Celebrate Mother’s Day with a classic cocktail toast.
There are some vintage cocktails that are making a come back. The foamy green Grasshopper, for instance, made with crème de menthe and crowned with chocolate shavings that was so popular in the 70’s, is now a featured favorite at the trendy Dante’s bar in downtown Manhattan. At the Settle Down Tavern in Madison, Wisconsin it is considered a comfort cocktail.
And, there are quite a few classic cocktails that, if they are not making a come back, they should. Mother’s Day provides the perfect opportunity to revisit them. Dropping a sugar cube into a glass of bubbly never grows old. It’s lively and festive no matter when or where.
Speaking of, believe it or not, the Classic Champagne Cocktail dates back to the 1850’s and the whiskey lovers Old Fashioned continues its centuries-old run for good reason, although just about every bar has its on take on the concoction.
Adding nostalgia to a Mother’s Day celebration is sure to be a welcomed ingredient. Below are some of our recommendations and their recipes. Enjoy!
Grasshopper
Courtesy of Dante, New York City, adapted by Robert Simonson of the New York Times
1 ½ oz. heavy cream
1 oz. crème de menthe (preferably Marie Brizard)
1 oz. crème de cacao, preferably Giffard
¼ oz. Branca Menta
Ice
Chocolate shavings
Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 10 seconds, and strain into chilled stemmed glass. Top with chocolate shavings.
French 75
Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine
1½ oz. gin, such as Hendrick’s
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
2 oz. Champagne
Long spiral lemon twist (for serving)
Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into a large flute. Top with champagne; garnish with lemon twist
Classic Champagne Cocktail
Reprinted by Epicurious with permission from 101 Champagne Cocktails by Kim Haasarud, © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
Lemon or orange twist, for garnish
Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and drop into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne or a sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist.
Old Fashioned
Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1 teaspoon water
2 dashes bitters
1 cup ice cubes
1½ oz. bourbon whiskey
1 slice orange
1 maraschino cherry
Pour the simple syrup, water and bitters into a whiskey glass. Stir to combine, then place the ice cubes in the glass. Pour bourbon over the ice and garnish with the orange slice and maraschino cherry.
