inventing cocktails


Ken Gargett

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occasionally i play around at home. did a version of a mojito the other evening that was one of the best i've ever had (should say that quite often i have complete horrors). used a heap of mint - which they do in cuba, always way more mint than you get in mojitos here - and a lot more lime juice than usual.

anyway, i am not a fan of spiced rums but there is one i really like. Stolen Spiced Rum. a NZ producer but they import the rum from trinidad & tobago. they use some roasted coffee and infused smoke as the 'spices'. so the rum has a lovely subtle smoky note.

for this cocktail, yet to be named, you need this rum. without it, it won't work. the lime/smoke/honey combines fabulously.

if you can get the rum, give it a try.

Use a Riedel O glass – the Shiraz one is perfect because you want a large glass. if you don't have one, something like a big brandy balloon.

Splash in a healthy serve of Stolen Spiced Rum – it has to be this rum as otherwise you won’t get the lovely smoky character and it won’t work. don't stint.

A good teaspoon of quality honey stirred in. no more as you want the flavour rather than the sweetness.

Fill half the glass with soda water.

Get a ripe lime and chop in 1/4s. squeeze each quarter by hand, as much as you can. I toss the squeezed quarters in as well – with the big glass, plenty of room. May not be aesthetically pleasing as a nice slice but works better.

Two or three ice cubes.

Then stir vigorously, largely to make sure the lime juice and honey mix well.

i loved it.

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Yeah, kinda misread that there was no mint in there.

Rum, honey & lime, shaken and poured over ice is pretty much a canchanchara. But you don't use any ice and stir instead of shake.

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Yeah, kinda misread that there was no mint in there.

Rum, honey & lime, shaken and poured over ice is pretty much a canchanchara. But you don't use any ice and stir instead of shake.

fair bit different, i'd suggest. lime or lemon for yours, i'd argue. though i do prefer limes.

no soda which is more than half the volume here. a little less honey here.

and very different rum - yours white or possibly a light dark rum? this one quite dark but it is the smokiness which makes it very different.

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Yeah, kinda misread that there was no mint in there.

Rum, honey & lime, shaken and poured over ice is pretty much a canchanchara. But you don't use any ice and stir instead of shake.

fuzz, make one and see if you think comparable. i'd be interested.

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I've invented many amazing cocktails.

Normally at the end of a heavy night.

Oddly, I rarely seem to be able to recall the exact recipes.

The ones I do remember normally require an hors d'oevre of a bucketload of beer and a dodgy kebab to be remotely palatable.

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Will grab a bottle of that spiced rum and make your cocktail and a canchanchara (using Zacapa) to compare.

not sure i would ever use zacapa in a cocktail and it will give yours a fair old headstart but i'll be keen to see what you think.

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Zacapa is the only rum I have, apart from the bottle of Bundy that was given to me as a gift. Not much of a cocktail drinker at home, so I tend to keep only a small selection of spirits.

I see DM stock Stolen Spiced Rum, so next time I'm there I'll grab a bottle.

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Awesome topic for this subforum Ken!

One I came up with last spring, and perfected over the summer is what will call a Mojito ***** del Rye.

Start with a bar type heavy pint glass, juice from 1 small lime (works out to about an ounce, and I prefer to squeeze it in rather then muddle in the glass as I don't like the marmalade effect adding bitterness from the rind) a simple syrup made from dark Demerara sugar and just enough water to wet & liquefy. Gently heat the syrup and stir to dissolve.

This batch I had made last fall, and it has since partly recrystallized but I'll use it anyway, as the big crystals will help to bruise the mint. I use a couple tablespoons of this mix.

Mint. Lots of it, and a mix of large leaf and small buds.

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Add the mint, syrup, and lime juice into the glass and muddle. I find the ribs on these particular glasses make short work of muddling with a spoon, as I've been too busy to make a muddler for myself.

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I like the mint well bruised, but not shredded as it can get bitter

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Once muddled add ice. I like to fill the glass with ice and enjoy it cold throughout and like it stronger at the beginning.

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After ice comes rum

Today I've chosen to use the dregs from a couple of last years survivors so it's 2.5oz ED15 and 1oz Matuzalem

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I take the time at this point to stir while there's still room in the glass to do so, and I like to pull the wad of mint up into the ice dam to avoid straw blockage while drinking.

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As you can see by the pic, I have some space left in the glass for a splash of club soda.

Add soda, plunge a straw in a few times, twirl, garnish with a wedge and a sprig, and enjoy with your favorite cigar!

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If you prefer more carbonation use less ice and more soda, and I've tried with most sipping rums over last year, my faves have been Zaya, Cubay 10yr and the ED15

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Awesome topic for this subforum Ken!

One I came up with last spring, and perfected over the summer is what will call a Mojito ***** del Rye.

Start with a bar type heavy pint glass, juice from 1 small lime (works out to about an ounce, and I prefer to squeeze it in rather then muddle in the glass as I don't like the marmalade effect adding bitterness from the rind) a simple syrup made from dark Demerara sugar and just enough water to wet & liquefy. Gently heat the syrup and stir to dissolve.

This batch I had made last fall, and it has since partly recrystallized but I'll use it anyway, as the big crystals will help to bruise the mint. I use a couple tablespoons of this mix.

Mint. Lots of it, and a mix of large leaf and small buds.

If you prefer more carbonation use less ice and more soda, and I've tried with most sipping rums over last year, my faves have been Zaya, Cubay 10yr and the ED15

fantastic stuff. keen to give it a go.

and thanks for the pics. far more effort than i managed.

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Both versions coming close to my fleshy, 'bucolic' Mojito version. Using raw cane sugar, one small or half of a larger lime and, yes, heaps of mint. I am growing four different varieties in the garden (one of which can only be used for tea or cooking), each one giving a slightly different touch. And using HC 7 for the rum, which might perhaps come close to Ken's version, with its slightly more woody/oaky touch. But - the lime needs to be sqashed in the (highball) glass. I love the lime bitterness -sugar sweetness combo in this stronger version.

The cane sugar I will leave dissolving for a while after having added lime, mint and rum. But I love it, when there are still some small bits of sugar in the final preparation.

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Off the wall cocktails are a favourite of mine, I get bored quickly, have too much free time and easy access to far too much booze. I'm a big fan of heavily sherried single malt whiskies, so I thought to myself "why not cut out a decade or so of waiting around and make the ultimate sherry bomb". So, armed with equal parts of 100 Proof Rittenhouse Rye whisky (if you haven't tried a Rye whisky before, this is the place to start) and Pedro Ximenez Sherry I ventured into the unknown. Of course, a cocktail isn't a cocktail without a third ingredient, so why not - let's throw in a dash of Angustura bitters and a wee cube of demerara sugar. For posterity, I used 4cl of each and three drops of Angostura.

Photo%2021-04-2016%2C%2019%2053%2009.jpg

Well gents, all I can say is that if you want something that is going to severely impair your motor functions, then this is a fine beverage. It looks evil, a tar like substance that might have been secreted from the pores of some ancient, forgotten demon. If you have something that might require your attention later in the evening then don't even bother doing this. If you're curious, stupid and hate your dentistry, go right ahead. Flavour wise, i'm reasonably happy with this concoction. It didn't make me want to peel my face off and I have certainly paid for worse "cocktails". The sherry is dominant, I regret using Petey X sherry, the sugar aids it in overthrowing the Rye, however like the eponymous hero in Rocky II, the Rye comes back with a vengence to slug you straight in the kisser. It tastes ok, deceptively easy to drink as it's so sweet and syrupy, but I don't think i'll ever waste whisky or sherry by making this again. The taste isn't that bad, it's just wrong. So, so wrong.

Photo%2021-04-2016%2C%2019%2052%2049.jpg

In short, don't waste your time, learn from my tragic error. Just get a Glenfarclas 15 or Aberlour A'Bunadh and don't try to be a smart arse.

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There's a lot of fun in tweaking traditional cocktail recipes and coming up with new drinks. The main thing is in the trying...'you never know unless you give it a go!'

The main thing I've learnt is that you can make a big change to a cocktail by adjusting small amounts. For example, adding 5 ml lime juice or sugar syrup or 10 or 15 ml of triple sec goes a long way!

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occasionally i play around at home. did a version of a mojito the other evening that was one of the best i've ever had (should say that quite often i have complete horrors). used a heap of mint - which they do in cuba, always way more mint than you get in mojitos here - and a lot more lime juice than usual.

anyway, i am not a fan of spiced rums but there is one i really like. Stolen Spiced Rum. a NZ producer but they import the rum from trinidad & tobago. they use some roasted coffee and infused smoke as the 'spices'. so the rum has a lovely subtle smoky note.

for this cocktail, yet to be named, you need this rum. without it, it won't work. the lime/smoke/honey combines fabulously.

if you can get the rum, give it a try.

Use a Riedel O glass – the Shiraz one is perfect because you want a large glass. if you don't have one, something like a big brandy balloon.

Splash in a healthy serve of Stolen Spiced Rum – it has to be this rum as otherwise you won’t get the lovely smoky character and it won’t work. don't stint.

A good teaspoon of quality honey stirred in. no more as you want the flavour rather than the sweetness.

Fill half the glass with soda water.

Get a ripe lime and chop in 1/4s. squeeze each quarter by hand, as much as you can. I toss the squeezed quarters in as well – with the big glass, plenty of room. May not be aesthetically pleasing as a nice slice but works better.

Two or three ice cubes.

Then stir vigorously, largely to make sure the lime juice and honey mix well.

i loved it.

This sounds sublime. I will be the hero of the dock parties if I can pull it off. Might not be able to get my hands on the rum though. Would you recommend anything else on the rum side?

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This sounds sublime. I will be the hero of the dock parties if I can pull it off. Might not be able to get my hands on the rum though. Would you recommend anything else on the rum side?

unfortunately, i do not know of any other rum like it. drop me one of those pm things and i can put you in touch with the people behind it. they might be able to assist.

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Off the wall cocktails are a favourite of mine, I get bored quickly, have too much free time and easy access to far too much booze. I'm a big fan of heavily sherried single malt whiskies, so I thought to myself "why not cut out a decade or so of waiting around and make the ultimate sherry bomb". So, armed with equal parts of 100 Proof Rittenhouse Rye whisky (if you haven't tried a Rye whisky before, this is the place to start) and Pedro Ximenez Sherry I ventured into the unknown. Of course, a cocktail isn't a cocktail without a third ingredient, so why not - let's throw in a dash of Angustura bitters and a wee cube of demerara sugar. For posterity, I used 4cl of each and three drops of Angostura.

Photo%2021-04-2016%2C%2019%2053%2009.jpg

Well gents, all I can say is that if you want something that is going to severely impair your motor functions, then this is a fine beverage. It looks evil, a tar like substance that might have been secreted from the pores of some ancient, forgotten demon. If you have something that might require your attention later in the evening then don't even bother doing this. If you're curious, stupid and hate your dentistry, go right ahead. Flavour wise, i'm reasonably happy with this concoction. It didn't make me want to peel my face off and I have certainly paid for worse "cocktails". The sherry is dominant, I regret using Petey X sherry, the sugar aids it in overthrowing the Rye, however like the eponymous hero in Rocky II, the Rye comes back with a vengence to slug you straight in the kisser. It tastes ok, deceptively easy to drink as it's so sweet and syrupy, but I don't think i'll ever waste whisky or sherry by making this again. The taste isn't that bad, it's just wrong. So, so wrong.

Photo%2021-04-2016%2C%2019%2052%2049.jpg

In short, don't waste your time, learn from my tragic error. Just get a Glenfarclas 15 or Aberlour A'Bunadh and don't try to be a smart arse.

you did use a sherry i love - lustau PX.

i got a tick from the makers of the stolen rum for the one i made, which was nice, even if it is a fluke. they tell me that the rum will be coming to the states. keep an eye out.

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