Tuesday, December 28, 2010

frank-o

2 oz Frapin VS Cognac
1/2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
1/2 oz Luxardo Triple Sec
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Stir with ice and strain into a snifter glass with a citrus-flavored sugared (*) rim and a smoked ice cube (**).
(*) Dehydrated sugar, Cointreau, orange zest, and Middle Eastern black lime. See link below for more information.
(**) Watch Todd make smoked ice using falernum-soaked wood chips and a blowtorch here.

For my second drink at Clio last week, bartender Todd Maul wanted to make me the Frank-O. Todd's initial idea was to deconstruct a warm winter drink and make it cold. The drink ended up a variation of the Frank Sullivan cocktail which is also known as the Hoop La, Hey Hey, and Odd McIntyre (sometimes with the recipe listed multiple times under different names in the same book). Instead of equal parts brandy, triple sec, Lillet, and lemon juice, Todd increased the brandy; moreover, he added rum to push it closer to a hybrid with a Between the Sheets cocktail -- a Frank Sullivan with the Lillet switched out for rum. Two other tricks were thrown in with the first being a citrus-flavored sugar rim and the second being a smoked ice cube.
The Frank-O ended up a bit stronger and drier than a Frank Sullivan. A citrussy sip was followed by Cognac's heat, the rum's funk, and a hint of smoke from the ice cube. The sugared rim functioned to return some of the sweetness to the balance but did not make the drink overly sweet as it can for me in many Sidecar recipes.

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