Binny's Blog

A crispy skinned roast goose is a long-standing Christmas tradition that has, sadly, gone by the wayside in the U.S. It’s a real pity since the succulent dark fleshed goose meat, coupled with the crunch of deeply browned skin remain as delicious as they have always been. Add a decadent Port sauce, amazingly savory goose fat roasted potatoes and a fruity, sweet, tart and spicy compote and you have a truly memorable meal. 

Last year on our Batch Cocktails episode, Pat and Chris made big batches of eggnog and aged them for 12 months. Now it's time to try them and hopefully not get sick. Additionally, Roger has cooked up a really easy cranberry simple syrup and has three cocktails to try out.

Some might call it a Sparking Greyhound or Salty Dog, but we're calling it the Early Adopter. This cocktail features Aviation Gin and Fever-Tree Sparkling Grapefruit Soda. Become and early adopter of this refreshing cocktail.

Greg 2.0 is the other Greg at the Binny's offices. He's a longtime listener and he jumped at the chance to come on the podcast. He wanted to share his passion for gin, specifically local gins that are more in the Modern American style.

Who shot Tom Collins? is a cocktail in the form of a question, and a Halloween murder mystery that is quenchingly delicious. Most importantly it’s a modern Australian riff on the classic Tom Collins; A recipe that dates back in written form to the 1880s but is likely much older, with roots in British punch traditions featuring Gin, sugar, and lemon. So, mix up a drink or two and settle in for a purely apocryphal yarn of murder, mayhem, and meat pies. Umm... sorry, sorry, we just got word; there will be no meat pies.

This is what the G&T was meant to be from London to Gibraltar to Mumbai to sweltering late summer Chicago; simple to make, complexly layered, ultimately quenching and loaded with character. Mercifully, the colonial era is largely over but may the sun never set on the Gin and Tonic!

The original Americano cocktail is, of course, somewhat bitter being a blend of Campari (Red Amaro), Sweet Vermouth and soda. That is the bitter root of the matter but today we bring the Americanos together in a riff, a combo, an Americano, ‘mericano and as far as we know it was invented right here at Binny’s in the U.S. of A.

This mixologist must confess to enjoying a good Gin Sling every now and then. In fact, in the wake of Roger’s herbal tour de force of a Pimm’s Cup riff, featured on “Barrel to Bottle: The Binny’s Podcast” Savory Cocktails, we were enjoying our own riff on that classic Gin Sling. In addition to the usual suspects, we added diced peach and a bit of savory cherry shrub, among other things. Wow! What a drink that turned out to be. A great and serendipitous riff.

The Tuxedo cocktail is a highfalutin riff on the Martini with Fino Sherry in place of the Vermouth. It’s potent, crisp, and tangy from the Sherry and makes for a fun Martini alternative whether at a black-tie event or a backyard BBQ.

The magnificent Italian Aperitivo, Cocchi Americano, is a delight on the rocks with an orange wheel and serves as the cornerstone of a perfect Corpse Reviver No 2 cocktail. Just like Vermouth, it must be fresh to be at its best alone or in a cocktail. Luckily, 375 ml bottles are now available.