'Tis the season for cocktails!  Ok, as far as I'm concerned it's always the season for cocktails. This Christmas dare to be different and have a Peruvian Christmas.  Marvin Allen, who performs his bartending magic at the legendary Carousel Bar in New Orleans, created this cocktail.  I discovered the recipe in his book Magic In A Shaker (he also created other libations such as the Kentucky Sunshine).

1.5 ounces pisco
.5 ounces amaretto
.25 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Juice from 1/4 lemon
.5 ounces super simple syrup
3-4 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Combine a shaker with ice, shake like you're Rudolph the Reindeer going on a bender (why do you think his nose is red?), and strain into a chilled glass.

The Peruvian Christmas has more ingredients than most drinks in the Den. Fortunately it's easy to obtain them, and more importantly, the finished product is worth the effort.  Pisco, a brandy that comes from Peru and Chile, is the base spirit of this cocktail, as well as others such as the El Capitan and Pisco Sour.

Regardless of whether or not you celebrate the holiday (I do not), the Peruvian Christmas pairs nicely with your favorite Christmas movies.  My personal favorites are Die Hard ("Now I have a machine gun ho ho ho") and Bad Santa ("F__k me Santa!").  Go have yourself a very merry Peruvian Christmas!

If you've seen the film Dead Poets Society (and if you haven't, you really should) you will remember this magnificent scene. The film's cast included the late great Robin Williams, as well as a young Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, both of whom are essentially my age.

The El Capitan cocktail has nothing to do with either the movie or the poem Walt Whitman composed after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 (he is the captain to whom the poem refers).  Although the origins of the cocktail are murky, it may predate President Lincoln's death.  The cocktail, which originated in Peru and referred to military captains, may be the result of the combination of Italian immigration (and sweet vermouth) and pisco in the 1850s. 

2 ounces pisco
1 ounce sweet vermouth (hola Carpano Antica)
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the determination of Todd Anderson showing courage and loyalty (watch the movie), and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Fundamentally the El Capitan is a Manhattan with pisco instead of bourbon.  Pisco is the base of other cocktails such as the Pisco Sour.  If you want to make an interesting twist on the El Capitan, forget the bitters and use a dash of Fernet Branca, or use Denman Old Quarter bitters from Bittered Sling instead of Angostura bitters.  Any way you make it, the El Capitan is a worthy salute to your captain, whoever he or she may be.

Betty Boop wishes you a happy Repeal Day boop-oop-a-doop.

Repeal Day is important to so many Americans who know nothing about it.  On December 5, 1933 the state of Utah became the final state needed to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.  The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment -- Prohibition.

The 21st Amendment ended what was a disastrous attempt at social engineering, as well as an unfortunate example of unintended consequences. If you want to read more about this important period of American history, I highly recommend Last Call by Daniel Okrent. If you want something less intellectual, watch The Untouchables, listen to music from great Prohibition era artists such as Louis Armstrong or Billie Holiday, or look at the photo of Betty Boop (whose cartoon character first came onto the scene during the tail end of Prohibition).

Want to celebrate Repeal Day with style?  Have a cocktail that someone created in the United States during Prohibition, e.g. the Scofflaw or the 12 Mile Limit, or have a cocktail an American created outside of the United States during Prohibition, e.g. the Mary Pickford or the Boulevardier. Just have a drink.

If there ever was a day of celebration for Americans who choose to imbibe, Repeal Day is it.  A toast to the 21st Amendment!

Yes (with sugar free cranberry juice!).  He also orders a strawberry daiquiri with three umbrellas, a Robitussin and tonic .........

Calm down.  James Bond doesn't actually order those  cocktails in the movies or novels.  Fortunately Daniel Craig, who has played 007 in four movies, has an excellent sense of humor.  Watch below or click here to see a hilarious clip from Craig's recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Thanks to my friend (and fellow Bond geek) Sarah for telling me about this clip. 

If you want to read more about the drinking habits of 007 and his creator, look at James Bond's ABC and Drinking Like Ian Fleming.  Or just click the James Bond archive tab on the right to see everything the Den has to offer about Bond, James Bond.

What makes a vodka martini more intense?  Belvedere Intense vodka.  Belvedere, which is now James Bond's vodka, issued this limited release earlier this year.  My wife and I had the pleasure of discovering it while going through duty free at Heathrow Airport in London. 

How does Belvedere Intense differ from regular Belvedere (which is one of my favorite vodkas)?  The proof is in the proof.  Regular Belvedere is 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume), and Belvedere Intense comes in at a muscular 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume).

If you acquire Belvedere Intense and want to make your Double O Intense Martini in the style of Sir Roger Moore, click here for how to do it.  If you like to make your Double O Intense Martini some other way, go for it.

So how did Ian Fleming, who wrote the novels, come up with the Double O label?  Thanks to Stewart, a fantastic guide for the James Bond walking tour at Brit Movie Tours, I learned the answer -- 007 was a German diplomatic code during World War I.  British intelligence cracked the code and intercepted what is now known as the Zimmerman Telegram, which influenced the decision of the United States to enter the war.

Now you've had a cocktail knowledge shot with a history back. Cheers!

Does this have something to do with a zombie apocalypse movie?  Nope.   Corpse Revivers, which originated around the turn of the 20th century, were an old school "hair of the dog" -- you used one to rejuvenate yourself after a night of heavy drinking.  Thank the late Harry Craddock, head bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London, for saving some of the recipes, and thank Marvin Allen, head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, for introducing me to this cocktail.

1 ounce Calvados or other apple brandy
1 ounce brandy or cognac
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the slow deliberation of trying to do anything with a hangover (don't act innocent -- you know what I'm talking about), and strain into a chilled glass.  Orange peel garnish optional.

Calvados is an apple brandy.  Calvados is to apple brandy like Cognac is to grape brandy -- it's all about geography (in these cases, regions in France ... for more read Torched Dutch Grapes). You'll probably have an apple brandy or two at your local liquor store. If not you have the Internet.

Almost all versions of the Corpse Reviver #1 have at least 50% grape brandy.  I prefer this version because it has more of an apple taste and the proportions are really easy to remember.

If you see a Corpse Reviver on a cocktail menu, take a good look before ordering.  Most likely it will be the gin based #2, not the brandy based #1.  The Corpse Reviver #1 is worth your time, even if your corpse doesn't need reviving.

"The bitch is dead" -- this is how James Bond describes the demise of Vesper Lynd, the girl who broke his heart.  In Casino Royale (both the novel and the movie starring Daniel Craig), Bond falls in love with Vesper before he learns she is a double agent and she commits suicide.  All of this happens after he creates a cocktail in her honor.  Here is my version:

3 ounces vodka (I recommend Belvedere or Zyr)
1 ounce dry gin
.5 ounces dry vermouth (I like Noilly Prat)

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with the fury of 007 exacting vengeance on his enemies, and strain into a chilled glass.  Garnish with lemon peel.

Those of you who are fans of James Bond and/or the Vesper immediately will notice the big difference between my version and the original.  The original calls for a 3:1 ratio of gin to vodka (click here for a YouTube clip of Bond ordering the drink).  I like vodka a lot more than I like gin, so my Vesper reverses the ratio in favor of vodka.  Also, I use dry vermouth instead of Kina Lillet, a French aperitif wine (with a new formula it's now known as Lillet Blanc), that Bond mentions because it's easier to obtain.

Bond would respect my variation on the Vesper, as he is a bit of a cocktail maverick himself.  After all, his preference that his vodka martinis be "shaken not stirred" runs contrary to the Hamlet Cocktail Conundrum.

The Vesper is a big cocktail in that it contains four ounces of high proof alcohol.   Think you can handle it?  Go Bond or go home.

The Aston Martin DB5 -- my favorite James Bond car.

During my recent journey to London I had all sorts of James Bond related experiences.  They included a great walking tour courtesy of Brit Movie Tours (the motto of the tour should be "For Bond Geeks And The People Who Love Them"), a fascinating exhibit entitled Bond In Motion at the London Film Museum, and a cocktail at Dukes Hotel bar.

007 doesn't actually live here.

Why Dukes?  Because it was Ian Fleming's favorite watering hole.  Yes, that Ian Fleming, the man who wrote the James Bond novels.  Amusingly, after watching Dr. No (the first movie) he thought the character's adaptation to the silver screen was a disaster.  After 24 (and counting) films in more than 50 years, clearly he was wrong.  

MI6 headquarters (really).

Rumor has it that Fleming coined the iconic phrase "shaken not stirred" for the James Bond martini while imbibing at Dukes.  Dukes has embraced its connection to Fleming and his literary creation, as much of its cocktail menu has a James Bond theme.

Another reason why Dukes might be for your eyes only -- the place makes martinis to die for.  Or live and let die for.  Or give you a license to kill for.  You get the idea.

I recently had to take one for the team and accompany my wife on her business trip to London.  Talk about a First World problem, right?  If you're still reading it means this post made it through the sarcasm filter on your computer or smartphone.

London is a dynamic city with many iconic sights.  As it is one of the great cities of the world, not surprisingly it has a hell of a good cocktail scene.  My wife and I went to the place at the top of our list -- the Savoy Hotel, which exudes class and old school wealth (neither of which I have ha ha).

The most famous clock in the world. To quote Clark Griswold -- "hey look kids, there's Big Ben!"

First up was the Beaufort Bar, which won the Best International Hotel Bar award at this year's Tales of the Cocktail conference.  The bar itself is gorgeous and the drinks are exquisite.  After that we backtracked through the lobby to the legendary American Bar.  We had the opportunity to converse with Erik Lorincz, an award winning bartender    Combine some sublime cocktails with a pianist covering Frank Sinatra tunes and the total experience is .... brilliant (in the British meaning of the word).     

The cocktails at both bars are very classy, very expensive, and worth every British pound.  Unless you are rich or drinking on someone else's tab, choose carefully from the options.

While imbibing I wondered if the old song Stompin' at the Savoy (Benny Goodman made it famous, but I think the version from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong is better) refers to the hotel.  It does not.  It refers to the Savoy Ballroom club in New York City.

So regardless of whether you prefer the music of Ella Fitzgerald or The Clash (read the subject title again), if you have the opportunity to drink cocktails in London, seize it.  Cheers!

Here's a multiple choice question -- if you're reading this it means you:

(a) met me and/or my supersmart and lovely wife
(b) saw a Society of Unrepentant Drinkers shirt
(c) found a business card for the Wulf Cocktail Den

while you were

(d) at the Tales of the Cocktail conference
(e) on the streets of, or in a bar in, the great city of New Orleans
(f) in a holding cell (just kidding ...... right?)

I'm honored that you decided to come into the Wulf Cocktail Den.  The Den evolves along with my  interest in the wonderful world of cocktails.  I post about various cocktails, cocktail related topics, and even some of my original creations.  You can click on the categories or archives on the right if you don't know where to start.  You might see some recurring themes that do not appear as a category, e.g. my passion for the James Bond franchise and my visceral hatred of Maraschino cherries.

So raise a glass of your favorite cocktail, and welcome to the Wulf Cocktail Den!