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It's getting to be that time for putting up preserves.  Isn't that how they say it?  In this episode, the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure pull out some marmalade and crab apple jelly, and mix them with some amber spirits to warm your hearts and tickle your taste buds.  Also, Gentleman Jason recounts another "Tale of Eddy" this time featuring Jason himself!

First up is a cocktail created by Dale DeGroff.  He created it for the Crown Royal folks and it's a different take on an Old-Fashioned.  It's the Royal Gingersnap.  This drink is a little complicated because of the frosting of the glass which should be done a few hours ahead of time. 

Mix equal parts superfine sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl or saucer.  Then take a small orange wedge and rub it around the OUTSIDE of the rim.  Wherever the orange touches, so will the sugar, so don't go too thick with your orange rubbing.  It is helpful to hold the glass upside down so that the juice doesn't run down the outside of the glass.  If that happens, when you make the drink you can easily end up with a sticky glass which is something that no one wants.  Dip the rim of the glass in to the sugar/cinnamon mixture and tap the glass to shake of any excess then set the glass aside at room temperature.  The sugar will crystallize after a couple of hours and then, when you make the drink, the sugar will not come off with every sip as it would if you put in on fresh.  It seems like a lot of work but it really isn't, and it really does make all the difference in the world as you will hear in the show. 

Royal Gingersnap
by Dale DeGroff, from "The Essential Cocktail - The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks"

Superfine sugar, for frosting the glass
Ground cinnamon, for frosting the glass
2 slices orange
1 Marashino cherry
1 teaspoon orange marmalade
1/4 ounce Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur)
2 ounces Crown Royal
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Flamed orange peel for garnish

Frost the outside of the glass as described above with equal measures of superfine sugar and cinnamon and using one of the orange slices.
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the remaining orange slice and the cherry with the marmalade and ginger liqueur.  Add the whiskey, bitters and ice cubes and shake well.  Strain into the frosted glass over fresh ice, and garnish with a flamed orange peel.

This not surprisingly is a wonderful drink.  It would have to be to make it worth all the prep work.  First you smell the orange as you go in for your first sip.  You taste a little sweet orange and cinnamon as your tongue  touches the rim.  Then you get your gingery whiskey goodness (with a bit more) orange as you actually take a drink.  Really, really good.  Please don't be scared of the prep work.  Try this drink as soon as you can.

Which is about 3 hours from now.  Because of the frosting of the glass.

Next up is a drink that Gentleman Fred came up with.  It is a disaster.  Fred found a few different recipes but couldn't settle on just one so he improvised and took a little from this one and a little from that one.  This is not necessarily a bad thing to do.  This is how great new cocktail recipes are born.  It is however, not a great thing to do for the first time, live on a podcast.  What is the recipe you ask?  I'm afraid you'll have to listen to the show to find out.  Fred named it the Crabapple Cove in honour of Hawkeye Pierce, everybody's favourite M*A*S*H character.   Also because it has crab apple jelly in it.

Crabapple Cove
by Fred Partridge

Bourbon
Crab apple Jelly
Lemon juice
Angosturra bitters (although Fred had orange bitters and Peychauds with him)

Listen to the show and hear what Fred did. 

It's a not a bad drink at all.  It just needs a certain something else ingredient-wise.  Either that or the proportions need to be tweaked.  Maybe try mucking around with it yourself and then leave a comment with your recipe. The Gents will mix it up and try it on the show!

Fred Update
So here is the thing; I have identified at least three things that I did wrong with my improvised crabapple cocktail:

1. I didn’t beat the egg white first, as discussed by Jeffrey Morgenthaler in his tome The Bar Book (page 156-7 to be exact).
2. I let the egg white sit in alcohol for about 3 minutes, which partially ‘cooked’ the egg white.
3. I did the dry shake, but I didn’t shake it with ice – I blame Royal Gingersnap!

I still think there is a good cocktail in there somewhere and I will try to perfect it before our next show and report back!  The Crabapple Cove Cocktail will rise again!!
Or my name isn’t Hawkeye Pierce.

Thanks for listening and tune in next time for another exciting episode of "Tales of Eddy"!

In this episode the Gents tackle a couple of easy cocktails and pass the richness on to you.  

Leonard Cohen invented a cocktail back in 1975.  He called it the Red Needle.  Would you like to try one?  You should.  It's so easy and so tasty, you'll be shouting Hallelujah!

The Red Needle

 2 ounces tequila
cranberry cocktail
lemon slice

Fill a tall glass 1/2 full with crushed ice.  Add the tequila and then fill the rest with cranberry cocktail. Garnish with a lemon slice.

It couldn't be easier could it?   It's a very good drink too.  If you're looking for a chance to get more tequila into you as fast as possible, this is the drink for you.