Welcome to another episode of the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure.  For your listening and drinking pleasure, this time out the Gents try an old classic and a not so old classic.  

First up is one from the 1930's and found in the old Waldorf Astoria cocktail book.  

The Hop Toad

1 1/2 oz aged Rum
1/2 oz  Apricot liqueur
1/2 oz  fresh Lime Juice
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. 

If you liked the Hop Toad, the Gents think you will also like this one.  Is it old?  Who knows.  It sure is tasty though!

The Inspiration

1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz  dry vermouth
1/2 oz  Calvados
1/2 oz Grand Marnier

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Please try them both and leave a comment as to which you preferred.  The Gents love to hear from you.

Also, if you know Ryan Reynolds can you please get him to get in touch with us?  Thanks!

​Dear Ryan Reynolds,

Please come on our show the next time you’re in Vancouver.

Sincerely,
The Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure 

ps.  As your schedule allows.
pps.  We have Aviation gin so you won’t even have to bring any.  Unless you want to. 
We never say no to gin.

Welcome to another episode of the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure!  This time around the Gents try a couple of aviation inspired cocktails. The Paper Plane and the P-38Lightning are as different as an actual paper plane and a P-38 Lightning, but both will launch you into the heavens, and give you a completely new perspective on things. Not surprisingly, the Gentlemen liked both the drinks but there was a clear winner.  Give a listen to the show to see which one it was.


First up, the Gents made the Paper Plane.  This is a neat mashup of Italian bitters and some sweet American bourbon.  If you can find this on a bar menu, you should definitely order it because your cool quotient will immediately increase exponentially.  Otherwise, make it at home and just enjoy being cool around the house.


Paper Plane

​3/4 ounce bourbon
3/4 ounce Aperol
3/4 ounce Amaro
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish
Shake first four ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Taste that!   You didn’t expect that at all did you?  This is the sort of drink that attracted you to cocktails in the first place.  Four different ingredients combining to make a drink that catches you completely by surprise.  Try it out and then leave a comment below.

​Next up is a drink that was created at a train themed bar in Los Angeles called “Here and Now”. Why they opted for a fighter plane name, the Gents don’t know, but they are so glad they created this drink!  Clear the runway for the P-38 Lightning!

P-38 Lightning 
by Aaron Melendrez, Damian Diaz, and Otho Nolasco, Here and Now, Los Angeles 

​1 1/2 ounces gin (we used Aviation)
1/4 ounce apricot liqueur 
1/4 ounce velvet falernum
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar
Absinthe and a star anise for garnish 
Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass.  Spritz absinthe over the drink and garnish with a star anise.

They use Ford’s Gin at the actual bar, but substituting Aviation Gin seemed like a fun choice for obvious airplane related reasons.  The star anise is a great garnish for this drink.  That little propeller spins every time you take a sip!

Wait, what?  Your final episode?  Maybe.  At least on a regular basis.  At the beginning of the year, Gentleman Jason asked for people to comment on the blog so they knew they were out there, otherwise the podcast could be "called home".   Five people took the time to leave a comment, and the Gents couldn't be happier.  Or could they?  As of this writing, the Gents have 75 subscribers.  Even if two more listeners left a comment, they would know that at least 10% of their followers were actually reading the blog and listening to the show.  Why not leave a comment at the bottom of this very page?  It's not too late to save a podcast! 

And what a podcast episode this is!  The Gents are doing cocktails with beer!  How did this idea come about?  From this comment on the Gents Facebook page.

"Jason, I am holding three issues each of The Alchemist (spring & winter) for you & your buddies. I am still enjoying your podcast conversations. If you run out of ideas you can try beer cocktails. I have been comped a few and I don't hate them. But I wouldn't buy one. However, I suspect that some of the fruit sours being brewed would work well as a tart ingredient in a cocktail. Certainly some of them don't do well as a beer. Just my opinion."

Well, the Gents clearly ran out of ideas about 2 years ago so they jumped at the chance to try something ACTUALLY SUGGESTED BY A LISTENER.  See how this works?  Both of the drinks in this episode  come from this wonderful BBC website.

Campari IPA
Serves: 2

50 ml Campari
Sparkling orange juice
300ml of IPA
2 slices of orange peel

Take two rocks glasses and put two to three ice cubes in each one. Divide 50ml of Campari between the glasses and top with 300ml IPA. Add a splash of sparkling orange juice (we used San Pellegrino sparkling blood orange) and rub a piece of orange peel around the rim of each glass before dropping into the drink.

This turned out to be a really nice drink.  Tune in to see what the fellows thought of it and check the pics below for it's lovely colour.

Next up is a drink that uses a fruity beer (just like the comment suggested).  Its a . . .

Raspberry Beer Mojito
Serves: 2

50 ml of spice rum
a lime chopped up
a small bunch of mint
a 330 ml bottle of raspberry beer
raspberries for garnish

Take two tall highball glasses and divide one chopped lime and 50ml of spiced rum between them. Muddle them together with a muddling stick or the handle of a wooden spoon to release a little of the lime juice into the rum. Add ice then bruise a small bunch of mint leaves by holding them in the palm of one hand then hitting them with the other like a clap. Sprinkle the mint leaves into the glasses then divide 330ml bottle of raspberry beer between them. Garnish with a few raspberries and serve.

Crazy idea but it works.  AND it looks like a big floating salad too, so that's fun!

You too could suggest drink ideas to the Gentlemen.  How?  By clicking on that little blue comment line right there.  Let the Gents know you're out there!

One thing for sure, brandy is dandy!  Let's try a couple of cocktails that have brandy in them

Sir Walter

1 1/2 ounces brandy
1 1/2 ounces rum
1 teaspoon grenadine
1 teaspoon curacao
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This is a drink that doesn't taste anything like you think it might.  It's not rummy and the brandy doesn't come through to strong.  It's really well balanced.  Plus, if you like orange, the curacao comes in about 10 seconds later in the aftertaste.  It's one of the wonders of science!  Try it out!

This next drink is recommended as a night time drink.  A drink to take to bed with you.  With a good book.  It's the Au Revoir!

Au Revoir

1 1/2 ounces brandy
1 1/2 ounces sloe gin
Juice of one lemon
1 egg white

Add the brandy, sloe gin, lemon juice and egg white (in that order) into an ice filled cocktail shaker.  Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mmmmm.  Creamy frothy goodness.  Try it tonight before you go to bed and leave a comment on what you dreamed about!

As always . . . . TIP BIG!

It's time for classic highballs!   Why are they called highballs?  You'll have to listen to see if the Gents can figure it out.  No matter what though, they are refreshing.  Have you got some gin in the house?  How about some club soda?  A lime would be helpful too.  Let's make a Gin RIckey!

Gin Rickey

1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce lime juice
1 3/4 ounce club soda

Build the drink in the glass.  Add all the ingredients over ice in a highball glass and stir gently.  Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.

Summer time can't be too far away if you're drinking a Gin RIckey.  This drink is quite tart so if you want something a little closer to a boozy limeade, add 1/2 ounce of simple syrup.   Mmmmm mmmmm!

Next up is the Presbyterian.  This is a wonderful way to use blended whiskey or bourbon.  The Gents did it with a whiskey from Texas.  The key here is to use the hottest ginger beer or ale you can get.  If you can get Blenheim's Hot Ginger Ale, that is the one to use.  Dale DeGroff says that if you can't find a hot spicy ginger ale then don't even bother to make this drink.  The Gents don't know if that's true or not because they had Blenheim's.  Give it a shot even if you don't have a super hot ginger beer and leave a comment on how it tasted below!

The Presbyterian

1 1/2 ounces bourbon or blended whiskey 
2 ounces club soda 
2 ounces ginger ale 
lemon peel for garnish 

Build the drink in the glass.  Add the ingredients over ice and gently stir.  Garnish with the lemon peel. 

This is is a tremendous whiskey drink.  The club soda cuts the extreme spiciness of the ginger beer but doesn’t lessen its flavour.  Truly a whiskey drink for one and all!

​Until next time, Merry Mixing!

Have you got Cointreau but you don't know what to do with it?  In this episode, the Gents will help you use it up!

First up is an old, old classic the hand shaken Margarita!

Margarita

1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
1 1/2 ounces Cointreau
1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and shake to chill.  Strain into a salt rimmed cocktail glass.  To salt the rim, rub the spent lime shell around the rim of the glass and then dip the rim in a saucer of salt.

If you've only ever had a slushy margarita, you MUST try this version of the drink.  Give a listen and see what the Gents thought of it.

Have you ever seen a drink called a Sidecar on a menu and wondered if you should order it?  Well, wonder no more.  You definitely should, or you can make it yourself!

Sidecar

1 1/2 ounces brandy
1 1/2 ounces Cointreau
1 1/2 ounces fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and shake to chill.  Strain into a cocktail glass.

Oh boy.  Again, you're going to have to listen to the episode to see what the Gents thought. 
Leave a comment and let them know if you agree with them!

What goes together better than gin and orange?  Probably many things.  Who knows?  That’s not what this episode is about.  This episode is about drinks with gin and orange liqueur, what it’s like to attend Science of the Cocktail and what it means to pay the ultimate price.   Give a listen will you?


First up is an oldie from the 1920s named after the famous French Olympian fencer Lucien Gaudin.   It’s called the Lucien Gaudin Cocktail. 


Lucien Gaudin Cocktail


1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau 
1/2 ounce Campari
1/2 ounce dry vermouth 


Stir in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist. 


This makes for a lovely amber cocktail.  Listen to the show for the Gents thoughts on the taste!

Next up is a drink from the old drinking days in colonial 1920s Burma!  (You might know it as Myanmar but it will always be Burma to me.). It’s time for the Pegu Club Cocktail!


Pegu Club Cocktail 


1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau 
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice 
2 dashes Angostura Bitters


Shake in an ice filled cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.


Full disclosure, the Gents forgot the bitters first time around and so there are two pictures of the same drink.  Maybe try it yourself and leave a comment on how you prefer it.

Remember that you can help keep this podcast going just by leaving a comment to let us know you’re out there!

Well, it's that time again.  The time for questionable jewelry choices, crappy dinners and overpriced flowers.  That's right, it's Valentine's Day.  In an effort to ease the pain of this difficult and ridiculous "holiday", the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure have again dipped into their cocktail repertoire to find a couple of PINK drinks that should be the highlight of your Valentine's Day

First up is the Communist!  It should be red right?  At least a little pink.  This recipe comes from Ted Haigh's "VIntage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails".

The Communist
-1933 Cocktail Parade

1 once gin
1 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce cherry brandy
3/4 ounce lemon juice

Shake in and iced cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass.

Uh oh.  This drink isn't red.  That 1/2 ounce of cherry brandy doesn't do anything for the redness.  Or for anything else for that matter.  In fact, the Gents didn't think that flavours of this drink mixed together very well at all.  Remember those old style sink faucets where the hot and cold didn't really blend to become warm but instead did sort of alternating burning/freezing sensation.  That's this drink.  Unless the Gents did it wrong.  Give it a shot and see what you think.

 
Next up is a drink that promises to be pink.  It has to be.  It's called the Pink Lady.

Pink Lady (Secret Cocktail)

1 1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce applejack
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 egg white
2 dashes real pomegranate grenadine

Shake it up and shake it hard!  That egg white needs a good shake to froth up.  The strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

The Gents forgot the cherry.  They had the cherry, but they forgot the cherry.  It doesn't matter though!  Look how great that drink looks!  It's pink!  And it's tasty.  This drink should be ordered by everybody at least one.  Think pink lemonade with a little bit of something something.  That's the applejack going to work.  Thank you Laird's Applejack!  Try this out on your sweetheart and sad sack Valentine's Days will be a thing of the past!

Remember that you too can save a podcast!  Please leave a comment so we know you're out there!

In springtime they say, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love.  Well. in January, a young gentleman's fancy turns to thoughts of bourbon!  And fruit with a pit in it!  That's why, in this episode, the Gents are mixing bourbon up with peach nectar and apricot liqueur.  Let's get started.

First up is a drink called the French Kiss.  it's pink!

French Kiss

1 3/4 ounces bourbon 
3/4 ounce apricot liqueur 
2 teaspoons grenadine 
1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Pour ingredients over cracked ice in a shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Did we we mention that it’s pink?   Full disclosure; this was the favourite drink of the two. A little bit sweet and a little bit tart but with the bourbon still on full show.  And it’s pink!

​Next up is a cocktail called Queen of Memphis.  This one is fun because it calls for Midori melon liqueur.  You may recall it from the Midori Sour.  It’s a neon green colour and helps turn this drink yellow!   Such a lot of colours in this episode!

Queen of Memphis 

1 3/4 ounces bourbon 
3/4 ounce Midori 
3/r ounce peach juice 
dash of maraschino liqueur 

Pour all the ingredients over cracked ice in a shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Did we we mention this drink is yellow?  That’s probably the best thing the Gents can say about this drink.  Overall, the drink was a little “thin”.  It was described as “less than the sum of its parts” which is unfortunate for such a terrific looking drink.  Why don’t you try making one and let us know what you think?

Remember, you can save a podcast!  Leave a comment so we know you're out there!

In this episode, the Gents try two drinks that seem (on paper) to be very similar but (in mouth) are vastly different. 

First up is an ancient tipple called The Martinez.  At first glance you see gin and vermouth and you think, "Martini" right?  WRONG!  It calls for "Old Tom style gin".  Its like regular gin but a little bit sweeter.   The vermouth is sweet too.  See for yourself.

The Martinez

2 ounces Old Tom style gin
1 ounce Italian Red vermouth
1/2 tsp Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes bitters (we used Angostura)

 In a mixing glass, combine gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur bitters with 2 cups of ice.  Stir to chill and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Twist a strip of lemon over the top and drop it in.

Isn't this a nice amber coloured beverage?  Taste is a little bit sweet but it doesn't come across too sweet because of the trick of the lemon oil we've spattered over the surface of the drink.  Enjoy this 140 year old drink responsibly.

Next up is a classic dry Martini.  The Gents couldn't believe that they hadn't done it already.

Martini

2 ounces gin
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
1 drop Angostura bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.  Stir to chill and strain into  chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a jumbo olive.

That's it.  The big classic.  If you would like it "drier", drop the amount of vermouth.  If you like it "wetter" add more vermouth.  Some old recipes even call for equal proportions of gin and vermouth.  Mix it as you like it.  You are after all the Harry Houdini, of your favourite Martini!

Please leave a comment and let us know if there are any drinks you would like to have us mix up.

See you next time!