OPE08 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I will argue that there is no "Martini Family", there is the Martini, and at best you can include the Vodka Martini. And, in the last decade or so, we see a thousand various mixed drinks simply served in a Martini glass in order to charge more for them. Face it, 3$ for a shot, or 8$ for that same shot poured into a bigger glass. Its a marketting ploy, not a drink.Thats not to say that the Bartender doesn't require talent to make the drink, if its mixed, but an "Appletini" is a shooter...

Starfire61 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thanks for the thoughtful comments! I've long wanted to buy a copy of Embury's book, but didn't want to spend the big bucks. Now that it's being reprinted, I can't wait to lay eyes on it. IMO his six basic drinks remain a great foundation for folks wanting to learn about cocktails. You're right- many of today's vodka-based pseudo-tinis are tough to fit into Embury's categories. None of his 6 drinks contain vodka, which in '48 was a novelty spirit with little purpose. Those were the days...

drinkart (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I think today Embury would recognize more and broader cocktail categories - he only identified six basic drinks and none of them seem to adequately cover the likes of an espresso martini! Against the current bewildering backdrop of cocktails I find that teaching the Sidecar as a member of the Martini family:-Base of high-proof spirit-Small amount of low-proof spirit-Little or no mixer/syrup-Chilled and most usually served upseems to make more sense to new bartenders. Thanks for watching!

drinkart (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thanks, and yes, I actually prefer Cointreau but didn't want to get brand-specific here. Great observation on the drink's family -- if you go back 60 years to David Embury's classic "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" he puts the Sidecar in a separate category from the Martini. But that was over half-a-century and thousands of new cocktails/spirits ago.

Starfire61 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Looks great- nicely done!Do you ever use Cointreau instead of Triple sec?How is the Sidecar related to a Martini? I would think it belongs in the sour family like a Margarita or an Aviation.

lordmonfort (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

by far my favorite drink...you made it perfectly! I have made them with Ciclon and they are really good as well.

WashesWhiter (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Any bartender who uses fresh citrus juice instead of a bar mix is a TRUE mixologist in my book. Thanks for teaching the right way to create this drink. I can taste it from here...

Giich (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Nice job! ^_^

kingfatty (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

great drink , great vid, smokin bar girl!

kingfatty (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

cool anthony nice drink!!