Swig & Swill: Dead Bastard

{ Tiki Gardens Postcard from Greg Tykal }

With the revival of vintage tiki drinks and the opening of bars like Smuggler’s Cove in SF, Rum seems to be set for a big decade. For our party a little while ago, I used Joe Scialom’s recipe for the

Dead Bastard (via TraderTiki):

• 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Brandy
• 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/2 oz Rose’s lime juice
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 4 ounces of chilled ginger beer

Shake Gently with 1 cup Crushed Ice, pour into Goblet or other large vessel.  Garnish with whatever the hell, it’s dead and doesn’t care.  I used a whole lime.  It’s a big drink.

To really hammer home the deathly theme of the drink I used Bulleit Bourbon, and Death’s Door Gin. If anyone happens to know any death themed Rum or Cognac, please let me know.

Swig & Swill: The French 75

To fit in amongst the New Year’s crows, the obvious choice is to stand around drinking Champagne, or if you don’t have that kind of money, sparkling wine. One way to add some extra class to your lowly $8.00 bottle is to use it in a suitably bubbly cocktail.

The most basic of these is probably the Champagne Cocktail:

In a Champagne glass add:

1 lump sugar (1/2 oz, 1.5 cl, 1/8 gills)
2 to 3 dashes aromatic bitters (If orange bitters are used, garnish with orange peel instead of lemon.)

Fill with Champagne
Garnish with twist of lemon

Source: Cocktail DB

If you really want to set yourself apart, you might try a French 75. Known for having a kick (it’s named after a 75mm piece of French artillery!), it’s certainly one of the classiest ways to ring in the New Year.

French 75

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 5 ounces Brut champagne

Glass Type: Collins glass or champagne flute

Instructions

Shake well with cracked ice in a chilled cocktail shaker, then strain into a Collins glass half-full of cracked ice and top off with champagne.

Source: David Wondrich