http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/show/cocktail_spirit The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess is dedicated to the creation of quality classic cocktails. Watch as he mixes up cocktail recipes from the past using the best ingredients. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/811/cocktail-spirit-bainbridge-island-iced-tea/ Ever wonder what we do with the leftovers from all the cocktails we make during a Cocktail Spirit shoot? Bainbridge Island Iced Tea of course! http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/811/cocktail-spirit-bainbridge-island-iced-tea/ Sat, 27 Oct 2012 18:07:21 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/779/cocktail-spirit-grasshopper/ The Grasshopper Cocktail was apparently created by Philibert Guichet Jr., the owner of Tujaque's bar in New Orleans. As the story goes, it was submitted as an entry to a New York cocktail contest which was held, amazingly enough, in 1928 just before Prohibition was repealed. It is reported to have won second place. (Source: Roy F. Guste, Jr. "The Restaurants of New Orleans") Some other sources refer to the contest happening in 1919 however, just prior to Prohibition. However since one of the reported judges was Walter Winchell, who's career didn't really start until 1920, it is more likely that the contest happened during Prohibition. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/779/cocktail-spirit-grasshopper/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:44:09 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/774/cocktail-spirit-bordeaux/ This drink was created by the owner (and sometimes bartender) of “Monas Bistro & Lounge” here in Seattle. It was one of my hangouts in my early years of digging into cocktails, in fact Tito (the owner) even built my home bar for me. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/774/cocktail-spirit-bordeaux/ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:58:21 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/769/cocktail_spirit_harvest_moon/ The December 1934 edition of Esquire Magazine includes a list of the “Top 10” most popular cocktails. The list starts with an Old Fashioned, and ends with a Daiquiri. The rest of the drinks on the list are reasonably well known. One of them, The Harvest Moon, appears to be MIA for most bartenders. It is described as being a “applejack sour with orgeat”. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/769/cocktail_spirit_harvest_moon/ Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:38:01 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/766/cocktail_spirit_corpse_reviver_1/ Corpse Revivers were (and are) a style of drink intended for a bit of the hair of the dog (an expression that refers to alcohol used as a treatment for a hangover). Hard to say exactly what it was about these drinks that made them seem more appropriate for this use over other drinks. Regardless of time of day of consumption, the Corpse Reviver #1 is worth discovering as it is not seen very often. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/766/cocktail_spirit_corpse_reviver_1/ Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:10:48 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/762/cocktail_spirit_guion/ This drink was named for a member of the family which founded the Guion Line, a steamship company which operated from 1866 to 1892 and was one of the primary steamship lines providing transportation from London to New York. This drink was probably created at the Waldorf Astoria bar. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/762/cocktail_spirit_guion/ Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:00:15 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/757/cocktail_spirit_fairbank/ This cocktail was believed to have been named after Douglas Fairbanks Sr. If that was the case, then why is it “Fairbank” and not “Fairbanks”? An alternate story says it was named after Charles Warren Fairbank, who was Theodore Roosevelt’s vice president. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/757/cocktail_spirit_fairbank/ Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:00:05 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/750/cocktail_spirit_weeski/ Necessity can often be a wonderful inspiration. David Wondrich created this drink several years ago when he wanted to bring a bottle of pre-mixed Manhattans to a gathering of friends on Halloween. But his liquor cabinet was missing a few critical ingredients. Using what was at hand, he crafted a drink which focused on Jameson and Lillet, and the "Weeski" was born. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/750/cocktail_spirit_weeski/ Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:23:52 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/743/cocktail_spirit_prohibition/ This drink clearly comes from the era of American Prohibition. I found it in the Savoy Cocktail Book, which was published in 1933, so even if this wasn’t its first in-print appearance, it had to be pretty close. This recipe specifically called for Plymouth gin, as well as Kina Lillet. Plymouth is of course still around, but there is some debate as to if the currently available Lillet is the same as was once marketed as “Kina Lillet”. Some evidence appears to indicate that the product was reformulated sometime in the past, and it’s bitterness from the quinine might have been softened at that time. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/743/cocktail_spirit_prohibition/ Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:28:15 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/732/cocktail_spirit_flame_of_love/ This drink was created by Pepe Ruiz, bartender at Chasen’s in Beverly Hills. Dean Martin had apparently grown tired of the same Martini over and over again, and asked Pepe for something different. This is the drink Pepe came up with. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/732/cocktail_spirit_flame_of_love/ Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:29:22 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/724/cocktail_spirit_algonquin/ This cocktail was named after the Algonquin Hotel, which opened its doors in 1902 in one of New York’s most fashionable neighborhoods. The hotel gained its greatest fame a few years later as the home of the Algonquin Round Table, the repeating literary lunch in which Alexander Woollcott, Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and their compatriots held sway on New York’s cultural scene. There were in fact several drinks named after this historic venue, but this recipe is the one currently served by the hotel’s bartenders. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/724/cocktail_spirit_algonquin/ Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:37:07 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/719/cocktail_spirit_jack_rose/ There are various origin stories of the Jack Rose Cocktail. Some attribute it to a colorful and slightly nefarious individual named Jack Rose, others to Joseph Rose a Newark bartender who once held the title of “World Champion Mixologist”. Another story has the cocktail named after the Jacquemot Rose varietal because of its color. Regardless of its origins, it is probably the most popular cocktail which uses Applejack. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/719/cocktail_spirit_jack_rose/ Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:35:57 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/706/cocktail_spirit_caesar/ The Caesar Cocktail was apparently invented in 1969 by Walter Chell, the restaurant manager of the Calgary Inn in Alberta, Canada and is essentially a Bloody Mary using Clamato juice instead of tomato juice. Chell supposedly spent three months perfecting the drink, ending up with the simple 1-2-3-4 recipe. This drink is very popular in Canada; at one point there was a movement to make it the national drink there! http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/706/cocktail_spirit_caesar/ Tue, 05 Jun 2012 17:43:32 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/701/cocktail_spirit_white_lady/ Without looking too hard, you'll find a few different recipes going by the name "White Lady". Two, three or even four of them are all from the same bartender, Harry MacElhone, who created the drink in 1919. His original recipe called for Creme de Menthe, Cointreau, and Lemon Juice. In "ABC of Mixing Drinks" he lists it as Brandy, Creme de Menthe, and Cointreau, and then in 1923, when he took over the New York Bar in Paris, he updated the recipe again to be gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, which is far more palatable. Many times these days, you will find this drink made with egg white as well. The recipe used here is as it was served by Harry Craddock at the Savoy cocktail bar in London. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/701/cocktail_spirit_white_lady/ Tue, 29 May 2012 17:32:32 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/696/cocktail_spirit_red_snapper/ If you dig into the often confusing history of the Bloody Mary, you will encounter references to it first being served in 1934 at the St. Regis hotel in New York by Fernand Petiot who brought the recipe with him from Paris (where some accounts claim he invented it). Since the name “Bloody Mary” was deemed to be a little to vulgar for the establishment, it was re-christened the “Red Snapper”, it is also said that since vodka wasn’t yet easily available here in the US, gin was used instead. Eventually the original name was returned to the drink, but the Red Snapper continued to be made with gin instead of vodka. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/696/cocktail_spirit_red_snapper/ Mon, 21 May 2012 23:40:19 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/693/cocktail_spirit_attention/ The original recipe for this called for equal parts of all four ingredients. Such a drink would be far too unbalanced, but feel free to give it a try if you want. The recipe shown here is more of a modified dry Martini, with the absinthe and violette being supporting actors instead of co-stars. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/693/cocktail_spirit_attention/ Mon, 14 May 2012 19:06:48 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/691/cocktail_spirit_blood_and_sand/ In 1922 Rudolph Valentino starred in the movie “Blood and Sand”, a movie that shortly before his death in 1926 he declared as the part he liked the best. He had just undergone a touchy surgery for appendicitis and gastric ulcers and told the gathering press “The part I like best was my role in ‘Blood and Sand’. If I had died, I would have liked to be remembered as an actor by that role – I think it my greatest.” He died a few days later from peritonitis. It is unknown who actually created the recipe for Blood and Sand, but its first appearance seems to be in “The Savoy Cocktail Book” by Harry Cradock in 1930. There it lists the recipe as equal parts of all three ingredients, but I feel that the recipe works better by boosting the scotch. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/691/cocktail_spirit_blood_and_sand/ Tue, 08 May 2012 19:15:27 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/686/cocktail_spirit_young_man/ Created by famed bartender, Harry Craddock, the Young Man Cocktail is essentially a Manhattan made with Cognac. The addition of orange curaçao offers a subtle citrus note and a touch of sweetness. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/686/cocktail_spirit_young_man/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:21:06 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/685/cocktail_spirit_biter/ The Biter Cocktail can be found in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book. Similar to the Last Word Cocktail, the Biter is a bit more complex because of the addition of Absinthe. Also, Robert reviews yet another juicer he has found with the hopes that this company does not go out of business. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/685/cocktail_spirit_biter/ the Last Word Cocktail, the Biter is a bit more complex because of the addition of Absinthe. Also, Robert reviews yet another juicer he has found with the hopes that this company does not go out of business. ]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:58:15 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/684/cocktail_spirit_washington/ The Washington Cocktail can be found in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Of the "new" style of cocktails created during the late 1800's, the Washington is typical of that era in that it contains vermouth like the manhattan and the martini but uses cognac as its spirit. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/684/cocktail_spirit_washington/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:23:03 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/683/cocktail_spirit_ford/ Ratios make a difference. Often, two cocktails have the same exact ingredients. The difference in taste and aroma comes from the ratios. Such is the case with the Ford Cocktail as it is very similar to the Caprice Cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/683/cocktail_spirit_ford/ the Caprice Cocktail. ]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:19:20 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/681/cocktail_spirit_champs_elysees/ Chartreuse is featured in a number of wonderful classic cocktails. Like the Last Word, the Champs Elysees Cocktail seems poised to become a must serve at craft cocktail bars around the country. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/681/cocktail_spirit_champs_elysees/ Chartreuse is featured in a number of wonderful classic cocktails. Like the Last Word, the Champs Elysees Cocktail seems poised to become a must serve at craft cocktail bars around the country. ]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:38:47 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/668/cocktail_spirit_spencer/ Another drink from The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, and one that isn’t seen hardly at all as far as I can tell. Apricot Brandy can be a bit of a challenging ingredient to understand when used in a recipe like this, since it could either mean a true brandy distilled from Apricot juice, or it could also mean a sweet liqueur flavored with apricot flesh and seeds. We are going to assume that it is the liqueur that was intended for this cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/668/cocktail_spirit_spencer/ Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:51:50 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/665/cocktail_spirit_sherman/ Robert found the Sherman Cocktail in the book, the "Old Waldorf Bar Days" by Albert Stevens Crockett. It is essentially a twist on the classic Manhattan with the addition of absinthe and double the types of bitters. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/665/cocktail_spirit_sherman/ Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:49:41 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/663/cocktail_spirit_hakam/ Found in the Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, this drink is quite similar to that of the Martinez, although many Martinez recipes will specifically call for Old Tom gin, and/or the use of Maraschino liqueur. It's hard to say where this drink originates, or exactly what is intended by its name, but "Hakam" means "A Wise Man" in Hebrew. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/663/cocktail_spirit_hakam/ Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:25:27 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/659/cocktail_spirit_poets_dream/ Found in the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar book, the Poet's Dream cocktail is a beautiful representation of how Benedictine can be represented in a cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/659/cocktail_spirit_poets_dream/ Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:21:21 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/654/cocktail_spirit_suburban/ Named after the Suburban Handicap horse race held in the Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay during the 1800s, the Suburban Cocktail comes to us via the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book. It was meant to celebrate men such as James R Keene who made their riches in stocks and owned a number of horses. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/654/cocktail_spirit_suburban/ Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:10:29 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/652/cocktail_spirit_delmonico/ The Delmonico Cocktail is named after what is considered to be the first restaurant opened in the United States. First opened in 1827, Delmonico's has suffered through fire, prohibition and a series of proprietors and still serves its famous steaks today. The eponymous cocktail is just as strong and long lived as the restaurant. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/652/cocktail_spirit_delmonico/ Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:20:35 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/651/cocktail_spirit_interview_tom_bulleit/ Robert had the great pleasure of sitting down with Tom Bulleit of Bulleit Bourbon at Needle and Thread above Tavern Law in Seattle to discuss Bulleit's newest product, Bulleit Rye. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/651/cocktail_spirit_interview_tom_bulleit/ Bulleit Bourbon at Needle and Thread above Tavern Law in Seattle to discuss Bulleit's newest product, Bulleit Rye.]]> Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:53:50 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/649/cocktail_spirit_crysanthemum/ Robert discovered the Chrysanthemum Cocktail in the Savoy Cocktail Book. This unique cocktail does not contain a base spirit as most cocktails typically do. In its recipe it utilizes only absinthe, Benedictine, and dry vermouth. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/649/cocktail_spirit_crysanthemum/ Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:53:19 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/646/cocktail_spirit_casino/ The Casino Cocktail is a very gin forward cocktail. It can be made with Old Tom gin and showcases that spirit well. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/646/cocktail_spirit_casino/ Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:10:27 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/642/cocktail_spirit_caprice/ Essentially a Martini with the addition of Benedictine, the Caprice Cocktail is a simple and delicious drink. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/642/cocktail_spirit_caprice/ Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:49:28 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/639/cocktail_spirit_bridal/ Robert Hess discovered the Bridal Cocktail in the pages of the Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book. If you are familiar with the original Martini, made with sweet rather than dry vermouth, this cocktail is quite similar. The addition of Maraschino liqueur adds a hint of cherry that rounds out a delicious cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/639/cocktail_spirit_bridal/ the original Martini, made with sweet rather than dry vermouth, this cocktail is quite similar. The addition of Maraschino liqueur adds a hint of cherry that rounds out a delicious cocktail. ]]> Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:32:26 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/638/cocktail_spirit_metropole/ The Metropole Cocktail was the house cocktail at the Metropole Hotel, opened in New York just before the beginning of the 20th century. Some say it is a stronger and spicier version of the Manhattan. We say, it is delicious. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/638/cocktail_spirit_metropole/ Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:33:39 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/634/cocktail_spirit_royalist/ Invented by W.J. Tarling, author of The Café Royal Cocktail Book (1937), the Royalist Cocktail is similar to a Manhattan. The use of Peach bitters in lieu of Angostura as well as the use of dry instead of sweet vermouth are the obvious differences. Benedictine offers a touch of sweetness and spice to what is a delightful cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/634/cocktail_spirit_royalist/ Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:08:20 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/630/cocktail_spirit_fourth_regiment/ Recipes for cocktails can be found in the strangest places. The recipe for the Fourth Regiment Cocktail was found in a small book titled "282 Mixed Drinks from the Private Records of a Bartender of the Olden Days" Robert Hess purchased on Ebay. Written around 1889, the seller found this little treasure in a home they had recently purchased. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/630/cocktail_spirit_fourth_regiment/ Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:29:31 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/624/cocktail_spirit_black_hawk/ Robert discovered the Black Hawk cocktail in Jones Complete Bar Guide as well as Cocktail DB. The bourbon adds a great backbone for the acid of the lemon and the sweet and complex notes of the sloe gin to mingle. This is surely a classic. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/624/cocktail_spirit_black_hawk/ Jones Complete Bar Guide as well as Cocktail DB. The bourbon adds a great backbone for the acid of the lemon and the sweet and complex notes of the sloe gin to mingle. This is surely a classic. ]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:02:11 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/623/cocktail_spirit_between_the_sheets/ Not many cocktails contain more than one base spirit, let alone three (unless they are created by Jamie Boudreau). The Between the Sheets cocktail is one exception. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/623/cocktail_spirit_between_the_sheets/ Jamie Boudreau). The Between the Sheets cocktail is one exception. ]]> Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:22:16 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/617/cocktail_spirit_apricot_cocktail/ Many times in making cocktails, just as in life, the simpler the better. Such is the case with the delightful Apricot Cocktail. Originally found in the Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury,this cocktails three ingredients stirred with ice offer up beautiful aroma and nuanced flavor. Floral, fruity and even herbaceous, the Apricot Cocktail is a classic to be savored. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/617/cocktail_spirit_apricot_cocktail/ Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:31:14 +0000 http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/608/cocktail_spirit_old_pal/ The Old Pal Cocktail first appears in "ABC of Mixing Cocktails" by Harry MacElhone of the famed Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Originally calling for Canadian whisky, an American rye provides a robust flavor profile that adds a great foundation for the dry vermouth and Campari. Next time you are at your favorite bar, cozy up to the Old Pal Cocktail. http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/608/cocktail_spirit_old_pal/ Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:20:20 +0000