#297 Cocktail: Zombie

     You wanna get drunk fast? There are 2 drinks that can fulfill that wish, Long Island Ice-Tea and this one.....Zombie.
      It first appeared in late 1934, invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant. It was popularized on the East coast soon afterwards at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
       Legend has it that Donn Beach originally concocted the Zombie to help a hung-over customer get through a business meeting.The customer returned several days later to complain that he had been turned into a zombie for his entire trip. Its smooth, fruity taste works to conceal its extremely high alcoholic content. Don the Beachcomber restaurants limit their customers to two Zombies apiece because of their potency, which Beach said could make one "like the walking dead."

2 ounces Anejo rum

1 ounce light rum

1 ounce dark rum

1/2 fresh lime juice

3/4 ounce pineapple juice

1/4 ounce apricot brandy

1/4 ounce 151-proof rum

Angostura bitters to taste

#197 Cocktail: Millionaire No.4

  The cocktail was made by Ted Haigh ( Dr. Cocktail) by altering the ratios of another famous cocktail, Millionaire No.1 from the "Savoy Cocktail Book" (1930) by Harry Craddock.
  The cocktail was made specially for Gaz Regan and his wife Mardee "on one glorious weekend", as the author says.
   Since the Doc already altered the ratios, Gaz Regan didn't make any change to the recipe. Just be careful the you need a large cocktail glass for this one, cause the quantity is over 6 ounces.

2 ounces Myers's rum

1 ounce sloe gin

1 ounce apricot brandy

1 ounce fresh lime juice

#153 Cocktail: Hop Toad

    The drink here is adapted from a recipe in Crockett's "The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book", but the ratios are not the same as the original ones.
     David Wondrich gives a nice description or tale in the Esquire Magazine regarding this cocktail:

      "A slippery one, this, but worth catching if the effort required isn't too great. Here's the thing of it: It's as easy to mix as an Alka-Seltzer and twice as restorative -- provided you can get the main ingredient. It calls, you see, for apricot brandy. But not just any apricot brandy. It calls for Hungarian apricot brandy, and nothing else will do. In Hungary, they make the stuff by mashing up a mess of apricots, fermenting it, and running it through the still a couple times -- yielding what the French would call an eau de vie.Delicately perfumed, smooth, and yet still a little bit fiery. Here, we make apricot brandy by flavoring grape brandy with apricots, perhaps even artificial ones, and then sweetening the shit out of it. It has an unfortunate tendency to taste like cough syrup, and that not of the highest grade. It's not recommended for anyone over legal drinking age. Or under it. (Our lawyers made us add that. Thanks, guys.) If you do get your hands on some of the stuff -- "barack palinka," they call it, and it is in fact imported here* -- you might as well try the venerable Hop Toad"

1 1/2 ounce dark rum

1 ounce apricot liqueur 

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

Angostura to taste

#129 Cocktail: Fifth Avenue

    Everywhere I saw the recipe for this cocktail or layered shot, made with dark creme de cacao or chocolate liqueur. I guess none of these are wrong. The original recipe from Harry Craddock's book asks fore white creme de cacao, apricot liqueur and cream.
    The shot is like you are eating a chocolate filled with apricot cream. So smooth an delicious that you would want another one and another one. But do not be fooled, even if the shot is sweet and smooth, the headache can come quick and without knowing.
    Still it's worth a shot :)

3/4 ounce white creme de cacao

3/4 ounce apricot liqueur

3/4 ounce cream

#113 Cocktail: English Rose

   The cocktail is adapted from a recipe in the first edition of "Old Mr. Boston" (1935) cocktail book
   The "Mr. Boston" name is known not only for its brands of distilled spirits, but also for its unique reference book, (Old) Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, used by both professional and home bartenders as the "Bible of Booze." The Guide was first published 1935, according to the first date published in the Guide's publisher information page, the early days after the Repeal of Prohibition, when the distillery started up business again.

     The name of the cocktail comes for the twist that made this drink. The original cocktail is named "Rose" and it contains dry vermouth, apricot liqueur, fresh lemon juice and grenadine. By adding gin to the whole composition, this drink becomes the English Rose, because when you say gin, you immediately think of the Brits.

1 1/2 ounce Gin

3/4 ounce dry vermouth

3/4 ounce apricot liqueur 

1/4 fresh lemon juice

grenadine to taste

  

#90 Cocktail: Copper Swan

   Made by Gaz Regan for the Whisky magazine.
" I came up with this one a couple of years ago for an article in Whisky magazine. Highland Park is a great malt to pair with the apricot brandy, and other brands, especially the ones with a goodly amount of smoke in this character will fare well in this drink."

Gaz Regan

This cocktail pays homage to the swan-necked copper pot stills traditionally used to produce Scottish whiskey.

2 1/2 ounces Highland Park single malt scotch

3/4 ounce apricot brandy

#85 Cocktail: Charlie Chaplin

    Unfortunately, right now , travelling between Hamburg and Dusseldorf for job reasons, it is a little harder for me to make a cocktail per day, but I am trying to adapt to the situation. So now, here is the first cocktail created in my hotel room in Dusseldorf.       

    The Charlie Chaplin Cocktail was one of the premier drinks of the Waldorf-Astoria prior to 1920. The equal mix of lime,apricot brandy and sloe gin is documented in A.S. Crockett'sThe Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book and it's a nice, gentle mix, although rather thick and sweet. Of course the drink is named in honor of the famous actor Charlie Chaplin, but it's unclear if the drink made it into the comedian's repertoire.

1 ounce Sloe Gin

1 ounce Apricot Brandy

1 ounce fresh lime juice

#72 Cocktail: Claridge

   I might say that this cocktail is a twist on the Martini, or so it looks on the first appearance. The apricot liqueur, even if in a small quantity, gives the cocktail the definitive flavor.
    There is no certain history for this cocktail, but for sure it appears for the first time in Harry Craddock's "The Savoy Cocktail Book". I believe Harry Craddock was also involved at the bar at the Claridge Hotel in London, so perhaps named after the bar in that hotel?
   Anyway, this cocktail, definitely goes on the list of my favorite cocktails.

1 ounce Gin

1 ounce dry vermouth

1/2 ounce triple sec

1/2 ounce apricot  brandy

#29 Cocktail: Bermuda Rose

   The recipe was adapted by Gaz Regan from a confusing 1950's recipe detailed by David Embury in his book. The drink is very smooth, the apricot brandy playing very well with the sweet vermouth covering the bitter taste of the gin. Be careful when you use the grenadine. I used 2 dashes and the drink is just perfect. A little more and the cocktail will be too sweet. Enjoy!

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce sweet vermouth

1/2 ounces apricot brandy

grenadine to taste

#12 Cocktail: Apricot Sour

  Not much to say about this cocktail. It's just a sour with no history. Probably it has one, but is unknown.
   But if  you like sours, then this is a delicious cocktail.

2 ounces apricot liqueur

1 ounce lemon juice

1 orange wheel, to garnish

1 maraschino cherry, to garnish

#4 Cocktail: Apricot Fizz

 A refreshing and delightful drink with a perfect sweet and sour balance

2 1/2 ounces apricot  brandy

3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice

top with soda