Wine - Cocktails More Than 150 Drinks +Appetizers and Party Menus

COCKTAILS More Than 150 Drinks + Appetizers and Party Menus From left: COCKTAILS CONTENTS Getting Started ESSENTIAL SPIRITS APERITIFS (WINE-BASED) The word aperitif is often used to refer to any predinner drink, but aperitifs are also a category of beverage: light, dry, and low-proof, with characteristic bitter flavors. A century ago, mixologists began adding wine-based aperitifs to cocktails instead of simply serving them on their own before meals. Wine-based aperitifs include quinquinas (or kinas); these contain quinine, a bitter extract from cinnamon-like cinchona bark. Some well-known examples are Lillet and Dubonnet. Lillet comes in white, ros, and red versions and is infused with citrus and subtle herb flavors. Dubonnet is a sweet blend of fortified wine, herbs, and spices.

APERITIFS (SPIRIT-BASED) Low-proof, bitter spirit-based aperitifs like Campari have always been popular in Europe. Now theyre beloved in the US thanks to mixologists embrace of bottles like Aperol, the bitter orange Italian aperitif. Other examples of spirit-based aperitifs are Pimms No. 1, a gin-based English aperitif with subtle spice and citrus flavors; and Cynar, which is made from 13 different herbs and plants, including artichokes. BRANDY Brandies are distilled from a fermented mash of fruit. French grape brandies like Armagnac and Cognac are named for the regions where they are made.

Calvados is brandy made from apples (and sometimes pears) in the Normandy region of France. Applejack is an American apple brandy blended with neutral spirits. Other styles include pisco, distilled from aromatic grapes in Peru and Chile; and eau-de-vie, a specialty of the European Alps, distilled from a fermented fruit mash and bottled without aging. ( and for brandy-based cocktails.) GIN Gin is made by distilling a neutral grain spirit with botanicals such as juniper, coriander, and citrus peels. The most ubiquitous style of gin is London dry. Plymouth gin is less dry and juniper-forward, while Old Tom gin is slightly sweeter than London dry.

New Western gins, such as Hendricks, incorporate unusual botanicals like rose petals. Genever, a predecessor to gin, is a botanically rich, malted grainbased spirit. Aquavit, like gin, is made from a neutral alcohol and botanicals such as caraway, citrus peels and star anise. ( and for gin-based cocktails.) LIQUEURS Among some of the oldest spirits, liqueurs are produced from a base alcohol thats distilled or macerated with a variety of ingredients, then sweetened. Sugar generally makes up to 35 percent of a liqueurs weight by volume, and up to 40 percent for crme liqueurs such as crme de menthe. Liqueurs can be herbal (Chartreuse); citrus- or fruit-based (Cointreau); floral (violet-inflected parfait amour); or nut- or seed-based (nocino, made from unripe green walnuts).

RUM Distilled from sugarcane or its residues, rums are typically produced in tropical regions. White, a.k.a. silver or light, rum can be aged, then filtered to remove color. Amber (or gold) rum is often aged in barrels for a short time; caramel is sometimes added for color. Dark rums, made with molasses, include blackstrap rum, a rich, thick variety produced from blackstrap molasses; and Demerara rum, made on the banks of Guyanas Demerara River, with a burnt-sugar flavor. ( and for rum-based cocktails.) TEQUILA AND MEZCAL Authentic tequila is made from 100 percent blue agave that is harvested by hand, slow-roasted in ovens, fermented, then distilled. ( and for rum-based cocktails.) TEQUILA AND MEZCAL Authentic tequila is made from 100 percent blue agave that is harvested by hand, slow-roasted in ovens, fermented, then distilled.

Blanco (white) tequila is unaged. Reposado (rested) tequila ages up to one year in barrels. Aejo (aged) tequila must be matured between one and three years. Mezcal is known for its smoky flavor, which comes from roasting the agave in earthen pits; the finest mezcals are unaged. Mezcal is not a type of tequilatequila is actually a type of mezcal. ( and mezcal and for tequila-based cocktails.) WHISKEY Whiskey is distilled from a fermented mash of grains, then typically matured in oak barrels. ( and mezcal and for tequila-based cocktails.) WHISKEY Whiskey is distilled from a fermented mash of grains, then typically matured in oak barrels.

Scotland and Japan are famous for their single malts (produced from 100 percent malted barley from one distillery). Highland Scotches are single malts of various styles from Scotlands Highland area. Most peated whisky comes from Islay in Scotland. Canada favors blended whiskies high in rye, and Irish whiskeys tend to be mellow blends. America is known for its bourbon, robust rye, and unaged, white whiskeys. Theres a common misconception that bourbon must be made in Kentucky; while its true that 85 percent of the worlds bourbon is produced in Kentucky, the law only specifies that it must be made in the United States.

So technically theres nothing on the books that specifically says bourbon must be from the Bluegrass State. ( and for whiskey-based cocktails.) VERMOUTH Vermouth is an aromatic fortified wine flavored with botanicals. Dry vermouth is a staple in martinis. Sweet vermouth, which is red, is best known as whiskeys partner in a Manhattan. Italian bianco and French blanc represent another style thats slightly sweeter than dry vermouth; ros and rosato vermouths are pink, with a spicy flavor. ( and for vermouth-based cocktails.) VODKA Produced all over the world, vodka is traditionally distilled from fermented grain or potatoes, but nearly any fruit or vegetable can be used, from grapes to beets. ( and for vermouth-based cocktails.) VODKA Produced all over the world, vodka is traditionally distilled from fermented grain or potatoes, but nearly any fruit or vegetable can be used, from grapes to beets.

Most of the flavored vodkas are created by adding ingredients to a neutral spirit; the best macerate citrus, berries, or herbs in high-proof alcohol. ( and for vodka-based cocktails.) BAR LEXICON Absinthe An herbal spirit, formerly banned in the US, flavored with botanicals such as wormwood, green anise, and fennel seeds. Allspice Dram Also known as pimento dram; a rum-based liqueur infused with Jamaican allspice berries. Aperol A vibrant orange-red aperitif flavored with bitter orange, rhubarb, gentian, and cinchona bark. Applejack An American apple brandy that is blended with neutral spirits. Barolo Chinato A Nebbiolo-based fortified wine (produced in Piedmonts Barolo zone) infused with cinchona bark (china in Italian) and a variety of roots, herbs, and spices, including rhubarb and cardamom.

Batavia-Arrack van Oosten A spicy and citrusy rum-like spirit made in Java from sugarcane and fermented red rice. Bndictine An herbal liqueur with flavors of hyssop, angelica, juniper, and myrrh. According to legend, the recipe for this liqueur was developed by a French monk in 1510. Bigallet China-China A bitter orange French liqueur made with cinchona, gentian, and lots of other spices and herbs. It gets its rich brown color from caramel. Bitters Concentrated tinctures of bitter and aromatic herbs, roots, and spices that add complexity to drinks.