#MasterpieceCocktail Weeks 1 & 2

#MasterpieceCocktail is brought to you by Amy's husband, Rob.  (If you don't get the reference here you need to go watch some PBS)

In honor of the final season of Downton Abbey, I decided to experiment with some new classic cocktails and create a running contribution to the blog beyond the photos.  As part of our getting back into blogging I wanted to help contribute and some mixology seemed to be a good (and enjoyably boozy) way to do that.  Thus #MasterpieceCocktail was born.

Amy got me a cocktail book a few years ago after we got married; however, up to this point I haven't used it much despite having a relatively well stocked bar.  During our last vacation (Disney Cruise), we took a number of liquor tasting classes and a mixology class, which helped to spur our interest in cocktails and helped to give me the idea for this series.  Many of the cocktails in the series will be from the book, but many can be found online and some are my twist on the base recipe.  Hope you enjoy the drinks, we certainly did.

Here are the first two cocktails from the series.

Week 1: French 76

The French 76 is a variation of the classic Champagne cocktail, the French 75.  The French 75 traditionally is made with Gin, while the French 76 is a Vodka variant.  The story goes that American soldiers in World War I brought this drink home after the war and the name comes from a French 75mm artillery piece.

1 oz Vodka (I used Absolut Citron)
1/2 oz Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
5 oz Chilled Champagne
Citrus Twist

Pour Vodka, Sugar, and Lemon juice into a cocktail shaker wth ice and shake.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or flute and top with the champagne.

The result is a sweet, fizzy cocktail.

Week 2: Chelsea Sidecar

The Chelsea Sidecar is a variation of the classic Cognac Sidecar drink and is s signature drink of the Chelsea Hotel in New York.  It is also known as a Gin Sidecar.  I made mine a little different than the traditional version, substituting Grand Marnier for the traditional Cointreau.  The result was a slight coloration to a traditionally effectively clear drink.

2 oz Gin (I used Hendricks which is a little different than some of the more traditional London Gins)
3/4 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Fresh lemon juice
Lemon Twist

Shake the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail class, add the lemon twist.

The result of the Hendricks and Grand Marnier lead to a great, citrusy cocktail.