Cocktail Friday: Whiskey Flip

This week has been crazy. I've only been in Minnesota since Saturday but so much has happened that I feel like it's been a month. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say that I'm getting involved in some REALLY amazing projects that are connecting me with talented food bloggers and other foodie friends. It's a dream come true, really. It also means that I am really ready for a cocktail.

My parents have a cocktail recipe book called the Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender's Guide: New World Edition. It has a plethora of cocktails garnished with bright red maraschino cherries and other slightly dated decorations. Overall, it is quite informative and contains some gems that are worth trying. This Whiskey Flip, for example, is a little bit like eggnog but less sweet and more boozy.

I adapted the recipe slightly because I wanted the drink to be a little sweeter (I know- pretty unusual for me) and a little less astringent, so I added more powdered sugar and less whiskey. This would be a fun addition to your Thanksgiving menu and is perfectly seasonal with a sprinkling of nutmeg over the top.

The best part about this post is that my sister and I worked together to take the photos. She chose the props from my mom's fabulous selection of antiques and I mostly just took the pictures. One thing I've realized on this trip is that working with people instead of on your own is a bazillion times easier and a trazillion times more fun. Yep. Trazillion.

Whiskey Flip

Ingredients

• 1 ounce whiskey
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream
• 1 whole egg
• freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the nutmeg in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously until the cocktail is creamy and frothy on the top.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the nutmeg.

Cocktail Friday: Old Pal

We have lived in our house for almost exactly a year. The first night we tried moving in was a nightmare. We had just gotten Riley into bed in his new nursery and started getting our things organized and unpacked. I was walking down our hall on our new bamboo floors when they suddenly went from hard wood to squishy wood. I stopped, looked down at my feet, and saw that the wood had curled up at the edges. After some investigating, we found that the washing machine had been leaking for about a week. All the water collected under the wood floor and it was pretty well destroyed. After months of waiting for the house to be finished, we packed out things and moved back to my in-laws house for another week until things were back in order.

Cocktail Time with an Old Pal :: Set the Table

I definitely needed a cocktail after that.

Old Pal :: Set the Table

When we were able to finally move in, it took some time to feel settled. Actually, we are still working on that. There are still boxes in the garage that need to be unpacked. We haven’t mastered our organizational skills (do those even exist with a toddler in the house?) and we are still discovering new things to do in our neighborhood.

We may not be “Old Pals” with our house yet, but we are getting there. Enjoying perfectly crafted cocktails with friends on the patio certainly helps move the process along. The recipe for this Old Pal cocktail comes from one of my favorite books: The Art of the Bar. No matter what the occasion, I can always find a perfect cocktail recipe that I know will taste fantastic.

Old Pal Cocktail :: Set the Table

Here, bitter red Campari is combined with whiskey (the recipe calls for Canadian but I used a Kentucky bourbon), dry vermouth, and a twist of orange. It is beautifully balanced and perfectly elegant. If you aren’t used to the flavor of Campari this is a great way to introduce it into your repertoire.

Cheers to new homes, old pals, and Friday. [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:21]