Canteen Cocktail

I guess the 12 days of Christmas were clearly oversold as I didn’t get to 12.  I certainly made more than 12 drinks, I just got lost somewhere in the festivities.  Next year I will have to pick up with the remaining 9 cocktails of Christmas.

Speaking of the fat guy in the red suit, today’s drink comes from one of my Christmas presents from the wife – The Joy of Mixology.  This has the potential to be another great source of recipes, and is very highly regarded – so as we continue the adventure we will have to see.

So enough banter, the drink of the night is the Canteen Cocktail.  I have to say, looking at the contents, this is a drink I would not immediately be drawn to as I am not a fan of either Southern Comfort or amaretto, but I must continue on in the name of Dave Drinks.  Let’s see how the first drink of 2015 does…

• 1.5 ounces white rum
• 1.5 ounces Southern Comfort
• 0.5 ounce amaretto
• 0.5 ounce lime juice

Combine ingredients and shake over ice, serve in a chilled martini glass.

Dave’s Thoughts:

• Except for the rum, each element of the drink can easily be identified in the taste, and I actually have to say, the taste of both Southern Comfort and amaretto are both well received.
• A sweet drink, but far from sickly so, this has the potential to sneak up on you if you have a few.
• If I were to describe a sip – starts with amaretto, middle is SoCo and the end is tart  lime.  The white rum is forgotten.

Tasting Notes:

• Dave’s Rating: 8/10
• Strength: 6/10
• Sweetness: 7/10
• I am amazed how much I like this drink – I really was expecting this to be a solid 4/10, who knew!

Prince George’s Cocktail

Nothing says 2012 like celebrating royalty, and as an Englishman, this is something that I can really get behind.  It’s QE2’s diamond jubilee this year… 50 years as the monarch of all the empire.  Of course, the empire isn’t what it used to be, after we kicked out the Americans, let the convicts in Australia go free and gave most of the worlds natural resources over to Canada.  We do however have those Falkland Islands.  Suck it Argentina!

So tonight we raise our glasses, pinky fingers extended and snooty voice intact, with Price George’s Cocktail.

• 3 ounces white rum (Bacardi – none of that generic stuff for us royals)
• 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier (it is grand…)
• 4 teaspoons of lime juice
• lemon twist (optional)

Gentley insert each ingredient into a vessel worthy of monarch, filled with ice made of water that was withheld from the peasants, and shake as if the empire depended on it.  Serve into your finest crystal martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Dave’s Thoughts:

• Old George was not a modern sophisticated type, only classic contents in this glass.
• Basically a high-class Daiquiri, but not at all too sweet.
• The complexity of the Grand Marnier laces the aftertaste, but the initial taste is all Caribbean cocktail.

Tastings Notes:

• Dave’s Rating: 8/10
• Strength: 8/10
• Sweetness: 5/10
• Rule Britannia…

Bali Lo

A new cocktail this evening to use up that Sweet and Sour Mix that your may have aging badly in your refrigerator.  This is actually a failed experiment of another drink that I was trying to make, but it ain’t half bad.

• 1.5 ounces gin (Bombay Sapphire)
• 1.5 ounces white rum (Bacardi)
• 3 ounces sweet and sour (make your own!)
• Splash of almond liqueur

Mix the ingredients in a rocks glass over ice, stir.

Dave’s Thoughts:

• Drink is definitely dominated by the sweet and sour – so if you are not making your own, be sure to use a good quality brand.
• The almond finish is  a nice unique touch, although it is just a hint.
• Probably using fine gin and run is a waste on this drink – stay with the midrange.

Tasting Notes:

• Dave’s Rating: 7/10
• Strength: 5/10
• Sweetness: 5/10 (it is sweet and tart all at once)
• For a screw up – it ain’t half bad!