What Cocktails are you drinking lately?

Hodors Appletart

Myself and Mrs Appletart (let's call her The Tart for short) have a tradition where when we down tools on a friday we mix a couple of cocktails.

We have a few on rotation the recipes for which we've cobbled together over the last year or so

Bourbon Jam

• 50ml Bourbon
• 25ml Raspberry Jam (seedless if possible)
• 5ml Maple Syrup
• Into a shaker with ice
• drain into a tall glass rimmed with sugar & lemon zest and a few ice cubes and top off with about 100ml Tonic

Espresso Martini

• 35ml Tia Maria / Kahlua
• 25ml Vodka
• 35ml Espresso shot
• Into a shaker with ice
• Drain into martini glasses and garnish with 3 coffee beans

Moscow Mule

• 50ml Vodka
• 3ml Lime Juice
• 100ml Ginger Beer (not ginger ale, you want the kick)
• All into a glass over ice, stir and serve

Dark & Stormy
This is the same as a Mule but with Dark Rum instead of Vodka

• 50ml Dark Rum
• 3ml Lime Juice
• 100ml Ginger Beer
• All into a glass over ice, stir and serve

Gin Buck (with a twist)
Again, a twist on a basic Mule recipe (I actually think the Buck came first)

• 50ml Gin
• 25ml Marmalade
• Shake these with Ice
• Drain into a glass with ice
• 100ml Ginger Beer stir and serve

Irish Bitter Buck
Another Mule twist

• 50ml Irish Whiskey
• 3 dashes of bitters
• 100ml Ginger Beer
• All into a glass over ice, stir and serve

Any comments on the above?

We're always on the lookout for more too, so please add your own!

odyssey06

BLACK BUSH BASIL CRUSH

Ingredients
• 50ml Black Bush
• 20ml sugar syrup
• 20ml fresh lime juice
• 6 large basil leaves
• 5-8 dashes of a hot sauce of your choosing
• Ice

Method

1. Add basil to shaker, press lightly down on the leaves with a long, thin object.
2. Add lime juice, sugar syrup, hot sauce and Black Bush (in that order).
3. Add ice to shaker and shake hard for 20 seconds.
4. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, and serve.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/whats-on/food-drink-news/two-bushmills-irish-whiskey-cocktails-19414784

Hodors Appletart

like Frank's or similar?

ciaran76

50ml of Bushmills Original
25ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 whole egg white

Pour 50ml of Bushmills Original into a shaker.
Add 25ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 whole egg white.
Shake together.
Add ice then shake again.
Strain over cubed ice into a rocks glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Lazily sometimes I just put all in together with ice and shake instead of the 2 seperate shakes.

ciaran76

odyssey06 wrote: »

BLACK BUSH BASIL CRUSH

Ingredients
• 50ml Black Bush
• 20ml sugar syrup
• 20ml fresh lime juice
• 6 large basil leaves
• 5-8 dashes of a hot sauce of your choosing
• Ice

Method

1. Add basil to shaker, press lightly down on the leaves with a long, thin object.
2. Add lime juice, sugar syrup, hot sauce and Black Bush (in that order).
3. Add ice to shaker and shake hard for 20 seconds.
4. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, and serve.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/whats-on/food-drink-news/two-bushmills-irish-whiskey-cocktails-19414784

Thought this was going to be terrible but turned out a favourite of mine now.

Hodors Appletart

that's an old fash right?

Creamy Goodness

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

that's an old fash right?

be more of a whiskey sour, old fashioned don't have lime juice.

odyssey06

Inspired by 'Captain Jack' Highball
(which is Captain Morgans mixed with Jack Daniels)

• 35 ml basic Irish blended whiskey
• 15 ml Havana Club
• 5 ml Lime Juice
• 3 dashes Agnostura bitters or 5 ml orange liqueur
• Ice
• Top with dash ginger ale & cola in ratio 1:2

Hodors Appletart

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

be more of a whiskey sour, old fashioned don't have lime juice.

heh, thanks, I did mean this and go mixed up

odyssey06

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

like Frank's or similar?

I assume so, I still have the bottle of Rebel Chilli from the original Bushmills tasting event so haven't branched out yet...

Insect Overlord

My preferred twist on the White Russian:

Equal measure of Vodka, Kahlua and Bailey's over ice in a rocks glass, topped up with milk and gently stirred.

flended12

ciaran76 wrote: »

50ml of Bushmills Original
25ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 whole egg white

Pour 50ml of Bushmills Original into a shaker.
Add 25ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 whole egg white.
Shake together.
Add ice then shake again.
Strain over cubed ice into a rocks glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Lazily sometimes I just put all in together with ice and shake instead of the 2 seperate shakes.

stated drinking these courtesy of the bushmills kit (discussed on boards) on xmas morning. Into the folks next door for dins and kept going. Was scolded and put to bed at 11.30pm xmas eve apparently. Slept like a small child!

L1011

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

that's an old fash right?

Old Fashioned wouldn't have citrus juice, basil or hot sauce; would have bitters. Bitter isn't sour, as another poster quite firmly points out when this comes up :pac:

edit: based on timings you were probably replying to the recipe above which is a lot closer but still has an egg white so not an Old Fashioned.

Useful.Idiot

Big fan of Moscow Mules; one of the only common cocktails that's hard to go wrong with in my eyes.

Got really into Negronis over summer lockdown last year. They're divisive but insanely moreish if you like it.

Equal parts Sweet Vermouth, Campari and Gin into a shaker with ice, STIR and then strain into a glass with ice cubes. Garnish with twist of orange rind. Amazin.

For a more winter suited version, switch gin for bourbon (maybe 1.25 parts compared to the others) and now you have yourself a Boulevardier. Also fantastic.

Twee.

I've been making Sweet Manhattans at home mostly for the past few months but only got some cocktail cherries recently. Really balances the drink off perfectly, that tiny bit of extra sweetness from the syrup on the cherries.

60ml bourbon, 30ml sweet vermouth, dash of Angostura bitters. Stir with ice, strain into glass, garnish with cocktail cherry. I got "maraschino style" ones in Fallon & Byrne. Close enough!

Made a good few Sidecars over Christmas but haven't gotten that one down yet, still not tasting close to as good as ones I've had in bars. Must keep trying

the beer revolu

Twee. wrote: »

Made a good few Sidecars over Christmas but haven't gotten that one down yet, still not tasting close to as good as ones I've had in bars. Must keep trying

Just 3 ingredients, no?
Have you tried 2 Cognac, 1 Cointreau, 1 lemon juice?

Dont be at yourself

Picked up a book called Cocktail Codex, makes for some great lazy weekend reading. It asserts that there are six core cocktail types, and devotes pages to deconstructing why they work, how flavours combine, with lot of recipes, with lots more on glassware, techniques (different ways to make syrups, infusing spirits...).

Has inspired me to put in a big order with Celtic Whiskey Shop, so Dry January is off to a flyer.

Twee.

the beer revolu wrote: »

Just 3 ingredients, no?
Have you tried 2 Cognac, 1 Cointreau, 1 lemon juice?

Yep just those three. I was using the Difford's recipe of 50ml cognac, 30ml Cointreau, 20ml lemon, but yeah reducing the Cointreau might be the way to go.

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Has inspired me to put in a big order with Celtic Whiskey Shop, so Dry January is off to a flyer.

Dry martinis, dry manhattans... Loads of options for Dry January :pac:

Thelonious Monk

Was making frozen margheritas over Xmas.
Tequila, contreau, lime, small bit of sugar, ice and throw in the blender thingy. Easy and gorgeous.

dobman88

I like a White Russian. Just pure simple to make and sip on an evening for a change.

Pop some ice in a glass.
3 shots Kalhua
2 shots Vodka
Top with milk, stir and enjoy.

Missus took a liking to Mai Tai cocktail in Vegas and I've been unable to replicate it from following recipes online. If anyone has a good recipe I'd be happy to try it.

facehugger99

Twee. wrote: »

I've been making Sweet Manhattans at home mostly for the past few months but only got some cocktail cherries recently. Really balances the drink off perfectly, that tiny bit of extra sweetness from the syrup on the cherries.

60ml bourbon, 30ml sweet vermouth, dash of Angostura bitters. Stir with ice, strain into glass, garnish with cocktail cherry. I got "maraschino style" ones in Fallon & Byrne. Close enough!

Made a good few Sidecars over Christmas but haven't gotten that one down yet, still not tasting close to as good as ones I've had in bars. Must keep trying

I've been making my own for the last couple of years.

My local Dunnes Stores are currently selling a big pack of fresh cherries for €5.

I like to use equal parts brandy, brown sugar and water,
First make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in water by slowly warming and stirring. Add the brandy along with a split vanilla pod and a couple of cinnamon sticks. Stir together.

Sterilize a couple of jars by heating in the oven at 160deg for 10 mins. Trim the cherry stalks to about half an inch long, add to the jar and pour over the syrup. Leave it for a month.
It'll keep for ages in the fridge.

I use them mostly in Whiskey Sours and Manhattans.

I would have always preferred Martinis but I find I am getting more into the whiskey based cocktails recently.

Twee.

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Was making frozen margheritas over Xmas.
Tequila, contreau, lime, small bit of sugar, ice and throw in the blender thingy. Easy and gorgeous.

Highly recommend throwing in some raspberries for a fruity drink, tastes like holidays I bought a blender in Lockdown 1 for "smoothies". Not one smoothie was made.

facehugger99 wrote: »

I've been making my own for the last couple of years.

Never even considered making my own, thanks for the tips!

facehugger99

Useful.Idiot wrote: »

Big fan of Moscow Mules; one of the only common cocktails that's hard to go wrong with in my eyes.

Got really into Negronis over summer lockdown last year. They're divisive but insanely moreish if you like it.

Equal parts Sweet Vermouth, Campari and Gin into a shaker with ice, STIR and then strain into a glass with ice cubes. Garnish with twist of orange rind. Amazin.

For a more winter suited version, switch gin for bourbon (maybe 1.25 parts compared to the others) and now you have yourself a Boulevardier. Also fantastic.

I've recently discovered a twist on the Negroni called a Frozen Negroni - you feel like you're on a Italian balcony in August while watching Netflix in lockdown January.

1 part of Gin, Sweet Vermouth and Campari, 3 parts Orange Juice and a small dash of sugar syrup.

Add the mixture along with a some ice cubes to a blender, blend together and pour into a large old-fashioned glass, garnish with an orange wheel.

peejay1986

Find it hard to beat a good Whiskey or Godfather Sour. They really are great.

I've been mixing them up by trying different brands of bitters, but in general, it's one of the cocktails I just kept coming back too.

Made some Mint Juleps over Christmas and they were lovely, but I find it take A LOT of supermarket mint to replicate what you'd get in a bar.

DoraDelite

One I discovered over Christmas:

30ml Mezcal
30ml Aperol
30ml lime juice
about 10-15ml Ancho Reyes liqueur
about 10-15ml sugar syrup depending on how sweet you like it.

Throw it all into a cocktail shaker and server on the rocks. If you're into Mezcal this is lovely and has a bit of spice from the Ancho Reyes.

Hodors Appletart

I wonder would anyone have any ideas, maybe slightly left of field, for the following selection

Irish Whiskey
Vodka
Gin
Brandy
Dry Vermouth
Cointreau
Bourbon
Tequila

Bitters

Tonic
Ginger Ale
Ginger Beer
Soda Water

Adyx

A menu proposal from a few years ago. Some stuff might be harder to find but ye might get some inspiration. None of the cocktails are mine (apart from the lavender syrup), but I did name the G&T's. :pac: The Sakura Sour is amazing if you can get the bitters.

odyssey06

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

I wonder would anyone have any ideas, maybe slightly left of field, for the following selection

Irish Whiskey
Vodka
Gin
Brandy
Dry Vermouth
Cointreau
Bourbon
Tequila

Bitters

Tonic
Ginger Ale
Ginger Beer
Soda Water

I'd be tempted to try something like whiskey - brandy - cointreau as a base in a ratio 3:2:1 and then over ice topped with ginger ale or soda water.

Tequila and tonic is a popula combo.

If you could pick up cranberry juice, cocktail cherries & sweet\red vermouth
you could make a cosmopolitan based on vodka and a manhattan based on bourbon.

Dont be at yourself

Made a Stinger (Cognac, Creme de Menthe, simple syrup) and a Sazerac (Rye, Cognac, simple syrup & peychaud’s bitters — didn’t have the absinthe) yesterday evening.

The Stinger was lovely and refreshing, would make a great after dinner drink. Sazerac was very moreish, could sip away at a few over the course of an evening.

FintanMcluskey

dobman88 wrote: »

I like a White Russian. Just pure simple to make and sip on an evening for a change.

Pop some ice in a glass.
3 shots Kalhua
2 shots Vodka
Top with milk, stir and enjoy.

Just made this using your instructions.

Absolutely delicious.

Gona work my way through this thread over the next while

brick tamland

My 3 go to at home would be an old fashioned, Daiquiri or a Tom Collins.

For a Tom Collins

3 parts gin
2 parts Lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
Serve in a high ball or similar over ice and top with soda water

Daiquiris are so easy and refreshing
Rum
Lime juice
Simple syrup
Shaken a served over ice

Gonna have to have a couple tonight.

raclle

I'm drinking Moscow Mule tonight. Very nice indeed

Twee.

Poachers have a ginger and chilli beer out now that sounds like it would delicious in a mule https://www.poachersdrinks.com/ginger-beer

facehugger99

I've recently invented the Tanhattan.

It's basically a Manhattan but you replace the rye whiskey for a protestant one such as Bushmills and substitute an orange wheel for the cherry.

Ulster says no but I say Yes!

L1011

Both the Jamesons and the Powers were Protestant, as it happens...

rje66

I've seen bitters mentioned as ingredients, what exactly are they and are they easily got?
Want to try some of the above recipes.
Thanks

irish_goat

rje66 wrote: »

I've seen bitters mentioned as ingredients, what exactly are they and are they easily got?
Want to try some of the above recipes.
Thanks

This is the most well known brand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angostura_bitters

But you can get other flavours too. They add an extra layer of flavour to cocktails, particularly ones with only a few ingredients. Should be able to get a bottle in a decent offy. Tesco up North sell them too, not sure about the South.

Nigel Fairservice

rje66 wrote: »

I've seen bitters mentioned as ingredients, what exactly are they and are they easily got?
Want to try some of the above recipes.
Thanks

I use Angostura Bitters for cocktails, some Super Valus have them. The bottle goes a long way. Most cocktails only call for a dash or two.


https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/wine-beer-spirits-other-angostura-bitters-200-millilitre-/p-1023289000

sabat

Check out the "shake and strain" android app. You just tick all the ingredients in your cupboard/fridge and it tells you what you can make. The people who mentioned negronis above- you have to try out enzonis and bicycle thieves. Literally every single person I've made an enzoni for says it's one of the best drinks they've ever had.

rje66

Great. Will line it up for the weekend. Thanks

Twee.

I have chocolate bitters that go lovely in an espresso martini. Lavender or grapefruit bitters can pump up a G&T nicely too.

rje66

sabat wrote: »

Check out the "shake and strain" android app. You just tick all the ingredients in your cupboard/fridge and it tells you what you can make. The people who mentioned negronis above- you have to try out enzonis and bicycle thieves. Literally every single person I've made an enzoni for says it's one of the best drinks they've ever had.

This app is dangerous!!!
Will try these suggestions 😊

Hodors Appletart

We had Sidecars yesterday

50ml Cognac
25ml Cointreau
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
7ml Simple Syrup

Shaken on ice and strained into a glass with a lemon/sugar rim.

FortuneChip

Very glad to have found this thread!

Whiskey Sours & New York Sours have been my go to recently

60ml Tullamore Dew
30ml simple
30ml lemon juice
Egg white
Bitters

Dry shake everything bar the bitters, then wet shake and strain into tumbler with a few quick dashes of bitters.

Or forget the bitters, and gently pour 60mls of red wine into your finished cocktail to make a NY Sour.
The red wine sits nicely below the foam, and looks the business!

Herself is all about Espresso Martinis.
Tried a few different ways, but get the best "Mmmms" when I go equal parts vodka, Kahlua (Tia Maria is too sweet apparently) and machine espresso, and a dash of chocolate bitters.

Hodors Appletart

what's the best place to order bitters from, wouldn't mind a selection

odyssey06

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

what's the best place to order bitters from, wouldn't mind a selection

Check out Drinkstore.ie or Celtic Whiskey Shop

mikeecho

Is neat whiskey a cocktail ?

GY A1

mikeecho wrote: »

Is neat whiskey a cocktail ?

Same with a cider

mikeecho

GY A1 wrote: »

Same with a cider

Don't be crazy... Be Off with you, and your fishing rod.

DuckSlice

Loving an Old fashioned these days, but i'm not sure that's classed as a cocktail?

L1011

etxp wrote: »

Loving an Old fashioned these days, but i'm not sure that's classed as a cocktail?

It's basically the dictionary definition of a cocktail.