Author Archives: Dave Kwiatkowski

Mixology Monday (or MxMo) is a “monthly online cocktail party,” where each person brings a drink based on that month’s theme.  Each month the host changes, and it’s up to him to pick that month’s theme.  Then, by a certain date (in this case yesterday, by Midnight) everybody puts their drink up on their blog, and comments on the host’s blog, letting him know they are participating.  And in a few days, the host does a really nice round up post, that features everybody’s submissions.  Trust me, it’s not as complicated as it sounds, and it’s always pretty fun coming up with something based on a theme.

May’s host is Dave at The Barman Cometh, and as it happens, his theme was floral cocktails.  Since I did a post about a floral cocktail yesterday, I went ahead and retrofitted it to comply with the MxMo guidelines, as I am a lazy, lazy man. But, I did go ahead and take a sexy new pic, complete with floral garnish.

So stop by Dave’s site and check out the round up post, which should be up in a few days, and maybe even participate in next month’s MxMo, if you’re into that sorta thing.

I’ve been working with a ton of Aperol lately – I just dig the stuff. It’s the perfect spring / summer liqueur; slightly sweet, citrusy and plenty bitter. And, I love me a Negroni – it’s one of my faves – so it was an obvious call for me to combine them and come up with a “Spring Negroni.” I went gin, Lillet blanc and Aperol (1:1:1). Great move… except it sorta sucked. I mean, it was fine, but not a revolution, and certainly not worthy of the Negroni namesake. A few weeks later, on a whim I threw dried lavender flowers into some gin, and whammy, it came together like… well… it just came together, okay?

Spring Negroni

.75 oz. Lavender infused gin

.75 oz. Lillet Blanc

.75 oz. Aperol

Spring Bitters

Stir & strain. I’m not garnishing this – I don’t think it needs it. The spring bitters are a really nice addition that actually came on the third pass. They amp up the bitterness and really compliment the citrusy component.

This post originally appeared on The Sugar House blog of mixed drinks and mixed emotions.

The mint julep is an institution – a classic – that has fortunately managed to eschew obscurity, as it remains the official drink of the Kentucky derby.

The word itself dates back to around 1400, when it was defined as “a syrupy drink in which medicine was given.” Herbs, spices and sugars macerated in water comprised a typical julep. Wherever the Mint Julep name came from (probably somewhere in Kentucky, around 1780), it was most like a bit of a jest. However, the name stuck, and here we are. So to describe the characteristics of a modern julep, we should say that it is a mixed drink that contains liquor, mint and sugar, over crushed ice, and served in a julep cup.

The Classic Julep

3 oz. Granddad 100 Bourbon

.5 oz. Pure Cane Syrup (2:1)

Four medium size mint sprigs

Before you get started, you’re going to need is a metric shit ton of crushed ice. There’s no making a julep without it. And you’ll also need a metal vessel – a julep cup if you’ve got one – or a copper mug. The bottom half of a small metal shaker is even acceptable, under the ‘stances. Once you’ve got those, you must adhere to the four steps of proper julep making:

Step 1: The Mix

Into the cup goes your bourbon, syrup and all the leaves from the bottom of the mint sprigs (save the tips for garnish). And with a bar spoon – or long rod – stir the mixture in a smooth and consistent manner. You may be tempted to muddle, or press the mint with your spoon to “extract the oils” – do not. Instead, just stir for about 30 seconds; the drink will be plenty minty, I promise.

Note: Some people subscribe to the mint syrup method… I’ve tried both, many, many times, and I prefer the fresh mint. Also, I usually use spearmint, but in honor of the day, I am going with a Kentucky Colonel.

Step 2: Dilution

Fill about a third of the cup with crushed ice, and stir again for another thirty seconds. The ice should be melting, bringing the temperature of the bourbon down to a good level, and slightly chilling the cup. Taste the mixture at this point – it should be minty, slightly sweet, yet still very bourbony. If it tastes out of balance, now is the time to correct it.

Step 3: Chilling

Fill the rest of the cup with crushed ice, but don’t pack it in there, just fill it up, and stir it again. At this point the whole thing should look like a slushee… keep stirring, and let the cup get a nice frost on it. After about 30 seconds, the cup should be frozen on the outside, which means the ice is going to melt at a much slower rate.

Step 4: Garnish

Finally, gently pack the rest of the cup with crushed ice. Take your leftover mint sprig tips, give them a good slap, and gently slide them into the edge of the cup. If you’ve got a julep strainer, now would be the time to insert it.

This may seem like overkill, but trust me, it’s not. It’s important to treat the mint gently, as it tends to release a bitter oil when muddled or torn, which pretty much sucks. And don’t short cut the method here; if you just pack the whole thing full of crushed ice, it’s gonna get so cold the cup itself will freeze, and none of the ice will melt. But the melting of the ice is what makes the drink; dilution of the bourbon and increase volume are the happy result.

I’ve been really into pairing Amontillado sherry with potable bitters, such as Fernet, Chartreuse and Cynar. I find the flavors extremely complimentary, and with a bit of citrus juice it’s pretty easy to come up with a killer drink. This one is inspired by the Art of Choke.

Art of Choke Variation
1 oz. Cynar
1 oz. Amontillado Sherry
.25 oz. Fernet
.25 oz. Lime
Dash demerara
Mint Sprig

Shake over small ice, pour over crushed ice, sip thru short cut straws.

This post originally appeared on the Sugar House blog of craft cocktails and counted thread embroidery.

The Conundrum
.5 oz. Campari
.5 oz. Chartreuse
.5 oz. Fernet Branca
.5 oz. Lemon Juice
.25 oz. Luxardo
Dash grapefruit bitters

Shake over a small amount of ice, and strain over an ice ball or large cubes in a rocks glass. Garnish with a long grapefruit peel, first expressing oil over glass.

I can’t take full credit for this one – Brian Vollmer at Roast made something very similar for my wife a few months back. However, I added the Luxardo to amp up the sweetness, and strained this one over an ice ball instead of serving it up. Trust me, it will have you scratching your head in a very good way.