Item: Base spirits » Vodka

Honeysuckle Cocktails

In our garden we have some honeysuckle shrubs. That plant is very important in the beginning of the June when it usually starts to fruit, first of all shrubs. Blue and sour berries are similar to bilberry in taste and appearance but honeysuckle berries are sourer though .

This summer our honeysuckle had time to fruit before heavy heat burnt down all plants and shrubs and forced trees to drop their fruits.

I’ve managed to gather a lot of honeysuckle berries and enjoyed it in daiquiri. Later I’ve thought that I would make some new cocktails and started to experiment on it.

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Baltic Martini

Vodka-based Martinis now become an everybody’s fad. A lot of recipes, variety of vodkas – flavoured or not, juices, liqueurs, bitters… Crazy times, crazy drinks.

I have to admit that recently I’ve gave up and started to invent my own Martinis too.

Here is one of that recipes. I’ve called it «Baltic Martini» because of Riga black balsam and Finlandia Vodka used there. The third ingredient is homemade black currant infusion traditionally made in Central and Northern Russia.

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Red Apple

My recent posts were about whisky, bourbon and gin. As is known, all these ones aren’t native to Russia. So now I’m about to revert to ingredients which are widespread and favorite in Russia. I’m talking about vodka and apple juice.

Not long ago I’ve been given three bottles of homemade apple juice. It was pressed, then sterilized and bottled immediately without adding sugar. It was in autumn, and now after six months in dark cellar the juice became clear.

Tasted, it has no differences with freshly pressed apple juice and seems slightly more concentrated.

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The Dreamy Dorini Smokin’ Martini

As you know, Martini Cocktail is very popular one and has lots and lots of varieties which often have nothing in common with classic Martini.

As a conservative person, I love traditional approach and always make old good Dry Martini including Vodka Martini, one of my favourite nightcaps.

Smoky Martini is the creation of dazzling «Libation Goddes» Audrey Saunders. The recipe looks very nice, audacious and austere at the same time. It was luring me, and once I’ve gave in to it.

When reading «Thinking Bartender Barbook» by George Sinclair, I’ve saw there this recipe with gorgeous title «The Dreamy Dorini Smokin’ Martini» and decided to make t immediately.

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Lemon Drop

Lemon Drop (or Lemon Drop Martini) is very popular drink. Google gave me links to millions of pages referred to this recipe.

My choice is the CocktailDB recipe, nice drink without vermouth, triple sec or bitters. I’m not an expert in mixology history but CocktailDB tells me that this Lemon Drop is taken from “The Joy of Mixology” by Gary Regan; New York: Clarkson Potter; 2003.

This is the second reason why I wanted to make Lemon Drop. The first one is my new citrus tinctures as well as my intention to use it in some recipes.

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The Detox

It upset me to learn of vodka underestimated by cocktail enthusiasts. Not because I’m Russian (well, it just helps me to know more about vodka). I saw many vodka lovers and vodka haters, and I’m sure none of them knows exactly what vodka is.

I feel vodka is a tradition in Russia just like whisky in Scotland, beer in Czech or Germany, green tea in China.

Yes, good vodka should have neutral flavour, and that’s why many people prefer not to use it in cocktails. But do you know how frequently shortcomings turn to advantages? Often, very often.

So all this story is about my intention to promote vodka as superb cocktail ingredient. And first my attempt is the cocktail called The Detox. This beautiful drink has been presented by Paystyle at Umamimart (he-he, this is another valuable result of my lurking)

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Green Tea Gimlets

I missed Mixology Monday XLV dedicated to drinks with tea. But I’m not sorry. I have read all posts and now I can say that was great for me as a puppy in mixology.

The most interesting for me was the Green tea gimlet on Drink Of The Week, mainly because of green tea syrup used there.

I’m very interesting in old-school drinks with gin and vodka, and gimlet itself promised a wonderful experience. Besides that I like green tea too so green tea gimlet was perfect recipe for me.

First of all, I’ve made green tea syrup. The difference between my syrup and original one from Drink Of The Week recipe is in green tea only. Tea-bag has been used in the original recipe but I prefer natural Chinese green tea without any flavourings so I think that oolong with its strong and rich flavour is the better choice.

So my homemade green tea syrup is ready, and I prepared to make green tea gimlet using Drink Of The Week recipe.

1 1/2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. green tea syrup

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon wheel.

This cocktail was pretty good, sweet and refreshing. But I felt that I hadn’t have enough tea distinctive features in its flavour as well as common brightness and energy.

Then I decided to decrease the amount of lemon juice (a little bit), to increase the amount of vodka (a little bit too) and to use stronger vodka – Danzka 50% ABV.

My Green tea vodka gimlet

  • 50 ml 50% ABV vodka,
  • 20 ml fresh lemon juice,
  • 30 ml homemade green tea syrup

shaken with ice, strained and served in the rock glass filled with ice.

Green tea gimlets, with vodka and lemon

The main achievement was in the rich green tea aftertaste appeared in this drink. Lemon moved to background to balance syrup’s sweetness well. In addition, lemon helped to combine properly sweet and sour flavour with vodka’s power and depth.

Also lemon zest set off tea’s tart and dry aftertastes and removed bitterness at the same time. In whole, my green tea vodka gimlet has more freshness and power but preserves incredibly soft and comfortable taste inherited from the original drink.

The next cocktail I planned to make was green tea gimlet – a natural gimlet with gin and lime juice sweetened with green tea syrup.

My Green tea gimlet

  • 50 ml gin,
  • 20 ml fresh lime juice,
  • 30 ml homemade green tea syrup

shaken with ice, strained and served in the rock glass filled with ice.

Green tea gimlets, with gin and lime

At first for this drink I took harsh, straight and rough Gordon’s gin. I always use this gin in my long drinks where it successfully competes with tonic or lemon juice. But here in my green tea gimlet Gordon’s gin was very poor because it brought strange soapy aftertaste.

Then I tried mild and light Seagram’s gin, and this one worked very well. With Seagram’s gin my gimlet became soft but not weak. Lime and gin added necessary sourness, and in aftertaste outstanding oolong had been backed with gin botanical flavour.

Made with gin, this green tea gimlet became a bit piquant and sharp and preserved the charming notes of fresh Chinese green tea.