Keet's Cocktails Blog
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Smoky Martini
The SMOKY MARTINI is a classic embellishment of a Gin Martini, using a small amount of Scotch in place of vermouth. In small quantities, the Scotch whisky’s smoky notes blend beautifully with the gin’s botanicals. It’s an easy, no-frills martini...
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Mexican Firing Squad
The MEXICAN FIRING SQUAD is a delicious silver tequila cocktail for warm or cool weather. The traditional lime-and-tequila combo is embellished with the sweetness of grenadine and the bitters of Angostura. This is a great cocktail for enjoying a quality,...
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Alien Brain Hemorrhage Shot
A fun dessert alternative is the ALIEN BRAIN HEMORRHAGE SHOT. Besides its sweet liqueur-based mix, its layered composition is best described by its name. Peach Schnapps and Blue Curacao provide a nice fruity base. A delicate pouring of Bailey’s Irish...
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Zombie
The ZOMBIE cocktail has been interpreted in many ways since its creation in 1934. Donn Beach and his Los Angeles bar, Don the Beachcomber, are credited not only with inventing the drink but also with launching the entire Tiki trend,...
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Suffering Bastard
A SUFFERING BASTARD blends gin and bourbon equally into ginger beer. This Mule cocktail “suffers” the consequences of not being a pure breed like the Moscow Mule (vodka) or Dark ‘n Stormy (rum) — suffering only in that it is...
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North Garden
The NORTH GARDEN is an NYC-created Old-Fashioned variation that adds hints of peat from Scotch, notes of apple from apple brandy, and the familiar sweet character of bourbon — all flavors with autumn appeal. While a garnish is optional, sweetening...
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Satan’s Whiskers
Despite its name, SATAN’S WHISKERS is anything but the drink from hell. It is a complex blend of sweet, bitter & citrusy orange layers. It’s “perfect” in being equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, orange juice and Grand Marnier....
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Apricot Brandy Sour
The citrusy APRICOT BRANDY SOUR is a simple 2-ingredient mix: apricot brandy and sour mix. While you can always buy a sour mix at the grocery store, it will never be as good or fresh as one you prepare yourself....
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Pumpkin Pie Old-Fashioned
A store-bought pumpkin pie syrup can be easily added to an applejack brandy or bourbon Old-Fashioned in place of the standard sugar selection, resulting in a delicious fall-inspired cocktail — the PUMPKIN PIE OLD-FASHIONED. It’s less filling and more subtle...
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Scotch Mist
A Mist is simply straight liquor poured over crushed ice, in this case Scotch — a SCOTCH MIST. So why do it? Won’t it make the whisky watery? Actually, the crushed ice doesn’t dilute the whisky’s flavor unless you let...
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Dirty Shirley
The DIRTY SHIRLEY is simply a play on the Shirley Temple mocktail by adding vodka. Since the Shirley Temple already pretends to be a vodka-type cocktail, it’s not a big leap to add a couple ounces of vodka to the...
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Whiskey Smash
The WHISKEY SMASH is very similar to a Mint Julep, but combines with lemon juice to produce a tasty, minty Whiskey Sour. The “smash” likely refers to the muddling of lemon wedges and mint before adding bourbon (rye or Canadian...
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Scotch Cobbler
The SCOTCH COBBLER earns high marks for its taste, strength and simplicity. Scotch whisky, orange curaçao, brandy, and simple syrup are combined directly in the drinking glass. A quick stir delivers an elevated Scotch experience, free from vermouth or citrus...
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Bittersweet Jack
The BITTERSWEET JACK elevates Jack Daniel’s with a dash of apricot liqueur and orange curaçao. It’s stirred and served like a Manhattan, but with no vermouth involved it more closely resembles an Old Fashioned. Requirements: Jack Daniel’s whiskey, apricot liqueur...
Martinez
The MARTINEZ is a classic precursor to today’s gin martini. It’s also an old-world variation of the Manhattan dating back to the 1880s. The most common mix calls for equal parts gin and sweet vermouth with dashes of both maraschino...
Matcha Gin
The MATCHA GIN cocktail is a wonderfully refreshing cocktail for those who enjoy pineapple-flavored drinks. Japanese matcha powder adds a richness to the mix, giving it an unusual green color and is a welcome addition to the world of gin...
Caneflower Cocktail
Those who know cachaça largely associate it with the popular Brazilian Caipirinha. If you’re a fan of the lime-flavored Caipirinha like me, you might have a bottle of cachaça at home; if not, you might want to get one and...
Kamikaze
The KAMIKAZE was designed for good-time shooters in the ’70s & ’80s, but later became respectable as a cocktail. Fans of the Lemon Dropor the Cosmo should enjoy this limey orange-liqueur-and-vodka mix. What pushes the Kamikaze into respectable territory is...
Rum Swizzle
Bermuda and its native Goslings Rum are at the heart of the delicious and very popular RUM SWIZZLE. One of the most popular stops in Bermuda is the Swizzle Inn, where one is invited to “Swizzle inn, stagger out.” This...
Honey Deuce
If you can’t attend the U.S. Tennis Open in person to drink its signature HONEY DEUCE cocktail, you can easily make it at home. This “fruity & tart” vodka highball has been the tournament’s best-selling drink since its introduction in...
Seaboard
The SEABOARD is a smooth lemon-flavored cocktail that blends whiskey with gin. Like the Woodstock, it combines lemon juice with gin. And like the Long Island Iced Tea, its multiple liquor combination has no dominant flavor. The ingredients work together...
Bolero
This dark rum and brandy version of the BOLERO is fruity yet complex. The proportions largely depend on your taste for dark rum (I prefer Myers’s Dark). My favored mix emphasizes the dark rum, but still has enough sweet and...
Cadillac Margarita
The idea of the CADILLAC MARGARITA is to upgrade the margarita using more top-shelf ingredients. Most margaritas use silver tequila, aged 0-2 months and sometimes considered harsh. The Cadillac Margarita uses Reposado tequila (gold), which is aged between 2-12 months...
Planter’s Punch
The PLANTER’S PUNCH is the purest and simplest of the rum punches. It’s also likely the strongest, with 3 oz. of dark rum in each serving. Even without the addition of pineapple or orange juice — as in the Rum...
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