The Optimist and The Pessimist get together on New Year's Eve. The Pessimist says, "Man, last year was so bad that 2017 can't be much worse." And The Optimist says, "Oh yes it can!" Yes, 2016 sucked dead moose balls, but we have a brand new President now, so how bad can next year be? (See BLOG entry for December 29, 2016: Embrace the Darkness: A Drink (& Video) to Get Us Through the Coming Apocalypse) Bid 2016 adieu with this festive champagne cocktail to celebrate getting rid of anything bad! GET LOST & GOOD RIDDANCE 1 Sugar Cube 2 or 3 dashes of Hella Bitters Orange bitters splash of Cointreau Moët et Chandon Champagne Place the Sugar Cube in the bottom of an elegant flute glass, th
A dark and bitter drink for these dark and bitter times. Sure, we’ll probably survive and it won’t be the Apocalypse, but whatever darkness descends, this drink will help get us through it. With one of the most delicious Rye Whiskies: Catoctin Creek, from Virginia. Add to that, the amari Campari and Averna, the American earthiness of Root Liqueur, the piquant bite of The Bitter Truth Celery bitters (with a lemon twist). After two of these salutary elixirs, things don’t look so bad. After three, happy days are here again! Click on link to watch the video from KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE: "EMBRACE THE DARKNESS" "My advice to you is to start drinking heavily." A checkered tie, to go along with
Every year it’s the same. Football season comes around and the New York Jets get our hopes up for a moment and then dash them miserably. This is a green cocktail for long-suffering Jets fans. It’s sour with lots of alcohol, but it still tastes good (because we never give up hope). With six different liquors and liqueurs, grapefruit bitters, Shrub District cocktail vinegar, and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Maybe next year… Click on the link below to watch the video in KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE and go back to 1968... "The Jets Suck Again" Yes, that's a lime garnish shaped like a football! The Jets green, and lots of liquor for a long losing season... Why didn't I root for the Giants??? How every
One of the most tragic and disturbing sports stories of recent times is the epic rise and ignominious fall of Lance Armstrong.* If integrity is the bedrock upon which our character rests, then this former hero ended up as a Bond villain**, and one of the greatest cheats in sports history. With this in mind, I offer to you a new cocktail inspired by this thing we can’t buy, this gift we give to ourselves: integrity. Without it, we are lost. With it, we are a true human being. *Watch the new film about this called The Program **photo art: Josh Buckland THE UNASSAILABLE GIFT OF INTEGRITY 1 part Salignac Cognac 1 part Ramazzotti Liqueur ½ part Galliano L’Autentico ¼ part Nocello Walnut Li
“There’s too much hell and not enough heaven.” —Kevin Kunundrum Ain’t it the truth. Not that I hate the holidays or anything. So with that in mind, here’s a lovely, sparkly, shimmering Christmas cocktail to get you through till New Years. Always merry and bright… MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS (Clear Variation*) 1½ parts Effen Vodka ½ part Chambord 1/3 part Goldschläger ¼ part Aperitivo Cocchi Americano ¾ part Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale splash of Absinthe splash of Vanilla Extract dash of Peychaud’s bitters Shake everything but the Ginger Ale over ice, then stir in Ginger Ale. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry and Humbug. *So clear you c
I've been Impressionistified! Inspired by Claude Monet’s painting that gave birth to the name “Impressionism”, its beauty and color is reflected in the drink itself. And it tastes as good as it looks, with Broker’s London Dry Gin, Blue Curaçao, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, fresh-squeezed Lemon juice, and Fee Brothers Rhubarb bitters, with a round of Mandarin Orange peel that looks like a floating sun. See the making of this lovely drink in the KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE video... "Impression Sunrise" And check out the BLOG entry for November 10, 2016: "A Beautiful Cocktail Inspired By Claude Monet's Painting" where this drink originated! LOVE the bowler hat! (See The Unbearable Lightness of Bein
Michelangelo Antonioni, the visionary Italian film director, released his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents" in the early 1960s. With three films, L’Avventura, La Notte, and L’Eclisse, he "redefined the concept of narrative cinema and challenged traditional approaches to storytelling, realism, drama, and the world at large.” He produced "enigmatic and intricate mood pieces" and rejected action in favor of contemplation, focusing on image and design over character and story, defining a "cinema of possibilities”.* My kinda guy! Which brings me to this BLOG entry. You may recall from my cocktail video “Marcello’s Cigarette Hangs Just Right From His Lips” that “scaffa” is part of the n
The actress who played Vesper Lynd in the wonderful James Bond movie Casino Royale, Eva Green, has a fraternal twin, younger by a few minutes. So I’m imagining that “Vesper Lynd" also has a twin sister, but one who is identical. And this fantasy was the inspiration for my take on the famous “Vesper Martini” (see Retro Cocktail for August, 2016: The Vesper Martini). “The Vesper” is one of the most potent drinks in cocktail culture, with three parts Gin, one part Vodka, and three-fourths part Aperitivo Cocchi Americano. The only thing to get in the way of you and the alcohol is the diluted ice (from shaking not stirring) and a long lemon peel. Which is why it stretches credulity, even for Ja
An informal gathering where I discuss the attributes, the pros and cons, of some of the most popular coffee liqueurs… Tia Maria The smell of coffee is not up front but in the distance, providing us with that element of mystery. According to the label on the back of the bottle, Tia Maria Liqueur dates back to the 17th century (or XVII century), although on the front label it says “Since 1947” (more mystery). Made originally in Jamaica, and now made who knows where (Wikipedia was no help, and Tia Maria's website was down), that first sip is, well, sublime, with a gentle, elegant finish. This stuff is GOOD. As far as coffee liqueurs go, this is my favorite, on the rocks or neat. Really good. S
Just in time for holiday merrymaking, my Espresso Martini. Four of these will make you pass out AND keep you awake all night, simultaneously! EL EXIGENTE APPROVES (Espresso Martini) 1½ parts Belvedere Vodka 1½ parts Grind Espresso Shot Liqueur ¼ part Tuaca splash of fresh-squeezed Tangerine juice Shake over ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with three chocolate-coated espresso beans or shaved dark chocolate. ¡Muy bien! Precioso y delicioso... And please check out my BLOG entry for December 11, 2016: "kevin's kaffee klatsch", where I compare and contrast the most popular Coffee Liqueurs. "Remember, drink responsibly... ¡Sí!
Ernest loved his Gordon's Gin! This drink was inspired by the classic cocktail "AVIATION", and its name was taken from a lyric from a song by Courtney Love’s band HOLE. Like "AVIATION", it is a deep violet color, but it’s more flavorful and delicious, with the addition of St. Germain, Fever-Tree premium Tonic Water, and lime juice. Add to this, a sumptuous fresh blackberry as a garnish. And don’t forget the Rhubarb bitters! (Yes, I DID forget to add the bitters in the video. Mea culpa!) Click on the link to see the video in KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE: "Sky All Violet" YES, I originally made this drink with Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, but switched to Gordon's because it tasted better. And see the Ret
You've all heard of the drink called the “Blue Motorcycle”. Well, I just invented the “RED MOTORCYCLE”! (Fame & fortune coming my way!) While the “Blue Motorcycle” is a take-off of the “Long Island Iced Tea”, my new drink is a high-octane variation of the “Blue Motorcycle”, with Pama Pomegranate Liqueur and Cranberry Ginger Ale giving it its signature red color. The problem I’ve always had with the “Blue Motorcycle”, and Blue Curaçao in general, is Blue Curaçao’s dominant, some might say overbearing, flavor. A little definitely goes a long way. In the “RED MOTORCYCLE”, however, the taste throughout is less sweet, more balanced, with the tang of Pama and the slight sweetness of Cranberry Ging
Its unusual (and gorgeous) amber color suggests something unique and different, and "TREMOLO" is exactly that. With Plymouth Gin and Sweet Vermouth, the bite of Ginger Liqueur and Ginger Ale, the curious combination of cinnamon and lime. Add to this, a pale yellow Rainier Cherry as a garnish. Yum. Click on link below to watch video in KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE! "TREMOLO" Who is that masked man? Wait! That thing he does with the limes... It must be him! ? ? ?
This “Prohibition-Era” cocktail predates Prohibition, as it was on the menu of the Detroit Athletic Club in 1916 for 35 cents. (Gyms used to serve cocktails?!) The recipe itself is a curious testament to the quality of the Gin back then. Four ingredients, all in equal measure. Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, fresh-squeezed Lime juice—all very strong, potent, almost overwhelming—to balance out the questionable quality and taste of the bathtub Gin. Popular for a time, although after Prohibition “The Last Word” fell out of favor, and by the end of WWII, it had all but disappeared. Except for an entry in Ted Saucier’s sexy 1951 cocktail manual: Bottoms Up. (See images above and below.) It
