🍫 Make your own liqueurs..

It's time to grab your best bottle of brandy for national Brandy Alexander day! I don't drink creamy cocktails often but this is simple, undeniably delicious, and you should make one. You can even make your own creme de cacao (chocolate liqueur) for them.

No doubt it would surprise many that the Alexander was originally made with gin. It was created during the 1915 World Series in honour of Philadelphia's pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. A few decades later, recipes started to call for brandy in place of gin and it became the preferred spirit in the Alexander.

🎥 VIDEOS

Unfortunately my most recent upload has been one of my less uploads (maybe the thumbnail?) but nevertheless, I think it's a great drink! The London Calling combines a London dry gin, fino sherry, lemon, simple and orange bitters for a slightly nutty and delicate gin sour.

• 5 Chefs make their go-to cocktails | Bon Appetit

• How to FIX a cocktail | Anders Erickson

• 5 modern cocktails to make this weekend | The Educated Barfly

🔥 TIP OF THE WEEK

Try making your own liqueurs! You'd be surprised at how simple it is to make some liqueurs and you can refine them to suit your taste by adjusting the sugar, increasing the flavour or introducing complementary flavours for more complexity. Creme de cacao and allspice dram are great examples of quick and easy DIY liqueurs. Alternatively, try your hand at making a falernum liqueur for your tiki drinks.

What do you want to see in the next issue of The Stir Down? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email!

Cheers,

Steve the Bartender

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