Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Piatti

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour:  Piatti

Piatti is well known for serving up Italian-inspired fare at both it's Quarry and Eilan locations.  Lucky for us, they're both also participating in this year's Brandy Alexander Cocktail tour with two unique and imaginative takes on the classic.   

Concocted by Beverage Director Matt Collett, both takes enhance the original with the addition of white chocolate and an espresso liqueur, respectively.  Whether you're a fan of chocolate, coffee, or both, you won't want to miss what Matt put together for a perfect after-meal libation. 

PIATTI AT THE QUARRY // DANDY ALEXANDER

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1 1/4 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

1 1/4 oz. aromatized heavy cream (pink peppercorn, clove, cinnamon)

1 drop of tiki bitters

Rim coupe with chocolate ganache. Combine all ingredients in a tin over ice.  Shake.  Double strain into coupe and top with freshly-ground pink peppercorn.

PIATTI AT THE EILAN // CAFFE ALEXANDER

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1 oz. Caffe Broghetti

1 oz. heavy cream

1/2 oz. Lazzaroni Amaretto 

Combine all ingredients in a tin over ice. Shake. Strain into coupe and garnish with ground cinnamon dust

Dorcol Distilling Co.:  Piatti

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Bite

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour:  Bite

This eclectic restaurant is well known for pouring creativity into everything that they do.  From the art on the walls to the food on your plate, Chef Lisa Astorga-Watel has created a fun and unique culinary experience in the heart of Southtown. 

Bite's Alexander Frappe is a perfect example of this creativity.  This rich and creamy cocktail features an entire scoop of pistachio gelato to go along with crushed pistachios on the rim.  Whether you eat the gelato or let it melt into the cocktail, there's no wrong way to savor Bite's take on the classic Brandy Alexander.  

 

Bite // Bite's Alexander Frappe

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1 oz. crème de cacao

1 pistachio gelato scoop

1 oz. heavy cream

Combine ingredients in a tin over ice. Shake. Double strain into a coup with a finely crushed pistachio rim

Dorcol Distilling Co.:  Bite

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: The Brooklynite

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: The Brooklynite

This stylish cocktail joint has long been a local favorite for their playful twists on classic cocktails. The BKSA Alexander is no exception with the team over at Brooklynite throwing golden grahams into the mix. 

This decadent cocktail boasts notes of honey, nuts and vanilla and has a silky mouth feel.  If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, the BKSA Alexander has you covered.  

BROOKLYNITE // BKSA ALEXANDER

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1/4 oz. white chocolate macadamia nut liqueur

1 oz. house cereal milk (rice, almond, heavy cream infused with golden grahams)

Combine ingredients in a tin over ice.  Shake. Double strain into a coup

Dorcol Distilling Co.:  The Brooklynite

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: George's Keep

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour:  George's Keep

Nick Kenna’s no stranger to the cocktail scene. Having opened Dorćol’s bar program in 2013, he’s no stranger to Kinsman either. A veteran of the Kinsman Brandy Alexander Cocktail tour he continues to raise the bar with his creative take on this classic libation.

Nick's imagination is front and center in this year’s version which boasts hints of spice and perfectly balanced notes of mint and vanilla.  Experiencing this cocktail is definitely worth the drive up north.  

GEORGE’S KEEP // YORK PEPPERMINT PAPI

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

3/4 oz. Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

1/4 oz. orgeat

1 oz. mint and serrano pepper house-infused vanilla almond milk 

Combine ingredients in a tin over ice.  Shake. Double strain into a coup. Garnish with bakers chocolate shavings and a mint leaf.

Dorcol Distilling Co.:  George's Keep

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Rosella at the Rand

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour:  Rosella at the Rand

With barman Jesse Torres at the reins of this freshly minted Houston Street eatery's beverage program, the bar is poised for success in creativity and execution alike.

Rosella at the Rand's inaugural participation in this year's Kinsman Brandy Alexander Tour is presented with a berry twist - a refreshingly light and airy take on the classic. Equal parts a well built cocktail and a good ol' fashioned "adult" strawberry shake, this rendition with a cute name is a must on your Tour stop. 

ROSELLA AT THE RAND // APRICOT ME BY SURPRISE

1 1/2 oz. Kinsman Rakia

3/4 oz. Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

1 oz. heavy cream

1 strawberry

Muddle a strawberry in a tin. Combine remaining ingredients in the tin and add ice.  Shake.  Double strain into a coupe lined with house-made chocolate ganache on the inside. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice.

Dorcol Distilling Co.:  Rosella at the Rand

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Juniper Tar

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Juniper Tar

The barman behind this swanky downtown cocktail lounge is well known for his fun and imaginative cocktails.  It's no surprise then that Benjamin Krick's take on this classic strays slightly off the beaten path. 

Served over crushed ice and including a spiced rum cream liqueur, the Kinsman Brandy Alexander has a nutty, butterscotch flavor that takes even the most avid Brandy Alexander enthusiast by surprise.  A trip downtown is well worth the smile this cocktail will put on your face.  

JUNIPER TAR // KINSMAN BRANDY ALEXANDER

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1 oz. Kringle Cream

1/2 oz. Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

Combine all ingredients in a tin over ice.  Shake.  Strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Dust with Abuelita chocolate for garnish.

Dorcol Distilling Co.: Juniper Tar

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: The Hoppy Monk

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: The Hoppy Monk

While The Hoppy Monk is often recognized for a broad beer selection, their spirit offering is as creative and diverse. Brittany Dinhobl showcases her cocktail know-how with her take on this classic cocktail, which aptly includes a house-made coffee-porter liqueur. 

The King Alexander is a complex cocktail that combines subtle notes of coffee, chocolate and cardamom with a rich, creamy mouth-feel. Appreciate the creativity on display in The King Alexander and order yourself one (or two) on your next visit.  

THE HOPPY MONK // THE KING ALEXANDER

1 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1 oz. House-made Merit coffee and Deschutes Black Butte Porter liqueur

1 oz. heavy cream/St. Brendan's/China China "cream"

Combine all ingredients in a tin over ice. Shake vigorously. Double strain into a coupe. Sprinkle cocoa powder and nutmeg mix to garnish.  

Dorcol Distilling Co.: The Hoppy Monk

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Biga on the Banks

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Biga on the Banks

Biga on the Banks, a San Antonio staple owned by James Beard Award nominee Chef Bruce Auden, has long been celebrated for its culinary achievements. Barman Shane Clifford with his Alex-En-Rakia, a light and frothy cocktail with balanced notes of coconut and vanilla, is continuing Biga's history of excellence. It's not hard to imagine drinking more than one of these on your next visit.

BIGA ON THE BANKS // ALEX-EN-RAKIA

1 oz. House vanilla infused Kinsman Rakia

1 oz. coconut milk sweetened with palm sugar

1/2 oz. orgeat

1 egg white

4 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters

Combine ingredients in a tin over ice. Shake and strain back into tin removing the ice. "Dry" shake vigorously. Strain into a brandy snifter and freshly grate nutmeg for garnish.

 

Dorcol Distilling Co.: Biga on the Banks

Kinsman Rakia 2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Liberty Bar

2017 Brandy Alexander Tour: Liberty Bar

Liberty Bar's Ana Cabrera took her admiration of Kinsman and married it with her house-made ice cream for this decadent inspiration. Shaken without ice, and garnished with an orange zest, her Abuelita Alexander is an envy of even the savviest of grandmas.

Liberty Bar's Abuelita chocolate ice cream folded into Kinsman Apricot Rakia and Montenegro Amaro topped with milk chocolate shavings and orange oils is a humdinger of a cocktail with or without a meal. 

LIBERTY BAR //ABUELITA ALEXANDER

1 1/4 oz. Kinsman Rakia

1/2 oz. Montenegro Amaro

2 oz. scoop soft house-made Abuelita ice cream

Combine all ingredients in a tin. "Dry" shake combined ingredients. Pour into coupe. Garnish with an orange zest and freshly grated chocolate shavings. 

Dorcol Distilling Co.: Liberty Bar's Ana Cabrera 

NYC-based culinary website gives nod to San Antonio's Kinsman Rakia

Via Tasting Table

In 2013, Dorćol Distilling Co. introduced the South Side of San Antonio and the Lone Star State to a spirit with roots half a world away in the farms of Eastern Europe. 

Nearly two years later, Kinsman Rakia has become one of the premier spirits made in Texas. Sure the apricot brandy is unfamiliar to many folks but once they try it they find it has more body and depth than vodka while displaying all the complexity found in whiskey and gin. 

Last week, Tasting Table, a culinary website based in New York City, mentioned Dorćol's Kinsman Rakia in an article that looked at a handful of other U.S.-made spirits with roots from all over the word. After dinner, before dinner or whenever, at Dorćol we craft a traditional, old-world spirit for us all to enjoy. 

Here's what Kara Newman, spirits editor for Wine Enthusiast and New York-based writer, had to say about our award-winning brandy in her post: 

Kinsman Rakia: San Antonio, Texas
This small-batch apricot brandy is made by Dorćol Distillery; co-owner Boyan Kalusevic grew up in Serbia, where the spirit is sometimes referred to as "Serbian moonshine." This Lone Star version mingles stone fruit with almond for an after-dinner sipper that's nothing like firewater.

After dinner, before dinner or whenever, at Dorćol we craft a traditional, old-world spirit for us all to enjoy. 

Cheers. 

Valentino