Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan is like a pop song. It was wildly popular for a brief time and became ubiquitous to the point of annoyance. Then one day it became considered cheesy and overdone, an embarrassing thing to like. It's the Macarena of the cocktail world.

Well, we're in a period where everyone seems to crave nostalgia, and I don't doubt that the Macarena is being played a bit more often these days - perhaps even without the usual hefty dose of irony. I mean, I heard "Oops I Did it Again" on the radio three times this week. And it was released in 2000, the year after the Cosmo made its big debut on Sex and the City and became the it-cocktail of the era. It's actually a prime time for the Cosmopolitan to make a comeback.

I also think the importance of the Cosmopolitan to the craft cocktail world shouldn't be understated. In a dark age of cocktails, it was something new and fresh. It reminded us that there are still great drinks out there to be made, still things we haven't tasted. And the Cosmo also made it very clear that presentation matters. Small touches matter. That's why thousands of people opted for the pink drink in the pretty glass with the dash of Cointreau instead of their usual vodka cranberry.

Does this mean I'm frequently mixing up Cosmos for myself at home? No. If I'm being honest, it's not my drink. There's just not enough to it for me - I will always prefer a more flavorful spirit like gin or rum over vodka. But I think it deserves a place in my blog archives, and I will happily whip one up on request. And if you like them, don't be embarrassed.

History: I was quite surprised to discover that the Cosmopolitan's origins are as murky as you might expect from a 200-year-old classic, not a drink invented in the 90's. It's a problem of too much information rather than not enough. Multiple people take credit for the recipe or claim to know when and by whom it was invented. And that may be because it was actually created more than once. Cheryl Charming has written a ridiculously detailed article on the Cosmo's history in which she researches all the various claims in-depth - a worthy read if you're an avid cocktail historian. No doubt some people will disagree with her conclusions, but the impressive amount of research and journalism she has done on the subject makes me feel that she is the most reliable source I've encountered. So below I will sum up her conclusions.

The Cosmopolitan is a variation of the Kamikaze shot, which is made with vodka, lime juice, and triple sec. It appears to have been invented twice independently by two different people who named it the same thing. This does seem rather improbable, but stranger things have happened.

The first inventor is Neal Murray. Around 1975 he was working at the Cork 'n Cleaver Steakhouse in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He made his fair share of Kamikaze shots, and decided to combine the Kamikaze with the Cape Cod (vodka, cranberry juice, and a lime wedge). One of his regulars asked about the drink and Murray replied, "I just thought it needed a little color." This was a joke, as Murray was black and was almost not hired because of it. His regular responded, "How cosmopolitan!" Murray would tell bartenders how to make the drink whenever he traveled, helping the recipe spread.

The second inventor is Cheryl Cook, who tended bar in South Beach, Florida. In March of 1989, Cosmopolitan magazine had just come out with an issue that contained an article on female Maître D's, and it featured one of Cook's coworkers. The cover of the issue was bright pink. Absolut had also just released their Citron vodka, and Cook had a bottle to play with. She made a variation on the Kamikaze with cranberry juice to make it pink like the cover of the magazine. The drink was so popular that the bottle of Absolut ran dry that evening, and the recipe spread to other bars in South Beach and beyond.

Could both tales be true? I'd like to think so, and Charming certainly does. There is ample evidence to support both.

So, on to the drink! There are a lot of Cosmo recipes out there, and they vary not only in the proportions of the ingredients but the ingredients themselves (regular vodka vs. Citron, triple sec vs. Cointreau, Rose's lime juice vs. fresh). I tested several versions and decided I liked the one below the best. Feel free to tweak it until it's perfect for you.

Cosmopolitan

1.5 oz. Absolut Citron
3/4 oz. triple sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Islay and Olive

Do you ever look at a cocktail recipe and think, “That’s so weird that it just might be delicious?” That was my reaction to the Islay and Olive when I first saw it in Maggie Hoffman’s book Batch Cocktails. It’s a combination of two of the coolest, classiest drinks you can order – a dirty Martini and an Islay single malt. Both of which I adore. But I never would have thought to combine these already-polarizing liquids in the same cocktail. But it works, and it works wonderfully. The smoke of the Scotch adds a whole new dimension to the savory brine of a dirty vodka martini. Olive oil and a dash of salt turn it into something really special. Admittedly, if you don’t like dirty martinis or smoky Scotch, you will probably not like this drink. But if you like both of them, you must try it. Like immediately.

As with the Principessa di Sole I posted a few weeks ago from the same book, the recipe for the Islay and Olive was printed in batched format, with quantities for 12 servings. I love that Maggie included interesting, spirit-forward drinks like this in the book as well as the usual fruity punches. Although this one isn’t exactly the kind of thing I’d roll up to a party with and expect everyone to love. So I’ve done the math and adjusted the recipe instructions for a single cocktail.

History: This drink was created by Shaun Traxler, a bartender at Vault in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Islay and Olive

1.5 oz. vodka
Scant 1.25 oz. Islay single-malt (such as Laphroaig)
¾ oz. dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash olive brine
1 pinch salt
Olive oil, to garnish.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a dash of olive oil (I like using my mister for ease and drama), a lemon twist, and several Castelvetrano olives (frozen, if you’d like).

Recipe adapted from Batch Cocktails. I was provided with an advance copy of the book.

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.

Cucumber Basil Smash

I can't believe it's October already. I thought I would be ready for some cool fall weather after the sweltering summer we had here in Boston, but I'm a little reluctant to give up the long days and warm evenings on our balcony. I'm sure I'll be embracing autumn with apple picking and spiced cocktails before long. But for now I'm still trying to squeeze a few more summery drinks in.

I don't know what it was about this year, but my backyard garden and the potted plants on my balcony did not thrive. I've only gotten three tomatoes, whereas last year I was freezing huge leftover dishes full of sauce. I tried planting broccoli for the first time, but I clearly didn't know what I was doing and it bolted before producing anything. I trimmed it back and it looks like I might be getting some stalks - we'll see. My zucchini plant put all its effort into one monster zucchini while we were away on vacation and then died. Etc. My basil is one thing that really thrived, and as it flowered I thought I definitely needed to use some in a cocktail.

Cucumber and basil is a really winning combination. I've used it before in my Cucumber Basil Gimlet. Since I'd already done the combo with gin, I reached for vodka instead for this drink. On the one hand, I'm not a huge fan of vodka because I don't think it adds much to a cocktail besides alcohol. But on the other hand, sometimes this is exactly what you want. There's enough great flavor in here that vodka felt like a good choice. Not to mention that Thursday, October 4th is National Vodka Day.

A "smash" is a category of cocktails somewhat similar to a julep. In fact, at one time a Whiskey Smash and a Whiskey Julep were basically the same thing - whiskey, sugar, and mint. But a Smash has come to include lemon juice or other citrus as well. Think of it as boozy flavored lemonade. The "smash" part comes in when you muddle your herbs and/or fruit. It's a fun drink template to play around with. Try it with your favorite spirit and some different flavors and see what you can come up with!

Cucumber Basil Smash

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3 slices cucumber
6 basil leaves

Combine cucumber, basil, and simple syrup at the bottom of a shaker and muddle gently to bruise the basil and release juice from the cucumber. Add vodka and lemon juice and fill shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a basil flower.

Bottle Swap: The King's Ginger

This post is going to be a little different from my usual Bottle Buys, because this time it's a bottle swap! Fellow Boston cocktail blogger Mr. Muddle and I, lamenting the fact that we can't buy every single cocktail ingredient out there without bankrupting ourselves, decided to do a bottle swap where we each bought a new spirit and shared half of the bottle. Today and next Thursday, we're both using our new ingredients in original cocktails. Be sure to check out Mr. Muddle's blog today for the Thoroughly Polite Dustup, his take on The King's Ginger (and possibly the best cocktail name I've heard in a while - reference for the uninitiated).

The King's Ginger was Mr. Muddle's suggestion for the swap, and I was very excited to get my hands on some of this ginger liqueur. It's made by macerating ginger root in a high-proof brandy. Honey, lemon peel, and a bit of whiskey are added as well. It's a thick, syrupy liqueur with an intense ginger flavor and a spicy bite.

I love a liqueur with an interesting history behind it, and as you might guess from its name, The King's Ginger has got one. According to their website, the royal physician of King Edward VII commissioned the ginger liqueur in 1903 "to stimulate and revivify His Majesty whilst exposed to the elements on morning rides in his new horseless carriage." It was created by Berry Bros., a spirits company that has existed since 1698 and is still operating today as Berry Bros. & Rudd. They have supplied wine and spirits to the royal family since 1720.

King Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria. He was quite the bon vivant; you may recall some of his antics from my post on the Prince of Wales cocktail, one of his favored drinks. He enjoyed good food, cigars, hunting, and the company of ladies. (As The King's Ginger tactfully puts it, "The encumbrance of marriage didn't curb the socialising to which Edward had become accustomed.") He also enjoyed driving. He became the first monarch to own an automobile in 1900, when he bought a Daimler. He bought several more during his reign. These were open-air vehicles, and the Royal Physician was very worried about the effects of driving on Edward's health. He asked Berry Bros. to create a liqueur that would warm His Majesty up after his morning drives. And so the King's Ginger was born.

Edward VII in his Daimler.

I'm a little unclear on exactly how long The King's Ginger has been on the shelves - it was sold as far back as the 1980's, but the current version has only been around since 2010 or so. I don't know if Berry Bros. started marketing it immediately or if it remained something of a royal specialty for a while. But thank goodness it's available to us commoners now!

I was really excited about this liqueur, as ginger is one of my favorite flavors in a cocktail. It seems to work with any spirit. I've made ginger syrup in the past, but fresh ginger definitely isn't something I usually have on hand, and I love that this liqueur will be a permanent fixture in my bar. Unlike Domain de Canton, which is quite sweet, The King's Ginger really has some bite to it, and a wonderfully natural-tasting ginger flavor.

King's Ginger

Price: $35
Alcohol Content: 41%
Popular Cocktails: No classics I know of; try it in any citrusy or fizzy drink

The King's Ginger is an extremely versatile cocktail ingredient - a million possible recipes popped into my mind when I tasted it. I decided to try something a little fun and do a riff on a cocktail I'm not really a huge fan of: the Moscow Mule. This mixture of ginger beer, lime, and vodka is undeniably refreshing but not really all that complex or special, copper mug aside. So I wondered what it would take to make a version I'd like with the King's Ginger. Since I generally prefer cocktails that are served up instead of on the rocks, I decided the fizz was going to go - I was going to martini-fy the Moscow Mule. And I have to say, I'm kind of in love with the finished product. This is definitely a vodka cocktail that I like!

And this one doesn't need a special glass, right? Oh wait... they sell copper coupes? Um, yeah. I had to get one of those.

Moscow Martini

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. King's Ginger
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with lime and crystallized ginger.

Historical information for this post came from The King's Ginger, The Whiskey Exchange, and Anchor Distilling.

Thai Bloody Mary

My husband has become obsessed with grilling. It started last summer, when we bought a tiny Weber charcoal grill to use on our balcony. Suddenly the man who never cooked anything other than scrambled eggs was smoking brisket and developing his own secret recipe for ribs that requires two days of work. As a pescatarian, I haven't exactly been reaping all of the benefits of this culinary renaissance, but he does make a mean veggie kabob, and we've been experimenting with more and more seafood (grilled octopus = YUM). Most recently, we got our hands on a whole fish and decided to try and grill it in the same style as the fish we often had in Thailand when we were there several years ago. I made a sauce for it by mashing together various recipes I found online, using lots of lime, peppers, lemongrass, cilantro, and fish sauce.

I was skeptical about the fish sauce, and if you're at all familiar with this product, you probably know why. Fish sauce is not named because it's meant to be used on fish, but rather because it's made from fish. Fish that is mixed with salt and allowed to ferment, then squeezed to extract all of the liquid that the salt leeches out of it. Fish sauce is basically rotted fish juice. And that's kind of what it tastes and smells like.

After this lovely description, you might be thinking you would rather pass on the fish sauce, but you've probably already had it and liked it - it's a major ingredient in the sauce that goes on Pad Thai, which is why we had a bottle to begin with. And for something that would probably make you gag if you tried it on its own, fish sauce can be a surprisingly delicious addition to a recipe. When the intense taste is mixed with other ingredients, it provides a delicious savory flavor. It was fantastic in the sauce I made that night, and it suddenly hit me that it would be awesome in a Bloody Mary.

Thus the Thai Bloody Mary was born. Taking inspiration from the sauce I made for our fish, I flavored the tomato juice with cilantro, serrano pepper, lime juice, and fish sauce. It's savory, tangy, and absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge Bloody Mary fan - I kind of need to be in the mood for one - but I could guzzle these. Without the vodka, that would probably be pretty healthy, actually. (But much less fun.)

And of course the best part about a Bloody Mary is the garnish. I finished these with cilantro, pickled bean sprouts, shrimp, and a brush of Cajun seasoning (an alternative to using it around the rim that is much more photogenic but much less practical). The bean sprouts in particular are pretty fabulous, and the shrimp taste amazing dipped in the cocktail. All in all I'm quite proud of this one, and I hope you give it a try!

Thai Bloody Mary

1 1/2 oz. vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 inch section of serrano pepper, sliced
For garnish: fresh cilantro, pickled bean sprouts*, shrimp**, Cajun seasoning

Combine tomato juice, lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, and serrano pepper in a food processor and blend until the cilantro and pepper are pureed into tiny pieces. The mixture may foam a bit; let it settle and then stir it gently to recombine the ingredients.

To prepare the glass, take a pastry brush and dip it lightly in lime juice or water. Shaking off the excess, wipe it across the side of a rocks glass and over the rim. Then roll the glass in Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's). Fill the glass with ice and add the vodka. Pour in the tomato mixture and stir gently. Garnish with fresh cilantro, pickled bean sprouts, and shrimp.

*For the bean sprouts, I adapted this recipe for Dua Gia from Girl Cooks World. Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool completely, then pour over bean sprouts and stir. Let sit for at least an hour.

**For the shrimp, I briefly sauteed them in some olive oil with a dash of Tony Chachere's. This can be done in the shells or peeled.

Trois Pêches

A few days ago I received an email from Ménage à Trois Vodka inviting me to participate in their Galentine's Day Blogger Challenge.

Galentine's Day is a new one for me. Apparently, this holiday occurs on February 13th, and it's a day for women to celebrate female friendships. As far as I can tell, this involves lots of manicures, spa days, brunches, romantic comedies, and - of course - cocktails.

Now, the cynical side of me could really have a field day with this. The whole Galentine's Day thing is definitely not my usual style. But the thing is, I love any excuse to celebrate and have a good time with friends. I've never been in the "Valentine's Day is too commercial" camp. A holiday that's all about telling the people you care about that you love them? I can get behind that. And I can get behind Galentine's Day too. Especially when there's vodka involved.

Ménage à Trois Vodka, to be exact. This is a new venture for the long-time winemakers, and it comes in three flavors: original, berry, and citrus. I got to try all three, which arrived in a big box full of Galentine's Day goodies. The original is really an excellent go-to vodka; I subbed it for the gin I usually put in my martini, and was quite impressed by its smooth flavor. But for a Galentine's Day cocktail, I wanted to play with the flavors in the citrus vodka.

What I like about the Ménage à Trois Citrus is that it's not too sweet. It may smell a bit like orange candy, but the taste is well-balanced: subtly sweet and tart with a hint of bitterness and spice and a lot of citrus flavor. I decided that peaches would be the perfect thing to pair it with, and I think it works perfectly. I chose St. Germain and Lillet Blanc to add some delicate floral notes that I think do a nice job of enhancing the taste of the vodka. Bright and flavorful, this peach martini is sure to be a hit at your Galentine's Day celebration, or any night with your girlfriends. Or any friends, for that matter.

Thanks to Ménage à Trois for the opportunity to taste their new vodkas! If you want to see more Galentine's Day cocktail recipes, search #matvgalentinesday on Twitter or Instagram, or check Ménage à Trois Vodka's Facebook page.

Trois Pêches

1 1/2 oz. Ménage à Trois Citrus Vodka
1/2 oz. St. Germain
1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
1/2 peach

Combine all ingredients in the bottom of a shaker and muddle the peach to release its juices. Add ice and shake until well chilled. Fine-strain into a coupe glass. The mixture will be thick, with lots of peach pulp, but it's worth it - be sure to strain out all that delicious vodka! Garnish with a peach slice and a spring of thyme.

For a sparkling twist on this recipe, try adding a splash or two of champagne!

Moscow Mule

I always thought the Moscow Mule was a below-average cocktail. I've already mentioned that I'm not really a fan of vodka, and mixing it with ginger beer basically just tastes like... ginger beer. The mere invention of the Moscow Mule was nothing more than a marketing trick to get people to buy vodka and ginger beer. (Seriously. Read on.) What makes this cocktail any better than a rum & Coke or bourbon & ginger? Does it really deserve its own fancy mug? And are you really going to make them often enough to justify buying a set?

Well, I'm not going to write off a cocktail until I've made it myself. Copper mug and all.

I was heartened when I found a recipe for the Moscow Mule in the PDT Cocktail Book. Not only did its inclusion in such a respected publication bring it up a few notches in my estimation, but the recipe was a little more involved than the vodka + ginger beer + wedge of lime I'd imagined. It uses lime juice, simple syrup, and a fairly low ratio of ginger beer to everything else. In fact, I thought it was too low and ended up adding more.

The finished product is not bad. I knew it would be tasty, but it's also more sophisticated than I expected. I'll always prefer spirits with more flavor, but I can appreciate the Moscow Mule as a decent vodka cocktail. It would be a great option for guests in the summer time.

And how did I, the Moscow Mule skeptic, end up with two copper mugs? They were a free gift from Redfin after we bought our condo, and if I turned them around you'd see the logo emblazoned on the back. I'm all about the free stuff.

Oh, and full disclosure: I had to double the recipe to fill them.

History: It was 1941, and Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock 'n Bull Restaurant in Hollywood, had a problem. He had recently started making his own brand of ginger beer, and no one was buying it. He shared his woes over a drink with two friends, John Martin and Rudolph Kunett, who worked for G. F. Heublein Brothers. They knew how he felt. Their company had recently started importing a Russian spirit called vodka, and the public wasn't interested in drinking it. They suddenly realized the solution to both of their problems. What if they mixed the vodka and the ginger beer together and started serving it as a signature cocktail? They tried it right then and there, and were pleased with the results. They named the cocktail the Moscow Mule, Moscow for Russia, and Mule for... well, no one is really sure. The cocktail is technically a type of Buck. It may have been called a Mule because of its "kick."

Martin traveled the country popularizing the drink, always in a copper mug so that everyone would know it was a Moscow Mule even in photographs. Why the copper mug? Well, apparently a Russian immigrant named Sophie Berezinski had designed the now-famous copper mug in her father's shop back in Russia, and had come to the US with about 2,000 of them to sell. Only - you guessed it - no one wanted them. Martin clearly saw the commercial advantage of serving the Mule in signature mug. He made ads with celebrities drinking out them, and Morgan engraved the names of his celebrity patrons on mugs that he hung behind the bar at the Cock 'n Bull. The cocktail's popularity soared, as did that of its main ingredient, vodka.

Smirnoff ads from the 1960's featuring Woody Allen, Monique Van Vooren, and the Moscow Mule.

In a way, this is a disappointing origin story for a cocktail. It was entirely a commercial endeavor, invented to sell products, orchestrated right down to its serveware. But on the other hand, it's kind of a great story. You can just picture the lightbulb going off in these guys' heads as they realize what to do.

And, if I'm being honest, it's really not a bad cocktail.

Moscow Mule

1 1/2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. ginger beer

Combine vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a copper mug filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and stir gently. Garnish with a couple of lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from The PDT Cocktail Book.

Boston Tea Party

The roundup post for Mixology Monday 100 is up! This month's theme was a tribute to Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles, centered around simplicity, elegance, and timelessness. As a result, it's a fantastic list of recipes, and best of all, they're very accessible - I've got the ingredients to make most of them already. Check it out!

My own Mixology Monday submission was the Old Cuban, an existing recipe that I really like. But today I do have an original cocktail that I think is pretty darn good. The idea for it came from one served at Miel in Boston's Intercontinental hotel. It's a really lovely French restaurant right on the Fort Point Channel, but for some reason it seems to be perpetually empty. This was good news for us a couple of years ago when we were trying to make a reservation for a large group during graduation season in Boston - good luck finding a table in May and June. But Miel turned out to be positively lovely, and they served one cocktail using tea-infused vodka that I really liked and wanted to replicate at home. Thus the Boston Tea Party was born.

As I've said before, I'm not big into vodka because I find it pretty tasteless, but that exactly quality makes it a great spirit to use for infusions. I haven't tried very many yet, but this tea-infused vodka is easy and really good. Just leave a teabag in some vodka for a while. How long depends on how much vodka and how strong you want the flavor. I infused about a cup of vodka yesterday, and left the teabag in for roughly six hours. I've done it overnight as well. I always use decaf tea since I'll probably want to be drinking this in the evening.

With tea-infused vodka, honey simple syrup, lemon juice, and a splash of ginger ale or ginger beer, this cocktail tastes exactly like sweet tea. Drinking it reminded me of the big batches of the stuff my grandmother used to make and store in jars in the fridge. It's crazy how dead-on the flavor is. It's an incredibly refreshing cocktail, perfect for the end of summer.

Boston Tea Party

2 oz. tea-infused vodka*
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. honey simple syrup**
1 oz. ginger ale or ginger beer

Combine infused vodka, lemon juice, and honey simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with ginger ale or ginger beer (lemon-lime soda works nicely too). Garnish with a lemon wheel.

*For tea-infused vodka: pour desired amount of vodka into a cup measure or glass. Add a teabag. Let sit until dark brown in color, four hours to overnight.

**For honey simple syrup: combine equal parts honey and water in a saucepan. Bring to a low simmer and stir until honey is dissolved. Let cool before using.

Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough, and time

This coyness, Lady, were no crime

We would sit down and think which way

To walk and pass our long love's day.

My mom flew up to Boston for my dissertation defense. After she sat so patiently through an hour-long talk, wondering what on earth allopatry and ΦST were, I really thought she deserved a cocktail. It is hot today in Boston, so something light and fizzy was a must. She's a big vodka drinker (apparently it's not hereditary) and isn't into minty drinks or ginger beer, so that nixed a lot of the ideas I had offhand. So we created a summery concoction together that we both really enjoyed. I wanted to name it in her honor. She's a researcher in 17th century literature, and she suggested "Coy Mistress" after one of Andrew Marvell's most famous poems.

History: I'm going to let my mom take this one:

"Andrew Marvell was a 17th century British metaphysical poet (1621-1678), whose works one scholar has called 'liminal.' Here's an 'in-between' cocktail perfect for a hot summer day in Boston, particularly after a grueling dissertation defense. Marvell's famous poem 'To His Coy Mistress' epitomizes the beauties (and heat) of a torrid affair, to be cooled off by a healthy dose of vodka, St. Germain, lemon juice, simple syrup, and muddled basil. Try it, and see if you still feel 'coy.'"

Well said, Mom.

Coy Mistress

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. St. Germain
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
4 basil leaves
2 oz. club soda

Muddle basil in a shaker with simple syrup and lemon juice. Add St. Germain and vodka. Shake with ice until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of basil.

Vesper Martini

"Shaken. Not stirred."

Did you know that James Bond was named after an ornithologist? And he enjoys a good cocktail. A few too many, even. We have so much in common.

For me, the Vesper was a great introduction to the world of traditional Martinis. Even though I love gin, a Martini was way too in-your-face with it than I could handle. But I found that the Lillet and vodka softened the Vesper and made it more drinkable. From there, I slowly inched my way into traditional Martinis, olives and all. Preferably lots of olives. I never thought I would take a sip of a Martini and say "there's too much vermouth in this." But I have, and it's all because I made that first Vesper.

History: The Vesper has its origin in the following passage from Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale:

"A dry martini," he said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm... er... concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."



Soon after, Bond names the drink after his love interest Vesper Lynd. However, Bond doesn't order the Vesper in any of the other books, opting for traditional gin or vodka Martinis (and a whole lot of other things).

The recipe for the Vesper was in fact developed by Fleming's friend Ivar Bryce. If you mix one up today, it won't be quite the same. Kina Lillet changed its formulation in 1986, and tastes less bitter than it used to. They also dropped the Kina from their name in the 1960's. Kina refers to quinine, which gives Lillet its bitterness. It was not removed along with the name change, as some people think. A lot of folks advocate for using Cocchi Americano as a substitute for present-day Lillet.

Gordon's gin has also been reformulated with a lower alcohol content since the book's publication in 1953, as have most vodkas. If you want the drink the way Fleming's Bond would have liked it, use Tanqueray and 100 proof vodka (Bond mentions that he prefers grain vodka).

As for the whole "shaken, not stirred" thing, it probably has to do with Bond liking his drinks "very cold." I've also heard a theory that he wants them to be more dilute than they should, so that his enemies will think he's drunker than he actually is. Whatever the reason, you've got to be pretty cool to pull off such a mixology faux pas. As for whether you should shake or stir your own Vesper, I say try it both ways and see what you like.

Just don't drink too many.

Vesper

3 oz. gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet blanc or Cocchi Americano

Combine ingredients in a shaker or a mixing glass with ice. Either shake or stir until it is very cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a thin slice of lemon peel. Oh, and keep an eye on your drink.

Bloody Mary

For some cocktails, I believe in sticking to the real tried-and-true recipe. As close to the original as possible. You can alter some proportions to suit your taste, but too many tweaks and it's not the same drink anymore.

The Bloody Mary is not one of those cocktails. The Bloody Mary is a do-it-yourself, be-as-creative-as-possible sort of cocktail. There's a basic formula, of course: vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, hot sauce, celery salt, and pepper. But from there, anything goes. Pickle juice? Sure! Smoked paprika? Yum. Cajun seasoning? Absolutely. Swap the vodka for tequila. Heck, I'm not even sure tomato juice is absolutely necessary. Even there you can use V-8 or Clamato for a different taste, or blended tomatillos for a Verde Mary (arguably a different cocktail, but let's not get too technical; that's not what the Bloody Mary is about).

And don't even get me started on garnishes. The Bloody Mary has brought garnishes to a whole new level. Bars use everything from a lone celery stick to an entire five-course meal (I'm not even kidding). It's a great cocktail to just have fun with. Bloody Mary bars where guests can build their own just the way they want are perfect for brunches.

I actually thought I didn't really like Bloody Marys, but then I realized it was because I'd never had a really good one, or at least one made to my taste. They've all been too one-note (tomato juice + booze) or way too spicy. But I thought the ones I made at home were fabulous. Knowing what I like, I stuck to lots of flavor and not too much spice. It was like a delicious, alcoholic meal in a glass.

I kept to the standard formula for the most part. Lacking celery salt, I used ground celery seed. I also added Tony Chachere's, because everything is better with some Tony's. For garnishes, I used to celery, a cucumber spear (I would have preferred a pickle, but I didn't have any), olives, lemon, and a couple of sprigs of cilantro. But I have nothing against an elaborate Bloody Mary garnish. Ideally I'd add a shrimp or two - yum. Now that I know it's a cocktail I like, I look forward to trying a lot of different things. I recommend this post at FoodieCrush for some suggestions, and a great guide for making a Bloody Mary bar for guests.

History: The most commonly told story of the Bloody Mary's origin is that it was invented by Fernand "Pete" Petiot at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1921. After Prohibition ended, Petiot moved to New York to run the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel, where he added more ingredients to the cocktail and re-christened it the Red Snapper.

But, as I've found with many cocktails, the most popular story is not quite correct. If you're really interested, this four-part article by Jack McGarry picks apart every aspect of the Bloody Mary's history. To quickly summarize, McGarry believes that it was not Petiot who invented the cocktail, but a Vaudeville star named George Jessel. In his autobiography, Jessel claims to have been in Palm Beach nursing a hangover when a bartender gave him his first taste of vodka. "I looked at it, sniffed it," he writes. "It was pretty pungent and smelled like rotten potatoes. 'Hell, what do we have to lose? Get me some Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, and lemon; that ought to kill the smell,' I commanded Charlie."

Jessel and his friends found that the concoction settled their stomachs. When a Philadelphia socialite named Mary Brown Warburton entered the bar, still in her white evening gown from the night before, they offered her a sip. She spilled some on the front of her dress and said "Now you can call me Bloody Mary!"

The drink spread from there, and is mentioned in a number of publications, but often as half tomato juice, half vodka, with no mention of the other ingredients. Pete Petiot was the one who really started embellishing it at the King Cole Bar (where you can still order a Red Snapper today). Petiot even said in an interview that Jessel may have come up with the idea of tomato juice and vodka, but he was the one who turned it into the cocktail it is today.

And will it actually cure a hangover? Maybe along with a few ibuprofen and a lot of water. I'll have to try it to find out.

Bloody Mary

1 1/2 oz. vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
5 drops Tabasco
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch horseradish
1 pinch celery salt or ground celery seed
1 pinch Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 dash lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a tall glass and stir well. Add ice. Garnish with celery, olives, lemon, pickles... whatever.

Recipe adapted from Liquor.com.

Victoria & Albert

While I was away, I missed the roundup of the May Mixology Monday recipes. Here it is, over at CocktailVirgin. As I predicted, my Cuauhtémoc was not the only Mexican-themed Manhattan recipe, though it was the only one that used tequila; Chris at ABarAbove created the rum-based Teotihuacan. Another one I'm looking forward to trying is Rated R Cocktails' Chinatown Moll. Well, to be honest, I'd try them all if I had the ingredients. I hope I have time to come up with something for MXMO XCVII, because I love the idea of working with local ingredients.

Today's recipe is one of my mom's favorite cocktails. My parents live near a location of New Orleans' wonderful Martin Wine Cellar, and periodically come home from tastings or shopping trips with cocktail recipes. My mom made this one and was instantly wowed. And I can see why. It's bright, floral, fragrant, and just the tiniest bit bitter. It's a lovely cocktail.

The original recipe called for only 1 oz. of grapefruit juice, but I felt the drink was too sweet and unbalanced. Increasing it to 1 1/2 really helped, in my opinion. This is also only the second vodka cocktail I've featured on this blog; I already mentioned that I'm not really a big fan of vodka in general. Even as I drank my Victoria & Albert, I couldn't help but wonder what it would taste like with some gin instead.

So, vodka lovers... can you recommend a vodka and/or a cocktail that might change my mind?

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on their wedding day.

History: This recipe comes from a Square One vodka handout titled "Cocktails for Italian Cuisine," and doesn't appear to exist anywhere else. There's a version of the handout on the Square One website, but it doesn't have the Victoria & Albert on it.

The namesake for the drink is clearly the "it" couple of the 1840's and 50's, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They had a very romantic relationship, and Victoria was heartbroken when Albert died of typhoid fever at age 42, after 21 years of marriage. Victoria wore black for the rest of her long life, and she had the servants lay out Albert's clothes for the next day every evening until she died. Their relationship is depicted in the recent movie The Young Victoria, with Emily Blunt as the queen and Rupert Friend as Prince Albert. Perhaps this is a fitting inspiration for a cocktail that is very sweet, with just a touch of bitterness at the end.

Victoria & Albert

2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice

1/2 oz. Aperol

1/2 oz. simple syrup (or less)

4 basil leaves

Put basil leaves at the bottom of a shaker and muddle until bruised. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake until very cold. Double-strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist and a basil leaf.

Recipe adapted from Square One Vodka.

Tito's Cucumber Martini

Just about everybody is going to be talking about tequila cocktails today, but I've got an alternative that still tastes appropriate for your Cinco de Mayo festivities, made with vodka.

I'm generally not really a big fan of vodka. I find it an underwhelming spirit that doesn't add much but alcohol content to cocktails. But every now and then you get a cocktail with so many great flavors in it that you almost don't want to corrupt it too much with anything but a clean, smooth vodka. I think that's what Tito's had in mind when they developed this cocktail.

Most vodka drinkers I know agree that Tito's Vodka is a spectacular quality for the price, so I happily made it my vodka of choice. This recipe is right off their website, and it's a favorite of mine. Calling it a "cucumber martini" isn't inaccurate, but it kind of misses the best things about this drink. While the cucumber in this recipe is great, it's the cilantro and the green Tabasco that really make it. You could serve a perfectly good cucumber martini with just the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and muddled cucumber, but the cilantro adds depth and the Tabasco sauce this hint of savor and spice that move this concoction out of the realm of "perfectly good" and into surprisingly sophisticated territory.

One instruction that is important in this cocktail and in most others that involve muddling anything: double-strain. You're still going to get lots of little pieces of cucumber and cilantro through the shaker, and you don't want those floating around in the finished product. You should also double strain if, like me, you tend to get citrus pulp in your lime and lemon juice.

Speaking of lemon juice, the original recipe for this cocktail violated GarnishGirl's First Rule of Mixology (never have more simple syrup than citrus juice in a cocktail), so I reduced the sweetener to make it more to my taste.

Tito's Cucumber Martini

2 oz. Tito's vodka

3/4 oz. lemon juice

3/4 oz. simple syrup

3 slices cucumber (plus one for garnish)

Handful of fresh cilantro

3 drops green Tabasco sauce

Muddle cucumber and cilantro in a shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a cocktail glass. Add three drops of Tabasco on top.

Recipe adapted from Tito's Handmade Vodka.

Classic Martini

I have always thought the Martini was just so utterly cool. Martini drinkers know what they want. Dry or dirty, gin or vodka, olive or twist. They order their drink while their friends are still ruminating over the cocktail list. I wanted to be a Martini drinker.

So imagine my disappointment the first time I tasted one and really didn't like it. The second time, too. This potent mixture of gin or vodka and vermouth is definitely an acquired taste. But once you acquire it, you'll realize that sometimes nothing hits the spot quite like a Martini. Without a hint of sweetness, it's an excellent aperitif.

The Martini many variations. It can be made with gin or vodka, and garnished with olives or a lemon twist. A "dirty Martini" has some olive juice added to the mix. The higher the ratio of gin or vodka to vermouth, the "drier" the Martini will be. Early versions of the cocktail had a very high proportion of gin to vermouth, as much as 1:1, but modern Martinis have much less vermouth (Noel Coward famously said that "A perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy.") Personally, I like a 5:1 ratio of gin to vermouth and lots of olives.

History: The exact origin of this cocktail is delightfully murky. Not only are there multiple stories to explain its invention, but you'll find them told differently depending on where you look. The Martini may trace its roots back to the Martinez, a mixture of gin, sweet vermouth, and maraschino liqueur, which was supposedly invented by a bartender in California for a gold miner who had just struck it rich. Either the bar was in Martinez, or the gold miner was headed to Martinez. Or the cocktail may have been invented at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco and sold to commuters on their way to Martinez by ferry. Or the incident with the miner may have occurred at the Occidental Hotel. Or the Martini may have nothing to do with the Martinez, taking its name instead from Martini and Rossi vermouth. Or it may have been invented at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York, and named after one of their bartenders.

Classic Martini

2 1/2 oz. gin or vodka
1/2 oz. vermouth
olives or a lemon twist

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with olives or a lemon twist. Congratulations - you're a Martini drinker.