Gin + Coke Twist

About two and a half years ago, my great uncle passed away at 95. When my aunt started packing up her house so she could move to Florida, she came across cases of unopened liquor that she gave to me knowing I’d put it all to good use. After my initial excitement over countless bottles of free scotch and gin wore off, I realized I’d been given something very special. These bottles are little pieces of history. Their labels are dated and each bottle boasts a pink bottle stamp, the likes of which I’ve only seen on Don Draper’s bottles of Canadian Club. Of course, the Tanqueray label hasn’t changed much, but it still loans a sense of romanticism I think.

Tomato Habanero Dirty Martini

I know I’m late to the party here, but it’s only recently that I discovered my love for tomato juice. The more I think about it, the more it bothers me that tomato juice has been reduced to the ingredient needed for a cocktail hangover cure. Instead, I’ve combined my love of all things spicy with tomato juice and the classic dirty martini. You’ll need to make the habanero mango sauce a few hours in advance.

Like Bond’s martinis, this one ought to be shaken not stirred in order to combine the juice properly. I promise there’s enough flavor here that you won’t notice the slight bruising of the vodka.

Rye Whisky Sour

I thought I’d start off Don The Rocks with a personal favorite of mine: the rye whisky sour. Before I get into all this junk about why start now, why Don The Rocks, why drinks, or whatever else I want to share this recipe.

Rye Whisky Sour
3 oz. rye whisky
2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/2 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
Rose’s lime juice
Orange wedge
Rocks glass