Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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The Cosmopolitan

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

In the fall of 1988, bartender Toby Cecchini was working at The Odeon in New York City, chatting with his co-worker Melissa about her previous night out with friends. They were visiting from San Francisco and introduced her to a cocktail that was making its way across the gay bar scene.

“It’s called The Cosmopolitan,” she said. “Wanna see it?”

“Why not?” replied Cecchini.

She proceeded to make him a cocktail with vodka, Rose’s lime juice, Rose’s grenadine, and a twist of lemon. Oh, that’s cute, Cecchini recalls thinking.

“It was in one of those V-shaped martini stems (very of the times), and I thought that it was funny, because you don’t put cocktails in a martini glass, you only put a martini in a martini glass,” Cecchini said on the podcast Cocktail College. “I thought that was clever — and it was very cute — but it was disgusting. It was Rose’s, fake, cloying, lime cordial and Rose’s grenadine, which is even worse; just simple syrup artificially colored red . . . And I thought, I can make that better.”

So, he did. “Because we made our margaritas with Cointreau and fresh lime juice, I thought, oh, there’s the base, and Absolut had just come out with Absolut Citron — it was the first flavored vodka that we had ever seen, and it was absolutely mind-blowing.” For the red coloring, Cecchini decided to use cranberry juice, since he was used to making Cape Codders all day long. He made it for the servers at The Odeon, and it quickly became the staff drink.

Word of mouth had regulars at the bar asking for “Toby’s drink.” Soon random guests and celebrities began asking for his Cosmopolitan. “Madonna would come in for lunch several times a week and ask for the ‘pink drink,’” he says. And the rest is history: The Cosmopolitan became an instant hit in the bartending community and even had a resurgence a decade later when it was glorified in the Sex in the City series.

Here are Cecchini’s exact specs. Feel free to change the vodka if you’d like, or even the garnish (perhaps a twist of orange?), but do not change the orange liqueur or cranberry juice — Cointreau and Ocean Spray all the way. 

Specifications

1 1/2 ounces Absolut Citron

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

3/4 ounce Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail

Garnish: lemon twist

Execution

Combine all liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake hard until your mixing vessel starts to frost on the outside. Double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with lemon twist.

Dissecting A Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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Mia Khalifa

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

There are many alternatives to cocktails and alcoholic beverages these days. I’ve tried plenty, but the ones containing kava have captured my heart.

Kava is a plant native to the South Pacific, traditionally used for its calming and euphoric effects. The active compounds, kavalactones, are found in the root of the plant, which is typically ground, soaked and strained. It’s not much to look at — when ready for consumption, kava has a brownish, muddy appearance. On its own, the flavor is earthy and root-like, a bit of an acquired taste.

I was introduced to drinking kava on a date at Wana Navu Kava Bar in Fayetteville. I was familiar with the plant as a supplement but had never consumed it as a drink. Looking at the cocktail menu, I was floored by the variety of intricate blends of ingredients and the bold names for the drinks. Wana Navu owners Chloe Benhaim and Casey Fox helped me navigate the menu, offering a quick history of the root and explaining the effects of various ingredients.

Some drinks are combined with vitamins, kratom, or Delta-9, making for a highly personalized experience. I settled on a drink from their “Kavafornication” category, which features cocktails built on a kava base and infused with functional ingredients like B6, B12, L-theanine and ashwagandha. My go-to? The Mia Khalifa — a blend of those very ingredients, plus hibiscus flowers and lemongrass. The kava flavor is still present, but beautifully balanced. Did I mention these drinks contain zero sugar, carbs or calories? I ordered another. And then another.

Last year, Chloe and Casey opened a second location, this time in Sanford — what they proudly call their “Feel Good Bar” — which has quickly become my local stomping ground. 

Specifications

Hibiscus

Lemongrass

Vitamins: D, B6, B12, milk thistle, iron, ashwagandha, L-theanine

Execution

Get in your car and take a trip to Wana Navu Kava Bar at their Fayetteville or Sanford locations and place your order.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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The Southside

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

Like many classic cocktails, The Southside’s origins are a bit murky. Some say the drink was created on Chicago’s South Side and was a favorite of mobster Al Capone — the “bathtub gin” his mob smuggled in was harsh, so the addition of mint, sugar and lemon juice made the alcohol more palatable. Others claim it was created at the 21 Club in New York. Yet another says its invention was at the Southside Sportsmen’s Club on Long Island.
Cocktail historian David Wondrich found what he believed to be its earliest recipe in Life magazine in 1913. Dubbed the “Gordon’s South Side” (as in Gordon’s Gin), the drink was more like a frappe and included a picture that resembles a mojito.

Now comes the other mystery of the cocktail — the ingredients. Yes, there is gin, mint, sugar and citrus, but many recipes include the addition of soda water. A splash or served in a highball? And what about the citrus? Some recipes have lemon while another has lemon and lime. When I was behind the bar, I used lemon juice and a splash of sparkling water in a coupe glass. As time has gone by, I prefer a little more sparkling water, served over ice. I’ve even gone as far as making Reverie’s version as a carbonated cocktail soda (pictured). The recipe below is how I’d whip these up when I was behind the stick.

Specifications

2 ounces Sutler’s Spirit Co. gin

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/4 ounce rich simple syrup

5 mint leaves

1 ounce soda or sparkling water

Thinly sliced lemon wheel

Execution

In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients, sans soda water, and add ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds. Add soda water inside shaker and double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lemon wheel.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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Ranch Water

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

One of the simplest cocktails to make was also one of the most popular during the pandemic. Ranch water is the drink, and it hails from West Texas, though the precise regional claim to fame is debated.

There are Texas natives who say they grew up drinking the tequila, lime juice and mineral water highball, but the late Kevin Williamson, chef and founder of Ranch 616 in Austin, takes credit for its creation. Their website describes how Williamson used to “sneak” the mix into his water bottle while hunting with his father. The importance of using Topo Chico mineral water is key to this cocktail, which helped make the brand so popular there were nationwide shortages in 2021-22.

Regardless of the drink’s origin, everyone can agree that this is one of the most refreshing cocktails to beat the summer heat. There are two ways I enjoy Ranch waters: in a glass with ice or built in a Topo Chico bottle.

Specifications

2 ounces blanco tequila

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

Topo Chico sparkling water

Execution

In a glass: Add tequila and lime juice in a rocks or highball glass with ice. Top with Topo Chico.

In a Topo Chico bottle: Drink 3 ounces from the bottle and add tequila and lime juice. Put your thumb over the top and slowly turn bottle upside down to integrate ingredients. Don’t shake. Turn the bottle right side up and slowly remove thumb from the top. We’re not spraying Champagne in a locker room here.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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I Quit Girls

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

When I look back a decade ago to the beginning of 2015, there were two notable events that happened in my life: a major break-up, and a newfound love of rum. As it turned out, the former was also the motivation for a drink I created using the latter, aptly titled, “I Quit Girls.” I wanted to make a tiki-style drink all my own, something I hadn’t heard of or tasted.

Thinking back, that probably wasn’t too hard — the myriad social media bar-fluencers had yet to kidnap my algorithms. There’s only one ingredient that stands out from the rest in my concoction: 1/4 ounce of smoky Laphroaig 10-year Scotch. It was my eureka moment. A little smoke mixed with lots of sweet, delicious tiki flavors turned out to be a killer scene. At the time, I was just learning about classic rum drinks, so I was excited to add Donn’s Mix #1 into the, well, mix. Named for the man who created it, Donn Beach, this syrup is used for many tiki drinks, including the classic zombie.

As for the name of my drink, I happened to be listening — on repeat — to a Japandroids song of the same title the week I created it. Go figure.

Specifications

1 ounce Goslings Black Seal Rum

1/2 ounce Smith & Cross
Jamaican Rum

1/4 ounce Laphroaig 10-year Scotch Whisky

3/4 ounce Donn’s Mix #1 *

1/2 ounce fresh pineapple juice

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

5 drops Bittermens Elemakule
Tiki bitters

Execution

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add a very small amount of crushed or pebbled ice. Shake hard, allowing the ice to almost completely dissolve in the vessel. Pour everything into a tiki mug or large old-fashioned glass. Fill the remainder of glass with ice. Garnish with a small bunch of mint.

*Donn’s Mix #1: Take 3 cinnamon sticks and blend with one cup of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water). Let sit until syrup cools. Strain syrup. Mix one part of cinnamon syrup with 2 parts fresh grapefruit juice (not store-bought). Place in a sealed container and refrigerate. Keeps for two weeks.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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White Wine Sangria

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

Spring is peaking, and patio drinking is a must. Myriad cocktails fit the criteria and, for me, they’ve got to be light and refreshing. There should be a handful of options in your arsenal: mojitos, gin and tonics, spritzes and so on. So, choose your own adventure.

A cocktail I recently rediscovered is the white wine sangria. This is a simple, classic recipe from Canon owner and bartender Jamie Boudreau. I’ve never been keen on traditional sangrias — I like my red wine without any fuss — but a white wine sangria makes perfect sense. I love French 75s and other Champagne cocktails, so adding clear spirits to a dry or crisp white wine (dry white wine on its own in the spring is lovely, too) only seems right. Boudreau’s recipe calls for a citrus-forward gin in Martin Miller, but you may sub in Tanqueray 10, Sutler’s Spirit Co. or your personal favorite. He uses elderflower liqueur from St. Germain, which adds a touch of sweetness and all the lovely floral notes of St. Germain.

The recipe below is for a small pitcher or carafe for sharing. Make sure to add the St. Germain after the sparkling wine and gin; the liqueur is rich and heavy, so it will slowly sink to the bottom. Take advantage of your local farmers markets for seasonal fruit — whatever is available works, whether its blackberries, strawberries or raspberries. Any brightly colored fruit will make the aesthetic of this cocktail pop.

Specifications

12 ounces dry sparkling white wine

2 ounces St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

1 ounce Martin Miller Gin

Lemon and lime wheels

Seasonal fruit

 

Execution

In a small pitcher, add ice, sparkling wine, St. Germain, gin and and fruit. Lightly stir and top off with more sparkling wine. Serve in wine or Collins glass with ice and more fruit.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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Blood and Sand

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

I hereby present to you a cocktail that I’ve never really enjoyed: the “Blood and Sand.” Well-known to bartenders, it’s a relatively unknown classic cocktail to drinkers. Even though the creator of this cocktail is a mystery, it originally appeared in Henry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. The Blood and Sand takes its name from the 1922 silent film Blood and Sand, starring Rudolph Valentino. The movie follows a matador, Juan Gallardo, whose rise from poverty to become one of Spain’s greatest bullfighters ends in tragedy, romantic betrayal and death.

On paper, the ingredients for the cocktail don’t seem to make sense: equal parts Scotch whisky, cherry Heering, sweet vermouth and orange juice. Admittedly, it does taste better than the specs would lead you to believe. The problem, as I saw it, is that it has never tasted great. Enter acid-adjusted juices. Adding citric and malic acids to juices like grapefruit, orange and pineapple allows you to have one juice in the mix instead of two. More juices means more dilution, means more of a balancing act with your sweetener and alcohol.

When I learned of acid-adjusting from bartender Dave Arnold, one of the first drinks I thought of was the Blood and Sand. Orange juice on its own is missing that citric punch, something that this drink is lacking. Ingredients are meant to be toyed with, and by playing around with these specs, we can take a drink that is just OK to a drink that’s really good. You’ll also notice that I do away with “equal parts” as I up the amount of whisky.

Specifications

1 1/4 ounce Scotch whisky (do not use one that is over-peaty)

3/4 ounce acid-adjusted orange juice*

1/2 ounce cherry Heering

1/2 ounce sweet vermouth

Execution

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake hard for 10-15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with orange peel and brandied cherry.

*Acid-adjusted orange juice: per 100 ml of fresh orange juice, mix in 5.2 grams of citric acid.

Dissecting a Cocktail

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Scotch + Apple

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

Every now and then, I’ll come across a cocktail from an influencer on Instagram that intrigues me. A few months ago ex-bartender Chris Leavitt posted a reel for a drink he’d tasted at the annual New Orleans cocktail festival, Tales of the Cocktail. “My memory served me that it was just two ingredients: blended Scotch and fresh apple juice,” wrote Leavitt. “However, the results online provided the addition of lime juice (I assume for a boost of acid) and some Drambuie (a honey/Scotch liqueur). I don’t regularly have Drambuie, so I opted for honey syrup to achieve the sweetness it provided.”

The only time I’ve worked with fresh apple juice is when I carbonated Reverie Cocktail’s version of an appletini. It turned out so well that I knew right away I wanted to try this with whiskey. I’m happy to report that the Scotch + apple is crushable: The fresh apple juice and malt/smoke from the Scotch are a great pairing. What’s fun about this cocktail is that you can play around with the specs and still have a great drink. I swapped out the Scotch and replaced it with a split base of rye and applejack (switching the lime juice with lemon, too) and loved it as much as the original.

Note that this drink will not work if you’re using store-bought juices. The apple and lime juices need to be freshly squeezed. When juicing your own apples — or if you stop by a store that can do it for you — make sure to add a little bit of ascorbic acid (you can break apart a vitamin C capsule and use the powder inside) to the juice immediately after it’s pressed to keep it from browning. 

Specifications

1 1/2 ounce blended Scotch (Monkey Shoulder is great)

1/2 ounce honey syrup*

1/2 ounce lime juice

Top with fresh-pressed apple juice (Leavitt used Granny Smith apples in his reel)

*Honey syrup: Combine 3 parts local honey with 1 part hot water. Stir until evenly mixed. Let cool and store in glass bottle. Refrigerate. Lasts for at least one month.

Execution

Combine lime, honey syrup and Scotch into a highball glass with ice. Stir to incorporate. Top with freshly pressed apple juice. Garnish with an apple slice.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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The Classic Martini

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

Let’s start the year off right with the world’s most sophisticated cocktail, the martini. Although the exact origin is unknown, the movie character James Bond comes to mind whenever this drink is mentioned. Even though the classic “shaken, not stirred” quote is not the way to prepare this cocktail, there is still something very charming about seeing a man dressed to the nines ordering it. To quote bartender and owner John Clark-Ginnetti, “Why is Bond drinking a martini? He needs to be civilized. He’s a mass murderer; he’s an assassin. So how do you take this horrible person and temper him into somebody who’s doing it for the honor of the sovereignty?”

There are a few problems these days when it comes to ordering the martini. For starters, ever since the martini craze of the 2000s, it’s probably inevitable that any liquid in a V-shaped glass will be called “a martini.” It’s not.

Another issue is that most bartenders aren’t making the cocktail correctly. A year ago, I went into a self-proclaimed “craft cocktail bar” only to watch my bartender shake the hell out of the martini I ordered. This cocktail needs to look delicate — you wouldn’t violently shake your bottle of cabernet franc before drinking it, so don’t do it to the vermouth either. And, speaking of vermouth, it has to be refrigerated, or it will spoil.

Consistency is key: A bartender from Thursday night using 3 ounces of Tanqueray to 1/2 ounce of vermouth and another bartender on Saturday mixing a 50:50 ratio reflects a lack of any house specs. What would I recommend? I’ve always used Plymouth gin — it’s soft, slightly citrusy and not juniper-forward. Juniper is the ingredient in gin that technically makes it “gin,” but it’s also the ingredient that turns people off. For the vermouth, I like Dolin Dry, a very fresh and light fortified wine.

The key to a great martini — besides the proper ingredients — is for it to be piercingly cold. Make sure to fill the mixing vessel with plenty of ice, all the way to the top, and stir until it gets as cold as possible. The proper dilution of water is a must when stirring your drink. Some like to freeze their gin (I do) to get a head start on the chilling process.

Lastly, I’ve always preferred a lemon twist to olives in my martini. Smelling the oils of the lemon as you bring your chilled martini glass to your nose lets you know that you’re about to enjoy one of the best cocktails in the world.

Specifications

2 ounces Plymouth gin

1 ounce Dolin Dry vermouth

Execution

Combine gin and vermouth in a chilled mixing glass. Pack with as much ice as possible and stir until the glass is frosted, while allowing proper dilution. Strain into a chilled martini glass. These days, I prefer using a Nick & Nora glass. Take the peel of a lemon, expressing its oils over the cocktail and placing the peel in the glass.

Dissecting a Cocktail

DISSECTING A COCKTAIL

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Saturday Night Wrist Punch

Story and Photograph by Tony Cross

Before the cocktail was created, punch was the globally popular, mixed distilled spirits drink. We can thank the British sailors who manned vessels for the East India Company for spreading the news. I first learned about punch from cocktail historian David Wondrich’s book, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flaming Bowl. The recipes and techniques in it helped me find the proper balance between spirit, sugar, citrus, water and spice — the makeup of punch. Given the inevitable barrage of holiday parties, you can really shine as a host by offering a punch with a beautiful balance between sweet and sour. With some advanced preparation, your guests can simply help themselves from the party bowl. Years back, I took an old recipe — Major Bird’s Brandy Punch, from 1708 — and put my own spin on it.

Specifications

Oleo-saccharum*

16 ounces water

8 ounces fresh lemon juice

3 cups pineapple-infused cognac (I recommend Pierre-Ferrand 1840)**

1 cup pineapple-infused Jamaican rum  (I strongly recommend Smith & Cross)**

4 ounces Aperol

1/2 pineapple diced into 1-inch by 1-inch cubes

Lemon wheels

Nutmeg

Bundt pan or large ice molds

Execution

Ice: fill small bundt pan with water and freeze overnight.

*Oleo-saccharum: Peel the skin of four lemons, placing them in a bowl and adding 1 cup of sugar (by weight). Muddle the sugar into the peels, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge.

**Pineapple-infused spirits: Dice 1 pineapple and add to medium-sized glass container. Add 3 cups of cognac and 1 cup of rum to the  container; seal tightly and leave at room temperature overnight (24 hours is ideal).

Punch: Place oleo-saccharum in a punch bowl. Add lemon juice and stir until sugar completely dissolves. Add 1 cup (8 ounces) of water, stir, and remove lemon peels from bowl. Fine strain infused spirits into punch bowl. Add remaining cup of water. Stir. Take a large ice mold and place in punch bowl. Add lemon wheels and pineapple pieces for garnish. Shave fresh nutmeg either into punch bowl or per serving.

(Note: The ice and infusions need to be made a night in advance.)