The Balm is a fairly sophisticated cocktail. Its use of bitters may present a challenge to novice taste buds, but there's an easy solution: the bitters can be left out for guests who don't enjoy that flavor. Because the biggest part of a Balm is dry sherry, it's not terribly sweet even without the bitters. Balm ...

Posted in Cointreau, Wine No Comments »

Because it's Monday, and even good Mondays can be kind of blue, the timing is perfect to feature the Blue Monday cocktail. This is one of those really simple cocktail recipes that even beginners can put together perfectly  - that's important when it's Monday and/or you're blue! The last thing you want is a pick ...

Posted in Blue Curacao, Cointreau, Vodka 2 Comments »

The Cosmopolitan is considered by most sources to have been created by Florida bartender Cheryl Cook in 1986, making it one of the newer cocktails to be featured here. Aside from the call for Absolut Citron, it feels like a classic recipe - it's dry and fruity rather than sweet and fruity, and even though ...

Posted in Cointreau, Cranberry, Lime Juice, Vodka 1 Comment »

The classic recipe for the White Lady, or Delilah, is basically a Sidecar with gin in place of brandy. But variations on it add other ingredients, which you can experiment with to find out exactly what you prefer. The overall flavor is citrus with herbal notes from the gin - light, refreshing, and neither dry ...

Posted in Cointreau, Gin, Lemon Juice 1 Comment »

The Sidecar probably dates back to the end of World War II, and early versions may have contained more ingredients. The recipe that survived only has three ingredients: brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice. The flavor is distinctly citrus. There are a couple of variations on this one, but the most common adjustment is a ...

Posted in Brandy, Cointreau, Lemon Juice 3 Comments »

The Singapore Sling looks like a glass of Koolaid, and it tastes fruity, so the alcohol effects can sneak up on unsuspecting drinkers. The original recipe was created in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the earliy 1900s, then forgotten for a while, then re-created from the memories of bartenders. Then it got completely revamped, ...

Posted in Brandy, Cointreau, Gin, Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice 1 Comment »