The Golden Cadillac Cocktail

This retro celebration-in-a-glass makes a great dessert drink

June celebrations (weddings, Father’s Day, graduations) are great fun. But then come the after-dinner speeches. You need something with heft to get through them. Preferably something that pairs well with dessert.

Enter the Golden Cadillac, a cocktail that was created to celebrate a newly engaged couple. And their car (more history in the notes).

But for now, cheers! 

The Gin Alexander Cocktail

a/k/a the Alexander, this “chocolate martini” is full of holiday cheer

Crème de cacao with gin in the mix, cream shaken in for a heavenly fix . . . . These are a few of our favorite things.

So of course we love the The Gin Alexander Cocktail. It’s a delightful early 20th century creation that seems particularly appropriate for December.

Mix one up and you’ll be tasting a historical tipple. And getting a darn good drink in the bargain.

The Frostbite Cocktail

Hints of chocolate add holiday cheer

December is here, which means the holiday season is upon us. Time for cookies! And cocktails.

Or better yet, cookies with cocktails.

If that combo sounds odd, you need to try the Frostbite Cocktail. This drink is full of rich cream and chocolatey crème de cacao. So it fits right in with holiday baked goodies.

The surprise ingredient in this cocktail is tequila, a tough-guy liquor that few associate with dessert. But in the Frostbite, sweet cream mellows the bite of tequila—and chocolate turns it into Santa’s little helper.

So mix up a round of these for some festive cheer. Then raid the cookie jar.

The Smith and Curran Cocktail

AKA Smith and Kearns, this tastes like a boozy chocolate egg cream

This drink goes by many names. It’s often called the Smith and Kearns, the Smith and Kearn (or Kern), or the Smith and Currans. Different monikers, same drink.

But its proper name is the Smith and Curran. That’s because it was named after two oilmen, Wendell Smith and James Curran. Over the years, people apparently misheard “Curran” as “Kearns.” Hence the differing names.  But no matter what you call it, this is a great drink.

More cocktail history later.  Right now, let’s learn how to make one of these lovelies.

The Twentieth Century Cocktail

Named after the “world’s greatest train”

Back in the day, rail was the only way to go if you were traveling any distance at all. Trains were fast, reliable, and comfortable. From 1902 to 1967, one of the fanciest was the 20th Century Limited, which offered service between New York City’s Grand Central Terminal and Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station.

The 20th Century Limited aimed to attract high-income travelers. Women received flowers and perfume when boarding the train, while men got carnations. Passengers boarded and detrained on a crimson carpet that was rolled out for their exclusive use (that’s how the phrase “red carpet treatment” entered our vernacular).

At its height, the train offered an onboard library, a barbershop, secretarial services, and a superbly equipped dining car (roast prime rib, anyone?). It oozed sophistication and luxury. So it’s not surprising that in 1937, when British bartender C. A. Tuck invented a particularly complex and richly flavored cocktail, he named it after this celebrated symbol of excellence.

The 20th Century Limited made its last run long ago. But the Twentieth Century Cocktail is still picking up steam. So hop aboard for a sip of the high life.

The Grasshopper Cocktail

If You’d Like to Drink Your After-Dinner Chocolate Mint

Some people like to drink dessert.  Last week we discussed the Brandy Alexander, a delightful mix of cognac (or brandy), crème de cacao, and heavy cream. Switch out the cognac for green crème de menthe and you have the Grasshopper Cocktail, which may be the ultimate dessert drink.

Chocolaty crème de cacao and minty crème de menthe are both sweet. Add cream, and you have a rich drink that tastes an awful lot like one of those dinner mints you sometimes see — such as Andes Chocolate Mints. And although both crème ingredients contain enough alcohol to provide some grown-up pleasure, the total amount is perhaps half of what you’d get in a regular drink. So after a big dinner with lots of wine, you’re not adding too much more to your total intake.

Best of all, the festive green color of the Grasshopper is seasonally appropriate. Add a candy cane garnish, and this drink just screams Christmas.

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.