Lesson 4: Recipes & More

Not Just for the Cocktail Hour

Here are some recipes for the non cocktail hour - after dinner and brunch. Many of these drinks use half and half, light cream or heavy cream. You can substitute among these variations according to taste. Also, nutmeg is a natural spice to add to any cream based food; it’s always optional in these drinks. But if you add nutmeg, always make it freshly grated – nutmeg does not age well.

After Dinner:

Stinger:
1 ½ ounce Brandy
½ ounce white Crème de Menthe

Fill a glass with ice, and then add the two liquors. Stir and serve over ice or strain into a chilled glass. You can substitute B&B or aged tequila for the brandy.

Alexander:
1 ½ ounces Brandy
1 ounce dark Crème de Cacao
1 ounce half and half
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Fill a shaker half way with ice cubes. Add the brandy, crème de cacao and half and half and shake. Strain into a glass and grate the nutmeg over.

Variations include:
- Substituting gin for the brandy; use white crème de cacao in this case.
- Making it frozen by substituting a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the half and half and blending in a blender with ½ cup of ice.

White Russian:
1 ½ ounces Vodka
1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce light cream
nutmeg

Fill a shaker half way with ice cubes. Add the vodka, Kahlua, and cream and shake well. Strain into a glass. Grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top, if desired.

Black Russian:
½ ounce Vodka
½ ounce Kahlua

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice cubes. Pour the vodka and Kahlua into the glass and stir.

Grasshopper - You can combine green and white crème de menthes here or use all green crème de menthe:
1 ounce green Crème de Menthe
1 ounce white Crème de Menthe
1 ounce light cream

Fill a shaker half way with ice cubes. Add the ingredients, shake well, and strain into a glass.

Irish Coffee - This is the most famous variation of a number of flavored coffee drinks, substitutes are suggested below:
4 ounces hot coffee
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 ounces Irish Whiskey
2 ounces heavy cream
1 teaspoon green Crème de Menthe (optional)

Pour the coffee into a glass which can hold hot liquid. Add the sugar and dissolve. Add the whiskey and stir.

Invert a teaspoon over the top of the glass so the back is facing up. Gently pour the cream over the spoon so it floats on top, (alternatively, whip the cream and add as whipped cream).

Drizzle the crème de menthe over the cream.

Variations:
Italian: Instead of Irish whiskey use 1 ½ ounces amaretto and ½ ounce brandy.
Mexican: Use 2 ounces Kahlúa instead of the Irish whiskey.

Brunch: I’m calling these brunch drinks, although they’re suitable anytime of the day:

Bloody Mary: The conventional explanation for the name is that this drink was named for Mary I of England, the Catholic daughter of Henry VIII who put to death many of Henry’s Protestant followers. Alternatively, it could be named for a character in the 1949 musical “South Pacific”. Either way, make it as spicy as you like. If you’re having a lot of people, make up the mix in advance and add the gin or vodka to each drink or use it as a “Virgin Mary,” i.e. without any alcohol:

2 ½ ounces Vodka or Gin
5 ounces tomato or V8 juice
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash (or more) Tabasco sauce
½ ounce lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned juice)
1/8 teaspoon celery seed(optional)
1 celery rib and/or lime wedge

Fill a shaker half full of ice cubes; add the vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and celery seed. Shake and strain into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Garnish with the celery and lime wedge.

Variations include:
- Adding 1 teaspoon of horseradish
- Using pepper Vodka
- Using spicy V8 juice
- 1 ounce of clam juice

Screwdriver:
2 ounces vodka
5 ounces orange juice
1 orange slice

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add the vodka and orange juice and stir. Garnish with the orange slice.

Salty Dog:
2 teaspoons salt
1 lime wedge
2 ounces Vodka or Gin
5 ounces grapefruit juice

Place the salt on a small plate. Rub the rim of a highball glass with the lime wedge and dip the glass into the salt to coat the rim. Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour the vodka and grapefruit juice into the glass and stir.

Mimosa:
5 ounces sparkling wine
1 ounce orange juice
½ ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec (optional)
1 orange slice

Pour the sparkling wine, orange juice, and Cointreau into a Champagne flute. Stir and garnish with the orange slice.

Tequila Sunrise:
1 ½ ounces Tequila
4 ounces orange juice
2 teaspoons grenadine

Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes. Add the tequila and orange juice and stir well. Put a long bar spoon into the glass and pour the grenadine down the stem.

Cape Codder - I’m from Boston – I couldn’t leave this one out:
2 ounces Vodka
5 ounces cranberry juice
1 lime wedge

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes; add the vodka and cranberry juice. Stir and garnish with the lime wedge.

Ramos Gin Fizz - This is for my Father; the recipe is from Bottoms Up, a cocktail book published in 1951 by Greystone Press. Accompanied by some quite risque pictures, if you can find this book, it's a great resource for classic cocktails - not to mention fun to look at:
1 1/2 ounces sweet gin (i.e. Old Tom or Plymouth)
3 dashes lime juice
3 dashes lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 egg white
3 dashes orange flower water
3 ounces milk or cream
Seltzer water (club soda) to fill the glass

Fill a shaker half way with ice cubes and add the gin, lime juice, lemon juice, powdered sugar, egg white, orange flower water, and cream. (Alternatively, you can use a blender, which is considerably easier). Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda (it must be cold) and stir.

Suite 101 Frozen Bellini:
The original bellini was invented in Venice at Harry’s Bar, but it has become a truly international drink. There are numerous variations; but the drink is always peach combined with champagne. This version is from Barbara Bell, one of Suite U’s Deans. A non-alcoholic version is included in the next section:

Champagne
Peach Schnapps
Fresh or Canned Peach, cut in ½
Sangria (I substitute Grenadine here)

In a ratio of 3:1, blend the champagne with the schnapps and freeze for about 2 hours until it forms a slushy consistency. In a large cocktail glass, place the peach half in the bottom of the glass and add about ½ cup of slush. Gently pour a little sangria (or grenadine) around the top edge to give it a blush of color.

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