Cocktails are wonderful things and they are suitable for any occasion: winter, summer, evening or early afternoon. This is just a list of my favorite cocktails, to remind me of all the wonderful options to celebrate and end a perfect day.
Number one cocktail is definitely Espresso martini, too bad it contains coffee, so it is not exactly suitable for the evening. Unless you use decaffeinated coffee, then you are good for any time of day!
- espresso or cold brew coffee – 30 ml
- vodka – 60 ml
- coffee liqueur – 30 ml
- simple syrup – 15 ml
Put everything in a cocktail shaker. Add enough ice to fill the shaker halfway. Shake for about 20 seconds. Pour through a strainer in a martini glass, garnish with coffee beans.
- cognac (brandy) – 30 ml
- cream – 30 ml
- coffee liqueur – 30 ml
Put everything in a cocktail shaker. Add enough ice to fill the shaker halfway. Shake for about 20 seconds. Pour through a strainer in a glass, grind fresh nutmeg on top. You can also add one large icecube, to keep the cocktail cold by the fireplace (unorthodox, but it keeps the cocktail cool).
Professor is definitely one of my favorite ones. The problem is it is rather complex, and I do not make it at home, since I often do not have all the ingredients. It goes like this:
- London Dry Gin – 20 ml
- Vermouth Cocchi Rosso – 25 ml
- Vermouth Noilly Prat Dry – 25 ml
- Shery – 25 ml
- Saline solution – 3 drops
- Bitters – 2 dash
- Absinthe – 1 spray
Just mix all the ingredients (save the absinth) with ice and pour in a glass through a strainer. Add a spray of absinth and – perfect!
There are actually many versions of this cocktail, with different ingredients, only gin is rather common. Another interesting one is this, with much less ingredients:
The winter special is Alexander. Rich and warm, perfect and for the final touch you can use home made cognac. There are several variants, but after years of tasting and validation, this one works perfectly for me.
- Gin – 30 ml
- Campari – 30 ml
- Sweet vermouth – 30 ml
- Coffee liqueur – 10 ml
- Orange slice (as garnish)
For the whiskey lovers (and there is always one nearby) Whiskey smash is a classic. Fresh and refreshing, a real uplifting kick to a simple whiskey.
- whiskey – 60 ml
- simple syrup – 5 ml
- 3 lemon wedges
- 4 mint leaves
- mint sprig (as garnish)
Crush the lemon wedges and mint leaves in a shaker, add whiskey, simple syrup and ice. Shake for about 20 seconds. Pour through a strainer in a glass, add ice (crushed or as a cube) and garnish with mint spring.
The list is definitely not complete, I just need to do some more exploring and tasting to find next candidates worthy to be included. If you know some, please drop me a line in the comments. Some of the contestants (i.e. cocktails I would like to try) are:
