Category: Liqueurs & mixers

Tequila Matador

Cafe Royal’s TEQUILA MATADOR is the original recipe combining equal parts tequila, dry vermouth and orange curacao. It’s more like a martini-style Tequini than a tropical pineapple version published in Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide, 1972. This “perfect” version is spirit-weighted...

Hairy (Fuzzy) Navel

The HAIRY FUZZY NAVEL goes down very nicely despite a questionable name. It’s a step between the simpler vodka Screwdriver associated with brunch and the stronger aromatic Himalayan Mist associated with Indian food. The preferred recipe below is proportioned to...

Last Word

The LAST WORD is a classic pre-Prohibition cocktail that was re-popularized 20 years ago by Murray Stenson. a famous Seattle mixologist who passed away in 2023 at 74. It’s enjoyed for its balance of sweet, sour and herbal flavors. The...

Income Tax

The INCOME TAX cocktail and its twin, the Bronx cocktail, are both in Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. The only difference in the two cocktails is the Angostura Bitters added to the Income Tax. Otherwise, both concoctions require...

Amaretto Sour

The AMARETTO SOUR is as simple as Amaretto liqueur and lemon juice. But the best recipe is the one originated by Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, which props up Amaretto with strong bourbon and adds frothy light texture with egg white....

Emerald

It’s an Irish-whiskey Manhattan — the EMERALD. But it more closely resembles the Scottish Highlander in that it infuses the orange flavors from orange bitters and orange peel into an Irish whiskey instead of maraschino cherry into bourbon or rye....

Blue Train

The BLUE TRAIN is a tasty and exotic-looking gin cocktail served martini-style. Its blue color is from the small amount of blue curacao added to a combination of gin, orange liqueur and lemon juice. It’s a quick and simple mix...