The Rum Pickle

THE RUM PICKLE

(Eetu Topo)

Good evening everyone! This cocktail is...wow, something truly special in its own kind. I had my doubts. I really did. Moreover, I've also wanted to make this cocktail for some time and today it happened. Before we discuss this drink more, I give credit where credit is due. This cocktail is made by Eetu Topo, a bartender working (assumably) in Helsinki. He made this...it's not really just a cocktail but a category of cocktail, which in my sincerest opinion in all its craziness works.

"I especially want to bring out this new drink category and Nordic cocktail culture and not so much myself as a bartender."

- Eetu Topo

To make a long story short, he made it to the Bacardi Legacy finals (2017) with this drink and I am here now to re-create it to the best of my ability. Also very noteworthy is the fact that Eetu mentioned this cocktail can be twisted and even highly recommended for other bar(tender)s so one needn't be 100% precise as long as the concept is grasped. So, without further ado. I present you Eetu Topo's masterpiece, the Rum Pickle. No, NO RICK! :D

• 45 ml Bacardi Carta Oro
• 20 ml Chablis
• 5 ml white wine vinegar
• 5 ml sugar
• 1 pickled olive

Stir to dissolve the sugar, add ice, stir and chill, strain, garnish and serve.

Simplified for your pleasure:

• 2 parts spirit
• 1 part lengthener
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pickled garnish

Courtesy of the Rum Pickle corporation...or something :D

So, what I did was exactly the same expect using Bacardi 8yo since I was out of...well I never have had Carta Oro rum. But nonetheless. Taste. Okay, let's discuss taste. Where do I start? As I mentioned in the beginning, I was very doubtful of how this cocktail would taste like but HOT DAMN, Eetu you S.O.B. you made magic! Delicious as fudge, reminded me so much of riesling wine. Sweet, that acidity and flavor profile of the rum just hit the spot. I can just imagine what wonders one could make by switching the vinegar (say, raspberry vinegar or so), or using a different lengthener (instead of Chablis, which I even got extra from the liquor store just to make this :D).

Good stuff!

Rob Roy v2

ROB ROY

(RE-VISITED)

Hey everyone. Here's a cocktail I made over five years ago, so now it's time to re-visit this splendid drink. I introduce you to the Rob Roy. I've come a long way since 2012 and if you checked the picture from back then, wow was it ugly :D Also the measures have changed, but just a little bit.

As the IBA official cocktail stands for 4.5cl/2.5cl scotch and sweet vermouth, here is a more oompfier version:

• 6 cl scotch (blend)
• 2 cl sweet vermouth
• 2-3 ds angostura bitters
• maraschino cherry/orange twist/curl/etc...

A long stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish. Serve.

I can't even remember what scotch I used back then, but now I used the Johnnie Walker Black label, aged 12yo. The cocktail was spicy, well-balanced, had a strong flavor profile and well...it's a Scottish version of one of my favorites, the Manhattan. So what could go wrong?

The beauty of this drink is that you can easily modify it by using different scotch where as with the Manhattan you only change the bourbon. So you could say this is a more versatile cocktail, but not as sweet as its American cousin.

A.M.F drink

A.M.F DRINK

(ALPHA MIKE FOXTROT)

ALPHA! MIKE! FOXTROT! OR

ADIOS MOTHERFUCKER!

Here's a big-ass drink. I mean really. Belongs to the series with Irish Trash Can or Long Island Iced Teas, the A.M.F - drink is "oh one of THOSE!" - styled cocktails, which I would recommend making at home if at all. With a beautiful and tropical color, this drink is very very deceitful! Let's take a look:

• 1.5 cl vodka
• 1.5 cl rum (white)
• 1.5 cl tequila (100% de agave)
• 1.5 cl gin
• 1.5 cl blue curacao
• 6 cl sweet & sour mix (I just used 3 cl each fresh lemon juice and simple syrup mixed together)
• 6 cl (or to top) sprite/7-Up lemonade
• Orange/lemon/lime/cocktail cherry garnish

Super easy to make! With a big glass filled roughly half-way with ice, just pour in everything, give it a little stir and top it with lemonade. BOOM! Done! I did make two variations to it, using regular sprite and the now-only-available -30% less sugar sprite and I have to say, the latter tasted better. The first version was overly sweet, which isn't really surprising if you look at the list, three of them being sugary products (curacao, sugar syrup, lemonade). Otherwise, as my friend noted, it's the "alco-pop of spirits" :D Easy to down and gets you drunk fast. Which, in accordance to this cocktail's name is quite right.

Sierra! Echo! November! Delta!

November! Uniform! Delta! Echo! Sierra!

:D

Rye Old Fashioned

RYE OLD FASHIONED

Hey! Today as I was waiting for my good friend to arrive (so we can make a cocktail video), I prepared myself a Rye Old Fashioned. Similar to any OF for that matter, I happened to have a little bit of simple syrup left so why the hell not? :D

• 5-7 cl Rye whiskey (I used Rittenhouse Rye 50%)
• ~1.5 cl simple syrup
• 2-3 ds bitters (I used creole + old decanter)

A long stir with ice, strain into a tumbler filled with ice and garnish. I used a cocktail(:D)cherry + the essential oils of a lemon peel. This cocktail is more to the sweet side, but damn was it good.