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Jennifer Erickson

@sheepishjen

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Writer and home bartender passionate about cocktails and distilled, fermented and brewed drinks - with a particular penchant for amari and bitters!

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I stumbled on a cocktail worthy of a comeback the other day completely by accident. After dinner prep, I realized I had about five minutes to make a cocktail if we hoped to enjoy it before the food was ready.
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So…I pulled an overproof rye from my whisk(e)y cabinet in the hallway, then grabbed a banana liqueur winking at me from an open shelf on my way back to the bar. Banana screams for Campari in my world, and as I removed it from one of my amaro shelves in the pantry, I felt Cynar’s jilted glare….
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A mix of the above bottles proved a bit too …dense? What to do? 💡 Calvados! But something was still missing, and that’s when Abano whispered sweet nothings in my ear, as it has a habit of doing.
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Boom! 💥
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My husband and I loved it, but only after I shared the recipe with taster extraordinaire @thebitterfairy - who told me her partner in tasting said it was “fire” - did I know that it wasn’t just our bias, and I also had my name!
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FIRE IN THE HOLE
(One large serve or two smallish serves)
🐑2 oz Overproof rye - Cali Riptide Rye
🐑.5 oz Tempus Fugit crème de banane
🐑.5 oz Campari
🐑.5 oz Cynar
🐑.5 oz Calvados
🐑.25 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
🐑Garnish: Expressed lemon twist
🐑Stir with ice, strain into chilled coupe, express twist and drop in. Fire! by @sheepishjen

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2 months ago

Well, here we are, a world in even more chaos and destruction. For those of us who care about HUMANITY and peaceful solutions to conflict, and NOT killing innocent people and school children, the situation is horrific.
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That said, a number of you in this wonderful community have pointed out how important it is for us to find joy where we can and to support each other when times are tough.
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So I would like to celebrate the fellowship, friendship, camaraderie and solace that we all find here.
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In truth, I am paying it forward. After my previous post, the incredibly talented and compassionate @jlinhsienkung and @kellyskunes sent me a care package with this stunningly gorgeous rocks glass to remind me of the kindness that still exists in this world and how far it can go to improving our outlook.
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The first cocktail I’m sharing in this incredible glassware is more bodacious than balanced. It has in-your-face smoke and botanicals that bring me joy. So even if the mix is not quite your style, I hope the bold beauty of a gift extended out of a heartfelt desire to heal, and appreciated beyond measure, will help you share the goodness that exists amid this chaos.
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BODACIOUS LIAISONS
.75 oz Madre mezcal
.75 oz Laphroaig 10 yr. Scotch
.5 oz St. George Terroir gin
.5 oz Bulleit rye
1 oz Campari
.5 oz Cynar
.5 oz Amaro Nonino
Dash Bitter End Memphis Barbecue bitters
Expressed lemon twist
Mix with ice to chill, strain into beautiful glassware of your choice.
. by @sheepishjen

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7 months ago

It’s about time! I do hope that anyone still following me has not given up completely.
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The state of affairs here remains quite distressing, and whatever news you may be getting, know that this distress is certainly shared by the majority of my fellow citizens.
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I have this guilt about doing “fun” things while so much is falling apart. But I finally realize that the wonderful forum we have here connects us in ways that will always make the world a better place and our cocktails more delicious.
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My being upset about what’s happening doesn’t mean I can’t engage meaningfully with the community that never fails to lift me up spiritually - in all senses of that word!
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I came up with this cocktail two nights ago and shared it with Paula @thebitterfairy who has always been an incomparable sounding board. My first iteration was an off-the-cuff equal parts mix of some of my favorite bottles, and damn if it didn’t deliver!
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BUT…when Paula tried it, she also tried bumping up the rum a bit, with a great result. Of course I then tried it that way, and I honestly loved it just as much. Proof that it is a template easy to work with.
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SHEEPISH FAIRY
🐑1 -1.5 oz Probitas (Veritas)rum
🐑1 oz Cynar
🐑1 oz Averna
🐑1 oz Amaro Montenegro
🐑Good dash Bitter End Jamaican Jerk bitters
🐑Garnish: Expressed orange peel
🐑Stir with ice, strain into chilled coupe, express peel and drop in. by @sheepishjen

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8 months ago

I do not understand how any person who believes in democracy, who believes in loyalty to allies whose citizens have shed blood on their behalf, and who believes in common human decency can blindly support an individual who is loyal to nobody, who shoots his own citizens, who arrests innocent people while freeing convicted criminals, and who obstructs justice in order to protect pedophiles.
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How is this our reality? How is anyone okay with alienating allies who have supported us since WWII? How is anyone okay with a veritable war zone in our own country with federally endorsed armed agents killing innocent civilians?
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1984 IS NOT FICTION
2 oz Strong whisky of your choice

Pour in glass and for the love of all you hold dear, no ice. by @sheepishjen

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9 months ago

Well, it’s been a minute.
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I have been struggling with this country’s slide towards dictatorship, and I kept thinking I shouldn’t be too political in this space.
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However, I find that I cannot be silent. What is happening is not normal. It is wrong. It is scary. Free speech and the rule of law are under constant attack. The government is going after political opponents as if they are enemies. This is not what democracy looks like.
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Drinkstagram has always been a safe and wonderful place where many of us have formed lasting friendships. To anyone from a country that has been offended by our current leadership, or harmed by their actions, I am deeply sorry!
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And now, the cocktail. A bodacious flavor bomb to provide a few moments of liquid respite before the next round of bad news! Oh, and a toast to Jimmy Kimmel!
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SHEEPISH FREEDOM FIGHTER
🐑1.5 oz FEW rye
🐑1 oz Giffard’s Pamplemousse
🐑.5 oz Braulio
🐑.5 oz Rubin Bitter Grapefruit
🐑.5 oz Smith and Cross Straight Jamaica rum
🐑BS Fernet Branca
🐑Healthy dash grapefruit bitters
🐑Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. This makes one large serve or two small serves. by @sheepishjen

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a year ago

I believe in honoring alliances, respecting other people and other cultures, helping those in need, lifting up the fallen, and peaceful coexistence.

I do not believe in bullying people or countries, turning on your friends, or hurting others just because you can.

Sadly, every day reveals fresh evidence that our so-called leaders have a completely different set of values, and many of us are doing our best to resist!

Just as democracy requires a delicate balance of power to avoid tyranny, so the components of a cocktail require fine-tuning to achieve harmony in the glass.

This cocktail was good with just the rum, Cappelletti, madeira and Cynar. But it needed a push from the Benedictine and the bitters to become truly balanced, and I have named it for a Senator who has recently made a big effort to shift the balance here. IYKYK

CB25
🐑1.5 oz Appleton 8 yr. rum
🐑.5 oz Cynar
🐑.5 oz Cappelletti
🐑.5 oz Rainwater madeira
🐑Barspoon Benedictine
🐑Dash Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters
🐑Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #istandwithukraine by @sheepishjen

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2 years ago

“Bad Day at Black Rock” is an old movie in which John J. Macreedy, a one-armed WWII veteran played by Spencer Tracy, goes to a small hamlet to find the Japanese-American father of the comrade who died saving his life.

Macreedy has simply come to give this man the posthumous medal awarded to his son. But his arrival in Black Rock is greeted with hostility by racist bullies who have suppressed the truth of an evil deed by silencing the other townspeople with intimidation and violence. Ring any bells?

Despite attempts on his life Macreedy refuses to back down. Would-be allies bow to the bullies, but finally do try to help…

Whenever grim things happen, the phrase,”It’s a bad day at Black Rock,” pops into my head.

No small wonder it’s been on repeat since the end of January. We can certainly use a few people with the integrity of Spencer Tracy’s John J. Macreedy to stand up to our bullies.

CALLING MACREEDY
🐑1.5 oz Madre Mezcal
🐑1 oz Antico Amaro Noveis
🐑1 oz Don Ciccio & Figli Fico D’India (prickly pear liqueur)
🐑.5 oz Calvados
🐑Dash Bitter End Togarashi bitters
🐑Stir with ice to chill and strain into a coupe. This is good for one rather large or two smallish cocktails.

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #istandwithukraine #calvados #mexcal by @sheepishjen

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2 years ago

Rhetorical question: Do you ever stop mixing with a favorite bottle because you don’t want to run out of it until you have a back up bottle waiting in the wings? Or maybe that’s just me!
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This cocktail was inspired by favorite bottles that have been neglected too long for different reasons. Some because they were less easily reached (my shelves are all over the house and some are five bottles deep), and some because back-ups were not yet secured.
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What’s important is that they are back in stock and back in easier to reach positions.
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Side note. My love of quality liqueurs. They bring soooo much flavor with only a hint of sweetness. Perfect for when you want a certain fruity or spicy flavor, but in a stirred drink, because they don’t require citrus juice for balance. Not to say they don’t play beautifully with citrus. Just to say that when you are as lazy as I can be, they can be your ace in the hole!
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SHEEPER KEEPER
🐑1.5 oz Old Duff Single Malt genever
🐑.5 oz Aalborg Taffel Akvavit
🐑1 oz. Sukkah Hill Spirits Etrog Liqueur
🐑.5 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
🐑.5 oz Bäska Snaps Med Malort by Bittermens
🐑Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe
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#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #akvavitlover #aquavitlover #genever by @sheepishjen

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2 years ago

It’s been too long, and my excuses are multitude and boring, so let’s get to the cocktail!
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I recently played liqueur cabinet roulette, as one does, and I don’t mind saying that I hit the jackpot!
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The game involves picking a base spirit and opening the cabinet where I store most of my liqueurs and choosing one or two.
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Here I started with one of my favorite tequilas and then grabbed a coconut liqueur and a chile liqueur - all from Mexico.
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Next, I hit the amari shelves and spun the proverbial wheel to find something to compliment the vegetal tequila, sweet coconut and sweet-hot chili, taming the sweet and lifting up the flavors…..
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The ball landed on St. Agrestis Paradiso Aperitivo from New York - citrus and spice and everything nice, which performed its role admirably. (My eternal thanks to Kori @cocktailsmandurah for getting me to seek out the Paradiso - I had other St. Agrestis bottles, but not this luscious beauty.)
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SHEEPISH JACKPOT
🐑2 oz La Gritona Reposado Tequila
🐑.75 oz Kalani Coconut Liqueur by Casa d”Aristi
🐑.5 oz Alma Tepec Chile Pasilla Mixe
🐑1.5 oz St. Agrestis Paradiso Aperitivo
🐑Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Makes one very large or two medium drinks.
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🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #tequila #tequilalover by @sheepishjen

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2 years ago

This is an ode to beloved bottles, scaffa cocktails and insanely gorgeous glassware finds!
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When I saw these glasses, labeled as “whisky sippers,” it was love at first sight. Because they are created by glassmakers Jerry Kung and Kelly Skunes in Oakland, CA, they are pricey, but so worth it!

I do intend to use these for all kinds of whisk(e)y, but the day I received my precious pair (thank you, Mom), I had a hankering for aged rum without any fuss.
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Lounging in a dimly lit speakeasy, while letting myself sync with the bass notes of a cool jazz ensemble would have been ideal.
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Instead, I poured an aged Jamaican rum into my new treasure and added a bit of a perfectly attuned amaro with a dash of some stellar bitters. Not quite the same experience, but the glass and its contents transported me beyond the mundane nightly routine and improved my outlook immensely!
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BLUE NOTE
🐑1 oz Appleton Estate 12 yr
🐑.5 oz Brucato Woodlands Amaro
🐑Dash Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
🐑Pour the above into a favorite whisk(e)y/rocks glass, stir and sip.
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🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #rum #appleton by @sheepishjen

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3 years ago

Still here!

I imagine that I’m not alone in having some worries in my life. Some very personal. Others global.

Often sipping a well-balanced and lean cocktail takes the edge off of my anxiety and provides a few moments of calm reflection - the gin’s botanicals, the Dimmi’s body and subtle sweetness, the Besamim’s spicy warmth.

But then when the lights go out and your loved ones are sleeping - be they human or fur-covered - the angst sometimes creeps back in.

That’s when I pop in my ear buds and tune in to my “happy song” playlist, which includes all of the songs that put a smile on my face, whether because they remind me of a precious time or because they have a sound and/or lyrics that tickle me.

I hear them, and I dance around in the dark with my eyes closed and recapture the joy that has never left this world, but that sometimes feels like it’s hiding.

(If you’ve ever seen Snoopy dancing on his dog house with his head thrown back and his arms flung out, this is how it feels! - Google that GIF!)

NIGHT DANCER
🐑2 oz Caorunn Scottish gin
🐑1 oz Dolin Dry vermouth
🐑1.25 oz Dimmi
🐑.25 oz Sukkah Hill Spirits Besamim liqueur
🐑Dash Honest John Orange Clove bitters
🐑Stir with ice and pour into chilled coupe or coupes (This makes one overly large cocktail or two paired down - “weeknight” - cocktails.)

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #bitterisbetter #gin #besamim #dimmi #martiniriff by @sheepishjen

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3 years ago

Okay, in the old days we would say that this is a day late and a dollar short. Today, I guess you would say it’s $20 short?
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In my defense, I made this cocktail ON #Nationaltequiladay - maybe drinking it was a reason I didn’t end up posting on the day itself?

Believe it or not, I’ve been making cocktails every day, but life and my brain have gotten in the way of posting. And yet, I miss this! You all are so awesome to share the spirits journey with me!
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Also, I’m so excited to be going on a trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca with @the_margarita_mum in September, so how could I not celebrate this day?
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I bought this smoked tequila a few years back and suddenly realized it would make a lovely OF. The lime cordial makes a great replacement for a sugar cube or simple syrup and the beautifully spicy and intense bitters are a gift that keeps on giving!
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MEXICAN BARBEQUE
🐑2 oz Maestro Dobel Humito smoked silver tequila
🐑.25 oz El Guapo Lime Cordial
🐑2 Dashes Bitter End Memphis Barbeque Bitters
🐑Garnish: Lime wheel (which I wanted to use but my lime was all brown🙄)

🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
#amaro #drinkstagram #homebartender #sheepishcocktaildiaries #homemixologist #amarolover #bitterisbetter #craftcocktails #tequila #OF #bitterendbitters by @sheepishjen

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3 years ago