When I found out that this Mixology Monday - hosted at Kaiser Penguin was going to be devoted to mint, I immediately thought of crème de menthe and one of the classic cocktails devoted to it, the Stinger, a combination of brandy and crème de menthe. I’ve never had a stinger before, but then again am not a huge crème de menthe fan. There may be some good brands out there – I await to see what the other Monday Mixologists are uncovering – but in general, I find the liqueur too one-note, as subtle as a vial of McCormick’s mint extract. Frankly I wasn’t sure I wanted to plunk down twenty bucks on a bottle that would linger unused on my shelf.

My solution was to make my own mint liqueur. Nothing too refined, I just started with an overproof rum, a bunch of chopped mint and some simple syrup:

Simple Mint Liqueur

2/3 c. chopped mint leaves
1/3 c. 151-proof rum (I used J. Wray & Nephew overproof white rum)
simple syrup, 1:1 ratio, sugar to water

In a bowl or jar placed in the refrigerator, soak leaves overnight in rum. Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing out excess alcohol. It should measure about a quarter cup. Add enough syrup to make 1/3 c. total. (Or, if making in larger quantities, keep 2 parts rum to 1 part syrup.)

From there, a nice, subtle stinger is just a step away.

I’ve actually become fond of making a number of brandy cocktails with cognac. (Cognac is brandy, but not all brandies are cognac.) I don’t break the bank, but for 25 bucks or so, maybe less, you can get a decent, full-bodied cognac with a nice kick that far more focused than the sweet, full brandies that comprise the cheaper brands. Not what you want all the time, but here a VSOP Marquis de Gensac carried the day.

Stinger Deluxe

1 jigger cognac
1 jigger simple mint liqueur

Shake ingredients well and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish if you like.

Since the homemade mint liqueur was far less cloying and sweet than crème de menthe, I feel justified in using a sugared rim and a mint sprig for garnish.

A lot of trouble, I’m sure plenty of you are saying. Or maybe you just want a full mint taste, something understated in my version. The traditional recipe, half brandy, half crème de menthe, may be the thing for you.

I’ve never been a huge fan of milk or cream-based drinks. A brandy alexander or a White Russian can be fine as an occasional dessert, but the idea one after the other when going out is never appealing.

But after seeing that this Mixology Monday - hosted by The Art of Drink - has the theme of coffee liqueur, the creamy dessert cocktail seemed an obvious route. I imagined something like a brandy alexander, only with the coffee liqueur added. Or, since I’ve been intrigued with the use of raw egg as an ingredient since trying the Pink Lady, I pictured an egg yolk emulsifying it.

Turns out Trader Vic’s guide lists just such a recipe, called the Carioca. I know nothing about the history, or how widely this was ever served. From what I’ve seen Carioca is a rum brand, so I’m not sure how it lent its name to this drink.

I’ve adjusted the proportions slightly

The Carioca

1 jigger brandy
1/2 jigger Kalhúa
1/2 jigger cream
1 egg yolk
dust with grated nutmeg, if desired

A lot of people will be put off the raw egg. Indeed, consumption does carry risk of illness. But I’m amazed at the numbers who will freak out at a true Caeser salad or homemade mayonnaise but eat raw cookie dough by the tubful. For the soundest mind, use the freshest eggs you can get, organic if you can.

Anyway, the egg provides a nice silky texture to the liquid ingredients – and with the cream adds a layer of richness. I ended up liking this better than the regular alexander, and it’s equally fine with aged rum instead of the brandy. Why try to force a martini to take on the taste of tiramisu when you can get back to the basics of rum, coffee, egg, and dairy instead?

Home bartending principle number one: rely on signature drinks.

Everyone who entertains and is not a teetotaler knows – or should know – the value of a well-stocked bar. Having a handful of liquors, a few mixers and a couple of garnishes on hand allow you to accommodate the majority of cocktails or mixed drinks your guests might desire.

Sometimes, however, we don’t live up to this ideal. Stocking a full bar and keeping it stocked can be an expensive enterprise, after all. Sometimes we entertain while on vacation, away from home. Most important, there are times when bartending by the drink is impractical. We have hostly duties or the final details of dinner to attend to, and the last thing we want to do is juggle requests for manhattans, cosmos and white Russians.

In these instances, a single drink on hand saves trouble. If a thematic or seasonal cocktail is presented to them, most guests are happy to follow with whatever is on offer; wine and beer on reserve can keep the others satisfied. The challenge of the home bartender is to choose a drink that will serve as a focal point for the meal, party or gathering – a signature drink or an old standard with a twist.

What do I mean by signature drink? It should be memorable, the sort of thing that guests will remember and associate with you and your event. Cosmopolitans can be just the thing after a day at the beach, but in general along with apple martinis and white Russians, they’re probably too overexposed to seem special for an evening occasion. On the other end of the spectrum, more obscure drinks with stronger liquors can sometimes be hard sells; don’t make a batch of Rob Roys unless you’re reasonably sure that your crowd likes blended scotch. Go for crowd-pleasing yet not cliched; simple yet dramatic.

I’ll be giving ideas for such drinks in this blog. As an example of what a simple cocktail can achieve for a party, let’s start with a blood orange sidecar. Sidecars are my favorite cocktail, so I’m sure I’ll have more to say about them, other recipes to give. But my friend Rebecca suggested using the blood orange to give deep-red color and almost purfumey touch to this great-for-winter cocktail. The fruit is in season now, and what better way to note a special occasion than with seasonal ingredients? The sugared rim adds a nice dramatic touch for company, too.

For value and body, I recommend a decent but not fancy full-bodied brandy; the Spanish brand Fundador always works well for me. The three-citrus punch of Rose’s and juice orange in addition to blood orange may seem like overkill but since blood oranges are sweeter and less acidic the balance is needed. (You’ll find them stingy on the juice, too; the high number in my recipe reflects that.) I tested the recipe with the more classical lemon juice, but the result didn’t seem to gel right and tasted thin, like a failed cosmo.

Cointreau is expensive, but don’t - simply don’t - use regular triple sec here. With a cocktail tittering on the edge of a fine sophisticated-fruity diving line, triple sec will push it straight into cloyingly sweet territory.

For fruity drinks like this, shaking really chills the cocktail and shows off the flavors well. Note the recipe is for four drinks, but depending on your math skills, you can pare it down to one… or mix in larger batches for a more crowded party. If going the latter route, put all ingredients in a pitcher then refrigerate (no more than an hour or two in advance). When mixing, just stir, pour into a cocktail shaker, shake, then strain into cocktail glasses.

Blood Orange Sidecar
Makes 4 cocktails

5 jiggers brandy
2 jiggers Cointreau
1 jigger Rose’s lime juice
juice of 3 blood oranges
juice of 1 regular orange

First sugar the rims of 4 cocktail glasses by rubbing the rims with the flesh of any citrus fruit, then dipping the edge in granulated white sugar. Set aside; you can chill in the freezer if you like.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in ingredients. Shake, then strain into the glasses. Garnish with orange twist.