Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Planter’s Punch

Exactly 100 years ago today the New York Times published the following poetic recipe that is based on rhymes that are repeated by rote in the Caribbean:

PLANTER’S PUNCH
This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
And add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —
I know whereof I speak.

Depending on where you are in the Caribbean, similar poetic recipes can be found for Planter’s Punch, Bajan Rum Punch, or Caribbean Rum Punch. The differences between them are minor variations in the ratios of lime juice to the other ingredients.

Decoding the rhyme, the “sour” is lime or lemon juice, the “sweet” is some form of citrus juice – usually pineapple or orange juice. The “strong” is, of course, rum. And the “weak” is water.

Today, we don’t usually water down our liquor because it is no longer sold at barrel strength the way it was 100 years ago. Plus, the crushed ice dilutes the drink naturally.

So, to modernize the recipe a bit, here’s how I make mine:

1 ½ oz Light Rum

1 ½ oz Dark Rum

3 oz Orange Juice (or substitute Pineapple Juice)

1/2 to 1 oz Lime Juice (depending on your taste)

1 cup crushed ice

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Then pour into a Collins glass and garnish with citrus fruit slices.

Of course, you can always scale this recipe up to a “punch” and make a whole pitcher of it.

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – The Matador

If you are going to be serving friends Margaritas outside this hot weekend, then you might consider offering the Matador as an option. It is similar to a Margarita, but is a little more fruity and sweet tasting – which actually makes it a bit better for those Late July deck and pool parties!

Now, there are a number of ways of making a Matador. Some recipes call for the use of RedBull in place of the Pineapple Juice that is used in the classic version. If you are looking for an extra jolt of caffeine then you might try that. You can also make them frozen (blended) or on the rocks.

One thing all the versions share is that they are tangy, sweet, and perfect for a hot day.

So for your viewing pleasure, we are including three versions of the Matador today. Try one, try ‘em all!

Classic Matador

• 1 1/2 oz Tequila (mid-grade “Gold” is fine)
• 1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Simple Syrup

Directions:
Shake it in a Cocktail Shaker with ice, Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass.

Modern Matador

• 1 oz Tequila (mid-grade, again)
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz RedBull
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice

Directions:
Shake it in a Cocktail Shaker with ice, Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass.

Frozen Matador

• 2 oz Tequila
• 1/4 oz Triple Sec
• 1/4 cup Pineapple Chunks
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 cup ice

Directions
Combine these ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve this one in a highball or Collins glass

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Sex On The Beach

Today is the first day of summer here in the United States. If you happen to be in Europe, then you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for summer to start.

I don’t know why that is. Maybe some of you can clue me in.

At any rate, to celebrate the fact that the sun is hot, today’s cocktail is the famous “Sex on the Beach”.

I remember the first time I actually drank in a bar. I was with a friend of mine, we were about sixteen years old at the time. But we were tipping well, and that’s all the waitress seemed to care about.

I remember that day because we were doing shots of Sex on the Beach, and we were too young to know that the bartender was making them weak since he knew damn well we weren’t old enough to drink.

But they were good anyway, and these days I prefer to drink my Sexes as cocktails rather than shots.

Now, Sex on the Beach’es can be made in a number of ways. Generally, however, it’s Vodka, Peach Schnapps, and some mixture of fruit juices. The ratio of juices to alcohol is usually about 1:1, but you can change that to taste.

If you want to create higher alcohol versions of a Sex on the Beach, then what you would do is substitute different fruit Schnapps for the juices. So, for example, if you wanted a Pineapple tasting Sex, then you would substitute Pineapple Schnapps for Pineapple Juice. Usually you do this if you are making shooters.

So, that being said, here’s how I make them:

• 1 ½ oz Vodka
• 1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps (Or Southern Comfort)
• 1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice
• 1 ½ oz Orange Juice

Southern Comfort is a Peach Liqueur, so if you don’t have the Schnapps, then SoCo would be a reasonable substitute. Also, as I indicated above, you can change out the juices all day long depending on what you have in the fridge. Usually you try to mix a sweet juice with a tangy juice.

So, some good combos would be: Pineapple Juice and Grapefruit Juice; or Apple Juice and Cranberry Juice. Some people also put a teaspoon or so of Grenadine in – it has that sweet/tangy thing built in. You get the idea.

Anyway, Sexes are served in just about every kind of glass: shot glass, highball glass, rocks glass, or (my favorite) the cocktail glass.

If you’re serving in a shot glass, then you’ll be making a stronger drink that uses the schnapps in place of the juices.

Regardless, I hope you have a great first day of summer.

Cheers!

There are Thousands of Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man’s Guide!

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Loco Lemonade

Layered drinks always make things fun. They add visual interest, and they give an extra dimension to your drinks. Ideally, as you drink them, the drink should change from one extreme to another; tangy to sweet, or spicy to mild. That kind of thing.

The Loco Lemonade is an easy and fun drink you can make that gives the extra visual and taste appeal of a layered drink. Just as with a Tequila sunrise, the drink starts off tart, and gets sweeter toward the end. Because it is made with lemonade, however, it is much more tart than a Tequila Sunrise. But it is still great on a hot sunny day!

For this drink I used pink lemonade, but you can use whatever you have laying around. The pink lemonade, in combination with the Grenadine made the drink a little more red.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 1/2 oz Tequila
• 4 oz Lemonade
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 oz Grenadine Syrup

Instructions:

Pour the ingredients into your glass (2/3 filled with ice) in this order: Tequila, grenadine, lemonade, lemon juice. If you do it carefully, the layers will make a cloudy, swirling effect.

Remember there are more cocktail recipes at www.drunkmansguide.com

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Miami Cocktail

You’re going to need a bottle of Light Rum, a small pile of lemons and some Creme de Menthe. That’s because this week’s Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail is the Miami Cocktail. A delicious drink that goes well with Spring.

Here’s how to make a Miami Cocktail:

• 1 1/2 oz Light Rum
• 1/2 oz Creme de Menthe
• 1 dash Lemon Juice

Directions: Making this drink is easy. Just put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake it, strain it, and serve it in a cocktail glass. Fresh Lemon Juice is always best, but we’re drunks so we use whatever we have available.

More Drink Recipes available at the Drunk Man’s Guide.

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Apple Martini

There are about a ton of ways to make an Apple Martini. The method below works well for me, although sometimes I just leave out the Vodka and double-up on the Gin.

This is a very strong drink, so don’t even consider operating heavy machinery like a car or a speedboat, or a catapult after you’ve had one of these.

You’ll also have to have a large martini glass. This thing ain’t suitable for the little dainty kind. You need one of those super-sized martini glasses!

Ingredients:

• 2 Ounces Good Quality Gin
• 2 Ounces Vodka
• 2 Ounces Apple Pucker
• 1 Ounce Triple Sec
• 1 Splash of Sweet ‘n Sour Mix
• Garnish with Apple Slice (optional)

Directions:
Combine ingredients into a shaker and shake. Serve in a BIG Martini Glass.

More Mixed Drink Recipes

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Tom Collins

Want a refreshing drink you can make with stuff you probably already have in the kitchen? Try a Tom Collins. The drink is sweet and tart from the sugar and lemon juice. It’s best to use fresh lemons to make this drink. But if all you have is bottled lemon juice, then that works too.

This recipe calls for simple syrup, which is easy enough to make. Just combine two parts sugar to one part water. It helps to heat the water up to dissolve the sugar, but you can make up a cup or two of this and keep it in the fridge. It is used in a lot of different recipes, so it’s a good idea to keep some on hand.

How to make a Tom Collins

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 3 oz chilled Club Soda
• Lemon Slice
• Maraschino Cherry

Directions
Add the first three ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass, add the soda and garnish with the lemon slice and the cherry.

More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Client #9 Shooter – a.k.a. Eliot Spitzer’s Bad Decision Shooter

You know the kind of night when you end up bellied up to the bar doing shots of Jager and talking shit to some guy from Texarkana for two and a half hours about the similarities between a taco and Britney Spears?

Learn how to make a Client #9 (Eliot Spitzer) Shooter More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Captain Cosmo

Last week we featured the Cosmopolitan. Now, get ready for the next one. I’m not usually one to splurge on hyperbole, so please understand that when I say this drink is f*cking awesome. I really mean it is THAT good.

This drink is a little better if you put on a mask and wear some sort of red tights or a unitard. At the very least, wear a cape and a pirate hat (eye patches can also help).

This week’s drink is the Captain Cosmo; which is sort of like a cosmopolitan with it’s hair messed up.

Enjoy!

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – The Cosmopolitan

Are you looking for a mixed drink with a little more class? The Cosmopolitan or “Cosmo” is a cousin of the Martini, but because of the fruit content, it is much easier to get into than a traditional Gin Martini – espectially if you don’t like Gin!

Here’s How to make a Cosmopolitan

Ingredients
1 1/2 Ounces Vodka
1/4 Ounce Triple Sec
1/4 Ounce Cranberry Juice
1 Splash Lime Juice
Garnish with Lime Wedge

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a “Martini” Glass.