ORIGINAL SIGNATURE COCKTAILS
In addition to being an artist and sculptor, I'm also a coctelier, which is to say, a high-end mixologist. I invent cocktails. Here are some examples of my work. The Maharajah is proprietary so you won't easily find the ingredients but if we ever meet, I'd love to mix this cocktail for you and talk about art.
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On the other hand, if you want to know how to create exotic original cocktails, read my book: The Fundamentals of Mixology. It's not just another book of recipes. It teaches true cocktail creation! The book simplifies the cocktail invention process by narrowing the ingredients that can make up a cocktail down to seven types (plus a base alcohol). Once a person realizes that cocktail creation is like playing a scale on the piano, the possibilities become endless! Contact me if you're in need of an original signature cocktail. I design cocktails for clients, corporations and events worldwide.
MARTIAN WINTER
This intriguing Cocktail is a complex mixture of ingredients, all of which contribute to its unusual and intriguing flavor. In its own way, this cocktail is exquisite. No other cocktail is remotely similar so it’s in a category all its own. This is one of several cocktails I've created with carrot juice. The juice is often overlooked but using it is tricky since it easily overpowers other ingredients. It's also overly thin and excessively sweet.
Those who are intrigued by new and unusual flavors will find this cocktail an off-world delight.
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1jigger Vodka
½ teaspoon Brandy
1 Tablespoon Kefir
2½ teaspoons carrot juice
¼ teaspoon Lime Peel Infusion
½ teaspoon Agave Syrup
2 drops orange flower water
Pour over ice and stir
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LIME PEEL INFUSION is made by taking the peel from 4 or 5 fresh limes and letting it steep for a week in 3/4 cup of vodka. Rose's Lime Cordial may be substituted in a pinch.
Rose Marie
Anyone who loves Bloody Marys, is aware of the “funky,” aftertaste that accompanies the tomato flavor, as it fades away on the palate. The Rose Marie eliminates the unpleasant aftertaste of tomato! Disguised at the outset by the overpowering flavor of tomato, the rose “blooms” in the aftertaste as the tomato begins to fade. All the pizzaz of a Bloody Mary, with a kiss of roses at the end! Since rose flavor shares a strongly recognizable chemical chain with tomato (although it may seem counter-intuitive,) their flavors are perfectly compatible and well-matched. I named his cocktail after a favorite character Rose Marie (Mazetta) who starred on the Dick Van Dyke show when I was a kid. This recipe is a modification of a Red Snapper which is similar to a Bloody Mary except it's made with gin. The Sub Rosa Rosenkavalier Bitters are my own recipe.
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10 ounces V-8 Juice
1 1/2 ounces Bombay Sapphire (or Vodka)
4 teaspoons Lemon Juice
2-3 teaspoons Rosenkavalier Rose Bitters
Salt & Pepper to taste
Squirt of Sriracha
Stir and turn out over a highball glass of ice. Garnish with a miniature rose or rose petals and lime wedge.
Maharajah
The Maharajah actually achieves its exotic character with extracts made from two exotic plants. The first is kandan, native to the Mysore region of India. This suffuses the banana with a pungent and intense spiciness that fades to a pleasant vanilla aftertaste. The second, made from another exotic plant, keisar, is native to the fabled vale of Kashmir. The keisar is steeped in Tequila which best shows off its flavor
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1 jigger (11/2 ounces) Vodka
1 pony (1 ounce) Creme de Banana
1 teaspoon Kandan infusion
1 dash Keisar infusion
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Stir ingredients with ice and turn out in a cocktail glass or pour all ingredients over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a miniature banana. Peel the banana half way, shape the open peel and coat peeled portions with lemon juice to preserve color. Make a one inch slit up the center of the banana and fix to the edge of the glass.
GREEN PHOENIX
Talk about your “Blazing Saddles” – this flight of fire will definitely take you for a ride!!
The pale, limpid green of this cocktail gives the impression of a cool desert watering hole but appearances can be deceiving. The garnish, a jicama cow skull, tipped with a small ring of serrano pepper is the only warning that this little number may be more than you bargained for. Named after the mythical phoenix that reconstitutes itself from flame, this luscious but fiery treat gives a steady burn, long after the last sip is gone.
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1jigger St. George's Green Chile Vodka*
1 teaspoon Rose's Lime Cordial
1 teaspoon Agave Syrup (more or less to taste)
1 Tablespoon Tomatillo puree
1/8 teaspoon Desert Willow Infusion (see below)
Combine ingredients, stir and turn out in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Jicama cow's skull
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*Note: The vodka choice is not optional. St. George Chile Vodka is column filtered through layers of: Jalapeno, Serrano, Habanero, and Bell Peppers, along with Cilantro. Another choice will destroy the taste of this cocktail!
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DESERT WILLOW INFUSION: Infusions can be made from both the flowers and leaves of this perennial Southwestern tree. It really isn't a willow but a cousin of the pepper. In this case, you want the tips of the young leaves. Pick enough to make a quarter-cup and infuse them in vodka for about 6 hours. If you don't live in the desert get a friend to send you some.
HIAWATHA
This cocktail, subtitled the:Lake Gitche Gumee Delight is an example from my book, The Fundamentals of Mixology, on creating new cocktails by altering existing recipes. The Hiawatha is an altered recipe for an old favorite, The Algonquin. The unique flavor of pineapple lifesaver syrup is absolutely essential to this drink! Don't try to substitute pineapple juice or liqueur!
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1 1/2 ounces of Rye Whiskey
3/4 ounce of dry Vermouth
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons Pineapple Lifesaver Syrup
3/4 ounce Grapefruit Juice
4 - 8 drops Sassafras infusion
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Shake ingredients lightly with ice and turn into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a pineapple gummi (or gumee as the case may be or with a pineapple slice and orange-peel feather.
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LIFESAVER SYRUP is created by adding about 2 packages (20 to 24) pineapple lifesavers to 1/4 cup of room temperature, distilled water and agitating off and on until dissolved. Make sure to refrigerate.
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SASSAFRAS INFUSION is created by adding 1 Tablespoon of pulverized sassafras to 1/2 cup of vodka and letting it steep for a couple of days. After that filter and bottle.
OAXACAN CHOCOLATIER
This is another unusual original cocktail. It's somewhat difficult to make because of an ingredient called Elephant's Milk, which gives this cocktail an unusual resinous and creamy spiciness. The association of Thailand (the source for Benzoin) with elephants is probably the reason for the name. The finished preparation is also slightly milky.
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1 ounce Reposado Tequila
1/2 ounce raw Cacao infusion
1/2 ounce Vanilla infusion
1/4 teaspoon Elephant's Milk
Stir and serve at room temperature. Garnish with chocolate syrup and sugar crystals.
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ELEPHANT'S MILK was an arcane recipe that appeared during the late Victorian era of Jules Verne. The main ingredient is Benzoin Resin which you'll have to obtain from an herbalist. You need a scant 1/4 ounce of the crushed Benzoin Resin which must be dissolved in a pint of 100% pure Grain Alcohol. Add this to 5 cups of boiling water. Once the mixture cools, strain it through cheesecloth. Then add 11/2 pounds of sugar. Do not mix or store this concoction in a good container, As it cools, some of the gummy resin will congeal out, attaching itself to the sides.
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Did I mention, highly exotic cocktails are my specialty? Contact me if you want a cocktail's ingredients to reflect a period, a geographic area or a theme.
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SEA & STARS
This cocktail, reminiscent of blue lagoons and languid tropical nights is garnished with very thin pieces of starfruit, shaved on a mandoline. The recipe, designed for a client is reserved for their use. The overall flavor is fruity, kissed by a cooling breeze of mint.
COPPER STAR
This is a true Arizona Cocktail, garnished with the state colors of the Arizona flag. The read and blue curlicues, as well as the star, are dyed jicama. The iridescent patina that suggests verdegris "copper," is luster dust from ABC Cakes here in Phoenix. Again, this recipe was created for a client so the recipe is not available..
Lavender & Tonic
This variation on a Gin & Tonic is a great alternative that you won't soon forget, once you've had the first sip!
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I jigger Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 ounce Lavender Liqueur
Tonic Water to top
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Pour gin into a highball filled with ice. Add tonic water to fill. Splash the lavender liqueur into the mixture.
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LAVENDER LIQUEUR: You're going to have to make your own on this one. I find even the best lavender syrups insipid. Add 3 Tablespoons of dried Lavender Flowers to a 750ml bottle of good high-proof vodka and let steep 1 to 2 weeks (longer is better). Make a double-strength sugar syrup (2 cups sugar to one cup water). Add 1 to 11/2 cups of this mix to the lavender infusion and allow to age 1 month. If you use it immediately the flavor is sharp. Once it mellows you can also drink it as a cordial.
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