Some of the best drinks are the one's that have a good story behind them. As a professional bartender, I'm also basically a professional salesman. Ya, anyone can sell you a pint, but it takes a little bit of silver-tongued loquaciousness to get someone to upgrade to forking out $20 for a cocktail. That's why I love when bars I work at have a good theme, and why I especially love drinks that have a good story behind them. The "Hemminway Daiquari" for instance is an easy sell, simply because it automatically makes people feel like they're sharing a round with Ernie. But I also love creating my own little concoctions that have been inspired by different events or people I've met over the years, and that's exactly what this cocktail is.
The Scottish have got to be some of the nicest, friendliest, drunkest people on the planet, and I've yet to meet one I haven't liked. But based on my experience, it seems every person born in Scotland is born in Glasgow. Though this might simply be a coincidence, I would wager it's mostly because the Scottish are delightfully full of (insert four letter word here). Now this is fine, it makes for amazing banter, and no one has better banter than a scotsman, but it also gave me an idea. A drink that's fun and exciting but not quite exactly what it seems to be, and so became the TAYLOR MADE: GLASGOW KISS.
TAYLOR MADE-GLASGOW KISS SOUR:
One of the best ways to make something new and exciting is to simply add a little spin on an old classic, and it doesn't get much more classic than a Whiskey-Sour. With that in mind, and with my Scottish friends serving as the inspiration, I created a modern twist on this old classic, that I think will be something everyone can enjoy. As with most sours we have just four main ingredients, our liquor, lemon or lime juice, sugar syrup, and egg white. But as with most great cocktails, it's not simply about the ingredients, it's about the little extra you put in to make it great, in this case that will be Buckfast Tonic Wine, and Maraschino Cherries soaked in whiskey. So here's what you'll need:
- A nice mid to high-end scottish whiskey (of course). I prefer a blend for this drink with a nice balance (you don't want something to peaty or smokey, but a little more smooth on the palate). A great affordable blend is Monkey Shoulder.
- Lemon or Lime Juice, normally for a whiskey sour I would recommend lemon, but with this particular drink the extra punch of tart from the lime is a nice touch (1 oz per drink, squeeze accordingly).
- Gumme or plain sugar syrup (need 1/2 oz per drink)
- Egg Whites (pre-maid is probably easier if you've never cracked egg whites before, 1 oz per drink).
- Buckfast Tonic Wine, this is essential, because nothing else quite tastes like "Bucky". You may need to search a higher end import store depending on where you live (which is rather ironic if you know anything about 'Bucky', it's not exactly classy).
- Marschino Cherries, depending on how many people your making drinks for is how big of a jar you should get, but they're good in everything so probably opt for the big jar.
- Normal cocktail making equipment (shakers, strainers, etc.)
PREPARATION (PART ONE: THE CHERRIES):
- This is not a mandatory step, but definitely worth the extra effort if you're going to be entertaining some guests and really want a little something extra. You should do this at least 24 hours before hand.
- In a large cup or glass add as many cherries as you will need for the night (without the juice), try to get at least two per drink, but three if you've got the time and energy.
- Next (depending on the size of the glass and the number of cherries, fill up with 2 parts whiskey, 1 part Buckfast, and 1 part Marschino Cherry juice.
- Give it a little mix to distribule the liquid and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the mix to infuse with the cherries (testing whenever you feel the need of course).
PREPARATION (PART TWO: THE COCKTAIL):
- Firstly, as always, make sure all your ingredients are set out and ready to go (juice squeezed, cherries prepped, egg whites either cracked or pre-made package ready).
- For this cocktail you want to use a nice see-through high-ball glass (6-8 oz capacity), so have the appropriate amount of those. The presentation of this drink is just as important as the drink itself.
MIXING: for one drink at a time
- In an empty shaker add the following:
* 2 oz Scottish Blended Whiskey (Monkey Shoulder)
* 1 oz Lime Juice (or Lemon if you prefer)
* 1 oz Egg White
* 1/2 oz Gumme (Sugar Syrup)
- Firstly, "Dry Shake" the drink, firmly closing the lid and shaking for 10-15 seconds
- Remove the lid, add ice, then proceed to "Wet Shake" for another 15-20 seconds
- Double strain over ice into your high-ball glass
- Next, pour 1/2 an oz of Buckfast into a seperate shot glass and slowly and carefully pour over the top of the drink to create a "Bucky Float", the two should stay relatively separated and you'll notice a beautiful juxtiposition between the yellow/brown of the sour, and the deep burgandy of the wine.
- Finally, add however many of your soaked Marschino Cherries as you desire, Instagram that bad boy, and enjoy.
The thing I love about this drink is the simplicity, the sophistication, and also the general debauchery which it implies. A whiskey sour is a cocktail a man like Don Draper would drink, while Buckfast (at least according to all my Scottish friends) is directly linked in around 70% of all alcohol related crimes in Scotland. The two juxtapose together perfectly in this Taylor-Made Cocktail of The Week, and I hope you enjoy drinking it half as much as I enjoyed making it.
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