10 Jazz Cocktails To Celebrate Any Occasion
As we say au revoir to summer heat and bonjour to breezy autumn evenings, your drinking shenanigans are likely to move indoors. Not to worry! The approaching months are the best time to fall in love again with your favorite cool-weather Jazz cocktails. Fall also marks the return of leggings and boots - reason enough to kick up your heels.
To celebrate the new season, invite some friends for a night of sophistication by offering one of the best combinations since Sonny & Cher: jazz and cocktails. What? You don’t know any jazz drinks? We’ve got you covered.
Here are the ultimate pairings of jazz drinks and songs to make your next event one to remember.
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10 Best Jazz Cocktails in 2020
1. The French 75 & Ella Fitzgerald, Porgy and Bess
Ella Fitzgerald, aka Lady Ella, has been called the Queen of Jazz. The singer became famous for her purity of tone and a vocal range as wide as the sky. In 1958 she made history by becoming the first African American to win a Grammy. Porgy & Bess is one of the classics.
It takes a special drink that can stand next to Lady Ella. The French 75 starts with gin mixed with a dash of simple syrup and lime juice and topped off with champagne. This rose gold copper jigger is a must for pouring such a decadent drink. The perfect balance of liquor and bubbles, the French 75 has been a staple since it first made an appearance at the famous New York Bar in Paris in the 20’s.
Make a mark in history, or at least in the collective memory of your friends, with this unforgettable combination. Classic cocktail, meet classic jazz.
Ingredients:
- .5 oz lime Juice
- .5 oz Simple syrup
- 1 oz Gin
- 3 oz champagne
How to Make it:
- Mix all the ingredients except the Champagne to a shaker and fill with ice.
- Shake well and strain into a Champagne flute.
- Top with the Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
2. The Sidecar & Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
The Sidecar is arguably one of the best cocktails to come out of the Prohibition era. The rich taste of the cognac is perfectly complemented by notes of citrus and brandy, courtesy of the Cointreau. This simple but sophisticated drink is a must-have in your repertoire.
If the Sidecar is the drink of an era, Miles Davis is the voice of an era. Even the less-than ardent jazz listener is sure to have heard some of his timeless tunes in movies and television. The smoky sound of his trumpet will create the perfect mood to make your guests swoon. Jazz night bonus: it’s understated enough not to interfere with good conversation. The Sidecar paired with Kind of Blue will make you feel warm and fuzzy, inside and out.
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- 1.5 oz VS or VSOP Cognac
- .75 oz Cointreau
- .75 oz Fresh lime juice
How to make it:
- Coat the rim of a cocktail glass with sugar and set aside.
- (Do this a few minutes ahead of time so the sugar can dry and adhere well to the glass.) Add the remaining ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.
- Mix, and strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a piece of orange peel.
3. The Clover Club and Chet Baker, Chet Baker Sings
Travel back in time with our next killer combo. The Clover Club was named after an all-male salon of lawyers and writers who gathered to drink and discuss politics, literature, and other cigar-worthy topics. A drink lauded for its sophisticated environs at its inception, it’s a must-have in your bartending arsenal.
Chet Baker Sings is a Grammy Hall of Fame winner, and its smooth, old Hollywood tones will make you feel like you’ve time traveled. “I Get Along Without You Very Well” is a much-beloved track on the album. Sings is a perfect music choice to impress a date over dinner, or to give grandma and grandpa a reminder of the good ole days. Hand them a Clover Club and you’re in.
A mixture of old and new is the secret ingredient to sophistication. These refined libations topped off with some smoldering jazz make a recipe for success. All you need to do is invite the guests and pick up the ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 Egg white
- .5 oz Fresh lemon juice
- .5 oz Raspberry syrup*
- 3 Speared raspberries, for garnish
How to make it:
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.
- Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with three speared raspberries.
* If you don't have raspberry syrup, you can muddle together 3 or 4 fresh raspberries and .5 oz simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water) instead.
4. The Aviation Cocktail
The aviation is one of the perfect jazz cocktails which can help you celebrate any occasion. It's made out of lemon juice, creme de violette and the amazing taste of Nolet's silver which gives the whole concoction a tangy, sweet and bitter taste.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. The Botanist Gin
- .75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- .50 oz. Maraschino Liqueur
- .25 oz Crème de violette
- Brandied cherries for garnish
How to make it:
Preparing the aviation is very easy, once you have all the key ingredients. Start with a shaker and add all ingredients with ice. Shake nicely and fine strain all of it into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry in the end.
5. Sidecar
Sidecar is one of the finest creations of Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Often considered one of the best bars in the world, they are also known to create bloody mary. Sidebar is a mighty old 1920s cocktail that's still very popular.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. cognac V.S.O.P.
- .5 oz. Lustau East India Solera Sherry
- .5 oz. fresh lemon juice
- .25 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
- .25 oz. Lazzaronni Amaretto
- .25 oz. simple syrup (1:1)
Preparation
Mix all the ingredients inside a cocktail shaker and along with ice, strain into a coupe glass.
6. Southside
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin, such as Plymouth
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup
- 1 sprig mint
- 1 fresh mint leaf
How to make it:
- Combine the gin, lime juice, simple syrup and mint sprig in a shaker.
- Add some ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with one mint leaf, smacked to release the oils, floating on top of the cocktail.7. French 75
8. Highball
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces whiskey
- 6 ounces ginger ale, or soda
How to make it:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour the whiskey into the glass.
- Top with ginger ale.
9. Hanky Panky Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces gin
- 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Fernet-Branca
- Optional: dash orange juice
- Garnish: orange peel
How to make it:
- Take all the ingredients
- In a mixing glass filled with ice, pour the gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca.
- Add a dash of orange juice if you like. Stir well, for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Twist an orange peel over the drink to express its oils, then lay it over the rim as a garnish.
10. Rickey
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
- 4 ounces club soda
- Garnish: 1 lime wedge
How to make it:
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour the gin and lime juice over the ice.
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
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Comments
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I’m seriously dying of thirst and jazz right now!
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