The bar was strung with lights; the rat-tat-tat of jazz popped in the background. The bartender, Casper resident Jeremy Hugus, wore a vest and tie. This was his bar. This was his basement.
He’s a lawyer, and for fun, specializes in cocktails. On this night, the job was simple. Reveal three drinks appropriate for fall.
Bobby Burns
The first drink Hugus prepared was a “Bobby Burns,” a drink starring scotch. “Scotch is a really good earthy drink,” Hugus said, preparing his ingredients. “A lot of scotches have some of those apple and pear notes. Those are seasonal fruits right now. Scotch is a great fall drink.”
Ingredients:
1½ to 2 ounces of scotch
1 ounce of sweet vermouth
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2 dashes of bitters
½ ounce of Benedictine
Directions
Shake ingredients well
Pour into a martini glass
Add a lemon peel or set it aflame first
Trick: These ingredients will result in a fine fall cocktail, but if you want to impress your friends, take it one step further. After pouring the drink, Hugus followed with a bartender pyrotechnic show. He could have plopped the thinly sliced lemon peel into the drink. Instead, he lit a match and squeezed the peel into the flame, creating a spark.
“You taste with your eyes first,” Hugus said. “What’s catching on fire is the oils in the lemon peel, which is expressed on the drink, so those help give it that faint, lemon aroma. There is no lemon juice in there, but when you light that on fire, you give it a roasty-lemon kick.”
Look: Clear, auburn and caramel-apple-colored.
Smell: Oils from the lemon peel, paired with the cinnamon bitters and earthy scotch resembles the best fall smell: burnt leaves.
Taste: The bitter, earthy, apple notes from the scotch hits the back of your tongue, while the cinnamon from the bitters lightly rests on the front. The lemon is faint, neither overpowering nor unnoticeable. The drink is refreshing, perfect for a brisk hayride.
Ginger Smash
The second drink Hugus prepared contained the fruits of fall. The prep table featured freshly squeezed lemon juice, thin apple slices and ginger. The alcohol for this drink was gin, specifically, Plymouth Gin.
“(Plymouth Gin has) a good strong juniper note, but it’s not overbearing. It’s a pretty earthy gin and a pretty strong lemon-citrus profile. Complementary to the lemon that’s already in here, that earthiness is just great for the fall theme we have going here.”
Ingredients:
1½ ounces of Plymouth Gin
1½ ounces of Berentzen Apple Liqueur
2 to 4 slices of ginger
4 to 5 slices of apple
2 tablespoons of white sugar
½ ounce to 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Mash together.
Shake well.
Pour into a rocks glass.
Trick: The drink is perfect if you use the right amount of ginger. Too much is overpowering. If you want to get fancy, do what Hugus did, and add a brandy-soaked cherry to the cocktail.
Look: Murky, pulpy, lemonade-colored.
Smell: Ginger and lemon.
Taste: The sliced apples pair with the freshly pressed lemon juice to form a crisp, fresh, “ahh,” reaction. Spices from the ginger linger only momentarily, while the apple liqueur adds a sweet kick. The gin is hardly noticeable, only a slight hint of juniper in every sip. The brandy-soaked cherry is the exclamation point.
Pumpkin Hot Toddy
Hugus saved the best for last. This was a classic hot toddy with a fall twist of pumpkin. “A toddy is typically hot water and then a base spirit, some lemon, maybe some other spices,” Hugus said.
This was not some pumpkin spice latte from your nearest coffee shop. This drink required three spirits, teaming up to create a warm fall cocktail.
Ingredients:
¾ to ½ ounces of Laird’s Applejack (brandy)
¾ to ½ ounces of rum
¾ to ½ ounces of rye whiskey
4 to 5 ounces of hot water
½ ounce of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin
¼ ounce of vanilla extract
Directions:
Shake ingredients well.
Pour into toddy glass.
Trick: You want the water warm, not too hot. If you want to go all out, and you should, whip up a batch of fresh heavy whipping cream. You want the cream to be heavy, not too fluffy. Spoon a dollop, and decorate with nutmeg.
Look: Cloudy caramel, pumpkin orange color.
Smell: Spicy, caramel apple.
Taste: The whipped cream is killer, offering a cool, creamy sweetness that challenges the spices of the toddy, creating a caramel flavor. The lemon juice brightens the heavy pumpkin, and balances the sweetness of the apple and brown sugar. The spirits blend perfectly. The drink tastes just like a caramel apple pop, the green apple lollipop coated with caramel. It’s perfect for a chilly night.
Want to try some of Hugus’ drinks? You won’t have to wait much longer. He’s in the process of opening his own pizza restaurant in Casper, featuring his soon-to-be-famous cocktails.
Contact Brendan Meyer at 307-266-0544 or at brendan.meyer@trib.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brendan_Meyer13.
