Who Says You Can't Get Blood from a Stone?: Cocktail of the Week

Tricia Alley, the head bartender at the new B-Side Lounge at Rolling Stone, originally created her Blood from a Stone cocktail at home for her boyfriend as a sort of joke.  She wanted to shock him and another friend, but instead they loved it and asked for refills.  Alley's boyfriend enjoyed it so much he encouraged me to try it on a recent visit to B-Side.  The cocktail is named Blood from a Stone because "it is what one is never meant to do, that is, Cask Strength Scotch in a cocktail", Alley said. This is a boozy drink with a citrus kick from the blood orange jucie and the orange bitters.  It is tasty and packs a wallop and is distinctive and delicious enough to deserve the title of Cocktail of the Week.

The recipe is below if you'd like to make one at home.  Cheers!

Blood from a Stone by Tricia Alley

Ingredients:
1 Dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters
.75 oz Cara Cara Orange Juice
.75 oz Cherry Kijafa
.75 oz Carpanao Antica
.75 oz Lagavulin 12 Natural Cask Strength

Shake over ice and strain into a glass.
And then, if your socks are still intact:
Flamed Orange Peel Garnish

700 Rum Punch by Alex Strauss

At last week's Don Q party and competition at Esquire House, a highlight for me was Alex Straus's 700 Rum Punch.  It is pictured above right, with his winning Berlin cocktail, above left.  There were ten different cocktails on offer at the event, in addition to several generic Don Q cocktails, but it was Alex's Rum Punch that I kept coming back to.  Surprisingly this drink did not win, although his other cocktail, the Berlin, did.

The 700 Rum Punch packs a wallop with four different types of rum but is very refreshing.  It is the kind of cocktail you could have several of before you realize the full effects of the potent elixir.  For hot days like we've had lately, a chilled rum punch is just the thing.  Alex Straus was generous enough to share his recipe:

The 700 Rum Punch by Alex Straus

Ingredients:
1 oz Don Q Rum
3/4 oz Don Q Anejo
1/2 oz Smith and Cross Jamaica Rum
1 oz Blackbeard Spiced Rum
3/4 Lime Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz St Vincent's Orgeat

Directions:
Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice into a tiki mug with 1 1/2 oz ginger beer in the bottom (to allow the effervescence to push through the punch).