Here is another old cocktail (fancy drink), circa 1873, that is named after Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia. The drink comes from an article published in the New Orleans Daily Picayune (1873 and was created by Mr. E.F. Barry, a bartender at the Everett House hotel in uptown New York. You may remember Mr. Barry as one of the […]
Cocktails
The Filby Redux
I’m not sure who decides these things, but today (June 11th) is World Gin Day. So what does one do on a day that celebrates gin? I’d hazard a guess that we’d enjoy a gin cocktail. The obvious choices are the Negroni or Martini, but may I suggest The Filby? Yes, I’ve written about this cocktail before, but that was […]
Red Red Kroovy
A fan of Anthony Burgess, Stanley Kubrick or possibly Rob Zombie may understand the name of this cocktail, but for the unenlightened, the phrase “red red kroovy” comes from the book/movie “A Clockwork Orange”. It is used by the main character, Alex, to describe blood in the fictional Nadsat language. The phrase was subsequently used in the chorus of Rob […]
Bellini & Mimosa
After a New Years Eve party and all the drinking and champagne, the following morning can be a little rough. Even if it was a quiet, stay at home night, you should at least bring in the new year with a drink and a toast. For both reasons, the post-party and New Year’s day toast, champagne or sparkling wine is […]
Red Moon Cocktail
There are some classic cocktails that use bitters as a key ingredient, the Negroni being a primary example. The problem is with the modern North American palate and its fixation on sugar laden drinks. Sweet, salt and sour seem to be fine but most North Americans shun bitter flavours. There is a small, but growing, minority that does enjoy bitter […]
Hurricane Cocktail
This is a classic cocktail that is fruity and strong with the two-star ingredients being rum and passion fruit. With other fruit juices added, this drink comes out like a type of fruit punch, with a big alcohol kick. It is believed that the drink was first created in 1939 at the Hurricane Bar in New York, but was made […]
Lychee Fruit Cocktail
Lychee fruit in drinks has been around for a while and it still seems to be a good ingredient to use in a cocktail, not the “flash in the pan” most people thought it would be. The Lychee Martini is a little passe, just because it isn’t very complex. Sure, it was interesting because so many North Americans haven’t tried […]
Beachcomber’s Rum Barrel
As other cocktail bloggers begin writing about the approaching spring and hay fever, I’m still stuck in the great white north deep freeze. It’s warmed up a good five degree’s since my last post, so, with the wind chill, it’s a balmy -19. Even though I don’t mind that temperature, as long as it is sunny, I still feel that […]
Green Swizzle
The most common references you will see about the Green Swizzle, are the recipe that incorporates creme de menthe, or the quote from The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy. It has been said, many times, that the creme de menthe version is not the original recipe and that the original has been lost in history or that it never existed. These […]
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan, or informally known as a Cosmo, is a relatively new cocktail that was created in 1985. The Cosmo has become very popular in recent years with the help of one of my favourite shows Sex and the City. Since the Cosmo was mentioned so many times on the show, I decided to give it a try. The Cosmo […]
The Dawn of Tiki?
When you think Tiki, you think tropical drinks from exotic locations like Polynesia, and people such as Donn the Beachcomber. You may also know that the tiki fad didn’t begin until 1934. So, if Don the Beachcomber started the tiki trend, what were his influences? Obviously, the Caribbean and south pacific were big influences, but what exactly were these people […]
Trader Vic’s Rum Fizz
Most drinks classified as fizzes are pretty straight forward. They usually contain a spirit, club soda, some citrus juice and sugar. They are served in a highball glass with lots of ice and garnished with a lemon or lime wedge. They are a simple classic summer refresher. But once you introduce Trader Vic into the equation, all sorts of things […]