Sparkling Cosmo

The Cosmopolitan has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the last few years. And I guess at first blush, it might seem deserved. It's made with vodka, arguably the craft cocktail world's least-favorite spirit. It's bright pink. It was a fixture on Sex and the City. Interestingly, I think that last one was responsible for both the Cosmo's rapid rise and its decline. It became a little too popular to be cool anymore. Plus, around the same time avid HBO viewers were ordering Cosmos, the craft cocktail renaissance was really picking up. It's even easier to turn your nose up at a pink vodka cocktail when you're holding a barrel-aged Negroni served over a perfectly clear hand-carved ice sphere.

But I'd like to argue that the Cosmo deserves a second look. Made correctly, it's a well-balanced, tasty, surprisingly boozy drink. And yes, it's pink. It's fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously. But these are things I value in a cocktail. In fact, if we're already going to be making Cosmos, I say ramp it up. Let's add some champagne!

I was originally only going to post this cocktail to Instagram, but when I realized how ridiculously delicious it was, I knew I needed to write an impromptu blog post as well. The flavors in a Cosmopolitan go great with sparkling wine. I went with a rosé to preserve the pink color and keep it from getting too sweet. It is such a fun, tasty cocktail! I can't imagine anything more perfect for a girl's night (Galentine's Day, anyone?) but it's also perfect for, I don't know... a Tuesday?

I made this drink in collaboration with Snow Leopard Vodka, a brand that gives 15% of its profits to the Snow Leopard Trust to support conservation of these incredible animals. And in the month of January, they are doubling that amount! So if you're going to be making Cosmos, this is the bottle you want to pick up. If you don't need any vodka right now (can't really imagine that, but ok), they are also doubling all donations made via Facebook. Consider giving to help save the snow leopard!

Sparkling Cosmo

1 1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
Sparkling rosé, to top (~4 oz)

Combine vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling rosé. Garnish with a slice of blood orange or lime.

Widow's Kiss

It's been much too long since I featured a classic recipe - maybe not since the Clover Club back in September. Drinks that stand the test of time are always worth exploring. They provide such a unique connection to history. And if that's what you're looking for, the Widow's Kiss has it in spades. This recipe dates all the way back to 1895. We've been drinking this cocktail for 124 years!

To aptly describe the Widow's Kiss, I must quote Ted Haigh. In his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, he writes:

As the scene opens, you are up in your grandmother's attic opening the dusty steamer trunk she brought from Europe in 1914. You reverently turn back layer upon layer of old lace and brocade, unveiling a packet of old love letters tied in silk ribbon. Ancient dried rose petals flutter down from between the envelope. 

That is what the Widow's Kiss is like.

I'm not sure I've ever read a more poetic and evocative description of a cocktail. I'd like to see a bar menu where all the drinks are described this way. After all, drinking cocktails is so often about the entire experience rather than just the flavor.

In case grandma's attic isn't specific enough for you: the Widow's Kiss is a strong, herbaceous apple brandy drink made with Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine. It's a spirit-forward sipper for sure, all apples, herbs, and sweetness. It's almost a touch savory as well. Definitely an interesting and complex drink, and one of the more famous Yellow Chartreuse cocktails.

History: The first mention of the Widow's Kiss is in the 1895 book Modern American Drinks by George Kappeler. Kappeler was the head bartender at Holland House, a fancy New York hotel on the corner of 5th Avenue and 30th Street. It's assumed that he created the recipe.

Haigh's recipe matches Kappeler's (1.5 oz apple brandy and 3/4 oz. each of the Benedictine and Chartreuse), but despite my devotion to cocktail history I decided to use the specs from The PDT Cocktail Book instead. I've come to trust PDT on the classics and thought that their version with less Benedictine and Chartreuse would be more to my taste.

Widow's Kiss

2 oz. apple brandy or Calvados
1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz. Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Recipe and history from The PDT Cocktail Book.

Ursa Major with Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon

Winter seems to have finally caught up with us here in Boston, and it's time to break out the hot toddies. The only thing cozier than a steaming mug of tea is a steaming mug of tea and whiskey. Or whatever your spirit of choice might be. If you're on the fence, I've got the perfect suggestion: Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon.

Bärenjäger (which translates to "bear hunter") has been making a delicious Honey Liqueur for over a hundred years. It was supposedly formulated by bear hunters to lure bears out of their dens, and is sometimes called Bärenfang ("bear trap").

Recently, Bärenjäger got the genius idea to mix their honey liqueur with bourbon, and Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon was born. One taste of this stuff and you won't want to pick up a bottle of Jack Daniels ever again. The flavor in Bärenjäger is pure, natural honey. It's definitely on the sweet side, but if that's your thing you're going to love sipping on it. Otherwise it's a fantastic addition to cocktails.

The honey flavor and the cold weather got me thinking of how I would drink black tea with honey when I was sick as a kid. Honey and tea are a natural match, so a hot toddy seemed like the perfect drink for Bärenjäger. With a little Allspice Dram, lemon, and cinnamon syrup, you're going to want to curl up with one of these all winter long. And I'm thinking an iced version is going to have to happen this summer. Maybe with some ginger liqueur instead of the Allspice Dram? The possibilities are endless.

Ursa Major

1 1/2 oz. Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon
1/2 oz. Allspice Dram
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. cinnamon syrup*
1 oz. hot water
3 oz. brewed hot black tea

Combine all ingredients in a mug and stir gently. Garnish with star anise.

*For cinnamon syrup, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces, and let simmer for a minute or so. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for at least four hours and up to 12 hours. Fine-strain before using.

This post was sponsored by Bärenjäger. All opinions are my own.

Chartreuse Swizzle

It's January, and you know what that means - it's time to Tiki the Snow Away! This midwinter celebration of all things Tiki was started by Dani DeLuca and Nic Titze. Living in Boston, it's usually a welcome escape from the cold and snow for me. This year is a bit odd - no snow to Tiki away and temperatures in the 40's. It's practically tropical.

If you missed my overview of the Tiki movement and its history last year, check it out. Tiki is all about kitsch and fun and crazy garnishes. It doesn't take itself too seriously. But you'd never be able to tell that given the cocktail recipes it has produced - elaborate, delicious constructions of juices and rums and spices. If you're interested in getting started making your own Tiki cocktails at home, definitely check out Martin Cate's book Smuggler's Cove.

Smuggler's Cove was where I found this recipe for the Chartreuse Swizzle, and I'm so glad I did. With no rum in sight, it's not a traditional Tiki cocktail, but it is a take on a very Tiki sort of drink, the swizzle. Swizzles are built in their tall glasses with crushed ice and traditionally mixed using a swizzle stick - not a little plastic thing like the one in these photos, but an actual branch from the aptly-named Swizzlestick Tree. The stick is rubbed between your palms, kind of like you're a Boy Scout trying to start a fire. The prongs at the bottom spin and mix the drink to frosty perfection. If you don't have a real swizzle stick (I don't), then a barspoon will do.

The Chartreuse Swizzle showcases everyone's favorite liqueur, Green Chartreuse. Mixed with lime, pineapple, and some Velvet Falernum, it's a bright and herbaceous, a perfect canvas for this unique spirit and a real standout among Tiki cocktails.

History: The Chartreuse Swizzle was created by Marcovaldo Dionysos of Smuggler's Cove itself in the early 2000's. It has since become one of the "new classics" of the cocktail world.

Chartreuse Swizzle

1.5 oz. Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz. Velvet Falernum
1 oz. pineapple juice
3/4 lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a tall glass and fill it with crushed ice until it is about 3/4 full. Insert a barspoon or swizzle stick and swizzle until the drink is chilled and the glass is frosty. Top with additional crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and grated nutmeg.

Recipe from Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki.

Last Laugh

Happy New Year! How did you ring in 2019? I hope there was lots of champagne involved. New Year's is my favorite excuse for sparkling cocktails. I'm always looking for new ones to try. One thing I've seen on Instagram lately is sparkling versions of classics like the Aviation or the Cosmopolitan. Which got my wondering if adding a little champagne to a Last Word would work. Lo and behold, not only does it work, someone else already thought of it, and the drink is called the Last Laugh (because the bubbles tickle, obviously).

The Last Word, in case you don't remember, is a beloved drink made with equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. It's a combination that yields a truly unique flavor. I love to introduce people to this drink if they've never had one before. I have yet for someone to tell me they don't like it. And while a couple of the ingredients are a bit obscure for the average home bar, the equal-parts recipe makes it extremely easy to make once you have them.

In general I don't advise just adding champagne to any cocktail and assuming it will taste right, but in this case that's exactly what you do, and it tastes fantastic. It's the perfect way to make this crowd-pleasing cocktail even more festive.

History: The Last Laugh was created by bartender Abigail Gullo of SoBou and then Compère Lapin in New Orleans.

Last Laugh

3/4 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
3/4 oz. lime juice
Sparkling wine, to top

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute or large coupe and top with champagne. Garnish with a brandied cherry, as I did, or a lime twist, as Gullo recommends.

Recipe adapted from Punch.