Make one of Planter’s House’s top-selling current cocktails at home.

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Cocktail
Courtesy of Planter’s House‘s Ted Kilgore

1 cocktail

1½ oz. Milagro Silver Tequila
1¼ oz. Greenbar Fruitlab Hibiscus Liqueur
1 oz. blood orange juice or purée
½ oz. lime juice
Lime wheel, for garnish

• Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a sour glass or over ice, garnish with a lime wheel and serve.

Reader’s Choice Favorite Cocktails

Planter’s House, 1000 Mississippi Ave, St. Louis, plantershousestl.com

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O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done … Oh, mateys. Let us not lament the fall of the Captain – Morgan, that is. The spiced rum of our underage drinking days is still around, but we’ve grown up. We’ve visited the Caribbean – and Central and South America, too – and found fancier ships running sugarcane-derived spirits. All rum is distilled from sugarcane or its byproducts (fermented molasses or cane juice), but artisanal rums are wholly different from the run-of-the-sugar-mill stuff. It’s a claim that becomes clear with one sip of an elegant Plantation rum made in Barbados, aged in bourbon casks in the humid Caribbean then shipped to France to rest a second time in oak casks under the care of famed cognac house Maisson Ferrand. While the past five years saw stagnant waters for mainstream rums like Captain Morgan and Bacardi, artisanal rum found a tailwind. Area distributor Lohr Fine Wine & Spirits saw sales up 68 percent through the first half of the year compared to all of 2014. Lohr vice president of sales Scott Smithson said its portfolio of craft rums has doubled since 2010, now numbering nearly 20. A big reason for the interest in craft rum is the renewed thirst for bourbon – and brown spirits in general, which surpassed domestic sales of vodka in 2014. “Since you have to age whiskey, the demand is going to outstrip the supply. Because of that shortage, we’ve seen a lot of people experiment with aged rums. They are stylistically very similar,” Smithson said. “We see rum as still value-driven and affordable, and you can get older expressions for very good prices,” said Kyle Mathis, bar manager at Taste. Bartenders at Taste, Planter’s House, Blood & Sand and other bars known for a curated spirits selection are snatching bottles from Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and other island nations because of the many nuances between highly crafted, limited-production rums. There’s dark Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, aged up to 12 years and laden with baking spices; dry, oaky Brugal 1888 finished in sherry casks that previously held Macallan 12-year single-malt Scotch; and even exceptional flavored rums like Rhum Clément’s Mahina Coco, a coconut rum from Martinique that Planter’s House co-owner Ted Charak deemed “one of the best new flavored products on the market.” Initiates still slam Captain and coke, but the cocktails most often associated with rum are tiki drinks like mai tais and zombies that feature a combination of rum, fruit juices and syrups. Tropical heat waves inevitably lead us to throw on Hawaiian shirts and sip booze from a coconut. This summer, Taste offered a monthly tiki takeover that featured a special menu of nearly a dozen time-tested tiki cocktails. Since April, Mission Taco Joint has helped customers explore the wide world of rum through rotating monthly frozen drinks like a piña colada, a Miami Vice and, this month, a lava flow. Frou-frou is fun, but rum is mixable in more than a volcano bowl made by modern Don the Beachcomber bartenders. Let a rum-based Manhattan at Taste win you over, then visit Blood & Sand to open your mind – and mouth – to what multiple rums in a cocktail can do. The Bye-bye Li’l Sebastian features two rums and Swedish Punsch, a sugarcane spirits-based liqueur. “Rums can differ quite a bit,” said Matt Osmoe, bar manager at Blood & Sand. “There’s so much variation in rum that some are going to provide vanilla, some might have funk or be bright and straightforward. You can blend them in a way that gives a really cool stack of flavors.” Trends come and go. Barry O’Neil, Major Brands’ president of sales, said for rum to have staying power, a premium sipping brand must come to the forefront, like Tanqueray did for gin and Patron for tequila. “People have to be willing to drink the product straight. Right now, it has the image of being sweet and super syrupy,” O’Neil said. When you sidle up to the bar at Planter’s House and start sipping from its collection of 40-plus rums, aged as many as 21 years (El Dorado), the words “sweet” and “super syrupy” are not likely to slip from your lips. “Higher-end rums are being introduced and well received,” said Charak. “I’ve been in this business over 25 years. This is as close to a rum revolution as I’ve seen.” – Ligaya Figueras

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Rum’s increasing popularity is due in part to its extreme diversity of styles and each brand’s production methods and preferred flavor profile. Here, five bottles of rum to buy.

Plantation 3 Stars Rum 
Sourced from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and blended by Cognac Ferrand in France, this white rum is full of tropical fruit, buttery caramel and light baking spice. $25. Randall’s Wine and Spirits, 1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St.Louis, 314.865.0199, shoprandalls.com

Caña Brava Rum
This Cuban-style, dry white rum is sourced from Panama. Aged for three years in uncharred oak barrels, it’s loaded with floral, honey, cinnamon and citrus notes. $33. Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum
This robust rum amps up the typical Jamaican funkiness. It has vegetal and ripe banana notes and is colored with double-strength black-sugar caramel. $22. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788,wineandcheeseplace.com

El Dorado 5-year Rum
El Dorado blends this rum from Guyana using multiple stills. It imparts complex caramel, butterscotch, vanilla and dried fruit flavor. $17. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com

Rhum J.M. V.S.O.P.
Showcasing estate-grown sugarcane from Martinique, this rhum’s complex flavor comes from aging four-plus years in re-charred bourbon barrels and new, lightly charred oak barrels. Banana, floral, honey, nougat, spice, citrus and toffee notes abound. $37. Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

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History’s classic cocktails are still being discovered and enjoyed today, but a new generation of first-rate quaffables is making waves on a national scale. The rules are the same: A classic cocktail, new or old, requires a simple formula, accessible ingredients, easy construction and a great name. Here are four new classics to try at your favorite bar – or at home – with a few extra tweaks from yours truly.

Bramble

Take a classic gin sour, change the presentation, add fruit and you have a Bramble. It starts crisp and dry, and it ends fruity and floral. 1 serving

Adapted from a recipe by Dick Bradsell, Fred’s Club, London

Take a classic gin sour, change the presentation, add fruit and you have a Bramble. It starts crisp and dry, and it ends fruity and floral.

1½ oz. gin (I recommend Citadelle.)
¾ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. simple syrup*
¾ oz. blackberry liqueur (I recommend Echte Kroatzbeere.)
Lemon wheel, for garnish Blackberry, for garnish

• Add the gin, lemon juice and syrup to an Old-Fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Stir 10 to 15 seconds.  • Add more crushed ice. Drizzle the blackberry liqueur over the top. Garnish with the lemon wheel and blackberry.

Old Cuban 

This refreshing mojito-daiquiri hybrid has been a favorite among cocktail fans for more than 10 years. The addition of Champagne, aged rum and Angostura bitters offers elegance and depth.

1 serving

Adapted from a recipe by Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club, New York City

1 vanilla bean
Sugar, for sprinkling
1½ oz. aged rum (I recommend Plantation Barbados 5-year Grand Reserve.)
1 oz. simple syrup*
¾ oz. lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
6 mint leaves
Champagne or dry sparkling wine, to top
Mint sprig, for garnish

• Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, removing and discarding the seeds. Sprinkle the sugar over each half of the bean, pressing lightly to ensure adhesion. Set aside.
• Add the rum, syrup, lime juice, bitters and mint to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake 17 seconds.
• Double strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a martini glass.
• Top with the Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the mint sprig and sugar-coated vanilla bean.

* To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool before using.

Kentucky Buck 

Spicy, fruity and bold, this cross between a Dark and Stormy and a whiskey smash is perfect for lounging on the patio.

1 serving

Adapted from a recipe by Erick Castro, Rickhouse, San Francisco

1 medium strawberry
2 oz. bourbon (I recommend Four Roses Single Barrel.)
¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup*
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer, to top (I recommend Fever-Tree.)
Lemon wheel, for garnish

• In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberry.
• Add the bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, bitters and ice to the shaker. Shake 17 seconds.
• Double strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.
• Top with the ginger beer and garnish with the lemon wheel.

Penicillin

The Penicillin earns its name from the slightly medicinal flavor imparted by a splash of Islay scotch. The rest is all citrus, smoke, spice and floral notes.

1 serving

Adapted from a recipe by Sam Ross, Milk & Honey (now Attaboy), New York City

3 slices candied ginger, divided
2 oz. blended Scotch whisky (I recommend Monkey Shoulder.)
¾ oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. honey-ginger syrup (recipe follows)
¼ oz. Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch whisky

• Muddle 2 candied ginger slices in a cocktail shaker.
• Add the blended Scotch whisky, lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup and ice to the shaker. Shake 17 seconds.
• Double strain through a fine-mesh strainer into an Old-Fashioned glass filled with fresh ice.
• Float the Laphroaig on top by gently pouring it over the back of a spoon into the glass. Garnish with the remaining candied ginger slice.

Honey-ginger Syrup

About 1 cup

½ cup honey
½ cup water
2 oz. fresh ginger, chopped and peeled

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Pour through a fine-mesh strainer and cool before use. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.

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• In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the beer until reduced by half.

• Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, up to 1 month.

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Combine your love for beer and the harder stuff by using homemade beer syrup in a cocktail recipe. Use a big-flavored, hoppy beer, such as an ESB or IPA, to maximize flavor. The syrup complements a galaxy of cocktails, like the Tom Collins, Sazerac, pisco sour and Old-Fashioned, including the reimagined one here.

BEER SYRUP
6 ounces

12 oz. hoppy beer, such as an ESB or IPA
6 oz. sugar

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the beer until reduced by half.
• Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, up to 1 month.

MALT-TEASE-FASHIONED
1 serving

2 oz. Spirits of St. Louis Regatta Bay hopped gin
½ oz. beer syrup
4 dashes Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
2 grapefruit twists

• Combine the gin, beer syrup and bitters in a stirring glass with ice. Squeeze 1 grapefruit twist over the glass to release the oils, then drop it into the glass. Stir and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the remaining grapefruit twist.

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Planter’s House co-owner and crack barkeep Ted Kilgore spills his drink-mixing secrets.

In my 16 years as a bartender, I have accumulated hundreds of books on cocktails, spirits and bartending in pursuit of making the best cocktail possible. While I’d found lots of differing opinions, none seemed to offer a definitive answer.

Then one day, I found myself mixing five different Sidecar recipes trying to determine the “correct” one. By the end, I realized I had developed my own set of formulas and rules. These formulas offered consistent balance and structure, and placed the drink in a flavor profile range that the majority of my customers enjoyed. I’ve found that the most popular cocktails follow the “sour” formula. If you learn this formula, you can make and create a host of fabulous drinks.

Basic sour recipe
2 oz. base spirit (gin, whiskey, vodka, etc.)
1 oz. sweet (simple syrup, liqueur, agave, etc.)
¾ oz. sour (lemon, lime, etc.)

Now that you have the basic formula, apply it to other classic cocktails:

Margarita
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. triple sec
¾ oz. fresh lime juice

Tom Collins
2 oz. gin or vodka
1 oz. simple syrup
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Club soda

Starting to see the connection? Now that we have the formula, let’s apply my rules and method.

Start with high-quality ingredients, or at least the best you can get your hands on. The idea is to make the best possible drink you can, whatever the circumstances.

Measure ingredients (except anything carbonated or bubbly) into your shaking vessel without ice. (I like to use Oxo angled measuring cups.) Next, you’ll want a shaker big enough to hold plenty of ice and that has a clean seal. (I use two-piece metal Boston shakers.) Add cold, fresh, hard ice, as much as you can fit into the smaller half of the shaker. If using a cobbler shaker (the three-piece variety with a small top that looks like a cap), fill it all the way up.

Now shake. The most important thing to remember is to shake a minimum of 17 seconds. At 17 seconds, you will have reached the point at which the ice and the ingredients (now diluted about 30 percent) are around the same temperature (28 to 33 degrees). The harder the shake, the more air that enters the drink, providing a lighter mouth feel.

Using a mesh strainer, pour into a chilled glass. You can fine-strain through a tea strainer if you wish to eliminate tiny ice shards – useful when serving the drink “up,” but less necessary when it’s served over ice anyway. Garnish with something fresh and pretty. Drink and (of course) repeat.

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