The Swan Song Cocktail

For when it’s time to say goodbye (our last blog post)

Yup, this is our last blog post. More details on that in a bit. But first let’s concentrate on this delightful fall-themed drink.

Applejack and orange juice celebrate autumn flavors. Brandy and grenadine add extra punch and tingle. The result?

A drink that says hello to fall. Even when it’s saying goodbye. 

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

A party in a glass – from 1732

Need a cooling, cheering summer refresher? Something you can make in quantity for a crowd? Or just by the glass for yourself and friends?

Punch to the rescue! Philadelphia Fish House Punch was one of America’s earliest “mixed drinks.” Several founding fathers drank it. Who knew they were such party animals?

Take that, George III. 

The Barbotage Cocktail

Made with sparkling wine, this drink is sort of like a Mimosa – but with more style

June has arrived! Which means there are plenty of celebrations afoot – weddings, anniversaries, graduations. Time to break out the bubbly.

And we have a cocktail for that! The Barbotage contains sparkling wine, but it’s also fortified with cognac (or brandy) and Grand Marnier. The result is festive flavor with a hint of orange.

Perfect for toasting. 

The Picon Punch Cocktail

This Basque-inspired drink delivers sparkling flavor

As summer wanes, we’re looking for drinks that can ease us into autumn.

Enter the Picon Punch, an afternoon cooler that works equally well as a predinner drink. Its flavor is bracing, with lively orange undertones.

The Picon Punch is not a particularly well-known drink, which makes it a fun choice for introducing to friends.

Because that’s what friends do.

The Cherry Bounce Cocktail

A riff on a drink made by Martha Washington

Cherry bounce dates back at least to 17th century England – and was quite popular in colonial America. In fact, Martha Washington made a big batch every year (we provide her recipe in the Notes).

Made the traditional way, cherry bounce takes a few months to age and mature. But we can’t wait that long. So we’re offering a cocktail version that’s much faster and easier to make, while still dispensing great flavor.

Martha (and George) would approve.

The Hot Toddy Cocktail

Beat winter’s chill with this classic libation

January means serious cold in our part of the world. Time to warm up!

And what’s more warming than a Hot Toddy? It combines the firewater of your choice (we prefer rum, but any brown liquor works) with a bit of sugar and boiling water. The result is a smooth sipper that will chase the chill away.

Oh, and if you’re unlucky enough to have a cold? The Hot Toddy will make you feel loads better.

Just what the doctor ordered.

The East India Cocktail

A 19th century classic with smooth (but complex) flavor

As summer fades into fall, we’re looking for weightier cocktails – but ones that still remind us of sunny summer days.

Enter the East India Cocktail. Its name reflects the glory days of the British Empire, when India was the jewel in the crown.

And the drink’s flavor? Well, that’s the real jewel.

The Netherland Cocktail

A brandy-based classic with orange liqueur

December is here, so winter holidays are nigh. Send in the oranges! Better yet, pour the orange liqueur.

The Netherland Cocktail overflows with seasonal cheer. And its base spirit is brandy, which excels at warding off winter’s chill.

It’s a nice cocktail, indeed. But you may want to be naughty and have more than one.

Between the Sheets Cocktail

This flirty variant of the Sidecar is perfect for Valentine’s Day

Interesting name, no? But perfect for Valentine’s Day. And this drink tastes even better than it sounds.

Kiss kiss. Sip sip.

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 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 Suffering Bastard Cocktail

AKA The Suffering Bar Steward, this slow sipper was concocted as a hangover remedy

OK, the name is a bit . . . unusual. But don’t let that put you off. Because the Suffering Bastard happens to be an exceptionally refreshing drink. Which makes sense, given its origin as a hair-of-the-dog remedy.

It’s a wonderful cocktail for a lazy afternoon by the pool or on the beach. And because it’s a fairly voluminous tipple, you’ll take a while to get through one. So you won’t be drinking too many of these.

Good thing. Because you don’t want to wind up with, you know, a hangover.

The Milk Punch Cocktail

What Santa really wants you to leave out for him

Milk and cookies—that’s what kids will be setting out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. But we think ol’ Saint Nick might prefer something with a bit more, um, substance.

Enter the Milk Punch Cocktail: All the goodness of milk. All the fun of booze.

You can serve this drink chilled, or warm up the milk and serve it hot on a snowy evening. Best of all, the Milk Punch Cocktail is refreshing, and not too heavy—just what Santa needs. After all, you want him to be able to get back up the chimney.

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.

The Sundowner Cocktail

This Tiki drink is a Hawaiian original

We often use the term “sundowner” for any alcoholic drink we sip when relaxing at the end of the day. Preferably while watching a gorgeous sunset. But the Sundowner is also the name of a specific cocktail—several different ones, in fact.

The Sundowner Cocktail we’re featuring today was created for the Kon Tiki restaurant at Sheraton’s Waikiki resort in Honolulu. More about that history later.

Right now, just focus on the bracing and refreshing flavor that will be coming your way when you mix up one of these beauties. The Sundowner is the perfect end-of-day relaxer or pre-drinner appetite teaser. It’s definitely a drink you should get to know, and soon. Because it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

The Brandy Smash Cocktail

The Mint Julep’s little brother

Long ago, in a century far away, the Brandy Smash was America’s most popular mixed drink. During the 1850s and 60s, drinkers flocked to this mint-infused charmer. But then (as so often happens with cocktails), it fell from favor.

Well, it’s about time for a revival, don’t you think?

A Brandy Smash is basically a shorter, less elaborate version of a Mint Julep. It’s easier to make than a julep, and (usually) contains less booze. And because it’s a smaller drink, it’s perfect for times when you want a refreshing tipple, but don’t have all afternoon to enjoy a long, slow sipper.

You don’t even need to use brandy in this drink if you don’t want to. Just substitute whiskey or gin—or almost any spirit that catches your fancy.

And the flavor? Smashing.

The Vieux Carré Cocktail

A New Orleans original

Vieux Carré means “old square” in French. It also happens to be what they called New Orleans’ French Quarter back in the day. So when Walter Bergeron invented this cocktail in the 1930s (while tending bar at a hotel in the French Quarter), it was a no-brainer to name it after the Big Easy’s oldest and most famous neighborhood.

The watering hole where Bergeron worked is now called the Carousel Bar. And yes, it resembles (and revolves like) a carnival carousel.

If you’d like to ride the painted ponies, but can’t make it to Nawlins right now, no worries. Just mix up a Vieux Carré Cocktail—and take your palate for a spin.

The Scorpion Cocktail

A party-perfect Tiki drink from Trader Vic

The Scorpion Cocktail is legendary.  Multi-legendary, in fact — there are so many “authentic” versions of this drink that no one really knows which was the original.

But we do know that it became one of Trader Vic’s best-selling Tiki drinks, along with the Mai Tai and Fog Cutter.

The Scorpion (aka the Scorpion Bowl) was typically mixed in quantities large enough to serve several people — and it made a memorable impact. It showed up in a communal ceramic bowl with “feet” that looked like topless Tahitian babes. A gardenia floated serenely on top. Drinkers would use long straws to sip from the bowl while admiring the botanical feature.

My Scorpion recipe is meant for one. But if you want to serve this drink in quantity, don’t fret. In the Notes, I provide a scaled-up version that’s fit for a crowd. You’ll need to source your own gardenias though.

The Stinger Cocktail

Crème de Menthe Puts the Tingle in This 1920s Society Favorite

You don’t hear much buzz about The Stinger these days. But a few decades back, it was all the rage. Indeed, in 1920s New York, the Stinger was the “it” drink. It was a particular favorite of the limousine set — and Reginald Vanderbilt’s preferred drink.

Vanderbilt — known as “Reggie” to his friends — was then a society heavyweight and heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune. Today he’s largely forgotten, but you may have heard of his daughter, Gloria, who once designed a mean pair of jeans.

Anyway, legend has it that during the daily cocktail hour — liberally defined chez Vanderbilt as 4 to 7 PM — Reggie would stand behind his ornate home bar and dispense Stingers to all. Though the cocktail originated as a sweet after-dinner drink, by the time Reggie was mixing ‘em up, the Stinger had lowered its sugar quotient, and thus seemed appropriate for pre-dinner sipping.

Alas, Reggie is no longer here to mix cocktails for us (he died at age 45 from cirrhosis).  But you’ll find the Stinger easy to make.  And with its minty flavor, it’s a natural for the winter holidays.

The Brandy Alexander Cocktail

A Chocolate Lover’s Delight

The Brandy Alexander is a celestial mix of cognac (or brandy), crème de cacao, and heavy cream. The crème de cacao gives the drink its distinct chocolate flavoring — one that’s not overwhelmingly strong, but definitely noticeable. The cream adds richness, and the cognac provides some grownup interest. This is a very smooth and mellow drink that barely seems alcoholic at all.

With its rich creaminess, the Brandy Alexander is perfect for the winter holiday season — a time of year when many of us are looking for decadent, festive cocktails that we might not consider drinking at other times of the year.

You can have a Brandy Alexander before dinner, although you might find it a bit heavy in that role.  But the drink is perfect after dinner — it’s almost a dessert in a glass!  It also works well as a weekend mid-afternoon tipple, best sipped while munching holiday goodies.

I know there are people in this world who don’t like chocolate.  If you happen to be one of them, stop reading right here:  You won’t like this cocktail.  But for the other 99% of us?  Yes, please.