Five Finger Death Punch

David Adams, The Dead Canary, Cardiff, Glamorgan, UK

“After reading through a bunch of Dead Rabbit recipes for ‘over the bar punches’ I was hungry to create something of my own that I could serve to guests to introduce them to the category. We’d been playing around at work with the idea of creating a ‘house whisky blend’ that we could serve in a number of classics to industry friends and it just so happened that this blend had just the right level of smokiness and maltiness to make for a really balanced and cracking punch. (We premix the whisky to improve speed of service.) The peach liqueur really adds to the drink and makes it a little more accessible for the general public than a lot of other drinks with a potent whisky base.

“The name Five Finger Death Punch is in reference to the five different whisk(e)ys, the potency of the drink, the heavy metal band, and classic martial arts cinema.

“This drink has quickly become our best seller at The Dead Canary and is a great alternative for those ordering Long Island iced teas purely for the number of different spirits!” David Adams

12.5 ml (.42 oz) Buffalo Trace bourbon

12.5 ml (.42 oz) Rittenhouse 100 rye whiskey

12.5 ml (.42 oz) Teeling Single Grain Irish whiskey

12.5 ml (.42 oz) Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky

10 ml (.33 oz) Ardbeg scotch whisky

15 ml (.5 oz) crème de pêche

25 ml (.8 oz) lemon sherbet

25 ml (.8 oz) fresh lemon juice

2 dashes Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Orinoco bitters

Grated nutmeg, as garnish

Shake well and strain into a chilled punch glass over a large shard of ice. Add the garnish.

gaz sez: I must admit that I find the “house blend whiskey” concept a little odd, but that said, David did a great job here, so it’s no surprise to me that this drink is a best seller.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Picasso Sour

Sean Halse, Gold on 27, Dubai, UAE

“I wanted the drink to represent the artistic side of the modern bartender and used Picasso as my muse. Picasso also being famous for being a big absinthe drinker made the whole concept work, which is why I garnished with ‘The Absinthe Drinker’ painting by him. The signature stencil on top represents Picasso signing his bills with his signature as he started to get famous.” Sean Halse

40 ml (1.35 oz) Kappa pisco

15 ml (.5 oz) orange curaçao

30 ml (1 oz) fresh lemon juice

20 ml (.66 oz) egg white

10 ml (.33 oz) sugar

3 dashes Absinthe

Angostura bitters, as garnish

Dry-shake, then add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe. Use a stencil, if you like, to add the garnish.

gaz sez:  I really really really love this drink. The balance is pretty incredible, the simplicity puts it into a classic category, and oh, it’s a very moor-ish potion.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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BB King

Julian Serna, The Lo & Behold Group, Singapore

50 ml (1.7 oz) Banana Jack Daniel’s*

10 ml (.33 oz) Smoked Maple Syrup**

4 drops Bitter End Memphis Barbeque bitters

Stir over ice and strain into crystal cut tumbler over a large block of ice.

*Banana Jack Daniel’s: Use 3 peeled bananas per 750-ml bottle of Jack Daniel’s and let infuse for 3 days. Reserve infused bananas for another use. (We made Banana Whisky Sorbet and used as a garnish.)

**Smoked Maple Syrup: Infuse use quality Canadian maple syrup with hickory chip smoke.

gaz sez: Just when you thought that drinks couldn’t get any stranger . . .  God only know what goes on in the mind of Julian Serna, but this drink proves that, as weird as the recipe looks, he sure as heck knows what he’s doing. You’re a brave man, sir. And talented, too!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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gaz regan wants to thank the following Rock-Star Spirits, Liqueurs, Vermouths, and Amari for helping stock the bar for    this year’s Master Classes.

Our bartenders will never forget who helped to bring them to the party! Promise.

Gins

London Dry: Tanqueray

New Western: Tanqueray No. TEN

Old Tom: Ransom

Genever: (Hopefully coming soon!)

Vodkas

Ketel One

Charbay Meyer Lemon Flavored Vodka

Chase Marmalade Vodka

Chase English Oak Smoked Vodka

Baijiu

HKB Hong Kong Baijiu

Tequila

Don Julio Blanco

Mezcal

Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal

Irish Whiskey

Jameson Black Barrel

Scotch Whisky

Highland Park 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Rye Whiskey

Michter’s US 1 Kentucky Straight Rye

Bourbon Whiskey

Bulleit Bourbon

Japanese Whiskey

Still seeking a high-quality Japanese whisky. Any takers out there?

Rock & Rye

Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye

Cognac

Camus VS Elegance Cognac

Brandy de Jerez

Gran Duque D’Alba Brandy de Jerez

Applejack

Laird’s Applejack

Pisco Brandy

I’d dearly love to have a great Pisco brandy behind the stick. Any takers?

Rum

Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23 Rum

Sherry

Bodegas Williams & Humbert Sherries

Vermouths

Carpano Antica Formula

Carpano Dry Vermouth

La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Vermouth (Dry et Rouge)

Punt e Mes

Amari

Amaro Lucano

There’s room for, say, another 2 spectacular bottlings here.

Liqueurs

Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur

Campari

Chambord

Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

Jägermeister

Lazzaroni Amaretto

LEJAY Cassis

PAMA

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

Suze

Champagne, Prosecco, or Sparkling Wine

We’re looking for just one bottling in this category. Will it be yours?

Et Al

We have great water sponsors in Perrier and Aqua Panna, but we’d love to get a good soda company involved, too. High quality only, please.

All Enquiries to gazregan@nullgmail.com, or jonathan@nullthecocktailguru.com please.

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One of the best bartenders I ever met worked at a pub by the name of T. Humphreys in Dublin. I knew him only as Sonny, and he passed away many years ago, so I’m afraid you’ll not get the chance to meet the man. I’m hoping that he’ll live on through reputation, though, because Sonny pulled one of the classiest moves I’ve ever witnessed in a bar, and thereby hangs a tale.

In September, 1973, when I was just 22 years old, I decided to move from Lancashire, England, to New York City. My first marriage had just gone sour, my ex and I had sold a house and a small restaurant that we’d built from scratch, so I had a few quid in my pocket, and Dave Ridings, a friend of mine from Lancashire, had been living in the Big Apple for about five years at that point. I called to tell him to expect me, and he told me to hold on. “I’m about to have a week in Dublin with some friends,” he told me. “Wanna come with me then we’ll fly back to New York together?” It sounded like a plan.

Shortly after that phone call I was in Dublin with Ridings—he liked to go by his last name most of the time—and we stayed with an Irishman by the name of Owen who had been Ridings’ roommate in New York for a while. It was a boozy sort of a trip. The three of us were all bartenders, and hey, it was a vacation, after all. Each night we hit a different bar, or a few different bars, but every night we started out by having at least one pint of Guinness at T. Humphreys.

The locals referred to the pub as Thumphreys, by the way, with the “Th” being pronounced as in “Thistle.”

It took quite some time to get a pint of Guinness at T. Humphreys, since was a perfectionist when he pulled a pint. As is the way with all good Irish bartenders, he’d fill the glass, place it on the backbar until it settled, and he’d top it up at least three or four times, letting the stout settle each and every time, until he deemed it fit for consumption. We’d often order our second pint as soon as we got our first.

Sonny was a quiet man. He made us feel welcome every time we set foot into the pub, but he was a man of very few words. I never saw him have a real conversation with anyone at the bar, but he was loved by everyone who met him.   He was loved, and he was respected. You always knew who was in charge at T. Humphreys. Sonny was in charge.

A wiry little man was Sonny, too. Thin as a stick, as they say. And he dressed in traditional Irish barman fashion, wearing a long white apron, white shirt, thin black tie, and a very smart black waistcoat. He looked every inch the professional barman.

It’s important to keep in mind that all this went down during a very tough time vis a vis English/Irish relationships. It was the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, Ridings and I were welcomed heartily by everyone in Dublin during that trip. I guess that my Irish surname might have helped a little, but when it comes down to it, the Irish and the English get along very well indeed in social circumstances, and that’s what pubs are all about, right?

When I say that we were welcomed by everyone on that trip, I mean everyone except for two young guys who tried to pick a fight with Ridings and me one early evening at T. Humphries. They stood behind us making derogatory remarks about the country of our birth, hoping to goad us into a fight. This was worrisome to me on two levels. Level one: I’m a devout coward. Level two: Ridings was a fighter. Ridings was eyeing me, I was eying Ridings, and we were both waiting to see what would happen next. Ridings was ready to fight. I was ready to run!

What happened next was that Sonny stopped serving. Regulars at the bar were shouting orders to him, but he ignored one and all. He stood behind the bar staring at the two guys who were trying to pick a fight with us. One by one, every single customer at the bar turned to see what Sonny was staring at, and not more than two minutes went by before all eyes in the pub were focused on the two potential troublemakers. They felt the power of all those eyes, finished their pints in double-fast fashion, and they disappeared into the night.

Sonny went back to pulling pints, conversation resumed among the regulars, Ridings and I ordered another round, and T. Humphreys went back to being the fabulous neighbourhood pub that it was (and still is, I’m told). Not a word was spoken about the “incident,” and indeed, Sonny had stopped it from becoming an incident at all.  He had handled a potentially volatile situation without saying one word. That’s what I call a fabulous bartender.

Fabulous bartenders use intuition to figure out what’s going down in their bar, and they react to tricky situations in such a way as to guide them toward the best possible outcome. Some bartenders might have confronted the guys who were trying to make trouble, some bartenders could have advised Ridings and me to leave, but Sonny did neither. Sonny just stopped serving and stared at the people who were threatening to disturb the peace in his bar.

Sonny, as I said, left us for that long stretch of mahogany in the sky quite some time ago, and Ridings is up there with him now—he died in 2000. I’m pretty sure that Sonny pulled Ridings his first pint when he got to heaven. Hope they’re both there to greet me when my time comes.

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Pine-y the Elder

Andrew Aoun, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA, USA

“A riff on the Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Elder IPA. Citrusy, refreshing, and crisp.” Andrew Aoun

30 ml (1 oz) Sipsmith gin

30 ml (1 oz) Amaro Braulio

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) rich simple syrup (2:1)

Soda water

IPA

1 lemon twist, as garnish

1 miniature pinecone, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled collins glass. Add ice and top with a splash of soda and IPA. Stir briefly to incorporate. Form the lemon twist into a rose and add the garnishes.

gaz sez: I had to try this just so I could try Braulio amaro (which is pretty gorgeous), and of course it also gave me a chance to drink more Sipsmith gin, an opportunity that I’d never pass up. It’s a tough life I have. This whole thing comes together really well—it’s refreshing, tart, and it packs a nice wallop.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Lime in the Coconut

Andrew Aoun, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA, USA

“We really want to show people that a piña colada was not something that comes out of a can or plastic bottle. This was a slightly modified version with a lot of character that made the drink approachable but interesting. We also do it in a liquid nitrogen version…..” Andrew Aoun

45 ml (1.5 oz) Coruba coconut rum

15 ml (.5 oz) SelvaRey Cacao rum

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Giffard orgeat syrup

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lime juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh pineapple juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) heavy cream

1 lime wheel, as garnish

Grated nutmeg, as garnish

Pineapple leaves, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled collins glass. Fill with crushed ice and add the garnishes.

gaz sez:  I must admit that I paper-judged this and found it not to be of my liking, but there was something about it that made me keep going back and looking at the recipe again over and over.  Eventually I decided to try the damned thing. It’s absolutely marvelous.  Well done, Andrew!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Heart’s Filthy Lesson

Nick Dean, Forte the Restaurant, Jamestown, NY, USA

“This cocktail came about after searching the web for David Bowie drinks in the days after his passing… And then wanting to make something all my own!

“I started with pomegranate vodka and Domaine de Canton because it was important to me that the drink be clear-ish, in order for the Peychaud’s to stand out on top of the drink like the eye makeup on the cover of Aladdin Sane.

“After a few false starts with ginger beer and a number of liqueurs, I lucked into this combination of pomegranate, ginger, lime juice and Strega — which ended up wonderfully sweet, tart and somewhat prickly (for lack of a better word). The mint and juniper and other elements of the Strega make for a long, clean finish while also adding a certain hard-to-describe element throughout. It really unites all the other ingredients, but also blends into the background more than I initially thought it would have.

“And the Peychaud’s is just the glam-tastic icing on the cake.” Nick Dean

45 ml (1.5 oz) pomegranate vodka
(gaz sez: I used Pearl Pomegranate Vodka)

15 ml (.5 oz) Strega

15 ml (.5 oz) Domaine de Canton French ginger liqueur

15 ml (.5 oz) fresh lime juice

1 dash simple syrup

2 dashes orange bitters

2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters, as garnish

1 lime twist, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe. Add the garnishes.

gaz sez:  Like a stream of unconnected thoughts, this baby comes across like Life on Mars, hopping from one flavor to another with no discernible reason.  Nice one. RIP David Bowie. You will always be a hero of mine.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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King Louie the 4th

Anthony DeSerio, Sticks & Stones, Uncasville, CT, USA

“This is one of the most recent cocktails I’ve put together. I wanted to put a hefty twist on a Vieux Carré and the honey flavors of Monkey Shoulder were on my mind. I thought of honey and ginger. So instead of American whiskey, Cognac and sweet vermouth, I subbed these all out for a lovely gateway blended scotch, ginger cognac, and port cut with Lillet. The chocolate bitters pull all the flavors together. This silky tannic twist gets its name from my friend’s favorite monkey, King Louie [from Disney’s 1967 adaptation of The Jungle Book], and the French Quarter of NOLA where the origins of this cocktail spun off from.” Anthony DeSerio

30 ml (1 oz) Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky

22.5 ml (.75 oz) Domaine de Canton French ginger liqueur

15 ml (.5 oz) Taylor Fladgate 10 year old tawny port

15 ml (.5 oz) Lillet Rouge

1 teaspoon Bénédictine

4 to 5 drops chocolate mole bitters

1 skewered maraschino cherry, as garnish

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

gaz sez:  I featured this one on scotchwhisky.com in March, 2016, and told Anthony that, since he already had one drink in this year’s book, I couldn’t include this one too.  Then I tasted it again and said screw it! This drink is far too good to not list in 101BNC. Don’t just trust me on this. Try it. You won’t regret it. Honest.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Gringo Negroni

Roberto Giudici, Fluffer Bar, Milan, Italy

“I’ve created this drink for a usual customer who wanted a twist on a Negroni with a Mexican hint. I was thinking a little bit outside the box: the “structure” of the cocktail was the same, one part for each ingredient, but each one was changed: I’ve replaced Campari with Spitz, an Italian gentian spirit made near Maggiore lake; the sweet red vermouth was replaced with an Italian white vermouth with citrus notes, and instead of gin I’ve used Del Maguey Vida, an Espadin mezcal with a complex smoky taste in mouth and in nose too. The drink was a little bit flat so I’ve tried to combine some bitters together. Cinchona, oranges, chocolate, every kind of ingredient that I thought could work together and with the cocktail too…I blended them to reach a standardized balance, et voilà. Enjoy!” Roberto Giudici

30 ml (1 oz) Del Maguey Vida mezcal

30 ml (1 oz) Spitz Genziana Rossi d’Angera

30 ml (1 oz) Vermouth del Professore Bianco

3 dashes Chocolate Combo Bitters*

1 orange half-wheel, as garnish

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled tumbler over fresh ice. Add the garnishes, squeezing the twist over the drink.

*Chocolate Combo Bitters: Blend 1 part Bob’s chocolate bitters, 1 part Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole bitters, 2 parts Bitter Truth orange bitters, and 1 part Angostura bitters.

gaz sez:  Well this one was truly a pain in the ass to put together. Getting a bottle of Spitz Genziana Rossi d’Angera to the USA wasn’t easy, for a start, but I have my sources . . .  It was well worth the effort. One of the best Negroni variations I ever did taste.  Nice one.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Lion & Rose

Samuel Tripet, Lily Blacks, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

“This drink was inspired by growing up with idolistic masculine and feminine influences. Having a balance of the two was very important to me. The Lion & Rose cocktail represents harmony between two great forces.” Samuel Tripet

25 ml (.8 oz) Lagavulin 16 year old scotch whisky

25 ml (.8 oz) Amaro Montenegro

25 ml (.8 oz) Dolin dry vermouth

1 lemon twist, as garnish

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

gaz sez:  Kindly excuse a little blasphemy here:  Jesus Christ Almighty, this is one incredibly fabulous drink. I could sip on these all night. As long as I sipped them slowly, of course, and that’s near as damn it impossible.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Maman Brigitte

Tristan Simon, A La Française, Paris, France

“This recipe came across my mind while doing research on the next cocktail menu for the bar. I was considering the French rhum agricole part, and wondering how I could balance this typical French spirit with some traditional cocktail recipes. At some point I got to the Brandy Alexander, with is a personal favorite… Then for some reason I considered twisting it with some classic tiki aromatics. Maman Brigitte was born!

“As for the name, you may wonder. I first considered calling it ‘Baron Samedi,’ for the Voodoo Iwa (god) of death and resurrection. Then I considered it was kind of a common name. With further research it appeared the guy had a wife, ‘Maman Brigitte,’ Iwa of death (too) and also of curing ulcers (an always useful skill!).

“I then ended up with a tiki twist on the Brandy Alexander, based on uncommonly used French rhum, named after a Voodoo goddess of death and curing ulcers. It was a complete go!” Tristan Simon

30 ml (1 oz) St James Rum Agricole Imperial Blanc

20 ml (.66 oz) St James Rum Agricole Royal Ambre

10 ml (.33 oz) Marie Brizard Chocolat Royal liqueur

10 ml (.33 oz) Monin falernum syrup

20 ml (.66 oz) heavy cream

10 ml (.33 oz) coconut cream

Grated nutmeg, as garnish

Shake vigorously over ice (in a Japanese-style shaker, if available). Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add the garnish. Drink, santé!

gaz sez: I’ll take 5 of these after dinner, please. Every day of the week . . .

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Geraldine’s Ginger Fizz

Chris Edwardes, Hidden House, Stari Grad, Croatia

“A summer winner that outsold all the other cocktails on our list, created for the lovely Geraldine Coates when she visited Hidden.” Chris Edwardes

4 slices fresh ginger

50 ml (1.7 oz) Beefeater gin

12.5 ml (.42 oz) elderflower liqueur

12.5 ml (.42 oz) elderflower syrup

25 ml (.8 oz) fresh lemon juice

5 turns black pepper

100 ml (3.4 oz) Sprite

1 lemon wheel, as garnish

Muddle the ginger thoroughly in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients (except the Sprite) and as much ice as possible. Shake like your life depends upon it. Dump into a goblet and add more ice. Top with the Sprite and add the garnish and two straws.

gaz sez:  I love ginger, so this baby got tested quickly, and, as expected, Chris Edwardes did a balancing act that few can even aspire to. (The black pepper brought more than its fair share to this party.) The fact that the drink is dedicated to my Sister in Gin, Geraldine Coates, had nothing to do with my love for this fine quaff. Honest!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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White Sazerac

Maroš Dzurus, HIMKOK, Oslo, Norway

“The Sazerac as always evolved through its history. Starting with cognac and Peychaud’s bitters, then moving to rye whiskey with the addition of Absinthe.

“This is my new interpretation of this cocktail—a nice, delicate yet powerful Sazerac. It’s more of a Nordic style with aquavit, Becherovka, Frangelico, simple syrup and Absinthe.

“The aquavit we produce at Himkok get very fresh notes and delicate spices, but you can use any kind of unaged aquavit. Becherovka will bring some winter flavors, replace the bitterness of the Peychaud’s bitters and enhance the flavor and spices of the aquavit. Frangelico opens up the nutty taste. The spray of Absinthe and lemon are for the freshness in the drink.” Maroš Dzurus

Absinthe, as rinse

40 ml (1.35 oz) white aquavit

10 ml (.33 oz) Becherovka

10 ml (.33 oz) Frangelico

2.5 ml simple syrup

1 lemon twist, as garnish

Coat a coupette with Absinthe. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and strain into the glass. Add the garnish.

gaz sez:  Himkok seems to be putting out some pretty fabulous drinks (see, also, the Bee Negroni), and this one will likely blow your socks off. Maroš sent me a small bottle of aquavit, fashioned by the one and only Monica Berg, in order that I could test this baby in its natural state. What can I say? Monica would never steer anyone wrong.  And Maroš’ recipe is to die for.  Get yourself to Oslo if you must, but don’t miss this one.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Bee Negroni

Maxime Verrier, HIMKOK, Oslo, Norway

“I love drinks that tell you a story. This drink is inspired by the bees producing the beeswax we use to infuse our gin. This Negroni represents the journey of nature and hard work of bees.

“St. Germain will bring the elderflower blossoms’ touch, then sloe gin the berries notes (cherry and plum) and the beeswax-infused gin will bring the final touch. Campari for bitterness and Antica Formula for the rich spices notes.

“This Negroni will bring you, from flowers to fruit, honey and spices, with a much needed bitter character.” Maxime Verrier

10 ml (.33 oz) sloe gin

20 ml (.66 oz) Beeswax-Infused Gin*

20 ml (.66 oz) Carpano Antica Formula

15 ml (.5 oz) Campari

1 barspoon St. Germain

1 orange twist, as garnish

Pour all the ingredients in a rock glass. Fill with ice and stir gently. Add the garnish.

*Beeswax-Infused Gin: Combine 20 g (about 1.5 tablespoons) of beeswax and 1 liter of London dry gin. Cook sous vide or in a closed container at 40°C (105°F) for 6 hours.

gaz sez:  Maxime and the crew at HIMKOK sent me a sample of their beeswax-infused gin so I could try this drink, so I awarded extra points for effort here! The extra points weren’t needed, though—the cocktail is superb, and stands tall on its own merits.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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Gilbert

Dushan Zaric, The 86 Co, New York, NY

10 red Concord grapes

30 ml (1 oz) BarSol Pisco Italia

30 ml (1 oz) Chardonnay (lightly oaked)

22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice

15 ml (.5 oz) rich simple syrup (2:1)

3 drops 5-Spice Bitters* (Bar Keep Chinese Bitters are highly recommendable as a substitute)

Champagne grapes, as garnish

Muddle the grapes in a mixing glass. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake hard and double-strain into a cocktail coupe. Add the garnish.

5-Spice Bitters: Using a hand torch, slightly burn 5 large brown sugar cubes. Add them, 2 bottles of overproof rum (such as Goslings 151), two 2-inch pieces of ginger, 4 cinnamon sticks, 65 g (.75 cup) whole cloves, 70 g (.5 cup) Szechuan peppercorns, and 8 star anise pods to a 2-liter Mason jar. Let infuse for 2 weeks in cool, dry, and dark place. Strain and store for use. Yields: 2 liters. Shelf life: forever.

gaz sez:  Trust Dushan Zaric to tease every last nuance out of such an excellent product as BarSol’s Italia Pisco, and to do it with such fabulous style. You make me smile, my friend.

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

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It Doesn’t Take an Empire

Simon Ford, The 86 Co, New York, NY

“Here is a new recipe of mine that I have created that I am particularly proud of. Still pretty simple but it has Gin and Tea in it so you can’t go wrong.” Simon Ford

60 ml (2 oz) Fords gin

15 ml (.5 oz) fresh lemon juice

22.5 ml (.75 oz) simple syrup

30 ml (1 oz) Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth Infusion*

1 dash Angostura bitters

Club soda

1 maraschino cherry, as garnish

Shake over ice and strain into a highball glass. Top with soda and add the garnish.

*Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth Infusion: Take a one liter or 750ml bottle of Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth and infuse it with 4 or 3 heaping tablespoons of market spice/chai tea. Let it sit for 1.5 hours. Strain and keep refrigerated.

gaz sez: “Keep it Simple, Stupid” is not a bad catch-phrase, and although Simon managed to keep it simple with this recipe, he’s far from being stupid. Lest you didn’t know, Simon is one of the owners of The 86 Company that offers top-of-the-line spirits at ultra-reasonable prices, packed in bartender-friendly bottles. And he’s a damned good bartender, too!

SUBMIT your recipe for consideration HERE

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

The post 101 Best New Cocktails: It Doesn’t Take an Empire by Simon Ford, The 86 Co, New York, NY appeared first on gaz regan.

Olivia Hu, of Sunrise/Sunset, Brooklyn, NY

Won this week’s Hanna Lee $250 Scholarship to attend Cocktails in the Country!

CONGRATULATIONS, OLIVIA!

NEXT MASTER CLASS: MAY 9/10

TO JOIN THIS MINDFUL WORKSHOP

WRITE TO GAZREGAN@nullGMAIL.COM

The post Cocktails in the Country: Scholarship Update appeared first on gaz regan.

IN 15 DAYS 10 BARTENDERS WILL SPEND 2 DAYS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY MIXING DRINKS WITH THESE FABULOUS PRODUCTS

WANNA BECOME A MINDFUL BARTENDER?

NEXT MASTER CLASS: MAY 9/10

WRITE TO GAZREGAN@nullGMAIL.COM

MORE DETAILS HERE

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A Tale of Gin, Saloons, and a Cocktail with a Mean Pair of Gams

“You walk into a saloon, belly up to the bar, and ask for a Dry Gin Martini, straight-up, no garnish, water on the side, no ice.  The bartender asks if you want a particular brand of gin.  You make your choice.  You give it to her straight.  “Brimelow’s Gin, please.  The high-proof bottling if you have it, or . . .”

“Oh, we have the high-proof Brimelow’s alright,” the bartender tells you.  “Good gin, too.  Been a best seller since it hit the shelves back in 2003.  Not that far back in gin terms, but the Brimelow family’s been in the gin biz since 1794, you know.  Arthur Brimelow started the company.  Bastard to work for, they say . . .”

You take a barstool, you sip your ice-cold elixir, you observe your problems being cleansed from your very soul, you watch as your focus sharpens, and the bartender, who has been waiting for this exact moment, says, “They added sage to the original recipe to make this bottling.  That’s where you’re getting that sense of peace.  It’s the sage.”

Or maybe that’s not what she says at all.  Maybe she tells you that the gin you chose is the only gin in the world that’s made in an Austrian hybrid still, and that each botanical is distilled separately.  Or perhaps the bartender will tell you all about the origins of gin.  About Dutch Courage.  About Gin Lane.  About Dr. Sylvius, the seventeenth-century Dutch professor who created the world’s first gin.  Or did he?

Some bartenders might quote from Casablanca when you order your Dry Gin Martini: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world . . .”  Other bartenders might recite the old Ogden Nash poem, instead:  “There’s something about a Martini . . .”  and every now and then you’ll meet a bartender who tries to get you to switch your brand of gin.  “If you usually drink Brimelow’s Gin, I’m going to suggest you try this new one, Hopewell’s Gin.  It’s not quite the same, but it it’s sort of in the same family if you know what I mean . . . lots of my regulars are switching to it.”

There are bartenders in this world, and God bless each and every one of them, who won’t just try to get you to switch gins, they’ll try to change the whole damned cocktail.  “How about trying a Martinez instead of a Martini?  Different drink, that’s for sure, but she’s sort of the Martini’s mother.  You might want to take her around the dance- floor once or twice.  She’s got a mean pair of gams.”  And the same bartenders, you can bet your bottom dollar, will eventually turn you on to Aviation cocktails.  And you’ll be oh so glad you found the Aviation . . . ”

Excepted from The Gin Compendium, 2009, by gaz regan  Illo by Stuffy Shmitt

WANNA BECOME A MINDFUL BARTENDER?

WRITE TO GAZREGAN@nullGMAIL.COM

MORE DETAILS HERE

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