Category: cocktails

Posted on

Wallace & Davis O.F. (A Runaway Anchor Original)

The Story

Originally introduced Dec 23, 2023, this Runaway Original is back for a second holiday season. Kicking off our Menu for the year, enjoy our tasty riff on the old fashioned again!!

The Old Fashioned is a classic. An easy cocktail to make and enjoy at home, or to order from any bar in the world. We thought it would be fun to do a riff on the Old Fashioned for the holidays. This mixture evokes the taste of chocolate covered cherries, but the balance is crucial with this cocktail.

First thing: stick with Bourbon. We tried it with Rye and the spice will quickly overwhelm the delicate balance here (Scotch would also overpower it). Also, abide by the 0.5oz of cherry heering. If you put a full shot in this drink the only thing you’ll taste is cherry. Finally, THREE dashes of the bitters. The last thing you taste should be the chocolate. We hope you enjoy this Runaway Anchor Original Cocktail for the holidays this year (or anytime you’re in the mood for something a little sweet)!

If you’re wondering about the name. This classic cocktail needed a classic holiday movie to go along with it, so we went with White Christmas, naming the cocktail after the characters played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

Happy Holidays!

The Recipe

2 oz Bourbon

½ oz Cherry Heering Liqueur

3 dashes of Chocolate Bitters

The Build

In a Mixing Glass, add all three ingredients

Add ice and stir for 30 seconds

Strain over a single ice cube if possible

Garnish with 2-3 Maraschino Cherries

Source: BC (Co-Founder of the Runaway Anchor Cocktail Bar)

Posted on

Psycho Killer

The Story

This tasty little cocktail was a feature of one of Anders Erickson’s “spooky cocktails” video series. We are always looking for ways to explore Campari without getting anywhere near a Negroni, and this one is a good option. To make it, you’ll need to infuse cacao nibs into Campari before mixing the cocktail. What you’ll end up with a mix of sweet and bitter that is pretty nice! We hope you enjoy this spooky looking cocktail!

Cheers!!

The Recipe

2 oz Irish Whiskey

¾ oz Cacao Nib Infused Campari (see recipe below)

½ oz White Creme de Cacao

¼ oz Absinthe

Cacao Nib Infused Campari

1 cup Campari

2 tablespoons Cacao Nibs

Mix together and infuse for 1-2 hours

Strain out nibs and store for up to 2 weeks

The Build

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass

Add ice and stir for 30 seconds

Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora

Source: Ander Erickson Spooky Cocktail Series

Posted on

Banana Bread Old Fashioned

The Story

The Old Fashioned is a very flexible template to begin experimenting with flavor. The construction is “spirit, sugar, bitter”. Traditionally that means “whiskey, simple syrup, angostura bitters”. That’s what you’ll get if you order it from a bar, most of the time. But if you are a home bartender, you can have more fun with it!! Swap any element for another and you’ve got your own riff.

We first learned of the the Banana Bread Old Fashioned somewhere online, but we’ve tweaked and changed it, so the original source is lost. This is our take. Sticking with whiskey (you pick the type, just probably not scotch in this one). Then swap simple syrup for Creme de Cacao and Banana Liqueur. Ditch the banana part if you don’t like artificial fruit flavor, it’s still tasty! Then swap Angostura bitters with a combination of Chocolate and Walnut bitters. The Black Walnut is a more powerful flavor, so double up the chocolate to keep it under control.

We hope you enjoy this riff and that it inspires you to make your own variations!! Options are limitless!!

Cheers!!

The Recipe

2 oz Whiskey (Bourbon or American Whiskey)

½ oz White Creme de Cacao (1 oz if you like it sweeter)

1 oz Banana Liqueur

2 dashes Chocolate Bitters

1 dash Black Walnut Bitters

The Build

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass

Add ice and stir for 30 seconds

Strain lowball over a large ice cube

Source: Runaway Anchor Original Cocktail

Posted on

The Wicked Word

The Story

This one is a little crazy. But if you do it right, you look like a cocktail wizard! The key to this “flaming cocktail” is to use Black Sambuca (for the color change element) and to not leave the alcohol aflame too long.

This is a cocktail with a heavy anise flavor, so black licorice fans should be pleased. If you are put off by the Aperol (as I was initially) you needn’t be worried. The combo of the sambuca and the lemon really tamp down the bitterness. I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve appreciated how a bitter spirit like Aperol can enhance an otherwise sweet and tart cocktail.

So be careful with your fire as you enjoy this Anders Erickson Original!!

And here is it in action!!

Cheers!

The Recipe

1 oz Cognac

1 oz Aperol

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz Black Sambuca (set aflame)

The Build

Add Cognac, Aperol, and Lemon Juice to a shaker

Add ice and shake for 20 seconds

Double strain into a coupe glass

Pour Sambuca into a large tulip style glass

Swirl the sambuca to coat the sides

CAREFULLY, light the liquid on fire with a long match or lighter

Swirl the flaming sambuca to keep lit (do not wait long at this step, or glass will get dangerously hot)

While still aflame, slowly pour the sambuca into the couple glass (turning the pink drink pitch black)

Give the tulip glass a brief shake to put out the flame.

NOTE OF CAUTION: whenever you work with flaming cocktails, have a fire extinguisher handy and don’t mix this after you’ve had a few. Drink responsibly!

Source: Anders Erickson Original Recipe

Posted on

Chambord Bramble

The Story

It is rare that we highlight “build in glass” cocktails. Part of the fun of home bartending is getting to use the tools! Mixing Glass, Boston Shaker, Lewis Bag and Mallet!! They are all fun, and make you feel like a pro. But sometimes it’s nice to just throw something together in the glass, which brings us to the Chambord Bramble.

Chambord is a raspberry liqueur that comes in a very distinct bottle. A quick search for most popular drinks made with it led us directly to the Bramble. This is a Gin cocktail, and generally calls for London Dry. But here at the Runaway Anchor, we tend to lean on the smoother gins of Plymouth and Old Tom, and that’s no different here. The Gin Bramble also uses a different liqueur, Creme de Muir which is not as sweet as Chambord. Use whatever gin you like best for this one though, no judgement!

As the days get colder, take one more sip of summer in a glass, and bonus, you won’t have much to clean up afterwards!

Cheers!

The Recipe

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz Gin (Old Tom, Plymouth)

1 oz Chambord Raspberry Liqueur

The Build

Fill a lowball glass with ice cubes

Add each ingredient in the order listed above to the glass

Top with extra ice if needed

Give it a swirl and start sippin’

Source: google search for chambord cocktails…

Posted on

The Clapping Monkey HOC – A Runaway Anchor Original

The Story

This original cocktail is inspired by a local coffee shop in Fridley, Minnesota. The signature flavor is a mix of vanilla, hazelnut, and banana. So, we took those elements and combined them with coffee and chocolate liqueurs to make this tasty dessert cocktail!

You can ramp the intensity up by adjusting the hazelnut and banana down a half ounce. And you can adjust the cream to your specific choice, though heavy cream will give you the thickest, richest version.

We hope you enjoy this dessert option on the Runaway Anchor menu. Go bananas!!!

Cheers!

The Recipe

1 oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

1 oz Dark Creme de Cacao

1 oz Banana Liqueur

1 oz Hazelnut Liqueur (Frangelico)

½ oz Heavy Cream

The Build

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker

Add ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds

Double strain into a chilled lowball filled with ice cubes

Source: Inspired by signature flavor of “The Clapping Monkey House of Coffee” located in Fridley, Minnesota.

Posted on

The Runaway Margarita

The Story

Every bar worth it’s salt offers a Margarita (pun intended). The Runaway Anchor has a specific recipe that is sure to delight the crowd. Stick with Reposado Tequila for this one versus Blanco. And up your Triple Sec game with Grand Marnier or other Cognac based orange liqueur. The real treat comes with the Agave Syrup. It’s crucial to be comfortable making your own syrups, and this one is no more challenge than a Simple Syrup (1:1 sugar and water). Our agave syrup is just 1 part agave and 1 part water. Heat it, dissolve it, and cool it, and you’re good to go! If you’re mixing for many, ramp up the ratios! The power of our amazing House Margarita is now in your hands!

Cheers!

The Recipe

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Espilon or 1800)

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

1 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz Agave Syrup

Agave Syrup Recipe:

You may find varying consistencies of agave in your store. You want one that has the consistency of honey. Some agave nectars are already a little watered down. If you end up with that, just use it as is.

  • Heat a sauce pan
  • Add equal parts Agave and Water
  • Stir until dissolved and allow to cool
The Build

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker

Add ice and shake for 15 seconds

Strain over ice cubes in a lowball

Optional Garnish: Salted Rim

Source: Runaway Anchor Original Recipe

Posted on

Red Raider

The Story

This cocktail comes from a share within our Runaway Anchor Patreon Speakeasy group. After making it a couple of times, I would classify this cocktail as “alcoholic tropical punch”. The bourbon is buried in this drink. The citrus is front and center with the lemon (or lime) balancing nicely with the orange in the Curacao and the rich grenadine syrup. If you aren’t making your own grenadine at home, consider buying the one we used from Portland Syrups and created by Anders Erickson. It is awesome!

Enjoy the last month of summer with this smooth sipper! But be careful, as each drink is still packing 2 oz of booze, and if you use a high proof bourbon, this drink could sneak up on you! Drink responsibly.

Cheers!

The Recipe

1½ oz Bourbon

½ oz Dry Curacao

¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice (or Lime Juice)

½ oz Anders Erickson Grenadine

The Build

Add all ingredients to a shake

Add ice and shake for 10-15 seconds

Double strain into a lowball over a single large ice cube

Source: @top_shelf_tre https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9QeRVWPh58/

Posted on

Tale of Two Cars: Cable Car

The Story

One of the great things about cocktails is that once you know a base recipe, you can always modify the elements are create something entirely new! That is definitely true for this riff on the Sidecar. The Cable Car swaps out the Cognac with Spiced Rum, adding a bold new flavor to the mix. For our recipe we chose to use Cointreau for our “orange liqueur”, but you can use Dry Curacao if you prefer (which was our choice for the Sidecar recipe).

This recipe comes from the amazing cocktail book by Steve the Bartender, and it’s definitely worth picking up a copy HERE.

Cheers!

The Recipe

This recipe is doubled for coupe

3 oz Spiced Rum

1½ oz Orange Curacao (Cointreau)

2 oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup

The Build

All all ingredients to a cocktail shaker

Add ice and shake for 10-15 seconds

Double strain into a chilled Coupe glass (no ice)

Source: Steve the Bartender Cable Car Recipe