Category: Classic Cocktails

While the exact date of creation of the Hotel Nacional Special is subject to debate, the drink is created to Will P. Taylor, who created the drink at the Nacional bar in Cuba.  He’s notable for also being the last manager of the Old Waldorf Astoria’s before prohibition.  Among the credits that The Gentlemen’s Companion give him credit for are the Tropical Daiquiri and the Santiago de Cuba Mint Julep, both of which probably require a bit more explanation, but sound delicious.  So how does this very close relative of the Daiquiri taste?

Hotel Nacional Special

Hotel Nacional Special

2 oz

Aged Rum

1 oz

Pineapple Juice

½ oz

Lime Juice

½ oz

Simple Syrup

¼ oz

Apricot Liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin vessel. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Hotel Nacional Special does this amazing apricot – pineapple daiquiri riff that celebrates the brightness of the fruit while giving the rum the room to the do the heavy background notes.  The result is a drink that balances caramelized grilled fruit notes with hints of ester and molasses with bright fresh fruit flavors.  The subtle preserved apricot note adds a great background note here that gives just enough mystique that you want to keep sipping it.  Overall, this one feels like it can span the seasons while being refreshing.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Depending on who you attribute the original publication of this drink to, you get some fairly considerable variation.  In Bar La Florida Cocktails, the recipe doesn’t actually contain simple or lime.  In other recipes, the second volume of the Gentleman’s Companion, the lime is included, but the simple is omitted.  While we recommend you try omitting the simple if you find it sweet, we think the use of both lime and simple offer the most well rounded interpretation of the Hotel Nacional Special.

• Rum – The original recipe in the Gentleman’s Companion calls out pre-prohibition Carta de Oro Bacardi, which is an aged rum.  We recommend not using Bacardi Gold, but instead using something aged like Bacardi 8 or Doorly’s X.O.
• Apricot Liqueur –  We used Giffard’s Abricot du Roussillon here and highly recommend it.  If you can’t find it, Marie Brizzard’s Apry might be a good substitute (but turn down the simple)
• Pineapple Juice – Our default standard is Dole’s small cans.  They’re cheaper so you can use them without throwing out a lot of pineapple juice.  Amazon will sell you this enormous quantity*, but you can likely find them cheaper in your local grocery.
• Lime Juice –  For best results, use fresh squeezed.
• Simple Syrup – We used a traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple.

* – 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 $1.36 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!

In Jerry Thomas’ 1887 The Bar-Tender’s Guide (or How to Mix Drinks) he details an improvement to his originally published Whiskey Cocktail (published in 1862 and 1876).  The cocktail takes a very reminiscent old fashion and tweaks it with Maraschino, more bitters, and absinthe.  The results are more impressive than you might think, and create the aptly named, Improved Whiskey Cocktail.

The original recipe reads as follows:

Prepared in the same manner as the Improved Brandy Cocktail, by substituting Bourbon or rye whiskey for the brandy

The Improved Brandy Cocktail reads as follows:

Take 2 dashes Boker’s (or Angostura) Bitters.
3 dashes gum syrup.
2 dashes Maraschino.
1 dash Absinthe.
1 small piece of the yellow rind of a lemon, twisted to express the oil.
1 small wine-glass of brandy

Fill glass one-third full of shaved ice, shake well, and strain into a fancy cocktail glass, put the lemon peel in the glass and serve.

While this might be great for the 19th century, we can improve this recipe, and make it a little more readable.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

2 oz

Rye

¼ oz

Maraschino Liqueur

¼ oz

Simple Syrup

1 Dash Each

Angostura and Bokers Bitters

1 Dash

Absinthe

Rinse a rocks glass with Absinthe. Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into the absinthe rinsed glass with a fresh large cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Improved Whiskey Cocktail is sweet, spicy, and herbal in all the right ways.  The rye provides a beautiful herbal and spicy base to layer the cherry-almond spice maraschino on.   The combination of bokers and angostura bitters I used really gives a boost to the cardamom and clove notes that run throughout.  The citrus of the lemon perks the whole thing up.  Overall, it’s a delicious and balanced rendition of an old fashioned.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The very original version of this cocktail calls for it to be shaken, but we really know better at this point.  For best results, stir.  The absinthe rinse is also a very modern twist on the Improved Whiskey Cocktail, but not a necessary one.  Feel free to stir the absinthe in if you’re feeling lazy.   Finally, if you don’t have Boker’s bitters, use all Angostura (or vice versa).

• Rye – As the largest ingredient here, you’ll want to make a choice between sweet bourbon influences and earthy rye.  The Maraschino will work well with either, but the sweetness will either compound (Rittenhouse, Elijah Craig) or balance (Wild Turkey 101).
• Maraschino Liqueur – Not to be confused with the liquid that maraschino cherries are packed in.  This syrup would result in a rich and strand drink.  Instead we recommend using the class Luxardo Maraschino liqueur (which comes in the straw packaging).
• Simple Syrup –  A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is most often used here.
• Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.
• Boker’s Bitters – There are few manufacturers of these bitters, and for a period of time, they stopped existing.  The most oft recommended brand, and one we use is Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters*.  Be aware they’re slightly pricey, but you’re going to be using a small portion of these most of the time.

* – 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 in 2022, 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!

Found in Boothby’s World Drinks in 1934, the Frisco hails from just after prohibition and is named after the established cocktail community.  The resulting drink is a simple, strong, and elegant.  A simple two part drink, this one is easy to make, and only requires Rye and Benedictine to make.

Frisco

Frisco

1 ½ oz

Rye

½ oz

Benedictine

Place a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Combine all ingredients and stir. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Frisco is boozy yet almost balanced.   The combination of herbal and spicy rye as a base is built upon by the similarly spicy and herbal Benedictine.  The combination elevates the spices and herbal notes with just a bit of citrus and sweet.  The result is something akin to an old fashioned that’s very focused on spice and herb notes

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Frisco is very simple to make, the biggest variation I’ve seen is in the ratio of Benedictine and rye.  The most common adjustment is to reduce the sweetness by adjusting the ratio to 4 parts rye to 1 part Benedictine.

• Rye – As one of only two ingredients, and the biggest contributor, the rye you choose is critical.  We recommend a rye that has a distinct personality, like George Dickel Rye, Rittenhouse, or Wild Turkey 101 Rye. Avoid anything that’s semi-milquetoast in its presentation, like Elijah Craig Rye.
• Benedictine – Due to the herbal notes and honeyed sweetness that go into this brandy based liqueur, we don’t recommend swapping this for anything else.  Similar to certain other classics, this is both a specific liqueur and a brand recommendation.

Down the line the Frisco evolves, bringing in citrus.  As a result, you rarely see this original variation anymore as many eschew it for the addition of a half ounce each of lemon and lime juice (using the 4:1 ratio).

We’re now less than a month from Mardi Gras, and you might be starting to think about ending dry January.  If you’d like to switch up your Sazerac this year, why not consider a De La Louisiane?  Originally from Famous New Orleans Drinks, this Manhattan cousin adds some flair with the addition of absinthe and Benedictine to thinks to the next level.

De La Louisiane

De La Louisiane

2 oz

Rye

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

½ oz

Benedictine

3 Dashes

Absinthe

3 Dashes

Peychaud’s Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 3 brandied cherries.

The De La Louisiane is a wonderful creole inspired Manhattan that bursts with herbal complexity.  The spice and herbal notes of the rye shine through, while the sweetness of the vermouth and the Benedictine give a canvas with which the absinthe and bitters can weave their complex magic over.  The result is silky, smooth, spicy, and delightfully complexly herbal cocktail that’s ever so slightly sweet.  Fans of Manhattans and those that like Sazeracs should consider this a must try.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The primary variation for the De La Louisiane is the amount of Benedictine used.  The range goes from ¼ to ¾ oz.  We chose a half here to moderate sweetness, but you can adjust as needed.  As for dashes, we typically estimate a healthy dash is around .02 – .04 oz.  We aim to be between .08 and .12 oz for 3 dashes.

• Rye – We went full on into the earthy / herbal side of rye with Wild Turkey 101 Rye here.  Feel free to experiment to make a sweet combination, with ryes that are less spice and herb focused (Rittenhouse / Sazerac), but remember you might need to adjust your Benedictine for sweetness in this scenario.
• Sweet Vermouth – We utilized the more vanilla forward Carpano Antica here  (which is our go to) and the strong flavors at work here can tolerate it.  Feel free to use your favorite here if you don’t have Carpano.
• Benedictine – Due to the herbal notes and honeyed sweetness that go into this brandy based liqueur, we don’t recommend swapping this for anything else.  Similar to certain other classics, this is both a specific liqueur and a brand recommendation.
• Absinthe – We used St. George Absinthe Verte, but absinthe can be limited by location.  If you can’t find an absinthe, consider a pastis, like Pernod.
• Peychaud’s Bitters – These are the standard for any Sazerac.  You can purchase them at most well appointed liquor stores or through Amazon*.

* – Amazon links contain affiliate links that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a portion of the sale.  Last year we made $13, against over $250 in webhosting costs.  Please consider clicking through and purchasing as these commissions help us keep researching new drinks and pay for the costs of making cocktails and running this site.

Originally appearing as a variation in The Savoy Cocktail Book, the modern Greyhound Cocktail evolved from a variation mentioned below the Grapefruit Cocktail.  It was described as follows:

The following Cocktail, although apparently harmless, is sometimes liable to be snappy.  It is a variation of the Grapefruit Cocktail.

Take three and half glasses of Gin and the juice of 1 1/2 good-sized Grapefruit.  Sugar to taste, plenty of ice.  Shake and serve.

The instructions here require a bit of interpretation, as a glass is thought to be about 3½ – 4 oz of gin.  In other words, 10½ oz to almost 14 oz of gin at the high end.  Using Death & Co’s interpretation that a grapefruit would result in 8 oz of juice each (12 oz total), we’ve got an almost 1:1 ratio of grapefruit to gin!

In the most generous of scenarios, this might be just a strong drink.  To adjust this more for modern palates, we’re going to slightly tweak the grapefruit up to closer to 2:1 and adding an optional touch of simple to round out grapefruits that lack a bit of sweetness.

Greyhound

Greyhound

2 oz

Gin

3½ oz

Grapefruit Juice

¼ oz

Simple Syrup (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Greyhound is bright, gin forward, and refreshing.  The grapefruit here gives a more rounded, rich citrus flavor that pairs well with the spice and herbal notes.  An ever so slight bitterness occasionally shows up from the grapefruit.  The flavors are simple, but enjoyable and balanced.  The slight help of the simple syrup is needed depending on your grapefruit’s sweetness.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The concept of this drink is very straightforward, grapefruit and gin, adjust with sugar.  As such, there’s not a ton to really cover about how to make it.  The biggest adjustments to make are the amount of grapefruit and gin you’ll use, and adding sugar to cover the grapefruit’s lack (depending on the session and variety).  The garnish is also fairly varied, with no real consistency other than some form of citrus.

As a final note, remember that many medications interact with grapefruit.  Consider this before consuming or serving to guests.

• Gin – Pretty much any gin will work here, so go to your preferences.  We used a Beefeater to emulate the style of the day (London Dry), but you can easily use a contemporary like Bluecoat for more citrus or Aviation for more spice.
• Grapefruit – For best results, use fresh squeezed.  For more impressive color, look for ruby red grapefruits.
• Simple Syrup – Use 1:1 simple and adjust to your grapefruit sweetness / personal preference.

Sometimes cocktails garner their names from a moment in time.  Such is the case of the Japanese Cocktail.  There’s nothing in this cocktail that would lead you believe the drink would be inspired by Japan, but rather, the cocktail was made in effort to impress dignitaries from Japan.  Legend has it that these dignitaries were staying in New York in the 1860’s and this was the cocktail made to impress them.  So is it still impressive to everyone else today?

Japanese Cocktail

Japanese Cocktail

2 oz

Cognac

½ oz

Orgeat

2-4 Dashes

Aromatic Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Japanese Cocktail is sweet, fruity, lightly caramelized, and subtly aromatic.  The flavors are complex, yet integrated, showing off the distilled fruit from the cognac (hints of berries and grape), backed up by this caramelized nuttiness and a great mix of cardamom herbal-aromatics.  The integration results in something slightly sweet, but overall well balanced and indulgent sort of cocktail.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

There’s a lot of bitters in this, so your cognac is going to fight for dominance.  The orgeat will make a huge impact if you’re not using something natural, like Small Hand Foods.  In this particular case, I would suggest using a higher end orgeat and a lower end cognac.  If you can’t accomplish that, and have to use a lower end orgeat (read: artifical), think about reducing the quantity to keep the sweetness in line, and switch to brandy.

Alternate Recipe Notes

The other major note to this drink is the variation that exists in recipes.  While the recipe we present here appears to be the minority, there is another popular recipe that eschews the Boker’s Bitters we used for Angostura, and adds ½ of lime juice.  In the event you go this route, remember that you need to shake the cocktail under these circumstances, and will serve it up (no garnish).  So why didn’t I choose this recipe?  Simply put, this variation creates a rather pedestrian cocktail that muddles the cognac, bitters, and adds acidity for the sake of levity at the cost of everything else.

• Cognac – We recommend using Pierre Ferrand 1840 or Ambre for cocktails.  The price is reasonable, and contributes great quality to the drink.  If you don’t want to pay for cognac, feel free to substitute a brandy, such as Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva .
• Orgeat –  In this application we recommend something natural like Small Hand Foods Orgeat*, as it adds nuttiness, but not unneeded candied flavors.  From what we’ve heard from fellow enthusiasts, Liber + Co might also work as a substitute.  If you can’t find it, or don’t want to pay the premium, feel free to reach for something more candy almond like Ferrara Orzata Almond Syrup* (which will change the character of this drink).  As such, we may recommend you even cut the amount in half to a bar spoon. Monin may also work in this reduced amount.
• Bitters – In this case, the record is disputed as to which bitters were original, and work best.  We recommend you experiment with aromatics to determine which you find best.  In our cocktail, we used Boker’s Bitters, which have a strong citrus and cardamom notes.
  • Boker’s Bitters – There are few manufacturers of these bitters, and for a period of time, they stopped existing.  The most oft recommended brand, and one we use is Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Boker’s Bitters.  Be aware they’re slightly pricey, but you’re going to be using a small portion of these most of the time.
  • Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.  If you’re making the more modern variant that includes lime juice, this is the standard recommendation.
• Lime Juice (Optional) – For best results, use fresh squeezed.

* – 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 in 2022, 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!

Happy New Year!  We’re kicking off the year with a cocktail featuring an egg white, that will in no way help your diet, the Pisco Sour.  Originating in Lima in 1903, this cocktail is heavily dependent on the pisco you select.  Regardless of which varietal based pisco you use, you’ll ultimately need to make sure you properly emulsify the drink for the right texture.  To do so, make sure you use the double shake as listed in the recipe.

Pisco Sour

Pisco Sour

2 oz

Pisco

¾ oz

Lime Juice

¾ oz

Simple Syrup

1

Egg White

Drops

Angostura Bitters (Garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker vessel. Add 1 – 2 small ice cubes or a spring from a strainer and add to the shaker tin. Seal and shake hard for 15-30 seconds. Unseal, add ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with Angostura Bitters.

The Pisco Sour is creamy, bright, sweet, and floral. The notes of the brandy accentuated by the lime deliver hints of grape and floral notes. The angostura adds a wonderful hint of spices to the mix. Little touches of tropical fruit and vanilla like hints come with the sweetness. The brightness keeps it from becoming too heavy or rich.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Pisco Sour is probably the definitive Pisco cocktail in the US, and therefore the place you’re most likely to see it used.  The formula is pretty simple, but be aware there are some debates about the choice of citrus.  While we’re going with the default lime here, there’s also good footing for an argument that lemon could be used here.  We recommend you use lime for the first, but then mix it up to see what you like best.  Keep the amount of citrus to no more than 1 oz, with ¾ oz being the target in our opinion.

• Pisco – The most commonly available Piscos you’re find are going to be perfectly serviceable here, such as the Macchu Pisco we used here.  Don’t be afraid to step up market, the Pisco will shine through in a Pisco Sour.
• Lime Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.  The same note if you use lemon juice here.
• Simple Syrup – A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is classic for this recipe
• Egg White – Use the freshest possible eggs.  If you’re concerned about salmonella, consider using pasteurized egg whites.
• Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.

The Stinger is not the kind of drink most enthusiasts take seriously.  Made with brandy and creme de menthe, most avoid this sweet and minty concoction due to it being made with rotgut ingredients.  If, however, you happen to have access to good ingredients, you might just find there something delicious about this 2 ingredient cocktail.

Stinger

Stinger

2 oz

Cognac or Brandy

1 oz

Creme de Menthe (White)

Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin. Add ice and short shake (5 seconds). Strain into a double rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint spring if desired.

In a Stinger, you need to like mint. The fruitiness of the brandy plays off the herbalness of the mint, and the whole thing is tied together with sweetness. Bear in mind, this drink is more traditionally an after dinner drink, so this isn’t that unusual. So if you like mint, and the fruit and raisined fruit notes in cognac with a hit of mint, this one is for you.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The biggest component here that matters is the mint.  If you use a rotgut bottom shelf creme de menthe, you’re going to end up with a rotgut cocktail.  Use something nice though, like a Tempus Fugit’s creme de menthe, and you’ll find  you have something special.  Also, be aware that the template here is very much customizable to taste.  While the original appears to be a 2:1 ratio, modern variants suggest creme de menthe ranging from a full 2 oz (1:1 ratio) to a mere ¼ oz (8:1 ratio).  Depending on how dry or sweet you like your Stinger, will decide how you enjoy it made, but this will be important to remember if you order it out.

• Cognac/ Brandy – This is one of those cocktails where quality matters, and we recommend you choose a cognac or brandy that you like.  We used Lustau Brandy de Jerez here, but would recommend Pierre Ferrand 1840.  Christian Brothers also works in a pinch.
• Creme de Menthe – This is the most important ingredient in the Stinger.  We recommend Tempus Fugit or Get’s offerings.   If you must make it with Dekuyper, we’ll understand as there are a lot of places that don’t get those specialty ingredients.

Few drinks are so well known as the Rum and Coke.  Made with two ingredients, this drink is known by practically every bartender and cocktail enjoyer on the planet.  Just by naming it, you can make it.   But would you believe that the origins of this cocktail go back to the early 1900’s in Cuba?  Enter the Cuba Libre.

Meaning “Free Cuba”, this drink originated in Cuba sometime around the late 1890s (but not coinciding with the entrance of bottled Coke entering Cuba).  Instead, the original had a mixture of water and brown sugar.  Legend has it that some time after 1900, an individual ordered a Bacardi and Coke, intriguing some local American soldiers, and the drink took off. Like all origin stories, this owes itself to an affidavit some 60 years later, so take it with a grain of salt, but enjoy the drink – which includes lime juice in many versions (unlike a standard Rum and Coke).

Cuba Libre

Cuba Libre

2 oz

Lightly Aged Rum

4 oz

Cola

⅛ oz

Lime Juice

In a highball add 3-4 ice cubes. Add rum, lime, and cola. Give one stir, and top with ice. Garnish with a lime.

The Cuba Libre is a classic combination of smooth rum and sweet cola.    The slight note of lime gives a nice brightness here that opens up the flavor of the cola and the tropical notes of the rum.  The rum’s subtle vanilla plays well against the cola’s caramel notes.  Overall, they’re super easy to make and drink, and an obvious classic for this very reason.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The most obvious difference in recipes for a Cuba Libre (or a Rum and Coke) is the addition of the lime juice.  The lime juice adds the pop of brightness here that some people like, and some hate.  If you find you don’t like it (we admittedly like a little, but not a lot), feel free to omit it.

• Rum – Almost all recipes will recommend you use a lightly aged or ‘white’ rum here.  While these make the simplest Cuba Libres, there’s no reason you can’t choose your favorite rum or what you have on hand.  In our example, we used El Dorado 3, but we’ve made them with Appleton Reserve, Plantation Original Dark, Doorly’s X.O., and others.
• Cola – We recommend using fresh Coke for this.  While we have a slight preference for Mexican Coke, there’s not a need to have it.  Be aware, we emphasize fresh, because nothing will make a Cuba Libre more disappointing that old, flat, dull, Coke.  You can also use other cola, if you don’t like Coke.
• Lime – For best results, use fresh squeezed.

The Stone Fence traces it’s origins back to the Revolutionary War, where it served as a “savage mixture” of rum and hard cider. This isn’t your modern rum either, this is gnarly, unrefined, New England rums (as frequently used as currency as drink).  Roughly one hundred years later, Jerry Thomas republishes this drink as a bourbon cooler.  Almost a century and half since, this is one of the few drinks that calls for apple cider, so should you have it on your short list for fall?

Stone Fence

We’ll present the Stone Fence in two ways, one reflecting the original Jerry Thomas recipe, and the other showing a more modern, gentle riff on the classic.

Stone Fence – Classic

2 oz

Bourbon

3 oz

Hard Cider

¼ oz

Maple Syrup (Optional)

Add ice ¾ of the way up a Collins glass. Add ingredients to the glass. Top with ice to fill to top, and garnish with an apple fan.

The original Stone Fence is dry, strong, and bourbon forward.  While the spicing of the bourbon’s oak comes through, the cider adds a bit of levity.  The sweetness is really completely subdued.  The result is an aggressively strong drink that begs for strong hard cider to temper it.

Stone Fence – Contemporary

2 oz

Bourbon

4 oz

Apple Cider

Add ice ¾ of the way up a Collins glass. Add ingredients to the glass. Top with ice to fill to top, and garnish with an apple fan.

The more contemporary Stone Fence is full of apples and spicy, oaky, bourbon with a slight bite.  Unlike the original version, this is more of a sipper, where the bourbon plays nice with the apple cider, and displays a nice balance between the two.  The result is that as it dilutes, the sweetness combines between the two and opens up both the bourbon and the fresh pressed apple notes of the cider.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The original drink was described as a “savage mixture”, and that’s an assessment we could probably agree on.  If you like your drink boozy, definitely feel free to enjoy the original.  For those looking for something softer, the dilution in the modern version that used non-alcoholic cider is your best bet.  Bear in mind, it’s still pretty booze forward.

• Bourbon – The recommendation here is bonded bourbon, but for modern palates, this is probably going to be a bit aggressive.  Feel free to turn things down and reach for something like Buffalo Trace or Maker’s Mark.  If you decide to go higher, we suggest the good old fashioned Wild Turkey 101 or Old Forester Signature.
• Apple Cider –
  • Hard Cider – If you’re choosing to use hard cider, we highly recommend you choose one that’s unfiltered and around 5-6% ABV (as this is boozy enough as it is).  This is going to be some what of a local exercise, as cider distribution is pretty localized.  If you have to, Angry Orchard kind of works, but it suggests that non-alcoholic local cider is almost certainly going to have an advantage.
  • Non-Alcoholic Cider – Using your freshest local cider is the best way to get the best results.  We used a friend’s family farms cider, but your local grocery should work just fine.
• Optional Ingredients – There a number of tweaks for this recipe, see below for ways you can make adjustments:
  • Base Changes: Either Rye or Rum are acceptable her based on the standard.  For rum, we recommend using something aged to bring out the caramel and spice notes to join the apple cider.
  • Bitters:  To add more depth, consider a dash of Angostura bitters.  This will work better in the non-alcoholic version.
  • Sweetener:  If you want to take the edge off, consider using a ¼ oz of Maple Syrup
• Garnish – As apples should be in season, an apple fan is ideal, but mint can be used as well for aromatic purposes.

The Martinez is frequently credited as a forerunner to the Martini, but like all pre-prohibition cocktails, there’s room for debate.  This idea most likely originated from the fact that maraschino liqueur was somewhat hard to track down at the start of the cocktail renaissance. Once it was tracked down, it become apparent that the lack of Old Tom gins might be influencing ability to truly evaluate the drink.  In the interim of these two events, it became suggested that perhaps the drink was the predecessor to the Martini.   Like all drinks, ingredients matter, and switching to the bolder Old Tom style gin shows this drink has more in common with the Manhattan than the Martini.

Martinez

Martinez

1 ½ oz

Old Tom Gin

1 ½ oz

Sweet Vermouth

¼ oz

Maraschino Liqueur

2 Dashes

Boker’s Bitters

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

The Martinez is sweet, spicy, and layered.  The complexity of the herbal notes of all the elements vibes into a spiced, layered, and complex flavor.  The sweetness from both the old tom gin, and the caramel notes with the sweet vermouth gives a richness.  The slight fruitiness comes in, and is somehow bound with the cardamom notes from the Boker’s bitters to bind the entire drink into something more than the sum of its parts.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Martinez being one of the forerunners to the Martini is interesting because its incredibly sweet comparatively.  Most people tasting this wouldn’t get to dry and clean vermouth from the spice, sweet, and fruitiness.  Some of this is driven by the sweet vermouth, but the gin is sweet too.  The bitters will help to balance this, but this drink will never quite reach ‘dry’.

• Old Tom Gin – This style of gin is made with licorice, which imparts sweetness more than licorice flavor.  The result of this is a softer, smoother style of gin that lends itself well to making a less juniper, more aggressive style of gin.  You could use a modern or London dry gin here, and it will turn down the sweetness while adding a bit more juniper.
• Sweet Vermouth  – We utilized the more vanilla forward Carpano Antica here  (which is our go to), but you can modify some of the flavors present by using a more caramel forward Cocchi or a fruit forward vermouth like Lustau.
• Maraschino Liqueur – The subtle cherry, almond, and spice notes are best in Luxardo’s Maraschino Liqueur (in our opinion).  Feel free to use your favorite or what is locally available.
• Boker’s Bitters – Boker’s bitters are one of the most popular pre-prohibition cocktail bitters, and made of cassia, cardamom, and bitter orange peel.  When prohibition hit, these bitters disappeared, and weren’t recreated until happenstance allowed the recreation in the early 2010’s.  Today prominent recipes exist from Dr. Adam Elmegirab*, and The Bitter Truth.  If you can’t find them or aren’t willing to pay to have them shipped, consider using the cardamom favored Regan’s orange bitters and Angostura.

* – This link is an amazon affiliate link that may result in First Pour Cocktails receiving a partial commission on the sale.  We currently run the site at a loss (as of September 2022), so any purchase made through this link helps us pay for the server and to continue to bring you cocktail content.  

The creator of the Aviation was an individual by the name of Hugo Ensslin.  While most have never heard of Hugo Ensslin, most cocktail enthusiasts have either had or are aware of his creation.  What few folks are unaware of, is that Ensslin has another cocktail that’s about as far away from the Aviation as  you can get.  Instead of gin, maraschino, lemon, and creme de violette, the Up To Date features rye, sherry, Grand Marnier, and Angostura bitters.

Up To Date

Up to Date

2 oz

Rye

¾ oz

Sherry

½ oz

Grand Marnier

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 Up To Date is dry, nutty, and slightly spicy. The more herbal notes in the dill join with the rye spice and Angostura to make a spice bomb. Light orange notes come through in the background to add depth to a sort of earthy and nutty overtone. Those who are at home with drier cocktails, like a Martini may find things to love here.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The dryness of this cocktail is likely why it fell out of vogue. Combined with rye’s hit and miss popularity – it isn’t an obvious cocktail to even look up. That said, this is a template worth knowing about, if only for it’s relation to the Manhattan as a potential vehicle to riff on.

• Rye – We went full on into the earthy / herbal side of rye with Wild Turkey 101 Rye here.  Feel free to experiment to make a sweet combination, with ryes that are less spice and herb focused (Rittenhouse / Sazerac) or bourbon.
• Sherry – Your choice of sherry here makes a bit of difference between dry and sweet.  For the driest experience, we recommend using Manzanilla or Fino sherry.  For a more well rounded experience, utilize Amontillado or Oloroso sherry.  PX and Cream Sherry will also work, but make things sweet and add more dessert notes.
• Grand Marnier – Made from Cognac instead of neutral spirits, Grand Marnier is actually called out for this drink.  If looking to substitute, look for an orange liqueur that uses brandy or cognac.
• Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand.