Pre-prohibition cocktails and modern twists on classics

Apple and Snake

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Apple and Snake 5

Ingredients:

.5oz Peat Monster

.5oz Rittenhouse Rye

1oz Dolin Genepy des Alpes

.75oz Apple Brandy

Smoked Applewood chips

Instructions:

Add the Peat Monster Scotch, Rittenhouse Rye, Apple Brandy and Dolin Genepy to a chilled mixing glass. Fill a cocktail glass with applewood smoke and cover. Add ice and stir the cocktail until well chilled. Remove the cover from the smoked glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.

To smoke the glass…

I used a portable smoking gun, appropriately called “The Smoking Gun.” While this thing is super cool, easy to use and fast, you could also smoke the glass a “cheaper” way. Take a few applewood chips and place them on a surface you wouldn’t mind burning (metal pan topped with aluminum foil perhaps). Light them up until they start to smoke, place your glass on top to collect the smoke. Let the smoke “marinate” until you are ready to pour the cocktail.

Notes:

Light smoke, apple, herbs and whiskey on the nose. Clean, crisp and light on the tongue, yet unapologetically boozy. Apple, wood, spice, herbs, anise and peat with a warm smokey flavor lingering in the background. The finish is dry smoke, booze and woodsy flavor.

Apple and Snake

History:

Here we go again, time for another Mixology Monday. This one is hosted by Elana over at Stir and Strain, one of my favorite blogs. The theme this time in a sense follows in the footsteps of the prior theme, Fire. That’s right, now it’s time for “Smoke.” Here’s the skinny:

“They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire– it isn’t necessarily true if we’re down to the smoldering embers, but, well, they say it anyway. In our case, where there was fire, now there’s smoke, and it’s time to stoke your enthusiasm for the next challenge. Smoke has been everywhere this past year… For me, smoke is also a transitional element: it symbolizes the last summer bonfires, sitting around the fire pit making s’mores, and the start of the fragrant crackles from the fireplace announcing that fall is coming. For September’s theme, I’d like to see how you interpret smoke. With your liquor or ingredients? Your glassware? Will you whip out a chemistry set to transform your cocktail into ghostly vapors? Do you own a home smoker, still in the box, that’s never been used? Well then, you’re welcome. Unpack those ideas and let’s set off a couple smoke alarms this month for MxMo.”

Apple and Snake 2

For those who don’t remember, last month I got carried away with the “Fire” theme and made two new cocktails, the first of which was a fiery blend of mezcal, serrano peppers, ginger liqueur and habanero tincture called En Fuego. I followed that one up with, Smoke in the Woods, a charcoal aged Boulevardier with flamed absinthe on top. Besides hitting the fire theme, this one was also quite smokey from the charcoal aging. In retrospect, Smoke in the Woods would have been the perfect drink to submit for this Mixology Monday. Alas, it seems I may have suffered from a case of “premature postjaculation.” These things happen from time to tim, it’s a fact of life. My “shortcomings” aside, this “accident” also left me with the opportunity to experiment and try something new.

I love the Diamondback. It’s one of my favorite cocktails. It’s always there for me, whether after a long day at work, when I need to unwind, or when I’m feeling sick and need a little “medicine.” Don’t get me wrong, while I love the Diamondback, it is a drink that must be respected, lest you end up regretting it and your decisions the next day.

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In case you haven’t noticed, I’m also a big fan of smoke. From Peaty Scotch to charcoal aged Boulevardiers, I tend to find a way to incorporate smoke into many of my drinks at home. It only seemed natural that I combine the two.

In order to make the Diamondback a bit more smokey, I decided to split the rye with Peat Monster Scotch. I also played with the ratios to up the apple brandy a bit, which pairs really nicely with the applewood smoke. Since the drink was already nice and peaty, I didn’t want to go overboard smoking the cocktail, instead deciding to smoke the glass and then pour the cocktail into the smoke filled glass. This provided a great accent to the flavor already in the drink (and it looked pretty cool too).

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In case you didn’t notice, I also swapped the Green Chartreuse for Dolin Genepy, which is a little lighter in flavor and less sweet than Chartreuse. To be honest though, either one would do the trick.

This Mixology Monday is sure to be a good one and I’m sure I’ll get carried away again this time around (i.e. stay tuned). In the mean time give Apple and Snake a shot and enjoy the week ahead.

Apple and Snake 6

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5 Responses to “Apple and Snake”

  2. The Smoked Cocktail | The Straight Up

    […] Fnally, taking a similar approach to smoking booze itself, you could also just smoke the glass for your cocktail. Follow the same steps as smoking the cocktail, but pump the smoke into the glass you plan to serve it in and then cover it. Let the smoke marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the drink, then uncover the glass as you pour the drink. The smoke leaving the glass also looks pretty cool. For an example of this method check out Apple and Snake. […]

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