A Trio Of Cocktail Recipes, One With Japanese Whiskey

A Trio Of Cocktails, One With Japanese Whiskey

By José R. Ralat

Feb 15, 2013 - 01:44 PM

A Trio Of Cocktails, One With Japanese Whiskey

When cocktail culture epicenters come to mind, big cities like New York, San Francisco and Chicago are first on the tips of tongues. But a Dallas lounge, the Cedars Social, was named one of the best places to drink in the South by Imbibe Magazine even before it opened. Another much beloved tipples den is The People's Last Stand, a one-room gin joint that has made a name for itself with clean, imaginative drinks and a fresh menu (the small kitchen only stocks what it needs for that day). The crew at The People's Last Stand offered us a trio of cocktails from the bartenders who recently competed in the San Antonio Cocktail Conference. Our favorite just happens to be the drink with a single-malt whiskey base — how can the C&I editors not dig a whiskey drink? — but not just any whiskey. The spirit used, Yamazaki 12 Years, hails from Japan, making it simultaneously exotic and familiar, not to mention 100 percent exquisite.

One Smashed Monk - Alex Fletcher

2 ounces Green Chartreuse
10 leaves muddled Thai basil
2 muddled sugar cubes
1 ounce lemon juice
Zested orange peel top

Muddle sugar and basil in a shaker tin. Add lemon juice, Chartreuse, and ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with two ice cubes. Zest an orange over drink and add Thai basil leaf.

Crusted Blossom - Anthony Polo

2 ounces Yamazaki 12 Years
.5 ounce lemon juice
.5 ounce Cointreau
.5 ounce cinnamon syrup
3 – 4 dashes orange blossom water
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in shaker tin with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass crusted with sugar. Squeeze lemon peel over cocktail.

Hayflinger - Bradley Bowden

1.5 ounces Ford's Gin
.5 ounce Mathilde peché
.5 ounce lemon juice
.5 ounce ginger syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Lemon twist

Combine all ingredients in shaker tin with ice and shake. Double strain into a coupe and add lemon twist.