The Zim Zala Bim is a wonderful Bitters forward cocktail. The recipe can be found via Jamie Boudreau
It has been way too long since my last post but in honor of receiving my copy of The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan, I decided to make a Hanky Panky.
Hanky Panky
2 oz. Gin
1.5 oz. Sweet Vermouth
.25 oz. Fernet Branca
I am very excited about getting a copy of this book and it kind of lit a fire to get back into posting the happenings in my little cocktail world. I have some cooling makings in the works. I will post on those soon. I promise.
I really enjoy the tastes of this time of year. Whats not to like? There are great apple products available from the fall harvest and all of these earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and the mother combo of the three mentioned before, allspice. I got to thinking about how to make a spirit forward cocktail that would highlight these ingredients and spices. I can not help myself. That is just my preferred type of cocktail. Strong!
So I decided to make a variation one of my favorite cocktails, the Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned is simple and it is great way to highlight spirits in my opinion. The Winter Old Fashioned was born. I took this drink with me to the Oregon Coast for a weekend trip and let my friends be my guinea pigs. The drink was well received. I am assuming this from the second rounds that I made everybody and the entire bottle of Bulleit that was consumed. ”It boozy Christmas in a cup.” This had to be the best compliment that was uttered.
Winter Old Fashioned
2 oz. Bourbon Whiskey
1/2 oz. Pimento Dram
1/4 oz. Apple Cider Syrup (2:1 ratio) See Recipe Below
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir with a lot of ice in an old fashioned glass.
Garnish with a orange twist.
Apple Cider Syrup
Steep 2 cinnamon stick in 1 cup of fresh pressed apple juice over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of granulated white sugar. Stir until all sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Stir in 1 oz. of Kraken Black Rum and 1/2 oz. of Angostura Bitters. Bottle and store in the refrigerator.
A very important day in history for this cocktail enthusiast.
Lately I have been a Fernet Branca kick and my latest trip to Sun Liquor was no exception. Fernet Branca is a bitter aromatic spirit. It is a grape based spirit with herbs and spices such as myrrh, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, gentian, and peppermint and saffron. I went into Sun Liquor and asked for a bartenders choice with Fernet and recieved the following:
The Toronto
The Toronto is Rye, Fernet, Simple Syrup and Angostura Bitters. Think of it as a delicious bitter Manhattan.
The Wry Grin
The Wry Grin is Rye, Fernet, Lemon and Mint. It is a very tart and bitter cocktail. Best of both worlds in this cocktail enthusiasts mind.
Thanks Erik for the great cocktails.
