Episode 91 - Guitar Cocktails! The Gibson and the Fender Bender!

This Episode's Cast of Characters

SPOILER ALERT !  These drinks are good.  I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "Of course they're good.  Why would the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure make drinks that were less than good?"  Well, believe it or not, the last few drinks we've made have not been hits. These drinks however, are HITS, and they should be because we chose them based entirely on their "guitar" based names. As a bonus, they're both really easy to make too.  Let's get started.

First up is an old old drink called the Gibson.  It's name is lost to time with several conflicting stories suggesting that the drink could have been named for the artist behind the Gibson Girls or a Dr. Gibson who believed eating onions was good for your health (even if they're swimming in gin and vermouth).  No matter what it's origins, if you are a fan of a dry gin martini, you are going to be a fan of this drink.  You may even like it better!

The Gibson

2 1/2 ounces gin
1/4 ounce dry vermouth

1 to 3 picked onions 

Combine the gin and vermouth in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled (or for a crystal clear drink, stir with ice until chilled).  Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with 1 to 3 pickled cocktail onions.

Why 1 to 3 pickled onions?  Because that's part of the conflicted history of the drink.  Some people say if you're basing the drink on the Gibson Girls, you've got to use 2  like we did.  Other's say it's bad luck to use and even number.  Who knows?  Either way, even though this looks like it's going to be just a Martini, with an onion instead of an olive, it's not.  That little change to the pickled onion from the brined olive gives a fun little jolt to the taste buds.  If you're not a fan of vermouth, that trace of pickling liquid cuts the vermouth and lets the gin shine through.  Ryan Reynolds would love for you to try this drink with his Aviation Gin!  The fact that the onion is more "crunchy" than the an olive gives a more textural quality to this drink too.  What are you waiting for?  Get some pickled onions and try this drink!

There is no Fender cocktail to go with the Fender guitar company.  There is a Fender Bender cocktail though!  In fact, there are several Fender Benders.  We chose the one that we could get the ingredients for.  The "easiest" one if you will, and are we ever glad that we did!   So simple, but a wonderful way to drink whisky!

Fender Bender

2/3 ounce Yukon Jack
1/3 ounce Cutty Sark whisky

Pour the ingredients over crushed ice in a rocks glass and stir.  

We garnished it with an orange peel because we thought it looked nice.  You should too.

What is Yukon Jack?  The internet says, "The self-styled 'Black Sheep of Canadian Liquors' is a highly potent liqueur, based on Canadian whisky blended with honey."  The Gents would agree.  It's sweet but pairs wonderfully with the Cutty Sark scotch.  Does it have to be Cutty Sark?  We don't know.  The recipe says to use it and so we did.  If you feel like you want to experiment with another type of scotch, go ahead.  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

​See you next time!