The Netherland

1 oz. brandy
1 oz. triple sec
dash of bitters

Stir in old fashioned glass with ice cubes.

Well, I hate this drink already. From Chris's subdued reaction, I gather he's not much of a fan. "I don't think it's great," he says, "but I don't think it's terrible."

Trust me, dear readers, it is terrible. Somehow, this tastes somewhat of sambuca as well.

Jack Rose Cocktail

1.5 oz apple brandy
1 tsp grenadine
juice of .5 lime

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Shannon thinks this drink is ok, but "too limey." I think it is rather good, but I'm not sure I would order it in a bar.

Soother Cocktail

.5 oz brandy
.5 oz apple brandy
.5 oz triple sec
juice of .5 lemon
1 tsp powdered sugar

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. This drink further proves my first law of triple sec: i.e. everything with a significant amount of triple sec in it tastes good. Shannon was skeptical, but agrees that this drink really is rather soothing.

Sidecar

1 oz. brandy
1 oz triple sec
juice of .25 lemon

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I think this drink is pretty good, but I also think triple sec is a magical beverage that makes everything better. Shannon was pleasantly surprised in that it does not totally suck.

Olympic Cocktail

.75 oz brandy
.75 oz triple sec
.75 oz orange juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I think this drink is pretty good. Very orangey. Shannon does not like it, but she's not a huge orange juice fan anyway.

The Moonlight

2 oz. apple brandy
the juice of one lemon
1 tsp. powdered sugar

Shake with ice and pour over more ice into an old fashioned glass.

Crooney says this tastes like lemonade, which isn't bad.

This drink is really tart, which does make it taste a bit like lemonade. Overall, this one is ok.

The Rum Swizzle

2 oz. light or dark rum (light, for our purposes)
2 dashes bitters
juice of one lime
1 tsp. powdered sugar
club soda

Put lime juice, sugar and 2 oz. club soda into collins glass. Fill with ice and stir. Add bitters and rum. Fill with club soda and serve with a swizzle stick.

Crooney's immediate response is that it is quite good. We have a bit of a gathering tonight, and so guest judge Kim is back, along with our friends Mike and former (sad!) roommate Kerry.

Kerry looked confused after tasting this drink and then pronounced that it tasted like Alka Seltzer. Not that Alka Seltzer tastes bad, she said.

Mike was not into the smell. He thought it was decent, but could have benefited from removing the bitters.

Kim said it tasted like a drink that could have been good - before it was watered down after sitting on ice all day.

I'm a fan of this drink. Which either means we've been at this project too long, or I have a preternatural affection for Alka Seltzer.

Third Rail Cocktail

.75 oz light rum
.75 oz apple brandy
.75 oz brandy
.25 tsp anisette

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Kim and Shannon took one look at this drink and want nothing to do with it. I took the first sip and I don't think it is that bad, but the taste of anisette overpowers everything else. I am consistently surprised by how small amounts of anisette always overpower the other ingredients in any drink.

Shannon will not even speak after one sip of this drink and Kim gagged and coughed. They are both now convinced that I hate them.

Sir Walter Cocktail

.75 oz light rum
.75 oz brandy
1 tsp triple sec
1 tsp grenadine
1 tsp lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Both Kim and Shannon think I just tried to poison them. That's how bad this drink is. They also think that it is also quite unfair because the unsuspecting drinker would have no idea how bad it is from looking at it. I don't think it is good, but I do not think it is quite as bad as the ladies claim.

Pineapple Fizz

2 oz. light rum
1 oz. pineapple juice
.5 tsp powdered sugar
club soda

Shake the rum, pineapple juice, and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Add club soda.

Both Shannon and Kim think that this is an excellent drink, if perhaps a little low on the pineapple. I also think that this is quite a good beverage.

Pineapple Cocktail

1.5 oz light rum
.75 oz pineapple juice
.5 tsp lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Both Shannon and Kim think that this drink is a waste. It sounds good, it looks good, it tastes bad. I agree.

Mariposa

1 oz light rum
.5 oz brandy
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
l dash grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Shannon and Kim both think that this drink has quite a pleasing appearance. This is probably due to the grenadine. Shannon would drink it if it was free, but not otherwise. Kim thinks it is not bad. Both agree that it does not meet expectations after looking and smelling it. Shannon just said that it is too acidic and I agree.

Little Devil Cocktail

.75 oz light rum
.75 oz gin
1.5 tsp triple sec
juice of .25 lemon

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Kim and Shannon are both unhappy with the appearance of this drink. Shannon thinks it looks like urine and Kim thinks that it looks like stale alka-seltzer. Both might drink it if it were free, however, Shannon thinks she will soon need a tracheotomy because this drink just burned a hole in her esophagus. I think that it's not that bad.

Havana Cocktail

.75 oz light rum
1.5 oz pineapple juice
.5 tsp lemon juice

Both Kim and Shannon think this drink is quite good. Both would order this drink at a bar. I also think it is rather good. I think the dominant flavor is of the pineapple juice and that may be the source of the universal praise.

Bolero

1.5 oz light rum
.75 oz apple brandy
.25 tsp sweet vermouth

Shake with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Both Shannon and guest judge Kim think this drink is absolutely horrible. They both had very witty things to say about how bad it is that I can no longer remember. I think this drink is not good, but not quite as bad as they think.

Boston Sidecar

.75 oz brandy
.75 oz light rum
.75 oz triple sec
juice of .5 lime

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I don't think that this drink is all that bad. However, that may be because I actually chilled the glass first this time and the taste may be masked by the coldness. Shannon thinks it tastes like spiked lemonade. Shannon cannot decide whether this is good or bad, she has settled on familiar.

The Beachcomber

Guest judge Kim has made the excellent point that this drink should contain hidden treasures along the lines of Goldschlagger. Crooney pointed out that alcohol is the hidden treasure.

1.5 oz. rum
.5 oz. triple sec
.5 oz. grenadine
1 oz. sour mix

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass (surprise!).

This drink is a very appealing color. Crooney took the first sip and said it's not bad, but somehow not as good as he was expecting. He wondered if perhaps he just doesn't like light rum that much.

The color suggests fruit punch, and I am happy to report that it tastes a lot like fruit punch. Kim and I both think Crooney's less-than-glowing assessment is off. This one is a winner.

Apple Pie #1

Welcome to rumtown. We have decided to take a foray into rum in honor of the warmer months. And, Crooney is quick to add, in order to finish off rum before the big move.

.75 oz. light rum
.75 oz. sweet vermouth (sweet, sweet vermouth)
1 tsp apple brandy
.50 tsp grenadine
1 tsp lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.

Crooney is "meh" on this beverage. I am also "meh." I've had better (my favorite rickey) but I've had much, much worse.

Guest judge Kim says she was expecting worse, based on our facial expressions. She said it wasn't bad, but when Crooney asked whether she'd finish it, she was not so enthusiastic. She also made the very prescient point that this drink would be much, much improved as a shot.

Harvard Cooler

2 oz. apple brandy
.5 tsp powdered sugar
club soda

Dissolve the powdered sugar in a collins glass with two ounces of club soda. Add ice and apple brandy. Top off with more club soda.

Shannon says, why don't you just put some lime juice in this and then I'll drink it... maybe.... probably not. She then backtracked and said it is not that bad, it just has an alcoholly aftertaste.

I think it's pretty good. I am waiting for this drink to reject me, however, just like its namesake.

Harvard Cocktail

1.5 oz brandy
.75 oz sweet vermouth
1 tsp grenadine
2 tsp lemon juice

I must have made this drink correctly, because it has a distinct crimson color to it. It also tastes much better than I was expecting. Maybe that's just my Harvard bitterness coming through.

Shannon disagrees with my original assessment. She thinks it looks more Princeton orange. She agrees, however, with my second assessment and thinks this drink exceeds expectations.

The Jack in the Box

Here we are at the Jack in the Box cocktail, and it is the eve of MJ's memorial. Serendipity!

1 oz. apple brandy
1 oz. pineapple juice
dash bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a collins glass.

Crooney pronounces the drink "pretty good," mostly because of the pineapple juice. Surprisingly, I agree. This drink tastes a little like the fall (despite the tropical juice), but I like it a lot. The pineapple taste really does give it a pleasant taste.

Jack! In the box!

Too soon?

The Dream Cocktail (yeah, right)

1.5 oz. brandy
0.75 oz. triple sec
.25 teaspoon anisette

Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

I just realized why it's better when Crooney writes the intros -- knowing the ingredients in advance doesn't do much to whet my appetite for Mr. B.

Not shockingly, this drink looks like every other one this chapter. Crooney reports that you can really taste the anisette, despite its meager proportion. This isn't a problem, as he's ambivalent about licorice. Triple sec, he adds, is always a favorable ingredient.

I hate licorice flavoring, so I'm sure this drink will be phenomenal.

I held my nose before taking a sip, but it wasn't nearly helpful enough. This drink reminds me of ear infections as a child. Actually, it reminds me of liquid penicillin and trying not to vomit.

Incidentally, I would most stridently beg readers not to try this drink after visiting an all-you-can-eat, rodizio-style steakhouse.

Depth Bomb

Take 1 oz. brandy, 1 oz. apple brandy, 1 dash grenadine, and 1 dash lemon juice, shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass. It's not the best, but it's not the worst. Shannon took one sip and nearly gagged. She then begged me to take the drink away from her.

Apricot Brandy Rickey Redux

Shannon and I were at a wedding last weekend and she asked me to get her a drink from the bar. I noticed a bottle of apricot flavored brandy and asked for an apricot brandy rickey. The bartender had no idea what this Mr. Boston favorite was so I graciously informed him. Shannon drank this beverage the rest of the evening. Mr. Boston to the rescue once again.

Thanksgiving Special

I realize it is the wrong holiday, but we're trying to get to the bottom of the bottle of apricot flavored brandy. To make the Thanksgiving Special shake 3/4 oz. apricot flavored brandy, 3/4 oz. gin, 3/4 oz. dry vermouth, and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Like most other drinks with apricot flavored brandy, this drink is a delight. Shannon likes it as well, even though she is a little put off by the gin aftertaste.

Midnight Cocktail

Shake 1 oz apricot flavored brandy, 1/2 oz triple sec, and one tablespoon lemon juice with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Shannon and I both agree this drink is rather tasty. Shannon is not looking forward to when we finish off this bottle of apricot flavored brandy.

Ethel Duffy Cocktail

Take equal parts (3/4 oz.) apricot flavored brandy, creme de menthe (white), and triple sec. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Shannon thinks this drink is quite tasty. It has a slight medicinal aftertaste, but she enjoys the mintiness. I think that the mintiness and apricot flavor complement each other surprisingly well. I am a little surprised at how the triple sec is overpowered by these other two flavors.

As for who Ethel Duffy was. My rudimentary internet search has not helped me much. It appears that she was an author and translator. Anyone who knows anything about this, drop us some comments.

Deauville Cocktail

Take the juice of 1/4 lemon, 1/2 an ounce of brandy, 1/2 an ounce of apple brandy, and 1/2 an ounce of triple sec, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Shannon says it looks and smells like every other Mr. Boston drink. However, it is surprisingly refreshing. But then again she's been drinking. I agree with her assessment. I attribute it to the magic of triple sec.

As an aside, this is my last Mr. Boston drink of my twenties. I'm so old.

Cuban Cocktail No. 2

Well, we're back. I've been extraordinarily busy studying for the bar, so we haven't been able to post much recently. We will probably be posting at least once or twice a week but we will be deviating somewhat from the order. Since we will be moving, we don't want to purchase any new bottles of alcohol, so we will be jumping around a little bit.

Today's drink is the Cuban Cocktail No. 2. I have not yet discoved the Cuban Cocktail No. 1, but I will keep you posted. This drink consists of the juice of 1/2 a lime or 1/4 a lemon, 1/2 an ounce of apricot flavored brandy, 1 1/2 ounces of brandy, and a teaspoon of light rum. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I like this drink. The apricot flavored brandy mixed with the lemon juice is pretty good. Shannon says it is not bad after being off the horse for a while. She was surprised when I told her we used lemon juice instead of lime juice.

Button Hook Cocktail

Shake half an ounce of creme de menthe (white), half an ounce of apricot flavored brandy, half an ounce of anisette, and half an ounce of brandy with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This cocktail is rather tasty in my opinion. Shannon disagrees heartily and made her usual sour face. Guest bloggers Phil and Jannah split in a similar way, Phil thinking the drink wasn't that bad and Jannah cursing to high heaven about it. "It was awful," Jannah said. Phil said he could do with less licorice flavor, but that he'll finish it anyway. "I can't even believe you're drinking it," Jannah said. "You can't even drink it with a straight face." Phil: "It's not that bad."

This is a direct reflection of mine and Crooney's reaction.

Brantini

Take one and a half ounces of brandy, an ounce of gin, and a dash of dry vermouth. Stir with cracked ice and strain into an old fashioned glass over ice cubes.

I think it's not that bad. As the name suggests, it tastes like a gin martini with the undertone of brandy. In spite of the greater volume of brandy, gin remains the dominant flavor.

Shannon thinks that one must really enjoy the taste of alcohol to enjoy this drink. Still, it was not as bad as she expected because she managed to avoid an involuntary shudder.

Brandy Vermouth Cocktail

Take two ounces brandy, half an ounce of sweet vermouth, and one dash of bitters, stir with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

It's actually not a bad sipping drink. Bitters and sweet vermouth do that to almost anything. Shannon took a sip and had another full body spasm.

Brandy Toddy

Dissolve a half teaspoon of powdered sugar in one teaspoon of water in an old fashioned glass. Add two ounces of brandy and one ice cube. Stir and serve.

As you might expect, it tastes like sweetened brandy. I find it to be ok. Shannon's first reaction after sipping was to jerk so hard that I thought she was about to have a seizure. She then proclaimed that this is the second worst drink in the book. She then said that giving her this drink was the meanest thing I had ever done to her. After some time to think it over, she asked me why I hate her.

After a long hiatus, the Brandy Swizzle

Take the juice of one lime, a teaspoon of powdered sugar and two ounces of club soda and pour them into a Collins glass. Fill the glass with ice and stir. Add two ounces of bitters and two dashes of brandy. Fill with club soda and serve with a swizzle stick. Note: for our purposes this evening we are using "Carlsberg pint glass" as a stand-in for a common Collins glass.

While Crooney mixes this latest libation, allow me to apologize for the lapse since our last post. Apparently we forgot that occasionally it is fun to drink beverages not on the Mr. Boston list. We got so carried away drinking craft beers and champagne that it was only a stern reprimand from a few of our loyal followers that brought us back to the land of brandy (blandy?).

He says this drink is "quite tasty." It has the appearance of every other drink in this chapter. That said, it tastes remarkably better. As I have long suspected, bitter(s) make(s) everything better. This is one I'll make (and enjoy) again.

Brandy Squirt

Shake one and a half ounces of brandy, one tablespoon of powdered sugar, and one teaspoon of grenadine with ice and strain into a highball glass. Fill with club soda.

An entire tablespoon of powdered sugar is quite a bit for one drink and it shows. Shannon likes it. She thinks it tastes like gatorade. It is a tad too sweet for me.

Brandy Sour

Shake the juice of half a lemon, half a teaspoon of powdered sugar, and two ounces of brandy with ice. Strain into a sour glass.

This drink isn't bad, but the taste is awfully similar to several other drinks in this chapter. Shannon got angry and said she could not tell the difference "if [her] life depended on it."

Brandy Sangaree

Dissolve half a teaspoon of powdered sugar in one teaspoon of water. Add two ounces of brandy. Pour over ice into a highball glass and fill with club soda. Float one tablespoon of port and top with nutmeg.

For starters, my normal floating skills failed me, so that this drink mixed a little more than appears to be intended. The taste is not bad, but it is nothing special. Shannon agrees with my assessment of the taste. She adds that this drink is completely unappealing aesthetically.

Brandy Highball

This one is simple. Pour two ounces of brandy over ice into a highball glass. Fill with club soda or ginger ale. We do not have ginger ale on hand, so we used club soda. There is another drink with this precise recipe, just in a collins glass, called brandy and soda. Since we do not have all the exact glassware, this review will count for both.

It's not bad, a little dull though. Shannon likes it, but adds that she likes anything with club soda in it.

Brandy Fizz

Shake the juice of a half a lemon with one teaspoon of powdered sugar and two ounces of brandy with ice. Pour into a highball glass over ice. Add club soda.

Shannon and I both really like this drink. My first thought was that it tastes like lemonade, to which Shannon replied: "Yeah, but better."

Brandy Sling

In an old fashioned glass dissolve one teaspoon of powdered sugar in one teaspoon of water and the juice of half a lemon. Add ice and two ounces brandy.

This drink tastes both sweet and sour. It's not bad.

Shannon doesn't like it. It tastes like medicine to her, but she wonders if it is just that she's out of practice.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. We ran out of brandy and didn't get around to getting any more until today. Luckily there was quite the sale on giant bottles of Christian Brothers brandy.

Brandy Milk Punch

Take two ounces of brandy, one cup of milk, and one teaspoon of powdered sugar, shake and strain into a collins glass. Sprinkle some nutmeg on top. Chris is out on this due to lactose intolerance. This drink also marks the passing of the first bottle of brandy and we are barely a third of the way through the chapter.

This just tastes like f***ing milk. Or maybe more like a less pungent eggnog. Not good. I think I am more bothered by the name of this drink than by the taste of it. If it had a different name and came in a fancy glass with a straw, I might be a little kinder on the taste. Milk and punch are not two words that should ever go together. But it is still better than some of the recent drinks, mostly because the taste of brandy is well disguised.

Brandy Gump Cocktail

Shake one and a half ounces of brandy, half a teaspoon of grenadine, and the juice of half lemon with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This drink tastes remarkably like the Brandy Daisy. This makes a fair amount of sense, since the ingredients are essentially the same.

Shannon is angry at Mr. Boston for having so many similar drinks this chapter.

Brandy Fix

Mix the juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon of powdered sugar, and one teaspoon of water in a highball glass. Add shaved ice and two and a half ounces of brandy.

Shannon likes this drink. It is refreshing. The brandy taste is still a little strong, but the shaved ice cuts it pretty significantly.

I like it too. It tastes like brandied lemonade.

Brandy Daisy

Take the juice of half a lemon, half a teaspoon of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of grenadine or raspberry syrup, and two ounces of brandy. Shake with ice and strain into a stein or eight ounce metal cup. Add cubes of ice and serve.

We did not have a stein or metal cup handy, so we used some random glassware. We also used grenadine as we had it on hand and no raspberry syrup.

This drink is interesting.

Shannon likes it more than what we’ve had to drink the last few days, probably due to the presence of grenadine. She thinks it tastes sour and I tend to agree. I’m still having some trouble wrapping my head around it.

Brandied Port

Take one ounce brandy, one ounce tawny port, one tablespoon lemon juice, and one teaspoon maraschino. Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass over ice.

I’m not really sure about the difference between standard and tawny port, but we are just using the port we have lying around. I don’t think it is bad, but it’s not great. Shannon made a face and said it tastes like sour red wine.

Luckily I knocked this drink over, so there is less of it to inflict upon ourselves.

Barbie's Special Cocktail

Take one and a half ounces of apricot flavored brandy, one teaspoon of light cream, and a quarter teaspoon of gin. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. We substituted half and half for light cream and Chris is sitting this one out due to his lactose intolerance. "Lactose intolerance."

This drink is surprisingly tasty. It's a little strong, and has a faint taste of medicine, but I kind of a like it. It's tangy and just a little bit sweet.

Brandy Collins

Shake the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoon of powdered sugar, and two ounces of brandy with ice. Pour over ice into a collins glass and fill with club soda.

Shannon and I both really like this drink. In spite of its actual ingredients, Shannon sensed a hint of lime. I think it is just delightful.

Interestingly, it tastes similar to pre-made collins mix. The difference is that I find collins mix to be sickly-sweet as opposed to just sweet.

Brandy Cocktail

This one is simple, two ounces of brandy, two dashes of bitters, and a quarter teaspoon of simple syrup. Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Both Shannon and I agree that this drink is heinous. I wonder if my simple syrup was not up to snuff or I was a little too generous with the bitters.

Apricot Cocktail

Yesterday was payday, so I bought a bottle of gin. So we are travelling back in the brandy chapter. To make the apricot cocktail, take the juice of one quarter orange, the juice of one quarter lemon, one and a half ounces of apricot flavored brandy, and one teaspoon of gin, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I think this drink is quite tasty. The orange juice and and apricot flavor brandy work really well together. The gin gives it just the right amount of kick.

Shannon also really likes this drink.

Brandy Cobbler

Dissolve one teaspoon of powdered sugar in two ounces of club soda in a ten ounce goblet. Fill with shaved ice, then add two ounces of brandy.

I liked this drink, unlike other drinks with powdered sugar, I did not find it too sweet.

--

My main issue with this drink is that it is sweet without any corresponding tanginess. I found myself missing the lemon and/or lime in my other favorite brandy drinks. I could comfortably sip this drink for a while, but I won't rush to have it again. /Shan

Brandy Cassis

Take 1.5 oz brandy, 1 oz lemon juice, and a dash of creme de cassis. Shake with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I find this drink to be strangely sour. Shannon wonders whether I put the "right amount of acid" in this. She claims it is sour patch kid sour. I tend to agree. So if you like sour, you should like this drink.

Brandied Madeira

Take 1 ounce of brandy, 1 ounce of madeira, and half an ounce of dry vermouth. Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass over ice cubes.

--

Shannon here. Chris says it's bad, but not as bad as he was expecting. He thinks the ice probably helps a good deal.

Mainly, I just want to know why madeira consistently tastes like sweat. Seriously.

Bosom Caresser

Shake an ounce of brandy, an ounce of Madeira and half an ounce of triple sec with ice and call it A Bosom Caresser. Actual bosom caressing optional.

Chris says he tastes primarily the triple sec. Given his predilection for triple sec in general, he’s a fan of the old B.C.

I’ve been much happier to drink brandy this chapter, but the combination with Madeira here is dreadful. No matter how much triple sec you add, there’s no escaping the nauseating wine. I like bosom caressing as much as the next girl (more?) but I’m turning this caress down.

Betsy Ross

From Friday:

Take one and a half ounces of brandy, one and a half ounces of port and a dash of triple sec. Stir with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This drink is at least an appealing ruby color. Chris took his first sip without comment. “The first taste was heinous, but it’s starting to grow on me.” This does not bode well for me at all.

Full-body shudder. Not only does it have a very medicinal taste up front, but it finishes with notes of sweat.

Bombay Cocktail

Also from Friday:

Take half an ounce of dry vermouth, half an ounce of sweet vermouth, an ounce of brandy, a quarter teaspoon of anisette and a half a teaspoon of triple sec. Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This drink is truly bizarre. It almost tastes savory in an indiscernible way.

Chris says he doesn’t taste anything and that all he gets is a whiff of anisette. Maybe that’s a better description of this cocktail.

Even despite its strange taste of nothingness, we are agreed that this drink far surpasses Betsy Ross.

Apple Brandy Rickey

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the juice of half a lime, one and a half ounces of apple brandy, and then fill with club soda. Leave the lime in the glass.

Being without actual limes, we did not leave the lime in the glass. I wonder if this made a difference because the lime taste was largely hidden. Actually, so was the apple brandy. It tasted a lot like club soda, which is probably why Shannon liked it.

Apple Brandy Sour

Shake two ounces apple brandy, the juice of half a lemon, and half a teaspoon of powdered sugar and strain into a sour glass.



I like this drink, but I happen to be a fairly sour fellow. If I had not made the drink myself, I would have had no idea that there was any apple brandy in it. Shannon thought this drink was ok, in spite of the fact it tasted like sulfuric acid.

Apple Brandy Highball

Pour two ounces of apple brandy over ice into a highball glass. Fill with club soda. This drink can also be made with ginger ale instead of club soda.

Shannon and I both agree this that drink is better than the apple brandy cocktail. It tastes like a more highly carbonated hard cider.

Apple Brandy Cocktail

Take one and a half ounces of apple brandy, one teaspoon of grenadine, and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

It's not bad, but I can't quite put my finger on what I'm tasting. The apple and lemon flavors are engaged in outright war on my palette.

Shannon reaction was negative. She thinks it smelled better than it tasted.

We need to give a special shout-out to Kim, Dawn, and Steve for procuring this apple brandy for us. Many thanks.

While we are on the topic of the apple brandy, we should note that it is impossible to find true apple brandy anymore. We are using a product known as Applejack. It is 35% apple brandy and 65% grain neutral spirits. They claim that George Washington was a fan. Somehow I doubt that.

Bee Stinger

The bee stinger is half an ounce of creme de menthe and an ounce and a half of blackberry flavored brandy. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Shannon thinks it tastes like Aim, as in the toothpaste. This isn't exactly bad, but it isn't great either.

Guest judge Kerry thinks it is quite good.

I think it is ok, but perhaps a little heavy on the mint. It was the end of the bottle of creme de menthe, so it might not have been perfectly proportioned.

Apricot Fizz

Take the juice of half a lemon and half a lime, 2 oz apricot flavored brandy, and 1 tsp powdered sugar and shake with ice. Strain into a highball glass over two ice cubes and fill with club soda.

Shannon likes this drink and notes that now that we are no longer in the bourbon chapter she does not shrink in fear from the drinks we are making.

I think this drink is ok, but perhaps a little too sweet. This might have to do with my rather inexact measurement of the powdered sugar.

Due to the high number of ingredients required for the brandy chapter, you will probably notice a little more deviation from alphabetical order than in the last chapter. Since it is economically unfeasible to simply buy a whole bar at once we will be jumping around as we add bottles to our stash.

Apricot Cooler

Dissolve 1/2 tsp of powdered sugar in 2 oz club soda in a collins glass. Add ice and 2 oz apricot flavored brandy. Enjoy. This drink can also be made with ginger ale instead of club soda, but we do not currently have any ginger ale on hand.

The first thing I noticed about this drink was how the powdered sugar caused the club soda to fizz. The effect was good, but the ultimate outcome less so. I find this drink to be a little too sweet. Shannon thinks it tastes ok, but vaguely like medicine, but that could be because she has been taking medicine more or less nonstop for the past two days.

Apricot Brandy Rickey

Take the juice of half lime and 2 oz Apricot Brandy. Pour over ice into a highball glass, then fill with club soda.

This drink is quite tasty. Almost like apricot soda. I think, however, I may have added too much club soda.

Shannon loves it. It is her favorite drink in the whole project so far. She says it smells/tastes a little like coconut and she could drink it forever.

American Beauty

Take 1 tbsp Orange Juice, 1 tbsp Grenadine, 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth, 1/2 oz Brandy, 1/4 tsp Creme de Menthe (White), shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top it off with a dash of port. Per our previous post, we substituted Creme de Menthe (Green).

This drink has a muted red brick look. It tastes much better. We are both of the opinion that brandy makes some fine mixed drinks.

Shannon: "It's a tasty bugger." She was not expecting mint to mix well with these ingredients, but she admits to being wrong. She wouldn't want to drink a tall glass of this, but in the smaller cocktail size it is quite good.

Alexander Cocktail No. 2

Take 1 oz Creme de Cacao (White), 1 oz Brandy, and 1 oz light cream. Shake with ice and serve. Due to my lactose intolerance I will be sitting this one out. The reader should also be aware that we substituted Creme de Cacao (Brown) and half and half for the light cream.

Shannon' s first reaction was "Ooooooohhhh. This is a delight! I am going to drink this all the time." Her second reaction was "I'm a big fan. What else can I say?"

After Dinner Cocktail

We begin the brandy chapter with the after dinner cocktail.

Take one ounce of apricot flavored brandy, one ounce of triple sec, and the juice of one lime. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This drink is rather good. The lime juice and triple sec mellow out the brandy, but allow the apricot flavor to come through.

Shannon was prepared to be immediately repulsed. (Perhaps it was all that bourbon). She is happy to report that in spite of the strong initial taste of alcohol, the drink is rather pleasant with a nice apricot flavor.

Bourbon Roundup

Well, we finally finished the chapter on bourbon. But before we move on to brandy, some final thoughts.

My favorite drink in this chapter was the coffee old fashioned. It was a really interesting concept and tasted quite good. My least favorite was probably the creole lady.

Shannon's favorite drinks were the Americana and the Thoroughbred Cooler. Her love of champagne and refreshing drinks comes through in this choice. Her least favorites were bourbon on the rocks and the creole lady.

The moral of the story: don't drink creole ladies.

We missed out on four drinks from this chapter due to missing ingredients: Brighton Punch (Benedictine), Kentucky Colonel Cocktail (Benedictine), Magnolia Maiden (Mandarine Napoleon), and Southern Lady (Creme de Noyaux). Before the project is finished we promise to return to these missing drinks.

Bring on the Brandy!

Trilby Cocktail

Take 1.5 oz bourbon, .75 oz sweet vermouth, and two dashes of oranage bitters. Shake with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. Being unable to obtain orange bitters, I substituted regular bitters.

Shannon thinks the sweet vermouth saves it by giving it a nice finish. Nonetheless it has a sandpapery feel like that of hair spray.

I think it is okay, but perhaps could use a little less vermouth.

And thus ends the bourbon chapter.

Thoroughbred Cooler

Pour 1 oz bourbon, 1 oz sour mix, and 1 oz orange juice over ice into a highball glass. Fill with lemon-lime soda. Add a dash of grenadine.

This beverage is quite tasty and, as you might have noticed, not very alcoholic. Shannon thinks it is appropriately named because it is quite refreshing.

Stiletto

To make the stiletto pour 1.5 oz bourbon, 1.5 tsp amaretto, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon over ice into an old fashioned glass. Stir and serve.

Perhaps I miscalculated the amount of juice in half a lemon, but the lemon taste really seems to overpower the rest of this drink much to its detriment.

Shannon shivered upon tasting this drink. She agrees with my assertion on the overly lemony taste of this drink.

Southern Peach

From Saturday:

Start with a hurricane glass full of ice. Pour 1/8 oz. grenadine over the ice, then add 1.5 oz bourbon. Meanwhile pour 2 oz. orange juice, 2 oz. sour mix, and 1 oz peach schnapps into a blender and blend well. Slowly pour the mixture into the glass.

Shannon despises this drink. She says it is so weird and sweet and fruity. On first taste I certainly agreed. The peach schnapps seemed to overwhelm everything else. On second taste it wasn’t quite so bad, but it still wasn’t good.

Southern Belle

To make this drink pour 1.25 oz Tennessee Whiskey, .75 oz Triple Sex, 8 oz Pineapple Juice, and 2 oz Orange Juice over ice into a tall glass. Add a dash of Grenadine and stir once.

This beverage is absolutely delightful. The flavors interact very well with each other, but there is no one overly dominant flavor.

Shannon says it is her favorite drink so far. She does not even notice the taste of alcohol. In fact, she claims that she will actually finish this drink.

Red Raider

Also from Thursday:

The Red Raider consists of an ounce of bourbon, half an ounce of triple sec, an ounce of lemon juice and a dash of grenadine. Shake with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. This drink both looks and tastes like pink lemonade.

Shannon also likes it. It contains just enough lemon juice to contain the bitter burn of the bourbon.

Mike likes the drink, but disagrees with Shannon in that the lemon juice cuts the bourbon enough to make it palatable, but lets the taste of the bourbon shine through.

Red Hot Passion

From Thursday:

Take .5 oz bourbon, .5 oz amaretto, .5 oz Southern Comfort, .25 oz sloe gin and pour them into a hurricane glass full of ice. Top off with a dash of triple sec, a dash of orange juice, and a dash of pineapple juice.

I think this drink is delightful. It looks like red Gatorade and has a similar taste. Shannon also liked it a lot, even if it is a little syrupy. Far superior to bourbon and sugar. At least it has a nice finish.

Guest judge Mike also thinks a little syrupy, but is rather refreshing.

The Pen Dennis Toddy

Muddle one cube of sugar and a teaspoon of water. Add two ounces of bourbon.

Unsurprisingly, Chris says it tastes like sweetened bourbon. Which he seems to like.

Prediction for me: I will not like it. In fact: I hate it.

PS - Nancy Snyderman is telling me RIGHT NOW that even one drink a day could increase my chances for "certain types of cancer." Thanks.

The Nevins (extra-hold)

Mr. Boston says to take 1.5 ounces bourbon and add 1.5 teaspoons of apricot-flavored brandy, a tablespoon of grapefruit juice, 1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice and a dash of bitters.

Chris called the drink powerful, but enjoyed it nonetheless. He said it was very citrusy.

I found this drink to taste the way I imagine hairspray would. Breathtakingly acidic, but pleasant-smelling.

The Narragansett

To make the Narragansett, take an ounce and a half of bourbon and add an ounce and a half of sweet vermouth and a dash of anisette. Stir in an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.

Chris says, "For a drink in which every element contains alcohol, this drinks tastes remarkably nonalcoholic." I think my palate will be the judge of that. "It has a nice, sweet taste," he says. "And I thought Narragansett was just a beer."

I agree that the drink tastes less alcoholic thann some of the others, and that it's surprisingly sweet. I'm sure it's the sweet vermouth saving me from total revulsion.

The Louisville Lady

To make this feminine cocktail, mix an ounce of bourbon with .75 ounces creme de cacao (white) and .75 ounces cream (for which we substituted half-and-half).

It is quite fitting that this is a Ms. drink, given that Chris can't get anywhere near lactose.

This drink looks like Baileys. Or some kind of kinder kahlua and cream or something. At first it tastes a bit like caramel, but at finish is unmistakably unpleasant. Again, I wonder how I would feel about this drink were we using higher-grade bourbon.

I'll finish this one, but it will take a bit of doing.

Meditation on mint juleps

Chris wrote the beginning of this post, re-pasted here, before the Internet wonked out:

Mr. Boston has two recipes for the Mint Julep, so we made both of them today. To make a Mint Julep muddle 4 sprigs mint, 1 tsp. powdered sugar, and 2 tsps. water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and then add 2.5 oz bourbon.

To make a Mint Julep (Southern Style) dissolve 1 tsp. powdered sugar into 2 tsp. water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with finely shaved ice and add 2.5 oz bourbon. Then stick 6 sprigs of mint in the glass. Serve with a short straw because the point is to smell the mint, not to taste it.

I liked both of these beverages. The traditional mint julep really tastes minty. In the southern style, the scent of mint almost fools you into tasting it.

Chris is doing some "law school" work right now, so I'm left to finish the posting for the evening. I also enjoyed both juleps, and am surprised to report that I actually prefer the southern style. Given my predilection for mojitos, I expected that I would favor the traditional julep. However, the southern style somehow had a sweeter taste and the scent of mint leaves produced a more pleasant aftertaste.

Like so many bourbon drinks before these, I think they would be fantastic in the warm sun.

The Louiville Cooler

To make the Louiville Cooler, I would first recommend not starting the drink at nearly 3 a.m. After that, take one and a half ounces of Bourbon, add an ounce of orange juice, an ounce of lime juice nad a teaspoon of powdered sugar.

Crooney just declared the verdict "heinous" but quickly added that he'd just brushed his teeth. Our friend Mike is spending the night on the couch, and he said his taste was exactly what he expected, based on the ingredients. His assessment was slightly more kind than Chris's.

I'll say this: it's really ugly and muddy looking, and it tastes like acidic bourbon with an aftertaste of strange powdered sugar. You can't be surprised to hear that I hate it. Hate. It.

Also. Why is this called the Louiville Cooler? Anyone?

The Limestone (aka, a bourbon collins)

Fill a collins glass with ice. Add an ounce and a half of bourbon. Fill with collins mix. Add lime juice to taste. Try to understand why this is called The Limestone rather than a bourbon collins. Fail.

For our purposes, Chris has decided that "to taste" shall be equivalent to "one squirt" from our trusty lime juice.

Speaking of fail, before purchasing our $6 bottle of collins mix from Superfresh, we tried to find a recipe online. Copious googling yielded a story from the BBC announcing that unless you're a member of the royal family, you won't be getting a fresh collins mix. Apparently the recipe is that well guarded. Luckily, Holland House has created a collins mix. For those of you interested in recreating it, you'll just need some high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, sodium nitrate, natural flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), gum acacia, polysorbate 60 and sodium metabisulfite (preservative). FYI: Holland House mixes are produced by Mott's! The more you know!

Chris has just yelled from the kitchen that this drink is very sweet. Indeed, I now have diabetes myself.

Might be (more) enjoyable on a very hot summer day. When there is nothing else available to drink.

Kentucky Cocktail

To make the Kentucky Cocktail take 1.5 oz bourbon, .75 oz pineapple juice, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. It tastes pretty much how it sounds. Since I like pineapple juice and I like bourbon, I like this drink. I am, however, confused as to why it is called the Kentucky Cocktail. What does pineapple have to do with Kentucky?

Shannon had high hopes for this drink, but said it tastes like perfume must taste like if one were to drink it. I had to seek clarification that that was, in fact, a negative review.

Jocose Julep

Shannon and I did some food shopping today, so we are circling back to the Jocose Julep. This delightful concoction starts with 2.5 oz bourbon, 0.5 oz creme de menthe, 1 oz lime juice, 1 tsp sugar and 5 chopped mint leaves. Mix these ingredients in a blender, pour into a collins glass full of ice, and top it off with club soda.

I should say at the outset that I half-assed this drink. I neither chopped the mint, nor used the blender. The blender is difficult to get at and I just did not feel like chopping mint.

Anyway, the drink isn't bad. It is pretty minty, and I like mint. The club soda gives it smoothness, but you can still taste that sweet, sweet bourbon in the aftertaste. It is a great drink, but a pain to make.

Shannon also really likes it, but thinks it is really strange nonetheless. In spite of the popularity of the mint julep, she does not think bourbon and mint intuitively go together, but it works.

Kiss on the Lips

Tonight's first beverage is called the Kiss on the Lips. To make it simply pour two ounces of bourbon and six ounces of apricot nectar over ice into a collins glass. While it does have an eponymous taste, it isn't bad. However, having had no prior experience with apricot nectar, I cannot tell you how these tastes interact.

Shannon thinks it is offensive to look at, but it is not bad. She also thinks that she getting both used to and tired of bourbon. She could get used to this drink, muddy as it looks, because of the way it smooths out the bourbon.

You may note a little jumping around in the order in the next few days. That is because we have not yet had the chance to go get mint leaves, which are required for some drinks. Rest assured, we will get to all those juleps, just not tonight.

The Kentucky Blizzard

Mr. Boston says this drink requires an ounce and a half of bourbon, an ounce and a half of cranberry juice, half an ounce of lime juice, half an ounce of grenadine and a teaspoon of sugar.

Despite its rather appealing red color, Chris just declared, "It's awful!"

Kerry volunteered to taste this one and just as quickly announced that it was her favorite so far (not that it was difficult to beat the Creole Lady...).

I'm also a fan of this drink. It's a bit like Sour Patch Kids mixed with Hawaiian Punch. And bourbon.

We'll be back to alphabetical order tomorrow with The Jocose Julep (real talk: we were interested in doing a second drink tonight but didn't have the Julep's required mint leaves).

The Gentleman's Cocktail

Start with 1.5 oz bourbon, add 0.5 oz brandy, and 0.5 oz creme de menthe. Pour over ice into a highball glass and fill with club soda.

As a gentleman, I thought I would really enjoy this cocktail. However, I found it to be rather boring. The various tastes involved largely neutralized each other. The only recognizable taste is the creme de menthe and it is rather weak. It does have a delightful green color, however.

Shannon thinks it is just this blandness that appeals to her. The club soda and creme de menthe minimize the bite of the bourbon, which by now you should realize I do not enjoy. The part of this drink she enjoys the most is the color as well.

This drink also marks a milestone for the project. Today we started our second bottle of bourbon, marking the first bottle of booze completely consumed by the project.

The Dixie Whiskey Cocktail

Back to Mr. B. after a big weekend....

Take 2 oz. bourbon, 1 dash bitters, .25 tsp triple sec, .5 tsp. creme de menthe (white), and .5 tsp. powdered sugar. Mix with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I like this cocktail. You still taste the bourbon, but the powdered sugar and creme de menthe make it minty and sweet. Shannon, however, thinks it is especially foul.

Once again we substituted an ingredient. Since we had green creme de menthe on hand we used that instead. Wikipedia assured us that the only difference is color. The bilious look of the finished product made me understand why the clear version is the preferred one.

This recipe also confused me a little. According to the conversion chart at the beginning of Mr. Boston, 1 dash is .25 teaspoon. Why one item would be listed as one dash and one as .25 tsp. in the same recipe is beyond me.

The Dixie Julep

This drink requires one teaspoon of powdered sugar and two and a half ounces of bourbon. Apparently you mix the drinks in a Collins glass, and then fill with crushed ice. Then stir, until the glass frosts.

For our purposes, this involved Chris banging some ice until we got a hint of frosting. Fine, I say. Not enough frosting in the world to make this drink sound appealing anyway.

Chris has already let me know I will probably not enjoy this drink. Shocker! His review was somewhat uncommittal: It tastes like slightly sweeter bourbon.

Slightly sweeter bourbon is still not really my idea of a decent drink, sadly. Vom.

Simpleton syrup

Several of the drinks to come require some quantity of simple syrup, so we thought it might be worth a separate entry here.

To mix up your own simple syrup at home, warm 13 ounces of water in a saucepan. Gradually mix in 16 ounces of granulated sugar. Do not allow the water to come to a boil, as too much will burn off. Just warm the water enough to dissolve the sugar.

Daisy Dueller

For this Mr. Boston specialty, mix one and a half ounces of Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels), one and a half teaspoons of lemon juice, one and a half teaspoons of simple syrup and several drops of Cointreau. Mix them together, then pour into a highball glass over ice. Fill the glass with club soda.

Chris tried this drink first and declared immediately that perhaps he'd mixed in too much club soda. Upon further consideration, "it's actually rather delightful," he reported.

Despite its unappealing hue, I would concur that the drink is rather tasty (or that I'm tired of bourbon and welcomed the Jack respite).

We should also note here that we did not, in fact, use proper Cointreau. Instead, the Internet told us that Cointreau is really just triple sec. So we used the triple sec in my bar. Middling as it may be.

Creole Lady (Miss Creole Lady if ya nasty)

Let me be honest: this lady is a bitch.

I don't know if it's the madeira (our only new ingredient), or what, but this drink has a very ... distinctive aftertaste. At first, the Creole tastes like your average bitter bourbon drink. But about five or six seconds after you sip, there is an overwhelming aftertaste. An aftertaste Chris did not recognize ... but that I did.

To be sure that I was tasting what I thought I was tasting, I sacrificed myself to the tune of two more sips (cleansing my palate with an antiseptic Shirley Temple). And to be extra sure, I convinced my roommate Kerry to sip as well. She confirmed my ugly suspicions.

Ladies (and gentlemen): avoid at all costs.

There is definitely a hippo in store for me later.

Creole Lady

This beverage is made up of 1.5 oz bourbon, 1.5 oz madeira, and 1 tsp grenadine. Stir with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. Mr. Boston suggests garnishing with one red and one green cherry, but we declined. All I can say is that this drink was not nearly as bad as I was expecting, but still pretty bad.

I like coffee

I was anticipating a big cup of gross here (Sanka! with bitters!), but was very pleasantly surprised. As Chris said, this essentially tastes like alcoholic iced coffee (decaffeinated instant and all). I'm left wondering what this would taste like with something creamy added in -- I don't usually drink my coffee black.

Well done, Mr. B.

The Coffee Old Fashioned

This is an interesting drink. Start with 1.5 tsp. instant coffee mix. (We used Sanka- close enough). Dissolve this in half a cup of water. Add 2 tsp. powdered sugar, 2 dashes bitters, 1 oz bourbon, and 2 oz club soda. Then pour into an old fashioned glass full of ice.

I really liked this drink. It tastes like iced coffee with a hint of bourbon. I probably won't keep instant coffee on hand so I can enjoy it, but it's not bad.

Chapel Hill

The Chapel Hill is similar to the Basin Street, but the proportions are slightly different. The Chapel Hill contains 1.5 oz bourbon, 0.5 oz triple sec, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. The taste, however, is not that different. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about. Shannon would refer the reader to her review of the Basin Street.

Skipping

Our goal in this project was to go through the guide in order. Unfortunately this is not possible. For those of you following at home, you may realize that we skipped the Brighton Punch. This is because obtaining Benedictine liqueur in Pennsylvania is prohibitively expensive. We do intend, before this project is finished, to obtain these hard to find bottles and make these drinks. But we can't go quite in order.

For those of you who are wondering, my birthday is June 25.

Bull and Bear It

The Bull and Bear requires an ounce and a half of bourbon, three quarters of an ounce of orange curacao, a tablespoon of grenadine and the juice of a half of a lime (which the Internet has told us is equivalent to one tablespoon). When we realized how impossible it would be to find orange curacao in Pennsylvania (boo), the Internet also helpfully informed us that orange and blue curacao are the same,. Crazy, but true. So for our purposes, this drink looks a lot like ink.

It tastes remarkably better. Maybe it was the amethyst coloring, but I can't help but think of Dimetapp with a bite. You can still taste a hint of the bourbon, but it is masked well by the curacao and grenadine.

Three quotes from Chris:

I really think triple sec and curacao make everything taste better.

You can go ahead and say that I concurr with your post. I see no reason to publish twice on this.

I've always thought Dimetapp tasted the best of all the medicines.

My Buddy (Wherever you go, I'm not going)

I assumed this drink was going to taste like your standard cocktail dregs -- a taste of alchohol with a lot of melted ice. Unfortunately, what this managed to still taste like was bourbon. There was just enough water so that this drink wasn't biting, but not enough to make me forget what I was drinking.

I'd like to do a shout-out here to Kinder Happy Hippos, the most delicious candy on Earth. When I have an especially gross drink ahead of me, I like to reward myself with a Happy Hippo afterward. Highly recommended. Unlike My Buddy.

Buddy's Favorite

Buddy's Favorite is a twist on bourbon and water. It is 1.5 oz of bourbon and 6 oz. of cold water. Mix and serve. No ice. I did not notice an appreciable difference between Buddy's Favorite and Bourbon and Water.

Bourbon on Barack(s)

As Chris has already referenced, there is a certain similarity between the presidential press conference tonight and this drink.

That is to say, I knew both were coming, and I figured neither would be especially pleasant.

Though I am hardly a bourbon afficianado, I can't help but wonder if my revulsion here would be tempered by something a little higher grade than Evan Williams. I don't know how to describe the taste of bourbon on the rocks, other than to say that it is liquified, artifically sweet smoke that numbs the tongue. Evan is not my friend.

Bourbon on the Rocks

It is what it sounds like. Either you like the taste of bourbon or not. Bourbon is not my favorite of the brown liquors. Canadian, Irish, or Scotch whiskey are more my speed. So you won't see me drinking bourbon on the rocks very much. But I probably like it more than Shannon.

On a side note, this drink just seems appropriate to be drinking during the current presidential news conference.

Good Luck Chuck

Maybe I'm getting used to the taste of bourbon, but I enjoyed both of these drinks. They seem more appropriate for the summer, but that's not stopping me from enjoying the remnants of this highball (ginger ale) right now. Still not looking forward to bourbon on the rocks, though.

I've been looking for a grown-up drink to order at weddings and the club soda version seems just the thing. It's smooth enough that you can have several without wincing, but dry enough to still feel somewhat sophisticated. This is especially apropros since we have between five and six weddings to look forward to between now and my birthday. The ginger ale version tastes more like a bar drink and makes me wish I was sitting on someone's porch.

Bourbon Highball

Mr. Boston has two recipes for a bourbon highball. Both involve 2 oz. of bourbon, ice, and a highball glass. The only difference is in one you fill up the glass with club soda and in the other you fill up the glass with ginger ale. So we made one of each.

I liked both drinks. The club soda highball is a great cocktail. You drink it at a nicer bar when you want to drink alcohol. The taste of the bourbon comes through. The ginger ale highball is a drink. It masks the taste of the bourbon much more and goes farther to quench your thirst. Whether I would make one recipe or the other would depend on my mood at the time.

Gross.

Either I can't get past the taste of the bourbon, or this cold is worse than I originally thought, because I can't really sense a huge difference among most of these drinks.

That said, my initial yell of disgust at the Bourbon Cobbler was genuine. This tastes like lemony bourbon. Which is to say -- to me -- not good.

Bourbon Cobbler

Two drinks today since we were out last night. The Bourbon Cobbler consists of 2.5 oz of bourbon, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. grapefruit juice, and 1.5 tsp. almond extract. Mix the ingredients in a "mixing glass" then pour over ice into a highball glass.

Out of all the drinks consumed thus far, this one masks the taste of the bourbon better than any. I'm interested to see what Shannon thinks, but it is too sweet for me. I also think it is just weird to have almond extract in a drink.

Bourbon and Water

That's right, there is an actual entry in Mr. Boston for bourbon and water. According to Mr. B., a true bourbon and water is 2 oz. bourbon and 4 oz. water, pour them into a collins glass and then add ice.

Shannon says this was the drink she feared the most in this chapter. However, it's not as vile as she anticipated. She wonders if it would be less abrasive with better quality bourbon, but maybe that is just what bourbon is supposed to taste like.

Personally, I don't see a point to bourbon and water. Bourbon on the rocks is more my drink. Either you like the taste of bourbon or not. And I do.

Not enough creme

Contrary to what Chris says, I think the ValC tastes rather like alcohol. Which is saying something, considering that I've had some sangria just before embarking on this paricular Mr. B tasting.

Like the rest of these beverages, I started out by being repulsed and then took a few more careful sips before realizing that it wasn't unimbibable. Just pretty strong.

I miss the Americana.

Bourbon a la Creme

This delightful concoction consists of two ounces of bourbon, an ounce of creme de cacao (brown) and 1-2 vanilla beans. Mix the ingredients together with ice and then refrigerate for one hour.

I really like this drink as well. You can still taste the bourbon, but the cocoa and vanilla flavors also add to the palate. Every liquid ingredient is alcoholic, yet it does not have the overpowering alcohol taste of straight alcohol.

On a side note, this was my first experience with vanilla beans. They are about 6 inches long and really hard to find. I had to go to a specialty spice shop in Reading Terminal Market to find them and they cost $4.00 each. That makes this drink, by far the most expensive.

If you decide to try this one at home, leaving the drink in the fridge for an hour is really important. It takes a while for the vanilla flavor to permeate, if you drink it right away you will have wasted your expenditure on the vanilla beans. Also, even in the fridge some of the ice will melt. This helps if you are using low-grade bourbon.

Skulking Down Basin Street

As Shannon alluded to in her post, this is my favorite drink yet. Triple sec and lemon juice is a great way to take the edge off harsher alcohols.

For those of you who were wondering why there was no entry yesterday, it's because we were on a Boston project of a different kind, watching the Celtics beat the Sixers 100-99 on a 3 point shot from Ray Allen with 0.5 seconds left. Needless to say, I was more pleased with this outcome than Shannon.

The Basin Street

Chris has just finished mixing up The Basin Street, and is already declaring it his favorite so far.

This concoction required two ounces of bourbon, an ounce of triple sec, and an ounce of lemon juice. From afar, it looks somewhat like iced tea.

Upon tasting, the similarity to iced tea isn't too far off. A lot stronger than your average iced tea, but the lemon juice makes it rather tasty. I'd say this is a success.

I'm a patriot

Despite Chris's warnings about "too much champagne," I am going to go out on a limb and say this will be my favorite drink in the bourbon chapter. This is mainly because my world does not involve the phrase "too much champagne."

Big fan.

Bitters

Before reading Mr. Boston I had no idea what bitters were. It is a fairly potent (90-100 proof) liqueur used in small quantities (a dash or two) in a variety of old-school drinks. Being in Pennsylvania, all the liquor stores are owned by the state. Our local liquor store does not carry bitters, so I had to journey into center city today to obtain my bottle of bitters. Maybe some day I'll be able to tell the difference between a drink with a dash of bitters and a drink without, but that day is not here yet.

Americana

Today's drink is the Americana. Take 1/4 ounce (2 tsp) of tennessee whiskey, 1/2 tsp of sugar, and 1-2 dashes (1/4 tsp-1/2 tsp) of bitters. Mix in a collins glass until sugar is dissolved, then fill with chilled champagne.

I enjoyed this drink thoroughly, however, I must add one caveat. Since we do not have any collins glasses I made this drink in a pint glass. I estimated how much to fill based on my nearly non-existent knowledge of collins glasses. So it is possible that I added too much champagne.

Anyway, I thought the drink was delightful. It tasted like champagne with a hint of caramel in it.

Diving into the Allegheny

Alcohol without mixers -- or, alcohol as was originally intended, according to The New Yorker -- is going to take some getting used to.

Despite my intial reaction, which was to yell in disgust (not entirely rare for me), the drink is not terrible. Though I will stand by my theory that the blackberry brandy is contributing to a somewhat unpleasant medicinal aftertaste.

That said, I am watching the Super Bowl under blankets and with the beginning stages of a cold. So maybe bourbon and the Boss will prove to be helpful.

The Allegheny

It's halftime at the Super Bowl and Pittsburgh is playing. What better way to start the Mr. Boston Project than with the Allegheny. Mr. Boston says to mix one ounce bourbon, one ounce dry vermouth, 1.5 teaspoons blackberry flavored brandy, and 1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice. Serve in a cocktail glass (also known as a martini glass).

I made this drink at 1.5 times the suggested amounts due to Shannon's anticipated negative reaction. As she told me before her first sip "the difference is you like alcohol, I like getting drunk."

As suspected, I think the drink is ok, in spite of the relatively low-grade bourbon employed (Evan Williams). It tastes a little like alcoholic apple juice.

The Mr. Boston Project

Ten years ago my mother bought me the Mr. Boston Official Bartender's and Party Guide for Christmas. This delightful and old school mixing guide contains over 1200 recipies for alcoholic beverages. One day recently my lovely girlfriend and I decided to make and drink every single drink in the guide in the order in which they appear. Unfortunately, my lactose intolerance may prevent my full participation, but over the next four years or so you, gentle reader, can expect a review of every single one of Mr. Boston's delightful concoctions.