Cocktail Whisky Madness
I have always advised against mixing whiskey with cola, energy drinks and sodas, and not adding ice. But today's topic will be about using whiskey in cocktails and mixing it with other alcoholic and non-alcoholic liquids. In recent years, cocktail culture in Bulgaria has been steadily evolving due to the opening of numerous cocktail bars, training by foreign experts, annual bartending competitions, festival appearances, and specialized attention from alcohol importers to bartenders.
The word "cocktail" is not of exact origin, or no one remembers how it came to be a name for this type of alcoholic beverage. There are several versions of the origin of the word. The first is based on the translation of the word cocktail - "rooster's tail". Many people personify the striped tail with the striped drinks. Another origin story for the word comes from as far back as 1779, when young widow Betsy Flanagan was working as a waitress in a New York City bar. She decided to decorate customers' drinks with rooster feathers. The customers were delighted and exclaimed, "Viva la cocktail".
The involvement of whiskey in cocktails carries a history of over 150 years, and in recent years whiskey cocktail recipes have changed, added to and experimented with hundreds of new brands.
There are even whiskies being produced with profiles aimed at their participation in cocktails rather than the whisky consumer. Some whisky bottle labels have cocktail recipes rather than brand specifications. Some brands' advertisements do not focus on the benefits of the 'Water of Life' but on the benefits of blending it. Annual distillates are blended at serious prices and not just the standard whisky brands are emphasised. I'd say it's crazy cocktail work, but a lot of people won't be of my opinion.
Here are some classic whisky cocktails, which every whisky lover must try. Brand and types were not mentioned, so that you can be prepared to try the drink with a different type (Bourbon, Canadian, Scotch, Irish, Rye, Wheat, Malt, Blended). My recommendation is to try the cocktails according to the style of the whisky, which is why it's good to know the whisky itself first, and to be curious about what brand or type of whisky they make your cocktail with at the bar if it's not described on the menu.
Old Fashioned:
Ingredients: 50 ml bourbon, 5 ml water, sugar, 4-5 drops Angostura bitter, lemon peel, glass - Old Fashioned
Serving: In an Old Fashioned glass. With the heel of a bar spoon, crush the sugar well and add the bourbon. Add the lemon spiral and stir. Add 3-4 ice cubes and garnish with a slice each of orange and lemon. You can also drop a cocktail cherry into the glass.
Manhattan:
Ingredients: 50 ml bourbon, 20 ml sweet vermouth, 3-4 drops Angistura bitter, glass
Prepare in a shaker with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry. Bourbon can be substituted with rye or Canadian whiskey.
Rob Roy
Ingredients: 50 ml Scotch whisky, 20 ml sweet vermouth, 3-4 drops Angostura bitter
This cocktails is prepared in a shaker and strained in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
American Tennessee Coffee Ingredients:
15 ml Tennessee Whisky, 15 ml Kahlua, 120 ml hot coffee, whipped cream, sugar, glass
Warm the Irish coffee cup well under a stream of warm water and pour the whiskey and Kahlua into it. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the coffee and form a thick layer of whipped cream over the surface. Sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles and serve with a spoon and saucer.
All the ingredients and suitable brands for the cocktails can be found at www.vida.bg, and also be served to you at Whisky bar Caldo – www.caldo.bg
