Topsy Turkey
This Thursday at 4pm we’ll be mixing cocktails with some of our dearest friends. In your house it may be noon or 6pm but nevertheless, a nice mixed drink is a perfect way to kick-off the Thanksgiving celebration. I have to admit to sampling quite a few this past week in the name of “research.” Writing a blog is tough work but someone’s got to do it. Gary has been my willing accomplice and on Saturday night we even co-opted a certified mixologist and two unsuspecting friends in the quest for the perfect cocktail. You may disappointed to learn that we didn’t land on “the one.” We tried a Cranberry Old-Fashioned, which marries bourbon and cranberries; The New England Express, featuring dark rum and cider; Bobby Burns, an entry-level scotch cocktail; Baguio Skin, a combination of aged rum and orange bitters; and a vodka drink made with Grand Classico and cranberry bitters. The Punch du Jour at DC’s new hot bar, 2 Birds 1 Stone, happened to be my favorite drink of the lot. This cocktail featured bourbon, pomegranate, lemon juice and a sorrel liquor but had no precise recipe for me to share. With all this investigation, we discovered that there is no right answer. While one drink is light and refreshing another is smooth and warming and yet another hits the mark with a seasonal presentation. So the drink that I have decided to share is one of my own creation. If I tell you that this is the first cocktail that I have invented, would you dare give it a go? What have you got to lose? After all, it’s only Monday and you have three nights ahead just begging for experimentation. It’s certainly not a bad task to put at the end of your ramped up, pre-holiday, “to do” list. And if you land upon a drink of your own design or have a classic that hits the mark, please share with the rest of us. Your cocktail will be added to the many things we have to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. Cheers!
Topsy Turkey
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 oz apple cider
- 1 oz applejack
- 2 oz rum
- 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- slice of orange, for garnish
- couple of cranberries, for garnish
- Add all ingredients (lime juice thru bitters) into a shaker with some ice. Shake and strain into a glass with several ice cubes or straight up, depending on your preference. Garnish with a slice of orange and a couple of cranberries.