Al Culliton

‘A very fine bar, wherever you are’

ST. PAUL’S TOWERS cocktails class

Here’s everything you need to be prepared for class!

FOR MIXING

  • Cocktail shaker or a Mason jar with lid

  • Strainer (or the circular piece from the Mason jar lid)

  • A small fine mesh strainer

  • Mixing glass or a large glass with a wide base

  • Bar spoon or long stirring implement

  • Muddler or end of the handle of a wooden spoon

  • Jiggers, or small measuring cup (¼ oz – 2 oz measurements)

  • Regular measuring spoons

  • Lewis bag or heavy dish towel

  • Wooden mallet (can use wooden muddler, too)

  • Small cutting board and knife

  • A vegetable peeler

FOR SERVING

  • Julep cup or double rocks glass (approx. 12-14 oz.)

  • Footed Pilsner or Collins/highball glass (approx. 12 oz.)

  • Single rocks glass (approx. 6-7oz., but anything under 12 oz. is okay!)

  • Straws, preferably metal

BOTTLES

  • Spirituous liquor (choose ONE from below)

    • Cognac (VS or VSOP)

    • Rye whiskey or Bourbon

  • Fortified wine (choose ONE from below)

    • Port (ruby)

    • Dry sherry (oloroso or amontillado type)

    • NOTE: make sure you’re not buying cooking sherry for this! A good bottle (750mL) for mixing should cost between $12 and $20.

    • Check out this primer for brand recommendations and more information on each type of wine

GROCERIES, ETC.

  • Ice – regular cubes are good; about a medium mixing bowl’s worth per person, plus one quart more per person for crushed ice (see PREP TASKS section below)

  • Bitters – i.e. Angostura, Bogarts, Aromatic

  • Sugar

  • Bunch of mint

  • 3 lemons

  • Fruit: 12 blueberries, 5 pitted cherries, 3 strawberries or 8 raspberries

  • Extra fruit for garnish – i.e. more of above and/or currants, gooseberries, etc.

PREP TASKS

MAKE A SYRUP
Combine ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool completely before use. Store in fridge until it’s time to use it.

CRUSH ICE (do this the afternoon before class)
Put a quart of cube ice (more if for two people) into a Lewis bag or heavy dish towel. Place on a very sturdy surface, like stone, concrete, etc. Steady bag with one hand, pinching the open side and, with your stronger hand, use a wooden wallet or muddler to hit the ice hard (watch your fingers!), breaking it into small pieces. It’s okay if there are a few bigger chunks, but you want most of it well broken-up, without being pulverized. Put it in a container in the freezer until we need it in class!

FREEZE YOUR ROCKS GLASS(ES)
Put them in the freezer at least a couple hours before class, and don’t take them out until Al asks you to — they should to be really cold!

RECIPES

A JULEP THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
1½ oz. spirit
1 oz. port or sherry
½ oz. simple syrup
8 mint leaves, plus a large mint bouquet for garnish
3 thin slices of lemon, for garnish
Bitters, for garnish
Muddle 8 mint leaves with simple syrup. Fill the julep cup or rocks glass halfway with crushed ice and add spirit and fortified wine. Fill cup with more crushed ice, just to the top of the cup. Slap mint bouquet against your palm, insert it into ice, place a metal straw next to it, then arrange lemon slices in a fan pattern in front of mint and straw. Finally, mound a bit more crushed ice on top and dash on bitters. Serve.

A “FANCY” COCKTAIL
2 oz. spirit
¼ oz. simple syrup
2 dashes bitters
Combine all in a mixing glass. Add plenty of ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a frozen single rocks glass. Using a vegetable peeler, take a wide piece of peel of a lemon, avoiding the pith (white part) if you can. Using both hands, squeeze the oils out of the peel and onto the drink by pinching it between your thumbs, fore- and middle-fingers, peel side out, over the glass. Then drag the peel around the rim of the glass and discard peel. Serve.

SUMMER FRUIT COBBLER
3 oz. fortified wine
½ oz. simple syrup
2 lemon half-wheels
12 blueberries or 5 pitted cherries or 3 strawberries or 8 raspberries
Mint and assorted fruit for garnish
Muddle syrup with citrus and fruit in a shaker. Add fortified wine. Add cubed ice (not the crushed ice) to shaker, seal, and shake hard for 15 seconds. Double strain (Hawthorne and fine strainers) into footed cobbler glass or Collins glass. Add reserved crushed ice, creating a mound of ice on top. Garnish with mint, a citrus half-wheel and assorted fruits. Serve with a straw.