# Pretentious cocktails **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2017, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529 "2017-02-11T09:05:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/1 "2017-02-11T09:05:31Z")
I’ve been invited to a pretentious cocktail party. While I have some ideas for my entry, I figured I’d poll for others. Results are judged on arbitrary criteria, but will presumably include taste, appearance, and pretentiousness. Cocktails served on the rocks are ideal, since I can make use of my skills in the manufacture of clear ice. However, all possibilities will be considered. So, got any favorites? I’m a fan of the Pisco Sour; the egg white gives it a texture that you generally don’t find in alcoholic drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/2 "2017-02-11T09:31:18Z")
Well it sounds like hell to me but if you are determined to attend…I’d suggest getting some gold leaf flakes and freezing them in your clear ice cubes. After that…just do a standard cocktail but source every ingredient in an unnecessarily restrictive way and prepare it using unnecessarily arcane practices, the pretentiousness will follow. You should of course prepare something called a “Golden Trumpet”. The ideal cocktail for these troubled times. The exact ingredients vary but it should of course contain the unnecessary gold mentioned above, contain fake tequila, (very) bitters of some description, sour grape juice, be topped with a whisp of spun sugar and the taste must, of course, be bad. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/3 "2017-02-11T10:00:21Z")
Is the term “pretentious” being used unironically? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/4 "2017-02-11T12:30:40Z")
Gotta love doing pickle backs. A shot of cheap whiskey (or whisky, or even wiski) followed immediately with a shot of pickle juice. Mmmmmmmmm. Miraculously, you do not taste the whiskey. Also, first time pickle backers always laugh after doing the shots. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/5 "2017-02-11T12:51:09Z")
I remember a drink that a friend made, called a _Gilligan’s Island_. Problem is I don’t remember ALL the ingredients. Goldschlagger for the Howell’s, Captain Morgan for the Skipper, a cherry in the drink for Mary Ann. But I don’t remember what ingredients represented the Professor or Ginger. You could make something up. And I think the idea mentioned above, of gold flakes in clear ice, sounds way cool. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/6 "2017-02-11T13:00:12Z")
Here’s a link to a[peppercorn cocktail](https://karanewman.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/not-the-same-old-grind-peppercorn-cocktails/). Black Pepper Simple Syrup 1/4 cup whole black peppercorns 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar The Peppered Poire Cocktail 1 ounce gin 1/2 ounce Poire William or similar pear-flavored liqueur 1/4 ounce fresh Bartlett pear puree 1/2 ounce black pepper simple syrup Sparkling wine There’s a line in _The Magic Christian_ “In the Bernaise, the peppercorns were bruised merely by dropping them.” I’ve been looking for 50 years for a chance to use that line. That’ll pretentious up any beverage. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/7 "2017-02-11T13:25:27Z")
Pretention factor will be greatly increased I think, **Dr Strangelove** , if you slow freeze a large block of ice and chip it in front of your pretentious guests. Or clients. Or competitors. Or whatever they are. Slow freezing stops bubbles forming anywhere but on the top or the sides - so you get a nice, crystal clear block. Gotta agree with **Baker** - the gold leaf flakes **Novelty Bobble** suggests is a brilliant idea. It’s also a harder ice, so it won’t dilute your wondrous concoction so quickly. Personally, I love espresso martinis. If I’m gonna be pissed, I want to stay awake and not miss a moment of my own hilarity. Pretentious coffee, coffee liquor and vodka on gold leaf rocks…served in a brandy balloon. Grandiose, overblown, and great for the massively affected. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/8 "2017-02-11T13:28:06Z")
The most pretentious cocktail to make and serve is the Pousse Café, in my opinion. It requires a lot of expensive liqueurs, a thorough knowledge of their specific gravities, and a very steady hand to achieve. Practice is essential! It’s time consuming to produce, very pretty to look at, and not that pleasant to drink! > **[The Pousse-Café No 1](https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/the-pousse-cafe-no-1-51167400)** > > Not quite so popular these days, this style of cocktail demands a steady hand to layer the ingredients, starting with the densest and ending with the least dense, to create the drink's snazzy colored stripes. The pousse-café glass is a specific... ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/9 "2017-02-11T14:44:02Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > The most pretentious cocktail to make and serve is the Pousse Café, in my opinion. > > It requires a lot of expensive liqueurs, a thorough knowledge of their specific gravities, and a very steady hand to achieve. Practice is essential! > > It’s time consuming to produce, very pretty to look at, and not that pleasant to drink! > > [The Pousse-Café No 1 Recipe | Epicurious](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/the-pousse-cafe-no-1-51167400) Most of those ingredients aren’t expensive (or at least not more expensive than a standard fifth of something), except maybe the yellow chartreuse, which goes for about $55 a bottle here. Creme de violette is a bit difficult to find, but should only run about $30. Good stuff to have around to the stock the bar! The violette can be used also in the classic aviation cocktail. Also, as far as egg whites go, you’ll find a lot of old timey recipes have egg whites in the cocktail, particularly, sours of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/10 "2017-02-11T14:48:56Z")
Even off brands, six to seven liqueurs for a tiny little beverage is still spendy, in my opinion. Use all top shelf brands and it would get truly dear. Plus, it’s not stuff one is likely have on hand, for most people, I think. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/11 "2017-02-11T14:55:08Z")
I’m not sure what a pretentious cocktail is. I make pisco sours at home when I have pisco on hand. You could make the Soiled Kimono, the recipe is given in S1 of SNL and the drink is ordered by Mia Rudolph on A Very Murray Christmas: 2/3 French Champagne 1/3 Plum Saki, and topped of with a paper butterfly. out there heard of this drink? Maybe it was just made up for the show. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/12 "2017-02-11T15:04:45Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is the term “pretentious” being used unironically? Sounds weird to me. I patronize a couple of bars downtown that are proud of their artisanal cocktails. Some produce their own ice, create their own bitters, etc., and pride themselves on stocking obscure liquors. (Although they aren’t above Old Overholt Rye.) But they aren’t pretentious bars, at all. Well, one got a bit of razzing for creating Jello Shots for the Superbowl crowd. But they were _really good_ jello shots… (Hey, Pretentious Jello Shots might be an idea.) ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/13 "2017-02-11T15:09:12Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I’ve been invited to a pretentious cocktail party. While I have some ideas for my entry, I figured I’d poll for others. Results are judged on arbitrary criteria, but will presumably include taste, appearance, and pretentiousness… So, it’s a joke and fun thing, involving the most pseud cocktail that you can think of? You know, rather than a party in which many people who are attending like pretentious drinks? I suppose a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster would not qualify at all? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/14 "2017-02-11T15:34:20Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Even off brands, six to seven liqueurs for a tiny little beverage is still spendy, in my opinion. Use all top shelf brands and it would get truly dear. Plus, it’s not stuff one is likely have on hand, for most people, I think. True, except for the brandy, grenadine (which is just a syrup, not a liqueur) and possibly creme-de-menthe, most well-stocked bars are not going to have all of that on hand. We happen to have chartreuse, both green and yellow, but that’s because my dad loves chartreuse. At any rate, I wouldn’t buy all that stuff just for one cocktail, but all those make a nice addition to a well-stocked bar and class it up! 🙂 I’ve been meaning to get a bottle of creme de violette for the longest time now, and keep forgetting about it when I’m at the liquor store. Maybe this’ll inspire me to remember. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/15 "2017-02-11T15:36:45Z")
If you want to get pretentious, make some cocktail with bitters in it, but make your own bitters and point out at every chance you get the fine ingredients in your cocktail, including the addition of your homemade bitters that you found the recipe in an 18th century cookbook, or some bullshit like that. (And I do have some recipes somewhere from an old cookbook of that vintage for bitters, but it’ll take some time beforehand to make them and sourcing of obscure roots and tree barks and stuff like that. The internet, luckily, makes that pretty easy these days.) ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/16 "2017-02-11T15:53:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you want to get pretentious, make some cocktail with bitters in it, but make your own bitters and point out at every chance you get the fine ingredients in your cocktail, including the addition of your homemade bitters that you found the recipe in an 18th century cookbook, or some bullshit like that. … A secret family cookbook! Only known copy in existence! Made by your great-great-really-rather good-chap-great uncle who was head chef to the Queen of Ruritania. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/17 "2017-02-11T15:59:15Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > A secret family cookbook! Only known copy in existence! Made by your great-great-really-rather good-chap-great uncle who was head chef to the Queen of Ruritania. Actually, my dad does have a Polish family recipe for a bitter/liqueur that somewhat resembles either chartreuse or benedictine (but not on a brandy base.) Maybe the OP can barter with me for it or defeat me in a game of skill (or chance) and add to the lore of the cocktail. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/18 "2017-02-11T16:01:01Z")
Serve in glasses made of molded ice. It’s a fine line between pretentious and ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/19 "2017-02-11T16:05:56Z")
But a more serious answer: Look through [this thread](http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=20283). The guy answering the questions and giving the recipes is Toby Maloney, head mixologist at the Violet Hour, a well-known Chicago spot for top-shelf cocktails. The place is a bit hipstery and perhaps pretentious (it’s a “speakeasy,” so you have to know where the “secret” entrance is to get inside), but it is a very welcoming place with reasonably priced cocktails that are delicious. And I’m not really much of a cocktail drinker, preferring my booze in its natural state. Anyhow, lots of recipes for great cocktails there, with all the exact specs as he gives his bartenders. That’s a great place to look for ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529/20 "2017-02-11T16:21:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, my dad does have a Polish family recipe for a bitter/liqueur that somewhat resembles either chartreuse or benedictine (but not on a brandy base.) Maybe the OP can barter with me for it or \*\*defeat me in a game of skill (or chance) \*\*and add to the lore of the cocktail. (bolding mine) YES! Cocktails at dawn.Oh yes! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretentious-cocktails/779529.md?page=2)