Legend has it that the Death In the Gulf Stream cocktail was one of Ernest Hemingway's favorite drinks. The drink first appeared in Charles Baker's Gentleman's Companion. The description of the drink in Baker's book is brilliant:
Take a tall thin water tumbler and fill it with finely cracked ice. Lace this broken debris with 4 good purple splashes of Angostura, add the juice and crushed peel of 1 green lime, and fill the glass almost full with Holland gin...
An infused ice ball cocktail recipe. It takes 24 hours of prep, but it's worth it. "Obrigado" is Portuguese for "Thank you", and we are ready for spring to arrive, so we created this to say "thanks, winter, it's been great but we need some spring time already." And springtime in Brazil is pretty great...as long as you stick to the coastal beach areas like Rio and São Paulo is nice too.
Today, we're reviewing one of our favorite oaky bourbons from Woodford Reserve. As far a Kentucky Straight bourbons go, Woodford Reserve is about as Kentucky as bourbons get. Woodford Reserve has been the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby since 1996, and it even produces a limited-edition bottle each year specifically for the horserace.
We wanted to make another cocktail that uses ice for more than just the utilitarian aspect (i.e. more than just chilling the drink), and we love introducing subtle flavors with an ice ball since it melts more slowly than regular ice shapes.
Tequila is one of those things that people love or hate, the latter sentiment usually stems from some reaction to over-indulgent college experiences they would love to forget. Bad tequila has also made people very wary of this complex and flavorful spirit.
People sometimes complain of the smoky agave characteristics and sharp finish. For some, tequila is enjoyed as an ingredient in the famous “Margarita”, while other times, people think of “shots” of tequila, followed by grimacing and chasing it with lime or a beer.
We obviously enjoy a good drink. But we also really enjoy good food. We have a doozy of a cocktail for you, but first, a little backstory.
Living in Texas, especially if you are a native, a decent portion of your diet includes Tex-Mex, Mexican, and other Latin-influenced cuisines...
One of our favorite old(est) school cocktails is the Old Fashioned. We have posted several recipes and there are dozens of variations. Hailing from the late 1800’s, it was the first drink actually referred to as a “cocktail.” Traditionally made with bourbon, this cocktail is actually quite simple to make. We have experimented with other types of whiskey, such as rye, but also rum, and in certain parts of the USA, an Old Fashioned is even made with brandy, instead of whiskey.
The classic New York Cocktail is made with a heavy hand of grenadine, which can sometimes make it a little too sweet for some tastes. By adding the grenadine directly to the ice ball, the sweetness is slowly released into the cocktail as it is enjoyed. We make the change even better by using Real Grenadine, which is made from Pomegranate juice and orange blossom water.
Originally introduced by San Francisco bartender Jon Santer more than a decade ago, the Revolver cocktail is typically made with orange bitters and a dose of coffee liqueur. We decided to take to a whole new level by using a black coffee ice ball so the coffee flavor slowly releases into the bourbon...
Much like the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan is one of the oldest and (and in our opinion, one of the finest) cocktails. The Manhattan is the first cocktail documented to use vermouth as a modifier. And just like the Old Fashioned, there are many variations of the Manhattan, but we’re partial to this variant – with an ice ball of course.
Some of our most favorite cocktails are the ones that your grandfather, or even your grandfather's grandfather may have enjoyed. The Jockey Club No. 2 is a revival of the original, from the 1930s (so we'll call this one "old school" since your grandfather or perhaps great grandfather may have enjoyed it).
The Bourbon Spritz Cocktail offers a bit more flavor than your standard bourbon on the rocks and using an ice ball allows those flavors to mingle and become more complex as you enjoy it.
We enjoy the people we meet, and all of the folks around the world who have supported us and made our flagship product, The Spherical Ice Ball Maker™, so popular. You guys are awesome!
We thought ourselves, "selves, how can we let all of our friends out there know how awesome they are?". Then it came to us. LET'S GIVE AWAY FREE STUFF!
A drink we created while inspired by one of our favorite summertime hotel spots - The Joule Hotel in downtown Dallas. This drink is named for the location of their "Poule" (their pool/bar area), from which said swimming pool hangs over the side of the 10th floor. Talk about a killer view.
When we started thinking about the old school, and even the "oldest school" cocktails that your great grandfather enjoyed, several classics came to mind, the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, etc. We thought to ourselves "selves, we should go major old school." So we dusted off the Bourbon Crusta...
Hibiki is a blended whisky from Suntory, the makers of Yamazaki. The components are aged in a variety of casks, including plum liqueur casks, before being filtered through bamboo charcoal.
Originating in the late 1890's, the Ward 8 is said to have been created to celebrate the election of Martin Lomasney to Massachusetts' General Court. In particular, Boston's Eighth Ward was known for delivering Mr. Lomasney a high voting margin, which is where the cocktail's name came from.
Speaking of World's SImplest Craft Cocktails... We thought that there would be no better way to celebrate National Margarita Day, than to post another World's Simplest Craft Cocktail a la Margarita.
Sometimes the best craft cocktails are new takes on old classics. Today, we take a spin on the classic Collins. We call it the Voiron Collins, named for the small town in France, from where Chartreuse is made.
When the weather cools down a bit, it's nice to have a little something to warm up. We thought, what are the flavors that sum up the holiday season? ...and what would ensure that Santa hooks us up?
Enter the Spicy Blizzard.
A chill in the air calls for a warmer-upper. Here's a teaser of the recipe we're posting Sunday night, we call it the Spicy Blizzard.
It's that time of year again. The time when we eat too much turkey and enjoy holiday spirits (by the glassful)...and we stay up late, hoping to find a few goodies we can use as gifts (sometimes even gifts for ourselves).
We decided, what the heck, we'll get in on some of that. Here are some things to help kick off your holiday gift searching.
So you're an expert at making the Old Fashioned thanks to our earlier post, but it's the holidays, so what about something a little more seasonal? We know you're probably thinking "wait a second, this sounds harder than a traditional Old Fashioned", but have no fear, we have your holiday back on this one.
When we think about the oldest "old school" cocktails, one that is making a welcomed resurgence is the Whiskey Sour. For what seemed like, well, way too long, some people (including some who called themselves 'bartenders') had been using fluorescent green and yellow "sour mix" that only had the word 'sour' in common with lemons (as it is doubtful any real juice was an ingredient). This was a crime and if you are still guilty of the mass produced "sour mix" usage, step away from it immediately.
After spending what seems like every waking minute on new product development, we thought we would share some of the good stuff we have been working on to bring to you. If you know us, you know that one of our Favorite cocktails is the Old Fashioned. History tells us that the famous cocktail (and the first to use the now ubiquitous term "cocktail") originated in the early 1800s. The Old Fashioned was created and served at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, KY and later brought to the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.
Give dad a little extra something to smile about. While supplies last, we will be giving away a set of our Hand-blown, Double-wall Whiskey Glasses to everyone who buys one of our Ice Ball Maker Sets. That's right, free!
Hailing from the oldest distillery in Japan, which was started over 90 years ago, Yamazaki has gained notable accolades as of late, receiving the coveted "Whisky of the Year" award in Jim Murray's "Whiskey Bible 2015" for their 2013 Single Malt Sherry Cask Whisky.
Let’s be honest. The only reason people put orange juice into a mimosa is to justify it as appropriate for breakfast! By freezing your orange juice into a perfect sphere, you can top it with champagne and get just a touch of orange juice.