Before a recent spike in coronavirus cases put the kibosh on group gatherings, I took advantage of our glorious autumn weather to host a pandemic-appropriate cocktail party. A limited group of neighbors congregated in the backyard, chairs and tables spread across the lawn. The blazing fire pit offered welcome comfort against the encroaching chill of evening. Individually wrapped snacks were provided in lieu of the usual smorgasbord. Looking more surgeon than bartender, I mixed drinks carefully from behind my mask.

Quite a bit of time had passed since our last get-together, and my list of new cocktails to try had grown impressively long. I managed (with some difficulty) to pare the drink menu to four choices. First up was a tiki cocktail, the Lost Lake, its tangy bite of passion fruit tempered by sweet pineapple. Next was the Papercut, a gin-and-grapefruit riff on the Paper Plane - which itself is a whiskey sour-ish variant of the Last Word, a pre-Prohibition classic.

The other two drinks featured uncommon spirits that I found hiding at the back of my liquor cabinet. Pisco, best known for its eponymous sour, is a Peruvian brandy distilled from grapes. Add dry sherry and tart citrus, and you get the refreshing Pisces Rising. From Brazil, we have cachaça: this native version of rum is the basis for its national drink, the Caipirinha.  The unlikely pairing of cachaça with Cynar - an amaro made with artichokes(!) - created the surprise hit of the evening, the Rio Julep.

The gathering was a welcome break from the social distancing protocols we’d maintained so vigilantly for the preceding months. The cocktails were tasty, but the real treat was to spend time in the company of friends. A reminder of happier days and, hopefully, a glimpse of the future. Cheers!

h.

Papercut

• ¾ oz. London dry gin (I used Bombay Sapphire)

• ¾ oz. Cappelletti Aperitivo Americano

• ¾ oz. fresh grapefruit juice

• ¾ oz. ginger syrup (recipe below)

• grapefruit twist, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, coupe glass, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients except garnish in shaker

• half-fill with ice and shake until well chilled

• strain into coupe glass and garnish

Lost Lake

• 2 oz. blended aged rum (I used El Dorado 8 Year)

• ¾ oz. passion fruit syrup (recipe below)

• ¾ oz. fresh lime juice

• ½ oz. fresh pineapple juice

• ¼ oz. maraschino liqueur (I used Luxardo)

• ¼ oz. Campari

• pineapple wedge, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, Collins glass or tiki mug, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients except garnish in shaker

• half-fill with ice and shake until well chilled

• strain into glass, fill with ice, and garnish

Pisces Rising

• 1 ½ oz. pisco acholado (I used Portón)

• ½ oz. manzanilla sherry (I used La Gitana)

• ½ oz. fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz. fresh grapefruit juice

• ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1)

• 1 barspoon crème de pêche (I used Giffard)

• dash celery bitters (I used homemade)

• soda water

• lemon wheel, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, bar spoon, Collins glass, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients except garnish and soda water in shaker

• half-fill with ice and shake until well chilled

• strain into glass, fill with ice, top with soda water, stir briefly, and garnish

Rio Julep

• 1 ½ oz aged cachaça (I used Soledade Ipê)

• 1 ½ oz. Cynar

• 4 dashes grapefruit bitters

• 4 drops salt tincture (recipe below)

• 3 sprigs mint, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, bar spoon, coupe glass, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients except salt tincture and garnish in shaker

• half-fill with ice and stir until well chilled

• put four drops of salt tincture in bottom of chilled coupe glass

• strain cocktail into coupe glass

• spank mint to release the aroma and garnish

Ginger syrup

• ¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¾ cup water

Steps

• combine ingredients in small saucepan

• heat and stir until sugar dissolves

• simmer for five minutes

• remove from heat and cool to room temperature

• strain and refrigerate

Passion fruit syrup

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup water

• ½ cup (approximate) passion fruit concentrate (I used Da Fruta)

Steps

• combine sugar and water in small saucepan

• heat and stir until sugar dissolves

• remove from heat and cool to room temperature

• combine with equal volume passion fruit, mix, and refrigerate

Salt tincture

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 Tbsp. hot water

Steps

• combine and stir until dissolved

• cool to room temperature

• store in eye dropper bottle