Friday Happy Hour: Alexander

An Alexander is another of those guilty drinks we love so much here at Rogers Park Retro. It's creamy, light, and indulgent. There are a few fundamentals we need to establish, though. First: this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Second: this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Third: even though a lot of old watering holes do it, this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Having established that, let's have fun! Here are some recipes from Oscar Haimo:

There are two popular versions for the Alexander -- one with gin and the other with brandy. Usually, the gin version is the "Alexander" and the brandy version is a "Brandy Alexander." But, with either of these, the formula is pretty easy (and easy going down): cream, creme de cacao, and gin or brandy. Here, as you can see, he calls for twice as much spirit as the liqueur, and only a dab of cream. The proportions are slightly different here:

Our formula at Rogers Park Retro is the 2:1:1 proportions they have here. To make it slightly less boozy, you can do a 1:1:1 ratio, as they do here:

And, we do need to add that the traditional garnish for this drink (gin or brandy) is a dash of grated nutmeg on the top. Aromatic, refreshing, and beautiful. Here is a little lore about the Alexander from "Famous New Orleans Drinks (and how to mix 'em)":

Well, after reading that, we feel like we've just be regaled by a Kentucky Colonel cum New Orleans bartender. Note that they include an egg white, which is a different twist, but worth experimenting with. But, "simply de-lovely" indeed!

Cheers!

Friday Happy Hour: Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve! The evening when sparkling wine flows! We certainly wish you the very happiest in 2011, and we're pleased to bring you several tempting drinks you can use to toast in the new year!

Our first drink is the appropriately named Champagne Cocktail:

This simple drink offers just enough complexity with the flavor of the bitters and orange twist to make it very satisfying. Also, the sugar helps accentuate the bubbles! Next, we have a slight variation on this drink:

A kick, indeed! A little more "oomph," huh? Along the same lines, the French 75 is a classic drink made with sparkling wine:

And here is another version of this drink, along with something they're calling a "French 90" which is very much like the brandy version we saw above:

Maybe it's not unfair to say that sparkling wine is kind of like bacon -- everything is better with it. Here we have a drink that's one of Rogers Park Retro's favorite, but with a sparkle:

Of course, you can have your sparkling wine by itself, too! Anyway you have it, we hope your new year sparkles!

Friday Happy Hour: the Sidecar

What do Margaritas and Cosmopolitans have in common with a Sidecar?

For one thing, they're classics. They're popular (well, maybe not the Sidecar -- but it should be!). The reason is because they all follow the basic formula of what some call the "New Orleans sour" -- that is, a base spirit, an orange liqueur, and citrus. The classic ratio is 3:2:1 for these ingredients, respectively -- but that can easily be experimented with.

Anyhoo .... halting the lecture. What's a Sidecar? Here's one recipe book's take on it:
Here's another recipe, this one from a 1957 edition of Old Mr. Boston's:

Their recipe is still the same 2:1:1 ration they used above. Except, of course, they call for triple sec (which is okay, actually).

Check out this recipe from the 1971 edition of Playboy's Host and Bar Book:

Obviously, their recipe contemplates a 1:1:1 ratio -- unless, they note, you want a "strong brandy accent," in which case, use a 3:1:1 ratio. Also, curacao (instead of Cointreau or triple sec) is going to make for a lot drier drink.

It so happens that the Sidecar is kind of a house specialty at Rogers Park Retro, and here's our signature recipe:

3 oz brandy

1 oz triple sec

1 oz lemon juice

1 tsp. maraschino liqueur

1 tsp. curacao (orange, not blue, just to clarify)
Garnish with a twist.

Cheers!