Cocktail recipes needed.

[silenus]

I make a mean martini, a killer margarita, and a truly transcendent Bloody Mary. But I'm bored with them. I usually drink bourbon and/or rye straight, but that is beginning to pall as well. Dopers, lend me your favorite drink recipes! I'm open to just about any liquor as a base, except tequila. I like tequila too much to let myself have it too often.

Inspire me, please.

[Hunter Hawk]

Some basic recipes starting at post 21.

[Hunter Hawk]

Okay, I'm gonna bump this myself. Anybody else have any suggestions?

[usar_jag]

I would like to suggest the Sidecar. Use Grand Marnier for the "all cognac" version...

[Critical1]

the ultimate anti "chick" drink a.k.a. the Meaty Bone
one large shot glass
one chunk of slow cooked pot roast (or pretty much any variety of beefy goodness you feel like, I bet a bloody chunk of steak would work splendidly)
drop chunk of meat into shot glass,
cover with tomato juice (v8 or spicy v8 also recommended)
layer Bacon Vodka on top
Shoot it down.
welcome to heaven

[Jettboy]

Originally Posted by Critical1

the ultimate anti "chick" drink a.k.a. the Meaty Bone
one large shot glass
one chunk of slow cooked pot roast (or pretty much any variety of beefy goodness you feel like, I bet a bloody chunk of steak would work splendidly)
drop chunk of meat into shot glass,
cover with tomato juice (v8 or spicy v8 also recommended)
layer Bacon Vodka on top
Shoot it down.
welcome to heaven

Dammmn! Now I know what I'll be having for supper.

[DoctorJ]

Originally Posted by usar_jag

I would like to suggest the Sidecar. Use Grand Marnier for the "all cognac" version...

Dammit, beat me to it. It's my new favorite drink. I think it's just fine with regular triple sec; every time I go to buy Grand Marnier I just about pass out from sticker shock.

The sugared rim is essential, though, as is fresh-squeezed lemon juice. And it's really pretty with a thin, round slice of lemon floating in it.

[SharkB8]

I've been getting into Old Fashions lately.

I don't remember where I got this recipe, I think on the back of the Angostura bottle, but get a rocks glass, (I don't have sugar cubes on hand) so I drop about a teaspoon of granulated sugar in. Add a couple shakes of Angostura, drop in some ice, add a nice count of bourbon and a few splashes of carbonated water. Give 'er a stir and sip away.

You could also muddle an orange and a couple maraschino cherries withe the sugar before adding the soda water and bourbon.

I like to make mine with Basil Hayden's (which is really too tasty to muck up in a cocktail).

Good stuff, not necessarily my absolute favorite, but you mentioned you have bourbon on hand.

I also love an Italian Margarita. This is basically a traditional margarita, but add a count of DiSorrano and a splash of OJ!

[lieu]

Originally Posted by silenus

I usually drink bourbon and/or rye straight, but that is beginning to pall as well.

Hey buddy, I don't have a recipe but let me share a name with you.

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

This is by a country mile the finest sippin' whiskey I've ever tasted. Maybe it'll help get your spirits back up.

[Borborygmi]

Originally Posted by silenus

Dopers, lend me your favorite drink recipes!

Someone recently posted an awesome-sounding recipe for Irish Cremes, which I'm going to try out on St. Patrick's Day. Ah, here it is!

[silenus]

Thanks, lieu. That will definitely go on the shopping list. The Old Fashioned suggestion is intriguing as well. Keep the ideas coming!

[mlerose]

A drink we've enjoyed recently:

2 oz rum
1 oz coffee liquor
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime (tastes different depending on which you use, both are good)

Shaken and sipped in a martini glass. It sounds weird, I know, but it's really tasty!

[prodicus]

Dark n' Stormy:

Gosling's Black Rum
Ginger Beer
Ice

I love this refreshing drink, and depending on the ginger beer, it can be quite spicy - my understanding is that Jamaican ginger beers tend to have some cayenne in them. Very tasty!

Also, you can't go wrong with a Cuba Libre, though I make mine with Diet Coke and call it a "Carbo Libre".

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

I too like an Old Fashioned, with a muddled slice of orange. A mojito is great, too.

I impulse-bought some Tanqueray Rangpur the other day, and it's awesome - made a great martini with a twist, IMHO, and would be wonderful in a gin & tonic come summer.

I do not recommend Sandra Lee's Butter Martini, however.

[AskNott]

NYC bars are serving The Sully:

2 shots Grey Goose
a splash of water.

[Dosipede]

For a lighter drink:

1 part Smirnoff Mojito Vodka
1 part dry vemouth
serve on the rocks

the vermouth cuts back the mint of the mojito, and it winds up with a parsley-like aftertaste. I call it a Dirty Whore. I forget why.

I'm also partial to white Russians.

[hobscrk777]

Orange Tundra:

Triple Sec
Vodka
Kahlua
Creme Soda
Orange Juice

Adjust proportions to your liking.

[Bayard]

I'll third the Old Fashioned. I like mine with rye. I'm usually too lazy to muddle the orange, and I never have any cherries, so:

a pinch of sugar in the bottom of the glass
several dashes of bitters (I err on the heavy side)
drop in a slice of orange
fill with ice
pour in the rye
a splash of club soda
swish around
relax....

My other standy is probably too simple to be called a cocktail:

Cut a very thin slice of lemon and stand it up on the side of a rocks glass
fill with ice
pour in a generous measure of Hendrick's gin
feel your cares slip away

[DoctorJ]

Speaking of the sidecar, I tried making one tonight with applejack in place of the brandy. Very nice.

If you like bourbon, have you considered the pride of the Bluegrass, the mint julep? Some people consider it a horrible thing to do to good bourbon, but I think it's a nice variation. I prefer using a homemade mint syrup to the traditional muddled version--it's too "grassy" that way. For the syrup, heat up some sugar and water (1:1 by weight) until the sugar will dissolve, throw in a bunch of bruised mint (preferably from your backyard--chocolate mint is a nice variation) and let it steep until it cools. Mix with bourbon (keep trying until you find a proportion you like) and serve over crushed ice in a Derby glass (or a julep cup, if you run with that crowd) with a mint sprig. The real trick is cutting off the straw about a half-inch above the glass so your nose is in the mint while you're drinking it.

Then there's the Manhattan. My version is four parts Maker's Mark, one part vermouth, a healthy dash of orange bitters, and a splash of Maraschino cherry juice.

If you really want to open up your cocktail world, start playing around with homemade syrups. Aside from the mint above, my favorite is ginger syrup--same process, but add a bunch of chopped-up fresh ginger. Lemongrass makes a subtle but very nice addition to a lot of drinks. For our Christmas party last year we made a gingerbread syrup that was good added to pretty much everything, including sparkling wine (a gingerbread mimosa) and even Guinness (which I called a Happy Christmas Your Arse).