Espresso Martini

This is obviously a great one for late nights. If you don't want to dilute the drink too much, chill the espresso first. It obviously won't be as fresh as possible, but I don't mind.

• 1.5 shots Russian Standard vodka
• 1 shot fresh espresso
• 0.5 shot Tia Maria (or Kahlua)
• 0.25 shot simple syrup

Garnish with three coffee beans.

Photo: Phil

I've had this one many times now - a true classic. Using fresh espresso makes this drink have that true coffee flavour, and I can't get enough of it. I find the drink ever so slightly bitter, and I normally have coffee without sugar, so perhaps more simple syrup would benefit this drink for the standard palate. What more can I say about the taste than cold but fresh coffee? The strength of the espresso completely masks the vodka, but if you find vodka too strong then you'll probably experience the same with the coffee strength. Still, I can easily imagine this being appealing to everyone.

Peartini

After trying pointlessly to find an appletini recipe that tastes nice, I came across this Peartini which I really enjoy. Despite being a martini it is much sweeter and longer than most and so will suit many tastes. The key is obviously pear-flavoured vodka. The recipe called for Grey Goose, but I'm too poor so I use Absolut, which works perfectly.

• 2 shots Absolut Pears vodka
• 0.25 shot Disaronno Originale amaretto
• o.75 shot simple syrup
• 0.75 lemon juice

Photo: Phil

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pear slice.

For the simple syrup, many bartenders call for 2:1 sugar to water, though this requires heating on the stove and results in caramel for me. Thus I use a 1:1 ratio which hasn't let me down yet and can be achieved without heating - just shake the bottle a few times and leave it for half an hour.

This martini is delightful and is a tasty way to get down two shots of vodka! The amaretto is more for appearance as it and the lemon juice combine to make the drink resemble pear juice, although it doesn't detract from the flavour at all. It really is like drinking cold, gourmet pear juice. With extras.

Flaming an orange peel

This is a great way to garnish a drink while giving it a hint of burnt orange flavour as well, in a similar way that bitters can add that extra touch to a drink.
I learnt this technique by reading Dale DeGroff's book.

1. Using a small sharp knife, cut a strip of peel off the orange. It should be around 2 cm wide, and however long you can manage. Breaking all the rules, cut towards you - this ensures that you get as much sweet orange skin and as little bitter white pith as possible. Its better to cut from pole to pole than around the equator.
2. Delicately hold the peel lengthwise between your thumb and forefinger (so you're holding across the thin bit). Don't squeeze it yet.
3. Hold the peel in your good hand, the outside facing the drink at an angle, and hold a lit match with your bad hand between the peel and the drink
4. Snap the peel, spraying its oils through the flame and onto the drink - the flame with burn the oils and it gets a bit warm but you won't burn yourself at all

Photo: Phil

And there you are. Some may say it's too much work for too little gain, but it can certainly make the Manhattan much better.

Manhattan

Well I though I'd start with my favourite version of this classic drink. Sebastian Reaburn, a Melbourne-based bartender, adds some maraschino cherry syrup to this which subtly makes this a remarkable drink.
His recipe, with the brands I used, goes like this:

• 1.5 shots Jim Beam Rye whiskey
• 0.5 shot Cinzano sweet red vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters
• dash Regan's Orange bitters
• 1 tsp maraschino cherry syrup

Photo: Phil

Stir with ice in a mixing glass until cold and strain into a chilled martini glass or champagne saucer.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry and flame an orange peel over it (discard the peel).

Despite being a whiskey lover myself, I think that the teaspoon of sweet syrup just cuts the dryness a bit to smoothen out this cocktail. It's hard to explain the taste of this one - essentially a spiced, sweetened whiskey flavour with underlying burnt orange notes. Certainly strong tasting - best to try it if you like whiskey!
I realise that Jim Beam isn't the best rye whiskey, but there doesn't seem to be much else available around here. I even had to get the orange bitters delivered from America, although the drink does not deteriorate without them too much.