Crystal Clear Martinez

Back to cocktails, a few months ago I went to Purl, a New York-style speakeasy in the Marylebone area of London, and tried an exquisite cocktail called the Crystal Clear Martinez. Martini fans, here's a great distraction. Made with Jenson’s Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth , Maraschino liqueur and Bob’s Orange & Mandarin bitters, it's served shaken and on the rocks with bits of orange peel. Absolutely delicious and sophisticated, makes you feel cooler than Bond...well, almost.

For a bit of history thanks to NPR:
"There are several stories about where the martini got its name. They include the claims that it was named for Martini & Rossi vermouth or for the Martini & Henry rifle used by the British army in the late 1800s (both had a strong kick). I like the story that in 1874, a miner plopped a bag of gold nuggets down on a bar in Martinez, Calif., and asked the bartender to make him something special. The bartender mixed up what he called a Martinez cocktail. The city has put up a brass plaque identifying itself as the birthplace of the martini."
-http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124904105

Empire Hotel Lobby Bar

If you're in the mood for a relaxed, swanky evening, enjoy a cocktail or two at Empire Hotel's Lobby Bar whose cocktail menu is inspired by Gossip Girl - since the hotel is now one of the characters as it was bought out by Chuck Bass. Not sure how I feel about that as I don't watch the show but they did feature a rather tasty scotch, ginger and apple cocktail that I would like to recreate. It's quite empty on a weekend night since everyone else is clamoring for their rooftop bar - but if you're in the mood for one or two after the opera or ballet, and want to check out a hotel bar, it does the trick. I should mention they also have ridiculously plush couches which will send to you heaven before your cocktail will.

Empire Hotel
44 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 265-7400

Thanks to www.hotelchatter.com, please see below for their cocktail menu:

Jenny's Tartlet recipe revealed for HotelChatter:
1 ½ oz. Montecristo White Rum
2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
½ oz. Lemon Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
2 Sprigs Mint
Lollipop
In a mixing glass, muddle the mint with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Add all other ingredients and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lollipop.

“S” (Serena)
Zyr Vodka, Honey Water, Champagne and Lemon Pappabubbles.

“B” (Blair)
Bluecoat Gin, Blood Orange Bitters and Crystal Candy

I’m Chuck Bass
Dewar’s Scotch, Red Apple, Ginger Bites and Apple Cider

Lonely Boy (Dan)
Brooklyn Lager, Makers Mark Bourbon and Crème de Cacao

Georgina’s Mind Eraser
Vieux Carré Absinthe Wash, Don Julio Silver Tequila, Pomegranate and an Atomic Fireball

Nate’s Fickle Flings
Sagatiba Cachaça, St-Germain and Sour Blackberries

Eau de Vanessa
Grey Goose Le Poire, Pear Nectar and White Grape Juice

Cucumber Gin

Hard to believe it's been a 4-month hiatus but thought I'd kick it off again with a recipe for party favourite, fresh Cucumber Gin. It's quite easy to prepare and gets rave reviews from all of your guests. You might want to warn them though that despite the absolutely refreshing taste, it is pure gin. I find it best to use large, thick cucumbers but don't forsake size for taste, you still want to find the freshest, juiciest cucumbers available.

Ingredients:
1 1.5L of dry gin (Beefeater's, Gordon's London Dry or any clean, dry gin)
1 large cucumber (seedless is fine too), peeled every other peel and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds so you get the pretty green ridges

Directions:
Place the cucumber slices in a large pitcher (enough to hold one handle or split into two) and pour in the gin. Cover with plastic wrap and let it infuse in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. See, it's that simple! In case you have house guests or roommates, you might also want to post a note saying it is in fact gin, and not water as one poor unsuspecting friend of mine discovered.

Serve with club soda or tonic and fresh limes, or serve shaken not stirred. Cheers!

Sidecar

A few years ago, I had my first Sidecar at the Ralph Lauren restaurant in Chicago. The sidecar is a classic cocktail composed of cognac, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice - a concoction that is sure to warm you up in any cold weather. To prepare a sugar rim, moisten the martini or old-fashioned glass with juice from a lemon wedge and place the glass down onto a plate filled with sugar. Rotate a few times until your liking. Next, shake the following ingredients over ice and pour into sugar-rimmed glasses:

2 measures cognac
1 measure Cointreau
1 measure fresh lemon juice

Cheers!

Jamie-O/Lazy Old-Fashioned

After coming home from work one evening, I wanted to make an old-fashioned but realized I was fresh out of ingredients. I turned to my old friend Jameson and decided he might be tasty with a few splashes of Cointreau. This drink couldn't be easier to make. I was debating whether to post it because of its simplicity but it is delicious so I thought I'd share. Of all the triple-sec brands, I find Cointreau to be the smoothest. It's a luscious spirit made with bitter and sweet oranges and enjoyable by itself on the rocks. Depending on what kind of day you've had, I recommend the ratio to be 3:1 Jameson:Cointreau and one ice cube is ideal. It was a rather hot day so I added a few more as evidenced in the photo above. I'll call this Jamie-O. Enjoy!

Corpse Reviver #2

I first had this exquisitely refreshing drink during brunch at Freemans on the Lower East Side in New York. Gin, Cointreau, Lillet, Ouzo and lemon juice are often not the liquids you'd like to imbibe at 11am after a hard night out, but a bold friend ordered one and the rest of us were hooked. I've tried making this with Lillet Rouge and Grand Marnier which was equally tasty and a little tarter but feel free to add simple syrup or follow the recipe below. I like to garnish mine with a sliced lemon peel and perhaps next time, I'll try a sugar rim.

Shake the following with ice and strain into martini glasses:
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
A few splashes of Ouzo