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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.