Hawaiian singer  Don Ho would have knocked these back while munchin’ a fist-full of macadamia nuts waiting for Lee Majors, Cheryl Teigs & Dom Deluise to join him for Christmas brunch on the big island.  This is a 70’s Christmas cocktail if ever the

re was one. Tall, kitschy Christmas glass absolutely required.

Here we go –

• 1 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1 oz white crème de cacao
• 3 1/2 oz pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon coconut flakes

Blend everything in a blender with crushed ice. Plop a big maraschino cherry on top and dust with a little more coconut.  Be careful that your Burt Reynolds’ mustache doesn’t get all wet..

 

This is a great cocktail to make when you want to do a little something special behind the bar but not kill yourself with ingredients. The smoky flavor of the bourbon and the lesser tang of the orange triple sec both mesh within the froth of a whipped egg white to create quite an eye opener. Drink these ‘til you’re a millionaire yourself, then pay someone to mix one for you.

Here we go –

• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• ¼ oz Triple Sec
• Couple dashes grenadine
• 1 ½ oz Bourbon

Shake hard with ice in a shaker, strain into a cocktail glass.

A sophisticated cocktail that impresses yet an extremely quick drink to mix. I like the strong sweetness associated with sweet vermouth and in this drink it stands out. The addition of triple sec tones the gin and vermouth down enough so that folks not accustomed to strong, boozy flavors in their drinks won’t be tuned off. If your in the mood for something a little different, try a Newbury; it’s a nice change of pace.

Here we go –

• 3 oz Gin
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• ½ oz Triple Sec

Shake ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker ‘til cold, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist.

Nothin’ odd about this one. Triple Sec and Brandy are old friends in many a drink and this is one of them. It’s the addition of the oaky Lillet that pushes this drink into the land of ‘must try’. I don’t know who McIntyre was or why folks considered him odd, but the guy sure came up with a hell of a cocktail.

Here we go –

• 1 oz Brandy
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz Lillet
• ½ oz Lemon Juice

Shake with cracked ice in a shaker, strain into cocktail glass.

Not sure about this drink’s history nor the name, but I can testify to her drinkability.
I’m uncovering and enjoying more and more older drinks calling for the herbal liqueur, Benedictine and I’m started to understand why; the spicy flavor shines through whatever’s poured around it and it’s complexity is sweet and special. You can substitute B & B (Benedictine and Brandy) for the Benedictine in this recipe, it isn’t as strong a flavor.

Here we go –

• ¾ oz Apple Brandy (Calvados works best w/ this one)
• ¾ oz Benedictine (or B & B)
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 2-3 dashes Triple Sec

Shake with ice ‘til cold in shaker, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel.