Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 – I Am Dracula … I Bid You Welcome

Posted on October 28, 2019October 11, 2021 by Nick

Hungarian born actor Bela Lugosi cemented our perception of Dracula in 1931 with his iconic portrayal of the vampire. The movie was part of the golden age of Universal’s monster films, and has helped shape our perception of multiple horror icons, including Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Wolfman. Along with the imagery, the vocal cues such as those of Bela Lugosi would lend themselves to the characters indeliably, giving us the iconic style of Dracula’s voice. As the count welcomes Renfield, it’s hard to forget Bela’s introduction, “I am Dracula … I bid you welcome.”

Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 – I Am Dracula … I Bid You Welcome

I Am Dracula … I Bid You Welcome

4 oz

Sandeman Tawny Porto

0.75 oz

Averell Damson Gin

0.5 oz

Lemon Juice

0.5 oz

Monin Orgeat

Dash

Fee Bros Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Once filled – add the remaining into a carafe on ice. No garnish.

A beautiful dark garnet – ruby color in the glass, it’s a bloody beautiful color. A fragrant mix of warm spiced plums, bright currants, and hints of almonds and spice come off the nose. The body is light and bright, dancing across the tongue in a mix of bright fresh plums, baked almonds, and spices all come together in an elegant mix. Touches of caramel and currants come through as well. The finish is a wonderful mix of fresh plum, hints of plum skin, and touches of almond tart.

Drink Notes:

Tawny Porto – You could go super overboard here and buy a high end Tawny Porto here. You don’t need to though, grab a middle of the road like Sandeman.
Damson Gin – To the best of my knowledge – Averell Damson Gin is the only Damson gin available on the market. This plum infused gin liqueur is delightfully fruity and spiced. For a substitute – consider Sloe Gin (which is also a type of plum).
Orgeat – You can make your own – we’re using Monin in this version.
Lemon Juice – As always – use fresh squeezed (if you don’t have a juicer – this is what we use*)

About The Name – I Am Dracula … I Bid You Welcome

It wouldn’t be fitting to have a Dracula, and not give it some connection to blood. Thanks to the mix of Damson Gin and Porto, the color is spot on where we wanted it. The use of Porto is both a nod to the luxury of the castle and lusciousness of Port, but also as it works beautifully with the spices in the Damson Gin, giving a bit of mulled character. Renfield’s slight nuttiness gets pulled in with the orgeat to create a beautiful if unexpected cocktail.

A final note – I want to give a shout out to James Rolfe’s Cinemassacre’s Monster Madness for getting me into the classic monster films. If you haven’t seen his work, it’s worth a view this time of year – you might even find something amazing to watch on a dark, scary night.

If you’d like something a little less bloody, check out our Ghostbuster’s cocktail – Slimer or our other Universal Monster – Frankenstein.

Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 – Slimer

Posted on October 21, 2019October 11, 2021 by Nick

Happy Halloween ghosts and ghouls! Just in time for the big night, we’ve got a handful of fun cocktails to help you scare up some good times (and I promise the cocktails are much more enjoyable than the writing!). Leading things off for our Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 is Slimer.

Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 – Slimer

Slimer

2 oz

Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila

0.5 oz

Giffard Blue Curacao

0.5 oz

Lime Juice

0.25 oz

Vanilla Simple Syrup

4 oz

FOCO Mango Nectar

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into double rocks glass over a large ice cube. No garnish.

Slimer is intimidatingly green in the glass, and the large ice cube is vaguely reminiscent of his potato like body. The nose is fruity and plays at all manner of tropical fruits and fruit snacks. Hints of vanilla and pepper from the tequila join in. The body is smooth, sweet, and nicely rounded out by the brightness of the lime. The vanilla syrup gives it a creamy nature. The mango and lime do their part, giving this a very mysterious fruit forward character. The finish leaves you haunted, looking for more.

A few notes:

Silver / Blanco Tequila – The recipe started with Tres Agaves. You don’t need to use Tres Agaves (our go to is actually Centenario) – but bear in mind you’re going to taste the tequila variance in this as it is almost 25% of the drink.
Blue Curacao – Blue Curacao? Really? – Yes – a lot of Blue Curacao is just awful – but not all of it. We love Giffard’s Blue Curacao, which has a lovely mandarian orange flavor with some underlying vanillin / breakfast cereal notes – in addition to being blue. To be clear – this is one area we don’t recommend swapping in another liqueur – unless you happen to really like the blue curacao you have.
Mango Nectar – We use FOCO Mango Nectar. In a side by side with Trader Joe’s Mango Juice we found the FOCO to have more body. Check your local Asian market.
Vanilla Simple – bring 8 oz of sugar and 8 oz of water to a boil with a whole vanilla bean split lengthwise. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool – add 1/4 oz of Everclear (or vodka) to help stabilize and preserve shelf life. Bottle, cap, and refrigerate.
Lime Juice – Use fresh lime juice. If you don’t have one – buy a juicer (like this Amco – which is our go to*).

About The Name – Slimer

One of the reasons we started making cocktails was we were inspired by challenge of trying to make ones that represented nostalgic characters from our youth. When I think about Ghostbusters as an adult – the casting and subtle humor in some of the jokes stands out. As a kid though, Ghostbusters was one of those rare times where cartoons crossed the line into reality. With characters like Slimer and Stay Puft it was fun to watch and more relatable. Plus – you get to watch Bill Murray get slimed!

While the cocktail version of Slimer thankfully doesn’t have the same texture – the color was a clear nod to the childhood character. It was also sort of nostalgic in a way toward the old Hi-C Ecto Coolers both in fruity flavors and color.

If you’re looking for another spooky cocktail, consider our Dracula and Frankenstein cocktails.

* – please note this is an affiliate link that helps keep First Pour Cocktails going and making more awesome content. We may receive a fee from purchases made – but trust me – I spend way more on booze that I’ll ever make in commissions.

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Nick

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond was one of the first, and most affordable, liquors I was able to purchase after I got seriously into cocktails. This standby staple is a go to in our collection, and from a value for money perspective – it’s not particularly hard to see why. Rittenhouse sparkles with a nutty nose, laced with baked vanilla, warm brown sugar, and hints of esthery banana, baking spices, and cedar box. The palate is a lovely mix of cocoa, black tea, almond extract, pepper, and hints of wood. At 100 proof – it gets a touch hot on the palate, but delivers full flavor in spades.

What Does Bottled-In-Bond mean?

Bottled-In-Bond is connected to the 1897 Bottled-In-Bond Act which was designed to help with the widespread adulteration of liquors. The idea was that the government would be the guarantor of quality – and participants would be a tax advantage. To participate (and be labeled Bonded or Bottled-In-Bond) the following conditions must be met:

Produced in one distilling season (Jan-Jun, Jul-Dec) by one distiller at one distillery.
Aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. Government Supervision for at least 4 years.
Bottled at 100 proof (50% A.B.V.)
The label must contain the distillery and where it was bottled.
Must be produced in the United States.

Do Bonded Whiskies Really Taste Better?

It’s a complicated question, and the answer is it depends. Governments have long sought to ensure quality, and the results are decidedly mixed. If you look at the wine world, you’ll see D.O.C., D.O.C.G., I.G.T., A.O.C., V.Q.A., A.V.A, and the list goes on and on. Does it mean the wine is better? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes a region with no standing produces something amazing. What it does do, is provide customers an assurance that spirits and wines produced in these regions meet certain quality requirements.

So How Does Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond Play In Cocktails?

Going to the base choice of an Old Fashioned, we compared Rittenhouse to a competitor. The spicy notes came to the forefront and mingled well with the warm sugar and woodsy notes. The body holds up well thanks to the higher proof. When compared head to head, we agreed the Rittenhouse has more depth, and was more inviting thanks to the warm spice notes.

Final Thoughts

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond is a sturdy work horse of a rye that delivers a great amount of spice and warmth. At a value proposition typically around $25-30 a bottle, it’s hard to not argue that Rittenhouse deserves a spot in your home bar. This is a must buy.

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond Raw Tasting Notes:

A nutty nose – with baked vanilla and warm brown sugar – an esthery banana. There’s a spiciness present as well – hints of more baking spice – cedar box / wood. On the palate it gets warm, black tea – bitter almond / extract – pepper – and cedar come to the forefront. The flesh close to the pit of a peach’s nuttiness.

Distillery: Heaven Hill Distilleries – KY

Website: Heaven Hill – Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond

Scotch & Soda

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Nick

Disclosure – This article was written from approximately March through the end of August. The long snapshot let me see Scotch & Soda’s ups and downs over the period.

Traveling extensively for work in manufacturing over the years, I’ve found myself in such enticing places as Danville, VA and Tulare, California. In my line of work, it’s not that you don’t find yourself in a major city like Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., it’s just that it’s a lot cheaper to buy a lot of space and pay someone in the upstate of South Carolina than it is to find offsets in costs for manufacturing in the boroughs of NYC. With the price of fuel being what it is, make it where you sell it just doesn’t hold as much water as back when the recession hit.

Despite my travels, I’ve somehow managed to avoid landing in Arkansas until recently.

I grew up in Albany, New York, and while it might not have been as cosmopolitan as those growing up in NYC, it also wasn’t the sprawling farmland and bucolic setting that city dwellers associate with the upstate. Even in our humble capital, if you were ask folks in Albany about Arkansas, you’d probably get some references to the Clintons or an impersonation of the guitar strings from deliverance. Combined with horror stories of a workshop gone wrong at my former employer (apparently Jonesboro in late June is kind of humid – which is like saying the ocean is sort of wet), I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get to Arkansas.

You can imagine my surprise when on a recent trip to Arkansas I found a dynamic cocktail bar slinging top tier cocktails at great prices.

How Would A Potential Top Tier Cocktail Bar End In Northwest Arkansas?

Before we get into the amazing cocktail program at Scotch & Soda in Bentonville, I’d like to take a moment to reflect that my new found appreciation of Arkansas has come with something of a set of warnings from pretty much everyone I’ve talked to in Bentonville. For those who aren’t aware, Bentonville is home to none other than Sam Walton’s baby, Walmart. In the late 90’s Walmart set an edict that if you wanted to do business with Walmart you were required to have an operating prescience in the Northwestern region of Arkansas. If you take a trip through the area, you’ll indeed see a hodgepodge of top tier companies, including Nestlé, P&G, and others. For this same reason, you’ll also see a lot of top tier sales and customer relationship management jobs in Northwest Arkansas.

All of this means that the population of the area has subsequently exploded and level of wealth in Northwest Arkansas is significantly different than in the rest of the state. As a result, you’ll run into a Walmart on what feels like every block, a large number of luxury cars, and traffic problems that you probably weren’t expecting in Arkansas. The city has quite literally overwhelmed its infrastructure with extensive growth that belies the recent past where dirt roads were still the norm. Something older residents, like the charming folks at the Museum of Walmart, still remember from these from their childhoods.

As great as Walmart is at pumping money into the immediate area, the general consensus holds that you’ll still run into that riff from deliverance in just 20-30 minutes in any direction from Bentonville.

Vague similarities to Baghdad’s green zone aside, the cocktail menu at Scotch & Soda was nothing short of surprising. Located in the vibes of main-street anywhere downtown Bentonville, Scotch & Soda’s unassuming façade gives way to a warm, richly wood clad space. True to their namesake, an extensive collection of scotches can be found across the back wall. A closer look reveals a surprisingly well-stocked set of ingredients – including Linie, Genepy, Giffard Pineapple, Borghetti and so many more

Scotch & Soda – The Cocktails

The program at Scotch and Soda features classics in addition to regular creations. There also are 2 cocktails typically on draft. Along the main bar is a station loaded with beautiful fresh citrus and garnishes, as well as a variety of house made syrups, tinctures, and freshly squeezed juices.

The drinks are both creative and delicious. On my first visit I enjoyed the Unicorn Isle – a mix of Drambuie, Fernet Branca, O.F.T.D., lime, cinnamon simple, Angostura Bitters, and Aztec Chocolate. Despite the aggressive set of flavors – the cocktail achieves balance and harmony served with crushed ice in a skull. It’s not just visually stunning though, the intricate mix of menthol and spice richly mixed over a brown sugar backbone with hints of chocolate dances across the palate in a lively and rich drink.

If dark, spicy, and rich isn’t quite your cup of tea, the Lucky Kitty might lift you up instead. Light and vibrant, sake, strawberries, and pineapple play gently with lemon. In the winter, when I first had the Lucky Kitty – it was like a blast of spring. A slightly vinous note plays across the mid palate as well, and gives it a fuller bodied middle.

When I originally wrote about Scotch & Soda, it would have ended here – but I had the fortune to pass back through in the summer and getting to try some drinks off their new menu. The Three Mile Island is a fun addition – well balanced between fruitiness, acidity, and earthy notes. The funk of rum pulls through on the end, and is an interesting end to a journey that starts with an absinthe like nose. The cinnamon and orgeat play their part too, adding lift with the banana.

Their use of black strap rum and cinnamon simple in there Jungle Bird on draft that night was also a pleasant surprise. The cinnamon and spice notes mingled perfectly with the bitterness of the Campari – accentuating the brown sugar and molasses notes. Pineapple levels the whole thing out.

The Duke was also nice, a balance of a smokey-lemon tinted nose. The rich, full body has a hint of dark fruit, but thrives on lemon, peat, and spice. The ending is peaty and lemony – but has a touch of sweetness.

The second visit was a bit like a sophomore album. There’s some good stuff going on, but it doesn’t quite capture the hype of the original. That said, if they have the ingredients – they’ll still take you on the journey from their past menus. If you’re in the Bentonville, Arkansas area, and fancy a drink – Scotch & Soda is definitely worth a visit

Scotch & Soda
121 W Central Ave, Bentonville, AR 72712
http://www.thescotchandsoda.com/

The Foreman – Rogers – AR

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Nick

The interior of Onyx Coffee Lab - Rogers AR — The Interior of Onyx Coffee Lab – Upstairs is The Foreman

Although I’ve waxed poetic to friends about the amazing cocktail scene in the Bentonville area of Northwest Arkansas, I’ve yet to actually get around to writing about one of the many fine establishments. Although the first I found was Scotch & Soda, a recent trip to the area turned me on to Onyx Coffee Lab. I have zero doubts that Onyx made me one of the best espressos I’ve ever had in my life. The coffee and style of their spaces is nothing short of amazing. So it was a no brainer to try their speakeasy style cocktail bar upstairs in the Rogers HQ location – The Foreman.

The brainchild of one of Onyx’s chief beverage designer, The Foreman is clad in the same beautiful white marble counters, accented with gold light fixtures, and a large padded leather wall. The natural light spilling through the sunroof accents the simple beauty of the space, and adds a warmth. Behind the bar, you’ll see great ingredients, ranging from Suntory Toki Whiskey to El Dorado 15 to Chartreuse V.E.P. The bartenders are undoubtedly among the more technical in the area, measuring everything in ml, and using clarification and carbonation techniques to elevate their drinks.

In addition to an eclectic and adventurous listing of beers and wines, the cocktail menu is broken down into “Make It New” and “Make It Old”. The idea stems from MAYA – “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”. The idea comes from Raymond Loewy, a father of industrial design, who believed people were caught between a curiosity about new things and a fear of anything too new. Therefore:

If you want to sell something familiar, make it new. If you want to sell something new, make it familiar.

The concept is echoed across the new and old sections of The Foreman’s menu. The familiar include the Gin and Tonic – elegantly presented in a flute and served with a small amuse – and other greats like the Toki Highball and Paper Plane. It’s hard to emphasize enough how these don’t quite fit the mold that most ‘classic’ cocktails have today. There is a heavy dose of the new run through – with nods to Dave Arnold’s liquid intelligence present in both carbonation headspace in bottles and clarifications.

On the new side of the menu (where I chose to adventure) – the drinks are less predictable – but still founded in norms; like crushed ice in the Coconut or a Nick & Nora with orange peel presentation for the Banana. The Banana is a mix of Plantation rum, banana liqueur, bitters, et al. that is similar to a banana Manhattan in character. While the orange radiates off the lip of the glass, a sip reveals richness and sweetness with just a hint of bitter that balances well. Flavors of muted caramel, banana, and hints of spices and herb notes meld to make an entice drink to keep returning to.

To follow up, I had to make the difficult choice between the Walnut (a drink in the vein of a cobbler) and the Coconut – which the head bartender described as, “a fat-washed mezcal snow cone.”

Sold.

The presentation on the snowcone features a strong nod to tiki with a healthy amount of shaved ice topped with a lime zest. The drink foundation of fat-washed mezcal has a wonderfully creamy texture – almost lanolin like – that presents both a hint of the smokiness of the mezcal but also a delightfully subtle line of coconut and a hint of vanilla. It’s not an overtly sweet drink, and bends more into the floral-smokey end of the spectrum.

The presentation and the flavors of the drinks were all solidly on point, and although they’ve only been open for a few months, they’re clearly well on their way to making amazing and technically savvy drinks.

If I have one complaint to register – it is the menu itself. While the menu is elegantly chosen and beautifully designed graphically, it is light on information. The new drinks are a guessing game of liquors, and the systems used are not immediately apparent. If you happen to be at the bar, and there’s time to ask the very cordial and warm staff, then this isn’t an impediment. I’d have to have to guess while the bar was busy on a Friday or Saturday night.

That said, the Bentonville / Rogers / Northwest Arkansas is home to a cocktail scene on the rise. If you happen to fancy an unreal cup of coffee, or want to try a cocktail off the beaten path, then head over to The Foreman / Onyx Coffee Lab in downtown Rogers. You’ll find something familiar yet new to indulge both your palate and your imagination.

The Foreman

101 E. Walnut St
Rogers, AR 72756
(479) 633-7357

El Dorado 12

Posted on August 8, 2019August 7, 2019 by Nick

On El Dorado’s website, they have a reference to their use of wood in the process of aging. It reads, “We are patient. Very patient.”. Sometimes it’s hard to remember when you consume a spirit that it takes a long time to get from agricultural raw material to final production bottle. If you’re wondering just how long 12 years ago was, consider the mortgage bubble was going ‘pop’, we were saying good-bye to Harry Potter in the Deathly Hallows, and T-Pain was gonna Buy U a Drank. I can’t say Shawty was sippin on El Dorado 12, but maybe she should be now.

El Dorado 12 sits firmly at the bottom of El Dorado’s Luxury Cask Aged series. Starting at 12 years, these rums are getting firmly in the aged categorization from Smuggler’s Cove* and range up to 21 years. As is the usual, the age statement refers to the minimum aging of a rum used in the bottling.

Bases in rum matter a lot, and El Dorado 12 is no exception. Known as a demerara rum, it’s made from turbinado sugar. This starting point gives it its sugar in the raw characteristic, and less of the grassy notes in a sugarcane based rum. This rum is also from Guyana via Demerara Distillers Limited who are fortunate to have some of the oldest functioning stills on the planet. In operation since the 1800’s, Demerara Distillers Limited operators both Coffey and Pot stills, as well as heritage column stills.

El Dorado 12 – On It’s Own

Once you open El Dorado 12 you get beautiful notes of sweet brown sugar, maple syrup, and molasses laced with baked fruit and spice. On the palate, it’s relatively smooth and easy to sip. Flavors of vanilla, caramel, and spice are complimented by a subtle sweetness. The finish is a nice balance of nuttiness, caramel, and oak.

In Cocktails

As El Dorado 12 was one of the three rums we tried in Florida, we didn’t have extensive time to play with it. The cocktails we did make benefited from the caramel and vanilla sweetness, while also getting a charge of the spice and some of dried fruit notes. In most cocktails, El Dorado 12 is very nice, but benefits from a helping hand from another rum for complexity.

The Final Word: El Dorado 12

El Dorado 12 is pegged as a Luxury Cask Aged series entry point – and in a lot of ways it reminds of me of a luxury entry point. Similar to an entry level luxury car, there’s a classy exterior to the bottle to make your friends curious. The contents inside are equally refined, and a pleasant way to pass the time – but not so much to ruin the experience of any other car (or rum) for you forever. Overall, El Dorado 12 is a delightful sipping rum that you won’t feel terribly about adding to a cocktail.

Other’s Swig A Dram of El Dorado 12:

Raw Tasting Notes

Nick: A moderately spicy nose floats up hints of tobacco and molassess. Caramel and dark brown sugar with a hint of vanilla join. A hint of baked or preserved fruit (like a date) joins in. The start is smooth, with small pricks of heat as it sits. Bright fresh vanilla cream and caramel are the fore palate, melding into dates, raisins, and light brown sugar. The ending contains a hint of oak, a slight caramel like flavor, and a mild nuttiness.

Ann Marie: Nose: Light brown sugar with notes of maple syrup and freshly ground spices. Taste: Vanilla extract with molasses and slight cinnamon spice. Flavors linger on your palate for quite some time gradually getting deeper into an oak barrel/port cask sensation. Easy to sip on its own or can easily blend well with other rums to add some spicy/oak flavors.

* This is an affiliate link – First Pour Cocktails may get a tiny portion of the sale to helps continue bringing you awesome content!

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Posted on August 2, 2019January 9, 2023 by Nick

Back in 2010 I was fortunate enough to Pappy Van Winkle 23 in a bar in Manhattan. Ironically – and at the risk of being called a heathen – I didn’t think much of it – ranking it a solid 3 points out of 10 below the Sunatory 1984. This probably wasn’t a fair comparison either – but apparently I had perfect timing for avoid the hype train that’s been running all over the bourbon world. Uninsulated from this is trend is Weller Special Reserve.

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, Weller Special Reserve is bottled at 90 proof. While it is bourbon, the mash bill is not listed on the web site – you can assume it’s using wheat as the secondary grain here. It also briefly got caught up in some hype where it underwent multiple comparisons to rejected Pappy or poor mans Pappy. This was mostly due to sharing a distillery at one point. Similarly, I was once in a bar with Jon Hamm – regrettably this doesn’t mean I act like Jon Hamm. Let’s ignore all the hype here and focus on what matter.

Retailing for only $15 a few years ago, Weller Special Reserve has climbed up to a healthy $22 a bottle. This 50% increase in price doesn’t quite put Weller out of reach, but it continues to stretch the value proposition. Weller is a simple, well crafted, wheated bourbon. It starts with pleasant notes of cereal, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar on the nose. The palate is smooth with a hint of an edge, but relaxes into some vanilla, spice, and baked goods. The finish has bits of spice and caramel. Weller is very pleasant.

If you add some water – it doesn’t fall apart. The vanilla gets stronger and a hint of nuttiness comes out. The vanilla keeps coming through the palate and it’s a little more sugary on the ending.

It’s a thoroughly nice bourbon. Unsurprisingly – I enjoy Maker’s Mark as well as Weller. Those who enjoy a healthy touch of rye may leave disappointed – and might be better served by Elijah Craig Small Batch.

In Cocktails

Obviously, feel free to use this in whatever you like – but I’ve found that Weller Special Reserve works well in Manhattans. The sweeter notes play well with the vermouth, and the bitters help to replace some of the missing rye notes without overpowering the drink.

Perhaps from the dilution – it doesn’t quite hold it’s own as well in an old fashioned as a regular bourbon like Elijah Craig Small Batch.

The Final Word – Weller Special Reserve

Weller Special Reserve is a nice sipper, and something you won’t be loathe to use in a cocktail. Is it the most versatile bourbon in history? No, but it doesn’t have to be. Weller Special Reserve is a solid budget addition to a whiskey collection for sipping. Keep your expectations in check and there’s a lot to like here.

Others Share Their Thoughts on Weller Special Reserve:

Cocktails to feature W.L. Weller Special Reserve

Raw Notes

Nick: A beautiful amber hue. A wonderful cereal note wafts up with a hint of spice and vanilla. Touches of raisin and baked goods join in. There’s a mild burn as it starts – but it relaxes and gives way to vanilla, oak, and spices – like allspice and clove mixed and muddle. The ending has hints of black pepper, caramel, and coffee. Adding water – the nose softens – moving heavily into vanilla syrup and hints of spice. The edges of raisins soften – and have a hint of almond. The body is still warm – but caramel and vanilla dominate with loads of oak and spice. There is more sweetness – and it’s well rounded. On the finish it becomes more nutty – and opens into elements of cookie and sugar.

Ann Marie: The nose is full of sweet, dark brown sugar with hints of cinnamon and oak. A hint of orange and vanilla extract. Undiluted: Oak on the palate with vanilla and baked goods and spice. When the water is added – a vanilla biscuit comes forward and almonds and brown sugar hold strong. The palate has more spice come forward – rich and thick – mouth coating. It lingers with hints of dark molasses

Yeah Baby! – The Improved Porn Star Martini

Posted on August 1, 2019April 11, 2021 by Nick

A few days back I posted about Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur. As I mentioned in the review, there aren’t a whole bunch of cocktails that immediately come to the forefront with Passoa. The most prominent is The Porn Star Martini, a mix of vodka, Passoa, lime, and vanilla simple. To say this drink is sweet is an understatement. It’s positively cloying. Perfect for those that love to feel the sugar as they drink.

That said, it’s still darn easy to drink. Still, it got me thinking, is there someway I could make a more balanced Porn Star Martini?

As it turns out, the answer is ‘Yeah Baby!’.

Yeah Baby!

1.5 oz

Aviation Gin

2 oz

Foco Passion Fruit Juice

0.5 oz

Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

0.25 oz

Vanilla Simple Syrup

0.5 oz

Lime Juice

1.5 oz

Cupcake Prosecco

Combine all ingredients except prosecco in a shaker with ice. Separate shaker and add prosecco. Double strain into a coupe. No garnish.

The improved version of The Porn Star Martini starts passion fruit forward – combining both the concentrated side of the Passoa with the floral Foco passion fruit juice flavor. Light effervescence from the bubbles combines with the floral nature of the passion fruit and vanilla interlaces sweetly with a balanced acidity from the lime. The finish is more lime – vanilla forward with hints of passion fruit lingering around the edges.

A few notes:

Contemporary gin works best here – Aviation was our favorite, but Ford’s works as well.
I used Cupcake Prosecco – but a Brut Cava such as Freixnet or a simple champagne methode like Korbel will be just fine here.
Adding the sparkling wine at the end before you pour will help distribute the sparkling without knocking out too many bubbles. Just remember not to shake again!
Plus, with the elimination of the sidecar of sparkling you’ll have one less glass to wash.

About The Name:

We like to associate our cocktails with characters – and this one seems like a great fit for Austin Powers. Not only was The Porn Star Martini once tops in the UK (like Austin Danger Powers), but it’s loaded with passion (fruit)! Toss in the gin, and it’ll make you feel down right groovy baby!

Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

Posted on July 26, 2019April 28, 2021 by Nick

Every now and then you just have to give into your impulses. On our trip to Florida, we greatly enjoyed indulging in a great variety of cocktails and liquors, including various rums that we can’t get in the Northeast Ohio. Packing up the bottle luggage* for the flight home, we had a little extra room, and stowed away a bottle of Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur.

On Its Own: Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

A pure impulse buy based on seeking out new flavors, Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur comes in a black bottle, hiding a bright pink liqueur inside. Made in France, Passoa was originated by the Remy-Cointreau group and uses passion fruit as a main ingredient. After getting it home, we generally agreed that the nose certainly implies passion fruit, but that hints of candied watermelon and citrus are present as well. These same flavors carry over on the palate – with a healthy dose of sweetness and just a touch of alcohol on the finish.

In Cocktails

If you’d asked me what cocktails Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur goes in, I’d have looked at you like a deer in the headlights. To be honest, after having the bottle for a couple of months, I’m still rather at a loss. The most famous drink – or so Passoa claims – is the Porn Star Martini. This mix of vanilla vodka and passion fruit is served with a sidecar of champagne – which Absolut was apparently happy to derive an entire marketing document from.

I actually find the entire thing is worth a read, and quite charming. That aside – we’ve yet to find a perfect use for Passoa as of writing this. We certainly believe it has potential, but the market featuring Passoa is still quite small. In the mean time – make yourself a Porn Star Martini as listed on Passoa’s website.

The Porn Star Martini

1.6 oz

Vodka

1.6 oz

Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

0.4 oz

Vanilla Simple Syrup

0.4 oz

Lime Juice

1.5 oz

Sparkling Wine (Garnish – Optional)

Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe. Serve with a shot glass of prosecco or champagne on the side.

This drink – in fair warning – is quite sweet. The play between the martini itself and the wine is really good – and you wouldn’t be faulted if you combine them.

The Final Word: Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur is a cool option to add to a full bar. Do you need it? Probably not. But for someone looking for something different, Passoa is a great choice to mix it up.

Other Takes on Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur

Normally I’d put an outbound link here. However, I went back 9 pages on google and didn’t find one. You’ll just have to trust us – or send in your own take!

Cocktails Featuring Passoa:

Yeah Baby! - A Porn Star Martini Inspired Cocktail — Yeah Baby!

Raw Tasting Notes:

Nick: A charming watermelon pink hue. The nose is loaded with sweet passion fruit and hints of candy watermelon with hints of citrus. The palate is light and bright, with plenty of passion fruit and sweetness coming through. There are floral hints and other touches of tropical elements / citrus. The finish has a touch of liquor too – simpler to vodka.

Ann Marie: Smells like passion fruit. As though it’s juice – there’s a sweetness coming from the nose. Passion Fruit comes through on the palate but with orange. Slight note of alcohol on the finish.

Lemon Hart & Son 151 Rum

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Nick

Lemon Hart 151 Rum is an iconic rum in the Tiki world. Called out by many great cocktail books (including Trader Vic himself and Death & Co.) I went into this one with high hopes. Coming out of it, I’m not sure I can say Lemon Hart 151 isn’t great, but rather might be a case of never meet your heroes.

On Its Own: Lemon Hart 151

It would be remiss to call this anything other than pungent. The dark caramel color does not suggest a nose that can be detected from several feet away. You may want to approach slowly, as the fumes of alcohol can easily burn out your nose on this one. If you’re careful though, you can find a nose loaded with dark brown sugar, molasses, dark chocolate, and hints of leather, tobacco, cloves, and exotic pepper. The palate is tongue numbing at full strength – but not without flavor. Condensed molasses, carob nibs, and cloves all come through with hints of other spices. The alcohol is so strong it feels as though it evaporates while it’s still on your tongue.

In Cocktails

As we couldn’t find this in the Northeast Ohio area, we picked up this bottle to enjoy with my parents in Florida. We didn’t have a full bar, so we played at tiki inspired drinks and things from the internet. While it might be a bit difficult to draw an accurate conclusion due to our limited time, we did reach a few key take aways:

The spice and sugar flavors are powerful – use it in moderation or as the base to prevent it overwhelming other components (or allowing it to shine).
The flavor profile is darker than some overproof rums – so unlike Plantation O.F.T.D. – don’t expect fruity caramel notes. Dark sugar and burnt caramel are going to be the leads.

The Final Word: Lemon Hart 151

Lemon Hart 151 is aggressive but flavorful. While it’s not my go-to, I can understand the infatuation with this classic overproof dark rum. If you happen to get a chance to try it, or like a more burnt sugar / brown sugar note in your rum – then Lemon Hart 151 is worth a try.

Other Takes on Lemon Hart 151:

Raw Tasting Notes:

Nick: The nose can be alarmingly pungent if you’re not careful. The nose is loaded with dark brown sugar and molasses. Earthy leather and tobacco mix with a hint of butterscotch and herb. The palate is extremely hot, and has a condensed molasses, cocao nib, clove extra, and spice flavor – with a hint of green. It essentially instantly evaporates when it hits your tongue, and burns accordingly.

Ann Marie: Smell – Dark chocolate/carob, molasses, black pepper, and a hint of clove – definitely on the dark side. Taste – Concentrated clove/allspice, carob nibs, dark molasses, and a hint of orange zest. The alcohol content is so high that it evaporates quickly in small doses. Can easily be a bully in a mixed drink and overtake other flavors.

Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum

Posted on June 3, 2019April 28, 2021 by Nick

For Christmas last year, I got Ann Marie a copy of Smuggler’s Cove’s book and our rum collection hasn’t been the same since. The book is a fantastic overview of tiki, talking through the history, providing recipes, and more importantly a list of rums to make the recipes. The list of rums is broken down into categories, typically referring to the base material used (molasses or sugar cane), the form of distillation (column or pot still), and the age (lightly aged, moderately aged, long aged, etc). In addition to these categories, there’s also recommended overproof rums – including Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum

On Its Own

Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum – or Old Fashioned Traditional Dark Rum – is made of a blend of rums from Guyana, Jamaica, and Barbados. The rum is the result of consultation between owner Alexandre Gabriel and a cadre of rum and spirits specialists, including Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, David Wondrich, Martin Cate (the owner of Smuggler’s Cove and writer of the book), and several others. O.F.T.D. is produced from molasses in both Pot and Column still methods and has sugar added (at 16g/L). There is also added color to ensure consistency. There’s a fairly good list of technical details on Plantation’s site.

Overproof spirits are undoubtedly hot, and Plantation O.F.T.D Rum is no exception. You would be advised to keep this away from your nose and avoid holding it for too long on your tongue on diluted – lest you enjoy the burning sensation. However, if you’re careful you can find a rather beautiful rum hiding behind the heat.

Plantation O.F.T.D. has a wonderful nose of caramel and molasses with notes of jammy orange and a mix of baking spices including cloves, cinnamon, and all-spice. Despite the alcohol, a sip starts relatively smooth. Flavors of raisins, dates, and other preserved fruits mix with molasses, creamy caramel, dark brown sugar. Hints of vanilla, coffee, oak, and orange round it out – and a subtle sweetness go throughout. The ending lingers with a fair amount of heat and subtle sweetness.

As a reminder – this is not a sipping rum without a healthy amount of water added. Use it for mixing.

Plantation O.F.T.D Rum – In Cocktails

The big bold flavors of Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum play well in a variety of tiki drinks we tried from Smuggler’s Cove*. We ended up using it in The Undead Gentleman – a fancier version of a Zombie (another cocktail where this would play well). The Undead Gentleman features absinthe, lime juice, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, Velvet Falernum, black blended overproof rum, blended aged rum, and Angostura bitters. It’s shaken and served up.

The Undead Gentleman

The play of the two rums is strong – and the lime interacts well with the grapefruit and cinnamon. All the elements are very forthright on the nose – and make for an alluring smell. The flavor on the palate is slightly hot – but not excessively so. A gentle sweetness and the funk of both rums combine with the cinnamon and lime, and a hint of falernum to give you a tropical trip that you feel relatively quickly. If you happen to be lacking absinthe (or don’t like it) omitting it won’t be the end of the world – simply enjoy it anyways.

In general, it’s a solid drink.

The Final Word – Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum

Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum

Rating

Coming Soon!

Cocktails Involving O.F.T.D

Other’s Share Their Thoughts On Plantation O.F.T.D Rum

Raw Tasting Notes:

“It like evaporates in your mouth!” – It does. /Ron Howard

Ann Marie:

Nose: Coffee and orange – dark spice blend can’t tell if it’s cinnamon, all-spice, cloves – Not quite molasses but a darkened caramel. A candied pecan nuttiness, but not sweet.
Taste: Orange and allspice, clove and baking spices. Coffee hints as well. The finish is powerful – but there’s a lingering aftertaste of toasted dark brown sugar and orange. Like a hint of orange.

Nick

Nose: Molasses – Caramel – Cloves – Hints of Jammy orange like marmalade. Demerara sugar and brown sugar come to play.
Taste: Obviously warm – but also extremely smooth. Raisins and dates and other preserved fruits play with molasses, creamy caramel, and dark brown sugar. Hints of mellow oak and vanilla come through as well. The ending is full of dark sugar, toasted oak, spice, and caramel.

I would not recommend holding this in your mouth – it burns.

* – This link contains an affiliate link to Amazon from which First Pour Cocktails may receive a commission (which helps us keep the site going!)

Cynar

Posted on May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 by Nick

Many years ago – when I was still wrestling with the basics of cocktails, and craft cocktails were still up and coming, I read Boozehound by Jason Wilson*. The book was mesmerizing to me and opened my mind to a broad range of ideas that included Liquor Store Archeology and that Bitter is Bella.

Now before we jump into the idea that ‘Bitter is Bella’, let’s talk about Liquor Store Archeology. If you happen to be obsessive when it comes to unusual liqueurs and liquors then this is an amusing way to spend time in a liquor store or on a trip to a far off locale. The principle is simple – take a look around an older liquor store and see if there are any dusty, long forgotten, obscure bottles of liquor of a type you might not otherwise pick up. Then – pick them up and buy them.

This game works best, if like Jason, you have a partner to play with and try to one up. It’s simply mad lad genius. It bears noting that this isn’t the only intriguing concept and the book is still worth reading, even some years on.

If, however, you are not the type of individual that simply enjoys picking up old and unusual liquor bottles – the second concept may be more your speed. After all, if you’ve arrived on this site looking for Cynar – you might believe that bitter – is in fact – bella.

So what is an Amaro? Quite literally, amaro means ‘bitter’ in Italian, and amari [the plural of amaro] tend to be bitter. These complex liqueurs are unique concoctions – typically decades, if not centuries, old – that are intended to be consumed after dinner to aid in digestion. They are sometimes known as digestifs. They also include a healthy amount of sugar, leading to a bittersweet character. This complex mix of sugar, herbs, citrus, floral elements, spices, and many unlisted ingredients create complex, intriguing sets of flavors that tantalize the palate and expand the horizons of what can be expressed by a drink. They are in fact – ‘Bella’.

About Cynar – On Its Own

Cynar is a notably bitter Amaro made by the Campari Group. While there are some who believe Cynar tastes like artichokes, this isn’t strictly speaking true. Artichoke is an ingredient, but the flavor is more herbal, vegetal, and earthy – and is also thanks to the other 12 ingredients that are not explicitly listed.

Supertasters – and those that don’t like bitter things – will find this experience similar to placing bitters directly on their tongue. To those that find bitter bella – there’s a sweetness that comes off the nose giving it an herbal – cola like character. There are notes of spice, but the herbal – vegetal – brown sugar sweetness note is most prevalent. The body is moderately thick and has a burnt caramel flavor. The finish is bitter, but with a lingering rich sweetness that carries.

Cynar – In Cocktails

While you could always enjoy Cynar on its own (or with ice), there are other ways to use it in cocktails. Generally speaking – for Amari – there are a few ways to apply them – in order of your ability to tolerate bitterness:

Seasoning – similar to bitters in a small dash or rinse of a glass
Substitute for Vermouth And / Or Bitters
As A Base / Split Base – With an ABV of 30+ Amari can work as an underlying flavor to play with modifiers and other additions.

As Cynar can be perceived as more bitter than other Amari, I find it works better as vermouth compliment or replacement. To sample Cynar, I tried a Cynartown from Death & Co’s book*. The Cynartown contains Beefeater Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Cynar. It’s garnished with a brandied cherry – I used Luxardo.

The gin is fragrant on the nose, and the juniper gets a supple sweetness from the Cynar and sweet vermouth. On the palate, it’s richer than it seems like it would be, and the similarity to the Manhattan is notable (as the structure of the cocktail mirrors it). The gin powers through, and the Cynar plays a definite back up. That said, if you want a gin Manhattan, this is heading in the right direction. As a recommendation, this may also be a good application of the Aviation Gin to downplay the juniper.

I also used the Cynar as a modifier in a Manhattan. It adds a delightful richness and a different herbal note that plays well with the spice of the rye. I also sampled it in a flip, and enjoy the herbal notes it adds to the foam. In all of these applications, you don’t need a lot. A quarter to a half ounce will easily suffice.

The Final Word: Cynar

Cynar

Rating

Coming Soon!

Other’s Share Their Thoughts On Cynar

Cynar – Tasting Notes:

Ann Marie: Appearance is dark. Nose: Concentrated cardamom – clove. Bitter molasses – slight sweetness on the palate. The finish is just bitter.

Nick: Appearance is dark – mahogany color. There’s a sweetness that comes off the nose giving it an herbal – cola like character. There are notes of spice, but the herbal – green – brown sugar sweetness note is most prevalent. The body is rich and like burnt caramel in flavor. Lacing through the sweetness is an undercurrent of herbs, cola, and sasparilla. The finish is bitter, but with a lingering rich sweetness.