Boozehound (35 page)

After you’ve got the base spirits, you’ll need to make some decisions about which liqueurs and mixers you’ll want to keep on hand. Obviously, I’ve covered a lot of the popular liqueurs, from absinthe to Chartreuse to St-Germain to Tuaca, in my narrative. But here are several others that all good bars stock:

• Orange liqueur
  . Known as triple sec or curaçao or by brand name, these liqueurs are essential for so many cocktails, from margaritas to Sidecars. My personal preference is Cointreau or Combier.
  
• Maraschino liqueur
  . Not to be confused with the juice of “maraschino” cherries, this clear spirit pops up in both classic and contemporary cocktails. Luxardo brand is the oldest and the best.
  
• Vermouth
  . Always keep fresh bottles of three different varieties: dry, sweet (rosso), and white (bianco or blanc).
  
• Campari and Aperol
  . Many enjoyable recipes call for these two Italian aperitivi, and they’re also both lovely with sparkling wine or club soda. I always have bottles of both in my fridge.
  
• Bitters
  . Always stock Angostura, Peychaud’s, and orange bitters.
  

Other Key Bar Ingredients to Keep on Hand

• Lots of ice
  
• Oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, fresh pineapple
  
• Tonic water, preferably Fever-Tree or Q Tonic
  
• Sparkling mineral water, preferably Apollinaris brand
  
• Club soda
  
• Ginger beer, preferably Barritt’s, Reed’s, or (if you like spicy) Blenheim
  
• Tomato juice
  
• Sparkling wine, such as prosecco or cava
  
• Agave nectar
  
• Real
  maraschino cherries from Luxardo (available online) or homemade
  preserved cherries
  
• Simple syrup
  
• Grenadine, preferably homemade (see below)
  

HOMEMADE GRENADINE

Makes about 2 cups

After making this simple recipe by Todd Thrasher, you may never go back to the bright red, artificial, syrupy bottled stuff. Be sure to use 100 percent pomegranate juice. After trying several brands, I found that the widely available POM was by far the best to use. As Thrasher says, “It’s not going to be bright red, but that’s a good thing.” Use this in recipes like the
Jack Mauve
.

3 cups pomegranate juice

1½ cups sugar

1½ ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice

Strips of zest from 1 whole orange (no pith)

In a medium saucepan, bring the pomegranate juice to a boil. Add the sugar and lemon juice, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then add the orange zest. Immediately decrease the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the orange peel, and let cool to room temperature before using or storing.

The grenadine can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. For longer refrigerated storage (up to 2 months), add ½ ounce of 151-proof rum. Then, of course, the grenadine will be off-limits for children’s drinks such as a Shirley Temple.

Adapted from a recipe by Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve, the Majestic, and PX, Alexandria, Virginia

PRESERVED CHERRIES

Makes about 65 cherries

These cherries, by Todd Thrasher, have a much more complex, sweet-and-savory taste than the neon-red maraschino cherries you find in jars at the supermarket. The cherries will keep, covered and refrigerated, for about two weeks. They’re perfect in a
Black Manhattan
or a
Red Hook
.

2 pints Bing cherries, pitted

1 tablespoon salt

2¼ cups sugar

Juice of 1 medium lemon

1 tablespoon almond extract

Place the cherries in a shallow heatproof glass or ceramic bowl.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine 1¼ cups of water and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat; allow to cool for 10 minutes, then pour the liquid over the cherries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cherries, discarding the liquid, and rinse them with cold water. Wash the bowl in which the cherries were refrigerated and return them to the clean bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat and add the almond extract. Pour the mixture over the cherries; let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.

Adapted from a recipe by Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve, the Majestic, and PX, Alexandria, Virginia

SIMPLE SYRUP

Makes 1⅓ cups

Simple syrup is integral to so many cocktails and is very easy to make.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled through before using; store indefinitely in the refrigerator.

CINNAMON SYRUP

Makes ⅔ cup

You can also make infused simple syrups by adding ingredients like citrus zests, split vanilla beans, and herbs like rosemary to the pan. This variation uses cinnamon; it’s used in Don’s Mix (along with grapefruit juice), which is a key ingredient in the
Zombie
.

⅓ cup sugar

⅓ cup water

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled before using; store indefinitely in the refrigerator.

HONEY SYRUP

Makes 3 cups

This is another variation on simple syrup, called for in recipes like the
Hans Punch Up
.

1 cup water

2 cups honey

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and honey over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the honey has dissolved. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Cool completely before using or storing in the refrigerator in a glass jar, where it will keep for 2 to 4 weeks.

ORGEAT SYRUP

Makes 2½ cups

This almond-flavored syrup is a key ingredient in many tiki drinks, such as the
Mai Tai
and Navy Grog. Premade brands such as Fee Brothers, Torani, and Trader Vic’s are available, but this version is much better.

3 ounces blanched almonds, coarsely chopped

1 ounce almond meal or almond flour

2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

4 cups water

3 drops rose water

4 drops orange flower water

¼ teaspoon almond extract

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the almonds, almond meal, ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the water. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Cover, cool to room temperature, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer into a separate large saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2¼ cups of sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat; let cool to room temperature, then stir in the rose water, orange flower water, and almond extract. Use a funnel to transfer the syrup to a bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Adapted from a recipe by Rick Stutz, who blogs at
www.kaiserpenguin.com

Essential Barware

You don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy bar supplies, but you’ll definitely need the following six tools:

• Boston shaker
  . This consists of two parts: a 16-ounce mixing glass and a slightly larger metal shaker that fits over the glass. It’s a versatile tool, since it can be used for shaking or stirring in the mixing glass.
  
• Strainer
  . This fits over the shaker to keep solids (ice, fruit pulp) out of the cocktail glass. The most widely used is the familiar Hawthorne strainer, with its wire coil. But many bartenders also use a julep strainer, which looks like a big perforated spoon.
  
• Jigger
  . A small, hourglass-shaped, double-sided cup used to measure ingredients, with different volumes on either side (for example, 1½ ounces and ¾ ounce, or 1 ounce and ½ ounce). You’ll need this since now you’ll be carefully measuring your cocktail ingredients.
  
• Bar spoon
  . A long-handled spoon used to stir cocktails.
  
• Juicer
  . For all your fresh citrus juice, since you won’t be using premade mixes anymore.
  
• Channel knife or zester
  . Used to make citrus peel twists, a garnish that many recipes call for. A vegetable peeler works equally well.