Recipes By Toby Cecchini
30 recipes found
Corpse Reviver #2
The Corpse Reviver #2 is one of a small family of drinks originally concocted as hangover remedies, of which Harry Craddock, cataloging them in the “Savoy Cocktail Book” in 1930, wrote, “To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.” (He also famously cautioned: “Four of these taken in swift succession will quickly unrevive the corpse again.”) You can occasionally find it on cocktail lists. But there’s no point in waiting on chance: learn to make this.
The Andorra
This cocktail, by Dan Greenbaum of The Beagle in Manhattan, plays Armagnac's subtle marzipan against the salty, mineral tang of Manzanilla sherry. A deceptive drink, it looks in the glass like an innocuous saucer of pinot grigio, but enrobes the senses with nuts, flowers and confectionary. There’s a spritz of orange oil atop to knock it all even: a perfect dessert tot.
Grenadine Syrup
Making grenadine, the pomegranate-based simple syrup that was favored in many cocktails in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is really quite simple. And homemade is a vast improvement on the red-dyed sugar water in markets. Once you’ve rounded up the materials, 15 minutes’ light work will make enough to last you.
The Spiced Pear Fizz
The biggest mistake people tend to make when setting up for parties is to try to duplicate an actual bar, with a bottle of scotch, some tequila, a bourbon, some gin, a fancy vodka, etc., alongside some bottled mixers. You can’t turn your living room into a bar, nor can you please everybody, but you can gain massive points by making the bold move: choose one great cocktail and declare: “This is what we’re drinking tonight.” This Spiced Pear Fizz is a great choice for the holidays. Mull some wintry spices overnight in the simple syrup, and from there fashion this delicious concoction. Top it with a good-quality prosecco or a nonvintage brut Champagne for a spot-on seasonal drink.
White Peach Sgroppino
The Sgroppino is an old between-course palate cleanser, dessert or aperitif drink that marries prosecco with sorbet and a touch of vodka. It’s a simple enough affair once you have the sorbet, in this case made from white peach puree. You very gently whisk the spirit (in this case, peach brandy or peach vodka) and wine (in this case, prosecco) into the sorbet and turn it into a glass, to be consumed, ideally, quickly, while it still retains a bit of the semifreddo intact.
The Venetian Spritz
This drink is sweet, bitter, citrusy and sparkling — even slightly salty — but with minimal punch. It is a graceful way to begin an evening, and a thing of perfection on a sultry afternoon. The spritz can be made several ways, but the best and most common is simply a glass of prosecco with two or three ice cubes and a dash of sparkling water, topped with Aperol, a twist of lemon or slice of orange and — importantly and strangely — one green olive. The drink also can be made with white wine and sparkling water, and Campari or Cynar turn up in some varieties, but the spritz a l’Aperol is the benchmark, and handily trumps the others.