Kohout Cocktail - LeNell It All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jan 20th 2010 @ 5:00PM

We had five wild turkeys and one wild hen, already, but how could we say no to a beautiful old cock whose male offspring exerted dominance in the farmyard. If you are not familiar with chicken politics, you cannot, under any circumstances, keep two roosters in close proximity without a fight over who's boss. Even this old guy our neighbor sold us for $2.50 couldn't hold back his pride as he entered our poultry pen. He immediately stuck out his chest and declared war on our turkeys ... and the cock is blind.

After separating the rooster into a different area and discussing his fate, Demián and I thought his valiance worthy of a toast. We searched through various old cocktail books and found nary a drink with the word "rooster" in it. An internet search turned up a few rooster notion potions such as vodka, orange juice and cranberry, but we figure the Madras already has that combination. No bold Fighting Cock bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery is available around La Paz, so don't even mention a "cock-a-rita"or some other take on a classic made with this whiskey.

We decided on a more complex mix that I put together first at Montgomery Place, a wonderful little bar in London's Notting Hill neighborhood. Montgomery Place allowed me the honor of guest bartending a couple of times. The cocktail contains some of my homemade rock and rye and grapefruit bitters. I named the drink "Kohout," which is Czech for "rooster," in honor of the Montgomery Place bar manager, who grew up in the Czech Republic.

Kohout Cocktail
Absinthe
2 ounces rock and rye
½ ounce dry vermouth
½ ounce dry sherry
3 drops grapefruit bitters
Lemon peel

Put absinthe in an atomizer and spritz a chilled cocktail glass with one press. If not in the mood for such pomp, splash in a drop of absinthe and roll it around to coat the inside of the glass. Stir the rock and rye, vermouth, sherry, and bitters with ice. Strain into absinthe-perfumed glass. Squeeze a lemon peel over the top of the glass, rub it around the rim, and plop it into the glass.

Filed Under: Drink Recipes, Drinks, Spirits
Tags: absinthe, grapefruit, rye