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The 8 most unusual cocktails to drink right now
Although many will be looking for a refreshing cocktail this summer, there are those looking for something a bit different. db provides some options.
Sourtoe Cocktail
Arguably the oddest and most unusual cocktail in the world. Yes, it features an amputated, mummified toe. And if you accidentally swallow it, you owe the bar US$500 for the privilege.
The drink, available at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, sees customers down a shot which included the mummified toe.
The brainchild of “Captain Dick” Stevenson features a shot of whisky, and the pickled human toe, in a single glass. When Stevenson died in 2019, he bequeathed all ten of his toes for use in the cocktail. According to an interview in 2017, he thought only five or ten people would ever drink it.
But looking at social media, there is high demand to try the beverage. According to the recent tweet shown below, there have been more than 100,000 people that have tried the drink. You will have to travel to Canada to try it though.
I’m officially a member of the elite Sourtoe Cocktail Club
: https://t.co/C47WpQrVq0#SashaSips #DawsonCity #Canada #Yukon #SashaInCanada pic.twitter.com/cjRxfb5uvI
— Sasha (@SashaEats) June 22, 2023
Coffee and Coke
Essentially this is an espresso martini with some Coca-Cola thrown in to create some sweetness. There are various incarnations available, some of which include coffee liqueurs and spiced rum, some with rye whiskey.
A lot of the discussion around the cocktail began when an RTD of Coca-Cola and coffee was launched in the US marketplace, offering a quick option to make a cocktail.
Perhaps stick to a simple coffee and coke with a bourbon whiskey or vodka. It would seem many of the taste tests conducted online with more elaborate concoctions weren’t particularly great to drink.
“South by Southwest” Negroni
There are many riffs on the Negroni, perhaps most famously the Sbagliato, or ‘mistaken’ Negroni, which is simply a Negroni without gin and with added Prosecco or sparkling Rosé Moscato.
But this one is particularly unusual, replacing gin with a smoky, peaty 10-year-old Ardbeg scotch whisky. The brainchild of bartender and author Gary Regan, this is a cocktail you won’t forget in a hurry.
Essentially, make a Negroni, add some scotch and a bit of orange blossom water.
Spiced rum and White Zinfandel
Although Champagne and sparking wine cocktails are now accepted as a go-to summer drink, the jury is still out on still wines. This particular clash of flavours wouldn’t appear to work, but the internet insists otherwise.
Try this recipe, which has been suggested is a great ‘poolside’ cocktail: spiced rum, white zinfandel, pineapple juice, lemon and lime soda, maraschino cherries and a fresh lime slice.
Wakey, Wakey, Mary, Eggs and Bacey
The various versions of the so-called ‘hair of the dog’ cocktails are now so ubiquitous that finding a fresh one can be tricky. This version, called ‘Wakey, Wakey, Mary, Eggs and Bacey’, forms part of a whole hair-of-the-dog menu at the Chapel Tavern bar in Reno, Nevada.
The recipe is a Bloody Mary with additional hot sauce, Irish stout, pickled vegetables, quail eggs, bacon…and a grilled cheese sandwich. db is not sure if the sandwich is blended into the glass or as a side.
Fiery Chilli Margarita
Another spicy cocktail to warm – and cool – the summer evening is a fiery chilli Margarita.
To make this drink you simply need to de-seed and chop a red chilli and shake with the other ingredients and ice. A shot of 1800 Silver Tequila, lime juice, Agave Nectar, and cubed ice.
Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel and…why not…a red chilli.
Enjoy the mouthful of intense flavours.
The ‘Bull shot’
As an alternative to a Bloody Mary, how about beef consomme and vodka? This drink is getting an increasing reputation, and, according to the recipe from Leon restaurant founder and Jane Baxter, you can make it by simply putting together a couple of shots of beef consomme, a large shot of vodka, some Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper with a squeeze of lemon.
Other options seen online include adding tomato passata, vegetables, horseradish sauce, venison stock and a variety of meaty, gamey ingredients, which feels like we are getting more into alcoholic soup territory than a cocktail.
Percy Pig Cocktail
Let’s finish on a sweet one, a Percy Pig Cocktail. If you’ve had enough of the spice (and the toes), perhaps this sweet treat will take your fancy instead. Simply grab 40ml of Jose Cuervo silver tequila, add lime juice and mandarin juice as well as a bit of raspberry syrup and top with apple soda, before garnishing with, of course, a Percy Pig.