Grounds for Divorce

2 oz Speyside Copper Dog Whisky
1 oz cold espresso brewed on orange peel
1/2 oz Hazelnut Syrup
Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters

Garnish:
2 Dark Cherries

Heat and cold can achieve marvelous results in cooking but also in cocktails. Brewing the orange peels in the coffee at around 80°C will release the essential oils that can be picked up by your taste buds in the cold drink afterwards. 

Pour your ingredients into a Tumbler glass and add a dash of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters. Fill the Tumblr with thick, dry Ice Cubes and stir with a long Bar Spoon for around 30 seconds straight. Add some more Ice on top and  garnish with Cherries. If you want an even simpler version of the drink, ditch the coffee and you end up with a nutty Old Fashioned. 

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by tragedy or even the mundane everyday life and sometimes it is healthy to go through the motions and feel the pain. But be sure to pick yourself up afterwards, go out in the sun and get back on top by enjoying the little things.

Wénhuà Olvaszó

1 oz Kumquat Liqueur
1 oz Plum Pálinka
1/2 oz Lime  Juice
2 oz Cold ginger infused Hibiscus Tea
Peychaud's Bitters

Garnish:

Pomegranate
Mint

Kumquats are citrus fruits and hence grown in the sunniest areas. They look like tiny oranges and have a mixed sour -sweet taste. You can either buy Kumquat liqueur in oriental shops, on big weekend markets or make it at home as you would Limoncello.

Chill a Tall Tumbler glass and leave it aside. Pour your ingredients into a Boston Shaker and add two dashes of Peychaud's Bitters. Fill the Shaker with thick dry, Ice Cubes and give your drink a hard shake. Strain the drink into the earlier chilled glass onto a few icecubes, slide your straw in with a mint branch and place some pomegranate seeds on top. It's a highly aromatic but refreshing cocktail.

Wénhuà roughly translates to culture in Chinese and Olvaszó to melt in Hungarian. This century is marked by  different cultures coming together. Learn from them and reflect on how they might affect you by a cold Wénhuà Olvaszó.

The 6th Tibetan

2 oz Diplomático Rum
1 oz Maraschino
3/4 oz Goji Juice
Peychaud's Bitters
Ginger chunk
Lemon peel

Primarily grown in north-central China, the Gojiberry was in early ages praised as a fountain of youth and mental well-being. Nevertheless it is nowadays subject to medicinal studies because the effects on the body are not clearly defined.

Chill a flute glass and leave it aside. Pour your ingredients into a Boston Shaker and add a dash of Peychaud's Bitters. Fill the Shaker with thick dry, Ice Cubes and give your drink a hard shake. The ginger and lemonpeel cut but preserve the sweetness. Doublestrain the drink into the earlier chilled flute glass and garnish with Lavender or any perfumed flower, as the mix of sents reflects a beautiful kind of serenity. This is a very sweet and aromatized recipe, so it might not be suited for the Rhy Whisky loving folks.

From time to time, letting yourself into trusting new circumstances can trigger a surprising flourishment of the soul.

Magnanimité

2 oz Citadelle Gin
1 oz Galliano
1/2 oz Black Curant Syrup
1/2 egg white
Cardamom

Eventhough the French compatriotes and the Italian ones don't get along too well here's a recipe in which they blend in perfectly, and it's heart warming.

Chill a glass and leave it aside. Pour your ingredients in a Boston Shaker and add a pinch of Cardamom. Shake your drink without Ice first, so that the ingredients emulsify. Fill your container now with thick dry, Ice Cubes and give your Drink a hard and long shake as you want those two cultures to really get to know each other. Ones you're done, strain the liquid into your earlier chilled glass and garnish with some cinnamon. 

If you're hesitating on a life choice, never forget to be humble to yourself, and your loved ones.

Dirty Temper

1 oz Sailor Jerry Rum
1 oz Maraschino
2 oz Cold Hibiscus Tea
whole dark chocolate

There's a large variety of Hibiscus flowers. The commercially sold Hibiscus Teas are usually made out of red Hibiscus grown in Asia and subtropical regions. You can however collect the flowers from any Hibiscus bush and let them dry for a few weeks in the dark. The Tea you get is pure and soothing.

Chill a fancy Glass and leave it aside. Pour the liquid ingredients into a Boston shaker. Take some of the darkest chocolate you can find (86% noir brut is perfect), break some chunks off and add them to the liquids. Fill the Shaker with thick, dry Ice cubes and give your Drink a hard shake. Double strain the liquid into your chilled Glass and garnish with a big chunk of chocolate and a Hibiscus Flower.

This cocktail is as mysterious and witty as can be. Take care not to fall in love...

Cloches d'Église

1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis
1 Barspoon Bénédictine
1 drop rose water

Bénédictine is a French herbal Liqueur developed by monks of the Benedictine Order in the 19th century. 

Chill a glass and leave it aside. Pour your ingredients in a Boston Shaker and fill it with thick, dry ice cubes. Give your drink a hard shake and make sure you hit the right level of dilution. This step is crucial for this recipe as your only ingredients are alcohol and the level of dilution can make or break the drink. The center of attention on this cocktail is the odour, therefore I don't garnish it and let it work it's magic. 

Never let an opportunity slip away. Life is futile, unless you fill it with memories and values to live by.

The Deadly Perfume

1 1/2 oz Plum Pálinka
1/3 oz Apple Juice
1/4 oz Violet Syrup
1 fresh sage leaf

Sage is a very potent medicinal herb. It gives freshness and bitterness to a drink at the same time and can, if combined with the right ingredients result in a beautiful harmony of distinctive odours and tastes.

Whenever you find yourself browsing through a flea market pay attention to the glasses sold there. You might find some interesting things for your Home Bar. 

Chill one of your fancy glasses and leave it a side. Pour your ingredients in a Boston Shaker. Give your sage leaf a gentle tap on the back of your hand to release the oils and fill your boston shaker with thick, dry ice cubes. Give your drink a hard shake and double strain it into your chilled glas. Garnish your drink with violet petals and serve.

Enjoying Cocktails is all about doing it in good company and at your own pace and ease. Therefore it might become in a certain way a sense of life.