The Black Russian

Coffee - an American pleasure for generations.  What better way to celebrate this, than with a Black Russian, one of the classic cocktails so popular in the Sixties?  The Black Russian was as appropriate as a pre-dinner drink, as it was after dinner, relaxing with friends.

There are few classic cocktails as easy to make, and so easy to get right.  Here's how:

The Black Russian

2 oz Vodka

1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

Into an Old Fashioned glass with a couple of ice cubes, place the vodka, then the Kahlua.  Stir once or twice.  Serve with or without a stirrer but no garnish.  Bartenders call a drink assembled right in the glass a "build." 

If you'd like a "creamier" version, try a White Russian.  Make a Black Russian, then float an ounce of heavy cream on top.  Serve with a stirrer. 

The Rusty Nail - Smoke with Honey Sweetness

The Rusty Nail was so popular in the late Sixties. Two simple ingredients, combined as a "build," to make one terrific cocktail.

The Rusty Nail

2 oz Blended scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Twist of lemon peel

Place a cube or two of ice into an Old Fashioned glass, then add the scotch, then the Drambuie. Just a gentle stir will give you a wonderfully “layered” drink, with the famed “honey sweetness” of the Drambuie, followed by the more smoky notes of the scotch. Garnish is optional, but most aficionados like a twist of lemon peel.

The Rusty Nail is a simple cocktail with complex flavors. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes. Like the Martini and Manhattan, you can vary the proportions of dry-to-sweet. It’s not necessary to stir the cocktail with an actual rusty nail, as Scottish bartenders were said to have done. A simple stir with a bar spoon will do.

The Daiquiri

The Sixties brings to mind the Beatles, the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK  - and his favorite cocktail - the Daiquiri.  Created in the 1890's and named after a Cuban village, the Daiquiri became one of the great revival successes in mixology.  Refreshing and tart, it was just the ticket for a long lunch with prospective clients, making the pitch just a little easier.  Summer is just around the corner, and the Daiquiri may just be THE summer cocktail this year!

The Daiquiri

2 oz Light rum

1 oz Fresh lime juice

1 tsp Ultrafine sugar

Place ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice.  Shake vigorously, but not too long - chill the Daiquiri, but don't dilute it!  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of lime.  Pair this with some tapas or grilled fish and watch Hemingway's "Islands in the Stream."