What's YOUR bartending specialty?

[PALADIN85020]

Many of us have a favorite adult cocktail that we not only enjoy ourselves, but take pride in offering to house guests as an option.

I particularly enjoy a good Manhattan, but what you often get in a restaurant when you ask for it is nothing like the real McCoy. It's usually served in a thimble-size glass, the ingredients are not of the right proportion, and the garnishing cherry often doesn't have a stem for handling it properly.

Here is MY favorite cocktail - the way a Manhattan SHOULD be made.

Start with a regular-sized highball glass. Using a jigger for precise measurement, add these ingredients in the following order:

2 jiggers of a good KENTUCKY Bourbon. For my tastes, Jim Beam mixes well, but you can go up the line to finer stuff if you wish.

1 jigger of Martini and Rossi sweet Vermuth. Don't settle for anything less. This wine makes the drink.

A couple or three drops of Angostura bitters. This gives the drink a very slightly smoky accent that sets it apart from other concoctions.

Two teaspoons of the juice from a jar of Maraschino cherries.

Stir this mixture, and then add ice to the brim of the glass.

Garnish with one STEMMED Maraschino cherry.

Sit down, settle back and enjoy!

Perhaps you have a favorite that you like to prepare?

John

Ingredients

Final product

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Sangria.
I have made Sangria at outdoor parties when folks were drinking it so fast-
I would make another batch, they would yell Pour It Now!
I would say, I need to stir it up.
NO! We want it now!
Just twirl it around as you pour it!

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[nachogrande]

HAVING ALL THE RIGHT STUFF.

A drink can be fine, serve it in a plastic red neck cup and it's garbage. The little things add up to build the whole cocktail IMO. The correct glass, good ice, NOT the cheapo store brand mixers/fruit juice/tonic/ rot gut booze/ etc. My house drink(my invention) the suncoast Godfather: In a shaker full of ice, add 2oz's coconut rum , 1 oz Disarona amaretto, 4 oz orange/tangerine juice. The lady's love it, a bit sweet for more than 1 for me. I like a simple Bombay sapphire gin, schweppes tonic (WITH QUININE), lime wedge. I enjoy a nice drink on occasion, certainly not daily, but do not like being drunk. My homemade limon cello from the freezer served neat is a favorite and my rheumatiz medicine as well.

 

[pawngal]

My copy of Applebee's Perfect Margarita. Shaken in a proper cocktail shaker.

 

[S&WIowegan]

My wife and I go out to dinner fairly often. Iowa is experiencing a significant increase in pretentious restaurants. My favorite drink is a very dry gin Gibson served straight up. A Gibson is simply a martini with cocktail onions instead of olives or lemon twist. Three of four restaurants can't make a Gibson around here.

My wife loves a vodka Gimlet on the rocks. Her luck is better at about 2 of 4 can make one.

The young crowd around here drinks craft beer and box wine.

 

[Targets Guy]

Beer. In a bottle. Twist off cap.

 

[HardlyAble2]

Mine is grand master field tester...

 

[nachogrande]

B+/A-

Many of us have a favorite adult cocktail that we not only enjoy ourselves, but take pride in offering to house guests as an option.

I particularly enjoy a good Manhattan, but what you often get in a restaurant when you ask for it is nothing like the real McCoy. It's usually served in a thimble-size glass, the ingredients are not of the right proportion, and the garnishing cherry often doesn't have a stem for handling it properly.

Here is MY favorite cocktail - the way a Manhattan SHOULD be made.

Start with a regular-sized highball glass. Using a jigger for precise measurement, add these ingredients in the following order:

2 jiggers of a good KENTUCKY Bourbon. For my tastes, Jim Beam mixes well, but you can go up the line to finer stuff if you wish.

1 jigger of Martini and Rossi sweet Vermuth. Don't settle for anything less. This wine makes the drink.

A couple or three drops of Angostura bitters. This gives the drink a very slightly smoky accent that sets it apart from other concoctions.

Two teaspoons of the juice from a jar of Maraschino cherries.

Stir this mixture, and then add ice to the brim of the glass.

Garnish with one STEMMED Maraschino cherry.

Sit down, settle back and enjoy!

Perhaps you have a favorite that you like to prepare?

John

Ingredients

Final product

YOU FORGOT to muddle the orange, tsk tsk. Otherwise spot on. Nice glass too.

 

[UncleEd]

Nyah, nyah Targets Guy,

This one is a toughy, a lot tougher than twisting off the cap on a
beer bottle.

First, fill a small tumbler with ice.
Then fill to brim with a decent Bourbon.

 

[StakeOut]

I'm strictly a dark beer guy or a hoppy lager with dinner sometimes.

Stout,Porter,Double Bock,Black IPA

Most of my guests don't have the taste for good Texas craft beers so I keep some Coors Lite handy for when the need arises.

 

[oneounceload]

Double Jameson neat with an ice water back.
Maybe some Cruzan black strap molasses over a clear ice cube with a squeeze of lime.

Sometimes, simple is best.......

 

[hardcase60]

YOU FORGOT to muddle the orange, tsk tsk. Otherwise spot on. Nice glass too.

No offense but I believe there is some confusion between the Old Fashion and the Manhattan. Most Manhattan recipes don't call for the cherry juice but should compliment the drink. hardcase60

 

[nachogrande]

RIGHT YOU ARE

No offense but I believe there is some confusion between the Old Fashion and the Manhattan. Most Manhattan recipes don't call for the cherry juice but should compliment the drink. hardcase60

I'm not a big whiskey guy, please pardon my mistake. Dad drank both Manhattans & old fashions, it's been a while. I am SO embarrassed.

 

[PALADIN85020]

I'm not a big whiskey guy, please pardon my mistake. Dad drank both Manhattans & old fashions, it's been a while. I am SO embarrassed.

You are forgiven, nacho. I'm reasonably sure that this is the one and only mistake you've made this week, unless your spouse says differently...

John

 

[StakeOut]

Here's proof I'm not much of a whiskey drinker.

I bought the bottle of 17 year old Ballantine's Scotch in 1962 in the PX at the Marine Barracks Guantanamo Bay,Cuba.Still unopened

 

[Rustyt1953]

Double Jameson neat with an ice water back.

Then, there's that.

 

[hardcase60]

I'm not a big whiskey guy, please pardon my mistake. Dad drank both Manhattans & old fashions, it's been a while. I am SO embarrassed.

LOL, Absolutely no need to be embarrassed. It's more of a common mistakes than one would believe. Your dad had excellent taste. hardcase60

 

[JayFramer]

My favorite cocktail to make (and drink!) is the Moscow Mule:

Ginger beer, vodka, lime juice, over ice in a copper mug (or copper plated steel to avoid copper poisoning!) and man is it GOOD. Just so relaxing... to me, it is the perfect cocktail and you just can't go wrong. Everyone I've served it to loves it. Just the best!!

 

[Onomea]

They all sound great to me!