Among folks who work in the food and beverage industry, bartenders are likely to be hardest hit by COVID-19 shutdowns. Restaurants and breweries can offer food and beer to go, but in California, to-go cocktails aren’t legal. (Before you scoff at the concept, check out these beautiful bottled cocktails from PDT New York, where the state’s temporarily loosened restrictions to allow take-out cocktails. Bartenders I’ve talked to said it could mean the difference between a bar staying in business or being forced to close.
In the meantime, consider checking out your favorite bar’s website to see if they sell merch or gift cards. Or, if they provide food service, order takeout. (See, for instance, Metl Bar & Restaurant, the new project by Randy and Jenna Elskamp, which is offering an array of delish comfort food to-go.)
And, over here at The Sip, I’ll be doing some posts on make-at-home cocktails featuring recipes from some talented bartenders. Here are three to get you started:
The Redcap by Cole Shepherd
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Campari
1 oz lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a glass. Serve as you wish with a lemon twist.
Fashioned from Frost by Dax Marchus
2 oz whiskey or rye
1/2 oz ginger syrup
2 dashes each of orange and Angostura bitters
Stir with ice for 10 to 15 seconds and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with an orange twist, candied ginger, or a fancy cherry.
Goldfinger by Rex Yuasa
(Rendezvous / U.S. Grant Hotel)
3/4 oz Cognac
3/4 oz Amaretto
Top off with tonic water (about 2 to 2.5 oz)
Served on the rocks with an orange peel
(The ratio of Cognac/Amaretto can be adjusted depending on your taste: If you like it sweeter, increase the Amaretto. If you like it more spirit-forward, increase Cognac.)
Dax Marchus’ Fashioned from Frost cocktail
Courtesy of Dax Marchus
