Menu

Andy

About Andy

Posts by :

Cocktail Friday: Hanky Panky

, ,

The Hanky Panky

This delightfully named cocktail is a new one for me, recently introduced by my friend (and accomplished mixologist) Chuck Taggart.

The Hanky Panky was invented by Ada Coleman, a bartender at the Savoy in London for her friend, Edwardian actor Charles Hawtrey. According to legend (and wikipedia), Hawtrey himself named the drink when he tasted it for the first time and exclaimed “By Jove! That is the real hanky panky!”

I’ve no reason not to believe this story, and it really is a fabulous drink. There’s a lot of flavor in this drink. Fernet Branca is an Italian amaro often drunk as a after-dinner digestive. You have to be careful when using it as a cocktail ingredient–it is very bitter and can easily overpower a cocktail. Here, though the dashes of Fernet Branca add a nice complexity to the finish so you’re not in any danger.

The Hanky Panky

  • 1 3/4 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz sweet vermouth
  • 2-3 dashes Fernet Branca

Combine all ingredients in an iced glass and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a swath of orange peel.

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try more with Fernet Branca, check out my entry for Mixology Mondays here.

Rigor Amortis: much fun at Dark Delicacies

, ,

On Sunday, five other contributors (authors John Remy, Kaolin Imago Fire, Lucia Starkey, Pete Alberti and artist Galen Dara) and I gathered at Burbank’s Dark Delicacies bookstore for another Rigor Amortis signing. This was the final stop in what I have been jokingly calling my November “book tour.” As you can see, we had a blast.

(L to R) Galen, Pete (standing), John, Kaolin, Lucia, me. (Note Galen's amazing art!)

Thanks to all of you who came out to support us and the book. Thanks to Del and Sue for hosting us. Thanks to Kaolin, Lucia, Pete, John, and Galen for traveling various distances to be there. Let’s do it again sometime, shall we?

Cocktail Friday: Jack Rose

Jack Rose
The Jack Rose (courtesy wikipedia)

This cocktail was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, who mentions it in his seminal novel The Sun Also Rises. To be fair, I think his characters spend more time drinking absinthe than Jack Roses, but they do consume a few of them, and since I’m an easily suggestible gorilla, I started thirsting to consume one myself. (As for the absinthe, well, more on that another time.)

The base spirit in a Jack Rose is applejack or Calvados, and the apple flavor really gets me in the mood for autumn. The lime (or lemon) juice, however, summers up the drink, so i think it would be equally at home any season of the year. Grenadine rounds out the flavor and keeps it from becoming too tropical a drink. This is a mellow, smooth drink. Not too sweet, not too tart.

My experiments  with the Jack Rose have been mixed, I’ll admit. I have a fine pomegranate syrup at home and while tasty, it renders the drink a little more brown than the famous rose/red tint associated with the drink. (And that’s why I include a pic from wikipedia this week!) You can use either lemon or lime juice, and I’ve found the lime far more to my taste.

The Jack Rose

  • 1 1/2 oz. applejack (or calvados)
  • 1/2 oz lime juice (or lemon if you prefer)
  • 1/2 oz grenadine

Shake with ice, pour into cocktail glass, garnish with a lime wedge.

Friday updates & more Rigor Amortis this weekend!

, , ,

Whew–busy week! But before we roll into the weekend, I wanted to mention a couple of things:

Andy & Galen
Andy & Galen at the Booth (photo courtesy John Remy)

I had a fantastic time at Tucson Comic Con on Saturday. @Johnremy and I met up with @galendara and Rigor Amortis had a great showing. Lots of interest in the book and Galen’s awesome scary-sexy art. Thanks to organizers Mike and Henry for a great show. On Sunday, John, Galen, and I did a reading at Revolutionary Grounds Coffee. It was a little daunting to get up and read my NC-17 rated story again, but after practice at WFC last week, it wasn’t too bad. Thanks again to Joy for hosting us. The Tucson Weekly recorded some of the reading (thanks Dan!). You can find that here (but it’s pretty NSFW, you have been warned).

This Sunday at 2pm the three of us will be reuniting, along with other Rigor Amortis contributors @kaolinfire, Lucia Starkey, and Pete Alberti for a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA. Hope you’ll come out and say “hi!”

For those of you popping in to see if there’s a Cocktail Friday update — stay tuned. I’m working getting one out in time for the weekend…

Cocktail Friday (“Make it a Double” Edition): The Aviation & The Blue Moon

, , , ,

I missed Cocktail Friday last week,  what with being sick and WFC, but today you get to reap the benefits of last week’s slacking–today I’ll cover two of my favorite gin drinks: The Aviation and the Blue Moon.

These two cocktails share a common history–the Blue Moon seems to have been the original Aviation, thanks to the sky-bluish color lent by the Creme Yvette. Eventually, the two drinks went their own way and the Aviation became firmly established as described below.

Popular during the dawn of aviation, I like to think of these cocktails as the same sky: either you fly during the day or at night.

The Blue Moon is slightly more obscure, due to the Creme Yvette/creme de violette all but disappearing from the American market for awhile. Made from the petals of violets–the flavor of this liqueur is floral, but subtle and sweet, never cloying.  We only discovered  creme de violette after some friends of ours graciously shared some (delivered in a mason jar, naturally). We managed to make it last almost a year, but alas now we are out. Fortunately creme de violette is easier to find these days.

I suggest making both drinks and comparing them to find out which one is your favorite. Share. Or don’t, and soar the skies in your own solo adventure. Just fly responsibly, of course.

The Aviation

The Aviation

  • 2 1/2 oz. gin (I suggest Plymouth)
  • 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 dashes maraschino liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.(You can use more maraschino and less lemon juice if you find the above recipe too tart for your tastes.)

The Blue Moon

The Blue Moon

  • 2 oz. gin
  • 1/2 oz. creme de violette
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Both of the above recipes are adapted from Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

Load More