1491

Foxbat's Secret Lair
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Freed from the shackles of researching Tiki drinks, I turned to the 1491, which came to me from the Cocktail Virgin blog. This looked like an interesting Pisco-sour variation, with Mezcal and Elderflower liqueur thrown into the mix. I was hoping from a welcome change from my relentless diet of rum drinks and this cocktail did not disappoint. It had the lush mouthfeel I've come to expect from a drink with egg whites and the combination of the Pisco and Mezcal was really interesting. It has that good smoky-salty  taste I've come to associate with Mezcal alongside some good floral notes from the St. Germain. Just the ticket to remind me of the wonders of Pisco.

I really like how my stencil worked on this one. I used a little spray bottle of Angostura to "paint" my logo on top of the drink. The volume in my glass was perfect and I got a nice crisp image from my otherwise not-so-crisp stencil. Very recognizable. 

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Pisco
  • 1/2 oz Mezcal
  • 1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth
  • 1/2 oz. St. Germain
  • 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
  • 1 Egg White (I used about 2 oz. of pasterized egg whites, which work great.)
  • 5 drops of Angostura bitters

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except for the bitters in a shaker and shake the crap out of it. Be careful, as the egg whites will expand and your shaker will want to come unseal. Or you can use a milk frother, drink mixer, or immersion blender to mix the drink for about 5 - 10 seconds.
  2. Add ice and shake again for about 15 seconds to chill
  3. Double-strain into a coupe or martini glass
  4. Decorate the top with 5 drops of your favorite aromatic bitters (or make and use a stencil, like I did.)
  5. Admire your work of art before taking a sip.

Montenegro After Dark

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It's fun to play with Amari

While I was surfing around the web, I came across this competition-winning recipe on the Shakestir website. This competition was sponsored by the folks who make Amaro Montenegro, one of my favorite Amari, and looked too good not to try. Fortunately I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a small batch of demerara syrup, mislabeled the container, and went to work making my evening cocktail. This is a lovely mixture of bitter and sweet, with a nice smokey depth provided by the mezcal. It's well-balanced and goes down pretty smoothly. It should be a lower ABV cocktail, as the main ingredient, the Amaro Montenegro, is only 46 proof.  However, I think the mezcal and bourbon go a long way to providing more a spirit kick. As I sip on this one while I write this blog, I think it would benefit from a large ice cube or ice globe rather than the 3 cubes the recipe calls for; it would benefit from a slower dilution. I'm going to think of Nero Wolfe while I drink this one and maybe reread The Black Mountain this evening. L'chaim!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. Amaro Montenegro
  • 1/2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Mezcal
  • 1 barspoon Demerara syrup
  • 2 dashes Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6
  • 1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in a mixing glass.
  2. Add ice and stir to chill
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over 3 ice cubes (or an ice sphere)
  4. Express an orange peel over it and use the peel as a garnish.
  5. Break out your Rex Stout novel and dispatch your minion to go do some legwork for you.

As I mentioned, I found this one on the Shakestir website. As soon as I get some cucumber juice, I'm going to try the other winner on that page.