Tom & Jerry Coffee – A Christmas Irish Coffee

Tom And Jerry Coffee
Quick Step-By-Step Tom & Jerry Recipe Video

Tom & Jerry Coffee

5 from 1 vote Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Tom and Jerry Coffee

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

  • 1.5 oz Brandy

  • 5 oz Coffee

  • 1.5 oz Tom and Jerry Batter

Directions

  • Technique: Build In Glass
  • Add simple syrup and spirit to a heat proof grass.tom and jerry coffee
  • Stir to combine and then add coffee.tom and jerry coffee
  • Float the Tom u0026 Jerry batter on top.tom and jerry coffee

Recipe Video

What Does the Tom & Jerry Coffee Taste Like?

The Tom and Jerry Coffee is fantastic. It tastes like an Irish coffee and a pumpkin spice latte. It has a slight sweetness and a clear coffee flavor that is not covered up by syrups and sugar, with the Tom and Jerry Christmas spices coming through nicely. A classic Tom and Jerry is fantastic, but it is a taste I thought would pair well with coffee. The intent was to make an Irish coffee but replace the whipped cream top with Tom and Jerry batter. Think Irish coffee but with Christmas spice. If it is Tom & Jerry Batter you are looking for please read my article on The Improved 1860s Style Tom & Jerry Batter.

What Is Tom & Jerry Batter?

Tom and Jerry’s batter is an egg and Christmas spice flavored mousse. It’s pretty good and doesn’t need to be mixed into a drink. You can make it yourself, or Tom and Jerry batter can be bought in stores during the holiday season in the upper midwest, where the drink is still pretty popular. I used to publish the original recipe on this site. However, I now use an updated one that makes for a considerably better drink while still being very similar flavor-wise to the original. Most modern recipes include butter and heavy cream and are much denser and almost eggnog-like. Mine does not. If the recipe is true to the classic and lacks a heavy fat ingredient, then the problem they are stuck with is using just warm water or milk, as meringue can not be heated so violently and rapidly. These versions taste fine, but I found this one that uses hot water to taste the best. The aroma is better; it sips better and has a more cozy feel to it. At its core, Tom and Jerry Batter face the same issue all egg-based desserts face when heated. The risk of curdling.

Most desserts try to solve this problem by cooking in a water bath so the egg doesn’t get too hot, and the original 1862 recipe could only use warm water and not hot, or else it would curdle. Most modern recipes try to fix this by adding butter or heavy cream since a cooked protein will bond to fat before bonding to another protein or stick with warm water or milk. While this keeps the drink from curdling, it either completely changes the flavor and texture or makes for a weak old, tasting drink. The solution I am using is an old baker’s technique to add a small amount of thickened corn starch, similar to American-style custard. American custards, cream pies, cream fillings, etc., are cooked at rapid high heat like any other dessert and do not curdle. This solution fixes the issue of curdling and lets the drink gets heated to a good hot drinks temperature while maintaining the drink’s original flavor and texture.

Make This Improved Tom & Jerry Batter Recipe.

I tried to change the original recipe and its ratios as little as possible. The only changes I made were adding cornstarch as a stabilizer and reducing the sugar to a more balanced amount. If you do not add cornstarch, then DO NOT use hot water. Only use warmed water or milk as the rapid heat will curdle the egg and make the drink lumpy.

  • 6 Eggs
  • 1.5 cups (360 g) of sugar
  • 1 tbs (15 g) Cornstarch
  • 1 oz (30 mLs) gold rum
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
  1. Combine cornstarch and an ounce of hot water, stir till the cornstarch is dissolved and the mixture is thick, then set aside.
  2. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two bowls.
  3. Add the sugar to the egg whites and using an electric mixer (you would be crazy to do this by hand) beat the eggs into a medium peak meringue.
  4. Once you are done beating, still using the electric mixer, slowly add the thickened wet corn starch. The cornstarch can only be added after you are done beating the meringue. The cornstarch prevents the meringue from cooking when you add hot water and curdling.
  5. In the second bowl with the egg yolks add the rum, ground cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Using the electric mixer again beat the yolks till they become lighter in color and runny.
  6. Add the egg yolk mixture to the meringue and fold to combine.

If you would like to explore different fun ways to add flavor to your coffee, please check out this link for more coffee flavors.

Recipe Resources

NOTE: If what you are looking for is the Tom & Jerry Batter Recipe the link for that is here. Also, the video attached to this recipe below provides simple step-by-step instructions to make the batter and drink.

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Butterscotch Alexander Recipe

Alexander (Butterscotch)

Butterscotch Alexander

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

3

minutes

How to make a Butterscotch Alexander

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Butterscotch Liqueur

  • 1 oz Creme de Cacao

  • 1 oz Brandy

  • 1 oz Heavy Cream

Directions

  • Technique: Saxe Soda Shake
  • Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
  • Add one medium or two small ice cubes to the cocktail shaker and shake until the ice fully melts.
  • Without a strainer, pour the chilled and aerated drink into a glass.
  • Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.

Featured Video

What Does The Butterscotch Alexander Taste Like?

The Butterscotch Alexander is excellent. The blend of butterscotch and chocolate flavors goes great together and the brandy gives the drink a little kick. The Butterscotch Alexander is not a classic cocktail; It’s just an excellent way to use butterscotch liqueur. My wife bought a bottle of butterscotch liqueur a while back because it sounded fun, but we never used it. One day when she asked me to make her a Brandy Alexander, it hit me that this would be an excellent way to use the butterscotch liqueur. The cocktail was a hit with her and everyone I have served it to, so I figured it would be a fun recipe to share with others.

The History Of The Alexander Cocktail.

The first printed recipe for the Alexander is from the 1917 book “Recipes For Mixed Drinks” by Hugo Ensslin. This early Alexander is gin-based, and so is the Alexander recipe in the Old Waldorf-Astoria. This means the two oldest known Alexander recipes are both gin cocktails. Even though the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book was printed in 1935, it documented the bars recipes from the 1890s to 1920.

Europe, it seemed preferred to use Brandy instead of gin. The earliest printed recipes for the Alexander in Europe come from “The Savoy Cocktail Book” by Harry Craddock and “Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” by Harry McElhone. Both books refer to it only as an Alexander cocktail, not specifically a gin or brandy Alexander. Interestingly the Savoy list both the older style gin-based Alexander as an Alexander #1 and the brandy-based one as an Alexander #2. Harry’s ABC book only lists the brandy recipe and does not have the gin version. With all the European cocktail books I looked through from the 1930s on, I noticed that most had both a gin version and a brandy version and referred to both of them as Alexanders. The gin-based Alexander is often called an Alexander #1, and the brandy-based one is called an Alexander #2.

The first American book I could find to include an Alexander with brandy is the 1951 book “Bottoms Up” by Ted Saucier. He lists them as an Alexander (Gin) and an Alexander (Brandy). By the 1970s, the gin-based Alexander goes back to just being called an Alexander, and the Brandy one gains its more common current name of a Brandy Alexander. I first saw this naming convention used in the 1972 Trader Vic’s Cocktail Guide.

Personally, I like the Bottoms Up naming convention for the Alexander and its variations. It’s clear and descriptive and easily allows for additional variations.

Should I use Dark, White, or Clear Creme De Cacao?

None of the Alexander cocktail recipes specify precisely what kind of creme de cacao/chocolate liqueur to use, and honestly, they all taste the same. The dark, white, clear, or lightly aged color depends mainly on the base spirit used and if dyes were added. That being said, the white and dark brown chocolate-colored liqueurs are not naturally that color. Pigments are added to achieve that look. Clear ones were probably also manufactured using a super processed cocoa extract which is then added to sweetened vodka. A naturally colored creme de cacaos is either a light pale brown color or looks like a typically aged spirit like cognac. This depends on if the base spirit is an un-aged distillers alcohol/vodka or an aged spirit. You can easily see this at home by making your own creme de cacao. Add cocoa nibs to high-proof grain alcohol, let it soak for a few days, filter it, and combine it with vanilla extract, sugar, and water until you get a desirable flavor. The color will be a nice light pale brown from the soaked cocoa nibs.

Again the color is artificial unless it’s one of the two mentioned above and is not a result of the flavor extracting process, so get one you like. Ultimately all creme de cacaos are the same product, and the look and color are purely visual. Do you want a dark brown Alexander or a white one? They will taste practically the same so find a brand you like and go with it.

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Campari Spritz – Classic Recipe & History

Campari Spritz

Campari Spritz

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Italian
Servings

1

servings
Calories

267

kcal
ABV

8%

Total time

3

minutes

See how to make a Campari Spritz.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Campari

  • 1 oz Soda Water

  • 3 oz Sparkling Wine

Directions

  • Technique: Simple Combine
  • Add ice to a glass.
  • Simply combine the ingredients and stir to combine and cool the drink.

Featured Video

What Does The Campari Spritz Taste Like?

The Campari Spritz is the more herbal and medicinal version of the Aperol Spritz, but I find its flavors pair better with sparkling wine. The Campari spritz is refreshing while still having a more robust flavor, and it is my preferred version of the spritz. The addition of soda water cuts the strength just enough not to make the drink feel boozy. If you like spritzes but have never had one with Campari, this is worth a try.

History Of The Spritz.

The Spritz originated in the Veneto region of Italy in the mid-19th century. After the Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815), the Veneto region was annexed by the Austrian Empire, which it stayed with till it joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. During the annexation, Austrian soldiers occupied the region and found the local wine too alcohol for their liking. The soldiers would add a splash of water to bring the ABV down to levels more similar to beer. Wine served this way was referred to as a spritz, the german word for a splash. Eventually, wines would be spritzed with soda water and even Prosecco. The spritz cocktail structure is always:

  • 2 oz (60 mLs) wine or apperitif
  • 1 oz (30 mLs) soda water
  • 3 oz (90 mls) prosecco

As you can see, there can be many different kinds of spritz cocktails. Any wine or aperitif can be used as the base. When ordering in English, the base is mentioned before the word spritz. A spritz with Aperol is an Aperol Spritz, or one with Cynar is Cynar Spritz, Campari Spritz, Pinot Grigio Spritz, Chardonnay Spritz, etc. If ordering in Italy, reverse it and say the base after the word spritz.

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Buck’s Fizz Recipe – Mimosa Vs. Buck’s Fizz

Bucks Fizz

Buck’s Fizz

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: British
Servings

1

servings
Calories

165

kcal
ABV

7%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make the Buck’s Fizz.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Orange Juice

  • 2 oz Sparkling Wine

Directions

  • Technique: Build In Glass
  • Add orange juice to a glass.
  • Gently pour the sparkling wine into the glass. Building in this order ensures a better mix.

Featured Video

The History Of The Buck’s Fizz.

The Buck’s Fizz was invented at the Buck Club in 1921 in London by Barman Malachy McGarry. The earliest printed recipe for Buck’s Fizz I can find is from the 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book. While the mimosa was invented in 1925 as a less boozy variation of The buck’s fizz, the buck’s fizz remained more widespread until the 1960s.

So how did the Buck’s Fizz fade from memory and the Mimosa become universally known? Hollywood, of course. Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite cocktail was the Mimosa. In a 1966 interview for the London Express, the author noted he met Alfred Hitchcock “In fine form, drinking mimosas and smoking an eight-inch cigar.” Other celebrities followed suit, and in no time, the Mimosa became the Cosmopolitan of the late 1960s.

What Is The Difference Between A Buck’s Fizz And A Mimosa?

The difference between the buck’s fizz and the mimosa is just the ratio of orange juice to sparkling wine. The buck fizz is 2:1 sparkling wine to orange juice, and the mimosa is 1:1 sparkling wine to orange juice. That’s all. I rarely ever see anyone make a 1:1 mimosa. The buck’s fizz ratio of 2:1 is preferred, but the name mimosa is so ubiquitous that the cocktail is always called a mimosa regardless of the proportions.

The History Of Buck’s Club London

The Buck Club was founded in 1919 by Herbert Buckmaster of the Royal Horse Guard. Herbert Buckmaster intended Buck’s Club to be an upper-class club with less of the stuffiness of other elite London clubs. One of Buckmaster’s requirements for the club was it should have an American-style bar. Not uncommon in hotels that served guests from overseas, but the idea of an American Bar in a prestigious invite-only boys club was unheard of. Buckmaster hired Pat MacGarry to head his American Bar. MacGarry never published his own cocktail book, but he is credited with having invented the Buck’s Fizz and the side-car. To this day, Buck’s Club is still an all-boys, invitation-only club.

Recipe Resources

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Alexander (Gin) – Original Recipe & History

Gin Alexander

Alexander (Gin)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

282

kcal
ABV

18%

Total time

3

minutes

Make a classic Alexander Cocktails

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Heavy Cream

  • 1 oz Creme de Cocoa

  • 1 oz Dry Gin

Directions

  • Technique: Saxe Soda Shake
  • Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
  • Add one medium or two small ice cubes to the cocktail shaker and shake until the ice fully melts.
  • Without a strainer, pour the chilled and aerated drink into a glass.

Featured Video

The History Of The Alexander Cocktail.

The first printed recipe for the Alexander is from the 1917 book “Recipes For Mixed Drinks” by Hugo Ensslin. This early Alexander is gin-based, and so is the Alexander recipe in the Old Waldorf-Astoria. This means the two oldest known Alexander recipes are both gin cocktails. Even though the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book was printed in 1935, it documented the bars recipes from the 1890s to 1920.

Europe, it seemed preferred to use Brandy instead of gin. The earliest printed recipes for the Alexander in Europe come from “The Savoy Cocktail Book” by Harry Craddock and “Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” by Harry McElhone. Both books refer to it only as an Alexander cocktail, not specifically a gin or brandy Alexander. Interestingly the Savoy list both the older style gin-based Alexander as an Alexander #1 and the brandy-based one as an Alexander #2. Harry’s ABC book only lists the brandy recipe and does not have the gin version. With all the European cocktail books I looked through from the 1930s on, I noticed that most had both a gin version and a brandy version and referred to both of them as Alexanders. The gin-based Alexander is often called an Alexander #1, and the brandy-based one is called an Alexander #2.

The first American book I could find to include an Alexander with brandy is the 1951 book “Bottoms Up” by Ted Saucier. He lists them as an Alexander (Gin) and an Alexander (Brandy). By the 1970s, the gin-based Alexander goes back to just being called an Alexander, and the Brandy one gains its more common current name of a Brandy Alexander. I first saw this naming convention used in the 1972 Trader Vic’s Cocktail Guide.

Personally, I like the Bottoms Up naming convention for the Alexander and its variations. It’s clear and descriptive and easily allows for additional variations.

Should I use Dark, White, or Clear Creme De Cacao?

None of the Alexander cocktail recipes specify precisely what kind of creme de cacao/chocolate liqueur to use, and honestly, they all taste the same. The dark, white, clear, or lightly aged color depends mainly on the base spirit used and if dyes were added. That being said, the white and dark brown chocolate-colored liqueurs are not naturally that color. Pigments are added to achieve that look. Clear ones were probably also manufactured using a super processed cocoa extract which is then added to sweetened vodka. A naturally colored creme de cacaos is either a light pale brown color or looks like a typically aged spirit like cognac. This depends on if the base spirit is an un-aged distillers alcohol/vodka or an aged spirit. You can easily see this at home by making your own creme de cacao. Add cocoa nibs to high-proof grain alcohol, let it soak for a few days, filter it, and combine it with vanilla extract, sugar, and water until you get a desirable flavor. The color will be a nice light pale brown from the soaked cocoa nibs.

Again the color is artificial unless it’s one of the two mentioned above and is not a result of the flavor extracting process, so get one you like. Ultimately all creme de cacaos are the same product, and the look and color are purely visual. Do you want a dark brown Alexander or a white one? They will taste practically the same so find a brand you like and go with it.

Recipe Resources

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Champagne Cocktail – Classic Recipe & History

Champagne Cocktail
Quick Step-By-Step Champagne Cocktail Recipe Video

Champagne Cocktail

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

334

kcal
ABV

10%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a Champagne Cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz Sparkling Wine

  • 1 Sugar Cube

  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Directions

  • Technique: Build In Glass
  • Dash the sugar cube with angostura bitters and place it into a champagne glass.
  • Pour sparkling wine into a champagne flute.
  • Garnish with an expressed lemon peel.

Recipe Video

Notes

The History Of The Champagne Cocktail.

Cocktails are very much an American thing as a cocktail like this would never exist in France or Italy. They would be arrested if someone added a raw sugar cube, bitters, and a lemon peel to champagne. On a side note, the British are big into cocktails and have made an equal contribution to the field, but they were introduced to making them by Americans. William Tarling, one of the first presidents of the UKBG back in the 1930s, cites Jerry Thomas as having introduced the British to American saloon-style drinks with his 1859 UK cocktail exhibit. William Tarling wrote that Jerry Thomas used solid silver tools valued at 1000 pounds in 1850 or a little over 100,000 today, but back to my point.

The champagne cocktail was most likely invented by Jerry Thomas and is used as a way to add a bit extra presentation to champagne for toasting. The bitters provide a nice earthy and herbal element to the cocktail, but the sugar cube doesn’t add much sweetness. The most significant contribution of the sugar cube is to give the carbonation in the Champagne a surface to atomize onto and make the drink an overwhelming display of carbonation. Like dropping a Mentos into a bottle of coke. Flavor-wise the lemon peel adds a nice lemon flavor, and if you express it over the top, it coats the top of the glass with a beautiful lemon smell and taste. If you’re looking for a simple way to elevate your presentation during a toast, the champagne cocktail is a fun one to try.

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Tamagozake – Traditional Recipe

Tamagozake

Tamagozake

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Japanese
Servings

1

servings
Calories

332

kcal
ABV

13%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a tamagozake.

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Egg

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

  • 5 oz Hot Sake

Directions

  • Technique: Stove-Top Prepared
  • In a bowl, crack a whole egg and add simple syrup.
  • Whisk together until the egg runs thin.
  • Warm the sake (113f/45c) and slowly pour the warmed sake into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
  • Pour the final mixture into a glass and serve.

Notes

Featured Video

What Does The Tamagozake Taste Like?

The Tamagozake is a Japanese cold remedy drink like how the hot toddy is in the United States. While I love hot toddies, I’m not the biggest fan of this drink. It’s both sweet and quite tart, and the flavor is not to my liking. I tried making this several times with slightly different proportions, and this is the best I could come up with. Maybe it’s because I’m not the biggest fan of sake, and this drink would taste better with another wine or spirit, but it’s an acquired taste. Don’t get me wrong; I bet if I was sick and a sweet little Japanese grandma made me this, it would be amazing. Unfortunately, as a man in his mid-30s, I do not possess that level of supreme skill yet, but it does give me a new cocktail to practice getting better with. I will provide what I believe to be the standard traditional recipe. No one can cook as well as a grandma.

How To Prepare A Tamagozake Properly.

To make this cocktail, you should be familiar with tempering, and you must have a whisk and a heat-proof container with a handle (a basic coffee mug works). Tempering combines two ingredients of different temperatures, where the colder ingredient cooks at a low temperature. The goal is to combine the two without cooking the colder ingredient. In this case, you are adding hot sake to cold eggs to gradually increase the temperature of the eggs without cooking them. You do that by having one hand whisk, the other hand slowly pour, the bowl staying in place.

  1. Whisk the egg and sugar till the mixture has thinned out and runs loose. Like a really well-mixed egg for scrambled eggs.
  2. While whisking very slowly pour the hot sake into the egg mix.
  3. Continue pouring at a constant rate till the sake and egg are mixed together.
  4. The final result should be a light semi-opaque yellow with a small foam on top. Like the photo.

You can’t add a hot liquid to eggs without cooking them. The egg parts the liquid first touches will absorb most of that heat, but constantly agitating the mixture prevents the cooked egg proteins from bonding together and forming clumps.

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Espresso Martini – Original Recipe & History

Espresso Martini
Quick Step-By-Step Espresso Martini Recipe Video

Espresso Martini

5 from 1 vote Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: British
Servings

1

servings
Calories

246

kcal
ABV

20%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make an Espresso Martini

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

  • 1.5 oz Espresso

  • 2/3 oz Coffee Liqueur

  • 1.5 oz Vodka

Directions

  • Technique: Saxe Soda Shake
  • Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.espresso martini
  • Add one medium or two small ice cubes to the cocktail shaker and shake until the ice fully melts.espresso martini
  • Without a strainer, pour the chilled and aerated drink into a glass.espresso martini
  • Garnish with 3 espresso beans.espresso martini

Recipe Video

Notes

The History Of The Espresso Martini.

Invented by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club in London during the late 1980s, the espresso martini was the request of one of the patrons. Dick Bradsell claims a famous supermodel walked into the bar and requested a cocktail that would “Wake me up, and fuck me up.” He liked to elude to who, but he never said precisely who requested the drink, but most think it was Kate Moss; the other guess is maybe Naomi Campbell. Interestingly Kate Moss was born in 1974, so for this version to be true, the oldest Kate Moss could have been was 16. She didn’t turn 18 till 1992. Maybe that’s why he never wanted to say who the model was, or the story is a bit exaggerated to make it sound cooler. Either way, who cares. It was over 30 years ago, and the espresso martini is excellent. The original name for the espresso martini was the vodka espresso, but somewhere along the line, they went with espresso martini because it sounded cooler. During this period, there was also Cold War resentment, and Dick Bradsell mentioned in interviews how he would try to avoid using Russian vodkas as it upset some in positions of power over him. Perhaps dropping the word vodka from its name was a strategic move to help avoid criticism.

Can You Use Normal Coffee To Make An Espresso Martini?

Of course, you can use regular coffee for an espresso martini; you can do whatever you damn well please, but it may not have the same flavor or foam on top. If you want to make an espresso martini, you need espresso. Drip coffee gets you 50% of the way there but not all the way. It will still be good but not the same. This matters, and why espresso is much better for this drink than regular drip coffee is the water to coffee ratio of espresso vs. drip coffee. Espresso is a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of coffee to water, and traditional drip coffee is around 1:10 for a medium flavor cup of coffee. The drip coffee is fine, but since you are only using 1 oz of it, you want as much flavor and coffee bean oils as possible. The oil helps give it foam (read the section below on froth), and drip coffee will leave the drink underwhelming, but the Kahlua does help.

I won’t lie; I was gifted a big espresso maker that cost a ton when helping a friend move; I would never personally pay for a coffee maker that cost as much as this one cost, but it is super fast and easy to use and convenient for getting an espresso shot or two right away. Although, after all the years of drinking good and bad coffee and owning different makers, my favorite espresso maker is still my old little cheap Bialetti stovetop unit. It’s 30 bucks, has no moving parts, is easy to use, and makes hands down the best espresso. I would challenge my old dirty little Bialetti to the most expensive espresso machine any day. It’s one of those things invented 100+ years ago and has never changed because the first design was perfect. TLDR, if you are planning to make a ton of these, then get a machine to pull quick shots, but if you’re making a few for yourself and friends, save your money and use a cheap stovetop unit. Also, I find how tight the espresso is tamped down to be more meaningful. There are little torque tampers that click when the pressure is ideal, but you press until you can press anymore and feel the grains stop compressing. Don’t hulk it, but don’t be afraid to smash it down. This helps promote a more even and slower extraction. This was a bit of a coffee rant, but I hope it helps if you were wondering.

How To Make An Espresso Martini Frothy?

Foam is challenging to get right in cocktails. Everyone struggles with it at some point, and bartenders search for any way to make getting a good stable foam easier. Henry Ramos hired “shaker boys” to shake for him. Some use the dry shake or reverse dry shake, others swear by only using one large ice cube, and some say you have to shake till your arms fall off. The method I like is called the Saxe Soda Shake, invented De Forest Saxe in the 1880s.

The Saxe Shake is largely unknown in the cocktail world because De Forest Saxe was a soda fountain operator in Chicago, Illinois. His 1890 book “Saxe’s New Guide Hints to Soda Water Dispensers” details his shaking technique for egg drinks that produces the best foam and can be accomplished with minimal effort. Saxe states to shake drinks with eggs with only one chestnut-sized ice cube. An Ice cube from a standard ice tray is about chestnut-sized, so one or two small cubes will work. Then shake until the ice fully melts, and pour into the serving glass without straining. The small amount of ice is just enough to cool and dilute the drink, and since there are no remaining bits of ice left in the shaker, there is nothing to strain. Passing the mixture through a strainer destroys most of the bubbles you worked so hard to make. As you add soda water, the escaping carbon dioxide fills the tiny bubbles in the drink, forcing them to expand and form a large fluffy foam. Give it a try. Using the Saxe Shake, I have turned out Ramos Gin Fizzes as fast and efficiently as any other shaken cocktail with excellent results.

Recipe Resources

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Brave Bull – Classic Recipe

Brave Bull

Brave Bull

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

276

kcal
ABV

33%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make the a Brave Bull.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Coffee Liqueur

  • 2 oz Silver Tequila

Directions

  • Technique: Build In Glass
  • Combine all ingredients in a glass.
  • Fill the glass with crushed ice.
  • Stir to combine and chill the drink.

Notes

Featured Video

What Does The Brave Bull Taste Like?

More than a tequila cocktail, I think of this as a Kahula cocktail, and this is a fantastic Kahlua cocktail. So if you’re not usually a coffee liqueur fan, this one is still worth a shot. If you already like Black or White Russians, this one may become your new favorite. This cocktail taste exactly as you would expect. It tastes like cold tequila and Kahlua. What makes the drink good are the proportions. Kahlua is intensely sweet but the tequila cuts it well. The tequila is strong but the ice dilutes it and chills it just enough. The trick to getting this cocktail right is to stir it for a little bit longer than you typically would stir a drink like this. It needs that extra chill and water to balance out, but if the balance is right it tastes great.

There was a 1950s movie called The Brave Bulls, and maybe it was named after that, but there is no evidence to suggest so. I have never seen the movie but maybe it is where Vic Bergeron got the name from.

Tequila Cocktails And Their History

You may be surprised to know that tequila is not a common spirit in cocktails. Most commonly known tequila cocktails come from only two sources. The 1937 “Cafe Royal Cocktail Book” and the 1972 “Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide.” While there are a few outliers like the Paloma or Tequila Sunrise, the fact of the matter is tequila has never been a popular spirit for mixing. This is unfortunate because it tastes great. Tequila is often had straight, but most tequila cocktails can be traced to one of those two sources. This recipe is no different and is from the 1972 Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide.

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Irish Coffee – Original Recipe & History

Irish Coffee
Quick Step-by-Step Irish Coffee Recipe Video

Irish Coffee

5 from 1 vote Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

314

kcal
ABV

9%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make the an Irish coffee.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

  • 1.5 oz Irish Whiskey

  • 5 oz Hot Coffee

  • 2 oz Heavy Cream

Directions

  • Technique: Build In Glass
  • Add simple syrup and spirit to a heat-proof grass. Stir to combine and then add coffee.Irish Coffee
  • Add heavy cream to a shaker and shake for around 30 seconds to thicken into whipped cream.Irish Coffee
  • Float the cream on top.Irish Coffee

Recipe Video

Notes

History Of The Irish Coffee

The Irish Coffee was invented in 1952 by Joe Sheridan, Stanton Delaplane, and the Buena Vista Cafe owner Jack Koeppler in San Francisco. The Buena Vista website tells the story of how they worked tirelessly into the night trying to recreate the Irish coffees’ found at the Shannon Airport airport in Ireland. Coffee and Alcohol cocktails were nothing new. There were already a few, the most popular and similar to the Irish coffee being the Cafe Royale, which was Brandy, sugar, and coffee. The Cafe Royale dates back to the early 1900s; It’s just missing the heavy cream on top.

The California Historical Society independently confirmed 1952 as the date Irish Coffee was invented. If they say so, then I’m sure it’s true. I don’t doubt they did their research. The oldest printed reference I can find to the Irish Coffee comes from a Playgoer magazine, stating that after the show, the theatre company will host Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe. In addition, an issue of Wine & Vine from San Francisco mentions the Irish Coffee as a new hit in the Bay Area and even gives a recipe that mentions the float of heavy cream on top. Unfortunately, I cannot narrow down the dates in google, and both of the magazine issue dates range from the 1930s to the 1950s.

In 1958 English edition of David Embury book “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks”, Embury writes by the Irish coffee recipe:

“The Irish coffee has attained great popularity in a number of New York Restaurants. Different restaurants have their own special formulas and hocus-pocus for serving it but, essentially, a jigger of Irish whisky, is blended in a cup or mug with sugar to taste, hot coffee is added to within about a half inch from the top, and then extra-heavy cream is floated gently on top.”

Clearly, the Irish Coffee quickly spread across the US and became a popular pick-me-up drink. If you want to try this classic cocktail at its origin bar, then the next time you visit San Francisco, stop by the Buena Vista Cafe and have an Irish Coffee.

Authors Note

After publishing this article, I was contacted by the social media coordinator and historian for the Buena Vista Cafe (She was super friendly and helpful), and she was kind enough to correct a few issues I had with my dates. I have updated the article to reflect those changes.

Also, I have the 1961 edition linked below because that is the only one I can find for free online, but in my 1958 copy, the section on the Irish coffee is the same. I also found a 1948 edition of his book, and the Irish Coffee is not present in that edition.

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