The Artist's Special

I've recently re-discovered the pre-dinner cocktail.  There is something that feels so good about treating yourself to a real libation before you eat dinner.  It reeks of- dare I say- sophistication?  Maybe I just feel civilized while drinking an aperitif because it means I'm not inhaling snacks before dinner and spoiling my appetite, I don't know- but I do know that not just any cocktail will do.  You could make something from this book:

(Where I found my new favorite drink, the Tuxedo: gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters.)

Or you could just make a well-balanced, hard-hitting, drink-it-while-it's-still-smiling-at-you drink.  In case you're looking for something special, you can try out this variation on the classic drink from the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Artist's Special. Rye whiskey, amontillado sherry, and our Cardamom-Clove Syrup make for a delicious combination.

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey (I used Bulleit)
1 1/2 oz. amontillado sherry
3/4 oz. Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 dashes Boker's bitters

Combine ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

The Doctor is in.

Forrest made this hot toddy for me last night- it didn't cure my cold, but it definitely made me feel better!

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Lavender-Lemon Syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 oz. boiling water (more or less to taste)

Stir everything together in a mug and sip slowly.

Feeling Bitter?

This article by The Spir.it has some great basic recipes for cocktails made with bitter spirits- Campari, Cynar, Averna, Punt y Mes, and Fernet Branca.  I've copied a favorite, with Punt y Mes, below. An excellent aperitif!

Red Hook
2 oz rye whiskey
½ oz Punt y Mes
¼- ½ oz maraschino, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Dog Island Shrub

1 1/2 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/4 oz. raspberry shrub (recipe below)
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Combine ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a raspberry or lemon twist.

Raspberry Shrub:
1 part apple cider vinegar (unfiltered, if available)
6 parts Royal Rose Raspberry Syrup

Tiger's Milk

3 oz. Irish whiskey
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup
1 egg white
freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Dry shake whiskey, egg white, and Cardamom-Clove syrup for 1 minute. Add ice and shake for another minute or more.  Serve straight up or on the rocks with a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

Isla de la Pirata

This drink knocked me on my ass last night.

1 1/2 oz. blended scotch whiskey
1/2 oz. aged rum
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Strawberry-Fennel Syrup
1/2 dropper-full Bittercube Jamaican #1 bitters
splash of pear or peach nectar

Combine ingredients over ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Resist the urge to guzzle.

Mexico City Organ Grinder Splash

Recipe by Warren Bobrow; makes 2 drinks

2 shots of Tuthilltown White Whiskey
2 shots Casa Noble Tequila
1 tablespoon of Royal Rose Three Chile Syrup
1 medicine dropper of Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters
cava, champagne, or sparkling wine

Add whiskey, tequila, and Royal Rose Three Chiles Syrups to a cocktail shaker half full of ice.  Shake.  Strain into 2 coupe glasses, then add exactly five drops of the Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters into each glass.  Top with a splash of cava. Garnish with a cherry.

Red Nemesis

I used to love maraschino cherries when I was little (okay, and I still like them today), but have you ever had REAL maraschino cherries? 

If you haven't, I highly recommend going out and getting some.  They are so delicious.  The syrup in which they are packed is heavy, sweet, and slightly boozy.  They are nothing like the fake, bright red cherries that my sister and I always got as kids in our Shirley Temples.  (Shout out to the Great Wall in Bedford, MA!)

Forrest and I just discovered Jamaican #1 bitters by Bittercube.  An excellent complement to the sweet Luxardo cherries and RR raspberry syrup, the sour citrus, and spicy Rittenhouse Rye in this harmonious cocktail, the Red Nemesis:

2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Raspberry Simple Syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 Luxardo Maraschino cherries and their syrup (approximately 1/4 oz.)
2-3 drops of Bittercube Jamaican #1

Combine ingredients over ice in a Boston shaker.  Stir emphatically so that all syrups are completely emulsified into the solution.  Strain into a chilled martini glass or coupe. Garnish with the three cherries.