I have made a few resolutions — of all sizes, so at least some will be easily achieved — for the new year.
You know, drink more water, read 20 books before the end of 2021, do the NYTimes crossword every day. Channel more drag queen confidence. The usual.
Can a resolution be to continue something you already started? Because I want to stay committed to Lockdown Libations and, let it be known, I’ve got enough liquor to get us through at least 52 more weeks of this. (Though, admittedly, I laughed when I saw I only posted cocktail recipes in 2020, so I will try to get some food posts going again too. Oh! Like this amazing scallion and lemony yogurt dip I got addicted to in the summer….)
After gin, vodka and tequila, it was time to dive into the brown liquor side of the cabinet. I’ve got a solid little collection of bourbon — naturally — but also Canadian rye and whisky, American whiskey and even some from Japan.
Typically, I’m reaching for those bottles to make Boulevardiers (a negroni, but swap the gin for bourbon), classic sours or, of course, a Paper Plane. But the point of the project, beyond drinking down the liquor cabinet, is to try new recipes and, with a little searching, I found the Whisky Daisy.
Mostly, I was charmed by the name, which I kept saying in my head like “oops-a-daisy.” But the fact it uses lemon was a bonus. You know I can’t resist citrus. And the idea of augmenting an otherwise straightforward sour with a further punch of citrus by using Cointreau appealed.
Although this cocktail was described as a “true classic,” I find myself surprised to have never heard of it. (And even more so that it’s a whole family of cocktails — just swap the main liquor for another like, say, gin.) A shame because it hits all the marks with a nice punch of citrus playing against the slightly spicy rye I went with.
I’ll be trying this again with other whiskeys in ye old cabinet of wonders because I’m interested to see how the different liquors play against the rest of the ingredients. (I may even skip the sparkling water, which I’m not convinced was necessary.)
UPDATE: I skipped the soda/sparkling water during my Global Edmonton gig by complete mistake and, whoa, so much better! Take a sip of it before adding the soda; you may find you like it well enough without.
Whisky Daisy
- 2 ounces whiskey or rye
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau (or another orange liqueur — use what you have!)
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup*
- sparkling water
Add the whiskey, lemon juice, Cointreau and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled.
Strain into a chilled glass. Top with a splash of sparkling water.
*To make simple syrup, simply combine equal parts sugar and water in a small pot and warm gently over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Cool. Store in the fridge.