Keet's Cocktails Blog

Upper Cut

The UPPER CUT mixes Cointreau, grapefruit and lemon juice into the Brazilian spirit, cachaca. In this rare cocktail occurrence, Cointreau takes the lead instead of just a supporting role, measuring twice that of cachaca. Tones of orange, lemon and grapefruit...

Paloma

The PALOMA is a popular tequila highball cocktail in Mexico. It’s less known outside its borders. Grapefruit soda is added to tequila and lime juice with a pinch of salt to create a delightfully refreshing drink. It’s simple, easy to...

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....

Irish Margarita

The IRISH MARGARITA uses the same template as a standard tequila margarita, but switches out Irish whiskey for the more common tequila. Most recipes recommend Grand Marnier as the orange liqueur of choice, though Cointreau and Triple Sec have occasionally...

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....

Tulip

The TULIP is a semi-sweet cocktail, but not excessively sweet, perfect for spring. It is complex and somewhat floral from applejack (or calvados), apricot liqueur and lemon juice. The mix is traced back to Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book,...