Alcohol Experiments

One of the privileges I have looked forward to most with turning twenty-one is my new and exciting ability to go out for drinks with friends. As enthralling as this new experience will surely be in the many late nights to come, it is also quite enjoyable to experiment making my own crazy cocktails at home. It definitely helps to have a mixing guide, which my boyfriend wisely chose to give me. Below are the first few cocktails we attempted to make. If any of them sound like the perfect drink to wet your whistle, try making them at home. Since we were working with limited supplies and artistic talent, our creations aren't exactly picture perfect, but it's the taste that counts.

Alexander No. 1
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. Creme de Cacao (White)
1 oz. Light Cream

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg on top.

Notes: Drinking this is like swallowing a mouthful of Christmas! Then again, I think any gin drink reminds me of the holidays with that distinct conifer taste. That piney aroma combined with the sweet, chocolate taste of Creme de Cacao is a unique but delicious combination. We also didn't have light cream on hand so we used skim milk instead.


Banana Cow
1 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Creme de Banana
1 1/2 oz. Cream
1 dash Grenadine

Shake ingredients with crushed ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a banana slice and fresh-grated nutmeg on top.

Notes: This drink has a much more mellow taste than the Alexander No. 1 cocktail. I didn't have grenadine so I replaced it with triple sec since both ingredients possess fruity characteristics.

Alexander No. 1 on the left, Bana Cow
on the right, The Rolling Stones in the back

Alexander No. 2
1 oz. Creme de Cacao (White)
1 oz. Brandy
1 0z. Light Cream

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh-grated nutmeg on top.

Notes: Although this drink is similar to Alexander No. 1, swapping gin for brandy makes all the difference in the world. The brandy pairs more nicely with the Creme de Cacao.


Bikini
2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Light Rum
1/2 oz. Milk
1 tsp. Sugar
1 oz. Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel

Notes: This drink is very tart! It is lemonade with a serious kick, somewhat reminiscent of an astringent. The sugar doesn't add much sweetness so you might want to add a little more.

Alexander No. 2 on the right, Bikini
on the left, U2 poster in the back

Bikini with a lemon garnish

The most important thing we've learned so far is when it comes to making cocktails, experimenting is half the fun! So what if you don't have every single ingredient for a certain recipe. Try substituting something else or see if you can get by without it. We didn't garnish any of our drinks with nutmeg because we just didn't have it, but still managed to concoct some tasty beverages.