Coffee + Beer + Whiskey = Dublin Iced Coffee

Anyone of you guys that know me, probably already know that I am sucker for a well-made Irish Coffee. There is something about Irish Whiskey and coffee that is simply meant to be. You toss in a little cream and sugar and you got yourself a force to be reckoned with.

A couple years back, I was behind the bar at Polite Provisions and tried out a small sip of Alesmith's Speedway Stout for the first time, and I was completely blown away. Just one taste of the beer, and I was instantly inspired to make a cocktail out of it. Since it is brewed with actual roasted coffee, and we have cold press coffee on tap, my mind immediately shot to making a variation of an Irish Coffee.

I think the reason this drink works so well, is because the stout amplifies the flavor already involved within the drink, while giving it added depth and complexity. In addition, the texture of the stout lends a wonderful mouthfeel to the end product.

This is a great alternative to people who are looking for an energy drink or something to perk them up. Because of that I recommend this cocktail for brunch or after a good meal.

DUBLIN ICED COFFEE

1.5oz Irish Whiskey

3/4oz Simple Syrup

2oz Stout

2oz Cold Coffee

Build in Collins Glass Over Ice/Stir Until Ingredients Mix/Float Cream On Top/Garnish with Fresh Grated Cinnamon

Photo by Gabe Fonseca

Feliz Naughty Dog!!!

The drink we have on today's, Follow The Liter, is called the Naughty Dog and it is a play on the Colorado Bulldog, which is essentially a White Russian with cola. This one uses aged rum instead of vodka and Root Beer in lieu of cola.  The result is an easy to make creamy cocktail that fills the gap between a Cuba Libre and a Root Beer Float.

How to Make a Kentucky Buck

The Kentucky Buck is an original recipe of mine that has kind of become my signature cocktail.  Although, I first came up with it back during my Bourbon & Branch days in San Francisco, it has followed me around from bar to bar ever since, and I am proud to say that it has been featured on cocktail menus all around the world.

How to Make a Pimm's Cup

When the weather is nice and you are feeling good there is nothing quite like a Pimm's Cup.  They are complex enough for even the most seasoned cocktail pro, yet approachable enough for the bar novice.

Cocktail Recipes

Thank you so much to everyone that came out to see me during the Toy Drive at Harvard & Stone in Hollywood last week.  We raised a bunch of money and toys for a good cause, so I could not be happier with how the night went.

Several people throughout the evening asked me for the recipes to the drinks that I was making off of my menu, but since I was too busy shaking and stirring to write anything down, I thought that I would go ahead post the recipes here.

Keep in mind that there drinks work best with 100+ proof whiskey, but then again what whiskey cocktail doesn't?

I Like How This Lady Thinks...

Little Daddy's Holiday Nog

Here is seasonal winter cocktail that I came up with to help put all of you in the holiday spirit.  It plays off of the natural affinities between rye whiskey, Amaro Montenegro and maple syrup.  It creates a playful mixture of bittersweet herbs and creamy cinnamon.  Amaro is excellent for the digestion, so why not make one for the family after everyone gets stuffed with ham and turkey.

LITTLE DADDY’S HOLIDAY NOG

How to Make a Paloma

There are few things better than a well-made Paloma.  The mixture of grapefruit and tequila is not one to ignore.  To purists that scoff at my addition of grapefruit bitters, all I have to say is don't knock it till you have tried it.

How to Make a Southside

Over the years the Southside has been a cocktail that many have associated with me.  This could not make me happier as this is a drink that I hold near and dear to my heart.  It is the perfect combination of herbaceous meets refreshing.  If you have never had one, please learn how to make one from this video.  However, if you are like me, and have already had them on numerous occasions, then I hope you get a kick out of our banter.

How to Make a Drink With Oreos

While this drink might not be light on the calories, it is definitely loaded with flavor.  With this booze-fueled milkshake we learn an important mathematical formula: Oreos + Irish Whiskey = Heaven.  After all, why eat your dessert when you could drink it instead.

How to Make an Old Fashioned

Here is the first episode of Follow The Liter, a series that I am working on with the guys from Kinda Funny.  I hope that you enjoy it and have as much fun watching it as we did making it.

The Bar Minimum...

I recently got an email from a bar owner who had fallen in love with craft cocktails as of late, and was wondering how his bar could take a small step into improving the quality of the drinks they serve.

While many bartenders get questions of this nature all the time, what made this email so refreshing was that the writer of this email had no misconceptions of what he wanted.

He understood that craft cocktail bars are extremely difficult to manage and run, and is not even considering going that route.  He isn't looking for a fancy $15,000 ice machine or self-satisfied bartenders with adorable little vests and suspenders, all he wants is something simple that he can do to improve the guest experience.

In the distant past, I would have told him he was being unreasonable and that you can't take away just one component from the whole and still expect an improvement, but these days I have grown far more pragmatic on making small gains whenever possible.

With that said, to the bar owner or any other aspiring bar manager out there that is looking to make better drinks, I am not offering you any new advice.

I am not going to advocate some exotic cocktail shake from Japan or advise you to only stir drinks on crystal clear diamond-cut ice cubes.  Nope, my suggestion is much simpler and accessible than that.  If you want to improve the flavor of your most commonly sold drinks from front to back, the bare minimum you need to be taken seriously is fresh juice.

Now, before anyone takes issue with this, I do not mean that your bar needs to be hand-squeezing a la minute like many of the country's best bars, all that would be required is homemade sour mix.  The pre-made bottled stuff is most often a disgusting mixture of high-fructose corn syrup and yellow #5, which makes it over-priced regardless of what you paid for it.

Homemade sour mix on the other hand is extremely easy to make, will make your drinks taste delicious, and discounting labor, is very inexpensive throughout the year.  With that in mind go ahead and scrap the shelf-stable bottled stuff for good and your bar will be better off because of it.

Regardless or whether or not, you are just making Margaritas and Kamikazes, homemade sour mix will make your drinks taste infinitely better and do so without much of a commitment and at only a minimal cost.

Homemade Sour Mix 1 part Water 1 part Sugar 1 part Lemon Juice 1 part Lime Juice

1. Juice and strain the lemons and limes.

2. Stir in water and sugar until all the sugar is dissolved.

3. Store in the fridge in tightly sealed container.  Lasts up to a week, but for best results try and use it within 3 days.