Episode 8 - Dave's Not Here, Man!

That’s right folks!  The Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure are short one gentleman this time around.  A vexing problem but as they say, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  Then, as WE say, you mix that lemonade with various liqueurs and drink it.  
But what to drink this time around?  How about a couple of drinks inspired by Dave’s absence?  

First up (because Dave won’t stop talking about him) we sample a Mark Twain Cocktail.  This one comes from Dale DeGroff’s book “The Craft of the Cocktail”.  This is a fantastic book and every bartender should have it.  It’s got that much important stuff in it.  This recipe is described in a letter to Mark Twain’s wife, sent from London in 1874.

The Mark Twain Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces scotch whiskey
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Huck yeah!  that’s a tasty drink!

Next up, on Fred’s advice, we delve into the wonderful world of Tiki drinks with
"Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log".  Upon perusing the Grog Log, Fred thought that the best drink that described “not having Dave around” was . . .

Gone the Beachcomber

1 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Trader Vic passion fruit syrup
1/4 ounce Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 ounce sugar syrup
1 ounce of Demerara Rum
1/4 ounce 151 Demerara Rum

Shake everything - except 151 rum - with ice and strain into a 4 ounce cocktail glass.  Then float the 151 rum on top

This is Jeff Berry’s version of the Demerara Dry Float and is very, very nice.

Dave should be back with us next time.  If he's not, we'll be making a "Missing In Action" and a "Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?"  One of which we'll have to create from scratch.  Oh well.
Until then . . . Tip Big!