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The Abbreviated Bartender's Guide: By Chuck Hawks Bourbon and coffee Serve in a coffee cup or mug. Pour in the Bourbon and fill with your favorite hot coffee. Bourbon flavored coffee is actually pretty good. If the coffee is boiling hot it will boil off the alcohol (which has a lower boiling point than water). Otherwise you will still get drunk if you drink too much, but at least you will stay awake. Bourbon and water Use bottled water if your tap water is hard. Adjust the amount of water to taste. Serve in an old fashioned (squat) glass on the rocks. A good drink for the long haul if you like Bourbon. Bourbon on the Rocks Serve in an old fashioned glass with 2 regular ice cubes. So simple to make even your Mother-in-law should be able to get it right. Another good drink for the long haul, provided you like Bourbon. Champagne Fizz Half fill a highball glass with ice cubes, add the OJ, and fill the rest of the way with Champagne. Good at a Champagne breakfast--you can kid yourself that you are having your OJ. Also see Mimosa (below). Champagne Fizz, Wet Put two ice cubes in a juice glass and then fill with half Champagne and half orange juice. Tastes good, and you actually do get your orange juice. My favorite at a Champagne breakfast. Cosmopolitan Shake on ice until cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry or a slice of lime. The quantities in ( ) nicely fill an average 4 ounce cocktail glass. The Cosmopolitan is a classic from the 1930's that is making a comeback. Unfortunately, you never get two the same in different bars or restaurants. I did a lot of research in bars as well as on the internet, and this recipe makes a Cosmo pretty much as I think it was intended to be. Cuba Libre Put 4 regular ice cubes in a tall glass and pour in rum. Fill balance of glass with Coke to taste. Garnish with a lime wedge. Also called "Rum and Coke"--but now you know its real name. It originated during the Spanish American War, when U.S. troops mixed the local rum with American Coca-Cola (the only mixer they had available). Daiquiri, Frozen Dump ingredients into a blender and make it into a smoothie. Serve in a cocktail glass. Gin and Tonic Put 2-3 ice cubes in a medium size glass and add the gin. Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge into the drink and drop the wedge in as a garnish. Then add the tonic water. Gin with a Twist Serve in an old fashioned glass with two regular ice cubes. Use a good brand of gin, such as Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, or Beefeaters (this is not the place for cheap gin) and it tastes pretty good, assuming that you like gin. Don't omit the twist, it really does improve the taste, and without the twist you are drinking straight gin, which can get you labeled an alcoholic. Godfather Serve on ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry. Godfather, American Serve on ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry. Highball Put 3-4 regular ice cubes in a tall glass and add Bourbon. Fill balance of glass with ginger ale to taste. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry. 7-High Put 3-4 ice cubes in a tall glass and add Bourbon. Fill balance of glass with 7-up to taste. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry--a teaspoon of Maraschino cherry juice can be added if desired. Irish Creme Serve in a liqueur glass as an after dinner drink. Another drink that is hard to mess up, since there is only one ingredient. Irish Mist Serve in a brandy snifter after dinner, or on the rocks in an old fashioned glass anytime. Manhattan Shake on ice until cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry, and 1 teaspoon of Maraschino cherry juice (optional). The quantities in ( ) will nicely fill a 4 ounce cocktail glass. The Manhattan is one of the classic cocktails. If you only learn to make two cocktails, the Manhattan should be one of them. (The Martini should be the other.) Margarita Shake in an ice filled shaker & serve on the rocks, or add to 1 1/2 cups of ice in the blender. Finest Call is the best Margarita mix. Martini, Standard Shake on ice until cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 1 or 2 stuffed green olives. A dash of orange bitters is optional. The quantities in ( ) will nicely fill a 4 ounce cocktail glass. If you serve the above recipe in an old fashioned glass with ice, it is a "Martini on the rocks." The Martini is one of the classic cocktails. If you only learn to make one cocktail, the Martini should be the one. Martini, Dry Shake on ice until cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 1 or 2 stuffed green olives. The quantities in ( ) will nicely fill a 4 ounce cocktail glass. Martini, Extra Dry Shake 2 ounces of dry vermouth on ice, discard vermouth, save ice. Pour gin into shaker with vermouth coated ice, shake until cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 1 or 2 stuffed green olives. Martini, Quickie or Bachelor Put 1 ice cube in an old fashioned glass (a cheese glass will do in a pinch). Pour in about 1 ounce of dry vermouth, slosh it around and dump it out. Add about 2 ounces of gin and a stuffed green olive. Cheers! Martini, Vodka (Vodkatini) Mix just like a standard Martini (above) except vodka is substituted for gin. Can also be ordered "dry" or "extra dry," just like a real Martini, which a Vodkatini is NOT. A true Martini only has three ingredients (counting the olive), and vodka isn't one of them. So, to avoid confusing your bartender, please call this latecomer a "Vodkatini" (its original name) or a "Vodka Martini," but never a "Martini." Mimosa Pour OJ into a Champagne glass with a teaspoon of triple sec and fill with Champagne. Pretty much the same as a Champagne Fizz (see above) in a different glass, and equally good at Champagne breakfasts if Triple Sec is available. Queen Soda Put 3-4 ice cubes in a highball glass, then add a jigger of butterscotch schnapps. Fill to taste with cream soda. Screwdriver Put 3-4 ice cubes in a highball glass, add vodka. Add orange juice to taste. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry. Good to drink with breakfast if you have a hangover; pleasant on a warm afternoon if you don't. Vodka and Tonic Put 2-3 ice cubes in a medium size glass and add the vodka. Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge into the drink and drop the wedge in as a garnish. Then add the tonic water. Wine Cooler, Quickie or Bachelor Put 3-4 ice cubes in a tall glass. Fill glass half-and-half with Pink Charlie and 7-Up. A surprisingly good summer refreshment. Basic bar measures Dash = 1/32 ounce Teaspoon = 1/8 ounce Regular ice cube = 1 ounce by volume (approximately) Pony Jigger = 1 ounce Jigger = 1.5 ounces. Cocktail glass = Varies widely, average size about 4 ounces. Old Fasioned glass = 5 ounces Champagne glass = 6 ounces Cup = 8 ounces Medium glass = 8 ounces Tall (highball) glass = 12 ounces (or 4 ice cubes + 8 ounces liquid) Fifth (of a gallon) = 25.4 ounces or 750 ml Bartending Tips Get a jigger with lines on it indicating the one-half ounce, one ounce, and one and one-half ounce levels. It makes mixing drinks a lot easier. Keep the ingredients for your most commonly served drinks (in my case Martinis, Manhattans, and Cosmopolitans) in the refrigerator, and a couple of glasses suitable for same in the freezer. This helps the cocktails stay cold longer after they are served, and reduces the amount of ice water that melts into them while they are being prepared. You can even freeze your stuffed olives, and they will help keep your Martini cold. Avoid "foo-foo" drinks like Banana Daiquiris and Strawberry Margaritas if at all possible. Even women in hats look silly drinking such concoctions. When faced with an inexperienced drinker who doesn't know what cocktail to order, or is about to order a foo-foo drink, suggest a Cosmopolitan. Practically everyone likes a Cosmo, and it is a real cocktail. In extreme circumstances, try a Queen Soda; it looks about like a Highball and tastes like a soft drink. Basic liquors To make the drinks on the list you need to have the following basic liquors: Bourbon - Always buy a straight (not blended) Bourbon whiskey. Old Crow is a good brand at a medium price, Jack Daniel's Black Label, Old Granddad, and Jim Beam are traditional premium brands, and Evan Williams Black Label is my favorite. Gin - Gilbey's and Seagram's are decent brands at reasonable prices, Bombay Sapphire and Beefeaters are excellent, and Tanqueray is my long-time favorite. Rum (Light and Dark) - Montego Bay is a less expensive brand that I like. Ronrico is a good upscale brand. Scotch - I am not a scotch drinker, but even I enjoy a little Chivas Regal if Scotch is required. Haig & Haig Pinch is also good. Both are expensive blended Scotches. Tequila - I am not a Tequila drinker, either, and Margaritas involve a lot of other ingredients that tend to obscure the subtleties of the basic liquor, so I buy something like Monarch Silver, based mostly on price. Vodka - Gilbey's is a good brand at a reasonable price. It is what I normally use. Smirnoff's is a more upscale American brand, and Absolut is a very expensive imported vodka, but quite good. Liqueurs and Wines Amaretto Liqueur - Bols and DeKuyper brands would be my suggestions. Butterscotch Schnapps - DeKuyper Buttershots is my first choice, Potter's Butterscotch Liqueur is somewhat less expensive. Irish Creme - Bailey's Irish Creme is what you want. Irish Mist Liqueur - There is only one Irish Mist. It is expensive, but exquisite. Triple Sec Liqueur - Bols and DeKuyper brands are good, widely distributed, and moderately priced. Champagne - I'm no expert, but I like Almaden brand from California. Pink Chablis wine - Gallo is best, but any screw-top brand will do. Vermouth (Dry and Sweet) - Gallo is fine, Tribuno, LeJon and Martini & Rossi are well known, more upscale brands. Mixers & Miscellaneous Bitters - Agnostura is the brand. Get a little bottle, the stuff goes a very long way. Coca-Cola - Coke is the original, but your favorite Cola soft drink will do. Coffee - Whatever you usually drink is fine. For me that's usually Taster's Choice instant, but (thank goodness) I am not picky about coffee. Most decent restaurants and bars brew their own coffee. Cranberry Juice - Try to get the real thing (as opposed to "Cranberry Juice Cocktail") for Cosmopolitans. Cream Soda - A&W cream soda is what I use. Daiquiri Mix, frozen - Bacardi Mixers are quite common, but other brands are also satisfactory. Ginger Ale - Canada Dry brand is as good as any. Lime juice - Use Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice or squeeze the real thing. I use Rose's. Margarita mix - Use Finest Call if available. Maraschino cherries - The kind with the stem attached are convenient. 7-Up - Or Sprite, and your secret is safe with me if you use the diet version. Stuffed green olives - Get the large ones with pimiento inside. Tonic Water - Schweppes is well known, as is Canada Dry. |
Copyright 2002, 2008 by Chuck Hawks. All rights reserved.
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