Mystery Man Cocktail

I bought Benedictine to try the Mystery Man and then later made the Benedictine Sour that's listed in an earlier post. Benedictine has a strong herbal profile, similar to Chartreuse and this cocktail includes both! Benedictine leans more towards a licorice flavor in my opinion. Chartreuse is harder to describe. Both are equally warming to sip on a cold night. I've now heard two similarly very bad experiences about Chartreuse, so based on these cautionary tales will offer you some advice. Do not under any circumstances do many consecutive shots of this potent liqueur. Even if it is your birthday celebration and you're in France and it seems like the perfect way to be festive. You will undoubtedly regret it.

Doing shots of Chartreuse is also not a frugal endeavor. I'm running low and went to buy a bottle last night. It's up to $65. It is special though, given its backstory and it's easier to justify the expenditure once you know that there are only two Carthusian monks in the entire world that know the recipe. After  reading this article, it will allow you to feel as if you're doing something important while sipping a glass of  Chartreuse or adding it as an ingredient to your cocktail:

"The Cross is Steady While the World Turns"

This recipe was an original creation from @theweekendmixologist

Mystery Man

1 1/2 oz whiskey (I used Rittenhouse rye, the original used Benjamin Chapman Irish Whiskey and this may be important)

1/2 oz orange Liqueur (I used Cointreau)

1/2 oz Benedictine

1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse

1 dash Aromatic bitters (I used Angostura)

Twist of orange

1. Pour all contents in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. 

2. Strain into a heavy bottomed whiskey tumbler. Garnish with an orange peel. 

Amaro Daiquiri

Taking quality pictures of food and cocktails is very difficult. I think I am getting better at snapping a food photo that is decent, but my cocktail pictures are still not worthy of posting anywhere. I still do it, though, just to keep a record of things. Much of the challenge comes with the lighting. I can get many of my food shots in natural lighting, but most of my cocktail making happens after the sun has set, especially this time of year. The other challenge is the setting. I have no place within my house that's a good backdrop for a photo. I'll keep taking note of good photos I find on Instagram and see if I can't improve on this somewhat. 

This is an especially bad photo. It's particularly frustrating because it's in glassware that was recently gifted to me as an out-of-the blue surprised by one of my closest friends. It lifted my spirits to get them in the mail and I looked forward to my first cocktail using them. I cannot for the life of me get a picture that captures the pretty etchings on these glasses. I will keep trying. I'm thinking an Aviation in outdoor lighting might do the trick.

Despite the very bad photo, I wanted to log this anyway. I think of this as a sophisticated take on a daiquiri and I think it will come in handy when I have my previously mentioned tiki bar. I got this from @goatandrabbitkc on Instagram. It caught my eye because it included Falernum which I bought to try something many months ago and needed another use for it.

Also, I'm taking requests for what to name my backyard libation respite. 

Amaro Daiquiri

1 oz rum

1 oz Amaro (the original used Montenegro; I used Nonino)

1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 oz Falernum (you could use simple syrup if you don't have this)

1. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold.

2. Pour into a coupe or other glass of your choice. Garnish with a thinly slice lime wheel. 

Saint Benedictine Sour

 I've been trying lots of cocktails over the last many months and not doing a great job of keeping track of them to remember what I've made, what I've liked, what I haven't and if I do like a cocktail, what might be a good occasion for it. Given that we are likely in for another summer of not being able to sit at a bar to order a cocktail from a very skilled bartender, it looks like I'm going to need to both fend for myself and offer others an outdoor cocktail experience. I have to replace my fence this spring and along with that will come some landscaping and a backyard re-design. If everything goes as planned and budget allows, I will also be getting my own backyard tiki bar. I've been talking about this for a while, even in the Beforetimes and I'm hopeful it will happen. I'm already talking with my trusted woodworker and friend, and he has some ideas. Here's one possible take on it.

So, before then I need to get my bartending skills in order. If I have more than a few people over, I'd need to come up with a signature drink for the evening and pre-make a batch so I don't spend my whole evening shaking up cocktails. I want to be able to sit back around the fire and relax with my guests. But with 1-3 people, I'd like to be able to cater to their needs and come up with just the right cocktail based on their mood and tastes. Right now I only know a handful of cocktails off the top of my head. I'm not sure what the right approach is here. Target a dozen cocktails that I know well which include a mix of base liquors? 

Personally I like sours. It's not all I want to drink, but if I want something a little on the sweeter side, playful and not as liquor forward, it tends to be the right thing. I am also in favor of using fresh herbs and I like strong herbal liqueurs like Chartreuse and I've now added Benedictine to the mix. This was a drink I enjoyed and will want to make again.

Saint Benedictine Sour

2 ounces Bourbon

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 ounce Benedictine

1/4 ounce simple syrup

1. Put all contents into a shaker with ice and shake until very cold.

2. Pour into a coupe or sour glass and garnish with a thinly slice lemon wheel.