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“The beau ideal of the hoodlum was the Barbary Coast Ranger and, to a lesser extent, the dive-keeper. The latter, however, was a demigod who stood proudly upon an eminence of power and prosperity such as the ordinary hoodlum could scarcely hope to reach.” The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld by Herbert Asbury, 1933.

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“Despite the late addition of chopped fresh mint to a blend of melted chocolate, egg yolk, coconut milk, rum, gin, crushed banana, and icing sugar, the cocktail was not particularly refreshing.” Atonement by Ian McEwan, 2009.

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“If truth be known, Franklin used to make the most terrible Martinis. I don’t drink Martinis, but everyone always said they were perfectly awful. However, people drank them with zest because he had made them.” I Remember Hyde Park: A Final Reminiscence by Eleanor Roosevelt, McCall’s, February 1963.

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“No inconsiderable number of society dames and damsels have a great hankering for the exhilarating champagne, the bracing cocktail and the seductive cobbler, sometimes with sad results.” Sins of New York, as “Exposed” by the Police Gazette by Edward Van Every. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1930.

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We’re happy to announce that

Andrew Jaspersohn of Untitled (at the Whitney), New York, NY

has earned a Masters of Service degree from Cocktails in the Country

CitC’s Masters of Service Degree affirms that the Holder has completed, and fully understood, gaz regan’s Mindful Bartending Workshop, and has put the program into action.

Here are some excerpts from the essay that Andrew wrote about Mindful Bartending, resulting in his Master of Service Certificate:

“I have also made the conscious decision to be kind and win over the consummate arseholes, schmucks and generally abrasive people who come to the bar. I am mindful, patient and kind. The being kind part is important, and it’s not that hard. Throwing yourself out there, that initial leap of faith can be scary, but so is walking into a bar for the first time. So when I do all this 9 out of 10 times a few things happen 1) they can’t help it but to be reasonably decent human beings 2) the facade of schmuckery gets torn down 3) they come back because they had a good time.

“So I’ve been employing Mindfulness in earnest since I saw you in August, I didn’t think anything would happen over night, but I’ve made notes and been aware and patient…which is why I hadn’t written you back immediately. Anyway here is where three months of mindfulness, on most days gets you to:

1. On solid standing with all colleagues and management.
2. Hugs from beautiful ladies who I made a specific cocktails for.
3. A free iPhone from a guest who remembered the story I told about mine being possessed by the Dark side.
4. A manager asking me to re-write the Bar Standard Operating Procedure. Lots of being mindful stuff in there now.” Andrew Jaspersohn

Here is an original cocktail recipe developed by Andrew Jaspersohn at

Cocktails in the Country

Pay the Boatman

Andrew Jaspersohn, Untitled, NY, NY

“I’ve loved Pisco since I had my first taste years ago when I was a snowboard instructor in Vermont. The place I worked brought in guest instructors from abroad and we had a whole crew of Chileans. I would crash at their house when we had bad storms and the roads were rough. This was always an excuse for a party and the busting out of bottles of Pisco brought from home. I will not get into the who made it first: Peru vs Chile Pisco debate, but I will say the first taste had me hooked…even with god awful mixers. At Cocktails in the Country I figured a simple spin on a sour would be delicious and sometimes we make stuff way too complicated so keep it simple. Since pomegranate is the fruit of the underworld and this drink is sneaky strong, “pay the boatman” seemed appropriate. Cheers!” Andrew Jaspersohn

1.5 OZ (44 mL) Barsol Pisco

0.5 (15mL) lemon juice

0.5 (15mL) simple syrup

0.75 (22mL) PAMA pomegranate liqueur

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Professor

Boudewijn Mesritz, Tales & Spirits, Amsterdam, Netherlands

“A cheeky nod to Jerry Thomas, the original professor of the cocktail world. Inspired by 4 individuals in today’s cocktail industry who are forging ahead and becoming the “professors” of our era. Stirred, slightly crazy and full of life! Featuring Vermouth del Professore, Sipsmith gin, Pekoe Supreme Ceylon tea liqueur and Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Orinoco bitters. Here’s to you Leonardo, Jared, Robert, & Adam! Created for the launch of the Pekoe tea liqueur and a house special at T&S! Cheers!” Boudewijn Mesritz

40 ml (1.35 oz) Vermouth del Professore Bianco

20 ml (.66 oz) Sipsmith gin

20 ml (.66 oz) Pekoe Supreme Ceylon tea liqueur

2 dashes Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Orinoco bitters

1 grapefruit twist, as garnish

Stir over ice in a double old-fashioned glass, and add the garnish.

gaz sez: Inspired is the first word that springs to mind when I taste this one. The Sipsmith gin delivers a sturdy backbone and great complexity, and none of the other ingredients try to fight it. The drink is in complete harmony.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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Bogmyrtle Blazer 

Jesper Strauss, Le Mouton Noir + Tall Guy Spirits, Copenhagen, Denmark

“In the process of stringing together our winter menu, I wanted to do a warm drink outside the traditional glögg, hot toddy and hot buttered rum. Blazers are a very new style of drink for me to be creating, but this turned out to be very popular from the start. The combination is a mix of sweet, boozy and spiced.

“The ambition was to create a drink with a lot of power, sweetness and maintain the flavor of the aquavit.” Jesper Strauss

A Word of Caution: This drink involves setting alcohol on fire and pouring it from one fireproof container to another. It can be as dangerous as it sounds. Practice with water until you feel comfortable with the action, make sure your service area (including floor) are free of anything flammable, and always have a fire extinguisher close at hand.

40 ml (1.35 oz) Aalborg Porse Snaps (bogmyrtle aquavit)

20 ml (.66 oz) Drambuie

5 ml (.16 oz or 1 teaspoon) La Fée Absinthe

2 dashes Mozart chocolate bitters

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Using 2 tankards suitable for mixing Blue Blazers, combine all ingredients in one tankard and ignite. Carefully blaze the drink 12 to 15 times between the two tankards. Extinguish the flame completely. Strain into a vintage tea cup and add the garnish.

gaz sez: Bogmyrtle Rules. Okay? This is a seriously fabulous quaff, and I predict we’ll see far more aquavits in new cocktails before too very long. Jesper: This one makes me think that you might actually know what you’re doing . . .

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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Bramble On

Anthony DeSerio and Ryan Henry Tunnacliffe, Sticks and Stones, Uncasville, CT, USA

“This is a ‘you can add one more interesting ingredient to a classic’ cocktail. Once again, we at Sticks and Stones were experimenting with a gin cocktail for a special. The team loves Brambles. Ryan Tunnacliffe and I pulled this together, knowing we just got some fresh blackberries in stock. But Ryan said we needed a twist, so we agreed on a flamed rosemary garnish. To which I thought, ‘Why don’t we add the rosemary to the syrup, too?’ This way we would have the aromatic flavor in the drink as well. Ryan said give it a shot … I did and it worked! We sold out in one night. Sometimes a little extra goes a long way in a drink that can stand on its own.” Anthony DeSerio

45 ml (1.5 oz) Plymouth gin

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Blackberry-Rosemary Syrup*

15 ml (.5 oz) fresh lemon juice

1 blackberry, as garnish

1 rosemary sprig, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Add the blackberry garnish. Dip the rosemary in Absinthe and stand it up in the cocktail. Light it, give it a second or two to burn, then gently blow out the flame over the top of the cocktail for added aromatics.

*Blackberry-Rosemary Syrup: Combine 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar, 150 g (1 cup) blackberries, and 240 ml (1 cup) water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Muddle berries and mix to dissolve the sugar. Bring up heat to just under a boil and add 4 to 5 fresh rosemary sprigs. Stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. Let mixture steep and cool to room temperature. Strain out solids through a tea strainer and store in a refrigerator-safe container.

gaz sez: The original Bramble, of course, is a modern-day classic created by London Legendary bartender, Dick Bradsell, and it really is a masterpiece. This twist on Dick’s drink is also a fabulous drink, and the addition of rosemary in the syrup, and perhaps just as importantly, as a flamed garnish that’s been dipped in absinthe, is simply inspired. Congrats, Gents, you’ve done yourselves proud.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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We’re happy to announce that

Pete Volkmar of Gourmet Galley Catering, North Stonington, CT

has earned a Masters of Service degree from Cocktails in the Country

CitC’s Masters of Service Degree affirms that the Holder has completed, and fully understood, gaz regan’s Mindful Bartending Workshop, and has put the program into action.

gaz sez:

Pete likened what he learned in the mindfulness sessions to “a job measuring road race courses using a bicycle.” “Concentrating on the immediate moment and letting other thoughts quickly fade out of mind, will help to pick the shortest route around corners and curves, keep track of the next mile mark on the course, avoid cars, pedestrians and other impediments in the path and follow the plotted course. Seems easy, it’s not. It takes practice,” he says.

You got it, Pete. Congratulations!

Here is an original cocktail recipe developed by Pete Volkmar at

Cocktails in the Country

The French Old Fashioned

Created by Pete Volkmar for Cocktails in the Country #3-6/15/2015

2 oz (60 ml) Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

1/4 oz (7.5 ml) Green Chartreuse

2 dashes Dale DeGroff’s Aromatic Bitters

2 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters #6

1 large orange twist for oil and garnish

Stir all ingredients well over ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Optionally, the drink may be mixed and stirred in the glass it will be served in. Bend and squeeze the orange twist, shiny side toward the mixed drink, to release the oil onto the drink’s surface. Rub the rim of the glass with the bent orange twist and drop it into the drink. Serve on a cocktail napkin.

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El Diablo Loco

Giuseppe Serra, The Palomar Restaurant, London, England, UK

“I created the ‘El Diablo Loco’ after having a cherry chocolate with my espresso during a dinner with friends; I got inspired by those flavours, and wanted to replicate them into a drink.

“I decide to use El Dorado 8 year rum as I think it works well with the idea of an after-dinner cocktail. I then infused the Antica Formula vermouth with coffee, I also used Cherry Heering and finished with a bit of Mezcal Chichicapa, to give a bit of smokiness to the cocktail, as I think it works well with coffee. As garnish, a classic truffle chocolate completed in a unique result which the idea was. SALUTE!” Giuseppe Serra

40 ml (1.35 oz) El Dorado 8 Year Old rum

10 ml (.33 oz) Coffee-Infused Carpano Antica Formula*

10 ml (.33 oz) Cherry Heering

10 ml (.33 oz) Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal

1 Truffle Chocolate, as garnish**

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

*Coffee-Infused Carpano Antica Formula: Infuse 50 g (about 6 tablespoons) of ground coffee in 375 ml of vermouth for 20 minutes. Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth.

**Truffle Chocolate: Combine 300 g (10.5 oz) of 54% chocolate and 125 g (.5 cup) of whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Add 40 g (about 3 tablespoons) of sugar, then mix all with 15 g (1 tablespoon) of butter. Store everything in the fridge for 24 hours, then shape into truffles about 5 grams each.

gaz sez: Jeez this was a pain to put together, but the resultant drink makes it all worth while. Giuseppe makes his own chocolate truffles for the garnish, but for the sake of ink and space we’re going to let you buy a good commercial brand. Don’t miss out on the garnish, though. After the chocolate has soaked in this spectacular drink, it’s a very beautiful thing in the mouth. Promise.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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MiAmor

Angelika Larkina, EBA Training Center, Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia

“MiAmor is my Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition 2016 Baltic finalist. The inspiration for this cocktail was the love, like the name already refers.

“Love is the most powerful feeling in the world. There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.

“The first sip of the cocktail is pink like the first time you saw your beloved one with air full of strawberry and raspberry aromas. Berries are followed by the apricots that give strong posture and help you to get to know each other. Smokiness and floral touch that comes from muscovado sugar helps you to fly and do everything for beloved one.

“And then comes passion… passion that cannot be tamed like Bacardi, that could not be tamed by floods, earthquakes, fires! Passion for each other! Try and feel the love!” Angelika Larkina

50 ml (1.7 oz) Bacardi Carta Oro rum

20 ml (.66 oz) Martini & Rossi Rosato vermouth

1 barspoon apricot brandy

2 barspoons dark muscovado sugar syrup (2:1)

2 dashes orange bitters

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupette. Add the garnish.

gaz sez: Me Amour MiAmor. It’s the kind of love that lingers on the breath reminding you of so many wonderful moments in life. It’s pretty much an eternal love, I think.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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We’re happy to announce that

Donny Clutterbuck of Good Luck, Rochester NY

has earned a Masters of Service degree from Cocktails in the Country

CitC’s Masters of Service Degree affirms that the Holder has completed, and fully understood, gaz regan’s Mindful Bartending Workshop, and has put the program into action.

gaz sez:

As Donny mentions below, he was a mindful bartender before he attended CitC, and I love what he took away from the workshop. Let me turn you over to him:

“I’ve been trying to use mindful bartending behind the bar, and I think I’ve been doing just that for the last 13 years, thank god. Putting 9-10 bartenders in a room with you for two days will change any of the perceptive folks in the room for the better, whether it’s an immediate change or a lasting and late one. Many people asked me what I learned when I came back from CITC, and my response was usually “Honestly, I don’t know.” I knew I had learned some facts about writing cocktail recipes, and I knew that I was forced to think about a variety of subjects, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what I’d actually learned. Coming from a man with a B.A. in philosophy, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m really, really happy about this. It’s ideal, honestly. You can buy books if you want other people’s opinions about any subject ever– but there are so few programs teaching a good bar philosophy class.”

Well done, Donny, it was indeed a pleasure to get to know you a little.

Here are some of the original cocktail recipes developed by Donny Clutterbuck at

Cocktails in the Country

Cross the Pond

1.5oz (45ml) Barsol Pisco Italia

.5oz (15ml) Carpano Dry Vermouth

.75oz (22ml) Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

.5oz (15ml) 1:1 Simple Syrup

2oz (60ml) Soda Water

Lime Peel for Garnish

Chilled Collins Glass

Build all but the soda and lime peel in a shaker, then fill with ice and shake for ten seconds. Fine strain to remove ice shards into a Collins glass full of ice, add soda to top, then express lime peel atop glass. Drop lime peel into glass, add straw, serve!

Baby Boo

1.5oz (45ml) Highland Park 12 Year Scotch

1.5oz (45ml) Punt e Mes Sweet Vermouth

.5oz (15ml) Sapins 55

Lemon Peel for Garnish

Chilled Coupe Glass

Combine all but lemon peel in a mixing glass, fill with ice, and stir for 15 seconds. Strain liquid into a chilled coupe, then express lemon peel over drink and discard peel.

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Final Straw

Geoff Fewell, Boilermaker House, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

“Enjoy—there is no garnish by the way. Please don’t fiddle with the recipe…. No Ellen and I may buy you a drink.” Geoff Fewell

20 ml (.66 oz) Laphroaig Quarter Cask scotch whisky

20 ml (.66 oz) Bénédictine

20 ml (.66 oz) Chartreuse M.O.F.

20 ml (.66 oz) fresh lemon juice

Shake over ice and double-strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass or coupette.

gaz sez: Sorry to say, Geoff, that I had no Chartreuse M.O.F. (Cuvée des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Sommeliers), so I used the regular yellow Chartreuse when I tested this, and I must say that it’s a delightful quaff, indeed. Nice use of Laphroaig in this one, sir!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

The post 101 Best New Cocktails: Final Straw by Geoff Fewell, Boilermaker House, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia appeared first on gaz regan.

Williams Christ Superstar

Björn Bochinski, Lux Bar, Münster, Germany

“This is a German twist on one of my favourite drinks, the Old Cuban. The Jägermeister balances the fresh and dry notes of the drink and adds more complexity to the drink.” Björn Bochinski

50 ml (1.7 oz) Williams Christ pear eau de vie

10 ml (.33 oz) Jägermeister

15 to 20 ml (.5 to .66 oz) fresh lemon juice, depending on the Riesling

20 ml (.66 oz) sugar syrup

8 to 10 mint leaves (reserve one as garnish)

Dry German sparkling Riesling wine

Shake all ingredients except the Riesling over ice. Fine-strain into a chilled coupette and top with the Riesling. Add the garnish.

gaz sez: Simply deeeeelishush! I love how your brain works, Björn!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

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We’re happy to announce that

David A. Roth of Cask Bar & Kitchen, New York, NY, USA

has earned a Masters of Service degree from Cocktails in the Country

CitC’s Masters of Service Degree affirms that the Holder has completed, and fully understood, gaz regan’s Mindful Bartending Workshop, and has put the program into action.

gaz sez:

David obviously understood what this course is all about as you can see by his comments here: “Everyone wins when the bartender is practicing mindfulness,” says David, “I was reminded to taste the spirits I’m working with and balance in my drinks is something I always strive for . . . The Mindful Bartender module was very helpful to me. In fact, I feel like it was designed specifically with me in mind. This module addresses the issues and challenges I have with mentally preparing for work. I have taken the tips like meditating before work to help me prepare for my shift . . . I definitely have my more mindful days than others but now I am thinking about it more and I hope that it will become routine sooner than later. Your class was just the thing I needed. I will look at the modules often as a reminder to keep me on track.”

Nicely said David, and congratulations on your Master of Service Certificate!

Here are some of the original cocktail recipes developed by David A. Roth at

Cocktails in the Country

Raspberry Bourbon Sour

As created at CITC 2015 by David A. Roth, Class 6

45 ml (1.5 oz)  Elijah Craig 12

15 ml (.50 oz) Chambord

15 ml (.50 oz) Simple Syrup (1:1)

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon Peel as garnish

Shake vigorously with ice and double strain to capture any ice shards and lemon pulp, into a chilled coupe. Release the oils from the lemon twist over the top of the drink and add the garnish into the glass. Smile!

Highland Aulde Fashioned

As created at CITC 2015 by David A. Roth, Class 6

60 ml (2 oz)  Highland Park 12

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Simple Syrup (1:1)

2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

1 Dash Dale DeGroff’s Bitters

Orange Peel as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a ice filled rocks glass. Release the oils from the orange twist over the top of the drink and add the garnish into the glass. Smile Again!

Guatemalan Manhattan

As created at CITC 2015 by David A. Roth, Class 6

60 ml (2 oz)  Ron Zacapa Centenario 23

30 ml (1 oz) La Quintinya Vermouth Royal Rouge

2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

2 dashes Dale DeGroff’s  Bitters

Orange Peel as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Release the oils from the orange twist over the top of the drink and add the garnish into the glass. Smile One Last Time!

The post Cocktails in the Country Graduate: David A. Roth, Cask Bar & Kitchen, New York, NY appeared first on gaz regan.

“Time flies when you put bourbon on your pancakes,” said Jeanine, a character played by Rosie O’Donnell on CBS’s sitcom, “Mom”

Never a truer word spoken, huh?

The post Potent Quotable from Rosie O’Donnell appeared first on gaz regan.

Old Buccaneer

Ivan Di Giovanni, The Walrus Room, London, England, UK

“The idea of this drink came to me thanks to my father. He does, indeed, look like a pirate and, because of his look and his love for anisette I have decided to blend together Jamaican rum with Absinthe.

“I have chosen Jamaican rum for its richness and aroma. I find them full and pungent and slightly sweeter than other rums.

“I have also chosen Jamaican rum for the location of the island itself in the heart of the Caribbean Sea from where the term ‘buccaneer’ came from. In facts, Buccaneers were pirates that used to attack Spanish ships in the heart of the Caribbean Sea.

“I love this drink!” Ivan Di Giovanni

50 ml (1.7 oz) Jamaican rum

10 ml (.33 oz) Absinthe

20 ml (.66 oz) fresh lime juice

10 ml (.33 oz) simple syrup

3 dashes Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Orinoco bitters

1 mint sprig, as garnish

Grated dark chocolate, as garnish

Shake over ice and fine-strain into a rocks glass over an ice block. Add the garnishes.

gaz sez: I love this drink, too, Ivan, and I chose to include it in this batch of 101BNC because of the fine job you did in balancing the ingredients—the Absinthe is evident, but not overpowering, and the Orinoco bitters pull the whole thing together pretty elegantly. Yo Ho Ho!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

The post 101 Best New Cocktails: Old Buccaneer by Ivan Di Giovanni, The Walrus Room, London, England, UK appeared first on gaz regan.

Golden Girls

Yi Chen, Berlyn Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY, USA

“I created this cocktail for a love interest who had a particular love for lavender, tequila, and the American television show, The Golden Girls. The show’s quartet of women is represented by the color of the tequila and the yellow Chartreuse, and lime, and is appropriately named for the resulting color of the cocktail.” Yi Chen

Lavender Sugar*, for glass

60 ml (2 oz) Excellia añejo tequila

22.5 ml (.75 oz) dark agave nectar

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lime juice

15 ml (.5 oz) yellow Chartreuse

4 dashes Scrappy’s lavender bitters

1 egg white

Dried lavender buds and Lavender Mist**, as garnishes

Rim a chilled coupe with lavender sugar and set aside.

Dry-shake, then add ice and shake again. Double-strain into the coupe. Sprinkle lavender buds on top, then spray the top of the cocktail three times with lavender mist.

*Lavender Sugar: Grind 5 g (1 tablespoon) of dried lavender buds in a clean coffee grinder for 20 seconds. Pour the ground buds into a medium-mesh strainer (large enough to allow bud essences to sift through, but small enough to catch the buds) over a bowl. Sift by tapping the side of the strainer with a hard object such as a spoon. Discard the whole buds. Pulse 25 g (2 tablespoons) of turbinado sugar in the coffee grinder 6 to 7 times until the sugar granules are loosely broken. Combine well with lavender essence.

**Lavender Mist: In a glass container, infuse 10 g (2 tablespoons) of dried lavender buds into 90 ml (3 oz) of 80-proof vodka. Cover and set aside for two days. Fine-strain the buds from the vodka and pour the liquid into a small atomizer spray bottle.

gaz sez: Lavender, lavender, lavender! Reminds me of my Aunt Annie’s house, does lavender. I can see her singing some daft old song while Uncle Harry played the upright piano when I was a kid. And lavender was in the air. Anyway, a drink that’s so tightly knit, that conjures up such specific memories, deserves a standing ovation, I believe. Brava, Yi Chen! Brava!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

The post 101 Best New Cocktails: Golden Girls by Yi Chen, Berlyn Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY, USA appeared first on gaz regan.

Devil’s Pitchfork

Ted Kilgore, Planter’s House, Saint Louis, MO, USA

“As I was catching up on some emails and checking newsletters I rarely have time to read any more now that I am an owner, a Difford’s Guide article about gentian root liqueurs piqued my interest. In this post it was revealed that the tool they used to harvest the roots is called a Devil’s Pitchfork. I of course thought there needs to be a drink with that name and it needs to be with an unruly amount of gentian liqueur. After sending for test subjects to try the abomination in my brain, the Devil’s Pitchfork was agreed upon. I now promise to stop bothering you with weird evil drinks that cause depravity.” Ted Kilgore

30 ml (1 oz) Rittenhouse rye whiskey (oh come on Gaz, you knew it was going to start that way, didn’t you?)

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Suze liqueur

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Salers aperitif

7.5 ml (.25 oz) Joseph Cartron crème de cerise (or Cherry Heering)

2 dashes Bittercube Corazòn bitters

1 long grapefruit twist, as garnish (see Note)

1 cherry, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a highball glass with a big cube of ice. Add the garnishes.

Note: Trim one end of the grapefruit twist into 3 points to resemble pitchfork tines. We use custom ice cylinders and wrap the twist up the side and lay it across the top.

gaz sez: I’ll be uber-sad if Ted Kilgore ever stops bothering me with weird evil drinks that cause depravity. It’s what he does best. Good to see you’re still a crazy bastard, Ted, and that your current creations are so well put together. I’d never expect less from you.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

Find the 101 Best New Cocktails App, and the book, right HERE

The post 101 Best New Cocktails: Devil’s Pitchfork by Ted Kilgore, Planter’s House, Saint Louis, MO, USA appeared first on gaz regan.