This is the last Friday cocktail for the month of February. Where has the year gone to already? We started off the month with that rascally groundhog predicting 6 more weeks of winter. Yet everywhere I look, I see signs of spring. Our fruit trees are currently blooming and the wife assures me that those are peonies popping up out of the ground, not weeds. Don't get me started on the sheer number of seedlings she has in various growing stages throughout the house.
Our winter is very short down here. I for one, want to enjoy every last minute of it before that oppressive humidity smacks me across the face. Yes, spring is imminent but my bar cart is still crying out for those warming drinks that are to be enjoyed by a cozy fire. So tonight, I bring you Between the Sheets and Cotillion. Essentially, these are riffs on the traditional Sidecar that I posted about earlier in the year.
If you remember, the Sidecar is essentially cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Take that basic recipe, swap in bourbon, add some rum some fresh orange juice and you now have 2 new cocktails. Both are equally delicious and easy to make. If you're worried that tonight's cocktails may taste too "brown" I recommend the Cotillion. With 1 1/4 oz of fresh fruit juice, it helps mellow the flavor of this cocktail but still packs that warming wallop that you want on a cold evening. As for Between the Sheets, well the name says it all.....
His Cocktail - Cotillion
1 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Aged Rum
1/2 oz Dry Curacao
3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz Fresh orange juice
In a shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (We used an old-fashioned).
Her Cocktail - Between the Sheets
1 oz Cognac
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Triple Sec (we used Grand Marnier)
1/4 oz Fresh lemon juice
Orange peel garnish
In a shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish. (We used a Nick & Nora).
Happy drinking!