Gin & Vodka Cocktails

Elder Buddha

Hangar 1's Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka is a truly delightful liquor. A very old relative of the lemon, buddha's hand gives complex layers of floral, herbaceous and fruity liveliness to vodka. It works wonderfully in mixed drinks as well as chilled on its own for sipping (or at least that's what I was told on the distillery tour!).

Certainly not a "stiff" drink, but an attempt at a balanced and refreshing structure with the delicate yuzu, floral sweetness of elderflower, and not-too-bitter Cocchi Americano.

Build it: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Lockdown Experiment #2

During San Francisco's Shelter-in-Place Order, I began testing out a series of drinks called Lockdown Experiments. Surprisingly crisp, this experiment variant #2 struck a nice balance of acidity, bitter and sweet.

The starting point for this gin cocktail was the classic cocktail Corpse Reviver #2, which itself has an interesting history. I also took inspiration from the modern cocktail Deep Blue Sea, created by Michael Madrusan and documented in Sasha Petraske's book — 'Regarding Cocktails'.

Build it: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with the meyer lemon wheel.

Lockdown Experiment #1

The intention was to create a martini-style cocktail which highlights the unique floral character of Hangar One Pink Peppercorn. The dense cassis liqueur will settle to the bottom of the glass, forming an interesting layered effect.

Build it: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a martini glass. Serve up.