10 Funky Cocktails You Didn"t Know You Wanted
The majority of cocktails use ingredients and pair flavors that are common and known to be great for drinks. I wouldn't necessarily call those drinks ordinary, but often our experiences allow us to taste a drink just by reading the ingredients and get a general sense of whether we will like it or not. Well, this list does not include those drinks, instead we are going for the cocktails that make you do a double take and try to imagine how and if they will work. Many will surprise you.
Now, my list is not going to be filled with completely outlandish drinks - no salmon vodkas, cough syrup, or burgers dripping grease into a Bloody Mary - you can find those elsewhere on the web and try them if you dare. What I'm going for here is the truly unique cocktail that is well-crafted so you can actually drink and enjoy it and a couple may even become new favorites. Most of these include one key ingredient that is not ordinarily found in drinks, while others include a fascinating combination that is nothing short of an experience.
This is more of an experiment in flavor to give the adventurous drinker new ideas and experiences to take with them into future tastings. I've tried each of these personally and, while there are a few that I will pass on if offered a second round, they are all palatable and interesting and may be more aligned with your tastes than mine.
We'll start this list out with the one bacon cocktail that I have enjoyed and it comes from one of my favorite women in the bar business. Natalie Bovis' recipe begins by infusing four strips of bacon into Knob Creek, then mixes the bourbon with her cherry-cinnamon syrup and ruby port. It is fantastic and demonstrates that you can be a bacon fanatic with good taste. Bacon Cherry Creek Cocktail recipe...
How often have you seen the beet used in a drink? Probably not often, if at all, but it works and it works rather well. In this recipe from Jason Walsh a sweetened beet puree steals the show and pairs perfectly with Plymouth Gin, lemon, and mint. It's a simple recipe and perfect for a fresh from the garden taste. The Root to Longevity recipe...
Squash is the next little-used cocktail ingredient that we'll explore and the Kabocha Spiced Cocktail is the first of two to discuss.
To create this drink you will begin with a roasted kabocha squash and blend it into a spiced puree. This is then mixed with a fine aged rum, apple juice, orange, egg white, and syrup before finishing it up with a spicy ginger beer. It's a tantalizing drink. Kabocha Spiced Cocktail recipe...
The other squash drink takes a different approach and opts for a bourbon infusion of spiced and sweetened butternut squash instead of a puree. This creates a softer squash profile that works great with the whiskey. The drink then adds maple syrup and two great bitters, and you may want to think about serving this one with a light brunch. Butternut Old-fashioned recipe...
Every now and then figs make there way into a cocktail, though it's not often enough to make most people notice. This cocktail by Judy Bronson proves that it should be used more often.
In The Marriage of Figaro, Bronson opts for the popular infusion route - again in bourbon - then adds more bourbon along with Cardamaro and allspice dram and the result is a perfect marriage of flavor that can quickly become a favorite. The Marriage of Figaro recipe...
One reader calls this "...the most refreshing cocktail I've ever tasted!" and I find it hard to argue that eucalyptus is refreshing. The drink itself is simple: gin, syrup, lime, egg. It is in the syrup where the eucalyptus comes into play and Humberto Marques not only provides a recipe to make your own, but now sells it by the bottle on TheBartist.com. Is the Eucalyptus Martini for everyone? Probably not, but it's worth a shot and your taste buds may surprise you. Eucalyptus Martini recipe...
It's time to have a little fun with cake vodka and it's definitely not the ordinary profile for vodkas of this sort. As the name implies, the drink does attempt to emulate a home-baked carrot cake and it does a fair job at it.
The mix includes UV Cake and carrot juice, adding in milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a splash of soda to liven it up. If you love carrot cake, you may want to consider this one, just have your juicer ready because carrot juice can be hard to find. Carrot Cake Cocktail recipe...
Yes, each of the items listed in the drink's title are included in a single glass and it seems like this would be most men's dream drink. "Barbecue" does refer to the sauce, Jack Daniel's sauce to be exact, which is mixed down into a BBQ water to make it drinkable. Once you have this special water, you'll add Maker's Mark, Evan Williams' Honey Liqueur, a hefeweizen beer, and fresh orange juice to create this grilling-worthy tipple. The Beer, Bourbon, and Barbecue Cocktail recipe...
If you are looking for a truly unique party punch, this is one of the most interesting you will find. Palin's Christmas Punch is one that I've included because of its flavor combination, which is seemingly endless. It begins with one of Martin Miller's gins and continues with a demerara date syrup, pine liqueur, absinthe, and finishes up with Champagne, absinthe dates, and lemon ice.
As its name and profile implies, it is perfect for the holiday season, but I had it on a sultry summer day in New Orleans and it worked surprisingly well then as well. Palin's Christmas Punch recipe...
Last up is the Brooklyn Cocktail from New Amsterdam Gin and I include it because it uses one unusual ingredient that could take the place of every other peppery mixer you could think of. Arugula is the leaf to speak of here and it works spectacularly with the raspberries and pear of the Brooklyn.
The great thing about arugula is that you can tailor the pepper taste just by choosing larger (stronger pepper) or smaller (softer pepper) leaves. Keep arugula in mind if you come across cocktails with peppercorns or the like because it is much more versatile. Brooklyn Cocktail recipe...
Now, my list is not going to be filled with completely outlandish drinks - no salmon vodkas, cough syrup, or burgers dripping grease into a Bloody Mary - you can find those elsewhere on the web and try them if you dare. What I'm going for here is the truly unique cocktail that is well-crafted so you can actually drink and enjoy it and a couple may even become new favorites. Most of these include one key ingredient that is not ordinarily found in drinks, while others include a fascinating combination that is nothing short of an experience.
This is more of an experiment in flavor to give the adventurous drinker new ideas and experiences to take with them into future tastings. I've tried each of these personally and, while there are a few that I will pass on if offered a second round, they are all palatable and interesting and may be more aligned with your tastes than mine.
•Bacon Cherry Creek Recipe
We'll start this list out with the one bacon cocktail that I have enjoyed and it comes from one of my favorite women in the bar business. Natalie Bovis' recipe begins by infusing four strips of bacon into Knob Creek, then mixes the bourbon with her cherry-cinnamon syrup and ruby port. It is fantastic and demonstrates that you can be a bacon fanatic with good taste. Bacon Cherry Creek Cocktail recipe...
•The Root to Longevity
How often have you seen the beet used in a drink? Probably not often, if at all, but it works and it works rather well. In this recipe from Jason Walsh a sweetened beet puree steals the show and pairs perfectly with Plymouth Gin, lemon, and mint. It's a simple recipe and perfect for a fresh from the garden taste. The Root to Longevity recipe...
•Kabocha Spiced Cocktail
Squash is the next little-used cocktail ingredient that we'll explore and the Kabocha Spiced Cocktail is the first of two to discuss.
To create this drink you will begin with a roasted kabocha squash and blend it into a spiced puree. This is then mixed with a fine aged rum, apple juice, orange, egg white, and syrup before finishing it up with a spicy ginger beer. It's a tantalizing drink. Kabocha Spiced Cocktail recipe...
•Butternut Old Fashioned
The other squash drink takes a different approach and opts for a bourbon infusion of spiced and sweetened butternut squash instead of a puree. This creates a softer squash profile that works great with the whiskey. The drink then adds maple syrup and two great bitters, and you may want to think about serving this one with a light brunch. Butternut Old-fashioned recipe...
•The Marriage of Figaro
Every now and then figs make there way into a cocktail, though it's not often enough to make most people notice. This cocktail by Judy Bronson proves that it should be used more often.
In The Marriage of Figaro, Bronson opts for the popular infusion route - again in bourbon - then adds more bourbon along with Cardamaro and allspice dram and the result is a perfect marriage of flavor that can quickly become a favorite. The Marriage of Figaro recipe...
•Eucalyptus Martini
One reader calls this "...the most refreshing cocktail I've ever tasted!" and I find it hard to argue that eucalyptus is refreshing. The drink itself is simple: gin, syrup, lime, egg. It is in the syrup where the eucalyptus comes into play and Humberto Marques not only provides a recipe to make your own, but now sells it by the bottle on TheBartist.com. Is the Eucalyptus Martini for everyone? Probably not, but it's worth a shot and your taste buds may surprise you. Eucalyptus Martini recipe...
•Carrot Cake Cocktail
It's time to have a little fun with cake vodka and it's definitely not the ordinary profile for vodkas of this sort. As the name implies, the drink does attempt to emulate a home-baked carrot cake and it does a fair job at it.
The mix includes UV Cake and carrot juice, adding in milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a splash of soda to liven it up. If you love carrot cake, you may want to consider this one, just have your juicer ready because carrot juice can be hard to find. Carrot Cake Cocktail recipe...
•The Beer, Bourbon & Barbecue Cocktail
Yes, each of the items listed in the drink's title are included in a single glass and it seems like this would be most men's dream drink. "Barbecue" does refer to the sauce, Jack Daniel's sauce to be exact, which is mixed down into a BBQ water to make it drinkable. Once you have this special water, you'll add Maker's Mark, Evan Williams' Honey Liqueur, a hefeweizen beer, and fresh orange juice to create this grilling-worthy tipple. The Beer, Bourbon, and Barbecue Cocktail recipe...
•Palin's Christmas Punch
If you are looking for a truly unique party punch, this is one of the most interesting you will find. Palin's Christmas Punch is one that I've included because of its flavor combination, which is seemingly endless. It begins with one of Martin Miller's gins and continues with a demerara date syrup, pine liqueur, absinthe, and finishes up with Champagne, absinthe dates, and lemon ice.
As its name and profile implies, it is perfect for the holiday season, but I had it on a sultry summer day in New Orleans and it worked surprisingly well then as well. Palin's Christmas Punch recipe...
•Brooklyn Cocktail
Last up is the Brooklyn Cocktail from New Amsterdam Gin and I include it because it uses one unusual ingredient that could take the place of every other peppery mixer you could think of. Arugula is the leaf to speak of here and it works spectacularly with the raspberries and pear of the Brooklyn.
The great thing about arugula is that you can tailor the pepper taste just by choosing larger (stronger pepper) or smaller (softer pepper) leaves. Keep arugula in mind if you come across cocktails with peppercorns or the like because it is much more versatile. Brooklyn Cocktail recipe...