Shamrock

The Shamrock cocktail, a name that evokes thoughts of Ireland, and perhaps a minty-quality as well.  Listen, I'm not giving anything away by telling you that this thing is a sweet drink, perhaps too sweet for the comfort of some of the male readership.  But lest we judge too quickly, let's look at its ingredients:

The Ultimate Bar Book, page 368

Shamrock

1 1/2oz  Irish whiskey
3/4oz creme de menthe
2oz heavy cream
Maraschino cherry

Shake the liquid vigorously with ice.  Strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass.  Garnish with the cherry.

The Shamrock tastes like a minty shake, and with a full 2 ounces of heavy cream added to the mix, you'll want to drink these as sparingly as a shake.  It's rich, it's thick, and it's cold. 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't like this drink, it tastes like candy after all.  But, this is a little foo-foo-y.  I'd expect this on some cocktail bar's pictured drink menu called something like an "Irish Mintastic!" or the "Minty Clover!" - something with an exclamation mark at the end of the title.

JB tried it and thought it tasted like an alcoholic Shamrock shake from McDonald's.  Seems fitting to me.

After a few enjoyable sips, I felt like I was drinking nothing but heavy cream.  It was just a lot to take in in one sitting.  Two of these drinks, and you'll have consumed your the next month's worth of dairy.  Heavy cream is just not meant to be ingested in large quantities in this form.  Mix it up to make some whipped cream, or use it as an ice cream ingredient and it becomes palatable.  Drinking it straight though, it's not all that appealing to me.

I'd suggest this as perhaps an alternative to egg-nog, come the holiday season (it is Christmas in July somewhere).  This may have been an ill-timed choice in the middle of the summer ("milk was a bad choice"), but it's still a good cocktail, just sweet, with a large amount of heavy cream.


This weekend, I'm travelling to a bachelor party for one of my good friends.  I hope you have a fantastic weekend, and enjoy the Shamrock, or whatever it is you'll be drinking.  Until Monday - salud!

The Mint Julep, Part III, Louisville Stinger

If you haven't checked them out already, we've been drinking Mint Juleps over the last couple of days.

First, we tried the Traditional Southern-Style Mint Julep, a pleasant drinking bourbon cocktail of great prominence this time of year in the Commonwealth.

Then, we tried the Muddled Mint Julep, a similar, albeit a tad easier to drink version of the classic cocktail.

Today, on Day 3 of our stroll through the world of Mint Julep, I made an executive decision, and decided we'd try the Louisville Stinger in the place of yet another Mint Julep.

For those disappointed that they are not seeing another Mint Julep recipe, my sincerest apologies.  But, this Louisville Stinger is good, very good.  It may be the go-to order this weekend if you want something a little off the beaten path.  As you'll notice in the recipe, it's got bourbon and mint flavor, so you could make an argument that the Louisville Stinger is the long lost distant cousin of the Mint Julep (think of it as the 3rd cousin, three times removed).

And we're off (to drinking)!!

American Bar, page 356

Louisville Stinger

1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce light rum
1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
1/4 ounce creme de menthe

Shake the ingredients vigorously with ice.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

For the Louisville Stinger, I'm using good ol' Jim Beam White Label, Bacardi Rum, and DeKuyper Creme de Cocoa and Creme de Menthe.

This will be an excellent cocktail for Kentucky Derby weekend. First, the mint pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients.  There is a nice cool mint flavor that is not too minty.  A little mint can go a long way, and this is just the right amount.  The creme de cacao provides a nice smooth chocolate flavor and aroma, and it too pairs well with the rest of the ingredients. 

Know though, that the mint really dominates the white creme de cacao.  Despite its larger contribution to the ingredient list, the creme de cacao takes a backseat to the minty goodness of the creme de menthe.

Also worth noting is the fact that this drink is shaken, not stirred.  I'm not going to delve too deeply into the ongoing debate between shaking and stirring (not in this post anyway), but on balance, a shaken drink will likely be a little cooler, a little more mellow as a result of the melted ice, and more frothy.  The Lousiville Stinger is all of these things when compared to a Mint Julep, and it's not even served over ice.

No matter which drink you prefer, the Traditional Southern-Style Mint Julep, the Muddled Mint Julep, or the Louisville Stinger, I hope everyone has a great Derby weekend.  My pick is still Ice Box, with a late charge to win it.  Until next week, cheers!

For more drink links, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Pall Mall

Today, we're talking about Pall Mall, the cocktail, not the cigarette manufacturer.  I remember the cigarettes though.  In college, the smokers bought the cheapest packs available, and Pall Mall cigarettes fit the bill.  I also remember on the packaging, Pall Mall used the phrase "In Hoc Signo Vinces", meaning in this sign you will conquer.

I always found this a curious tagline for a cigarette manufacturer.  The phrase stems from Constantine, the Roman emprorer, and his conversion to Christianity upon allegedly seeing the sign of the cross.  I say allegedly because I think it's far more likely Constantine saw the benefits of mass rule under Christianity, as opposed to actually seeing a vision. 

In any event, what is Pall Mall, the cigarette manufacturer, trying to say by using this tagline?  And if the line is to be taken literally, what exactly will Pall Mall's smoking audience conquer when smoking under their brand?  Seems a bit grandiose to me.  I guess we should all set such high goals, eh?

Today though, we ditch the smokes, and turn to the drink of the same name - the Pall Mall!

American Bar, page 200
Pall Mall

1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1 teaspoon white creme de menthe
Dash of Angostura bitters

Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

For this cocktail, I'm using the last of the Bombay Sapphire (going to have to run to the store for a new bottle), Martini Rossi Dry Vermouth, Gallo Sweet Vermouth, DeKuyper Creme de Menthe, and Angostura Bitters.

This has a pretty weird range of flavors.  The mint is the first flavor, you can smell it before taking your first sip.  Soon, thereafter, you'll taste the sweet vermouth.  Sweet vermouth has a way of pronouncing itself in cocktails, little else seems to be as sweet in the same way.  The last distinct flavor is the gin, though, the gin is really taking a backseat to the mint and sweet vermouth, and it is abundantly clear that I could have used a far lesser gin than Bombay Sapphire. 

I don't love this drink.  I like mint too, so this is a bit disappointing.  I just don't think the sweet vermouth pairs well with the rest of the drinks contents.  And the bitters are heavily masked by the mint, which makes me question its addition to the ingredient list.  I'm sure it adds a spice element that would otherwise not exist if the bitters were not included, but even so, its not adding a noticeably agreeable flavor.

I think mint flavored cocktails, or at a minimum those cocktails featuring creme de menthe, are fickle beasts.  Mint doesn't pair well with everything.  In fact, it doesn't pair well with most things.  That's why eating food after brushing one's teeth is usually an awkward experience.  Pairing mint with sweet wine, which is essentially what sweet vermouth is, seems awful in theory.  Perhaps the reason this cocktail isn't a complete failure is that there are enough additional ingredients to mask what could otherwise have been a debacle of a pairing, the mint flavors with sweet vermouth.

I don't think the Pall Mall is something I would ever order at a bar or restaurant. There are far better gin based drinks, and though I don't pretend to be an authority on mint cocktails, there have to be better choices (ex. the Stinger).