Recipe Round-Up: The Last 100

Can you believe that this is my 200th blog post? That's a lot of cocktails! I've really enjoyed trying new recipes and coming up with some of my own. For my 100th post, I went through the first 100 recipes I posted and picked my ten favorites. I decided to do the same for number 200. I picked these without thinking too hard about getting an equal distribution of base spirits, and I'm quite surprised to realize that half of them are made with rum - not what I would expect, since I'd usually say gin or whiskey cocktails are my favorites. But I'm enjoying rum more and more as I try different varieties - I think you'll continue seeing more rum cocktails on here in the future!

So here, in no particular order, are the best of the last 100 cocktails on Garnish:

1. Lucien Gaudin. I was so pleasantly surprised by this old but relatively unknown recipe. It quickly joined my regular rotation, a perfect aperitif when you want something a bit sweeter and lighter than a Negroni or Boulevardier.

2. Trinidad Sour. Speaking of surprised, I was nothing short of shocked when I found out how much Angostura goes into this cocktail (a whole ounce!) and I was even more surprised when I realized how utterly delicious it is.

3. Black Manhattan. This cocktail really cemented my newfound love of amari and basically replaced the traditional Manhattan in our house. The recipe calls for Averna, but you can try all sorts of amari in its place.

4. Satsuma Mojito. It might be the middle of winter, but one of these is summer in a glass. Muddling a whole satsuma into this cocktail, peel and all, makes it ridiculously refreshing.

5. Naked and Famous. This equal-parts cocktail made with mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, and lime juice is definitely one of my all-time favorites, right up there with the Last Word and the Paper Plane.

6. French Pearl. This instant classic from Pegu Club is deceptively simple but utterly delicious. If you've never had one, I suggest you rectify this as soon as possible.

7. Bombay Sour. I'm pretty proud of this original recipe, which includes 1/2 tbsp of Greek yogurt to make it extra smooth and sour. With rum, mango, lemon, and Saffron Mango Bitters, it's reminiscent of a mango lassi.

8. Twin Peaks. I made this recipe from St. George Spirits the day after I posted my first 100 favorites. After one sip I remember thinking, "This is going to end up in my next roundup." Fresh sage and Green Chartreuse perfectly compliment St. George's unique Terroir Gin.

9. Pale King. I guess it's sort of inevitable that some of my own recipes make it into this list, since I basically tailor them exactly to my taste. This is a particular favorite of mine - basically a dry rum martini, it's quite different from anything else I've ever had. And I'm kind of obsessed with the garnish.

10. Flor de Jerez. I had to include a sherry cocktail in this list, as it's one of my new favorite ingredients. I decided the best choice was the Flor de Jerez from Death & Co, because it was the first one I ever made. If you buy a bottle of Amontillado and use it in absolutely nothing else, it would still be worth it. But I have a feeling it's going to end up sneaking into a lot more cocktails than this!

Thanks for sticking around for 200 posts - hope to see you for number 300 as well! Cheers!