Cocktails are evaluated according to 5 overly elaborate criteria measured on an ordinal scale (1 for the least, 5 for the most):
1) Sustainability I: Drinkability – How easy does this baby go down?
Based on the average rate at which one serving of the cocktail is consumed. For example, ice cream would be given a 5. Drinks for which the burning sensation masks any flavor are given a 1. If the drink burns but has some flavor a 2-2.5 is given. If the drink just tastes bad but doesn’t necessarily burn perhaps a 3-3.5 can be given.
2)Sustainability II: Drunkability – How drunk ARE you?
Based on the average rate at which ONE serving of the cocktail impairs the drinker’s judgment. In this case water would be given a 1 and Night Train a 5. As we learned with the Bombay Punch, the rating for this drink must take into account how many you’ve consumed. Often wafting the booze smell before drinking will assist in rating this category.
3) Taxic Diversity – Does this have an aftertaste?
Based on the complexity of the flavor in said cocktail, again water would be given a 1. A rating of 2 should be given if not very complex but the drink has more than one pair of ingredients; save 1 for rail drinks or very weak drinks.
4) Priority for Conservation – The likelihood that said cocktail will be made again
Gin and Tonics are a 5 and Courvoisier Orange Jello Shots a 1. If the ingredients aren’t something you’d own otherwise but the drink is worth noting, give it a 3-3.5.
5) Accessibility - an estimation of the Extent of Occurrence measured by the difficulty in acquiring the ingredients of said cocktail.
Cocktails easily created in most homes (Gin and Tonic) are given a 5; drinks that involve a short trip to a liquor store are given ~3 (depending if ingredients are something you want to buy like Apricot Brandy), and drinks that involve a search or ordering online have a 1.
Drinks that are Data Deficient (cannot be correctly formulated) will not be evaluated.
Additional Criteria:Flagship Species – a drink that could make people excited about cocktail conservation
Umbrella Species – a drink that involves unique ingredients, so that by conserving this drink you potentially conserve many other drinks
Keystone Species – if you lose this species (drink) many others may be lost
COCKTAILS
Adam and Eve (featuring Eve)
1 oz. Forbideen Fruit
1 oz. Gin
1 oz Congac
1 dash lemon juice
featured at Original Sin (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose)
comments: first sip shocking or refreshing. FR: "'tastes like juicy juice!"
Blue Riband (featuring Cynthia Breazeal)
2 shots gin
1 shot Cointreau
1 shot blue curacao
stir with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with cherry.
featured at Robots! hosted by Brazen Hussy
Bombay Punch
Juice of 12 lemons
Powdered Sugar
32 oz. Brandy
32 oz. Dry Sherry
1/2 cup Maraschino
1/2 cup Triple Sec
4 750 mL bottles chilled Champagne
64 oz. chilled Club soda
featured at: Taj Mahal (hosted by Cuba Libre)
Comments: Really excellent, especially for entertaining. Not easy to make, so not for frequent usage. Many ingredients, but no complex aftertaste. Most ingredients can be bought at one liquor store/grocery.
"I'd give it a 5 for how many I've had."
"Not for breakfast."
Bronx
1/2 gin
1/6 French vermouth
1/6 Martini sweet vermouth
1/6 orange juice
featured at: Babes Behind Bars (hosted by La Blonde Parisienne)
Comments: Ingredient list seems overly complicated for it’s namesake, but the drink does taste like ass so the name seems appropriate. Other comments: wholly unappealing except as a mind-eraser, basically what one would expect a mix of gin and orange juice to taste like.
Colorado Bulldog
Vodka
Kahlua
Milk
Heavy Cream
Coke
featured at: Cowgirls and Showgirls (hosted by Littlest Rebel)
Comments: Yummy, milkshake-like drink. Could stand an increase in the proportion of alcohol.
LBP: Baby's First Vodka.
BH: What's the recipe? I'd like to make this for breakfast!
The Communist
1 ounce Gin
1 ounce Orange Juice
½ ounce Cherry Brandy
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
featured at: Rebel Rebel! Women on the Picket Line (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose)
Comments: A nice brunch drink, great orangey-taste. Very light drink which everyone appreciated, and we would have had more to comment if 1) the Ladies weren't already too drunk to make coherent statements and if b)PO at that point was capable of writing anything down.
BH: If I ever make a cocktail with OJ, this will be it.
Everybody's Irish
3 dashes green Creme de Menthe
6 dashes green Chartreuse
1 jigger Irish Whiskey
Add green olive
featured at: Rebel Rebel! Women on the Picket Line (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose)
Comments: Very unusual drink, but not as horrifying as the list of ingredient would lead one to believe. Comments included, "Wow!", "Christ!", "Wrong in so many ways". A plus to this drink was that it freshened your breath. After the first sip, the drink became easier to drink as it did not burn going down (like so many other drinks) and it had a pleasant herbal aftertaste (from the Chartreuse).
LBP: It would be a waste not to gargle with this.
Fluffy Ruffle
1 1/4 oz light rum
1 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
rind of one lime
featured at: At the Ballet (hosted by Fluffy Ruffle)
Comments: Pretty in appearance: clear and has a nice light smell. Like a rum martini but with extra extra vermouth. Only slightly more drinkable than last drink which also was vermouth heavy. Most enjoyed it, but agreed that it is not something you drink fast. Nice but faint citrus aftertaste. Some disagreement in how good or bad this is: BH would drink it minus the vermouth (webmaster's note: please note, that means she's drinking rum with a twist), most would consider drinking it again if someone offered, and SS would consider bathing in it if someone offered.
French 75
1 oz fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 oz gin
Champagne
featured at: WACs and WAVs: Women of WWII (hosted by Silk Stockings)
Comments: Excellent by all accounts. Basically a bubbly gin and tonic. The verdict on mixing champagne with gin “Well, after all there is no ‘I’ in gin!”
Gaia (featuring Gaia)
1 small pecan
2 inches fresh lemongrass
1/2 oz. white rum
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp blue curacao
1/5 tsp butterscotch schnapps
2 oz. Hoegaarden beer
Featured at Original Sin (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose)
comments: SS: "Seems like a lot of work for something that tastes like beer." Pretty color ... that wears off on your teeth.
Gin Cassis
1 1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. creme de cassis
1/2 oz lemon juice
fill shaker glass with ice. Add gin, cassis and lemon juice. Shake. Strain into a glass with ice.
featured at Prohibition Cocktails (hosted by Violet Fizz)
The Gloom Lifter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 pony raspberry syrup
1/4 pony egg white
1 jigger irish whiskey
1/2 tsp brandy
featured at Prohibition Cocktails (hosted by Violet Fizz)
Golden Dawn
1/4 applejack
1/4 dry gin
1/4 apricot brandy
1/4 orange juice
featured at: Dawn of Woman (hosted by Prairie Oyster)
Comments: Very attractive presentation (looks like a "dawn"). Dunkability was debated; FR yelled out "5!" before drinking it (possibly the previous drink, the Monkey Gland, should be given a higher drunkability score). Overall very sweet and pretty boozy. Perfect score for Priority as several Ladies not only had seconds, but once they had cleaned PO out of the ingredients, moved to LBP's house to make more. Perhaps not a drink for Ladies who do not live in walking distance of each other.
LBP: I like this drink very much.
Helen's Own (featuring Helen of Troy)
1 oz gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz apricot brandy
1/4 oz orange juice
Featured at Original Sin (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose)
comments: FR: "tastes like a candle store!"
Hurricane
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz light rum
1 oz gold rum
1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
featured at: Babes Behind Bars (hosted by La Blonde Parisienne)
Comments: Good.
Japanese Slipper
30 ml Midori® melon liqueur
30 ml vodka
30 ml lemon juice
featured at: WACs and WAVs: Women of WWII (hostedy by Silk Stockings)
Comments: Strange how this mix of ingredients ends up smelling like pickles. Tastes like a green Jolly Rancher… not bad and not too Midori (even BH liked it). Keep in mind one does have to hold their nose while drinking this.
Jealous Queen
Triple Sec
Vodka
Bitters
Salt
featured at: Taj Mahal (hosted by Cuba Libre)
Comments: Nice cocktail, probably MUCH better with high quality vodka. The salt gives this a complex aftertaste.
Jumping Jellybean
1 oz. tequila
1 oz. grand marnier
1 oz. lemon juice
3-5 oz. champagne
Shake all ingredients, but the champagne with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with champagne
featured at Summer Cocktails (hosted by Violet Fizz)
Kentucky Cooler
1 1/2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. rum
1/4 oz. orange juice
1/4 oz. lemon juice
dash grenadine
Fill mixing glass with ice. Add ingredients and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
featured at Prohibition Cocktails (hostedy by Violet Fizz)
Leave it to Me Cocktail (featuring Roomba)
1/2 oz. apricot brandy
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1 oz. dry gin
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. grenadine
Shake well with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
featured at Robots! hosted by Brazen Hussy
Littlest Rebel
Juice of 1 lime
1 Jigger Applejack
1/2 Jigger Scotch Whiskey
1/4 Jigger Grenadine
White of one egg
featured at: Cowgirls and Showgirls (hosted by Littlest Rebel)
Comments: Very attractive looking cocktail, but STRONG the smell of strong booze can be wafted from several inches away and it seriously burns going down. The egg actually helps dull the pain.
LBP: The Scotch keeps this from being a pussy drink.
VF: It looks like a girly drink, but YEAH that's for a woman!
Madras
1 1/2 oz. Vodka
4 oz. Cranberry Juice
1 oz. Orange Juice
featured at: Taj Mahal (hosted by Cuba Libre)
Comments: smooth enough to use even cheap vodka, likely to drink many without noticing.
LBP: Sweet like my Mommy!
CL: The Howler Monkey of drinks; you like it, but it's not really in need of conservation
LR: I'm so impaired, I can't judge.
Magic Truce (featuring Pandora)
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. orange juice
1 1/4 oz bourbon whiskey
1 oz drambuie
1/4 oz french vermouth
featured at Original Sin (hosted by Wild Eyed Rose
comments: WER: "So good we almost forgot to rate it!"
Mexican Madras
3 oz. Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Gold Tequila
1 dash lime
featured at: Taj Mahal (hosted by Cuba Libre)
Comments: Ratings reflect that only one Lady is a fan of tequila (webmistresses' note: mmmmm, tequila) and the 1st tast is very tequila-y.
LR: I find it interesting, but I'm already drunk.
PO: The baboon of drinks; no one likes it and it doesn't need conservation.
BH: Not a week night cocktail.
Monkey Gland
2/3 dry gin
1/3 orange juice
3 dashes grenadine
3 dashes absinthe (or pastis)
featured at: Dawn of Woman (hosted by Prairie Oyster)
Comments: PO used pastis, but was perhaps too liberal with it (so what's wrong with being 'liberal'?) as many Ladies did not like the anise taste. Drinkable because the drink was not as boozy as many others. Some Ladies were disturbed by the name and that the drink did in fact resemble some sort of gladular secretion. Otherwise, a sophisticated looking drink. One Lady recommends making this to "freak someone out".
Moulin Rouge
½ Orange Gin
½ Apricot Brandy
3 Dashes Grenadine
featured at: At the Ballet (hosted by Fluffy Ruffle)
Comments: Doesn't go well with food or the ability to taste. Two ladies couldn't finish theirs bu others were happy to help. BH likes drinks that burn. SS tried not letting it touch the back of her throat. Folks who don't like Grenadina won't like this. too sweet to have a complex taste. Ladies agree that if the didn't have the ingredients already they probably wouldn't go out of their way to make this again. Most don't have apricot brady handy, but it was easy to find.
Pear Rosemary Martini
Fill 12 oz. glass with ice and add:
4 tbs pear infused vodka
2 tbs. rosemary simply syrup
3 tbs. pear nectar
1/2 c. sparkling water
featured at Summer Cocktails (hosted by Violet Fizz)
Polish Martini
1/4 Zubrowka Bison vodka
1/4 Krupnik honey liquer
1/4 Wyborowa vodka
1/4 pressed apple juice
featured at: She Blinded Me With Science (hosted by Brazen Hussy)
Comments: Really freakin' delicious.
Rusty Nail (featuring Rosie from the Jetsons)
2 shots J & G Rare Scotch Whiskey
1 shot Drambuie
Stir with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.
featured at Robots! (hosted by Brazen Hussy)
Comments: We've made this again. And again. And again. And ...
Shady Lady
1 oz tequila
1 oz melon liquer
4 oz grapefruit juice
featured at: Babes Behind Bars (hosted by La Blonde Parisienne)
Comments: A drink for Midori fans only. Presentation is good (great color). Rating 3.5/5 (averaged)
Saucy Sue
1 dash Apricot Brandy
1 dash Absinthe
1/2 Calvados
1/2 Brandy
featured at: Rebel Rebel! Women on the Picket Line (hosted by WER)
Comments: Strong brandy overtone. Generally, if you like brandy, you'd like this. However, most Ladies agree that they'd be unlikely to make this drink again unless they happened to already have all the ingredients on hand. This was the first drink SS was unable to finish (webmistress' note: with good reason)
LBP: High Octane.
PO: Yes, because it tastes like gas!
WER was too busy drinking to comment.
Silk Stocking
2 oz Tequila
1 oz Heavy Cream
1 oz Creme de Cacao
1 tsp Chambord
featured at: WACs and WAVs: Women of WWII (hosted by Silk Stockings)
Comments:Enjoyably complex, but overpowered by tequila. In fact, the name is appropriate as the concoction is reminiscent of a used sock soaked in tequila. “This tastes like ass, and that’s why I like it!”
TNT
1/2 Rye Whiskey
1/2 Absinthe
featured at: She Blinded Me With Science (hosted by Brazen Hussy)
Comments: This drink is repulsive.
LBP: Can we rate this right now 'cause I got shit to say.
SS: The taste won't leave my mouth. It's burning, it's burning!
LR: I am instantaneously drunker.
FR: Well, it's not that bad ... (later - coughs several times) I took a bigger sip that time.
LBP: It's like a flaming genital down your throat, yet with a worse aftermath.
Transvaal
3 dashes orange bitters
1/2 gin
1/2 caperitif (or Lillet)
featured at: Dawn of Woman (hosted by Prairie Oyster)
Comments: very light drink, not complex. Good after-dinner drink (not surprising, given the ingredients). Low drunkability score given based on the ability of most of the Ladies to stand and walk a straight line after drinking a few. Accessibility score was low as PO used real orange bitters which were frankly a bitch to track down. Ladies can also easily make their own substitue however, and the other ingredients are easily attained.
Trocadero
1/2 French vermouth
1/2 Martini sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash grenadine
featured at: At the Ballet (hosted by Fluffy Ruffle)
Comments: Apparently ballerinas inspired a lot of vermouth-drinking in the past. Very pretty presentation: nice color plus a cherry. VERY WEAK however. Apparently we all also like burning, as we gave this low priority just because it was weak.
SS: The Bud Light of Cocktails.
Watermelon Martini
5 oz. watermelon juice
1 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. cointreau
1 tsp. simple syrup
several mint leaves
Blend watermelon in a blender until liquified and add mint leaves and blend briefly. Add juice, alcohol and syrump. Blend until mized. Serve with ice.
featured at Summer Cocktails (hosted by Violet Fizz)
Western Rose
1 1/4 oz gin
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz apricot flavored brandy
featured at: Cowgirls and Showgirls (hosted by Littlest Rebel)
Comments: Refeshing, but with a BITE, a big hit with all Ladies. Nice apricot undertone, but quite strong overall.
LBP: Every rose has its thorn ...
VF: Wakes you up and clears your sinuses.
BH: A much needed kick in the ass at the end of a long hard day.
White Lady
1/4 Lemon juice
1/4 Cointreau
1/2 Dry Gin
featured at: She Blinded Me With Science (hosted by Brazen Hussy)
Comments: Very strong; puts hair on your chest.