cocktails you've invented that worked or didn't

[thew]

I made myself a delicious cocktail the other night, which deserves perfecting. Old Monk rum, parfait amor, and lime juice (i might try a dash of bitters in the next go round - think that would work there?). the vanilla/floral notes of the parfait amor pick up the vanilla/caramel notes of the old monk nicely. Only problem is I don't know if I could ever serve this to anyone else as its the color of swamp slime.

any ideas?

any stories of cocktails you've created, and did and didn't work in them?

[BKMixologist]

When Absolut released Absolut Brooklyn ( Ginger and apple flavored vodka), my bar manager asked me to create a cocktail with this. I decided to do a play on the apple martini and called it "The Big Apple", since it was created in NYC

1.5 oz of Absolut Broooklyn (It is now named Absolut Oriental)
.5 oz of apple schnapps
1.0 oz of cranberry juice
squeeze a lime wedge
Shake and strain into a martini glass. top off with a touch of club soda to cut the sweetness. A crowd favorite
-BKMixologist

Follow me on Twitter @BK_Mixologist

[calliope_nh]

Pangalatic Gargleblasters are authentically made with ingredients not readily available on Earth, but my friends and I decided we needed to create a version. Problem was we were not experienced mixologists (it was the early '80s and we were in highschool), but we did have access to one dad's well stocked cabinet. It contained lots of this and that and some sort of soda. The really impressive part though, was that when the powdered lemonade mix was added, the drink in the pitcher immediately started foaming and bubbling all over. COOL! I think we would all have called it a success. It was crazy and lemony. probably not suited for most adult pallets.

[ncyankee101]

Do you have the recipe for a jynnan tonnyx? How about gee-N'N-T'N-ix? Jinond-o-nicks? Ouisghian Zodahs?

[magumpa]

I thought I'd add the challenge I competed last night when someone asked me to make a drink with chips in it.

45ml Absolut
15ml Lemon Juice
A handful of Dorito's, muddled
4 Dashes of Cholula Chilli Sauce
3 Slices of Jalapeño

Shaken and Double Strained, serve in a cocktail glass with a Crushed Dorito rim.

It was a lot better than I expected and the challenger seemed to like it. I would never buy it though. The things you do to pass the time with regulars on a quiet night.

[EvergreenDan]

Might be better with teq... oh never mind ;)

[magumpa]

Haha I did make one later for myself with tequila in it and it was different, I would definitely call it an improvement but again, I wouldn't buy one and I probably wouldnt sell one either.

[StriperGuy]

How bout one with cat food in it?

[EvergreenDan]

With Peychaud's -- a Cataract?

[StriperGuy]

nice...

[pb n foie]

One I am loving right now is kind of a creation of mine. That being said, I got the idea from looking at a cocktail menu. The ingredient list looked tasty and I came up with this which I am calling The Broken Arm
1oz del maguey vida mezcal (any delicious mezcal)
1oz El Dorado 12 year rum (any good amber rum, Bacardi 8)
1/2oz pineapple gomme syrup
1/4oz benedictine
1/4oz cherry heering
1/2oz tuaca (any vanilla liqueur)
3/4oz lime juice
dash angostura bitters
shake, strain, up

[postemotional1]

A guest asked me for a hip-hop drink. thus the Jay Z.

4 oz. Red Zinfandel
1 oz. Jagermeister

Shake and strain into a martini glass.

Kind of like Robitussin with a boner.

Tasty!

[davis_sq_pro]

Perfect name. Either drink that, or listen to some Jay Z. Same headache in the end!

[postemotional1]

HV3 was named after my boss:

3 parts Hennessey
2 parts Dry Vermouth
1 part Triple Sec

Strain into martini glass.

Get it?

[Johnny West]

It may or may not be a bona fide cocktail but it
is one I came up with for Mrs W and she loves
it.

The Danish Martini

2 ounces Svedka Cherry Vodka
1 ounce Herring (cherry liquor from Denmark)

Shaken in an ice filled cocktail shaker and
pour into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

[invinotheresverde]

Flavored fish? ;)

[JMF]

sounds very one dimensional. Just cherry and cherry. Oh, and that's not a martini.

[Johnny West]

Ja, whatever. The Mrs likes cherry and I made it for her. It's a take off on Chambord's French martini. Deets, I like your idea of adding the cherry bitters and putting it in Coke.

[deet13]

As I'm debating on what to mix tomorrow, I'm thinking of going to my local liquor store and picking up a bottle of cherry liqueur and mix up a few Heering and Ginger-ale Highballs and toss a shot of bourbon into the mix.

Or just make a couple of Blood and Sands...

[deet13]

IMO, you need a couple of dashes of some Fee Brothers cherry bitters to go along with that... :)

I'd probably just pour the whole drink into a large glass, and top it off with club soda, or coke.

[Poindexter]

A light/low-alcohol summer cocktail I (think) I invented is simply Campari and San Pellegrino Aranciata soda. Pour over ice, garnish with a green plastic army man and call it: The Agent Orange.

[StriperGuy]

Heck, figured I'd link up these two related threads:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6074...

[deet13]

Cream cooler

Ice
1.5 to 3 oz of Bourbon, blended whiskey, vodka, or dark rum...
Boylan cream soda
4 or so dashes of Angostura bitters

Pour Ice, Liquor, Bitters into a highball glass
Top off glass with cream soda, stir, and drink.

It's incredibly sweet, so avoid this drink if you're diabetic, or suffering from a toothache.

[YAYME]

My crazy friend Stephie invented this I dubbed it "Sparklie Unicorn" because it's pink and she loves unicorns.

Here goes:
Vodka
St. Germain
Triple Sec
Raspberry Ginger ale

It's surpriseingly good and palatable. However we don't have exacty measurements.

[thew]

aperitif from last night

(no measurements - just eyeballed)

suze aperitif
passionfruit syrup
orange bitters
fresh grated ginger

[slabbit]

I just came up with something at home here which tastes pretty nice. I wanted to call it the Harvest Moon since there just was one, but it seems there are a few less than great sounding Harvest Moon cocktails on the interweb already. Kind of a standard Tiki variation with Applejack as the base.

Anyway, here goes:

1 1/2 oz Laird's Applejack
1/2 oz Coruba Dark Rum
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Homemade)
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz homemade grenadine
2 dashes orange bitters (Regan's)

Shaken and served in a cocktail glass.

[cheesehead in recovery]

Favorite "up north drink" Lutheran Lemonade:
Southern Comfort and Lemonade......the name of the drink is entirely optional, and a story in and of itself!

Someone also introduced us to another oddballl combination: Brazillian rum and Cream Soda! Yum!

[YAYME]

Let's see I didn't have lemon for a 20th century cocktail substituted a lime and hence the 21st century cocktail was born!

[hill food]

what would you've called it if all you had was Durian? The Endtimes?

[Mame16th]

St. Germain, club soda, a splash of rosewater. I call it a French Whorehouse, 'cause I'm ladylike like that.

[geg5150]

Here's my Spring 2010 cocktail. Note that I don't really measure, I'm more of an eyeballer.

Blackberry Lime Gin Fizz
Muddle 3 blackberries
Add ice cubes
Rangpur gin
Trader Joe's Sparkling Limeade

So delicious. Thinking about trying it with an herb. Basil or mint come to mind first, maybe even thyme. Any other suggestions?

[dhs]

Ran out of gin, wanted a corpse reviver #2, went a step further...

corpse invigorator #1
1oz silver tequila
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Lillet
3/4oz Cointreau
1 tsp absinthe
1/3 an egg white (reserve remaining for your next drink)

bring together ingredients, shake without ice to foam, add ice, shake to chill, dispense and finish with 2 dashes of angostura bitters on egg white foam

yum. I can't say my changes to corpse reviver #2 are too earth shattering, but I do think it works quite well. The addition of egg and bitters to the orginal recipe would also be quite satisfying (if you like egg white cocktails of course).

[BeautifulVesper]

Tarragon. Sounds funky, but with the right fruit and gin, you're in business. I make a cocktail with 7 tarragon leaves, muddled, 1 ounce Passion fruit puree, 1 3/4 ounce gin, 2 dashes Regan's orange bitters, 1/2 ounce simple, a splash of fresh lime juice and a splash of Cointreau. Shake, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve. A few rosemary leaves bruised might be fantastic with the blackberries and lime.

[pb n foie]

really digging this one
11/2 oz cruzan amber rum
1/2 oz lemon hart 151
1/2 px sherry
1/4 oz homemade velvet falernum
lemon twist
served up
I am going to try using nicer rums. I think zacapa would work in place of the cruzan or maybe cruzan single barrel.

[Masonville]

long long time ago, and haven't had it since, but it was very good for a time: jack daniels, tonic, bitters, I think some kind of citrus rind. I still drink tonic and bitters and love it--my way of dealing with unpleasant social occasions where I want something to drink that isn't going to leave me impaired.

[nomadchowwoman]

Thanks for the idea for tonic and bitters--I've been trying to figure out a "cocktail" (and experimenting, not so successfully) to have for non-drinking friends so they can feel included or for when I have to drive.

[invinotheresverde]

I'm sure you already know this, but just in case you don't, most bitters contain quite a bit of alcohol. Your non-drinking friends might not groove on that.

[davis_sq_pro]

Most bitters contain alcohol, yes, but to put this into perspective: A dash--which is maybe 1/8th tsp, or 0.020 oz--of 80-proof bitters in an 8-ounce glass of non-alcoholic liquid will yield a drink containing only 0.1% ABV, if my math is correct. So dash away--within reason--unless your friends have an absolute restriction on even the most minute amounts of alcohol.

By the way, Fee Brothers bitters don't seem to contain alcohol. Or at least the label doesn't say anything about it. Also, I find that tonic pairs quite nicely with a splash of cranberry juice for a refreshing nonalcoholic beverage. Made even better with a dash of bitters!

[invinotheresverde]

I know the amount actually consumed would be tiny, but that would still be a problem for most people who abstain.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yes, I was thinking as davis sq pro--that it would end up being such a minute amount as not to matter--but I guess it would always be prudent to ask before serving. (We know someone who, upon joining AA, wouldn't eat risotto because the recipe contained wine; I remarked that I always assumed all the alcohol cooked out, but he seemed afraid that even the possibility of any miniscule traces would pose a problem.)

[nomadchowwoman]

Nothing too original about this, I'm sure, but I do like it:

I put two frozen blood orange juice cubes into a glass w/1 part Campari, 3 parts soda, and garnish w/a sprig of fresh basil.

[hill food]

add a shot of vodka, substitute champagne for half the soda and I am so waking up for that brunch

[nomadchowwoman]

Well that's my summer drink when I'm trying to stay sober. But I've always thought a shot of vodka would improve the drink a lot, so tonight, I'm going to try it. I'll save the champagne twist for a celebratory occasion, but that sounds really good.

[invinotheresverde]

No, go with gin. Gin and Campari are BFFs!

[nomadchowwoman]

I'm a gin lover--but I don't like it with orange juice. I do like it w/Campari, however, esp. in a Negroni.

[YAYME]

Let's see there was Red one which was Gin, Absinthe, Grenadine and POM shaken over ice.

"Faux Stout"
Castries Peanut cream
Godiva chocolate liqueur
and Cola

Then there's the last one
Vodka
Canton
St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
apple juice
Again shaken and strained over ice It was divine everythig balance out and it didn't taste alcholic at all.

those are ghe ones that have worked, I've found I'm usually good at whipping up somethign or other.

[runwestierun]

The Tuna Colada!! Yeaaaaahhh, that one didn't work...

[existentialhero]

After coming back from a trip to Prague with 2.5 litres of the local herbal bitters (Becherovka), I concocted the following. I've never come up with a name, but it's exactly my kind of drink: intensely multiflavored, aggressive, and bitter-sweet.

1oz. blanc tequila (I've used Hornitos and 1800 Silver)
1oz. decent rum (I've used Appleton Estate)
1oz. Grand Marnier
1oz. Becherovka
1/4oz. amaretto

Shake gently over ice, then strain into a cocktail glass.

[invinotheresverde]

That drink would blow my mind without (gross) rum. Thanks for the idea.

[existentialhero]

I know the rum sounds weird, but (at least for my palate) it turns out to be necessary — it balances the zing of the tequila and adds some depth. By all means, though, mix it up, and let me know if you think of a decent name.

[invinotheresverde]

I'll experiment and let you know. I freaking love bitters and tequila.

[EvergreenDan]

I love bitter.

How sweet is Becherovka? For me, I might add about 1 oz of lemon or lime to balance the Grand Marnier+Amaretto, plus whatever the Becherovka needs. And a 10 oz water glass to drink it out of. :)

For me, Bitter + dry > Bitter + sweet/sour > Bitter + sweet.

[existentialhero]

The Becherovka is sweeter than, say, Campari, but most of what it contributes is spice flavors. I tend to prefer drinks that have a sweet component as well as bitterness, but adding some sour is an interesting idea — I'll definitely give that a try next time I make it.

[EvergreenDan]

Now you've got me curious. Is it roughly comparable to any of the commonly-available amari? (e.g. Averna, Ramazzotti, Meletti). I want to try you cocktail with something that I have. (I also have Lucano, Cynar, Aperol, Campari, and Zwack Liqueur if that helps.)

[existentialhero]

Here's where my inexperience in the field comes out: Campari is the only one of those I have tried, and it's not much like that. Becherovka has lots of big sweet-spice flavors like anise and cinnamon along with a vanilla component; the bitterness is definitely present, but it doesn't dominate like in Campari (and, from what I've just read on the nets, most amari). If you're interested in comparing, I believe that Downtown Liquors in Davis stocks Becherovka, although I haven't checked in a while.

[EvergreenDan]

Thanks. Yes, I've seen it around frequently. No, my wife won't appreciate another bottle overflowing the liquor cabinet. ;) My vile collection is getting a little out-of-hand.

I've found it challenging to mix with the sweet/spicy amari, such as Ramazzotti, Averna, Meletti, Lucano, and so forth. They can replace a sweet vermouth (which is sweet/spicy, but often they don't go well where a bright, fairly dry ingredient is needed. (That's where I use Campari.) I bet my Campari recipes outnumber my sweet/spicy amari recipes by at least 2:1.

[existentialhero]

Tried it with a splash of key lime juice tonight, and that was very nice. I'll test it with fresh lemon the next time I have some around.

[EvergreenDan]

Finally got some Becherovka. This is quite an interesting drink. I found it a bit sweet, so I added an equal amount of lime, and reduced the quantities from 1oz to 3/4 oz to keep the volume in check.

I served it on the rocks because, well, I like rocks. Let me know if you come up with a name, otherwise it's gonna be the "Existential Hero" in my house.

[vincentinparisandrome]

This is my "house" cocktail every summer since I moved to Rome. It can be made out of season with different fruit.

Purée very ripe and tasty melons or peaches. Freeze in small ice cube trays.

In a flute, add an ice cube or two, a shot of peach or melon vodka (depending on which fruit you used) then charge with prosecco. You can add a crushed mint leaf to the glass or a sparing amount of chopped mint to purée before freezing. It is sort of a lazy man's rossini, with a kick. We've never given it a name, but has been referred to simply as the "cocktail della casa".

Incidentally, the fruit vodka in still or sparkling wine is our answer to kir, since I can never remeber to bring cassis back from Paris with me.

[Davwud]

Not exactly a cocktail but a shooter.

Rocket Fuel

1 pt, Jack Daniels
1 pt. Zambouca

DT

[CosmicMiami]

Star fruit, or carambola, nice and ripe. Juiced.

3 parts vodka
1 part juice
Shake, strain, drink

[Niki in Dayton]

Don't have a name for it, but lately I've been pouring some Hangar One Rasberry vodka into a glass with ice and adding just a splash of Chambord....punches up the rasberry flavor.

[pb n foie]

I am really stoked on this cocktail that I recently came up with called Poke Your Eye Out.
11/2oz tequila blanco, 1/2oz mezcal, 3/4oz aperol, 1/2oz carpano antica, 1/2oz maraschino liqueur, 2 dash regans orange bitters, rinse of green chartreuse, orange twist

[EvergreenDan]

Took me a year, but I finally got around to trying this with real Mezcal. Very interesting, although a bit sweet for my tastes. I also though the Maraschino dominated a bit. Have you played with this any further?

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cockt...

If you'd like proper attribution (with your real name), just contact me through the site's contact form.

[AnneInMpls]

Speaking of Elderflower Liqueur, here's my current cocktail favorite.

Gin-soaked Epiphany

1 Tbsp Sapphire Gin
2 tsp St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Sparkling wine (I like Gruet, Zardetto, and Rotari)

I was inspired by last year's trendy Epiphany Cocktail, as served at the W Hotel
in Minneapolis (as described here: http://www.nightclub.com/first-round-ride-wild-side ). It's a swanky variant of Toadberry's Fuzzy Devil, above: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4895... ). But I would never use Veuve Cliquot in a cocktail, and I didn't have any Grey Goose Poire vodka. The gin is great with the Elderflower liqueur, because it helps cut the flowery sweetness.

Note: Several of these are required in order to have an Epiphany.

[thew]

perhaps if you lowered the bubbly to other stuff ratio fewer would be required...

[will47]

3 different attempts at a persimmon cocktail; none were bad, but I think the third was the most successful in the opinion of everyone who was there.

They could probably all use some work, but I think not bad for first attempts.

From my gf's site:
http://www.runawaysquirrels.com/2009/...

[coldmtn]

Okay, I'm not sure if it qualifies as "invented" by me as I made it based on a vague memory of a recipe I saw online (but I have a TERRIBLE memory ;). Anyway, I had some friends over and wanted to make some "seasonal" cocktails. I made a handful of concoctions involving apple cider and some other stuff.

This, however, was the sweet drink I made for a couple folks who I knew would not get into anything too, uh, intense. It's definitely on the sweet side but has nice balance and it's delicious. Courtesy of my friend and named for my street in the East Village, NYC, it's called an "11th Street Saint":

2.5 oz. Tequila (Sauza Hornitos Reposado)
.5 oz. St. Germain Elderflower liquer
1 oz. pear pureé
1/2 oz. apple cider
1 Tsp fresh lemon
1 Tsp fresh lime
Dash (1/8 oz.?) Agave syrup
Shake with ice, serve up in a cocktail glass

[jengaworld]

We seem to have invented a Brandy Negroni tonight (dh would like to dub this a Randy Roni, but I demurred). We were out of gin and I didn't like the first attempt with vodka. Since I went to college in Wisconsin, home of the brandy Old Fashioned: 1-1-1 brandy-campari-sweet vermouth, with Angostura bitters and burnt orange to garnish. The result was bitter as all get out, and not too bad :-)

[jbatl]

I have to lay claim to what is now known as the 'Manmosa.' I called it the 'Bromosa' when I, as far as records can tell, invented it on Bull Street in Savannah during St. Patrick's Day 2001.

OJ, liberal Champagne, with a vodka floater.

[pacheeseguy]

"Captain José"
Equal parts Captain Morgan and José Cuervo, up or on the rocks.
Knocks your socks off.

[davis_sq_pro]

Best consumed after a night of knocking back a Miller Lite 24-pack or two?

[cycloneillini]

My friends are convinced I should write a cocktail book. I can look at whatever is behind a bar, especially if they have some unusual things, and pretty quickly come up with an awesome new drink. Here are a few I can think of. All can be shaken with ice and served either in a martini glass or as a shot, or stirred and served over ice depending on your preference and atmosphere.

Kimmy Vanilli (My name is Kim, and Absolut Vanilla reminded me of the lip sync group Milli Vanilli)
2 parts Absolut Vanilla
1 part Baileys

Peach Melba
2 parts Absolut Peach
1 part OJ
splash peach schnapps
splash Amaretto
splash grenadine

Chocolate Covered Cherry
2 parts Baileys
1 part Godiva dark chocolate
1 part Cherry Brandy
splash Amaretto

Mounds Bar
1 part Malibu rum
1 part Godiva dark chocolate
splash cream

[invinotheresverde]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but man, these are sweeeeet drinks. Do you have any less sugary recipes?

[walkie74]

A guy friend of mine stayed with me for almost a year, and created another version of a martini to thank me for it. I present the Walker:

1 oz Bombay Blue Sapphire Gin
1 oz dry vermouth

combine and shake over crushed ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with three almond stuffed olives. The dirty version has, of course, olive juice in it.

[JMF]

That's a martini circa 1900. sometimes called a fitty fitty. equal parts gin and dry vermouth.

[davis_sq_pro]

Don't you need a dash or two of orange bitters for a martini from that era?

[JMF]

Definitely orange bitters, and served with a lemon twist, not olives. Olives are a relitively recent addition to the martini.

[Scotpaulabear]

Apologies if this sounds vile, but it's a cocktail I started experimenting with at MIT and my friends and I keep going back to it. Measurements approx., mix to taste:

2 parts raspberry vodka (I use a homemade one local to Edinburgh, which is very berry-ish and bright red - you could use any, or maybe vodka and framboise or chambord)
1 part raspberry Sourz
1 or 2 parts Amaretto
Fill to desired level with half orange juice, half cranberry juice.

It was promptly dubbed the Pink Death, in homage to the old nickname of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square (the Red Death ;). Seems appropriate, as everyone laughs at how pinky-cute it looks and tastes (very candy like), but it packs a wallop...

I did used to love the Roy Rogers on Acid (Coke and vodka with grenadine), but I'm past that now. ;)

[invinotheresverde]

Wow, that last drink sounds horrid!!

[Scotpaulabear]

Well being honest I would have thought the same reading that, but drunken experimentation led to it, we tried it again when sober and it's actually quite lovely ;)

[KatChow]

I poached some pears in white wine (and spiced rum, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and honey) for dessert this evening and while I was debating what to do with the leftover poaching liquid (now reduced to a syrup), divine inspiration struck...

Spiced Pear Martini:
1-1.5 oz vodka (depending on how strong you like your cocktails)
1 Tb poaching liquid
Shake and serve in a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass

I normally don't enjoy sweet cocktails, but yum, this one goes down so smoothly....

[hill food]

that sounds delicious, but you must realize disasters are more entertaining (heh)

[hill food]

post somewhere what the heck you did with the pears themselves

[jerryc123]

This was an Autumn-inspired cocktail that just didn't work out.

I tried several variations, by changing the quantities, playing with the sweetness, adding more sour, because I really thought the ingredients would work well together. It just never went anywhere with my taste testers.

It did not get a name.

1 oz Laird's AppleJack
1/2 oz Green Apple Vodka
1/2 oz fresh apple cider
1/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
dash of Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and serve straight up.

[BeautifulVesper]

Try replacing the apple vodka with some fresh green apple puree and 2 dashes of Regan's orange bitters in place of the Angostura. I made the same thing with bourbon as the main spirit. Pretty tasty.

[kitty kate]

Simple but delish... black cherry vodka with arizona diet green tea...

[thew]

(still working on proportions - and need a name)

1 1/2 oz hendriks gin
1 oz aperol
1 oz maraschino liqueur
1 oz lemon juice
twist of orange peel

[phantomdoc]

Vodka and Prune Juice....A PILE DRIVER.

[RHplus]

My style: no fuss, sweet, and strong-
japanese cold sake
dash of peach liqueur

sometimes called the sakura-tini or peach blossom

[thew]

i need names for these:

2 oz of either gin or vodka
1 1/2 oz aperol
1 oz lemon juice
some amount of stirrings blood orange bitters (still finding the optimal)

-----

2 oz mandarin vodka
splash of campari
grapefruit juice
squeeze of lime and/or lime garnish

[hill food]

#1 Cacciavite Risoluto

#2 Italian Greyhound (5:1 odds in the third race)

[boxcar_sf]

I "created" this cross between a mint julip and a ginger rogers...I make pitchers of this drink for summer parties i'm invited to. You can make the syrup/booze mixture ahead of time and add the gingerale/ice as you make each pitcher. It's a strong drink that's tempered by the melting ice:

Ginger simple syrup
Lots of fresh mint
Limes
Bourbon
Ginger ale
Ice

Muddle a handful of fresh mint with lime juice, ice and a few sliced limes. Add ginger simple syrup and bourbon. Pour over ice, topping with ginger ale depending how strong you want it. When the pitcher is empty, add more ice and start again. Repeat til the bourbon is gone.

[Wahooty]

Once, on an otherwise nondescript weeknight, I wanted a mojito. Weirdly enough, I had the mint, but no rum, and no limes. So I invented the Mexito: built like a mojito, but substituting a healthy splash of bitter orange juice (from the Goya aisle - right next to the bottled mojo marinade) for the lime, and tequila for the rum. It went down ludicrously well.

[davis_sq_pro]

Next up, a drink I just finished tweaking tonight. This is a modification of a Swedish Punsch into a short drink. I started with the recipe on the Batavia Arrack van Oosten bottle ( http://www.alpenz.com/images/poftfoli... ) and worked from there. The original recipe:

2 oz Batavia Arrack
1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
3 oz water
Pinch of ground cardamom or nutmeg

I thought it would be fun to pair the Arrack with Pimento Dram, and since that's a sweet, spicy, rum-based liquor, it eliminated the simple syrup, pinch of spice, and the rum. The water, of course, also had to go if I wanted a short drink. After mixing this and trying a few batches I was missing some sweetness, and also didn't think that the Pimento Dram was doing a good enough job balancing the smokiness of the Arrack. I thought that Maraschino might play nicely with that flavor profile, and in my opinion it absolutely does. So here is my rather fusion-y resultant drink:

2 oz Batavia Arrack
3/4 oz Pimento Dram (I use a homemade one -- YMMV
)1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Combine, shake, strain. Garnish with a twist, or perhaps a cherry. Enjoy! :)

[davis_sq_pro]

I hope this thread isn't too old to revisit... I missed it before and would like to join in :)

To begin with, an unnamed cocktail that I created one night when I was in the mood for something Martini-like, but was about to eat some Indian food and didn't think a Martini would pair well. I've been tweaking it for the past few months and I think it's pretty solid at this point:

3 parts gin (I use Plymouth at the moment)
1 1/2 parts Lillet Blanc
1/4 part lime juice
1-2 dashes orange bitters (Regan's)
Shake, strain, garnish with a lime wheel

Next, an elevated version of a cherry cheesecake "Martini", created at the request of a guest. My goal was to do something a bit more interesting than the standard recipe you find online, usually involving pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and vodka. I tried to incorporate all of the flavors one might find in an actual piece cherry cheesecake: lemon, cherry, vanilla. This probably needs just a bit more tweaking but I'm relatively happy with it at this point.

4 brandied cherries (I use Chukar dried bing cherries, macerated in cognac)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 oz light rum (I use Cruzan Estate or 10 Cane)
1/4 oz grenadine (homemade, please)
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice

muddle cherries, vanilla, rum, grenadine, lemon juice, and optionally a 1/4 tsp of the brandy from the cherries
shake very well with lots of crushed ice
tight strain (to get rid of little cherry chunks)
garnish with a lemon twist

[mhoffman]

Your unnamed gin/Lillet/lime number sounds right up my alley. This will be the very next cocktail I make. Would you consider garnishing it with an orange twist instead of a lime wheel as a nod to Lillet tradition?

[davis_sq_pro]

I had no idea that was Lillet tradition, but it sounds great to me! Especially with the orange bitters already in there. Let me know how it turns out!

[purple goddess]

If you go to The Scores Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland, you can order a "Purple Goddess".. invented for yours truly but the head bartender there in 2001. It's got Blue Curacao, vodka, cranberry juice!

I don't think it's widely advertised, but it was invented for me for drinking said bar out of Drambuie!

[Bat Guano]

Experimenting with the Sazerac formula, one time I subbed bourbon for the rye and angostura bitters for the Peychaud's, then made the drink as if it were a sazerac. It was surprisingly bad.

[guilty]

So glad to hear this--I was thinking about this exact substitution. Thanks for saving me the trouble.

[mhoffman]

A friend and I came up with this summery cocktail two nights ago. It's the best drink I've ever created.

I realize that this recipe is a bit too large, but the 6:3:2:2 ration is perfect, and I couldn't bare to call for 2/3 oz. of anything. Most modern cocktail glasses (which I think are too large) will hold the recipe as written.

PIERCE STREET COCKTAIL
3 oz. light rum (I used 10 Cane)
1.5 oz. coconut juice (preferably fresh from a young coconut)
1 oz. ginger syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. lime juice (fresh, duh)
2 generous dashes orange bitters (I used homemade, but Regan's No. 6 are good)

Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glasses.

GINGER SYRUP (adapted from Imbibe magazine)
2 cups roughly chopped, unpeeled fresh ginger
2 cups sugar
6 cups water

To make the ginger syrup, rinse and roughly chop approximately two cups of unpeeled fresh ginger. Place the ginger in a blender and chop finely. Put the ginger in a large pot with six cups of water and two cups of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for an hour. Strain and press through rough wire mesh to get out the larger chunks of ginger, then filter at least once using cheese cloth or a French press. Makes about two or three cups.

[AnneInMpls]

Oh, wow - mhoffman, the Pierce Street Cocktail sounds amazing! I've been looking for something alcoholic that includes young coconut juice. And I just happen to have all the ingredients in my fridge right now. It's fate...

Me, my cocktail "invention" was from the day that I wanted a Kir-type champagne cocktail, but also wanted some Campari and grapefruit juice. So I put it all together to make:

Grapefruit-Campari Kir

In a champagne flute, put:
2 parts grapefruit juice (fresh-squeezed pink or ruby is best)
1/2 to 1 part Campari
generous splash of Cointreau
Fill glass with sparkling wine (something nice but not too expensive)

Oh, so very tasty! Since then, I make sure there's always a bottle of Gruet sparkling wine in my fridge, so I can have this one whenever I want. (A champagne stopper is a big help, too - the open bottle lasts for days.)

On the cocktails-that-didn't-work front, I've had no luck mixing anything with my home-infused saffron vodka. Everything I try either clashes or doesn't really make a difference. And it's too good to waste on so-so cocktails. So I just drink it straight.

Anne

[EvergreenDan]

Reviving this old post because I just made the above Grapefruit Campari Kir and it is delicious -- not particularly challenging, but delicious. I used 1 oz of Campari and 1/2 oz Cointreau.

[AnneInMpls]

So nice to hear that there's another grapefruit-campari-sparkling wine fan out there. I hope you enjoy many of these lovely cocktails in good health!

OK, now I need one of these, too. It'll be a change from my current elderflower-gin kir bender: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4895...

Anne

[invinotheresverde]

Add me to the list. Yum!

[BeautifulVesper]

I made a cocktail with apricot nectar, lemon juice, gin, home made bitters, and a curry simple syrup with a fat dose of saffron in it. It's heavenly.

[sparre]

My girlfriend and I like to infuse our own vodkas, one drink we made using chocolate vodka (made on unsweetened, non-dutch-processed cocoa powder and then sweetened, a lot, with simple syrup):

The Chocolate Truffle:
1 part chocolate vodka
1 part Frangelico
garnish with a dried cherry that has been marinated in chocolate vodka or liquer

[beteez]

Add Baileys & you have one of my wife's faes.

[FlaHopper]

A couple months ago I was fiddling around with a bottle of Cointreau. Most cocktail recipes, I found, want too much Cointreau, so I was looking for a way to use it in a restrained way. I also love gin. LOVE it. So what I finally came up with is a slightly sweet orange gin cocktail that works on the 6:1 mixture of gin to Cointreau, or any other orange liquor.

3 oz. of gin
1/2 oz. of Cointreau

Add to an ice filled shaker, stir and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

[hot breath]

I really shouldn't admit that I liked this...This drink was made because we didn't feel like going to the store one more time.
Pint glass with ice
2 shots Absolut Citron
Fill almost to the top with Cactus Cooler
Top with Lipton Black Tea (iced) for "Long Island Iced Tea" color
Be sure not to tell anyone you did this (oops).

[gatorfoodie]

Last year around this time I created (though I'm sure I'm not the first to do so) something I called a "Southern Belle"...Basically a Mint Julep but instead of simple syrup, I replaced it with my homemade sweet tea. Very refreshing.

[kenito799]

I squeezed a grapefruit for a Hemingway Daiquiri, then ran out of rum. So I invented this:
2oz gin
1/2 oz St Germain elderflower liquer
1 oz grapefruit juice
dash orange bitters

Since St Germain is so sweet and grapefruit juice is a lot sweeter than lemon or lime, the idea was to try to offset that with a little extra bitterness with the gin and bitters. The result was still a bit sweet and actually sort of weird--grapefruit and elderflower didn't quite mesh. It was interesting, anyway. When I get some cognac I will return to one of my favorites, a St Germain Sidecar (replace the Cointreau with St Germain--no sugar rim!).

The Hemingway Daiquiri is still my favorite cocktail with grapefruit. Does anyone have any others?

[sillysully]

Black Diamond (named while skiing)
Kahlua
Vodka
Peppermint Schnapps

Pineapple Smush
Coconut Rum
Pineapple Juice
Splash Chambord

[jspear]

Black Martini
3 parts Chambord
1 part citron vodka
twist

120 tini
2 parts white godiva
2 parts vanilla vodka
1 part cointro
orange slice

both sweet but good

[invinotheresverde]

You're going to catch some heat on this board for calling those martinis. :)

[bza]

if those are the drinks they are making, this will be the only place they will be catching heat. :)

Three parts chambord and one part citron vodka sounds like a great way to kill someone who is diabetic.

[invinotheresverde]

Yeah, sugar much?

[jspear]

Hey, y'all asked for drinks that people liked. One is New Orleans inspired, the other customer designed. Heat or no, just replying with favorites from my mixology career. Amazed at the number of experts on this site......

[invinotheresverde]

I think the problem is with the proportions. Three parts of Chambord to one part vodka is just way off for a balanced cocktail.

[jspear]

There really isn't a problem, this was something that we developed and that people order and drink. If it's not to your liking or offends your sensibilities.....don't try it.

[pringle347]

I think they both sound good....there are a lot of us "sweet" drinkers out there! I'd rather have the plum wine than the sake, and the key lime "martini" than anything with gin...it's just a matter of preference.

[jspear]

thanks, They are both sweet but great, especially with a chocolate dessert or stand alone after dinner drink, we make a lot of them....

[thew]

on the other had if it was say 2 parts citron vodka one part chambord one part raspberry/cranberry or raspbeery apple and some lime juice it would make a lovely new orleans sour sort of thing a cosmo variant

[ricepad]

One that worked, followed by one that didn't.

Years ago, I tended bar in a small Japanese restaurant, and a regular customer came in and asked for something different. As if guided by divine intervention, I instinctively poured an ounce each of vodka, triple sec, and lime juice (standard Kamikaze, if you're paying attention) into a shaker, then added half an ounce of melon liqueur. He loved it, and had several that night. When he asked what it was, I said, "uh....a Tsunami."

As for the one that didn't, it wasn't really MY invention, but the brothers and cousins of an old girlfriend of mine used to love Brass Monkey and Mountain Dew. Ugh.

[invinotheresverde]

Ugh, that reminds me of my husband's favorite drink from college: Southern Comfort and Mountain Dew. Nastastic!

I've been drinking a deadly mixture of gin, Campari, blood orange bitters, triple sec and lemonade lately. Yes, I'm rushing the season, but I'm sick of winter!

[thew]

that sounds good - the campari not the mountain dew

[mamaciita]

I've been looking for something to do with Campari lately. Is blood orange bitters readily available? Will "regular" bitters work in a pinch?

[invinotheresverde]

I've never tried it with regular bitters, although I'm sure they'd work just fine.

I've been using Stirrings, which can be ordered through their website, although I've seen their products at Whole Foods.

PS To be honest, this is the only product they make that I've liked so far.

[BeautifulVesper]

Look for Regan's orange bitters or Peychaud's. Use a dash of each with the Campari drinks, rather than that Stirrings stuff, which is basically flavoured simple syrup. Or try making your own bitters with dried blood orange peel and some other whole spices. It takes a month for the bitters to be ready, but the results are well worth the wait!

[invinotheresverde]

Yeah, in the last two years I've drastically changed bitter brands. I now have a large collection (Fee's Rhubarb is probably my fave).

[Scrapironchef]

We used to serve MIdori and Calpico with a chunk of dry ice and called it a 3 MIle Island, one of my bartenders was an ex navy reactor tech and got a big kick out of it.

Tasted darn good on a hot summer day.

[Paul Weller]

Pernod, Campari, mixed with Stella Artois on the rocks. It was like some sort of green looking beer that tasted like candle wax.

[thew]

well ive been playing with the cocktail that started this thread.. i've added a few dashes of bitters to it which is nice... but it still has the most disgusting color ever.

[hill food]

sometimes the best doesn't look so good. think garnish, what looks best with puke-y greenish-brown?

[ricepad]

Low lighting?

[hill food]

low lighting works well for so many things...

[heypielady]

The Lumberjack: 1 part vanilla vodka and 1 part maple syrup.

My husband would say its a success. I would say the opposite.

[hill food]

maybe as a sauce on a version of creme brulee (pre-torching)...

[chazzerking]

that would be a disaster; Vermont napalm!

[morefuuud]

Rum goes alright with Ribena & wedge of lime. It's a little too sweet tho' - still needs adjustment.

[modbetty]

I've got the eponymous Mod Betty:

Peach Vodka
Cranberry Juice
Ice

yum! but don't have too many, as is oft the case....

[mhoffman]

I don't have a name for the following cocktail, but it is a slight variation on a drink called El Pepino served at A Cote in Oakland, CA. Measurements are approximate since I haven't settled on ratios completely.

1 inch of English cucumber, skinned
2 oz gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup

Muddle cucumber until pulverized, add ice and other ingredients. Shake and strain.

I think they use Plymouth Gin at A Cote. My go-to gin is Bluecoat. Both do well. They use cranberry instead of lemon. I love gin+cukes.

[hill food]

almost a Pimm's cup, but sounds better.

[Bat Guano]

I had the ingredients on hand for this the other day, so I made one up according to this recipe (with Hendricks gin, which has an affinity for cucumber already). Delicious! I then made up a couple more for the GF and myself. Don't mess with the ratios; they're perfect.

[mhoffman]

Glad you enjoyed it! Try it on the rocks with some lightly bruised mint.

[Bat Guano]

Y'know, I was thinking a bit of mint wouldn't be amiss; I will try that. Thanks!

[BeautifulVesper]

There's a cocktail on my bar menu very similar to this one.

2 ounces Hendricks Gin
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
5 mint leaves muddled with 2 slices of cucumber

Pour the liquid ingredients over the muddled cucumber and mint (they should be a pulpy paste before you add the liquids,) shake vigorously with large ice cubes, put a large cube of ice and a cucumber into your cocktail glass or champagne coupe, and strain the cocktail over. Perfectly refreshing for summer.

[tigercrane]

Is the cucumber sliced into a disk, or is it a one inch spear?

[The Dairy Queen]

Disasterous: a rhubarbarita. Blended fresh rhubarb, tequila & baker's sugar. Tequila & rhubarb just don't mix. On the other hand, rhubarb+vodka go quite well together.

~TDQ

[jenluxy]

A tropical twist on a Cosmo:
1.5 oz vanilla vodka instead of regular
.75 oz triple sec
,75 oz roses lime
.50 -1 oz (depending on taste) Cranberry juice
.50 coconut rum

Yummy!

[whs]

Butch Screw: Vodka on the rocks with a slice of orange.

[Toadberry]

Fuzzy Devil

3 part vodka
1 part Pear Juice
1 part Elderberry Flower Concentrate

Shake with ice, strain into chilled martini glass.

Pear has a wonderfully mellow flavor and the elderberry a nice touch of floweryness. It is a very deceptive drink, goes down smooth.

[kenito799]

This would be good with St Germain elderflower liquer, but might be a tad sweet...I might add 1/2 part lemon juice.

[BilZ0r]

Maraschelle
2 Oz. London Dry Gin
1Oz. Grenadine (Nice grenadine, not the stuff that tastes like fake Cherries)
1/2Oz. Maraschino Liquer
1/4Oz-1/2Oz Rose Water
Juice of half a lime.
Shaken with ice, served in a cocktail glass.

Fresh Zombie (cross between a Mojito and a Zombie)
Clap 6 mint leaves and place in the bottom of a shaker
1 Oz. White Rum
1 Oz. Amber Rum
1 Oz. Dark Rum
1/2Oz Lime Cordial Syrup
3-4Oz pineapple juice
Shake with ice pour over rocks in a highball glass.

[jkv]

Success: a spin on the Aviation cocktail that involved my sister's homemade Buddha's Hand-infused vodka. Add a little Meyer lemon juice and more Stock Maraschino than I would have guessed, shake, and there you have it. I know that Hangar One makes a Buddha's Hand Vodka, so I suppose one could use that instead.

We couldn't agree on the name. She liked the 'Flying Buddha.' I preferred 'Buddha Is My Co-Pilot.'

[chazzerking]

one more- a Melbelini;
6 ripe white peaches
1pint ripe red raspberries
1 vanilla bean split
1 qt. vodka
1 bottle prosecco
Combine the fruit in a large jar(sun tea jars work great) pour the vodka over it and let it sit in a cool spot for 3-4 weeks. then in shake about 3 oz of the infusion over ice and strain into a champagne flute and top with prosecco. garnish with a raspberry.

[chazzerking]

3 that have been successful;
1.The NorManhattan:
2 parts bourbon(I like to use a caramel-ly one like Woodford
1 part Calvados
1 part Liquer de Pomme( French apple liquer)
Shake over ice and serve in a stemmed glass with a thin wedge or Granny Smith apple, notched to hang on the side of the glass.

2.Zephyr:
2 1/2 oz. dutch gin
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
shake and serve up with an orange twist

3. Yellowtail:
3 oz. Stoli Vanil
1 oz. Alize (yellow)
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 teaspoon Rose's lime juice
mix in a tall thin glass over crushed ice and top off with a splash of plain soda and garnish with an orange wedge.
all of these have met with much appreciation from those who have tried them.

[Bobfrmia]

Years ago I went to make Moscow Mules. Turned out I was out of lime, so I used a small splash of Amaretto. Didn't make sense as a substitute, but it went over well. I named it a Des Moines Donkey. It debuted at the bar in my basement, progressed all the way upstairs to my kitchen, and then sadly was forgotten.
Until now.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Worked: Vermont mojito: muddled lime, Nicaraguan rum, and maple syrup. In honor of my buddy, Don, and his maple syrup.

[Father Kitchen]

When I was a seminarian in Rome, we had a guy with us that couldn't learn the language, and he "regressed" with some memories of his wild college days, including the names of strange cocktails (like a Hop, Skip, and Go Naked and some interesting things from Nepenthe's at Big Sur). Soon we were mentally inventing bizarre mixes. One was a Crippled Hippopotamus, which would have consisted of rum, sauerkraut juice, and Rose's lime juice. Some years later, I mentioned this weird idea to friends who had the nerve to try it. They tell me that it was actually rather good.

[ChefBoyAreMe]

When my wife was on South Beach a few years ago, and carbs were bad, she (we) cheated a bit when I had a big mint crop coming in, and used Splenda instead of sugar in the mojitos we were drinking...

...the birth of the Splendito!

I've also found frozen tropical fruit pulps fro Goya in the local ShopRite, and have experimented with using passionfruit pulp in place of lime juice to make passionfruit margaritas.

Last, Absolute citron with a splash of sake,shaken and up with a twist of lemon for a Sak-it-to-me-tini.

I'm not sure any of these cocktails qualify as inventions, though, more like variations on a theme...

[MC Slim JB]

Substitute lemon for the lime juice in your recipe, and you've got a Stardust, a forgotten cocktail that the great cocktailian, DJ, musician, and bon vivant Brother Cleve reintroduced to the world (or Greater Boston, at least) with his opening cocktail menu for Cambridge's awesome B-Side Lounge. A very fine drink, and pretty, too. There aren't many violet-colored cocktails worth drinking, but this is one.

Didn't work: my Tequila Sunrise variant that substitutes Captain Morgan's for tequila. Tastes exactly like St. Joseph's Aspirin for Children. I call it a St. Joe Sunrise. No one ever likes it, and I don't blame them.

Worked:

MC Slim JB's Anastasia Cocktail

2 oz ginger-infused vodka *
1 oz pure pomegranate juice (I like POM Wonderful)
1 oz Marie Brizzard Triple Sec **
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup ***

Shake long and hard (at least 20 seconds) over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a thin strip of lemon peel and a lump of crystallized ginger. (I don't recommend a sugar rim: too sweet.) This one isn't that potent as shaker drinks go, but it has some zip.

* Infuse 750ml of vodka (I think Smirnoff 80-proof is ideal for this application, though I've also used Skyy to good effect) with 1/2 cup of peeled, grated fresh ginger for 3-5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, shaking occasionally. Strain out the ginger with a fine sieve and/or a paper coffee filter.

** Next best substitutes: Cointreau, then a good Curaçao. Avoid cheap Triple Secs, which are syrupy and headache-inducing.

*** 5 parts sugar dissolved in 4 parts water. You shouldn't heat this to make it; vigorous shaking is better. If you prefer the cocktail a bit sweeter; increase this element a 1/2 oz at a time, but don't forget that the balance of a little tartness is good in a cocktail.

A refreshing summer drink, a rare use I have for vodka.

[thew]

he was using a different sort of rum if it was violet in color. old monk is a dark rum. I i wish my concoction was violent, rather than the brown green algae and rot color i ended up with.

[br cleve]

I used light rum in The Stardust (which is a variation of Don The Beachcomber's Royal Diaquiri, circa early '40's). We had Bacardi in the well at the B-Side, but these days I'd use Flor de Caña or Prichards (or Havana Club when I have it around).

btw, I've been a huge fan of Old Monk since I first encountered it in India years ago. Here's a cocktail I've invented that works quite nicely; I call it The Maharaja's Revenge -

2 oz Old Monk
1 ox Apricot Brandy (I recommend the Rothman & Winter's if available in yr area)
3/4 oz lime juice

shake with iced and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a lime wheel.

Shabash! enjoy........

[chazzerking]

Maybe if you shake it really hard or even whack it around a bit, it will become violent.

[kmills9408]

That would be alcohol abuse...

[sailormouth]

Is your simple syrup recipe where it's shaken only good for your stock simple syrup, or is it particular to this drink? I ask because I had a particularly ruinous experience making rock candy while in middle school: we needed to buy a new sauce pan, but the kitchen smelled sweet (or burnt, if you ask my mother) for weeks and am so hesitant to trying it in the pan again.

[MC Slim JB]

I use that syrup for any cocktail that calls for simple syrup. Shaking in lukewarm or even cold water does the job; there's no need to cook, and good reasons not to. The stovetop method often introduces some faint level of carmelization, when what you want is a consistent, controllable amount of cane sugar sweetness and nothing else.

[postemotional1]

Microwaving simple syrup will silken the syrup.

There is nothing like microwaving a drink behind the bar before shaking to make $!

[postemotional1]

Simple syrup can be made very effectively by microwaving a 1-1 ratio of sugar and water for 30 seconds.

[wildfire]

My friend made me try his favorite drink, and I was suprized with how good it is. Captain Morgans and Fresca. I know it sounds completely vile, but it actually tastes like cream soda.

[sailormouth]

Funny, Captain Morgans and Dr. Pepper taste like root beer.

I'm sure this type of thing is not what the poster had in mind.

On that note, I should probably create an alias for admitting to trying this concoction.

[hill food]

speaking of vile, once in college in an attempt at streamlining things, I made a vodka / Alka-seltzer...

[Janet from Richmond]

When Absolute Ruby Red was introduced, my dh was given a sample bottle. We aren't big fans of flavored vodka,but liked the idea of grapefruit. Dh came up with a drink that has been a big summer hit among our friends and family. Mix the Ruby Red with a healthy splash of tonic (but less than say for a gin and tonic) a "tiny" splash of cranberry and a big squeeze of lime.