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Salty Puppy (Non-Alcoholic)

This is the virgin version of the Salty Dog with grapefruit, salt and vodka. Just leave out the vodka and add a little sugar to that salt rim and you have a refreshing grapefruit cocktail that looks like the real deal when you are drinking it at a bar. And that is the whole point of mocktails, isn't it? Getting something that looks and feels like an alcoholic beverage when you can't have alcohol, whether you are the designated driver, underage, or just trying to be healthy.

grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed is a real treat)

salt

sugar

grapefruit slice (lime wedge if you don't have fresh grapefruit)

D’USSÉ VSOP cognac: D’USSÉ is a new cognac with an artfully designed bottle. The brass double cross is both very modern looking and a nod to France's long history of making excellent cognac. The spirit itself is very well balanced, with round oak and fruit notes. There's some spice, but it doesn't overwhelm. It is smoother than some of the Remy Martin products I've tried, a little less pronounced, but that is not a detraction. I mean that the finish is very long if you look for it, but it doesn't force itself on you. After tasting a lot of cognacs lately, I find it is rare that a cognac doesn't have an excessively sweet taste or an overly fractious bitterness in the mid sip that just breaks up the pleasurable experience of drinking it. D’USSÉ has few flaws (none of the above) and is sure to be a lure for new brandy drinkers and mixologists.

Bob Danby

Unlike other cocktails named after celebrities and artists, Bob Danby seems to be famous for having been named after the cocktail. I can find no remarkable Bob Danby's in an internet search, but the cocktail remains. As it should, too. It is a brandy (cognac please) cocktail with Dubonnet rouge, a aromatized wine from France.

3 oz. Dubonnet rouge

1 1/2 oz. brandy (Courvoisier VS used)

Nuts And Berries

This was a drink I made to a guest's specifications. It is rather a dessert drink, but I can't fault him for wanting one on such a cold night in D.C. The cocktail is a combination of Chambord raspberry liqueur and Frangelico, which is a hazelnut and berry liqueur. That's got to be where the drink gets its name. An equal part of heavy cream and you have a dessert drink bar none.

1 1/2 oz. Chambord

1 1/2 oz. Frangelico

1 1/2 oz. heavy cream

Thunder Cocktail

This is an incredible recipe. I mean that if you see it written out you won't believe it. Tasting is believing though. This is a brandy cocktail with egg yolk and cayenne pepper. It is sweet and spicy and not at all what you'd expect. I tried it out with Copper and Kings American brandy aged in bourbon barrels, and it worked very well. I attribute the success to Copper and King's being a dry and stronger then average brandy. Keep in mind that it is a grape spirit that gets most of its flavor from barrel aging.

The result is a drink that creates a sweet suspension with egg yolk--which when sweetened comes across as creamy. The chili was hot! I recommend using cayenne pepper and not just any powdered chili. The finer the grind, the better.

2 oz. brandy (Copper and Kings used)

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Amaretto Sour

This is probably the quintessential amaretto cocktail--the one at the forefront of everyone's mind. That's why I've been putting it off for some time. I like the more obscure, the arcane.

But as far as sours go, it is really easy. Take care to serve this up in a sour glass. Otherwise it will just be a Fix of some sort. There's only two ingredient and a garnish, so it's hard to screw up.

2 oz. amaretto (Lazzaroni used)

1 oz. lemon juice

orange slice

Mexican Coffee

Just as good as the Irish Coffee, a tequila and hot coffee drink is exactly what you need to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. I used my homemade coffee liqueur (from Starbucks) and decaf Starbucks Pike Place roast. You can use any coffee on hand, but whipped cream is a must. Cinnamon dusted on top is optional but its also a really good idea!

2 oz. gold tequila

1/2 oz. coffee liqueur

hot black coffee

whipped cream

Build drink in a coffee mug with liquors and top with coffee. Garnish with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.  

Black Velvet

A typical Black Velvet should be a half pint of stout and a half pint of champagne in a pint glass. That's it. Edie Burns of Bar Dupont says that this drink is a favorite of British in Ireland because it gets you drunk quicker than Guinness alone.

Bar Dupont has turned out this special cocktail for St. Patrick's Day, a fluted version with Sibona Camomilla, chamomile liqueur. I'm guessing it is 3/4 oz. of the liqueur and equal parts Guinness and prosecco. The liqueur smooths things over and ups the alcohol content. Velvet is an apt name here, because the fizzy bubbles feel lush and the chocolate and herbal flavors, as well as grape from the prosecco, offer little resistance.

Original recipe for Black Velvet:

6 oz. champagne or sparkling wine

6 oz. stout or black porter