What are your thoughts or suggestions for a strong "breakfast" cocktail?
Years ago, circa 2017, I spent a few weeks in Portland, OR for work. Naturally, I ended up at Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Clyde Common regularly. On one of the weekends, I went to Common for brunch and they served a "breakfast" cocktail in glass coke bottles. From memory it was sweet, earthy, rich with slight chocolate hints, mildly carbonated, and strong. It was totally different from most breakfast cocktails that opt for bright and citrus flavors (i.e. mimosas, bloody Marys) and I think the carbonation definitely helped soften the otherwise heavy design of this drink.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to ask about the cocktail's construction and Common closed shortly after. Recently, I've been trying to recreate it from memory, or more generously, recreate the idea of it (short of Morgenthaler himself identifying the cocktail, there's no way I'll be able to reproduce it). My best guess is that he made something close to a black Russian and ran it through a carbonator.
Here are my thoughts to riff off of that type of drink for a strong breakfast cocktail:
2 oz Bourbon, 1 oz Mr. Black, .5 oz Amaretto, .5 oz Maple Syrup, topped with carbonated water, built neat in a highball glass. I'm still tweaking the proportions, but given that Mr. Black is less sweet than other coffee liqueurs, and considering the dilution from carbonated water, I think a half/half mix of Amaretto and Maple Syrup is sweet without being cloying. I also went with Amaretto instead of another syrup like orgeat to keep the alcohol content higher.
Any thoughts? Other ideas in a similar vein?
Have you considered contacting the man himself? https://jeffreymorgenthaler.com/contact/
Edit: going onto the archived page of Clyde Common, could the cocktail you're thinking of be the Bridge Club: Canadian Club, brown sugar, allspice dram, black walnut liqueur, coffee, thickened cream?
I did reach out but I'm not sure he checks his contact page very often. The Bridge Club sounds awesome and I will definitely be making it, but I don't think that's the correct drink because this brunch cocktail didn't actually have any cream in it - it was brown but not opaque (as would be the effect from adding cream to a drink). It looked like cola (dark brown, carbonated, translucent) inside of a glass coke bottle.
Hi @tuftedcheek. Does the cocktail you're thinking of fit this description, "5th Quadrant - Irish Whisky, cold brew coffee, vanilla, water. Carbonated and bottled in house." I found a brunch menu for the restaurant you mentioned and this seemed the closest to what you were describing :)
You know what, that does sound an awful lot like the drink! That's great internet sleuthing. I'll have to give it a shot and see how it turns out. I'm almost positive that had to be it.
It may not be "strong" but I honestly don't think you can go wrong with a Mimosa. There is a reason it's so ubiquitous at breakfast/brunch places around the world. OJ for breakfast is a classic, and making it bubbly and alcoholic by adding champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine is <chef's kiss>. Same goes for Sangria, whether sparkling or not. Both are delights to drink in the morning, IMO.
Not quite a cocktail, but I'm a fan of what I've come to know as the Trifecta. It's a pint of stout (often Guinness, but even better with Old Rasputin), a shot of whiskey, and a shot of espresso. If you're looking to take a nap after brunch, the Trifecta will help get you there.
I like where you’re going with yours. My personal preference would be to avoid carbonation and swap the bourbon for a vodka or something with less flavour but it makes sense when trying to recreate what you had previously. You might consider using real espresso for that proper morning coffee feel, rather than a coffee liqueur - you said you’re going for strength but I think the real appeal of a morning cocktail is that you can have a few without needing to sleep off the booze for the rest of the day!
As for established morning cocktails my favourite is a Bloody Mary because I don’t like overly sweet things in the morning. I’m also partial to a little something in my coffee - a baileys coffee or brandy coffee is very warming and only gives a little kick (I don’t really want to be actually drunk in the morning).
It is driving me insane that I cannot think of the name of the liquor, but it is brown, and when you take a shot (lick sugar like salt with tequila, drink the shot, bite into lemon) and it tasted like chocolate cake. I wonder is there is some combination of that in there.
I think you mean Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
Nailed it! Not sure why I was having a brain block earlier.
As @Curiouser mentioned the liqueur is Frangelico.
I've done these shots many times but never with tequila always with vodka or preferably vanilla vodka.
I love me some mezcal but it seems like it might unbalance the flavor profile.Edit: I just reread and realize you meant like a tequila shot not that you made the chocolate cake shot with tequila.
The recipe I used to follow was 3/4 of an ounce of vanilla vodka 3/4 of an ounce of frangelico. Lemon wedge crusted in white sugar. Take the shooter and follow up with the sugar lemon.
That sounds delicious. I love vanilla vodka with orange juice or orange soda. It is like a creamscicle.
When it comes to breakfast cocktails, you can't go wrong with a sparkling drink. Something like a Cherub's Cup is just so incredibly moreish.
Here's one I made years ago: https://imgur.com/2O49311
Anything with sparkling wine or prosecco is going to be a brunch winner, ditto anything with grapefruit juice.
@cfabbro possibly RTYI.
Ooh, wow that's pretty... and definitely up my alley. I'm a fan of fruity fizzy drinks. :) What ratios did you go with for the ingredients? I've never tried elderflower liqueur before, but if it's anything like orange or cherry blossom liqueur (which I have had), I imagine it's pretty pungent stuff so I would want to use it sparingly.
Full recipe is in the imgur description! I have a full cocktails album on there somewhere.
Oh, hah. I am not used to using imgur for anything but single images so I never even thought to scroll down. Thanks! (and I'll let you know when I have an chance to try it for myself) :)
I'm a simple man and a simple bloody mary with pepper bacon in it is perfect for a drink with breakfast.
Two parts espresso, one part warmed Bailey's, dash of chocolate or walnut bitters. Gently stir and pour into a pre warmed cup of your choosing.
Some of the Philistines I've served have put sugar in with it but each to their own I suppose.
For warmer days, I like a classic vesper with Cocchi Americano, Martin Miller's, and whatever neutral vodka you have on hand, usually Tito's in these parts. This will get you through breakfast and probably bring on a pre lunch nap.
The alcoholic in me recommends coffee with either Baileys or Kahlua and that’s it. I used to take this to work in a thermos, not my best time in life.