Orlando: Timeless Modern

To go with Orlando, I wanted something that would have both a masculine and feminine aspect to it, along with something to create some interested.

I flipped through some options on my Food & Wine cocktails app and came across the Timeless Modern. I was definitely intrigued by the name, and the ingredients looked different from anything else that I've tried on here.

Ingredients
2 thin lemon wheels
2 thin lime wheels
3 thin orange wheels
1 1/2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
Dash of Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
Ice

Directions
Set aside 1 wheel of each citrus fruit. In a cocktail shaker, muddle all of the ingredients except the bourbon and ice. Add the bourbon and ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the reserved citrus wheels.

I chose to change the recipe a bit and muddled all the ingredients and served the cocktail over ice in a rocks glass. Definitely a unique combination, but one that seemed to fit the book for me. The bourbon being the stronger masculine edge of things and the surprising lightness of the citrus fruits being the softer feminine side.

Enjoy!

Wuthering Heights: Hot Toddy

The characters are cold, the location is cold, and there's something about Wuthering Heights as a whole that reminds me of one of those gray November days where the chill seems to actually get inside you. I was drawn to this drink for its comforting and warming qualities. It was exactly what I needed while reading this book.

Ingredients
1-2 ounces of whiskey or bourbon
2 teaspoons honey
1 tea bag

Directions
Boil water to use in the tea. Add honey and whiskey/bourbon to a mug. Add the tea bag and boiling water to fill the mug and allow to steep.

I used a caramel herbal tea for my hot toddy and it was a really nice combination with the bourbon I used and the honey. I was pleasantly surprised with how the flavors played together. I really wanted to stay curled up under my blanket with this book and this drink.

Lost Symbol: Old Fashioned

For this book, The Lost Symbol, I wanted to play off the history and the traditions associated with the Masons. So I went with a traditional Old Fashioned.

Ingredients
1 sugar cube
3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces bourbon
1 tablespoon club soda
1 strip of lemon peel (for garnish)

Directions
In a rocks glass, combine the sugar cube, bitters and club soda. Muddle to a paste. Stir in the bourbon. Add ice cream and garnish with a two-inch strip of lemon peel. I also added a dash of lemon juice, and upped the club soda.

Great bourbon flavor, and a very smooth drink.