Currently, my days are being measured by coffee then cocktails. Quarantine cocktails? Yes, people are having quarantine cocktail parties at home, virtually and yes, I admit it even solo (my husband gave up alcohol for Lent and God bless him he did not fall off the bandwagon when COVID-19 hit) have been key to my piece of mind! I am a Bourbon Babe through and through, but I like just about any well balanced cocktail that suits my flavor profile – nothing too sweet or sugary for me. Savory cocktails are my preferred drinks of choice.
And since it’s Friday and the quarantine cocktail hour is nigh, I thought I’d share a few of my quarantine cocktail recipes with you. First up, THE PAPER PLANE. This beautiful concoction is a bourbon based cocktail comprised of just 4 ingredients, bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon juice. My husband and I are new converts to the Paper Plane – we learned about it a few months ago from a friend who was visiting from Los Angeles, but the drink was invented by New York bartender, Sam Ross.
THE PAPER PLANE
INGREDIENTS
¾ oz. bourbon
¾ oz. Aperol
¾ oz. Amaro Nonino
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: lemon twist
METHOD
Add all the ingredients with ice to shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe, then garnish.
THE NEGRONI
Next up on the quarantine cocktails list is THE NEGRONI. The Negroni is a gin-based cocktail that has a somewhat medicinal taste. I’m not gonna lie, it took me a whole Summer to get used to taste of a Negroni. I prefer Negronis made with Hendrick’s Gin because Hendrick’s is so smooth and, in my opinion, the smoothness helps to cut the sharpness of the drinks other components.
The Negroni was invented at Caffe Casoni in Florence, Italy in 1919. Legend says that the drink came about because Count Camillo Negroni asked his friend, bartender Forsco Scarselli, to strengthen his favourite cocktail – the Americano – by replacing the soda water with gin. Scarselli added an orange garnish, rather than the lemon you’d usually get with an Americano, and the rest is history!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 oz. Campari
- 1 oz. Gin
- 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
- Garnish: orange peel
METHOD
Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with large ice cubes.
Garnish with an orange peel (and if you’re getting really fancy, pass the orange peel over a flame).
THE NEGRONI BIANCO
If you think the Negroni might be too harsh for you, you might like her sister THE NEGRONI BIANCO. This is truly one of my favorite non-bourbon cocktails. Why? I had it for the first time on my birthday at Osteria Morini in SoHo and I fell in deep like because unlike it’s sister, which can be a bit medicinal and a little harsh on the palate if not made well, the Negroni bianco is a very smooth cocktail if made with Cocchi Americano (an Italian aperitivo that is clear in color) instead of Lillet (there’s a debate raging in the cocktail world about the proper way to make a Negroni Bianco – I’ve had it with both liquers and hands down my preference is for the Cocchi Americano version). The Negroni Bianco is currently my quarantine cocktail of choice!
When comparing the Negroni to the Negroni Bianco, the folks at The Gin Foundary said this:
If the Negroni is a moustachioed Tom Selleck sitting by a fire, then the Negroni Bianco is Marilyn Monroe in a field of orange blossom, white dress blowing in the wind. It’s soft and elegant on the surface, yet an absolute match for its richer and more bitter companion.
~ The Gin Foundary
I couldn’t agree more!
INGREDIENTS
1 oz. Cocchi Americano
1 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth
1 oz. Gin
Orange peel, for garnish
METHOD
Add all ingredients except the orange peel to a mixing glass. Fill with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an extra long orange peel.
THE WARD 8
The last cocktail in this installment of Quarantine Cocktails is THE WARD 8. The Ward 8 is a twist on the classic Whiskey Sour. Ward 8 was a voting district in Boston famous for its political corruption. The drink was first served in 1898 at the Locke-Ober Cafe, in honor of famed political czar Martin Michael Lomasney who owned the cafe and was known to be able to deliver Ward 8 in elections.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. straight rye whiskey
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
¼ oz. fresh orange juice
¼ oz. grenadine (or more to taste)
Splash of sparkling water
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail, coupe or goblet
METHOD
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Add an ice cube and a splash of sparkling water.
I’m curious, what’s your favorite Quarantini?!?! Are you having Quarantine Cocktails during the corona virus crisis? And if you’re not, this is a judgement free zone. During these uncertain times anything goes. Please note that I in no way mean to diminish the seriousness of this crisis nor the severe impact it is having on many across the globe. This post is simply an attempt to put a smile on your face and help to distract you, if only for a few minutes, from the chaos we are currently living in. And, if you’re looking for free things you can do from home during the corona virus quarantine, I’ve got you covered – just click here.
Stylishly yours, Kalyn
P.S. Making cocktails good cocktails is a function of having the right tools. If you’re looking to stock your bar cart with the right tools, I’ve done a good chunk of the work for you. Click here to shop!
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