OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL RECIPES

It's time to celebrate the classic Old Fashioned Cocktail. 
Lucky for me because I happen to love an Old Fashioned, it's actually one of my first "signature" cocktails, having been introduced to it by a very great lady back in my early college days. It became a weekly ritual with us after I finished classes on Thursdays, one week at her house, next at mine. Mrs. Smothers, my neighbor, made hers the way they were expected in those days, with lots of Maraschino cherries and several orange slices muddled together before tossing in the ice and her brandy. Though many consider this a blasphemy in this age of bespoke cocktails, I ignore the critics and will still make an Old Fashioned this way occasionally (though I skip the toxic chemical loaded "Maraschino cherries" found on your local grocery shelf and use my own Homemade Maraschino or Bourbon Cherries instead.)
Below is my animated video recipe, complete with voiceover instructions and list of ingredients for the classic Old Fashioned:

This recipe is exactly what is defines a "cocktail" making the Old Fashioned one of the first drinks to be called a cocktail.

FUN VARIATIONSON THE  OLD FASHIONED   BOURBON OLD FASHIONED BRANDY OLD FASHIONED DOOMSDAY OLD FASHIONED ELDER FASHIONED HONEY OLD FASHIONED PUMPKIN SPICED OLD FASHIONED PRICKLY PEAR OLD FASHIONED RHUBARB GINGER OLD FASHIONED   SPICED APPLE OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY JAM OLD FASHIONED SPICY MOLE RUM OLD FASHIONED
If you've never had an Old Fashioned, now is the time to try one. June 14th is Old Fashioned Day and Old Fashioned Week is celebrated somewhere between October 2st and the end of November, depending on who you ask.

Updated 6-2021

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FERNET CADILLAC COCKTAIL

I was on a quest to add some more fernet drinks to my cocktail list and stumbled on a recipe for a Fernet Alexander. That recipe is not only in the Alexander family of drinks, it's similar in ingredients, ratios and taste to a Golden Cadillac. Where a Golden Cadillac is typically made with equals parts Galliano, crème de cacao and cream, the Fernet Alexander employs Fernet Branca, another herbal liqueur, in place of the Galliano.
Fernet is an Italian amaro and one of the more aggressively herbal liqueurs, definitely an acquired taste. Though typically served as a digestif, it can add some serious aromatic herbal essence to a cocktail if used judiciously. Usually made with the basic components of saffron, myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom and aloe, the recipes vary from brand to brand and all are heavily guarded secrets. My personal favorite is Fernet Branca and over the last few years I have developed a fondness for it's bitter, minty licorice forward flavor, especially when mixed into the right cocktail.
Here I have replaced the white crème de cacao with dark crème de cacao, added a dash of orange and adjusted the ratios to create a fernet infused Golden Cadillac / Alexander which I've called a Fernet Cadillac.

The FERNET CADILLAC Cocktail
INGREDIENTS  3/4 Oz Fernet Branca 1-1/2 Oz Dark Crème de Cacao 1-1/4 Oz Half & Half 2 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters Dash of Sea Salt*
Garnish: Dusting of Dark Cocoa Powder, Orange Twist (express over top of cocktail)
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Hawthorne Strainer
Glass: Coupe
DIRECTIONS Chill the coupe in the freezer. And the ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously (to dissolve the salt) until well chilled. Strain into cocktail glass, garnish and serve.
* Why the salt? Because it tames the very aggressive herbal nature of the Fernet a bit and it brings up the chocolate.
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ZOMBIE ANEURYSM SLUSH HALLOWEEN COCKTAIL

Looking for a sure fire way to kill a few brain cells on Halloween? Yeah? Well, this ought to do it.
Warning: Not kidding. Line up your Lyfts and Ubers now and make sure you have the next day(s) off - this cocktail is named after zombies for a reason.* Oh, and did I tell you? You get brain freeze too.
Happy Halloween.

ZOMBIE ANEURYSM SLUSH COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS 1/2 Oz. Crystal Head Vodka 1-1/2 Oz. White Rum 1 Oz. Dark Rum 1/2 Oz. 151 Proof Rum 3 Oz.  Pineapple Juice 1 Oz. Orange Juice 1 Oz. Lemon Juice 1 Oz. Lime Juice 1 Tsp. Papaya Juice 1 C. Finely Crushed Ice
Garnish: Shot of Homemade Pomegranate Simple Syrup (Grenadine),  Halloween Straws
Tools: Blender, Funnel, Syringe or Meat Injector
Glass: Empty Crystal Head Vodka Bottle or Skull Glass
DIRECTIONS Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until slushy smooth. Pour into your empty Crystal Head Vodka bottle through the funnel. (I filled the funnel then lightly tapped the bottle on a towel covered counter several times until the bottle was full to the eye ridges.) Remember to leave space for the freezing cocktail to expand. Freeze for about an hour, just long enough to let the bottle frost over and the slushy to solidify a bit. Stir with the skewer to loosen. Just before serving, fill the meat injector (syringe) with the pomegranate simple syrup then shoot this against the inside of the glass somewhere near the eye sockets and brain. The syrup is heavier than the cocktail and will slowly slide down to the bottom for a nice layered effect. Add the straws and serve.
* MartiniDiva.Com and subsidiaries take no responsibility for any stupidity arising from this recipe. Drink at your own risk.
National Zombie Day is July 7th.
Updated 7-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The STRANGER THINGS BOOZY SLUSHY Maple Walnut Bourbon Cola Cocktail

When I think about Netflix's Stranger Things the first thing that comes to mind, of course, is Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). But the next thing that comes to mind are Eggo waffles. El's fondness for junk food is a theme throughout season one. Being on the run from Papa (Matthew Modine) and Hawkins National Laboratory, junk food is the easiest food for her to get her hands on and she is a kid, albeit a strange kid, so Eggos figure heavily in Eleven's diet.

Mike (Finn Wolfhard): "Don't worry, when all this is over you won't have to keep eating junk food and leftovers like a dog anymore. My mom, she's a pretty awesome cook. She can make you whatever you like." Eleven: "Eggos?" Mike: "Yea, Eggos, but real food, too."
When she disappears after disintegrating the Demogorgon, Chief Hopper (David Harbour) gives us hope Eleven is still alive by placing plates of Eggo waffles in a box for her on Christmas eve.
Coke shows up a lot, most likely as a result of paid product placement, but still cans of it pop up often. Chocolate pudding makes an appearance as a lunch lady's hoarded food and there are multiple mentions of other edibles, also mostly junk, but not always: Dustin (Gaten Mazzarrato): "Alrighty, so we've got Nutty Bars, Bazooka, Pez, Smarties, Pringles, Nilla wafers, apple, banana and trail mix." 
I'm saving my binge of this year's season for a full day treat so no spoilers here, but I couldn't pass up doing a Stranger Things Cocktail and took my cue from the primary munchies of season one. Since cocktails aren't for kids but the show is about kids, I went down a sort of Upside Down cocktail recipe trip of a maple waffle cola slushy, appropriately served up in a soda bottle with a straw. If you want to make these for kids simply replace the bourbon with a dash of maple syrup and add a few walnuts on top of the Eggos.

The

STRANGER THINGS Maple Walnut Bourbon, Coke & Waffle SLUSHY
INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 Oz Toasted Maple Walnut Bourbon Cold Cola Ice
Garnish: Eggo Waffle, Quartered, Homemade Maraschino Cherry, Biodegradable Paper Straw
Tools: Blender, Wooden Skewer
Glass: Soda Bottle
DIRECTIONS Pour the bourbon into your soda bottle then add enough cola to fill the bottle but ONLY to three quarters full. You must leave this room because you are then going to place the bottle in the freezer to turn it slushy. After an hour take the bottle out and give it all a stir with the skewer then place it back in the freezer. Another hour in the freezer should be enough for full slush (if not simply stir then put it back in the freezer again). You'll notice the drink has started to swell. Take the bottle out and give it a good stir (don't shake, unless you want bourbon and soda all over your face). Slip the waffle quarters and the cherry on your straw and pop this in the soda bottle and serve.
Stranger Things Day is celebrated every November 6th.

"Something’s coming. Something hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here."

Updated 11/2021

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AGAVECILLIN - A Tequila and Mezcal Riff on the Penicillin Cocktail

Inspired by New York Bartender Sam Ross' (Attaboy, Milk & Honey) Penicillin Cocktail*, I took his smoky scotch and ginger cocktail and added a bit of mad science spirit to it for Halloween. After some inductive reasoning, I formed a hypothesis that the two Scotches could safely be replaced with Tequila and a smokey Mezcal. Additionally, I predicted blood orange was an acceptable variable to lemon in this cocktail equation. I then proceeded with my experiment.
After analyzation (I analyzed two), I conclude the end result a rousing success. You don't have to take my word for it, feel free to test my methods, the formula is below.

TheAGAVECILLINCocktail Experiment 
INGREDIENTS2 Oz. Espolon Blanco Tequila3/4 Oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice1/2 Oz. Blood Orange Honey Syrup (recipe below)1/4 Tsp. Ginger Syrup
FLOAT: 1/4 Oz. Del Maguey VIDA Mezcal
Garnish: Candied Ginger, Orange Twist, Halloween Straw
Tools: Cocktail Shaker, Fine Metal Mesh Strainer, Funnel
Glass: Graduated Lab Cylinder
DIRECTIONSChill cylinder in the freezer.Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients, shake until ice cold.Using the funnel, strain into your lab cylinder then float the Mezcal on top.Garnish and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Once upon a time I used fresh ginger and muddled it with the juice but I discovered it was a lot easier and quicker to use a good quality homemade ginger syrup. I'm getting lazy in my old age, sue me.
BLOOD ORANGE HONEY SYRUPMix equal parts hot water and Honey Ridge Farms Honey Créme Blood Orange until blended.
My lab partner, as usual, was Bailey the Cat:

* Interestingly enough the Penicillin itself is a variation of a bourbon cocktail called the Gold Rush which, in it's turn, is pretty much a dressed up Whiskey Sour. Which, I figure, makes my version a Halloween costumed Tequila Sour.

Updated 10-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Dracula's BLOOD & SAND Halloween Cocktail

Did you know that Dracula was a Scotch drinker? Well, okay his favorite drink has hemoglobin in it, but once he's had his fill of blood and can relax a bit, he loves him a good old Blood & Sand cocktail made with Johnnie Walker Black Label. He particularly likes the fact that it complements his signature couture color of black. He even has his own special name for his personal vampire version of a classic Blood & Sand*, he calls it a Bloody and Sand. Isn't he just too cute?
Here's his recipe, I only got it from him through great personal sacrifice.

And just for that I'm NOT calling it Bloody & Sand.

Dracula's BLOOD & SAND COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS 1 Oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch  3/4 Oz. Sweet Vermouth 3/4 Oz. Cherry Heering 1/2 Oz. Fresh Blood Orange Juice 1 Oz. Pasteurized Egg White  (optional).
Garnish: Homemade Maraschino Cherry, Orange Peel shaped like a Fang
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Coupe
DIRECTIONS Chill glass in the freezer. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, pour in all of the ingredients and shake the dickens out of it. Rub interior of the glass bowl and rim with a bit of orange peel. Strain cocktail into the glass, garnish and serve.
* The original Blood and Sand Cocktail was inspired by and named for the 1922 Rudolph Valentino movie, Blood and Sand with the recipe first appearing in print in Harry Craddock's 1930 "The Savoy Cocktail Book".
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PEAR COCKTAILS

Pears are said to have more nutrients per calorie than calorie per nutrient. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber, are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be beneficial in cancer prevention, can lower age-related macular degeneration and help reduce risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The skin contains boron, which helps our bodies retain calcium. Quercetin, also found in the skin, can help reduce blood pressure.
Pears are a member of the rose (Rosaceae) family of plants, which includes apples, cherries, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries as well as roses. They are sweet, juicy and perfect for use in cocktails as a puree, juice and edible garnish and, if you're looking for a way to make happy hour more healthy, pears are definitely a great way to do that.
PEAR COCKTAILS
CACTUS PEAR MARGARITA DRUNK SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET GOBBLED KNOB OH, PEAR! MARTINI PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR MARTINI PEAR CHAMPAGNE MARTINI PEARS HELENE MARTINI PRICKLY (CACTUS) PEAR MARTINI SPARKLING PEAR MARTINI
December is National Pear Month and National Pear Day is October 25th.
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