Photo: Demián Camacho Santa Ana
Whether you're having guests for brunch or just nursing a hangover alone, the Bloody Mary is without a doubt the quintessential brunch drink. What we know today as the Bloody Mary actually started off as a simple tomato juice and vodka drink without all the seasonings. Try mixing up equal parts vodka (gin and aquavit also work well) and tomato water as a nod to the Mary's origins without all the trash. If you're pressed for time, tomato water can be as simple as opening a can of tomatoes and draining off the liquid or taking fresh tomato purée and straining the liquid through a fine sieve. Mix the vodka and tomato water over ice in your Boston shaker, pouring the mixture from glass to metal tin until chilled and thoroughly mixed (or shake if you don't mind a little foaminess). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you can't resist adding more, perhaps rim the edge with smoked salt, celery salt, or a chunky salt-and-pepper mix and add a lemon wheel for garnish.
If coffee is the only way to start your day, you must try a cocktail that goes by a variety of names -- Espresso Martini, Vodka Espresso, and Pharmaceutical Stimulant. Supposedly it was created by a bartender in London after a customer asked him for a cocktail that would wake 'em up and screw 'em up.
Recipes after the jump...
Pharmaceutical Stimulant
50ml (little more than 1 1/2 ounces) vodka
5ml (little less than 1/4 ounce) sugar syrup
20ml (around 3/4 ounces) Kahlúa
1 short strong espresso
3 coffee beans, garnish
Pour all into shaker. Add ice. Shake hard. Pour into chilled cocktail glass. Arrange 3 coffee beans on surface in flower shape as garnish.
Crosby Gaige lists a Breakfast Cocktail for six in his Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion that includes 3 shots of gin and 3 shots of sherry shaken with 1.5 jiggers prune syrup and 1.5 jiggers orange juice. However, I'd rather get my vitamin C from a Breakfast Martini; it's much more enticing than the boring mimosa.
Breakfast Martini
5cl (little less than 1.75 ounces) Tanqueray 10 (or other brand with bright citrus notes)
1.5cl (.5 ounces) Cointreau
1.5cl (.5 ounces) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange marmalade
Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh orange zest or squeeze a thin twist of orange on top and garnish with a thin spiral of orange.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of Casa Cóctel with partner Demián Camacho Santa Ana. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
