The Tipperary Cocktail

Irish whiskey makes this classic a natural for St. Patrick’s Day

This drink features Irish whiskey and sweet vermouth (so it resembles a Celtic Manhattan). But there’s also green Chartreuse liqueur in the mix – which makes for an extra tangy drink.

And who can resist tangy?

The Improved Holland Gin Cocktail

Orange curaçao enlivens this 19th century classic

We love summer! Here at Kitchen Riffs, it signals the start of our annual Summer Sippin’ and Snarfin’ Series (more about that in the Notes).

We’re kicking off this season with the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail (sometimes called the Improved Gin Cocktail). What’s improved about it? The inclusion of orange curaçao, which adds just a hint of sweetness.

So kick back and get ready to sip your way through summer. Proost!

The Monte Carlo Cocktail

Elegant as its Riviera namesake

The Monte Carlo is super smooth. Fitting, that.

It’s a rye-based sipper, which makes it nice and warming. That’s perfect for autumn (which is rapidly approaching in our part of the world).

This drink will perk you up on a chilly night. And you want to be perky, don’t you?

The Rob Roy Cocktail

Even non-scotch drinkers will enjoy this Manhattan variant
   
A scotch-based cocktail? Aye!

The Rob Roy dates back to the 19th century. And it has aged well – much like its signature ingredient.

The drink probably was named after a popular operetta. Which is appropriate, because you’ll soon be singing its praises.

The Blackthorn Cocktail

Made with Irish whiskey, this elixir is perfect for St. Pat’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up soon. So how about a drink?

We suggest the Blackthorn (sometimes spelled Blackthorne), which mixes Irish whiskey with sweet vermouth, absinthe, and bitters.

It’s bracing and tasty. And just right for getting your Irish on.

The Journalist Cocktail

Stop the presses! You’ll need one of these to survive election season

The political news lately has been . . . interesting. So let’s raise a glass to the journalists who insist on bringing it to us.

Journalists are reputed to be hard-living, hard-drinking folks – with a particular fondness for gin. So this drink is a fitting honor for them. And it has enough clout to soothe our nerves during the closing days of this presidential campaign.

So mix up a batch and remind yourself that the election will soon be over. Then no news will be good news.

The Bee's Knees Cocktail

Perfect for Father’s Day. Because Dad is, well, the bee’s knees.

In the US, Father’s Day is this Sunday, the 19th.  If you’re searching for an appropriate celebratory drink, look no further.

This cocktail is a charmer. Not to mention a terrific thirst quencher for the hot weather we’re having now in much of the country.

“Bee’s knees” was 1920s flapper slang for “the best.” And this drink – like Dad – is.

The Hearn's Cocktail

Irish whiskey makes this drink perfect for St. Pat’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon. So let’s have a drink!

We can suggest the perfect tipple: The Hearn’s Cocktail, born at the original Waldorf Astoria hotel bar in New York City.

New York was once home to thousands of Irish immigrants, so NYC bartenders knew how to handle Irish whiskey.

Let’s all benefit from their knowledge, and get our Irish on.

The Washington Cocktail

A taste of American history

Presidential primary season has begun here in the US. So let’s kick it off with a Washington Cocktail, in honor of our first president.

This spritely drink combines dry vermouth with brandy (or cognac). It’s perfect before dinner. And it has a fairly low alcohol quotient, so it won’t slow you down if you need to make a quick escape from invading redcoats. 

Admittedly, no one knows for sure whether this cocktail was named after George Washington. It could have been named for the city of Washington, DC. Or some other Washington altogether.

But we mustn’t let facts get in the way. It’s political season, after all.

The Yale Cocktail

Hints of violet add zest to this aromatic drink

It’s back to school time (again).

Last month we featured The Harvard Cocktail. So it’s only fitting that we now highlight a drink named after Harvard’s great ivy league rival, Yale University.

Especially since November is when many US colleges meet their traditional foes on the football field to decide which school gets bragging rights for the year.

In the spirit of unbiased research, we’ll drink to both sides.

The Harvard Cocktail

This Ivy Leaguer is top of its class

We’re back from vacation. We had a swell time, and did loads of fun stuff. Including a visit to Boston and Cape Cod (more on that later).

Boston is chock-full of colleges and universities. One of the best known is Harvard, an institution of diverse accomplishments—including having a cocktail named after it.

The Harvard Cocktail contains brandy, which we find rather warming. So it’s perfect for the cool autumn weather we’re beginning to enjoy in our part of the US.

To celebrate our trip to Boston, we’re featuring Harvard’s namesake drink in today’s post. Travel is so educational.

The Bamboo Cocktail

Bright flavor, low alcohol—the perfect warm-weather apéritif

Temperatures have started to climb in our part of the world, with humidity following suit. So we’re looking for pre-dinner drinks that are refreshing, but not filling.

Good thing we found the Bamboo Cocktail—a tasty combination of sherry and vermouth. It loads on the flavor, but goes light on the booze.

So your mom would love it. Which is handy, since Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday. Sip it while singing her praises.

The Delmonico Cocktail

A taste of New York history

Delmonico’s restaurant opened for business in lower Manhattan in 1827—and forever changed the way we eat out in America. It was the first restaurant to introduce à la carte dining in the US. That was a major innovation at a time when most commercial eating establishments were inns or dining halls, where people ate whatever the house happened to be dishing up that day.

The Delmonico steak (a fancy cut from the short loin) was invented at the new restaurant. So too reportedly were Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Lobster Newburg, and Chicken à la Keene (today known as Chicken à la King).

The Delmonico Cocktail was yet another of the restaurant’s inventions. Their house drink was a gin- and brandy-based concoction, livened up with both sweet and dry vermouth.

This sip of cocktail history still tastes great before dinner. Or as a nightcap after an evening at the theatre.

Dry Martini Cocktail

Splash an Olive into this Classic Concoction — and Enjoy

Everybody knows the Martini, right?  Well, sort of.

Everybody knows the name, but not everybody has sipped the classic version recently – if ever. 

Say “Martini” today, and your listener will probably imagine one of those “something-tinis” that just happen to be served in a martini glass.  You know what I mean — drinks whose predominant flavor is apple or raspberry or chocolate or expresso.  Even when people want to drink the “real” thing, they may order a vodka Martini.

All those drinks may be good in their own way.  But they aren’t the Martini.