October 2011: Mysteries of the Spirit World!

Spirits old and new were conjured and exorcized at the October cocktail club meeting. Inspirations for the haunting libations (below) included Poe, Trader Vicky's recent trip to France, and her new assistant the chihueagle (that's chuh-wee-gle) Jinx.

Tell-Tale cocktails with pulsating hearts, the classically wonderful feeling of resurrecting the dead that comes from a well-made Corpse Reviver, and Halloween trickery like steeling away the Ghoul's Gold... all delightfully wicked! And, the meeting wouldn't have been complete without a cocktail for Vicky's new assistant, Jinx!

Here are some of the recipes.

Mysteries of the Spirit World! (October)

Our host: Trader Vicky

Contributing NY Cocktail Club Members: LP, YL, and me (Urban Gastronomer)

Tell-Tale Heart

Tell-Tale Heart*

1.5 oz Dark Rum

1 oz Canton

.75 oz Cranberry Juice

.25 oz Navan (vanilla liqueur)

.5 oz Lemon Juice

3 dashes Chocolate Bitters

Shake & garnish with a brandied cherry

Corpse Reviver #2

1 oz Gin

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz Cocchi Americano

1 oz Lemon Juice

1 dash Absinthe

Shake and garnish with orange peel

Ghoul's Gold

Ghoul's Gold*

2 oz Calvados

.5 oz Benedictine

1/2 oz Pear Liqueur

1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake and garnish with a fresh apple slice

Jinx

Jinx**

1 oz Gin

1 oz Calvados

1 oz Passion Fruit Juice

.5 oz Grand Marnier

Shake, shake, shake!

*Created by the lovely and talented mixologist Trader Vicky.
**Improved by Cocktail Club with Grand Marnier

Menu

To keep the spirits (of all kinds) from going to our heads, Trader Vicky served seasonal snacks (all homemade)... cheddar witch fingers, pumpkin cheese balls, savory puffs and tarts, devilish cupcakes, and colcannon (a traditional Irish potato dish with hidden treats).

Witch's Finger

July 2011: Happy Birthday Harry

Last Sunday was Harry Potter's birthday. I know we are all grown ups here, but some of us quite enjoy occasionally escaping into the world of wizards, witches, mischief and magic. Add the endless possibilities of potion making and character reflection and you have yourself a theme for a cocktail party and a fabulously fun excuse to drink.

Thus, LP named Harry Potter as the theme for July's meeting of the NY Cocktail Club. The cocktail menu is below, followed by notes about food, and finally, a list of all the ingredients at the bar.

Harry Potter Cocktail Club Meeting, July 31, 2011

Our host: LP
Contributing NY Cocktail Club Members: Trader Vicky and me (Urban Gastronomer)

Cocktails: The recipes are below. All were original except the Polyjuice. Our favorites for the evening were the magical and sparkly Felix Felicis, the lovely and composed Minerva McGonagall and the earthy Whomping Willow. 

Gold sparkly cake decorating gel adds luck to Felix Felicis

Felix Felicis 
(Liquid luck)  (LP)

1 oz Applejack 

¼ oz Grand Marnier

¼ oz Peach liqueur

Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Falernum 
1 tsp Orgeat
2-3 dashes Chocolate Bitters

2-3 dashes Orange Bitters

A dollop of gold cake decorating gel

Shake vigorously

Familiar Cicero

Minerva McGonagall (TV)

1.5 oz bourbon

1.5 oz Drambuie

1 oz lemon juice

½ ounce cranberry

3 dashes orange bitters

Shake, add 1 brandied cherry

Completely clear  veritaserum with a few "crazy" ingredients
to make you tell the truth

V for Veritaserum (LP)

1.5 oz Hendricks Gin 
¼ oz Tequila blanco
¼ oz Cocci Americano
1 tsp  Maraschino liqueur
1 tsp Elderflower liqueur
2  dashes Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir, garnish with orange zest 

Triwizard Cup

Triwizard cup 

(inspired by the Trinity at Weather Up) (LP)

1 oz Old Tom Gin
1 oz Cocci Americano
1 oz Cardamaro

Stir, garnish with orange zest

Professor Sprout

Whomping Willow (UG)

2 oz cucumber vodka

½ oz lemon juice

¼ oz green chartreuse

¼ oz yellow chartreuse

¼ oz absinthe

Fennel fronds

Shake

Fennel stem straw (optional)

Note: If you forgo the straw, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the grassy bits before enjoying.

Butterbeer (LP)

½ ounce Butterscotch schnapps
2 dashes bitters

1 ounce Chimay OR Stout

Polyjuice Jelly before slicing. Pretty gross.

Polyjuice Potion (recipe from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen): I substituted a neon green lime ice bar for lime sherbet, because I couldn't find the sherbet. Don't do this! The result was a very bitter jelly shot. I'm sure the actual recipe is delicious!

Menu: LP whipped up a British-themed feast: a main course of eggy in a basket with sides of roasted tomatoes, potatoes and cherry scones with clotted cream. And, there was an assortment of sweets and treats worthy of a Honeydukes display. Our host also conjured cauldron cakes, licorice wands and chocolate insects, and Trader Vicky made Golden Snitch cake balls with liqueur instead of frosting inside. All delicious!

Golden Snitch cake balls!

Cauldron Cakes!

The Bar List

Base Liquors: Applejack, Bourbon, Cucumber Vodka, Hendricks Gin, Tequila Blanco, 

Vermouths and Amaros: Cocci Americano, Cardamaro

Liqueurs: Absinthe, Butterscotch Schnapps, Drambuie, Grand Marnier, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, Peach Liqueur, St. Germain’s Elderflower Liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse

Bitters: Chocolate Bitters, Orange Bitters, 

Syrups: Falernum, Homemade Gold Syrup, Orgeat

Produce: oranges, lemons, fennel fronds and stems 

A copy of this post is on the Urban Gastronomy.

Photos copyright Christina Saylor and Vicky Sweat.