Mixology Monday: Cream

As a bartender I've noticed that cream based cocktails are very popular, especially with the fairer sex. There must be something sinfully delicious about drinking a cocktail that has 400 calories. Add to that the almost complete absence of any alcohol "flavour", which is covered up by an impervious layer of heavy cream coating your tongue. Then add some sugar and you have a pretty good dessert. Now, cream based cocktails definitely have their place in the mixology world, but there are appropriate times and not so appropriate times.

Of all the creamy cocktails I've shaken, it seems they are all sweet. As such, cream based cocktails are basically a dessert and should be treated as such. So that means a few things when you go out to drink. Here are a couple of rules:

Simples Rules for Cream Based Drinks

1. Don't order them as an aperitif, it will just ruin your meal. All the fat and sugar in cream liqueurs will dull your palate and kill your appetite. Save it for dessert. So no more Grasshoppers to start the night.

2. Don't go on a bender with cream based cocktails. It's ok to over indulge every once in a while, but please don't do it with cream based cocktails. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

3. Bartenders, always wash your shaker thoroughly after making a cream based drink. Nothing sucks more than curdled cream in your Manhattan.

So, now that we have the ground rules laid out, what is a good cream based cocktail to try. If I was behind the bar and someone asked, I'd make them a Creme Brulee Cocktail.

Creme Brulee Cocktail

1.0 oz Vanilla Rum
1.0 oz Advocaat
1.0 oz Heavy Cream
Drizzle Dark Caramel Syrup

In a cocktail shaker packed with ice combine Vanilla Rum, Advocaat and heavy cream. Shake vigorously until the cocktail has a “roppy” feel in the shaker or shake 50 times. Strain into a martini glass and drizzle, in thin loops, the dark caramel syrup.

This isn’t the Creme Brulee Martini that floats around the Internet using Frangelico and Cointreau. This is more like a classic Creme Brulee made by a chef.

So why Vanilla Rum? I personally think the rum has a bit more flavour than vanilla vodka, but if you want you can use vanilla vodka. For those that don't know, Advocaat is an egg based liqueur, and is quite good, so don't knock it before you try it.

The dark caramel syrup is a must for this cocktail since traditional Creme Brulee has a thin layer of caramelized sugar on top. It’s the vanilla and caramel that make this dish so good, so why not a cocktail.

This months Mixology Monday is being hosted by Morsels and Musings, so head on over and check out the other creme based cocktails.