grenadine (it’s gotta be the real stuff, not Rose’s)

Combine all the ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. I like a coupe for this one. An orange peel makes a nice garnish.

Elliott 16

Here’s a new one. Not a classic, but deserving of that status, perhaps.
 
I’m on the sales team for a development in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that involves the conversion of the historic Elliott School, built in 1916, into condos. In the spring, we had a party to celebrate the beginning of construction and introduce the project to fellow realtors and Germantown neighbors. 
 
We decided to have a signature cocktail for the event, so I pulled this idea from an email someone had sent me and adjusted the proportions. The sales team decided to call it the Elliott 16.

Et voila! Instant classic!
 
Good name, greattipple. Bubbly, slightly tart, and just wonderful for summer sipping!

Elliott 16

• 1 ounce Campari

• 1 ounce orange juice – fresh squeezed is best, of course

• Top with bubbly – doesn't matter too much which kind – proseco, cava, or champagne – as long as it's light and dry.

Shake the first two ingredients with ice to get them very cold, pour into a flute, and top off with bubbly.

Rosita

As you know, I love the classics. But this isn’t one of them. All I can find out is that it might date back to a 1988 edition of Mr. Boston Official Bartender Guide. But no matter. That’s not a bad provenance, and it is a variation on a venerable classic, the Negroni. 
 
It is also absolutely delicious.
 
Compared to a Negroni, the Rosita substitutes tequila for gin, adds dry as well as sweet vermouth, and dials back the bitterness of the Campari. The result is light, but not too light. Bitter, but not too bitter. And it has a hint of smoke from the tequila. 
 
Smooth and luscious, you’ll be tempted to guzzle this one. But take it easy. It’s all alcohol. Sip. Savor. Sip … 

Rosita

• 1.5 ounces tequila

• .5 ounce Campari

• .5 ounce dry vermouth

• .5 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine the ingredients and stir with ice in a beaker until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass and serve over fresh ice. I like to use one giant cube to keep it cool, but not overly diluted.

Palm Beach Special

As we transition into spring, the trees are just about ready to leaf out, the birds are chirping again, and a nice transitional cocktail is called for. A Palm Beach Special is just the ticket.
 
This is another time-tested recipe, dating back to the late 1930s, when people like Edsel Ford and Claire Boothe Luce were in Palm Beach for the winter, hanging out at places like Mar-a-Lago (when Marjorie Merriweather Post owned it) and the Breakers. 
 
Like almost-spring – neither hot nor cold, and full of surprises – this one has a layered, bracing flavor – a little tart, quite gin-ny – and a pale blush color. It reminds me of chilly mornings that turn into warm days and turn back into chilly evenings. Perfect!
 
Shake up a few of these, sit on the deck, and bliss out on the coming of springtime.

 Palm Beach Special

• 2.5 ounces gin

• .75 grapefruit juice*

• .5 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine the ingredients, shake until very cold, strain into a cocktail glass, and start sipping.

*About the juice: Any juice you put in a cocktail should be fresh-squeezed. This is an iron-clad rule with lemon and lime juice and highly recommended with orange juice. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is certainly best, but you can get away with the bottled stuff if you get the all-juice, no-sugar-added, not-from-concentrate kind. That said, finding it on a grocery shelf may be more trouble than squeezing an actual grapefruit yourself. Best to invest in decent electric squeezer and squeeze all your citrus. 

12 Mile Limit

Deluxe drinking from the depths of Prohibition … 

Here’s another gem from that shameful era when legislators tried to stamp out drinking, only to make it even more seductive, fun, and flavorful than it was before. Silly legislators!
 
This one’s called the 12 Mile Limit because during Prohibition, ships sailing from American ports had to clear the US territorial limit before they could legally serve alcohol. Everyone on board waited for the ship to cross the line and then lined up at the bar. 
 
This is a spicy, potent, sweet-sour concoction. Tasty, but it must be sipped slowly lest one end up sliding off the barstool. There are more ingredients than I generally approval of, but this one is worth the trouble!

12 Mile Limit

• 1 oz. silver rum

• 1⁄2 oz. rye whiskey

• 1⁄2 oz. brandy

• 1⁄2 oz. grenadine

• 1⁄2 oz. fresh lemon juice

Combine the ingredients, stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. I like to toss in a single big cube of ice to keep it cool while I sip.

Re: grenadine, you’ll need to get the real stuff, made from pomegranates, not the red sugar syrup you’ll find at the grocery store. Most of your better liquor merchants will carry one or two brands.