New Twists on Classic Cocktails

I was at one of my favorite haunts last week and, as usual, visiting with one of the bartenders about cocktails. He asked if I liked brandy, black currant and rum. Sure, what do you have in mind? He brought me a sample of their latest frozen cocktail. This bar is known for their creativity. The drink had a great balance. I’m not one for really sweet cocktails but this was a well-balanced drink.  Being the researcher that I am, I asked what classic cocktail precipitated the creation of the frozen cocktail. “It’s based on a classic cocktail, a Between the Sheets”, he said.

You probably thought all those risqué named shots you remember from your younger days were a product of modern times. Not so.

Seriously, Between the Sheets dates to 1930’s Prohibition. A variation on the also classic “Side Car” using the classic trio of Cognac, lemon juice and orange liqueur the BTS adds rum making this a very potent cocktail.

It is possible that Between the Sheets was invented at Harry’s Bar in Paris by the infamous Harry MacElhon. The name may refer to the drinks potency and the possibility of it leading to a risqué end to an evening spent sharing one too many of these alcohol forward cocktails.

Leading in to the BTS , we have to look at the history of cocktails. David Wondrich, (Nov 5, 2007, Esquire) says it all about Between the Sheets and its impact on the contemporary cocktail.

“The ancestor of all the Silk Panties, Slippery Nipples, Screaming Orgasms and other ungodly concoctions that are so totally the Abercrombie and Fitch set, the Between The Sheets dates to Prohibition—when frankly, the nation’s moral fiber wasn’t what it ought to have been. But then again, neither was the nation’s liquor supply, which led to provisions like this—smutty name, TOO much alcohol. ”

Another classic cocktail with the basic ingredients of Between the Sheets is the Side Car

The Side Car, was introduced in London by McGarru, the celebrated bartender of the famous Buck,’s Club . The recipe that first appears in Robert Vermeires 1922 Cocktails—How to Mix Them did not include the simple syrup used now or the sugared rim coupe. So this Side Car is sweeter and less alcohol forward than the Between the Sheets ~~Kay

Try them both, the ingredients are basically the same, one just adds simple syrup. They are both great.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

1 oz. Remy Martin (or other cognac)

1 oz. light Rum

1 oz. Trip!e Sec

1/2 oz. lemon juice

Garnish: Lemon slice

Glass: Chilled Coupe

Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

 

SIDE CAR

2 ounces Remy Martin VSOP cognac

0.75 ounces  fresh lemon juice

O.5 ounces Cointreau

0.25 ounces simp!e syrup

Glass: Chilled Coupe rimmed with super fine sugar

Shake all ingredients in shaker with ice. Strain into chilled coupe.

In the September, 2018 issue of Bon Appétit’s The Last Bite column, actress Anna Kendrick talks about her favorite cocktail. She calls it her take on the drink known as the Quarter Horse. The ingredients sounded good so I did a little experimenting with proportions and came up with what I thought was a worthy cocktail. I tried to research the original drink—the Quarter Horse— but without much luck. The recipes I found were much more complicated than the ingredients for the drink I tried. I’m calling this drink the Kentucky Mule (think Moscow Mule with bourbon) and, if you’re a bourbon fan, I think you’ll like it. ~~Lynda

Kentucky Mule

2 oz. bourbon (my favorite Ezra Brooks)

½ lime

½ oz simple syrup

2-3 dashes bitters (I used Angostura)

Ginger Beer

Put bourbon in an old-fashioned glass, squeeze in the lime, add simple syrup and bitters. Add ice and stir. Top off with Ginger Beer.

In case you’re interested in the original Quarter Horse here’s the recipe I found. https://www.bitteredsling.com/blog/2016/10/28/cocktail-quarter-horse/

Quarter Horse

1 oz. Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
¾ oz. VS Cognac
1/2 oz. Islay Single Malt Smoky Whisky
¾ oz. Red Vermouth
¼ oz. Benedictine
2 dashes Bittered Sling Condesa Bitters (I used Angostura since that’s what I had on hand)

Stir ingredients together, serve in a coupe or martini glass with a twist of lemon peel.

The recipe I found didn’t call for shaking with ice but I tried shaking it with ice and straining into a chilled glass. It’s very smooth cocktail, reminiscent of a Manhattan (another favorite bourbon cocktail).

Hope you enjoyed these classic cocktails with a few twists. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to let us know if you try a cocktail or have one you want to learn more about.

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