Drinks

Cheers, April, 2005

This month, Cheers presents some of the innovative drinks that were prepared by master mixologists for the 2005 Cheers Beverage Conference, held in February in Irvine, CA.

 Stone Fence
Dale DeGroff, King Cocktail himself, created this "colonial favorite
jazzed up a bit."
1 1/2 oz. bourbon
1 1/2 oz. fresh cider
Small piece of freshly skinned
 ginger
1/2 oz. Demerara
 sugar syrup
1/2 oz. Jamaican
 ginger beer
Muddle the ginger and the Demerara
syrup in a mixing glass. Add the
cider and whiskey and shake with ice.
Strain over ice into a rocks glass
and top with ginger beer. Garnish
with a lime squeeze and a green
apple slice.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Tony Abou-Ganim, master mixologist, (right) created the following two whisky-based cocktails.

 Clermont Smash
1 1/2 oz. Knob Creek Bourbon
  Whiskey
1/2 oz. Falernum syrup
10-12 spearmint leaves
3 dashes Fee Brother's Peach
  Bitters
1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon sour
In a mixing glass, muddle spearmint
leaves with the Falernum syrup.
Fill glass with ice and bitters,
fresh sour and Knob Creek, and shake
until well blended. Strain into an
Old-Fashioned glass filled with
crushed ice and stir until the
outside of the glass begins to frost.
Garnish with a spear of pineapple
and sprig of mint. Rim the lip of the
glass with the pineapple as well.
 Bush Pilot
1 1/2 oz. Crown Royal Special
  Reserve
1 oz. Bing cherry puree
2 oz. fresh lemon sour
1 tablespoon egg white
soda water
In an ice-filled mixing glass, add
Crown Royal, cherry puree, fresh
sour and egg white; shake until
well blended. Strain into a 12-oz.
Fizz glass and top with soda water.
 Finlandia Crantini Martini
1 1/2 oz. Finlandia Vodka
3 oz. cranberry juice
3 squeezes of lime
Rosemary cranberry spear
Sugar the rim of a Martini glass.
Combine all, except for spear, in a
mixing tin with ice. Shake vigorously
and strain into the glass. Garnish
with rosemary cranberry spear. To
make, trim rosemary spear to extend
beyond the glass by at least an inch.
Remove all but one inch of leaves at
top. Spear fresh cranberries onto the twig.
 Cherry Cosmopolitan
2 oz. Three Olives Cherry Vodka
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
2 1/2 oz. cranberry juice
splash of lime juice
Combine all in mixing tin with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a
Martini glass.
 Bahama Mama
1 1/2 oz. Mount Gay Vanilla Rum
1/2 oz. white creme de cacao
1/2 oz. banana liqueur
1/2 oz. half & half
Combine all in a mixing tin with
ice. Shake vigorously and strain
into a Martini glass. Garnish with a
banana slice.
 Sicilian Cosmo
1 oz. Level Vodka
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1/2 oz. Monin Blood Orange Syrup
1/2 oz. Minute Maid Orange Juice
1 oz. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Combine all in a mixing tin with
ice. Shake vigorously and strain
into a Martini glass. Splash with
cranberry juice. Garnish with
lemon twist.
 Ultimate Key Lime Pie Martini
1 oz. Ketel One Citroen
1 oz. Monin Key Lime Syrup
1 oz. Limoncello
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
Splash half & half
Crushed graham crackers
Rim glass with crushed crackers.
Combine all in mixing tin with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a
Martini glass. Garnish with lime
wheel.
 Pink-A-Tini
4 oz. Sutter Home White Zinfandel
1 oz. cranberry juice
Splash Chambord
Mix all in a mixing tin with ice.
Shake and strain into a Martini
glass. Garnish with lime squeeze.

CHEERS WELCOMES ORIGINAL DRINK IDEAS. PLEASE SEND THE RECIPE TO: CHEERS DRINKS DEPARTMENT, 17 HIGH ST. 2ND FLOOR, NORWALK, CT 06851