Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Gimlet

A Gimlet is one of those drinks where its beauty is in its simplicity. And since it has some historical significance, I thought I’d share it with you.

Sir Thomas Gimlette – a British surgeon, who was looking for a way to prevent scurvy in British sailors, invented the drink in the late 19th century. The lime juice in the drink contains a large concentration of Vitamin C, and so by combining it with the sailors’ daily ration of Gin, he was able to ensure they would stay healthy on their long voyages. Interestingly enough, this is why British sailors are referred to as “limeys”.

Gimlets are supposed to be made using Gin. However, just like with the Martini, there are people who think they don’t like Gin so they make the drink with vodka instead. If you do that, then you aren’t making a Gimlet – you’re just kidding yourself.

Just as with Martinis and the fight over how much vermouth to add, with Gimlets, everyone has a preference about the ratio of Gin to lime juice.

The traditional version of the drink uses a 50/50 ratio of Gin to Rose’s Lime Juice.

Most people find that this is too much lime juice, and I would have to agree. My preference is the following:

1 ½ oz Gin
1 oz Rose’s Lime Juice

That’s it. Put those two ingredients into a glass with ice, stir it and either drink it on the rocks, or strain it into a cocktail glass.

I know, I know. That isn’t good enough. Some of you out there want to turn it into a “signature drink” and start adding other shit to it.

Ok, if you want to do that, following are the top 5 ways to junk up a Gimlet:

· Substitute Vodka for the Gin
· Add other liquors to the glass like Rum or Tequila
· Add cherries or cherry liqueur
· Add soda or tonic water
· Put lemon juice in it

I’m not saying that these ingredients will make the drink taste bad. But please just don’t call it a Gimlet. Call it a Gimlet’s Cousin, or Sir Thomas’ Hot Sister. Something like that.

Have a great weekend!

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – The Hurricane

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans then you can probably appreciate the benefits of a strong Hurricane. And no, I’m not talking about Katrina or Andrew. I’m talking about the kind of Hurricane every drunk should know how to make.

Now, there are some fancy pants bartenders who aren’t from the Big Easy who get stingy with the booze. I’ve seen recipes for Hurricanes that only include one ounce of liquor in a big glass of juice. Sorry, that’s not how you make ’em.

When you order your Hurricane from one of the open, walk-up bars on Bourbon street , the drink is strong. Like “knock-you-on-your-a$$-strong”. I mean, it’s called a Hurricane, not a “drizzle”. Hurricanes destroy things, so it follows that if you drink one, you should be likewise destroyed, right?

But you don’t have to go to Louisiana to get a good Hurricane because you’re a Drunk and you can make your own. Here’s how to do it:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Amaretto
• 1 oz Gin
• 1 oz Light Rum
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz 151 Rum
• 1/4 oz Grenadine Syrup
• Pineapple Juice
• Grapefruit Juice 

Directions: Pour the liquors into a Hurricane glass (or pint glass, or collins glass, or whatever big glass you have) 3/4 filled with ice and stir. Fill the rest of the way with equal parts of the juices. Enjoy.

Remember there are Thousands of Cocktail Recipes 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 >

How to Make a Collins Drink

With spring around the corner, we are going to start adding drinks that you will enjoy as the weather starts to warm up. That means more fruity and sour drinks, and fewer of the creamy deserty type that we normally associate with winter and the holidays.

The first of these is a classic family of drinks called the Collins. The most famous Collins drink is the Tom Collins, but there are many variations. So if you happen to be fresh out of Gin, don’t worry, you can probably still make a Colonel Collins!

Visit the How to Make a Collins Drink page to learn how to make the following drinks:

• Tom Collins
• John Collins
• Ron Collins
• Tex Collins

Alexanders Page

Even though we have a picture of a bust of Alexander the Great here, we aren’t actually talking about Russian history. Far from it.

No, we’re talking about Alexander the Drinks! Perhaps you’ve heard of Brandy Alexanders. They’re Grrrrreat! Even better, there are other variations of Alexanders you may want to try. Visit our How to Mix an Alexander page and learn more.

How Liquor is Made

Have you ever wanted to know how different kinds of liquor are made? Or, what’s the difference between different kinds of Tequila?

We’ve put together a page on Drunkmansguide.com that will lay it all out. There’s even pretty pictures that we swiped off the internet for you to look at 🙂

You can access the new page here: How Liquor is Made

What You Need to Stock Your Bar

Step 1

Stocking your bar usually starts off with having a short conversation with yourself.

 

You can do it the way we do it; talking out loud while sitting at the back of the bus. Or you can do it silently by yourself. Whatever.

 

During this conversation, decide what drinks you like the most and make sure you always have the stuff to make them on hand. IOW, if your name is Jeffrey Lebowski, then all you need is some cream, a bottle of cheap Vodka, and some Kahlua.

 

Step 2

Put together the basic components of most other drinks. This will usually require a little more money, and you might want to build it up over time. Here is a short list of the staples most any bar includes:

 

Liquors and Spirits

• Gin
• Vodka
• Tequila (White and Dark)
• Rum (Light and Dark)
• Vermouth (Extra Dry and Sweet)
• Whiskey
• Scotch
• Brandy/Cognac
• Beer

Fillers, Liqueurs, and Flavoring Agents

• Triple Sec
• Grenadine
• Bitters
• Cream
• Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Lime Juice
• Orange Juice
• Various Sodas (Cola, Club Soda, and Lemon Lime at least)

If you buy “good” liquor (that’s the stuff on the middle shelf), then properly stocking your bar will probably cost you about $350.

 

If $350 is looking like it’s too similar to your week’s pay, then look for your liquor on the bottom shelf – that will bring your cost down to under $200.

 

If $350 is looking more like an hour’s worth of pay, then you can probably look for your liquor on the top shelf.

Martinis – It’s Enough to Make a Drunk Man Cry

Ok, I don’t mean to go off on a drunken rant here, but WTF with the Martini mods?! Look, I’m all about putting an olive in the glass, and maybe a little of the brine to make it “dirty”, but all these crazy concoctions and versions have really, in my opinion, bastardized the drink. Hell, they may have even bastardized drinking…

Ok, maybe I went a little too far there.

Here’s the point: When you get to where there isn’t any Gin or Vermouth in the drink anymore, how can you honestly call it a Martini? It’s a DIFFERENT DRINK people!

Of course, the purists are no better.

Over time, the public’s definition of the Martini has included less and less Vermouth. When the drink was first concocted in California in the early 1800’s, it was two ounces of Vermouth and one ounce of Gin.

By WWII, General Patton described his ideal Martini as taking a bottle of Gin and pointing it in the general direction of Italy.

 Clearly, one can go too far in either direction.

It is, of course, a matter of taste, but I think that we can all agree that Martinis are made with Gin AND Vermouth. If you want to substitute Vodka for the Gin, I won’t get after you, but please dispose of the pretense that it’s a Martini.

The whole point of the Martini is to be able to taste the Juniper in the Gin, and the sweetness of the Vermouth. When you take either of those things out, it’s a different drink. If you don’t like Gin (because you’re some sort of a wussy), then you don’t like Martinis. Maybe you should have a nice Strawberry Daiquiri instead.

You can get more information on martini recipies, even apple martinis, at www.drunkmansguide.com.