Help me be fancy! [Cocktail recipes]

Kyougu

A friend decided to throw a fancy dress/classy party this friday, and is asking for contributions and people bring cocktail recipes.

I been a beer guy since I really started drinking alcohol, and even though I enjoy cocktails (specially with Gin) I never pay attention to most ingredients. Anyone care to share some awesome recipes? Preferibly with stuff I could get by friday, and that wouldn't be impossible to find.

There will be the usual mixing tools at the party so I should be fine with anything that needs them.

tinwhiskers

For gin:

Aviations are nice, but the creme de violet is a bitch to find.
Gimlets are great and you can find the stuff for them at any super-mart.
My friend makes a great drink with Basil, gin, and ginger beer. not sure of the name though you could probably make a workable version of it easy enough.


outside of Gin:

Mint Juleps(bourbon) are good too. I would suggest looking at grocery stores that cater to Latino populations if yours doesn't carry bulk mint, cause that shit will out cost the bourbon real fast if you are buying it in those little plastic packs. You really need crushed ice to get the most out of it though.

Sazerac(rye) is pretty straight forward to make(no time sink muddling stuff), but still big flavors wise.


Also since these 'classy cocktail parties' tend to be in my experience are motivated by watching too much Mad Men, you could go the other way with your 50s/60s camp and make a Mai Tai. Light rum, bunch of tropic juices, float the dark rum on top.



I've also been in fucking love with sidecars for the last few months:
2 parts VSOP Cognac, 1 part Cointreau, 1 part lemon Juice
Served in a glass with a sugared rim.
you can sub in brandy(E&J and Paul Mason both make VSOP brandy blends that are serviceable), and triple sec if you need to save cash.


In general for summer drinks it's hard to go wrong with sours(anything with lemon/lime in it not sour mix from the plastic bottle).

Reciprocity

typically a sazerac does involve some fairly complicated mixing (two glasses, muddling a sugar cube with Peychaud's bitters) and absinthe which can be a little hard to come by (although not as difficult as the creme de violette you mentioned, it's true)

Deebaser

Here is a recipe:

Gin Gimlet
2 oz Gin
.75 oz simple syrup*
1 oz FRESH lime juice (no scrub shit. Squeeze dem bitches)

This will give you a nice balanced cocktail and once you can tackle it, you can play around a bit, like maybe sub out lemon juice for lime and add a sprig of mint.





*Google it. It's pretty easy to do it k, but it takes practice to keep it clear with a perfect viscosity. For a first foray, you can just put a cup of water and a cup of sugar in a water bottle and shake until it totally dissolves.

EggyToast

I still love black and white russians. They're very easy to make and generally crowd pleasers. Although I've mixed some fancy drinks in my time, I also learned that most people just like pretty simple drinks that taste good.

Basic Black Russian:
1.5 vodka
1 Kahlua

If you like it sweeter, add more Kahlua. If you like it with more bite, take the vodka up to 2. Feel free to experiment before Friday.

White Russian:
Same as above, fill with milk. Boozier? use more booze and less milk. Too boozy? use less booze and more milk.

Mudslide:
Same as black russian, fill with Baileys. Don't go crazy on the baileys or you'll just have a baileys with stuff in it.

Some will argue that a nice whiskey neat or on the rocks is a cocktail and is an OK thing to serve at a cocktail party. Those people are correct.

Pantshandshake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_'N'_Stormy, though I've used other rums and it comes out just fine.

Alternately, bottle of Kraken rum, a glass, and some ice. Still technically a cocktail!

jefe414

I second the Dark N' Stormy. If you want to go a little into the past, I love Stingers:

1 3/4 oz brandy
3/4 oz white creme de menthe
Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass with crushed ice.
Stir well.
You can also shake the ingredients with ice cubes and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

Adjusting the ratio (more or less creme de menthe) on personal taste is recommended.

Deebaser

It's summer!
Mojitos!

mts

Deebaser wrote: »

It's summer!
Mojitos!

alternatively, a gin and tonic.

TychoCelchuuu

Paging @Esh, Esh to the booze thread please.

honovere

Besides gin and tonic other gin based drinks I like are singapore slings and vesper martinis

vesper:
3 measures of gin
1 measure of vodka
1/2 measure Kina Lillet Blanc
lemon peel for garnish

Manhattens are also nice and I am normally not that into whiskey

2 measures whiskey (canadian)
1 measure sweet vermouth
dash of angostura bitter
maraschino cherry and orange twist

UncleChet

for me, when I want to mix up some good liquor, i download and install a neat android phone app. Um, there are tons, this one has a crooked martini glass icon last I'd used it. you put in the ingredients you have/want, and it spits out all the recipes you can make. Also, Hendrix Gin. It's simply the best gin I've ever had (though a bit expensive)

Noisymunk

The two cocktails I've been mixing up a LOT lately are Margaritas and Old Fashioneds.

My Margarita
I usually omit the triple sec and simply use Tequila, fresh lime juice and light agave nectar to sweeten it up.
Fill a margarita glass, cocktail glass, or old fashioned glass with ice and then dump the ice in a cocktail shaker. Fill glass again with ice.
In shaker:
Add 2 oz of 100% agave tequila (my current favorite is Milagro silver)
Add 3/4 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice, roughly the juice from half a lime. (I usually squeeze up a bunch beforehand and strain out the pulp)
Add 1/4 oz of light agave nectar, it's about two teaspoons, just a small squirt from the bottle.
Shake hard.
Strain into glass filled with ice.
Sip away.

No salt. Salt is only good for masking the awful flavor of cheap mixto tequila.

Rye Old Fashioned
Place a demerera sugar cube in an old fashioned glass
Shake 2 dashes of Angostura bitters onto the cube
Add a splash of filtered water, about halfway up the cube.
Muddle the cube to break it up and dissolve some of the sugar.
Fill the glass half full with ice.
Add an ounce and a half of Bulleit Rye whiskey
Stir
Twist a lemon peel over the top, drop it in and serve.

TheCanMan

I'll second the suggestions for Mojitos and Manhattans (although I prefer my Manhattans made with bourbon, usually Maker's Mark).

Mojito Spritzers are nice too. If the standard Mojito is too sweet for you, cut it with club soda and get some nice refreshing bubbles as a bonus.

Reciprocity

oh another good one is the Hemmingway Daiquiri (or "Papa Doble")

2 oz Clear Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur

Also then you can use the maraschino for aviations

Niceguy Myeye

I love manhattans made with dry vermouth instead of sweet.

Also, if you're going the ginger beer route for Dark and stormies, you can also use it in horse's necks and moscow mules.

Horse's Neck:
2 oz brandy
5 oz ginger ale
2 dashes bitters
1 lemon spiral

I typically sub bourbon for the brandy and ginger beer instead of ale.

Moscow Mule:
2 oz Vodka
2 oz lime juice
8 oz ginger ale

Again, ginger beer is where it's at.

Whacktose

I'm a huge fan of the Vieux Carré, which is both fancy (unique ingredients) and easy (to mix):

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11620-vieux-carre

TheCanMan

The MWO thread got to talking about drinks for consumption while playing. @DaMoonRulz suggested a Rusty Nail (equal parts scotch whiskey and Drambuie; more or less Drambuie to taste according to how much whiskey flavor or sweet flavor you prefer). I haven't had one...yet...but that sounds delicious and classy.

MentalExercise

Personally I prefer my gimlets classic with Rose's lime.

Johnny Jump Ups are great; whiskey and hard cider. You can go classic (Jameson), hot (straight rye), or sweet (dark or spiced rum).

CowShark

Cheat Whiskey Sours -
Lowball glass -
1 or 2 shots whiskey
2 or 3 shots lemonade
get a citrus press and juice both halves of a lemon or lime into the glass.
probably fill glass with ice

Kyougu

Thanks all! I can't believe I had completely forgotten about white and dark russians. Going to make those, along with Dark and Stormy and Moscow Mules.

Giggles_Funsworth

Hobo Screwdriver:

1 bottle Sunkist or other favored brand of orange soda

1 container of vodka of dubious origins

Remove Sunkist until there is room for vodka, replace Sunkist with vodka. You now have a concealed beverage with which to drown your sorrows in public with.

Kyougu

So the Dark and Stormy's were a huge hit ( Apparently I lucked out and bought the Ginger Beer brand that's recommended for them). By the end of the night I had them down pat and was making them for a bunch of the party people.

Thanks again!

Donovan Puppyfucker

Giggles_Funsworth wrote: »

Hobo Screwdriver:

1 bottle Sunkist or other favored brand of orange soda

1 container of vodka of dubious origins

Remove Sunkist until there is room for vodka, replace Sunkist with vodka. You now have a concealed beverage with which to drown your sorrows in public with.

Red lightning:

1 750 mL container of white spirits (from the hardware store, not a clear rum, that shit's expensive), one 2L bottle of red cordial.

Pour out enough of the cordial to be able to pour the whole bottle of white spirits into said cordial bottle, then do so.

Drink.

Vomit.

Pass out in a gutter.

Giggles_Funsworth

chrishallett83 wrote: »

Giggles_Funsworth wrote: »

Hobo Screwdriver:

1 bottle Sunkist or other favored brand of orange soda

1 container of vodka of dubious origins

Remove Sunkist until there is room for vodka, replace Sunkist with vodka. You now have a concealed beverage with which to drown your sorrows in public with.

Red lightning:

1 750 mL container of white spirits (from the hardware store, not a clear rum, that shit's expensive), one 2L bottle of red cordial.

Pour out enough of the cordial to be able to pour the whole bottle of white spirits into said cordial bottle, then do so.

Drink.

Vomit.

Pass out in a gutter.

Look, I didn't teach him how to make the Glass of Whiskey for a reason; this guy is trying to be fancy.

MichaelLC

Giggles_Funsworth wrote: »

chrishallett83 wrote: »

Giggles_Funsworth wrote: »

Hobo Screwdriver:

1 bottle Sunkist or other favored brand of orange soda

1 container of vodka of dubious origins

Remove Sunkist until there is room for vodka, replace Sunkist with vodka. You now have a concealed beverage with which to drown your sorrows in public with.

Red lightning:

1 750 mL container of white spirits (from the hardware store, not a clear rum, that shit's expensive), one 2L bottle of red cordial.

Pour out enough of the cordial to be able to pour the whole bottle of white spirits into said cordial bottle, then do so.

Drink.

Vomit into a toilet, then flush.

Pass out in a gutter.

Look, I didn't teach him how to make the Glass of Whiskey for a reason; this guy is trying to be fancy.

OK, fixed.