whet your whistle

Most nights of the week you can find me behind the bar at The Last Word, in Ann Arbor, MI, where I do my best to make your visit enjoyable. I started this site to share my cocktail recipes with people who love to create, consume and chat about drinks.

[whetyourwhistle]

Dr. Ordinaire - Is, by most accounts, the creator of absinthe. I have heard other tales of how it was actually an old swiss woman that invented absinthe. She purportedly made and sold elixirs and remedies to the people of her canton, and Dr. Pierre Ordinaire bought the absinthe recipe from her. I don't know, I wasn't there, but I'm glad someone concocted the potent mixture of herbs and alcohol. The sure fact of the matter is that I love absinthe. (I pretty much like most spirits) Dr. Ordinaire is a cocktail that combines gin, absinthe and lime, with a touch of sugar and bitters. This mixture contains herbal, botanical and citrus notes that make a cool, refreshing drink. This cocktail is absinthe forward, as i intended, so drinker beware, "must love absinthe."

1 1/2 oz New Amsterdam Gin

3/4 oz Absinthe Ordinaire

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

combine, shake, and pour into a coupe with one or two dashes of Peychaud's Bitters already in the glass

garnish with an orange peel

-GC

[whetyourwhistle]

You're My Boy Blue!…(you're my boy) - In the process of trying a bunch of names for this cocktail I think someone suggested 'Little Boy Blue', which prompted me to quote Frank the Tank and shout "You're my boy Blue!". Someone chuckled and the name stuck. I love bourbon (all whiskey really) and with berries and lemon how could it be bad (bramble, duh!) With muddled blueberries, Elijah Craig 12yr Bourbon, St Germain and lemon juice, you get a great mix of sweet fruits and tart citrus in this drink.

muddle 8-12 blueberries then combine with

1 3/4 oz Elijah Craig 12yr Bourbon

3/4 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 oz of fresh squeezed lemon juice

bar spoon of simple syrup

shake with ice, double strain, and serve on the rocks with a lemon peel

-GC

[whetyourwhistle]

The Osborn - One of my most popular cocktails, named after a friend (who is also an amazing musician, Osborne) who fell in love with the cocktail at its inception. It combines the lovely floral and sweet notes of Hendrick's Gin with fresh pineapple, jalapeño, lime juice and ginger beer. A very refreshing cocktail with a bit of a kick.

muddle 2 bites of pineapple with a ring of jalapeño (seeds and membrane included)

2oz Hendrick's Gin

1/2oz fresh lime juice

1/4oz simple syrup

shake and double strain, top with ginger beer and a cucumber wheel garnish over ice

-GC