The Fameuse Cocktail by Darcy O’Neil

This post is the last in a series that profiled participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced later today!

 

I met Darcy O’Neil earlier this year, over a delicious breakfast at Brennan’s in New Orleans. What a nice guy! Part brainy bartender, part mad-scientist, Darcy is the mind behind Art of Drink.  He’s kind of a big deal. People know him (if you don’t get the reference…please ignore).

 

Seriously though, Art of Drink has got to be one of the most popular cocktail blogs on the web. It is there that Darcy shares newly-created cocktail recipes, spirits reviews, in-depth historical cocktail research, and a scientific spin on spirits. His Tales of the Cocktail presentation on Sensory Perception & Mixology was great (and it appears he’ll be giving a similar session at The London Club if you’re lucky enough to be around on Nov 27^th…wait…why on Thanksgiving?…oh yeah…Canada).    

 

Darcy was kind enough to throw his hat into the ring for the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition with this lovely drink:

 

Fameuse Cocktail by Darcy O’Neil:

1 oz Bourbon (he used Buffalo Trace)
½ oz Gingerbread Liqueur
½ oz Jerez Fino Sherry (he used Tio Pepe)
3 oz Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
3 Dash Angostura Bitters

“Instructions: In a double old fashioned glass packed with ice, add all of the ingredients and stir until chilled. Garnish with an apple slice. This drink can also be served warm, but I prefer it chilled. It’s versatile.”

 

I’m all about using apple cider this time of year & I think it pairs well with the gingerbread. Darcy actually covered this cocktail so make sure and check out his full explanation. And remember—the winner of the contest will be announced later today!

Lance Mayhew’s November Rain

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Lance Mayhew, a founding member of the Oregon Bartender’s Guild, describes himself as a “corporate drone by day, bartender by night,” and blogs about his love of cocktail culture on My Life on the Rocks. From Portland, Lance writes about his favorite cocktail books, new craft cocktail creations, product reviews, and stories from behind the stick at 50 Plates. He’s a great mixologist who’s passionate about his work so check out his site for some great insight into the biz.

 

November Rain, Lance’s entry into the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition was the very first submission I received. It’s simple, straightforward, and features the great pairing of rye & Gingerbread. Give it a try!

 

November Rain by Lance J. Mayhew:

3oz Rittenhouse 100 proof rye whiskey
1 oz Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur
3 dashes Regans Orange Bitters

Chill, serve up with an orange twist.

Cheri Loughlin’s Mexican Café de Jengibre

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

The Intoxicologist’s Cheri Loughlin is great about filling her readers in on the latest buzz in the world of booze. Not a day goes by without a write-up on the newest item on the market, timely cocktail recipes, press releases, and videos. She does a lot of research and puts a lot of time into ensuring she gives her readers the top stories first. Check her out any day of the week and you’re sure to learn something new.

 

For her entry in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition, Cheri crafted the oh-so-delicioso Mexican Café de Jengibre.

 

Mexican Café de Jengibre by Cheri Loughlin:

 

1-1/2 ounces Anejo Tequila

1/2 ounce Kahlua Especial

1 ounce Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur

1/2 ounce Half & Half

 

Build in a rocks or old-fashioned glass over ice.  Stir.  No garnish.

 

Lucky for us, Cheri included this beautiful photo (which might look familiar) with her drink entry. She has a knack for drink photography and, judging from her entry, mixology too. The combination of Kahlua and Gingerbread just works, as you’ll find in several recipes on the Hiram Walker site, but I like the addition of tequila here, to spice things up. Nice work, Cheri!

Camper English gives us Fall Sunshine

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

If you are at all in-tune with cocktail blogs and/or the San Francisco drinks scene, chances are you’ve already heard of spirits writer Camper English and his booze blog Alcademics. One of the most frequently-updated blogs on my reading list, Alcademics provides clever commentary on the drinks industry, new brands, upcoming events and more.

 

Despite recently labeling himself a bar (pre)tender , I think Camper holds his own with his contribution to the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition, Fall Sunshine.

Fall Sunshine by Camper English:

 

2 ounces Hornitos Anejo tequila

1 ounce Hiram Walker Gingerbread liqueur

¼ ounce Cointreau Noir

¾ ounce orange juice

 

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

 

A blend of the Cointreau we all know and Remy Martin cognac, Cointreau Noir sounds perfect for the fall/holiday season, and seems like it would pair quite well with the vanilla and spice of the Gingerbread Liqueur. Don’t forget to check in here Monday to see if Fall Sunshine takes the top prize!

 

Jacob Grier’s Fall Dessert Drink

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Jacob Grier’s blog is a well-written site chock-full of interesting insights, but it’s difficult to describe or label because it covers so many subjects—a few of which are coffee, wine, libertarianism, magic and weird sea creatures.

 

Somewhere in the midst of all that there’s some good talk about cocktails.  

 

What kind of person would blog about this strange mix of topics? Well, Jacob describes himself as “a freelance writer, barista, and bartender. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. He recently left a political life in Washington, DC for better things in Portland, OR.”

 

My guess is Jacob will be covering cocktails more often since Portland is known for its craft cocktail scene. Click through to see what’s top-of-mind lately.

 

For the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Contest Jacob whipped up this number, an untitled cocktail that’s simple yet decadent.

 

The Untitled Fall Dessert Drink by Jacob Grier:

 

2 oz Scotch
.75 oz Hiram Walker gingerbread liqueur
.5 oz whipping cream

Shake over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

 

I love drinks I can make in a pinch with just a few ingredients on hand & I like the combination of gingerbread and scotch here. Thanks for the recipe, Jacob!

Blair Frodelius Creates the Ginger Frost

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Good Spirits News, by Blair Frodelius, is a cocktail site with a little bit of everything. It’s fully equipped with a blog that features original (and often timely) cocktail recipes, the latest updates in spirits & cocktails news, a list of cocktail competitions currently taking place, and upcoming events in the spirits world. Check out GSN to get caught up on all these happenings, get a recommendation for a great cocktail book, and learn about the latest cocktail gadgets.

 

Blair was kind enough to join us in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition with this submission, The Ginger Frost.

 

Ginger Frost by Blair Frodelius:

 

2 oz. Appleton Special Rum
0.75 oz. Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur
0.75 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
0.25 oz Turbinado simple syrup*
1 egg white
fresh grated nutmeg
snowflake stencil

Pour rum, gingerbread liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake well for 30 seconds.  Strain into chilled martini glass.   Lay snowflake stencil over rim of glass and gently tap fresh grated nutmeg onto drink.  Remove stencil and serve!

 

I like the added touch with the snowflake stencil. Very festive. Here’s Blair’s instructions for creating that Turbinado Simple Syrup.

 

“To make Turbinado simple syrup take one cup of Turbinado sugar and slowly dissolve into one cup of boiling water.  Add tsp of vodka to preserve.  Keep refrigerated.”

 

Blair must have been in the giving spirit, because he sent along this bonus Gingerbread recipe. This one’s on the house folks. Enjoy!

 

Manhattan Holiday by Blair Frodelius:

2 oz. Bourbon (he used Old Forester)
0.5 oz. Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur
1/4 tsp Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash Fee’s Orange Bitters

Pour ingredients into mixing glass, stir with crushed ice for 30 seconds, strain into chilled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange peel twist.

 

 

La Grande Rivalité de Frères Munat

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Ok…so I know very little French. Je m’appelle Sam (My name is Sam), J’aime jambon (I love ham), and my personal favorite, ananas (pineapple). Yep, you can bet I just babblefished that title (which, by the way, means the Great Munat Brothers Rivalry) in honor of the fabulous blog, Le Mixeur, whose HILARIOUS writers you will read about here and now.

 

Le Mixeur chronicles a “series of social events promoting creativity, community, and exceptional cocktails” organized by the Munat brothers, Ted & Charles. Every post sends me into fits of laughter so do yourself a favor and click through.

 

Normally, Ted & Charles seem to have a pretty healthy, brotherly relationship, but I’m afraid my invitation to the both of them to compete in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Contest may have sparked a feud. The competition is intense and an amazing prize is on the line so it’s no wonder they’ve started to throw down for fisticuffs in the streets of Seattle (*note: I am completely making this up).

 

But alas, there can only be one winner, so let’s hope our little contest doesn’t result in the breakdown of the Munat family name. To the drinks, then:

 

Granddaddy Howe by Ted Munat: (photo shown above)

1 oz bourbon
2 oz ruby port
1/2 oz Gingerbread Liqueur
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1 whole egg

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake ingredients for about 15 seconds. Add ice and shake for about 10 more seconds. Strain into a goblet and grate fresh nutmeg over the top.

 

The Clever Fox by Charles Munat:

 

1 1/2 oz. tequila blanco (he used Herradura)

1 oz. Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur

1 oz. heavy whipping cream

1/2 oz. Ramazzotti amaro

1 medium egg (optional)

Freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon

 

Mix the tequila, gingerbread liqueur, whipping cream, amaro, the whole egg, and two pinches of freshly ground nutmeg in a mixing glass. Use a hand blender to whip into a froth. Add ice to the mixing glass and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a sprinkling of freshly ground cinnamon. Enjoy.

 

The former drink is a variation of the Coffee Cocktail submitted by the sensitive Ted and named for the brothers’ dear Grandaddy. The latter (named for the fox who chases the Gingerbread Man) was submitted with grace by Charles, who humbly thanked me for the opportunity to participate and said he looked forward to seeing the other entries, so he could learn from them.

 I don’t play favorites, but I’d love to hear your feedback—which Munat brother is victorious in this sibling match-up?

Blair Reynolds’ Getränkuchen Cocktail

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Blair Reynolds, of Portland, OR, is responsible for the awesomeness that is Trader Tiki. This cocktail blog is perfect for fanatical tikiphiles who keep dozens of homemade ingredients on hand at any given time and rarely reach for a drink with less than five ingredients. It’s also great for cocktail novices who just want to learn a bit (ok a lot) about Tiki drinks. More than just “booze blather,” Trader Tiki is very informative and features plenty of instruction on making great drinks.

 

For the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Contest, Blair created Getränkuchen, made with a little bit of homemade allspice syrup.  

Getränkuchen by Blair Reynolds:

 

 1 oz Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur

 1 oz Dark Rum

 1 oz Half & Half

 *1 oz Allspice Syrup

 1 tsp Molasses

 2 dashes Fee Bitters

 

 Shake without Ice for thirty seconds.  Add Ice to the shaker and shake until well-frosted.  Strain into a Coupe, garnish with Spice Drops.

 

What’s that you say? You don’t know how to make homemade allspice syrup. Well, lucky for you, Blair sent along the recipe for that as well.

 

*Allspice Syrup

 

 8 oz Water

 16 oz Sugar

 2 Tablespoons Allspice Berries

 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice

 

 Set water and Allspice in a pot over high heat until boiling.  Add sugar and reduce heat to medium, stir until sugar is dissolved.  Let cool for 30 minutes covered, and strain into jar or bottle. Makes about 2 cups.

 

This one is really worth the work, so if you’re up for the challenge, give it a try and check out Trader Tiki for more great drink recipes.

Cocktailnerd Gabriel Szaszko gives us Hansel’s Bane

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this past July. He’s a super-nice guy with a great blog that covers everything from his latest libation creations to where to find good booze in Denver to hilarious stories of drinks gone wrong (if you have the time, click through to read The Shittiest Toilet in Scotland and I promise you will be rolling).

 

In addition to Cocktailnerd, Gabriel was one of the founders of Mixoloseum, a community chat room designed as a meeting space for cocktail lovers across the world (make sure and check out their Thursday Drink Night, where some of the best minds in cocktails come together for a real-time cocktail creating session). He juggles his love of all things cocktails with his own business and his roles as both husband and father (all while completely intoxicated…just kidding!).

 

Somehow, Gabriel managed to find the time to throw his hat into the ring for our Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition with Hansel’s Bane.

 

Hansel’s Bane by Gabriel Szaszko:

1.5oz Angostura 1919 Rum (or other aged gold rum)
.75oz HW Gingerbread Liqueur
.5oz Fresh grapefruit juice
.5oz Licor 43
.5oz Simple Syrup
1/4t Pernod
1 egg white
Cinnamon

Shake all ingredients thoroughly with ice. Strain (double-strain if able) into a cocktail glass and finely-grate cinnamon over the drink until an even dusting appears.

 

As I profile more and more of these drinks, I’m coming to find that I’m going to need to get over my fear of raw egg whites in drinks. They’re in every other entry and they really do make for a lovely drink. Big thanks to Gabriel for taking the time to participate and offering up a great drink for our contest. Best of luck!

Shawn Cox and the Bronze Autumn Cocktail

This post is a part of a series that will profile participants in the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition and their drink entries. The winner of the contest will be announced the week of Thanksgiving.

 

Rejiggered is the cocktail blog creation of Shawn Cox of Virginia, an attorney who, judging from the contents of his site, could have easily made it as a first-rate mixologist. Shawn describes the process of crafting great cocktails as an “escape” and shares his delicious original creations with his loyal readers (myself included).

 

For the Hiram Walker Gingerbread Cocktail Competition, Shawn really went all out, creating six cocktails with the product. Unfortunately, only one could be considered for judging so Shawn offered the Bronze Autumn Cocktail as his official entry.

 

Bronze Autumn Cocktail by Shawn Cox:

 

2 oz. apple vodka (he used Van Gogh Wild Appel vodka)

1 oz. Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur

Dry Champagne

 

Shake liquors together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with champagne.

 

Shawn describes his rationale behind choosing this drink as the top tipple on his blog, writing, “One of them bubbled to the top—a drink pairing subtle apple vodka with the distinctive Gingerbread liqueur, topped with dry champagne to balance the sweetness and add its elegance and effervescence. I was tempted by other complex and decadent creations, but in the end the simplicity and complementary flavors won the day.”

 

Lucky for us, he also posted the rest of his Gingerbread cocktails, including the runners-up. My personal favorite is the Gingerbread Vanilla Cream (um…just look at that picture!). I’m such a sucker for Vanilla Bean, this one’s right up my alley.

 

Gingerbread Vanilla Cream by Shawn Cox:

 

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. Irish Cream Liqueur

1 oz. Cream

1 oz. Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur

¼ vanilla bean

 

Pour liquors and cream into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Cut ¼ of the vanilla bean open and use a knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

 

To see the rest of these lovely libations click on through to Rejiggered and give them all a try!