Mixology Monday 107: Burden Of Proof Menu

Forgive me for posting drink recipes on Good Friday but this is how the cookie has crumbled. My Mixology Monday party was called Burden Of Proof and I wanted guests to share their recipes using overproof spirits. I had to set the bar somewhere and I chose anything over 50% abv. One of the great things about a party (potluck, theme, costume or otherwise) or similar ventures is that no matter how many things you consider someone will always think of something you hadn't. It's great to see other people's perspective and it enriches the experience. Enough with the gushing and let's get to the menu:

First, and most mysteriously, (owing to my own ignorance no doubt) is the Instagram exclusive entry from @wsstik using strawberry infused Old Grand Dad 114. This was a popular spirit this month as you'll see. The drink is a Fancy Sour.

Overproof, to me, can mean a bit more "room" in a drink, in that you can use a bit less base and still get enough booze in the drink, leaving space in the glass for other flavors. Here, strawberry infused Old Grand Dad 114, with its high percentage of rye in the mash bill, suggested I fill up the rest of the jigger with Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao to add orange and then to make a sour. #mxmo #mixologymonday #bourbon #curacao #strawberry @dagreb

A photo posted by @wsstik on Mar 12, 2016 at 5:54pm PST

Next, I believe, is the always inspiring Stacy Markow with the Green Chartreuse Smash. I expected Chartreuse to be in a few of the drinks but it wasn't as popular as I'd hoped. But really, how could you top this?

Pete Barmeister of Meticulous Mixing puts Pusser's Gunpowder Proof rum to use in a Navy Grog and then in a Hot Grog. Delicious, I'll bet!

Logophobe of the Intemperance blog puts forth a Bahia Cocktail. It's not the recipe I'm familiar with but rather a riff on the Bijou and on homage to a disputed emerald! Perhaps you can top the smash?

Tiare (or is it Helena?) of A Mountain Of Crushed Ice mixes up three drinks for the party! Her Rivers Royale Daiquiri and two tiki drinks: a Tasman Sea (using non-demerara 151) and a 2070 Swizzle Redux.

Nick Rose at The Booze Baron goes over the top using a 91.2% abv Absinthe tempered with black coffee, Campari, and a 60% abv orange liqueur! Here is the O.T.T.O.P.

Ian Lauer of Tempered Spirits adds the Rust N Dust to the party menu. It's a kinda-sorta Old Fashioned using Smoke Pit Syrup. What's that? Read the post and find out! Hell, make your own even.

The Boozenerds have a dalliance with the Amaretto Sour and then settle for an orginal tiki-compliant drink called Out Of Pocket. Rum, lime, orgeat, bitters, etc. My kinda drink!

Doc Elliot prescribes us more 151 rum. This time it's mixed with B&B in the Elephant's Memory and in the Elephant's Thoughts.

From the Ginhound blog Andrea presents The Stanley Daiquiri. Inspired by a preparation for steak (of all things!) it's a drink served up using Wray & Nephew Overproof and horseradish syrup. Oh my!

Melding together the 151 Swizzle and the Hemingway Daiquiri Kafke Latte (Robin) of Kitchen-Shamanism puts Papa's 151 Swizzle on the menu. Let's all just take a moment shall we?

Maybe a nice sorbet. Perhaps some plain crackers. That was a lot of rum. There's more to come!

Alright. Shake your head. Have some black coffee. Do jumping jacks. This isn't finished.

Mindtron at Buried Pleasure is perhaps the quintessential participant this month with both OGD 114 and Lemon Hart 151. They're not in the same drink mind you... We have The Bearded Gentleman and a Nuclear Daiquiri riff using creme de cacao: Closing Time Daiquiri.

Alex at Stag And Otter uses cask strength Laphroaig as a rinse in Smoke Over The Temperance. A powerfully flavoured high proof rinse puts me in mind of a Sazerac and I think this is the only such recipe this month. Bravo Alex!

Our illustrious leader actually lights something on fire (as do I, but we'll get to that) in The Ankle Breaker. A tiki drink from 1950s Charleston, SC.

What about me? Well I made an Old Fashioned. Boring I realise but whaddayagonnado? Oh, I also made Jason Alexander's Colada Noir (with a substitution).

We're not done!

Dominik MJ reads between the lines and gets closer to my original intention of overproof (which I lowered so as to not exclude Chartuese) with Navy Strength gin, malic acid & saline solution (no, really!) in the Plymouth Navy Strength Green Apple Basil G & T. A figurative and literal mouthful! But really what do you expect from the Opinionated Alchemist?

Now, I did set the limit. 50% abv and above I said. Joel at Southern Ash uses Wild Turkey 101 (so 50.5% abv) in a move I must applaud. I too often enjoy being subversively literal. Oh wait, theres some 120 proof absinthe in there too! Joel`s drink is the hastily constructed Over The Falls. There may be some future tweaking and use of vermouth. If you do Joel, hold your hat!

Mr Muddle (not the Roger Hargreaves one, for the most part) uses me as an enabler my theme as a reason to pick up the OGD 114 he'd been eyeing and use it for infusing. (Sound familiar? Sounds delicious.) the result is the Photo Negative with vanilla-date bourbon.

Finally my friend and yours (but mostly mine probably) the Hawaiian Shirted DJ at Spirited Remix uses Old Grand Dad 114 in, wait for it...

...Morgenthaler's Amaretto Sour! Hurrah!

There you have it folks out menu of overproof cocktails. Lots of OGD 114. A little Charteuse. Not enough JWray. Such is life. Thank you to all the guests! My apologies if I've forgotten anyone or misspelled any names etc. Please comment corrections below. Please host a Mixology Monday yourself!

Thank you to Helena Tiare for a) letting me know that I'm not the only one who ignites Stroh. b) for blogging the drink that I then chose to submit.

Thank you Fred for continuing to put up with me.