Whatever your taste in spirits, Straub's liquor department has you covered!
No fooling. We’re crazy for Mad Men! Catch the 2-hour Season 6 Premiere with St. Louis’ Jon Hamm, this Sunday at 8pm on AMC. Enjoy these drinks while you watch…
Manhattan
INGREDIENTS
- 1¾ oz bourbon
- ¾ oz of sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of aromatic bitters
- 1 Maraschino cherry
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour bitters and liquors over ice in mixing glass. Stir and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
To stir, or not to stir…?
Cocktails are either shaken or stirred, but if you don’t know the difference this rule of thumb may help. When you wish to preserve the clarity or carbonation of a drink, it is best to stir the cocktail as shaking will create a cloudy appearance and destroy bubbles. Cocktails are typically shaken if they include citrus, olive juice or other ingredients that are more difficult to mix.
Try a twenty-first century Manhattan!
With the rise of artisan spirits and mixers, many traditional favorites have evolved to make use of these new and exciting flavors. Our very own Peter Glarner, CSW loves mixing a splash of Big O Ginger Liqueur in his Manhattans, replacing the vermouth: “This adds a touch of sweetness and the boldness of ginger. I love this concoction. I’ve made it for friends and have seen really positive reactions.”
Whiskey Sour
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz whiskey
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz tsp sugar
- 1 cherry
- ½ lemon slice
INSTRUCTIONS
Shake all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a highball glass. Add lemon slice and cherry to garnish.
Old Fashioned
INGREDIENTS
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- ½ tsp sugar dissolved with water and bitters
- 1½ oz of bourbon
- 1 cherry
- 1 orange slice
- 1 lemon wedge
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill glass with ice. Dissolve sugar with bitters and a splash of water. Add cherry, orange slice, and lemon wedge. Pour in bourbon and stir lightly. Serve in a rocks glass over ice.
Mad Martinis
Classic Martini
INGREDIENTS
- 2½ oz gin
- 1½ oz dry vermouth
- ½ oz olive juice (optional)
- 3-4 green olives
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse martini glass in dry vermouth and pour out. Shake gin with olive juice and ice until chilled. Pour into martini glass over olive garnish.
Helpful terms:
Dry or Wet? – refers to the amount of vermouth used. With more vermouth, the martini is regarded as “wet” and vice versa.
Dirty or Neat? – Add a splash of olive juice for a “dirty” martini. Leave it out to keep it “neat.”
Straight Up or On the Rocks? – Served room temperature or with ice.
As martinis gained popularity, more variations arose. Feel free to try any suggestions below or experiment and create your own!
- Change up the garnish: Try a twist of orange rind or even cocktail onions!
- Add additional mixers: Like a splash of grenadine or crème de menthe
- Try it with vodka: One of the most popular vodka martini varieties is the Cosmopolitan:
Cosmopolitan Martini
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- 1 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
- splash of Grand Marnier or grenadine
- 1 lemon wedge
Tom Collins
INGREDIENTS
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ oz gin
- soda water
- lemon slices
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix sugar, gin, and juice over ice in a mixing glass. Stir, strain in cocktail glass with ice, and top off with soda water. Garnish with lemon slices.
Whiskey Highball
- 2 oz whiskey
- carbonated water
- 1 twist lemon peel
Gin Rickey (Gin ‘N’ Tonic)
- 1 ½ oz gin
- lime juice (from ½ lime)
- club soda or tonic water
- 1 lime wedge
Combine lime juice and gin in a highball glass over ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water and stir. Add the wedge of lime and serve.
Sidecar
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz cognac
- ¾ oz triple sec
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 orange slice
- granulated sugar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Dip the rim of a snifter in the lemon juice and then in sugar. Add remaining lemon juice to a mixing glass with the cognac and triple sec. Shake briskly with ice. Strain into glass and garnish with orange slice.
Mojito
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz light rum
- 1 lime
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 8-10 mint leaves
- club soda
INSTRUCTIONS
Mash mint leaves and syrup at the bottom of a tall glass until you can smell the mint. Halve the lime, squeeze both halves into the glass, and leave one in the glass. Add rum, stir, fill with ice, and top with soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Can’t find Simple Syrup? Make your own!
Daiquiri
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz light rum
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz simple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
Shake over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wheel.
Cuba Libre (Rum & Cola)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz light rum
- 1 oz lime juice
- 3 oz cola
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour over ice, in order given, into a highball glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Rum Collins
- 2 oz light rum
- juice of 1 limes
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- carbonated water
- 1 slice lemon
- 1 cherry
Piña Colada
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz dark rum
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- 1½ oz coconut cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Shake over ice and strain over ice into chilled collins glass. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple cube.
Moscow Mule
INGREDIENTS
- 1¼ oz vodka
- 3 oz ginger beer
- 1 tsp simple syrup
- ¼ oz lime juice
- 1 sprig mint
- 1 slice lime
INSTRUCTIONS
In a copper mug or cocktail glass, pour vodka over ice. Add syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.
For more cocktail suggestions, visit the official Mad Men Cocktail Guide from AMC!
