Of course, "Moscow mule" is the name for specifically the vodka version of this cocktail. Change the spirit, and you've got a mule of a different color.
]]>
It’s hard to describe, this balance thing, but it comes down to a relationship among ingredients that creates a unified delicious whole instead of an assemblage of stuff that happens to occupy the same glass.
In a manhattan — indisputably a classic cocktail — you want the vermouth to mellow the rye or bourbon, just a little, and you want the bitters to tie together the rye’s peppery notes and the savory herbs in the vermouth. You want a cocktail that’s better than straight whiskey in a way that’s hard to pin down but unmistakable in quality and flavor.
Cocktail lovers know it when they taste it — you know you do — and there’s no hiding a poorly balanced recipe. That’s why, when we set about creating Manhattan Proof Syrup, we kept our eyes and taste buds trained on balance. We think we nailed it, and we think you’ll agree. (We know a few folks won’t, and that’s the beautiful thing about taste: no accounting for it.)
Go ahead and try this syrup with your favorite whiskey — whether that’s rye or bourbon — but experiment a little, too. You might discover that this syrup’s an equally great fit for a spicier or smoother spirit than you’d normally enjoy. We love discoveries like that, and we hope you do too.
Pro tip: Use an honest-to-goodness gourmet cocktail cherry in every manhattan you mix. Yes, you’ll pay more, and you might have to go to a little trouble to get them (ordering-from-Amazon trouble, not slaying-a-dragon trouble), but they’re 100% worth it. As it happens, a while back we ordered up a lot of gourmet cherries and tested them in a whole bunch of cocktails and wrote about it, so you wouldn’t have to. You’re welcome, and cheers.
]]>Pro tip: A properly chilled cocktail glass is a key element with this cocktail, so place your martini glass(es) in the freezer at least half an hour before mixing your cosmo.
Variation: Try the St-Germain cosmo, a floral, martini-inspired twist on the classic cosmo. Details are at the end of this recipe.
]]>Legend has it that in the late 16th century Sir Francis Drake made landfall in Cuba seeking a remedy for his crew’s scurvy and tummy troubles — and was handed a beverage made with mint, lime, cane sugar, and a locally produced firewater. The particulars are lost to history, but the cocktail isn’t — it’s just that good.
Nearly 500 years later, there’s still nothing that tastes more like summer than the tall, refreshing mojito. Made with Mojito Proof Syrup’s balanced blend of tart lime, sweet cane sugar, and crisp, cooling mint, this classic highball assembles in seconds.
]]>We find no reports of conscience stabbings, but a bartender at Harry’s Bar in Paris thought the winning word — scofflaw — sounded like a fun name for a cocktail. This whiskey-vermouth sidecar-like cocktail was the result.
The recipe has varied over time, with some bartenders preferring lemon, others lime. The exact proportions vary too — and you might prefer yours with a full two ounces of rye rather than one and a half. Regardless of the specifics, this is a strong, nicely dry, somewhat fruity cocktail that's delicious with rye or bourbon.
]]>This Clover Club-style gin sour is a perfect, delicious sour — especially when made with the optional-but-recommended egg white. It's tart, light, bright, and beautifully frothy, with a floral, slightly fruity aroma. If you’re fond of sours, gin, or cocktails like the Bee’s Knees, cosmo, or gimlet — we think you’ll enjoy this Clover Club riff.
Garnish as the spirit moves you — fresh raspberries are the Clover Club standard, but we love this version with a Luxardo cherry.
]]>If using grapefruit vodka, you can assemble this cocktail in a mixing glass instead of a shaker. Just stir together vodka and Rosemary Proof Syrup, pour over ice, and add a generous splash of club soda to make up for the volume lost by eliminating the juice. Give a quick stir pre-garnish.
This recipe, a Certified Proof Syrup Classic Cocktail Riff, began with a promotional pamphlet produced by Ronrico Rum in 1941 — right at the dawn of rum’s popularity in the U.S., a time when World War II was wreaking havoc upon the American drinking public by limiting the flow of European liquor into the continental United States. Tipplers gotta tipple, and the owners of bars and liquor stores, nothing if not accommodating, looked to the Caribbean to satisfy their customers.
What’s the Caribbean got? Rum. Loads of it. Americans weren’t wild about the stuff, yet. Recipes needed inventing.
Ronrico’s pamphlet contains a staggering number of recipes, more than a dozen livers would ever let us sample, including a deceptively simple zombie: four types of Ronrico rum, plus passion fruit, lime juice, and brown sugar.
We wanted a zombie recipe for our then-nascent Compassion Fruit syrup, so we tried that one, and it was delightful — but it was missing … something. The modern palate has needs, y’all. And then we remembered falernum, a key ingredient in another classic zombie recipe: Don the Beachcomber’s. (Yes, that Don the Beachcomber).
Falernum’s one of those oddball ingredients one could be forgiven for never having tried. That would be a shame, though, because falernum — made with lime, rum, ginger, almond, mysterious spices — is great.
And that brings us back to Ronrico’s 80-year-old zombie recipe: We tried allspice dram, spiced rum, different citrus juices, plain ol’ cinnamon, almost everything else, but none of them accomplished for the Ronrico zombie what falernum did in a mere half-ounce: completion. What the original recipe lacks, Velvet falernum delivers.
Ronrico’s zombie recipe is dandy as-is — in fact, we encourage you to try it that way. Then, the next time you’re within striking distance of a good liquor store, grab a bottle of John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum and try again. You’ll taste the difference. It’s a sum-of-parts thing.
]]>We love the Proof Vodka Soda because it's both delicious and super-customizable: choose a favorite Proof Syrup flavor; start with just 1/2 oz of syrup and adjust to your taste (or mix flavors); use a vodka you actually like, whether that's plain or flavored; top with plain club soda or a flavored sparkling water; and garnish with lemon, lime, or any other fruit you like, really. Here's a combo we love: Classic Grenadine/Pomegranate Proof Syrup, Blueberry Sparkling Water (Waterloo), lime wedge.
The Proof Syrup Vodka Soda is also light on calories and carbs: depending on the syrup you choose and the size of your pour, this cocktail will run you about 141–188 calories, 7–14g carbs (7–14g sugars).
]]>