Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

The Classics: Saratoga Cocktail

Posted on August 22, 2022August 23, 2022 by Nick

I grew up not far from the legendary Saratoga Race Course. One of the oldest operating sports venues in the country, Saratoga has an annual thoroughbred horseracing meet in July. The course itself has been in operation since 1863, and features a 40 day meet. In addition to the horse racing, the town itself is charming, full of small businesses, and quaint streets loaded with shops and restaurants. The overall experience is nothing short of magical, and unsurprisingly, many cocktails have grown up with the race track. Among them is the Saratoga Cocktail.

Among Saratoga’s biggest events of the year is the Traver’s Stakes. Held toward the end of the meet, the grade 1 race brings thousand of people to upstate New York. The winner of the race wins a Man O’ War cup (designed by Tiffany), their colors painted on the canoe in the lake of the course, and the Traver’s Blanket draped over their horse (and elaborate floral blanket). The weekend is usually the busiest of the meet, and an amazing experience of the culture of both Saratoga Race Course and the town.

Saratoga Cocktail

1 oz

Cognac

1 oz

Rye or Bourbon

1 oz

Sweet Vermouth

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Saratoga Cocktail is complex, brooding, and exciting. The nose is loaded with spice and bleeds out heavy notes of caramel, oak, preserved fruit, and fermenting grape. The bright citrus oils expressed give it a lively nature, and it feels right at home with the heavy hardwoods of the club like atmosphere of Saratoga.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

This cocktail is a variation of a Manhattan and the possible inspiration for the Vieux Carre Cocktail. Similar to a Manhattan, the base spirits you choose are going to make a large difference. There’s some variation in recipe here between the use of rye or bourbon. We’ve included both, but recommend rye first, or high rye bourbon.

Rye – We used Wild Turkey 101 Rye here for it’s strong herbal and spice notes, as well as the body. Most variations of this recipe will call for 100 proof bourbon or rye to add body. Other good choices to compliment the cognac would be Rittenhouse Rye or Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon.
Cognac – As there are few ingredients in this cocktail, you’ll want to aim at quality to work of the spicy rye foil. We used H by Hine here, but Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac would great as well. If you’re looking for to drop down in cost, consider Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva.
Sweet Vermouth – With the strength of some of the ingredients, the Saratoga Cocktail is able to take a stronger vermouth, like Carpano Antica. Feel free to use your favorite though.
Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand

That’s about the best advice I can offer. I’d love to say there’s some reason to make this, but some classics are forgotten for a reason. Got a reason you love this drink or a tweak you think makes it perfect? Let us know in the comments!

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Posted on August 19, 2022July 28, 2022 by Nick

Plantation has made some of our favorite rums for making tiki drinks. While their three star is great for Daiquiri’s and other drinks requiring lightly aged rums, you might find yourself wanting something a little more caramelized and complex. Their original dark could be a good option for something aged, but if you want something a little more unique, why not consider their single origin offering? Enter the Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Plantation Barbados is aged 5 years, 3-4 in bourbon barrels in the Caribbean and 1-2 in French oak on the continent. The rum contains added sugar (dosage) at 16 g/L, and caramel color to ensure consistency.

Sight: A 14-18k carat gold.

Smell: French vanilla, caramel, banana, and tropical fruit mix with a touch of rum ester to lead things off. Spices come in with a touch of oak, before giving way to coconut and sweet brown sugar. Dark fruits come in at the end. There is a hint of heat to the nose, but nothing offensive.

Sip: The palate starts of light and slightly sweet. The sweetness builds and brings in toasted marshmallow, French vanilla, caramelized bananas, and baking spices. Cigar box and oak come in, and there’s a touch of toffee, ester, and tropical fruit.

Savor: The ending carries in more vanilla with hints of dried tropical fruits and oak. The finish lingers pleasantly with a bit of tannin for a moderate length of time.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum is very approachable and easy going. The flavors are sweet and woody, which is helped by the actual subtle sweetness of the rum. The sippable nature has enough complexity that it doesn’t get boring, but enough complexity to keep it interesting. It feels dependable and reliable, despite not feeling exceptionally unique.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum imparts many of the same caramel and toasted marshmallow notes with lots of oak. It plays a great counterpoint to the lime’s brightness and works well with the simple. In a grog, it also works well, although thanks to the sweet notes, it can stand the extra acidity. We’ve also used Plantation Barbados 5 Year extensively in our tiki drinks, finding it extraordinarily versatile as a base to split with other strong rums like Smith & Cross or Plantation O.F.T.D.

In Review – Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum is a really solid rum, and a great choice for an aged addition to a bar. The neutral and aged rum character actually makes it a nice bottle for starting a home bar too. We recommend it as a starting point, or even a dependable shelfer to keep around thanks to it’s price in the low $20 range.

Tiki Classics: Fog Cutter

Posted on August 15, 2022August 13, 2022 by Nick

The Fog Cutter is actually from a family of tiki drinks that involve lemon, orange, orgeat, and rum. Over time, this style evolved and changed adjusting rum and brandy in various ratios. The real party piece of this drink is the sherry though. The bright, oxidized nature provides a rich counterpoint to the various liquors and citruses used. So all aboard as we slice through the mists.

Fog Cutter

2 oz

Blended Lightly Aged Rum

1 oz

Pisco, Cognac, or Brandy

½ oz

Gin

½ oz

Orgeat

1 ½ oz

Lemon Juice

1 ½ oz

Orange Juice

½ oz

Amontillado Sherry

Combine all ingredients except sherry in a shaking tin or flash blending cup. Add crushed ice and flash blender or shake. Open pour or “dirty dump” into a tiki mug. Top with additional crushed ice as needed. Using a barspoon, float sherry over the top. Garnish with mint sprigs and other garnish of your choice.

The Fog Cutter is refreshing and citrusy, will depend how you build in it. In our tester we opted to stay light and summery. Using lightly aged rum, the lemon, orange, orgeat, and sherry added brightness and levity. The pisco and gin provided a backbone of floral and herbal flavors. The rum rounds things out, giving character and subtle sweet notes like vanilla and tropical fruit.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Fog Cutter is dependent on the base ingredients of lemon, orange, orgeat, and rum). These ingredients underpin the drink, and the rest ends up driving the riffs and variations you’ll see. The biggest change in variations (other than adjusting the style of rum – though always lightly aged) is the use of Cognac or Brandy vs. Pisco. While pisco is technically brandy, it tends to be unaged like cognac or traditional brandies. Using these in the drink will adjust some of the flavors in terms of adding more or less oak influences, dark sugars, stone fruits, and complexity.

Lightly Aged Rum – The flavors here will get a bolstering from the sherry, so deep, dark, super intense flavors are not a must. We used El Dorado 3 to emphasize the lightness. Other alternatives include the Plantation 3 Star for more lightness, or Appleton Estate Signature for a little more depth.
Brandy – Pisco, Cognac, Brandy – The choice between Pisco and Cognac / Brandy is going to be the depth of oaky flavors. The pisco can help emphasize more of the light, floral notes – which is what we chose to use here (Macchu Pisco). Cognac / Brandy can add that depth and more caramelization. We recommend using Lustau Brandy de Jerez or another relatively robust brandy to add depth.
Gin – London Dry is the expectation here. We used Beefeater, but feel free to grab Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, or your favorite London Dry.
Orgeat – In this application we recommend something natural like Small Hand Foods Orgeat*, but feel free to reach for something more candy almond like Ferrara Orzata Almond Syrup* (which we used here). The candied sweetness doesn’t overwhelm things as the bright character of the citrus keeps things balanced. If you’re finding that the Small Hand’s Food is leaving things too acidic, consider reducing lemon by ¼ or increasing your Orgeat by the same. Monin would also be a recommended substitute for the candied Orgeat.
Lemon Juice / Orange Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results. Pre-packaged orange juice will add a particularly different taste.
Sherry – You’re going to want to use a medium weight sherry here. Those typically are labeled as “medium”, “Amontillado”, or “Oloroso”. Oloroso will be the darkest and most oxidized of these. Amontillado will tend to offer moderate nuttiness with some caramel and oxidized notes, but will be drier and less overwhelming. “Medium” is a catchall, vague term, that could be either or something else entirely. It’ll work, but expect some quality reduction.

* – These links are affiliate links that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a portion of the sale. These small contributions help us to bring you original cocktails and in depth reviews. As of writing this (July 2022), we operate at a loss, so please consider purchasing through our links if you want to help support the site!

Maker’s Mark 101

Posted on August 12, 2022August 11, 2022 by Nick

A new limited release, Maker’s Mark 101 sits almost perfectly between their Cask Strength and standard offerings. In theory, this means it should be the perfect amount of additional flavor and weight over their entry point, without the extra flavor of their finishes, and without hitting the highest proof point. Why they chose this specific proof point isn’t immediately clear, but the price point isn’t halfway between their basic and cask strength, so does it bring enough flavor to justify?

Maker’s Mark 101

Sight: A solid burnished copper

Smell: A caramel-cherry sweetness leads off rather bombastically. A brown sugar and vanilla laced oak comes in and gives a richness and almost a hint of sweet cream. There’s a bit of a baking spice component going on as well, and the nose is deeply concentrated without being hot.

Sip: The mouthfeel has a solid, almost thick weight to it. The smoothness has a prickle of heat though that builds over time. The fresh cherry flavors continue their frontal assault with plenty of almond now. The vanilla lingers, but the caramel is a bit more reserved, instead allowing oak, dried dark fruit, and spice to have a little more of the forefront.

Savor: The finish ends with a heavy dose of oak and spice with just a little alcohol. Cherries gradually peak out as the finish goes.

Maker’s Mark 101 has this interesting effect of making Maker’s Mark seem emaciated by comparison. Those extra points of proof don’t seem like a lot, but the richness here really sets it apart from their standard offering.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the cherry and dark fruit notes come to the forefront. The caramel and oak notes gets rather strong and the overall body has a nice silkiness. It almost is subtly sweet, like eating a ripe piece of fruit drizzled with caramel syrup. The interesting thing is the spices seem to be more in the background, appearing more toward the end with a bit of tannin.

In Review – Maker’s Mark 101

Maker’s Mark 101 is really delicious, if not quite positioned in a cost price point that makes a lot of sense. At just under $40, it sits $15 higher than the standard offering, but comes in just a few dollars less than the cost of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Given there doesn’t seem to be any obvious difference in age, the question would be why not just by the easier to find Cask Strength. Regrettably, this question doesn’t seem to have a particularly obvious answer. With all that said, if you like Maker’s this is a must try, but for a few dollars more the Cask Strength is as good and easier to find.

Tiki Classics: Planter’s Punch

Posted on August 8, 2022August 7, 2022 by Nick

The history of the Planter’s Punch goes back to the spice trade in the Caribbean. Plantation owners, or “Planters” were the folks enjoying punches, typically made from sour, sweet, strong, and weak. The made up a nice little rhyme that helped to remember the drink, and sometimes folks would take on “And a touch of spice to make it nice.” The recipes proliferated over the years, but eventually grew a strong connection to Jamaica in the 1920’s, and thus influenced the recipe below.

Planter’s Punch

3 oz

Aged Jamaican Rum

1 oz

Lime Juice

½ oz

Rich Demerara Syrup

¼ oz

Allspice Dram

¼ oz

Falernum

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin. Add cubed ice and shake. Strain into a Collin’s glass over fresh crushed or cubed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Planter’s Punch is strong, balanced, and refreshing. The flavor of the rum decidedly comes through here, giving a nice run of tropical fruits, rum ester, and pops of caramelized sugars. The demerara syrup adds depth, while both the allspice and falernum add depth imparting spice and fruitiness. The bitters bind this very refreshing, yet simple to make, drink together.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The secret to a Planter’s Punch is that it’s a classic four part, rhyming formula. One part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong, four parts weak. Keep this in mind, and you can riff endlessly.

Rum – Given the drink’s origination in Jamaica, we recommend using aged Jamaican rum here for the best results. The best example would be Appleton Estate Reserve. While Jamaican works well, feel free to experiment with other aged rums or mixes of rums, like Doorly’s X.O.. Due to the large quantity, you may want to reconsider anything particularly high proof.
Rich Demerara Syrup – Demerara syrup works as the sweet here, and as a rich formulation is more than it appears. It adds a nicely caramelized sugar note binding flavors together here.
- To Make: Combine 2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water and bring to a simmer stirring over high heat. Remove from heat once the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle. Refrigerate. The high sugar content will work to inhibit bacterial growth for an extended duration – throw out if any clouding or mold develop.
Allspice Dram – We use St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, but other alternatives here include Pimento Dram – which also has a strong allspice flavor. Note that this is a sweet element here, and could be omitted for more of other elements or a different liqueur or syrups.
Falernum – We use John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, which adds a tropical spice note and sweetness.
Lime Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
Angostura – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Posted on August 5, 2022July 24, 2022 by Nick

There are plenty of vermouths on the market, and while Carpano Antica has captured a large amount of the market’s imagination, it also isn’t without it’s detractors. Among the complaints are that the vanilla in Carpano is overwhelming to drinks. Enter Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, which prides its self on not using vanilla in it’s formulation. Instead, they use fire browned sugar, herbs, and spices to make their sweet vermouths. So how does it work out?

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Sight: A shiny, bright mahogany with deep caramel elements around the edge.

Smell: Herbs, caramelized sugars, and bright pops of fruit lead off the nose. The fruit gradually moves from fragrant to dried, pulling in notes of caramelized dates, raisins, and figs. The dried fruits have an almost baked in brown sugar character to them. The sweetness mixed with garigue like herbs gives a slightly more savory smell than might be expected. There is also a hint of nuttiness.

Sip: The sip starts of slightly sweet, and becomes increasingly bright. There’s a middling feel to it’s weight. Notes of bright red currants and orange marmalade jump out and are coated in caramel and herbs. There’s an almost stone fruit like character to some of the fruit, and a slight dull bitterness like citrus pith toward the edge.

Savor: The citrus pith like edge and herbal notes team up on the finish to provide a lingering bitterness over a caramel like sweetness.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is light, lively, caramelized, and packed with fruity notes. The sweetness of the style is what immediately stands out, but there’s a lot of fruit and herbal notes to back it up. The pops of acidity really give it a vibrance, and the evolution of the flavors from fresh to dried to baked gives it a layered character. The result is a vermouth that’s fun to sip on it’s own.

In Cocktails

While Carpano Antica has found love, the purportedly original style of vermouth associated with the Manhattan was vermouth di Torino. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino does nicely in a Manhattan, allowing the bourbon or rye to play the lead. This more gentle approach means something like Wild Turkey 101 is going to provide spice and oak characteristics in the forefront, while allowing the caramel and fruitiness to end as backup singers in the group. When compared to a more gentle bourbon, like Maker’s Mark, this means that Cocchi has a opportunity to provide more herbal and fruit forward notes, while providing sweetness. As a result, it makes a better vermouth for drinks like the Negroni or Income Tax Cocktail.

In Review – Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino used to occupy the top spot on my bar for vermouths. It’s elegant enough to work in almost everything, even if it can’t always stand up to the liquor bases. What reduced my overall impression is bottle to bottle variability. In general the bottles are good, but I’ve experienced two clunkers in a batch of twelve. My father has had a similar experience. While I still keep it around, and believe it’s a great value at $20 for a $750 (what you’d pay for one 375ml of Carpano!), be aware there can be some apparent quality control issues. Despite this, we still recommend it as one of the best vermouths to use and start your home bar with, because when it’s made right it’s simply charming.

Tiki Classics: Hurricane

Posted on August 1, 2022July 31, 2022 by Nick

Wrapping up our three part series focused on passionfruit syrup in classic tiki cocktails is the Hurricane. You probably think of Hurricanes around Mardi Gras and New Orleans, or some other tropical destination, and as some bright red, fruity thing with a bit of rum. The fact of the matter is, it is from New Orleans (1940s from Pat O’Briens), but it’s only 3 ingredients, and more of muddle brown-orange kind of color. Like a hurricane that’s just gone through…

Hurricane

2 oz

Lemon Juice

2 oz

Passionfruit Syrup

4 oz

Black Blended Rum

Combine all ingredients in a a flash blender tin. Add crushed ice and mix for 4 to 6 seconds. Pour without straining into a hurricane glass. Garnish with an inside-out turned umbrella and lemon slice.

The Hurricane is sweet, tart, tangy, and boozy. The flavors of the black rum come to fruition in deep molasses and burnt caramelized notes with slight tropical funk. The lemon adds tanginess that brings an electric zing to the drink. The quality of the passionfruit syrup is critical here, deciding what tropical fruit notes come forth. With great passionfruit syrup comes a complex tropical mystique that works perfectly with the darkness of the rum.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Hurricane gets a bum rap for being the kind of drink that’s full of booze and crazy tropical fruit juices. In reality, this is a 3 ingredient cocktail were quality matters. In the event you don’t have a flash blender, feel free to shake hard with crushed or pellet ice. It will result in a similar outcome.

Black Blended Rum – We used Gosling’s here as it’s one of our favorites. Feel free to use Kraken or another black blended rum.
Lemon Juice – As always, we recommend using fresh squeezed for best results.
Passionfruit Syrup – Passionfruit syrup is called for in several of the tiki classics, so it’s worth pre-planning to make it for all of them. In addition, Funkin syrup works best, and comes in a quantity you’ll want to separate and freeze (but also optimize for usage). We’ve included a link to the Amazon page as we find this is one of the best* and easiest passion fruit juices you can buy.
- How To Make Passionfruit Syrup: Create a rich simple syrup (combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Heat until all sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. Weigh the rich simple syrup to obtain the final weight. Combine with equal weight passionfruit puree. Bottle and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Leftover passionfruit puree may be frozen for later use.
Flash Blender – We use a traditional Hamilton Beech (Amazon) flash blender here. This tool is a great investment for other drinks that include egg whites, are tiki drinks, or if you make milkshakes. The best part is they can be had at or under $50 and have common parts and a lineage as mixers.

* – These links are affiliate links that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a portion of the sale. These small contributions help us to bring you original cocktails and in depth reviews. As of writing this (August 2022), we operate at a loss, so please consider purchasing through our links if you want to help support the site!

The Scarlet Ibis

Posted on July 29, 2022July 24, 2022 by Nick

Originally commissioned by Death & Co, The Scarlet Ibis is rum from Trinidad that is aged 3 to 5 year in American white oak casks. The rum is not chill filtered to help preserve the full character. Haus Alpenz has been distributing this out to the market as it’s become available. While the reputation would suggest a top shelf rum, the price is actually reasonable around the mid $20s. The pedigree of this rum suggests great things, so how does it fare?

The Scarlet Ibis

Sight: Between hay and 14/18k gold.

Smell: The nose opens with elements of brown sugar, slight rum esters, papaya, and other tropical fruits. There’s a light element of alcohol burn, but it gets supplanted by roasted banana, touches of spice, and caramel.

Sip: The body moderate, and begins with touches of brown sugar and sugar cane juice. The tropical fruit flavors then start to climb out of the woodwork. Papaya, lush guava, limes, pineapple, and other tropical fruits join in. A touch of wood and spice joins in, and a green sugarcane note starts to show up toward the end. Despite all the fruity notes, it remains dry throughout.

Savor: The finish carries off a juicy, tropical caramel start before sliding into sugarcane juice and touches of spiced oak. The finish lingers with an herbal earthy funk that is also quite tannic.

The Scarlet Ibis is a juicy tropical rum with an element of sugarcane and oak. The nose wouldn’t lead you to believe anything super complicated going on. The flavor profile matches and seems straightforward, but opens up in new directions as it you keep sipping. The fruity elements are nicely forward here, while still maintaining the rum characteristics that make it round and inviting.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri, The Scarlet Ibis continues to convey it’s fruity character, but the lime and sweetness help mute some of the more tannic notes. The overall result is a daquiri that feels lively and tropical, but that also has a long, lingering, almost skin-on fruit like finish (like when you eat an apple with the skin attach or have a bit of pith on an orange. The flavor is really enticing, and it seems to help boost the drink in a satisfying way. The only detractor here is complexity, where it may not bring as much to the party as other rums.

In Review – The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis is enjoyable and lively for the price point. The flavors are well defined, easy to sip on, and have a decent diversity to them. In a cocktail it holds it’s own, and brings some lively new dimensions without reinventing anything. The net result is a good rum that isn’t something you need to go out of your way for, but worth trying if you’re looking for something new.

Tiki Classics: Sidewinder’s Fang

Posted on July 25, 2022July 31, 2022 by Nick

Tiki has a reputation for having complex garnishes. Perhaps no drink so epitomizes this as the Sidewinder’s Fang. Originally made at the Lanai restaurant in San Mateo, California, this drink features a long orange peel wrapped around the inside of an oversized brandy snifter that’s designed to look like a snake. The net result is an incredible looking drink that definitely catches the eye, while also refreshing the imbiber.

Sidewinder’s Fang

Sidewinder’s Famg

1 ½ oz

Lime Juice

1 ½ oz

Orange Juice

1 ½ oz

Passionfruit Syrup

3 oz

Seltzer Water

1 oz

Black Blended Rum

1 oz

Aged Blended Rum

Make a snake (see directions on website) using an orange peel. Line the inside of an oversized snifter with the snake and have the ‘head’ over the edge of the glass. Hold it in place with fresh crushed / pellet ice. Use cloves to make the eyes. Combine all ingredients in a a flash blender tin. Add crushed ice and mix for 4 to 6 seconds. Strain and pour in the prepared snifter. Garnish with a mint sprig.

The Sidewinder’s Fang is bright, refreshing, pops with tropical fruit flavors. Thanks to the split base of rums, there’s a nice underlying tropical fruit and subtle caramelized, molasses notes. The passionfruit syrup and orange take the lead roles here, showing off their tropical flavors in spades. The lime cranks it up to make it refreshing and the club evens out the entire drink to make it sing.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Sidewinder’s Fang’s most difficult element is the garnish. Making the snake requires a bit of finesse, and a steady hand with a y-peeler. Essentially you start a long strip that runs the entire distance of the orange, and then shape the peel (making a head at one side) to finalize the snake shape. The trick is maintaining enough depth that you don’t break the snake while also trying to ensure that the fruit isn’t nicked. To finalize the snake, poke two holes in the head and slide cloves through for eyes.

Aged Blended Rum – This will be one of the primary drivers for the flavor of the Sidewinder’s Fang. For a more funky version, utilize a Jamaican rum like Appleton Estate Reserve. If you’re looking for something more brown sugar and caramelized, consider Doorly’s X.O. (which we used here) and El Dorado 12. Plantation 20th can add a bit of tropical flavor as well.
Black Blended Rum – We used Gosling’s here as it’s one of our favorites. Feel free to use Kraken or another black blended rum.
Lime and Orange Juice – As always, we recommend using fresh squeezed for best results.
Seltzer – Essentially you’re looking for carbonated water here, so use your favorite brand of Seltzer. Feel free to use club if you already keep it around your house (it will add a slight minerality that should be minimally noticeable).
Passionfruit Syrup – Passionfruit syrup is called for in several of the tiki classics, so it’s worth pre-planning to make it for all of them. In addition, Funkin syrup works best, and comes in a quantity you’ll want to separate and freeze (but also optimize for usage). We’ve included a link to the Amazon page as we find this is one of the best* and easiest passion fruit juices you can buy.
- How To Make Passionfruit Syrup: Create a rich simple syrup (combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Heat until all sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. Weigh the rich simple syrup to obtain the final weight. Combine with equal weight passionfruit puree. Bottle and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Leftover passionfruit puree may be frozen for later use.
Flash Blender – We use a traditional Hamilton Beech (Amazon) flash blender here. This tool is a great investment for other drinks that include egg whites, are tiki drinks, or if you make milkshakes. The best part is they can be had at or under $50 and have common parts and a lineage as mixers.

Martell VSOP

Posted on July 22, 2022July 19, 2022 by Nick

I may have mentioned in the past that I am not particularly fast at going through the back log of bottles we’ve collect. As a result, there are occasional packaging flow throughs and changes that make identifying what a particular bottle is a challenge. This is part of what happened with this particular bottle of Martell VSOP (Matured In Red Barrels).

Martell VSOP

Martell VSOP (Matured In Red Barrels) was an effort in Martell’s branding to help address the stodgy image of cognac. By emphasizing the “red barrels” the focus would be adjusted to target the fruity flavors within the cognac. The aging process is done in “red barrels” of fine-grained oak that reduce the exchange rate (compared to larger grain). According to their website, it is also aged at least 4 years for VSOP.

Sight: A pretty reddish amber

Smell: There’s a notable heat here coming off the start that gives way to flowers, touches of lychee, and plenty of fresh apricot. Notes of baking spiced laced macerated peaches come in with a top note of subtle caramel. The nose is unmistakably fruity, but carries the oak influence in the background.

Sip: The palate has a middling to heavy weight and a prickly heat to it. It drinks significantly hotter than 40% A.B.V. would imply. Notes of ripe apricot, peach, and nectarine come out and have a hint of caramelized brown sugar and spices.

Savor: The ending carries over the heat but brings in more oak and a hint of bitterness and unripe stone fruit.

Martell VSOP is fruit on the nose and fire on the palate. This is a rare case of dramatic discontinuity between the nose and the palate. Which is particularly confusing given that the proof isn’t particularly high. While the fruit notes are nice, this is hard to sip straight.

In Cocktails

In a Sidecar it brings the fruit in spades. The drink pops with notes of strawberries, apricot, marmalade, and peach. The overall notes of orange and lemon get prolonged appearances as a result of the relatively weak showing of oak and rich preserved fruit flavors. The result is a refreshing and bright sidecar that’s short of depth.

In Review – Martell VSOP

The value of Martell VSOP is in a price tag that sits below the $40 mark. That’s about where the appeal ends. The cognac in the bottle doesn’t match up with the presentation of the label and bottle. The result is something that’s acceptable, but not a recommendation.

Tiki Classics: Saturn

Posted on July 18, 2022August 8, 2022 by Nick

Tiki drinks evoke the idea of rum, but that’s far from the only spirit that Tiki utilizes. As we’ve shown with other cocktails, like the Singapore Sling and the Halekulani, Tiki includes everything from gin to bourbon to even lesser known spirits like pisco as a base. Among drinks that maintain this pattern is the Saturn.

A relative latecomer to the Tiki scene, the Saturn was created by J. Galsini of the California Bartenders’ Guild. He went on to win the International Bartender’s Associations World Championship in 1967 with this glorious libation. In the midst of the space race, it’s easy to see how the ‘rings’ of Saturn in the garnish would allure to consumers of the time.

Like many of the classics, this drink has undergone several iterations, but we’ve tried to post what we believe is the closest to the original. We’ll also cover a variant in the drink notes.

Saturn

1 ¼ oz

London Dry Gin

½ oz

Passionfruit Syrup

¼ oz

Falernum

¼ oz

Orgeat

¾ oz

Lemon Juice

Make a long lemon peel and wrap it into a ring. Spear the ring with a pick through one side to hold it together. Add a cherry to the end of the pick before continuing through the ring to hold the cherry in the center. Combine all ingredients in a a flash blender tin. Add crushed ice and mix for 4 to 6 seconds (do not overfill). Pour into a double rocks glass. Garnish with the ‘ring’.

The Saturn is bright and refreshing with a beautiful mix of tropical depth and herbal gin notes. The star of the show here is really the ensemble performance that the citrus, syrups, and gin bring. The harmonious blend creates a tropical mix of flavors that doesn’t necessarily put anyone on the spot. The gin here is noticeable, but not prevalent, while the passion fruit, orgeat, falernum, and lemon cover the mid palate notes to give a richness. Overall, it’s great drink with a unique garnish.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Saturn is another tiki drink where the most difficult element is the garnish. To make the ‘rings’ …

London Dry Gin – We used Beefeater here, but feel free to select your favorite gin. American gins can add spice, floral, or citrus elements to switch up the juniper dominance. With the present flavors, we feel Bluecoat and Aviation could be particularly fun.
Lemon Juice – As always, we recommend using fresh squeezed for best results.
Orgeat – In this application we recommend something natural like Small Hand Foods Orgeat*, but feel free to reach for something more candy almond like Ferrara Orzata Almond Syrup* (which we used here). The candied like note plays well with the bright lemon and can help balance things. If you’re finding that the Small Hand’s Food is leaving things too acidic, consider reducing lemon by ¼ or increasing your Orgeat by the same. Monin would also be a recommended substitute for the candied Orgeat.
Falernum – We use John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, which adds a tropical spice note and sweetness.
Passionfruit Syrup – Passionfruit syrup is called for in several of the tiki classics, so it’s worth pre-planning to make it for all of them. In addition, Funkin syrup works best, and comes in a quantity you’ll want to separate and freeze (but also optimize for usage). We’ve included a link to the Amazon page as we find this is one of the best* and easiest passion fruit juices you can buy.
- How To Make Passionfruit Syrup: Create a rich simple syrup (combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Heat until all sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. Weigh the rich simple syrup to obtain the final weight. Combine with equal weight passionfruit puree. Bottle and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Leftover passionfruit puree may be frozen for later use.
Flash Blender – We use a traditional Hamilton Beech (Amazon) flash blender here. This tool is a great investment for other drinks that include egg whites, are tiki drinks, or if you make milkshakes. The best part is they can be had at or under $50 and have common parts and a lineage as mixers.

Saturn Variant:

While most variants of the Saturn maintain a similar structure and change the glass (pilsner, collins, etc), there are also variants that call for serving the Saturn up. Smuggler’s Cove is probably the most prevalent of these. To make the Saturn up, maintain the same ratios and the same garnish setup, but shake the cocktail with ice, and strain into a coupe.

W. L. Weller Antique

Posted on July 15, 2022January 9, 2023 by Nick

W. L. Weller Antique, more commonly referred to as Old Weller Antique (OWA), Weller Antique 107, or just red Weller, is a wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Thanks to the bourbon craze originally unleashed for Pappy Van Winkle, all things even possibly made of a similar mashbill ended up being chased by bourbon enthusiasts. As a result, cheap bottles like Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique went from common, cheap, and wildly available to insane secondary values or being used as currency more than they’re consumed. Weller Antique fits squarely into the second half of this, where it more often serves as trade bait than actual drinking whiskey.

W. L. Weller Antique

To start, lets compare Weller Antique to Weller Special Reserve. Purportedly, these wheated bourbons are made of the same mashbill at Buffalo Trace. They’re aged a similar period of time, and then bottled at different proofs. Other than the label, these are the biggest differences.

Sight: Chestnut – oloroso sherry in hue.

Smell: A nice mix of cinnamon and hints of vanilla bean lead things off. Touches of walnut and stone fruit are joined by preserved bing cherries and other dark fruits. There’s also a little bit of roasted honey and a couple of whiffs of heat.

Sip: The mouthfeel is smooth and leads off with caramel and vanilla notes that are immediately inundated with cinnamon and touches of wood smoke. Cherries and hints of fig come out and are joined by oak and brown sugar. The proof isn’t overtly noticeable other than adding some weight to the middling body.

Savor: The ending continues with some oak and a healthy dose of cinnamon bark. It lingers with a good amount of tannins and a hint of tobacco.

W. L. Weller Antique is a nice, easy going sip with a healthy amount of complexity, and clearly defined flavors. The sweet elements are well contrasted with the spice, and there’s just enough dark fruit in there to keep things lively and interesting. The sugars and oak shifting around give layers to the flavor. As a sipper, it’s clearly why W. L. Weller Antique is popular.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s a nice cinnamon and brown sugar play that leads things off. The vermouth gets a good amount of the stage adding in dark berry notes and cherry elements. The oak and tobacco hints come through as well. On the finish, it’s balanced, a touch tannic, and a hint sweet and oaky. Overall, it does well in a Manhattan, but wouldn’t necessarily be a stand out component.

Now that I’ve finished making a bunch of the taters clutch their pearls, let’s move on to the overall.

In Review – W. L. Weller Antique

W. L. Weller Antique is a very nice sipping whiskey, that has a good amount of complexity and friendly flavors. The proof provides a nice amount of punch and flavor without it being pushy. While it does just fine in cocktails, no one is likely buying it for making mixed drinks. There within lies the two problems with OWA.

You probably won’t find OWA at MSRP outside of controlled liquor states. Even then, you likely will need to hunt to find a bottle (and might even need to become a dreaded tater!)
The MSRP is $50. At $50 it’s a good, solid value sipper. It is not, however, particularly deep, interesting, or a good bottle for making cocktails with.

As with all allocated bottles, we can’t recommend W. L. Weller Antique as a bottle to keep on you shelf (due to availability). However, if you do happen to find a bottle at MSRP or a decent priced pour on a restaurant list, it’s worth trying to see if you feel the hype is worth it.