Cuisine: Cocktails

Bunny Mary

The Bunny Mary is a playful twist on the classic Bloody Mary, featuring carrot juice as the key ingredient. It's a savory and refreshing brunch cocktail, perfect for Easter celebrations or any time you're looking for something a little different. Like the Bloody Mary, there are many variations on this cocktail. You can tweak it to your own taste.

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The Diamond Dog Cocktail

David Bowie was

David Bowie is the artist that has been a huge influence in my life. He taught me a lot of things, mainly to be myself. It never occurred to me to imagine life with a finite body of his work.

I have been a major David Bowie fan since the '70s. I even had the opportunity to meet him when I worked at WNET in New York. My friend Melissa actually picked up his cigarette butt (Marlboro, which is probably why he got cancer).

He also wrote me a thank you note for writing him a letter that I gave to a stage hand to deliver while he was doing The Elephant Man in New York.

There was also an infamous night my friend Jessica at the Café Luxembourg.  It was a Sunday night in the '80s.  We were at the bar about ready to leave when I told her to ORDER MORE DRINKS!!!  She said she was tired.  I told her that David Bowie just walked in and WERE NOT LEAVING UNTIL HE DID! We stayed for another couple of hours breathing in the same air that he was breathing!  Yeah, I know it's ridiculous.  We did not bother him.  We were way too cool for that!

I used to be able to do a pretty amazing imitation of David Bowie dancing on stage - ditto Boy George and John Cougar Mellancamp.  Maybe if I had a few of these cocktails, I could do it again!  Oh, and by the way, this cocktail was created at the George V Hotel in Paris, France.

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Dubonnet and Gin Cocktail

As we contemplate a life without our late, great  QE II in it, let’s pay homage to her favorite drink which is a cocktail made with gin and Dubonnet. It had been her mother’s before her. Given the age that both these ladies attained, this bears looking into.
 
All this and more is contained in the book “To the Queen; A Royal Drinkology” by Thomas J.M. Mace Archer DeLacroix Mills, which is exactly as described; a book all about the Queen’s drinking habits, along with those of other members of her family. Elizabeth II always has one of her favorite Dubonnet and Gins before lunch. It is in her blood—her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, once noted as she was about to embark on a trip, "...I think that I will take two small bottles of Dubonnet and gin with me this morning, in case it is needed..." To quote from the book:
 
…in a well-known exchange over lunch between Queen Elizabeth II and her mother, the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth II stated, “I wonder if I might have a second glass of wine?” to which her mother replied with a smile, “Is that wise? You know you have to reign all afternoon.”
 
The Dubonnet cocktail is really quite good. Dubonnet is a sweet, wine-based aperitif, blended with fortified wine, herbs, and spices (including a small amount of Quinine) and pairs well with the medicinal austerity of gin. As an aside, Dubonnet was first sold in 1846 by Joseph Dubonnet, in response to a competition run by the government of France to find a way of persuading members of the French Foreign Legion in North Africa to drink Quinine, which combats Malaria but is very bitter. This has a familiar ring to it, to anyone familiar with the history of that oh, so British drink the Gin and Tonic.
 
The brand name Dubonnet was taken over by Pernod Ricard in 1976. You may remember in late 1970s an advertising campaign starring Pia Zadora. Or maybe not. Dubonnet is available in Rouge, Blanc and Gold (Vanilla and orange) varieties. No longer distributed by the Pernod Ricard Group, Dubonnet can be difficult to find in the  US. Lillet Rouge is a suitable substitute.
 
The royal warrant for Gordon’s gin is a very real thing (although remember that in England it comes in the green bottles we associate with Tanqueray) and it is perfectly suited to this drink.

By Leslie Blythe

Alabama Slammer

The Alabama Slammer is a cocktail that gained popularity in the ‘70s made with vodka, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice, served in a Collins glass. This harkens back to a time when strong, sweet drinks were all the rage (the infamous Long Island Iced Tea is another ‘70s sledgehammer of a drink). Back in the day, it seemed like boisterous bars catering to a younger crowd (Carlos-n-Charlie’s, I am looking at you….) churned these out by the gallon.  If you are feeling like having a retro, fruity drink with a real kick, the Alabama Slammer is the perfect choice.

By Leslie Blythe

Moscow Mule

Years ago, my late friend Brady gave us 25 original Moscow Mule mugs from the legendary late Cock n' Bull restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.  The Cock n' Bull invented the Moscow Mule Cocktail. It's unclear why he thought we needed 25 and I guess I will never know.  They are very rare and hard to find, I think he collected them from eBay. Legend has it that in 1941, Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull,  developed a ginger beer that he was trying to sell to patrons of the pub. He apparently teamed up with the head of the vodka division of Smirnoff. They both complained of poor sales of their products and developed the Moscow Mule to try and boost the sales of both the ginger beer and vodka. Another version of the story is that the bartender made up the drink to “clean out the basement to get rid of a lot of dead stock.” Somehow, they must have found a copper manufacturer to make these glorious mugs. The mugs are key to this drink, which keeps it arctic cold!

The only time I actually used all 25 mugs, was when I catered a party and the Moscow Mule was the featured drink. At the end of the night, I had to go around and pry them out of the hands of the guests before leaving!

By Leslie Blythe

Pear Tree Cocktail

While there isn’t a partridge in sight (unless you count the Partridge Family Christmas album currently playing) this Pear Tree cocktail is a perfect holiday drink; it is great for entertaining or just for staying in like so many of us are doing during this pandemic yuletide. St-Germain is an elderflower liqueur created in the artisanal French manner from freshly hand-picked elderflower blossoms. We used Absolut Pears Vodka, which has a good, strong pear flavor. The Victorians believed that rosemary represents remembrance and while this year may be one we would all like to forget, this light, fruity, bubbly drink reminds us of happier times in the past and in the future.

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David Lebovitz’s “Ménage à Quatre” Cocktail

I found this recipe for Pandemic Punch in the October issue of Savuer magazine and told my husband to make me one. It's a blend of gin, citrus, and Lillet. I prefer vodka, which works just as well.

By Leslie Blythe

Picon Biére

I like beer and I like cocktails but a beer cocktail? If you like bitter-sweet drinks like the Negroni, you might want to give this one a try. Perfect for late summer drinking.

By Leslie Blythe

The Enzoni Cocktail

I discovered this refreshing “gateway” Campari drink called the Enzoni cocktail which is a is a cross between a Negroni and a Gin Sour where the Sweet Vermouth comes in the form of muddled green grapes. An ideal drink to introduce a novice to Campari, which is my life’s work! First created by Vincenzo Errico whilst tending bar at Milk & Honey, NYC. Vincenzo was trained by the legendary Dick Bradsell (creator of the Espresso Martini). Red seedless grapes work well for this, too.

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The Bellini Cocktail

Nearly 30 years ago we spent our honeymoon in Venice—late fall so there were brilliant blue skies and daily flooding in the Piazza San Marco which meant that our first purchase as a married couple was matching Wellington boots.  We made it our business to visit every bacari we could find—those small tucked away tapas bars unique to Venice—but we also made Harry’s Bar a regular stop. We had the good sense to buy these Bellini glasses from Harry’s to bring home—our second purchase as a married couple.  Harry’s has a long list of house cocktails, including the Doge’s Cup (which is like an Italian Pimm’s Cup but made with red wine) but the real star of the show in the Bellini which is simply Prosecco and white peach purée. You can use yellow peaches or even frozen peaches but white peaches are what you get in a Harry’s Bar Bellini. You can add a drop or two of peach liqueur (we like Rinquinquin) but really it is the simplicity of the two ingredients and the seasonality of the fresh peaches that makes this drink so unique. If you order one Bellini at Harry's Bar in Venice, it will set you back about $25.

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