Keet's Cocktails Blog

Daily Mix / Grenadine / Pineapple Juice / Rum / Schnapps

Heatwave

A quick and easy summer cocktail to make is appropriately called the HEATWAVE. It’s also delicious, similar to a rum punch but with peach/pineapple flavoring instead of orange/pineapple flavoring. It cuts right to the chase by using a fuller-flavored dark...

Aperol/Campari/Cynar / Bourbon / Daily Mix / Twofer Tuesday / Whiskey (blended)

Manhattan Minute*

The MANHATTAN MINUTE is self-created and is offered to the home bartender as a Manhattan substitute when preparation-time is short or good sweet vermouth is not available. Aperol replaces the sweet vermouth and bitters which comprise a traditional Manhattan, allowing...

Aperol/Campari/Cynar / Cachaca / Daily Mix / St-Germain (elderflower)

Caneflower Cocktail

Those who know cachaca associate it largely with the popular Brazilian caipirinha. If you’re a fan of the lime-flavored Caipirinha like me, you might have a bottle of cachaca at home; if you don’t, you might want to get one....

Daily Mix / Fizzy Friday / Ginger Beer / Vodka

Vodka Mule (“Moscow Mule”)

The VODKA MULE (“Moscow Mule”) was the drink that catapulted vodka beyond its Eastern Europe & Russian boundaries back in the ’40s. It’s a fizzy, limey-ginger vodka drink that offers a spicy kick when made with real ginger beer. It...

Cointreau (orange liqueur) / Daily Mix / Fizzy Friday

Beer Shandy: U.S., British & Mexican

Heat advisories are issued across the U.S. and Britain. Even for the beer purist, a case can be made for the BEER SHANDY — an excellent thirst quencher and refresher. The traditional British version mixes lager with lemon-lime soda (left),...

Bitters / Curacao / Daily Mix / Maraschino / Rum

Discovery Bay

The DISCOVERY BAY is a gold rum, lime & curacao cocktail that produces a citrusy embellishment of your favorite gold rum. Despite the pastoral green color — which is the result of mixing blue curacao with gold rum — the...

Cointreau (orange liqueur) / Daily Mix / Martini Monday / Vodka

Pomegranate Martini

The POMEGRANATE MARTINI is similar to a Cosmo, but more complex and probably stronger while still going down easy. It’s been popular with most who try this mix. Basically, the sweetness of pomegranate, orange liquor and citron vodka are stretched...

Bourbon / Daily Mix / Shots on Saturday

Bourbon Mash Comparisons

Most bourbon whiskies use three grains: corn, rye, barley. The corn percentage must be 51% or greater to be classified as bourbon. When comparing the mash compositions, there are a few outliers. Makers Mark uses wheat in place of rye....

Daily Mix / Liqueurs & mixers / Spirits

Stonehenge?

Motivation comes from strange places — like when someone cleans the sofa and leaves them in a Stonehenge array to dry. The obvious reaction of course is to place empty glassware in front of the Stonehenge sofa and ask if...

Bourbon / Cachaca / Cognac / Brandy / Commentary / Daily Mix / Gin / Rum / Scotch / Tequila / Mezcal / Vodka / Whiskey (blended)

“Classic Cocktails Every Drinker Should Know”

One of the online drinking sites — Liquor.com — published recently its view of the top 24 cocktails which all drinkers should know (which is about as objective as deciding the top 24 songs of all time). Though I disagree...