Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Nick

There a lot of reasons people avoid alcohol, but there’s certainly an influx of individuals in January thanks to the growing trend of “Dry January”. While many spirits that try to impersonate other spirits suffer from their mimicry (looking at you Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey), amaros and other things that don’t directly try to be something they’re not tend to do well. We of course had a great time with Lyre’s Italian Spritz, so how does a homegrown offering like Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano do?

Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano

Made from water, sugar, natural flavor, fruit and vegetable juice (for color), and some stabilizers, preservatives, and vitamins, The Spirit of Milano is definitely lower calories than it’s alcoholic cousins. So does it taste as good?

Nutrition Highlights (per 1.5 fl oz):

Calories: 15
Total Sugars: 4g (Includes total added sugars of 4g)
Vitamin B3: 4.8mg
Vitamin B6: .51mg

Sight: A ruby red that fringes on cranberry.

Smell: The nose has a distinct spice of cinnamon with hints of cloves. The rhubarb plays the primary here, but the bitter orange is present and winds around in a nicely complex way. The nose has that bitterness of an Amaro, though it does suggest it’s a touch sweet.

Sip: The start is bright with bitterness hitting the outside of the palate. The flavor of rhubarb is the lead that could be mistaken for cranberry thanks to the quickly evolving orange and cinnamon. It gets slightly sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. There’s also a solid amount of body (moderate) without being cloying from sugar. As it continues or you take more sips, more of those cinnamon notes come out, and there is a little hint of spiciness.

Savor: The finish carries it’s bitterness, but gives pleasant nods the clove, bitter orange, and spice.

Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano is a nice substitute for an amaro. It offers a decent amount of complexity, showing off fruitier notes with a good bitter undertone. There’s some sweetness, but not enough to overwhelm the amaro. The biggest short fall here is a lack of depth and complexity, but that’s forgivable if you’re not trying to analyze this deeply as you’re drinking it (or combine it with other things – like juices, bitters, or sodas).

In Cocktails

In a Highball, Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano works well, providing a lay of spices and fruitiness that you would expect from an amaro. The flavor feels like a complex spice and herb syrup added to cranberry juice. The result is something easy to sip that pairs well with a number of foods, and looks great in the glass. Again, the same shortfall exists here, where you may want just a little more flavor, but you could easily add some bitters from Fee Bros (which are not alcohol based) or a homemade vanilla syrup. This will also cover some of the lighter body notes.

In Review – Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano

Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano is tasty, and priced comparably to an amaro like Campari. The biggest downsides here are complexity and longevity (with no alcohol – this will last best in the fridge for about 3 months after opening), but these are relatively minimal issues with a non-alcoholic spirit. The flavors are clean, crisp, and well balanced. If you’re looking for something to substitute to alcohol free, this is a good choice in this space and it is available at Amazon* for about $37 dollars at the time of publication.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2023 we made $28.17 from affiliate links and made $1.09 so far in 2024, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Winnifred Sanderson

Posted on October 23, 2023November 17, 2023 by Nick

Rounding out our Sanderson Sister cocktails is the leader, Winnifred Sanderson. Inspired by her slightly bitter nature, wild red hair, and complex potions and spells, her cocktail is an intricate mix of bittersweet, herbal, and bright flavors. With a little extra magic from the glow cubes, her cocktail is made to put a spell on both you and your guests!

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Winnifred Sanderson

Winnifred Sanderson

2 oz

Old Tom Gin

½ oz

Campari

¾ oz

Lemon Juice

½ oz

Simple Syrup

2 Dashes

Regan’s Orange Bitters

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters

2 ½ oz

Club Soda

In a shaking tin, combine all ingredients except for the club soda. Add ice and shake. If using, place 1-2 glow cubes set to red into your Collins glass. Fill the glass to 2/3rds full with ice. Separate the shake tin, and strain over the fresh ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a hand swizzle and serve with a straw.

Winnifred Sanderson’s drink is effervescent, complex, citrusy, and slightly bitter (sweet). The slight sweetness of the gin layers it’s herbal notes across the slight bitter herbs and underlying spice of the Campari. The bitters ties the citrus of the orange and lemon around the layers and brighten up the whole thing. The bubbles of the club stretch out the concoction giving the flavors room to stretch their wings.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Winnifred Sanderson’s cocktail is a riff off a highball based on the idea of Winnifred being something of a classic. For those reasons, the drink combines Campari with an older style of gin (Old Tom), to create something that’s got a bit of classic flare, but with room to be enjoyed. The slight bitterness is a nod to Winnifred’s tendency to be a little bitter at those around her in Salem. It offers a contrast to both Mary and Sarah.

Old Tom Gin – We used Hayman’s here for both it’s not to Thackery Binx (the cat) but also for the subtle sweetness and lighter juniper notes it offers. While there are other brands of Old Tom Gin, this would be our recommendation. If you absolutely needed to, you could use London Dry Gin, but this will create more brash flavors.
Campari – With Campari’s unique flavor profile, it’s really the recommended starting point for this drink. If you can’t for some reason find Campari, consider another aperitivo, like Gran Classico, Cappelletti, or Aperol.
Regan’s Orange Bitters – Regan’s* adds a lot here with some delicious additional notes of cardamom and spice. You could also use Fee Bros Orange* or Angostura orange bitters if your options are limited.
Angostura Bitters – These are the classic aromatic bitters, and we recommend keeping a bottle around your bar. You can buy them from Amazon*, though your local grocer will probably carry them cheaper.
Lemon Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
Simple Syrup – A 1:1 ratio of water and sugar is our homemade simple. You can do this by coming in a pan and heating until just dissolved.
Club Soda – No need to get fancy, use your local grocery’s most economical bottle. Once open, use within 2 days for best results.
Swizzles – We also recommend these fun Skeleton Hand Swizzle for fun (although they’re not necessary), which are really well made for both stirring and adding a little bit of spookiness to your drink. You can find them at Amazon*.
Glow Cubes – While you don’t need them for this drink, we find it adds a pizazz to the drink (and unlocks a deeper red color). We used Windy City Novelties glow cubes*. These are the same glow cubes as used by Disney, and we highly recommend them as you can set the color of the cube making it useful for other drinks.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $23.46 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Sanderson Sister trio!

Starward Fortis Single Malt

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Nick

Our original intent while in Melbourne was to visit Starward to enjoy some of their delicious whiskey (which is also exported to the U.S.). Unfortunately, the distilleries hours on Google did not align with the reality of the distillery, and instead ended up with the lovely folks at Patient Wolf (with their great Whiskey Barrel Aged Sloe Gin). While we didn’t get to the distillery, the folks at Dan Murphy’s (a local bottle shop nearby the distillery) were kind enough to pour us some of their whiskey. Among the more impressive offerings, was Starward Fortis Single Malt, an Australian whiskey matured in American Oak Red Wine Barrels and barreled at a higher than usual 50% A.B.V.

Starward Fortis Single Malt

Batch: 3
Age: Not Age Stated
Proof: 100 (50% A.B.V.)
Finishing: American Oak barrels previously containing Barossa Valley red wines.
Price: $150 AUD
Export Only

Sight: Solid mahogany

Smell: Beautiful vanilla, preserved raspberries, and jammy plums all waft out from the start. There’s a pretty biscuit like note, light brown sugar, and some delicate cinnamon and spice pastry that adds in. Little touches of orange and citrus with raisin round things out.

Sip: The palate is surprisingly rich, and gets ever so slightly prickly. The payoff though is enormous flavors. Bursting forth are fresh raspberries and plums wrapped in caramelized apricot turnover. There’s subtle spice here, with hints of oak and amazing nectarine and peach elements. Dark chocolate and subtle cigar finish the rich and dark notes in the palates.

Savor: The ending carries forward preserved apricot, light oak, spice, and a beautiful sort of lingering biscuit note. As it sits, more citrus, golden raisin, and fruit notes keep emerging.

Starward Fortis Single Malt is rich, luscious, and complex. The finishing imparts some lovely red wine flavors, but there’s a great underlying whisky here as well. The amazing and unpredictable stone fruits mixed with the dessert like pastry elements just keeps giving. Add in a ridiculous long finish, and there’s nothing not to love here. It’s simply splendid.

In Cocktails

In a highball apricot and dark chocolate flavors spread out with a nice oaky spice. The vanilla, a hint of smokiness, and a bit of walnut comes through. The result is that Starward Fortis Single Malt feels more delicate, sharing more of the cigar and dried fruit flavors. The result is a nice flavor, but one that feels less satisfying than in a neat pour.

In Review – Starward Fortis Single Malt

Starward Fortis Single Malt is delicious, delicate, and well rounded. The overall character shows that Starward is on the world stage for a reason, they make very good whiskey. While bourbon lovers might find this relatively tame, Scotch and Single Malt fans are going to find a ton to love here. Now the hard part about Fortis is that it’s only available to Australians (although they also have Single Barrel and Nova here in the U.S.). While it is very good, I can’t quite say that it’s so good you should bother to try to bring it into the country from one of the many international websites. If it does become available though, I recommend trying this one, as it is delicious.

Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5

Posted on October 11, 2023October 3, 2023 by Nick

Although less common than Elijah Craig Private Barrels bottled at barrel strength, there are Elijah Craig batches that are bottled at the small batch 94 proof. Given that the small batch is routinely one of our recommended bottles for beginning your home bar, are these viable options to add to your shelf? To find out, I grabbed a (now sold out) bottle of Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5 [they still have batch #6 if you feel inclined as of the time of writing this].

Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5

Barrel No.: 6071250
Age: 10 Years
Rickhouse: T
Floor: 4
Proof: 94 (47% A.B.V.)

Sight: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry – Slightly darker than their standard offering.

Smell: A significant amount of a vanilla and caramel sweetness lead off. Big touches of powdered sugar, peanut brittle, and maple come through. There’s more heat here than you might expect at 94 proof. There’s an underlying spice that compliments the sweetness here, giving good amounts of oak spice, cigar box, and cinnamon. A little hint of orange peel and apple comes through.

Sip: The sip starts off moderately, but immediately pulls through a good run of sweetness. There’s nice hits of caramel, oak, and a little bit of dark chocolate. The predominate nuttiness downgrades a little, turning more into a background note. That slight touch of apple or orange is still there. Overall, it’s pleasant, soft, and mildly assertive.

Savor: Sweet oak continues through out with nice amounts of caramel, touches of maple, and a little spice. It lingers pleasantly and softly.

Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5 is well textured, decently layered, and subtly different than the standard offering. The flavors here are more bent toward fruit and nuts than the standard, but this makes it a little more fun to explore as it opens in the glass. The price difference being less than $10 makes this a nice option if you’re hoping to enjoy your Elijah Craig Small Batch neat.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, it gives a nice medium body and plenty of flavor. There’s good spicing from the oak and bitters that help to lay the background for some caramel and chocolate notes. The subtle apple notes gain a cinnamon element and it has a bit of baked apple. As Manhattans go, it’s very nice and slightly autumnal.

In Review – Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5

Elijah Craig All Star Wine & Spirits Single Barrel #5 was very good value at only $40. The age comes through in the neat pour, while it’s versatile for cocktails. These sort of bottles (single barrels that are from producers we recommend for beginning your bar) are bottles you should consider when stocking or restocking your bar to introduce both quality and variety. While not all of them will be like exactly like this bottle, it’s reasonable to go with confidence when selecting an Elijah Craig single barrel selection.

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Sarah Sanderson

Posted on October 9, 2023November 17, 2023 by Nick

Following up Mary Sanderson’s Cocktail, we’re featuring Sarah Sanderson from Disney’s Hocus Pocus*. Sarah Sanderson is the youngest Sanderson Sister, and the most bubbly and sweet of the three. That is when she’s not busy running amuck (amuck, amuck, amuck!). From being Billy’s Butcherson’s lover to flirting with Satan and the Bus Driver, the bright, lively personality served as the inspiration for this cocktail, where classic fall flavors meet Sarah’s fun, energetic character.

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Sarah Sanderson

Sarah Sanderson

1 oz

Pear Riesling Syrup

5 oz

Chilled Dry Sparkling Wine

1 Dash

Bitterman’s Tiki Bitters

Black Sugar

For Rim (Optional)

Honey

For Rim (Optional)

If rimming your glass, drizzle honey and spread sugar on separate plates. Gently rotate the rim of the wine flute around the honey to coat the rim. After coating, use the honey coated edge to dab the lip rim into the sugar. Once rimmed, combine the pear Riesling syrup, bitters, and 1 oz of wine in the glass. Give a stir to combine, before topping with the remaining wine. No garnish.

Sarah Sanderson’s cocktail is sweet, bubbly, spiced, layered, and ease to enjoy. Beautiful notes of poached pear, cinnamon, bright lemon, and caramelized sugars all come together harmoniously. The subtle spices from the bitters bounce off the pear and Riesling undertones to meld into a beautiful fall set of flavors. The spicing throughout the drink is very dessert like and delicate in character, but the sparkling helps to keep the drink bright and bubbly

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Sarah Sanderon’s cocktail is all upfront work, meaning you’ll have an easier time making this for your guests. The biggest factors to keep in mind are chilling your wine before hand, and making the syrup. Everything else is optional (such as the sugar rim) or simple (like building this drink write in the glass).

Pear Riesling Syrup – This may be one of the most involved syrups we’ve created. The recipe is below (and results in dessert), but if you absolutely have to, you could probably substitute Pear Liqueur here. It won’t have the complexity, but could work in a pinch.
Dry Sparkling Wine – We used a prosecco here, but any dry sparkling wine should work. You can go as expensive as champagne, or as economical as Cava. Feel free to also go spirit-free with alcohol free sparkling wine to make this a mocktail. I do not recommend sparkling grape juice as that will make this too sweet (ditto for Moscato d’Asti or other sweet sparkling wines).
Bitterman’s ‘Elemakule Tiki Bitters – These tiki bitters add a wonderful aromatic element to the combination that elevates both the pear and the wine. They’re readily available at Amazon*. We tested several aromatic bitters during our process and found these worked best (and are great for Tiki drinks). We found that Regan’s offered good success (Amazon – Regan’s*), and Boker’s (Amazon*) could work for those that like a more cardamom forward note.

Pear Riesling Syrup

This syrup is significantly more work that most syrups we normally create. That said, I promise you this is an amazing and complex syrup that you can enjoy not only in this drink, but also for the dessert it creates. The pears you have at the end are delicious with ice cream.

4 medium – large pears (1.5 – 2 lbs), peeled (Bosc / Red Anjou)
750ml Riesling
250ml Water
200g Honey
1 Cinnamon Stick (approximately 3-4″)
16 oz Sugar

How To Make Pear Riesling Syrup:

In a sauce pan, combine wine, water, honey, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
While bringing to a boil, peel, core, and cut the pears in half.
Gently lower the pears into the poaching liquid. Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-25 minute or until the pears can be easily pierced with a paring knife.
Turn off the heat, and remove the pears and cinnamon stick from the poaching liquid (the pears maybe eaten with ice cream, the cinnamon stick should be discarded).
Filter the poaching liquid through a fine mesh strainer and filter (or nut milk bag).
Combine 16 oz of the filtered poaching liquid and 16 oz in a sauce pan. Any remaining liquid should stored with the poached pears.
Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil / simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce or turn off heat if the syrup begins to foam toward the top of the pan. The goal is to caramelize some of the sugars in this 5 minute period.
After 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Yields approximately 27 oz. Add ½ oz of overproof grain spirit for added preservation if desired. Refrigerate.

Pear Riesling Syrup - Red Anjou Pears — Red Anjou, Anjou Pears, or Bosc will all work

Pear Riesling Syrup - Cored in wine and honey — Pears, cored, peeled, and halved in riesling, honey, and cinnamon at a simmer to poach

Pear Riesling Syrup - Filtered Poaching Liquid — Filtered poaching liquid

Pear Riesling Syrup - Filtered Poaching Liquid Combined with Sugar Pre-boil — Filtered Poaching Liquid Combined with Sugar

Glassware and Sugar

Any standard sized wine flute will due for this task, but if you want to be really fancy and drink like the Sanderson Sisters, why not use these amazing Skeleton Stemmed Champagne Glasses* (like the one in the photo). These flutes are thick, heavy, and feel almost handmade. The detail is quite impressive, and they feel solid and weighty like they’re truly premium. They’ll make great spooky decor even if you’re not using them for drinks.

The sugar we used to create the rim can be found at Amazon*, but you should be able to use any local honey you have.

Preparation for Parties:

To prep for a party:

Chill wine in advance, keep in the fridge or an ice bath.
Place stirrers and wine flutes near the wine and syrup (while slightly on the shorter end, the skeleton hand swizzles from Mary’s drink will work for this task. You can find them at Amazon*).
Set up directions for how to pour your own (instead of 5 oz, tell guests to fill the glass or to taste).
To limit the amount of syrup, consider getting 1 oz pour spouts (such as these).

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. We’ve had an amazing October 2023 thanks to you the readers, with over $10 in earnings this month. That said in 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $20.40 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Please continue to help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and use our links if you plan on making purchases from Amazon!

Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Nick

It’s no secret that buying syrups is not something recommended in craft cocktails. That said, not all syrups are easy to make or something that you want to take the time to make. Pumpkin spice syrup has many iterations of varying difficulties. Some of these, like our own (used in the Basic Witch and Apple Spice Harvest) do not include puree, and are very easy to make. Others, include pumpkin puree, which are slightly more difficult. Since ours doesn’t include puree, we decided to see what the easy route was like, and try Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup

Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup

In addition to the above, my wife had a wonderful experience with syrup in a Pumpkin Pie Margarita at a Cleveland Cavalier’s game. So we didn’t enter this completely blind. Does it hold up when it isn’t free?

Ingredients: Sugar, Pumpkin Puree, Glycerol, Water, Seasonings, Contains Sulfites, Sodium Alginate, Potassium Sorbate (To Preserve Freshness)
Calories: 100 / 1 oz
Total Sugars: 23g / 1 oz

Sight: Thick, rich, orangey-brown that looks like a liquid pumpkin pie.

Smell: The pumpkin pie filling characteristic carries forward here with clearly defined elements of roasted pumpkin, bright cloves, fresh ginger, and plenty of cinnamon. It honestly smells amazingly like pie filling.

Sip: It’s thick. Not like cream, like milkshake or smoothie thick. The flavors of pumpkin pie filling, from roasted pumpkin to all the baking spices (clove, cinnamon, ginger, et al) all come forward. There’s a nice caramelized sugar flavor that runs through the back. Unsurprisingly, it’s all quite sweet.

Savor: Pumpkin pie lingers deliciously with all the spice and sweetness.

Look – Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup is syrup. The vast majority of people aren’t going to drink this neat. That said, if you’re looking for pumpkin puree that tastes like pumpkin pie on it’s own, this syrup is very well made. Overall, it’s a very pleasant, pumpkin forward syrup that implies it would do well in cocktails.

In Cocktails

In everything we used it from, from Margaritas to Old Fashioneds, Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup has performed beautifully. It manages to convey great flavors of pumpkin puree and baking spices without overwhelming the base spirits. There are two very small issues we’ve seen with this syrup. First, it’s thick, and occasionally sticks in the shaker or mixing vessel. This thickness also impacts the texture of drinks slightly (how you feel about this will be personal preference, I think it’s quite nice). The second small issue is just the amount of it that drinks seem to require to get the amount of pumpkin flavor to where we like it (it’s quite a bit more than most syrups we use). These are the smallest quibbles in the grand scheme of things, as in general, it performs fantastically.

In Review – Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup

Pumpkin Real: Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup is fantastic for the money. While I was initially doubtful, this pumpkin puree is wonderful for quickly turning out pumpkin flavored cocktails and other drinks. If you’re a fan of that profile, I can’t recommend it enough. You can pick one up from Amazon*.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $12.78 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Old Tub Bourbon

Posted on October 4, 2023October 3, 2023 by Nick

Old Tub Bourbon is a tribute to one of Jim Beam’s original best selling bourbons (in the 1890’s). Named after the old tubs that used to be used for distillation, this unfiltered, bonded bourbon used to be a gift shop only offering in 375 ml vessels. A few years back, this changed, and Jim Beam began offering Old Tub as a regular offering in 750 ml. The price is reasonable, and as you might have noticed, this seems to have replaced Jim Beam Bonded. So is it a step-up over Jim Beam White Label?

Old Tub Bourbon

Distillery: James B. Beam
Proof: 50 (100% A.B.V.)
Age: Not Age Stated, Minimum of 4 Years
Filtration: Unfiltered
Bottled-In-Bond

Sight: A solid deep gold.

Smell: Unsurprisingly, the Jim Beam peanut funk comes out here loaded for bear. Around it there’s a nice amount of oak, spice, and caramelized sugar notes. The nose also has a bit of heat to it with a bit of vanilla like notes.

Sip: The mouthfeel starts moderately full. The first notes are peanut like with some oak, before there’s a turn toward hay, tobacco, and black tea. A little bit of caramel and spice flits at the edges, but it’s more on the grain and savory side.

Savor: The ending is oak and more hay-tobacco notes. The finish has a moderate tannic nature, but doesn’t last particularly long.

Old Tub Bourbon is average and not particularly exciting or deep. What it does deliver is a solid, dry, bottled-in-bond offering that gives some more oak forward flavors. The Beam funk is also prominent, but not long lasting. Overall, drinking it straight isn’t offensive, but not exciting either.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s a nice weight and textural component that makes the drink feel solid. Beyond the weight, the herbal notes in the vermouth tend to vibe with the oakier notes of the Old Tub. The subtle sweetness of the vermouth moves the peanut notes a little toward brittle, but ultimately it leans dry again. The ending brings in more herbal components and oak tannins.

In Review – Old Tub Bourbon

Old Tub Bourbon is unremarkable, and priced accordingly at around $20. It’s the kind of bourbon that gives a little more emphasis than standard Jim Beam White Label, but doesn’t quite expand it’s horizons in any meaningful way. While there’s a big jump in price, it probably is worth considering making the leap to Knob Creek if you’d like to go up in the Beam range, while for higher proof, Wild Turkey can deliver with more spice and less peanut funk. Finally, it isn’t immediately apparent that this is an upgrade over Jim Beam Bonded, but perhaps its dry, less exciting cousin.

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Mary Sanderson

Posted on October 2, 2023November 17, 2023 by Nick

Welcome to our kick off for 2023’s Halloween Cocktail Season! This year we’re upping our game and using some new techniques that will impress all the ghosts and ghouls at your parties. And it isn’t just a bunch of Hocus Pocus, because this year is all about the Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s Hocus Pocus*. Leading things off, is Mary Sanderson. While she may not have enjoyed a Clark bar, we thought her liking of chocolate might be improved by a bit of coffee and some cold vanilla ice cream.

Hocus Pocus Cocktails: Mary Sanderson

Mary Sanderson

1 oz

Old Tub Bourbon

1 ¼ oz

Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

1 ¼ oz

DeKuyper Creme de Cacao

1 Dashes

Angostura Chocolate Bitters

3 oz

Vanilla Ice Cream

Combine all ingredients except ice cream in the short side of a shaker set. In the large side, add hot water 1/2 to 2/3s of the volume of the vessel. Float the short tin in the long tin and stir to heat. In a medium to large sized glass (enough space for 3.5 oz of liquid and 3 oz of ice cream), pour the warmed cocktail over 3 oz of freshly scooped vanilla ice cream. Pour the warmed cocktail over the ice cream. Add a swizzle, no garnish.

Mary Sanderson’s cocktail is nutty, chocolatey, boozy, creamy, and coffee laden. It’s basically a chocolatey dessert in a glass. The warmth of booze at the start is nutty with plenty of sweet coffee notes coming through. The chocolate emerges in the middle before the creaminess of the ice cream gets involved. The creaminess takes over it starts to cool, becoming something of a sweet, creamy coffee with a nice nutty mocha character. And just like Mary, this cocktail can look like a bit of a mess.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Mary Sanderson’s cocktail is more powerful than it initially suggest. Done in the style of an affogato, the hot cocktail elements are poured over the ice cream, unlocking both the creaminess of the ice cream and some of the aromatic elements of the spirits. With that in mind, let’s have a quick refresher on the impact of warmer temperatures on alcohol.

First, warm alcohol will seem stronger. This is why liquor from the freezer seems smoother. If you find the alcohol notes too strong when you first pour this (I happen to like them), then feel free to give it a stir with the swizzle to better incorporate and moderate the alcohol notes. Secondly, while chilling the glass can help improve the temperature aspects of this drink, we encourage you to inspect any glass you’re going to use closely before doing that. Any small imperfections or cracks can become stress points when you pour the hot liquid in. This difference in temperature can cause fractures or cracks to appear in your glassware which present a potentially safety risk for you and your guests.

2023/10/Mary-Sanderson-Halloween-Cocktail — Mary Sanderson’s Cocktail – Give It a Little Stir if you Fancy

To achieve the higher temperatures, we’ll talk more about the Bartender’s Bain Marie below, but before that lets cover the ingredients first:

Old Tub Bourbon – We picked Old Tub Bourbon for Jim’s wonderfully peanuty profile. This was to emphasize some of the interior of the Clark bar* that Mary bites into. Regular Jim Beam White Label or even Jim Beam Bonded will work well here as well.
Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur – We used Mr. Black here, and recommend it. If you can’t find it, consider Caffe Borghetti first, a local coffee liquor, or Kahlua if you must (you may want to consider adjusting down on the amount of this due to sweetness if you go this route – it will also add a bit of rum flavor).
DeKuyper Creme de Cacao – We wanted this to carry chocolate flavors like the outside of the Clark bar and reflect Mary’s like of dark chocolate. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate liqueur here.
Angostura Cacao Bitters – The bittersweet, slightly funky chocolate flavor these impart works as a nice foil to all the sweetness here, while adding a bit more chocolate. You can find them at Amazon*, but you might be able to find them in your local area cheaper.
Vanilla Ice Cream – I recommend a super premium like Haagen Daz here to emphasize the creaminess, but you can use anything you like. We used Kirkland’s for our testing.

Bartender’s Bain Marie

For most drinks, ice is added to exchange heat with the liquid (while also changing some of the strength through dilution). This is the easiest way to chill liquid through contact. To add heat, you can’t add ice, but would instead need to add hot water to the drink (again this is the most efficient exchange of heat) or find another way to apply heat to the mixture. Obviously, hot water and ice cream are obviously a bad mix, so how to get around it? Enter the Bartender’s Bain Marie (or water bath if you want to be less fancy sounding).

Created by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the technique works as follows:

Combine ingredients in the smaller side of your shaking tins.
Fill the larger side of the tins using hot water to 1/2 to 2/3s full (an electric kettle can be effective here).
Float the smaller side of the tin in the larger tin.
Stir to warm the liquid (anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes as desired)
Remove the smaller tin, and pour into the desired receptacle.

By using this technique, it allows you to add heat to the drink without adding dilution. Finally, I want to cover why we want to use this method, as opposed to directly heating the drink in a pan. The reason is that water baths are easy to make and provide a gentler, less direct heat than your stove. Sure your stove can work, but that’s an extra step.

Glassware and Swizzles

While we’ve used a stemless, large Martini glass for Mary Sanderson’s cocktail, you could easily use a double rocks, oversized coupe, or snifter. This glass choice is more dependent on the ability to hold about 3 oz of ice cream and 3.5 oz of booze than any particular shape. So don’t worry too much, and use whatever you have or enjoy.

We also recommend these fun Skeleton Hand Swizzle, which are really well made for both stirring and adding a little bit of spookiness to your drink. You can find them at Amazon*.

Preparation for Parties:

To keep this one ready for a party, you can use a small crock pot set to low, or use a sous vide* to heat a bottle to the low 120s. Heat proof gloves can give you an added layer of protection if you’re feeling uncomfortable. Simply pour 3.5 oz of the mixture over the ice cream in glasses to serve.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $10.56 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

DeKuyper Triple Sec

Posted on September 29, 2023September 27, 2023 by Nick

Cointreau is expensive, but do you have to use it? Alternatives abound for orange flavored liquor, many of which are considerable cheaper. Among them is DeKuyper Triple Sec, which comes in at $10 a liter. So is it good enough to use in your drinks?

DeKuyper Triple Sec

Proof: 48 (24% A.B.V.)

Sight: Clear

Smell: The notes of orange peels float up with a little bit of fresh orange juice. Hint of sweetness, generally just orange.

Sip: Sweet, rich, lightly orange flavored. Again, more zest than fruit. It’s sweet, but with a hint of bitterness. It’s almost a little bit like pith.

Savor: The ending is sweet with just a bit of orange.

DeKuyper Triple Sec is what you’d hope for in a generic orange flavor. It delivers with a nice orange taste and plenty of sweetness. While it isn’t so sweet that its it’s undoing, it is a lot to just sip. Thankfully, we’re putting this in cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a Margarita DeKuyper is fine as the orange flavor tends to meld with the lime. That said, it is slightly sweeter, but it’s not off putting. It also doesn’t add a lot of layers. It demonstrates this more in a Sidecar, where the singular note leaves the cognac and lemon doing more of the lifting. The sweetness being higher also is noticeable, but may be more of personal preference. Overall, it isn’t a terrible foil in cocktails.

DeKuyper Triple Sec vs. Cointreau

Compared with Cointreau it DeKuyper is significantly sweeter. The flavors of orange in Cointreau are more nuanced and layered. Where as DeKuyper feels like a normal Cara Cara orange, Cointreau is layering in elements of tangerines and different varieties of orange. The higher proof makes the sugar content feel more balanced. In cocktails, this helps to keep ratios more in line with recipes that specifically call for Cointreau, allowing you to add more orange without adding as much sugar.

In Review – DeKuyper Triple Sec

DeKuyper Triple Sec isn’t bad for the price (around $10 a liter). It deliver what it needs to, orange flavor. What it doesn’t offer is complexity, and instead delivers additional sweetness. All of this taken together with the price suggests you could add this to your bar, and be relatively happy. So why don’t we? Well we suggest adding premium liquors and try to balance the sweetness in the cocktail. This doesn’t give a premium addition and requires extra effort to account for the sweetness in drinks that call for higher proportions.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Nick

We’ve highlighted before the idea that proof means flavor. Proof on it’s own isn’t doesn’t mean flavor though. While many factors are important to create the flavor profile of bourbon (mash bill, cask type, etc), perhaps few are so regarded as longer aging. So when the most recent Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 – showed a 133 proof and a 13 year, 7 month age people became understandably excited. So does this combination of age and proof work out.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Proof: 133 (66.5% A.B.V.)
Age: 13 years, 7 months
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Price (MSRP): $75

Sight: Auburn to Mahogany

Smell: To start, it’s 130+ proof, so just don’t stick your nose directly in it. There’s undeniable heat, but behind it are sweet layers of lacy caramel, spiced oak, vanilla, burnt marshmallow, sarsaparilla, and brown sugar. The vanilla in particular is fragrant and luscious, wrapping floral vanilla bean notes around the baking spices. There’s a bit of nuttiness in the background, and a bit of preserved cherry.

Sip: The body is rich and silky from the start, and the heat begins to build, but slower than the nose would suggest. The flavors gather steam, pulling in creme brulee like vanilla and burnt sugar. Caramel wraps around and builds elements of bing cherry. The oak then steps in with plenty of spice and almost a hint of candied orange. There’s a subtle brown sugar like sweetness, but it gives ways to a strong hazelnut note and perhaps some other nuts. A hint of char is present as well.

Savor: The ending carries forward a wonderful candied praline and layered with vanilla and almost latte like mellowed coffee and char. The spices linger in the background and lean toward a dessert like mocha. Somehow the finish almost feels creamy and coating. As it lingers, the tannins of the oak expand, give a velvet feeling as the flavors continue to linger.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 is impressively balanced, sweet, complex and rich. The flavors are built on a dessert like sweetness but have a great reflection of the char and spice of the oak. Amazingly, despite the proof, it never really gets hot. The lingering finish is pretty, and carries forward the mix of oak and sweet in a balanced way. There’s a ton to love about sipping this, and it should only get better with time.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is unsurprisingly aggressively and powerful. The notes of oak and perfumed vanilla take the lead here with burnt marshmallow, caramel, praline, and mocha leading the charge. The flavors are assertive and pleasant, but beg you to take notice. The ending has a lovely dark chocolate and concentrated brown sugar note with plenty of oak. There’s a nice luscious caramel drizzle and creamy note that occasionally comes through. Overall, this is a heavy handed Manhattan that will mostly apply to those who are a big fan of barrel proof whiskey offerings.

In Review – Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof – C923 is delicious neat. There’s no getting around the fact that the team at Heaven Hill has produced a particularly good batch with a 13 year age statement. Without a doubt this whiskey will be showing up on several ‘top whiskey of the year’ lists As a result, this is a no brainer at MSRP ($75), and one that those who enjoy high proof, high age statements should hunt down. Unfortunately, as of the time of writing, the secondary market on this is asking for up to double that price. While it’s good, that’s a bitter swallow (approaching $150).

Those looking for cocktails are going to find this one a little harder to justify. While the flavors are delicious, there’s a lot going on here for the average drinker. Additionally, many cocktail elements may impact some of the neat nuances. Combining this with the proof, and you could also set some guests down a path to more consumption than plan. For all these reasons, this is a bottle that we definitely recommend, but more so for enjoying neat than making drinks.

Previous Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Reviews:

Elijah Craig B520

The Classics: Widow’s Kiss

Posted on September 25, 2023October 3, 2023 by Nick

Wrapping up our quick run through apple brandy based cocktails for fall is the Widow’s Kiss. Originating in 1895 from George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks, it combines apple brandy, Yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, and Angostura Bitters to create a balanced fall cocktail. There’s a lot of recipe variation, but we’ve picked our favorite below.

Widow’s Kiss

2 oz

Apple Brandy

½ oz

Yellow Chartreuse

½ oz

Benedictine

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish

The Widow’s Kiss is balanced, apple and spice like, and complex. The layering of the spices from the bitters, Benedictine, and Chartreuse, combine with the herbal notes to wrap around the apple brandy notes. The net result is a very fall like, slightly sweet drink that has a luscious, silky texture. The finish lingers with apples and spice, making it lovely for fall.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Widow’s Kiss has a variety of specs that you can make it with. For our rendition, we’re chosen something in the middle. On the extreme end is the original recipe, which features a 2:1 ratio of Apple Brandy (Calvados, or Applejack) to both Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine. This is plainly a sweet, sweet drink. On the other end, many modern riffs go down to a an old fashioned like 8:1 ratio or 2 oz to ¼ of Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine. You can really make this drink anywhere in this spectrum, so adjust it per your taste.

Apple Brandy – Any apple based liquor will compliment the flavors here, but we recommend something of higher quality like Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy. Any apple based liquor will work here include Calvados (like Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve) or Applejack (Laird’s Applejack)
Yellow Chartreuse – The milder, more approachable Yellow Chartreuse is similar to it’s green counter part in that it’s fairly hard to substitute. In a pinch, consider a half portion of Strega, and increasing the simple by an 1/8.
Benedictine – We really don’t have a substitute for this, but on the bright side, it’s widely available. Consider adding a bottle to your bar to unlock a number of other cocktails (Honey Moon Cocktail, De La Louisiane, Vieux Carre, Caprice, etc)
Angostura Bitters – These are the classic aromatic bitters, and we recommend keeping a bottle around your bar. You can buy them from Amazon*, though your local grocer will probably carry them cheaper.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $6.93 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy

Posted on September 22, 2023September 20, 2023 by Nick

Although not widely available, Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy has a reputation for being excellent apple brandy. Unfortunately, it’s distribution isn’t available in all states, so until a friend was able to help me try a bottle I had always found the love for this brandy a mystery. So is it worth the hunt?

Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy

Distillate – 100% Apples
Proof – 100 (50%)
Age – Minimum 4 years
Cask – Oak
Bottled In Bond

Sight: Amontillado Sherry

Smell: Fresh sliced apples lace with vanilla and oak. The apple notes get a slight tint of baking spice and a lightly roasted character. It has elements of brown sugar and fruity candied apple. There’s a bit of floral in here too, and more than a little whiff of alcohol.

Sip: Bright floral apples and fresh sliced apple lead. The medium body gives forth a bit of vanilla and a hint of spice. The flavors are lean toward caramelizing apples in the oven, but without the sweetness. Oak comes in and there’s just a hint of the smell of the apple of the farm as flavor here too.

Savor: The ending leans into apples with a bit more skin and vanilla laced oak. The finish is short, and has a vaguely apple character.

Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy is little rough on the nose, but delivers a warm and well constructed apple flavor. The flavors aren’t super complicated or robust, but they are nicely orientated toward the apple orchard. The subtle floral notes go well against the more vanilla and oak undertones. This is a nice solid apple brandy that seems well suited for cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a Jack Rose it lends a fresh apple note to the lemon and pomegranate notes. It’s robust as a base, featuring the subtle oaky flavors and hints of vanilla behind all the fruitiness. While the depth could be deeper, it is very tasty. It works similarly as well in both a Honey Moon Cocktail and an Applejack Rabbit.

In Review – Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy

Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy is nicely constructed and works well in cocktails. Is it life altering? No, but the advantages that it has over Laird’s Blended Applejack are two fold. First, the proof helps to bring the flavors of the apples forward. Secondly, the lack of neutral grain spirits is evidence in a side by side. The result is a more apple orientated drink with none of the off flavors, while only being around $30. For these reasons, this is our new recommendation for an apple brandy when looking to make any cocktails.