Chapter One: Other Smashes And Magic Mint Mixes

19-B

This straight-up variation on the Brandy Smash’s country cousin, the Whiskey Smash, was created to celebrate a friend’s wedding and baptized with said friend’s apartment number. It is pleasing, smooth, rich, and extremely dangerous—as you’ll notice, it’s all booze. Handle with care. (The wedding was a success, even though—or perhaps because—many of the guests got drunk as boiled owls on the 19-B.)

2 ounces straight rye whiskey
1/2 ounce dark Jamaican-style rum
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1 sprig mint

Shake with vim and vigor (in this case, you want the bitterness of the mint) and strain through a fine-meshed strainer into a chilled cocktail glass.

Jewish Absinthe

Dave Wondrich developed this drink for Brooklyn’s beloved (if short-lived) Chickenbone Café to make use of the local booze, a 101-proof kosher bourbon. A potent mix of Old Williamsburg, as the stuff is called, Spanish anisette, and mint, this cocktail looks like absinthe and tastes like absinthe—and you won’t feel like cutting your ear off (but do watch your tuchus). If you can’t get ahold of Old Williamsburg, any strong bourbon will do. You’ll have to come up with a different name, though.

2 ounces Old Williamsburg 101-proof bourbon
1/2 ounce Anis del Mono (Spanish anisette)
8 to 10 leaves mint

Shake viciously for 10 to 15 seconds and strain through a fine-meshed strainer into a chilled cocktail glass.

Whiskey Smash

Ryan Demonstrates How To Make a Whiskey Smash.

Whiskey Smash
Put crushed ice into old fashioned glassware, set aside
In separate mixing glass;
Add 3/4 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueror
Add 2 Lemon Wedges
Add 4 Mint Leaves
Muddle contents
Add 1.5 oz Makers Mark Bourbon
Add Ice
Shake hard, shake long, shake well
Double strain through tea strainer into old fashion glass
Slap mint sprig (releases natural mint aroma)
GarnIsh.

Recipes reproduced from “Killer Cocktails” by David Wondrich