Papa Doble Plus One: A Summer Celebration

Ahh, summer.  Its arrival is heralded by longer days, shady decks and patios, and an occupied hammock.  And when summer gets here, I think immediately of two great drinks that can make long, pleasant evenings with friends just a bit more pleasant:  The Papa Doble and the Salty Dog.

  

Ernest “Papa” Hemingway was said to have been fond of his cocktails, from the Bloody Mary, to the Classic Martini, to his own special version of the daiquiri, known to his friends and favorite bartender as the Papa Doble.  Hemingway, of course, was known as “Papa,” and his reputation for enjoying doubles of his daiquiri gave this cocktail its name.  To me, this is THE Summer Cocktail, and here’s how I make mine:

The Papa Doble

2 oz Bacardi White Rum

Juice of ½ lime

1 oz Grapefruit juice

Dash Luxardo maraschino liqueur

I create mine as a “build.” I just add them to an Old Fashioned Glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge.  The “official” way (if there is one) is to place the ingredients and cracked ice into a shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  It’s summer, so it’s your choice.

TIP:  If you prefer pink (ruby red) grapefruit juice, go right ahead.  Summer is about having it your way!

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Somewhere back in the late Forties, the Brownsville Herald mentions a drink that “replaces the salt sweated out in torrid Texas summers.”  This summer classic was the great alternative to the screwdriver, and it’s known as the Salty Dog.  To me, the Salty Dog is far more interesting than mere vodka and orange juice, and it’s a nice way to break the ice at the start of summer gatherings. . . or when you just want to kick back and relax with friends.

The Salty Dog

2 oz Gin

3 oz Grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients into a shaker with cracked ice, shake, then strain into a highball or Old Fashioned glass.  You may rim the highball glass with salt, if you wish.  Garnish with a slice of lime and serve with a straw.  Personally, I make mine as a build, just adding the ingredients to a glass with ice, giving it a stir and adding a straw.

TIP:  Without any salt, this cocktail becomes a Greyhound.  So if you’re watching your sodium, a Greyhound may be a good alternative.  For those who prefer pink grapefruit juice (a bit sweeter and more colorful than white grapefruit juice), fear not!  Mixology is all about creating what YOU like.  So use ruby red grapefruits or pink grapefruit juice and enjoy.

The Scurvy Medic

Before you head to Google, to find out what this is, let me just tell you that there really isn't much of a backstory to this cocktail.  It's really just the rum alternative to the screwdriver.  Also called the Cuban Screw, the Scurvy Medic is simply rum and orange juice, with a dash of lime juice.

The Scurvy Medic

2 oz Bacardi Superior (white rum)
4 oz Orange juice
Dash of lime juice

Put all the ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass, add an ice cube and give it a stir.  For my taste, I also like to add a good dash of Peychaud's Bitters.  When you serve, garnish with a lime wedge.

The Bacardi Cocktail

As summer approaches, it’s difficult not to think of rum drinks, many of which are fairly recent additions to mixology, especially since the rise of spiced rum.  And many rum drinks arrive with the inevitable umbrella and pineapple garnish. But my approach has always been to get back to basics, and there are few classic rum cocktails as basic as the Bacardi Cocktail.  This is a classic that’s as perfect for a patio get-together, as it is for an indoor dining-room supper.

As the name implies, this drink is – or was – to be made with Bacardi rum.  In fact, in 1936 Bacardi took the matter to court.  Bars became vulnerable to a lawsuit, if they used any rum other than Bacardi, to make a Bacardi Cocktail.

I make mine this way:

The Bacardi Cocktail

1 jigger of Bacardi Rum (I prefer Bacardi Superior)

Juice of 1 lime (strained, to remove pulp)

1 tsp Grenadine syrup

Into a cocktail shaker, place the rum, lime juice and grenadine, with cracked ice.  Shake rapidly and strain into a chilled cocktail (martini) glass.  Garnish is optional but, if you wish, feel free to drop in a maraschino cherry.  My personal preference is a thin slice of lime floated on top or at the edge of the glass.

The Bitter Truth

For several years, the popularity of what I call “Bar Bitters” has skyrocketed.  Once unobtainable, ingredients like orange bitters (a drop or two makes a classic dry martini even MORE classic!) and Peychaud’s bitters (an essential for the classic Sazerac) are now far more available.  But before orange bitters or Peychaud’s bitters was a staple for any bar, there was Angostura bitters.  Aside from being used in the Old Fashioned and in the classic Manhattan, Angostura bitters have been part of at least two drinks popular in Britain and parts of the British Empire.  Here are my favorites:

Pink Gin

So called, because a drop of Angostura lends its pink color to the aromatic gin, this is NOT the same sweet, bubble-gum pink created by the addition of Grenadine.  Popular many years ago, a Pink Gin was considered a classic – and classy – afternoon cocktail.  Here’s how to make one:

2 oz Chilled dry gin

Angostura bitters

Lemon shaving

Into a chilled, small cocktail glass, place several dashes of Angostura bitters, swirl to coat the inside of the glass, and discard.  Add the chilled gin, then twist the lemon shaving (Use a peeler to remove a thin, 1-inch long piece of peel) and drop it in the glass. 

Rum and Bitters

During a visit to Peter Island (British Virgin Islands) years ago, I chartered a half-day inshore fishing trip.  I did well (except that a barracuda took half of a yellowtail I had caught), and after we docked, the boat’s owner and I had a drink at the bar of the Peter Island Yacht Club.  He ordered for both of us, and that’s where I first tasted a  Rum and Bitters.  It’s a terrific summer cocktail, and it’s deceptively simple to make:

2 oz Bacardi Gold

Angostura bitters

Lime wedge

Place two or three ice cubes Into an Old Fashioned glass, then ONE dash of Angostura bitters and the rum.  Stir once or twice and garnish with the lime wedge.

We docked, just as the sky broke loose, in one of those quick Caribbean cloudbursts.  Getting in, under cover of the bar, and enjoying a Rum & Bitters was as good as it gets!

Sake – Not Just for Sushi, Any More

When I mention sake (Japanese rice wine) as a cocktail ingredient, I often get looks of surprise.  Since its introduction to the West, sake has been linked almost solely with sushi, Japanese hibachi cuisine and things Asian.  But it can also be a remarkably light but flavorful cocktail component.  But first a few words. . . a very few words . . . about sake.

Sake is a wine brewed from rice.  It’s “brewed,” because it comes from grain.  There are many different types of sake, and a wide range of prices – especially for the premium varieties - but the ones used in cocktails don’t need to be sophisticated.  In Japan, sake is more often consumed chilled, rather than heated, as we often see in restaurants.  Sake on the rocks is a clean-tasting aperitif, and there’s no need to make a fuss over the “proper” way to consume sake, when it’s used in cocktails.  So here goes:

Sake on the Rocks

2 oz Sake

Pour over ice and garnish with cucumber slices or a wedge of lime. 

 

The Sake Martini

2 oz Dry gin (or vodka, if you prefer)

½ oz Sake

Cucumber for garnish

Place the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a thin spear of cucumber or a sprig of dill.

Tip: Using sake, instead of dry vermouth reduces the amount of botanicals (herb flavoring) in a martini, leaving the cocktail with a cleaner taste.  Dry vermouth can seem heavy, by comparison.

The Bloody Maru

2 oz Sake

6 oz Tomato juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

Cucumber spear for garnish

Tip:  Sake has a unique, light flavor that goes so well with the other ingredients – perhaps far better than vodka does.  For a more Asian feel, use a dash of soy sauce, instead of Worcestershire.  Or feel free to use a TINY (that’s T-I-N-Y) bit of prepared wasabi, instead of cayenne pepper.  Mixology is about experimenting with flavors and combinations.

Sazerac - A New Orleans Classic

The Sazerac

The Sazerac is classic and classy.  But don't expect your favorite watering hole to know what a Sazerac is ("I've heard of them.  What are they?") or how to make one.  And chances are, they don't have the ingredients.  So the pleasant burden of continuing tradition remains with the home mixologist.

First, a mixologists’ secret:  It’s not necessary, to remember all the recipes for all the cocktails you’re interested in.  If you’ve ever made a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, you can make a Sazerac, which uses rye instead of blended whiskey, adds a dash of absinthe and slightly different bitters.

 

The Traditional Sazerac

2 oz Sazerac Rye

1 tsp Utrafine sugar or simple syrup

Dash Peychaud’s Bitters

Absinthe

Take two rocks glasses, and place ice into one, to chill the glass.  Into the other, place the sugar, bitters, and rye whiskey.  Muddle the bitters and sugar, then swirl to mix.  Empty the ice out of the chilled glass, and add some absinthe.  Swirl to coat the inside of the glass, then pour out the excess absinthe.  Now pour the whiskey mixture into the chilled, absinthe-coated glass, twist a lemon peel over the top, and drop it in the cocktail.

If you find it difficult to obtain Sazerac Rye, ask your spirits seller for another good brand of rye.  Instead of absinthe, I use Pernod, because it’s more available and more reasonably priced.  And Peychaud’s Bitters – although distinctive in flavor – also may not be available.  But Angostura will suffice.  If you enjoy this New Orleans specialty, you can always invest in the traditional ingredients.

A Family Drink - The Shirley Temple

As I write this, the world mourns the death of Shirley Temple Black, whose love affair with the American public began decades ago, with her wonderful films as a child actress.  What's all this got to do with cocktails?  Well, one of the most famous "family drinks" for many years, has been the Shirley Temple, a refreshing and delicious non-alcohol "cocktail."

Make one for yourself today - to honor the memory of that little girl who so brightened our lives, with her smile, dancing and singing.  And who served the United States in a diplomatic capacity later on in life.  Here's how I make one:


Shirley Temple
3 oz Lemon-lime soda
3 oz Ginger ale
Dash of Grenadine
Maraschino cherry

Into a tumbler containing ice, add the ingredients and give it a gentle stir.  Add the cherry, pop in a straw, and enjoy!