Old Time Cocktails for Prohibition Socialite Cosplay (and other cocktails)

[perlslacker]

Hi everyone! During a quick derail between me and Totem Polar in the "Sippin' Bourbon" thread, I thought it would be a good idea to start a dedicated cocktail thread.

I got really into classic cocktails this year. It started when I decided I wanted to make Sazeracs, which is a gateway cocktail for bourbon nerds. Before I knew it, I was stalking local liquor stores trying to find Ramazotti, Bigallet China-China Amer, and other weird ingredients that no one has ever heard of. My wife has also learned to not drink anything I make now, since it inevitably comes with a biting Campari aftertaste.

So what are people drinking? I've been really into the Paper Plane recently, which isn't really a classic but it's sort of in the style of classics like the Corpse Reviver No 2 or the Last Word.

Recipe as follows:

3/4 oz bourbon (I use EW Bonded)
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino (can sub a different amaro)
3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I find it to be mostly citrus-y and not too boozy but people who don't drink as much seem to find it pretty whiskey-forward still.

[peterb]

Speaking of Campari, this just showed up in my mail. Haven’t tried it yet.
https://pelotonmagazine.com/features...ian-cocktails/

[CWM11B]

Classics I enjoy:
Manhattan (my favorite)
Martini (generally a warm weather drink)
Vesper (summer as well)
Boulevardier
Gimlet (been a long time)
Mint Julep
Negroni
Gin & Tonic (summer)
7&7 (I do a varient, also summer)

Winter time when I decide on a drink it is generally a Manhatten or a generous pour of scotch or bourbon over a large ice ball

[Elwin]

My daily go to is either local craft beer or straight Elijah Craig, and I’ve started to appreciate keeping it simple and not stocking a ton of different spirits and ingredients and trying to use them before they go bad. But I do like a lot of different cocktails, mostly ones featuring either bourbon or gin.

A favorite this past summer was a White Negroni - equal parts gin, Lillet Blanc, and Souze. My wife loved those but isn’t a fan of the traditional Negroni like I am. I like anything with Campari, and she’s really not big on it. We both have really gotten into amari though, so much so that I now make our house favorite Manhattan with it instead of vermouth. The Black Manhattan is also convenient because it uses only shelf stable ingredients, vermouth having a relatively short shelf life and an amaro having a rather long one. Makes a difference, especially since I’ve gotten pretty picky about sweet vermouth quality, so it’s not a cheap thing to let go to waste.

Otherwise I do enjoy a pretty damn dry gin martini. Lemon peel, not olives. Stirred, because unlike 007 my taste buds work. I use the cheap dry vermouth we cook with for that, since we go through enough of it that the bottle in the fridge is always fresh. And then we’ll do things like gimlets or sparkling wine based cocktails for holidays and other occasions, but the ingredients for those are definitely not something I keep on hand.

If you’re getting into amari and like Nonino (I’m also a fan) I highly recommend experimenting with the darker more bitter ones as well, both as ingredients and on their own, whether that’s neat, on the rocks, or with some sparkling water (not super boozy and tastes like better Coke). My favorites are Braulio when we can find it and then the more readily available Cynar. Averna is also easy to find and mild enough to be a crowd pleaser. Our go to approach to hosting when the guests are cocktail people is Black Manhattans made with Averna.

Obviously I have a lot I can spout off on when it comes to cocktails. I got really into them in college and I’ve been refining palette and technique since.

[NPV]

I’m a fan of a proper Old Fashion, I.e. keep the cherry juice out of it.

[fly out]

A couple more uses for your China-China:

Substitute it for Averna in a Black Manhattan, or if you want a little variation, do half C-C, half Carpano Antica for the Averna.

It would look like:
2oz rye (I use Rittenhouse)
1oz China-China (or 1/2oz each China-China and Carpano Antica)
1d Angostura bitters
1d orange bitters (I use Bittercube)

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled Nick and Nora or coupe, garnish with a Luxardo cherry (though Traverse City cherries are an interesting US option)
The original recipe, with 1oz of Averna, is also nice.

The Brooklyn is another good use for China-China:
2oz rye
1oz dry vermouth (I use Dolin)
1/4oz China-China
1/4oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
As above, stir and serve up, with a cherry

If you've been playing around with Boulevardiers and Negronis, another interesting twist is the Old Pal:
2oz rye
1oz dry vermouth
1oz Campari
Stir, strain and hit it with a twist of lemon

[Jim Watson]

A friend heard of Dante's (a NY bar) Negroni and was intrigued. But she had a hard time getting the name out for fear it might have a racist basis. I looked it up and saw the Italian connection. We laughed.

The Dante's version has extra gin above the usual 1:1:1 mix, given as 1: .75: .75.

I really liked it but she formed an attachment for gin and tonic, so that is what we drink, I am not keeping specialty booze around just for me.

The State Stores here don't stock Lillet Blanc, I can't even make a martini drinker a Vesper.

[perlslacker]

Speaking of Campari, this just showed up in my mail. Haven’t tried it yet.
https://pelotonmagazine.com/features...ian-cocktails/

Negronis are great, but I warn you: if you haven't had it before, Campari and its bitter aftertaste is an acquired taste. Increasing the proportion of gin (like in Jim Watson's post) or subbing Aperol for Campari might make for a gentler introduction.

A couple more uses for your China-China:

Substitute it for Averna in a Black Manhattan, or if you want a little variation, do half C-C, half Carpano Antica for the Averna.

It would look like:
2oz rye (I use Rittenhouse)
1oz China-China (or 1/2oz each China-China and Carpano Antica)
1d Angostura bitters
1d orange bitters (I use Bittercube)

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled Nick and Nora or coupe, garnish with a Luxardo cherry (though Traverse City cherries are an interesting US option)
The original recipe, with 1oz of Averna, is also nice.

The Brooklyn is another good use for China-China:
2oz rye
1oz dry vermouth (I use Dolin)
1/4oz China-China
1/4oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
As above, stir and serve up, with a cherry

If you've been playing around with Boulevardiers and Negronis, another interesting twist is the Old Pal:
2oz rye
1oz dry vermouth
1oz Campari
Stir, strain and hit it with a twist of lemon

Thanks for the tips! The reason I've been trying to find Bigallet China-China is to make a Brooklyn. I've had good luck subbing Ramazotti w/ Fee Bros Orange Bitters for now though.

[Lon]

I’m a fan of a proper Old Fashion, I.e. keep the cherry juice out of it.

What’s your preferred recipe?

[Bio]

This time of year, my household drinks a few bourbons with apple cider (like from a mill, not alcoholic). Ratio to taste. It's a great drink outside by a fire. If it has a name, I don't know what it is. We call it a "fall classic", because its seasonal, and it was invented (in our house) while watching the World Series.

We otherwise take our bourbon neat, or occasionally with a splash of bitters.