TOP HOTELS OF WORLD-Part two

This past Friday I had the pleasure of speaking at Astor Wine and Spirits on one my most favorite topics: Famous Hotel Bars from around the world. For this class I added on Ricky’s the bar in the Taj Mahal in New Deli, India, as well updated the featured cocktails from the Merchant Hotel and Connaught Hotel bar. The cocktails featured in class were:

ZETA BAR-SIDNEY HILTON

Smoked Bacon & Maple Syrup Manhattan

60 mls Bacon infused Bourbon
10 mls Sweet Vermouth
10 mls Noilly Prat
Dash Angostura
1 Barspoon Maple Syrup
Stir & Strain Into A Martini Glass Garnish with speared crispy bacon & Cherry
The drink is a nod to PDT and Don Lee’s/Jim Meehans Bacon old fashioned where it was created

Infusing Bourbon with Bacon

Ingredients: 3-4slices of bacon, or enough to render 1oz of fat (pdt uses Benton Bacon but any extra smoky will do 1 bottle of bourbon, I recommend Bulleit Instructions: 1)Cook bacon in pan and reserve rendered fat. When bacon fat has cooled a bit, pour off one oz from the pan 2)Pour Bourbon into a non-porous container 3) strain the bacon fat into the container and infuse for 4 to 6 hours at room temp. 4) Place mixture in the freezer until all the fat is solidified. With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain the mixture back into the bottle.

RICKYS-TAJ MAHAL

Guava Berry Martini

1.5 oz Ciroc vodka
1.5 Crème de Mure
. 5oz Guava Juice
. 5 oz Cranberry Juice Garnish with Lemon zest
Instructions:add all the ingredients to your shaker, add ice
shake and strain chilled into a martini glass

Cardamon Sensation

1.5 oz Smirnoff vanilla vodka
5pcs Cardamom
.5 oz Lime Juice
.25 oz Pineapple Juice
4-6 pieces whole pineapple

Instructions:muddle cardamom, pineapple & vodka together,
add remaining ingredients, shake and strain chilled into a martini glass

Nutty Jim

2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
muddled Cinnamon stick
. 25 oz simple syrup
1 oz apple Juice
Instructions:add all the ingredients to your shaker, add ice
adshake and strain chilled into a martini glass

Lemon Lime

1.5 oz Ketel vodka
.75 oz Lemon grass syrup infused with red chili’s
. 75oz Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Ale
Garnish with lime wedge Served over ice in a rocks glass

Instructions: Add all the ingredients the shaker with exception of the ginger all.
add ice, shake and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Fill to the top with ginger ale

MERCHANT HOTEL-BELFAST

This is a recipe for our “Iconic Cocktail”, which we call The Phoenix. It is a quintessential Irish cocktail…… • •·

35mls Plum-infused Poitin •·
15mls Pear eau de vie •·
35mls Pure Armagh “Discovery” Apple Juice •·
20mls “Mourne Flower” Honey Syrup •·
15mls Fresh Lemon Juice • •
Instructions: Stir over ice and strain into a 10oz Punch Goblet over a large cube of ice. Serve with an 8″ straw and decorate with a fan of apple slices and some fresh grated nutmeg.

CONNAUGHT HOTEL-LONDON

The Malecon

50ml Bacardi Superior
15ml 10y/o tawny)
10ml Oloroso Don Jose Reservas Especiales
3drp Peychaud’s bitters
2bsp fine sugar
30ml fresh Lime Juice
Instructions: Shake all the ingredient with chunks of ice and double strain in a cocktail glass, garnish with a piece of ice..

Enjoy everyone and please check out my blog in two weeks where I will post some of my latest and greatest creations for spring.

DUKE on the rocks