Five More Complex Cocktails...

I promised that I'd give you five cocktails that were still quick and basic, but less quick than the ones in the last post. Some of these are frat-party favorites; pretty much any bartender should be able to make these, whether it's at a country club or a local pub that mostly does beer and very few mixed drinks.

We carry everything necessary to make the drinks in these recipes in our store; stop down if you need supplies. Our friendly proprietor will be happy to give you a few pointers on the proper way to do things.

First up is a Harvey Wallbanger. This one is a frat party favorite since the 1960s. It's actually considered a "classic" frathouse drink.

3/4 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz orange juice
1/4 oz Galliano
orange slice for garnish
maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the vodka and orange juice into a collins glass with ice cubes.
Add the Galliano.
Garnish with the orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Here's another good one--great for the summer Friday evenings, when you don't want a high alcohol content due to the heat, you just want to relax, take the edge off, and quench your thirst from the day. It's called a Fuzzy Navel.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz peach schnapps
orange juice to fill

Pour the peach schnapps into an highball glass filled with ice cubes.
Top with orange juice.
Stir well.

This next one is NOT for light drinking; it's for a hard night out with the boys.

Kamikaze

1 1/2 oz vodka
1 oz lime juice
1 oz triple sec
lime wedge for garnish

Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the lime wedge.

You want to be careful with the Kamikaze; it can put the hurt on you.

Now, I'm going to say a word about that classic of all classic cocktails, the Martini. A martini is gin and vermouth and an olive. After that, it's all you.

When you go to a cocktail lounge and ask for a martini, bartenders will usually ask you how you take it, because a Martini is like a wallet or a purse--it's individual to you, it fits you, it suits you. Some people say that a Martini is neat gin in a martini glass with an olive; other people like more vermouth; still others like the olive rubbed around the rim of the glass. The Martini is YOUR martini.

This recipe is just a starting point. The "atomizer" called for can be replaced with a small restaurant style spray bottle--if you are local to Bradley Beach NJ or the Jersey Shore area, you can get a spray bottle at Johnson's Restaurant Supply at the corner of Rte. 33 and Memorial Drive--near the railroad tracks near the intersection of Rte.33 and Rte. 71 (Main Street).

2 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish

Pour the gin into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes.
Stir for 30 seconds.
Spray-atomize vermouth into a martini glass--one or two sprays should be enough. Just coat the glass.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the olive or lemon twist.

This next one is actually a beer mixed drink. It's a Black and Tan. I think of a Black and Tan as the classic Bass Guinness, but really any Pale Ale like Sierra Nevada or Boulevard will do.

Ingredients:

8 oz Guinness Stout
8 oz Bass Ale

Pour the pale ale into a pint glass.
Float the Guinness on top to fill the glass, by pouring it over a bar spoon (or Black and Tan spoon) over the pale ale.

All right? All right. Those are the basics. See you next time, and remember, take it easy, easy, and if you can't take it easy, easy, take it easy as you can...SEE YA!