Tag Archives: Jamaica Rum

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Baltimore Egg Nogg

Baltimore Egg Nogg
1 Fresh Egg.
1/2 Tablespoonful Sugar. (1/2 tablespoon Caster Sugar)
1/4 Glass Brandy. (1/2 oz Osocalis Fine Alambic Brandy)
1/4 Glass Jamaica Rum. (1/2 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum)
1/2 Glass Madeira. (1 oz Cossart and Gordon 5 Year Bual Madeira)
1/2 Pint Fresh Milk. (4 oz (I am cheating) Goats Milk)
Shake well and strain into long tumbler. Grate nutmeg on top.

I like to pretend that I have some sort of insight into the Savoy Cocktail Book, but it is a big book. I had been ignoring most of the back of the book until relatively recently. Janiece Gonzalez found this recipe and started making the Baltimore Egg Nog for people about a year ago after a couple Savoy nights. It totally caught me by surprise. Maybe my favorite egg nogg ever and has been really popular with whomever we have made it for.

If there is any trick to it, it is to go with a Madeira with some character, not that bullshit “Rainwater” Madeira. Well, that and a flavorful and funky Jamaican Rum, like the Smith & Cross.

Yes, I once again display a brazen disregard for personal safety, by cracking ice with a chef’s knife. I do have an ice pick, but it scares me. I don’t really know how to use it and feel fairly certain that the first time I tried it, I would have it sticking in my palm. So I use the knife I am comfortable with to crack ice. Your Mileage May Vary. In deference to Frederic’s good point and Chris’ squeamishness, I promise not to show this technique in any future videos.

Regarding safety: Clearly, holding ice cubes in your hand and cracking them with a 6 inch chef’s knife isn’t really, uh, wise? Don’t do that. Or if you do, don’t say you saw me do it here. You can, however, blame Andrew Bohrer, who showed me this technique. Also, as with any recipe containing uncooked eggs, there is some small chance of salmonella. If that risk bothers you, use pasteurized eggs.

Music is from the Dodos new CD, “No Color”.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the drinks in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, the, uh, Sauterne Cup.

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Tom & Jerry Cocktail

Tom and Jerry.*
1 Egg.
1/2 Glass Jamaica Rum. (1/2 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum)
1 Tablespoonful Powdered Sugar. (Heaping Teaspoon Caster Sugar)
1/2 Glass Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Pellahaut Armaganac Reserve)
Beat up yolk and white of egg separately. Then mix the yolk, and white together. Use stem glass or china mug, adding the spirits, then fill with boiling water, grating nutmeg on top.

*The Tom and Jerry was invented by Professor Jerry Thomas — rise please — over seventy years ago, in the days when New York was the scene of the soundest drinking on earth. The Tom and Jerry and the Blue Blazer — the latter a powerful concoction of burning whisky and boiling water– were the greatest cold weather beverages of that era.

Well, from reading David Wondrich’s fine book, “Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to “Professor” Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar,” we know that Jerry Thomas probably did not invent this drink. It really isn’t anything more than a hot flip, a pretty darn common drink, though flips were more likely made with Ale or Fortified Wine in the early days of our country.

For some reason this cocktail is one which, like Egg Nog, provokes a pretty strong response when you mention it to people. I’m not really exactly sure why, as it is nothing more than boozy custard in a glass, something I am totally down with. Heck, the eggs are even cooked. I guess, like Egg Nog, it probably has to do with people’s bad experiences with Tom & Jerry made from pre-packaged, over sweet, “batters”.

I got some flack from friends, when I mentioned I was making a Tom and Jerry in August. Suffering through horrible hot summers on the East Coast or in the Midwest, they were like, “Are you crazy?” Let me assure you, Tom & Jerrys are perfectly appropriate drinks for the fog shrouded, misty, cold nights that pass for “summer” here in San Francisco. It wasn’t for naught that Mark Twain was (incorrectly) attributed with the following quote, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

As far as method goes, this worked pretty well for a bar friendly method the other night: Add the egg, booze, and sugar to a mixing tin with the spring from a hawthorne strainer. “Dry Shake” vigorously for 10 seconds. Break the seal. Remove the spring.  Into the tin without the eggs, add about an ounce of hot water from the hot water tower. Pour the hot water into the whipped eggs, then quickly back and forth between the tins several times. Pour into a glass, and top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Instant Tom & Jerry, and boy, the Smith & Cross and Armagnac combination is freaking delicious.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Shanghai Cocktail

029

Shanghai Cocktail
2 Dashes Grenadine. (5ml Small Hand Foods Grenadine)
3/8 Lemon Juice. (3/4 oz Lemon Juice)
1/8 Anisette. (1/4 oz Anis del Mono Dulce a.k.a. Devil Juice)
1/2 Jamaica Rum. (1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Annoying measures, to be sure. I think I got it mostly right, though every time I look at it, I think it is wrong.

Amusingly, when Mrs. Flannestad was in High School, she traveled to France for an exchange trip. Probably one of the formative experiences of her life, as she met some of her best friends to this day. But anyway, for some reason, she took to swigging Marie Brizard Anisette, so much so, that some of her schoolmates started calling her “Marie Brizard”.

Sadly, the Brizard products seem to have evaporated from many of the local liquor stores. Not sure what is up with that, as I always meant to get some of their White Creme de Cacao. Anyone have a suggestion for another decent White Creme de Cacao brand? I haven’t been much impressed with any I have tried so far.

This is a very odd drink, a combination I would never make if it weren’t for the Savoy Cocktail Book Project, to be sure. A Jamaican Rum Sour sweetened with Grenadine and Anisette. I was drinking it, and thinking, “this is weird, but I sort of like it.” Fairly tart and with an interesting light sweetness from the anise, it is oddly refreshing. So odd, that I thought I should try and get a second opinion, so I ran it past Mrs. Flannestad. She also was of the not entirely unguarded opinion, “I kind of like it.”

Not a lost classic, by any means, but a pretty interesting flavor combination, and not entirely unlikeable.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Robson Cocktail

Robson Cocktail

Robson Cocktail.
1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Lemon Juice)
1/8 Orange Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Orange Juice)
1/4 Grenadine. (3/4 oz Homemade Grenadine)
1/2 Jamaica Rum. (1 1/2 oz Appleton V/X Rum)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Actually, this is exactly what I would consider a “Planter’s Punch”, as opposed to those two earlier “Planter’s Cocktails” (No. 1 and No. 2).  Multiple Citrus, check.  Grenadine, check.  Jamaican Rum, check.  Yep, that’s a “Planter’s Punch” all right.

Tasty, too, though you could probably go with something a bit more distinctive than the Appleton V/X.  Coruba might be awesome, or Haus Alpenz’ Smith and Cross Jamaica Rum, if you were feeling adventurous.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Planter’s Cocktail (No. 2)

Planter's Cocktail No. 2

Planter’s Cocktail (No. 2)
1/4 Lemon Juice. (3/4 oz Lemon Juice)
1/4 Syrup. (3/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup)
1/2 Jamaica Rum. (3/4 oz Mount Gay XO, 3/4 oz Wray & Nephew White Overproof)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Planter’s Cocktail
Note: This drink is greatly favoured by Planters, particularly in Jamaica where Rum is good and cheap.

Well, figured I should use a “good and cheap” Jamaica Rum for this one. Wray & Nephew Overproof seemed like the trick, but couldn’t quite face using it alone so cut it with a an equal part of Mount Gay XO I’d gotten through my association with the CSOWG.

The Mount Gay XO, by the way, is pretty enjoyable for an industrial rum.  Nice sipper and makes a fantastic rum old-fashioned.

In general, we liked Planter’s Cocktail No. 2 better than No. 1, though it was a tad sweet. A half ounce of the rich simple would have been plenty.

It’s funny, one of my first drink quests was for the Planter’s Punch.  I had a good one early on, but then realized soon after that no two bartenders seemed to make the same drink when asked to make a Planter’s Punch.  About all they seemed to have in common was Myer’s Jamaican Rum.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Parisian Blonde Cocktail

Parisian Blonde Cocktail

Parisian Blonde Cocktail.

1/3 Sweet Cream. (3/4 oz Sweet Cream)
1/3 Curacao. (3/4 oz Cartron Curacao Triple Sec)
1/3 Jamaica Rum. (3/4 oz Appleton Extra)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.  (Well, no.  Using a Milk Frother, whip cream until slightly thickened.  Stir rum and curacao with ice to chill.  Strain into cocktail glass.  Carefully pour lightly thickened cream over the back of a spoon to float on top.  Garnish with finely grated cinnamon.)

As in the Panama Cocktail, again deploying the Clover Club method of agitating the cream separately from the other ingredients, then spooning on top.  Done that way, this is an enjoyable after dinner cocktail, along the lines of a Brandy Alexander.

Cartron Curacao Triple Sec

Found the Cartron Curacao at a liquor store in Napa.  May be my new favorite orange liqueur.  Nice complex intense orange flavor, good proof level, and very little harshness or burn.

Cartron Curacao Back Label

The interesting part, here, is that the name of the product uses both “Curacao” and “Triple Sec”, hearkening back to the origins of orange liqueurs.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Marvel Cocktail

Marvel Cocktail

The Marvel Cocktail

3/4 Jamaica Rum. (1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum)
1/8 Sirop-de-citron. (1/4 oz Monin Lemon Syrup)
1/8 Grenadine. (1/4 oz Homemade Grenadine)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Previously I have made these sorts of Grenadine and Rum drinks with Appleton V/X.

I have to admit, trying the Marvel with the Coruba Rum, the flavor combination makes a lot more sense.

It’s just a lot more funky and flavorful rum for this application than the Appleton is.

I’m gonna have to go back and try the Chinese Cocktail again.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

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Kingston Cocktail

Kingston Cocktail

Kingston Cocktail
(6 People)

3 Glasses Jamaica Rum. (1 1/2 oz Appleton V/X)
1 1/2 Glasses Kummel. (3/4 oz Gilka Kaiser Kummel)
1 1/2 Glasses Orange Juice. (3/4 oz fresh Orange Juice)
1 Dash Pimento Dram. (Very Little St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram)

Shake carefully and serve whilst, frothing.

The unique taste of this cocktail is due to Kummel mixed with a liqueur known as Pimento Dram (a Jamaican Liqueur) without which it would lose all its direction.

I had feared this might be rather over sweet. But it isn’t really. Perhaps due to some nicely tart Valencia Oranges. I liked it quite a bit, but then I am fond of caraway flavors. I was enjoying it so much, I gave a taste to Mrs. Flannestad, who got a very puzzled look on her face. So perhaps it isn’t a crowd pleaser.

Gilka Kummel

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.