Twist on classic cocktails
Story and photos by JANNA ZEPP
Recently, I wandered around Bell and McLennan counties sampling cocktails that interested me. I sought out crafty quaffs that were mostly outside the normal scope of spirited specialties. I was not disappointed.
Chambord Martini
At Cheeves Brothers, I requested a Chambord martini. This isn’t a particularly exotic concoction, but when I have ordered it elsewhere, bartenders have looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my nose. A quick search online revealed a wealth of recipes and each time, my mixologist has made it extremely well. Just a small taste of their creation and they, too, were convinced that we, collectively, were on to something. If you want to try it out at home, here’s the recipe.
Ingredients
½ part Chambord
1½ parts vodka
2 parts pineapple juice
Garnish with raspberry and black raspberry
Directions: Take a shaker and pour Chambord, vodka, pineapple juice and ice. Then shake. To finish, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a raspberry.
Basil Swizzle
On that self-same trip to Cheeves Brothers, a woman seated at the bar, diagonally from me, suggested I try a basil swizzle. She first experienced it on a trip to Prague, Czech Republic. It looked enticing, so I tried one and was instantly impressed with its light, clean, refreshing taste. Sample for yourself with this recipe.
Ingredients
10 basil leaves muddled in glass
1½ ounces white rum
½ ounce aperol
1 ounce passionfruit syrup
¾ ounce lime juice
Coffee bitters
Directions: Add all ingredients in glass and fill with crushed ice. Swizzle, making sure the basil stays at the bottom. Float bitters on top and garnish with a basil sprig.
Czech Gin Fizz
Speaking of things Czech, I ventured up to Waco to visit Pivovar, a Czech-themed boutique hotel near Magnolia Silos, that has its own restaurant attached. Pivovar brews beer in the Czech tradition, complete with a Czech brewmaster who comes to visit every six months to make sure their product meets Czech standards. Their seasonal cocktail at the time was the classic Gin Fizz with their own spin on it. I did not get that particular recipe as it was a bit proprietary, but here’s one that is fairly close that I am certain you will enjoy.
Ingredients
1½ ounces gin
2 ounces pomegranate juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons orange simple syrup
2 ounces tonic water
Ice
Directions: Fill a shaker half way full of ice. Add the gin, pomegranate juice, and orange simple syrup. Juice 1 lime and use ½ ounce and add to the shaker. Close the shaker up and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Fill a cocktail tumbler with several ice cubes. Strain the gin mix into the tumbler and stir in 2-3 ounces of tonic soda. Garnish with a twist of orange or lime peel.
The Killer Bee
Back in August of 2024, my husband, Frank, and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in Waco at the Hotel Indigo. We ventured out to The BLVD Steakhouse for dinner, and I was introduced to a Bees Knees cocktail made with reposado tequila instead. The mixologists there recommended it and I now only take my Bees Knees (redubbed The Killer Bee) that way. If you don’t care for gin, but you love honey and tequila, this is your drink. The one pictured is one that Pivovar created for me and they, also, knocked it out of the proverbial park.
Ingredients
2 ounces reposado tequila
¾ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ ounce honey syrup
Garnish: lemon twist
Directions: Add the reposado tequila, lemon juice and honey syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
If you enjoyed these cocktails, let me know at Janna.Zepp@gmail.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
