Knock Your Socks Off – A Father’s Day Cocktail

If you’re looking for a Knock Your Socks Off Father’s Day cocktail – look no further, you’ve found it! After experimenting with this drink for a couple of weeks (it’s tough, I know) the result is this fab & delish “Knock Your Socks Off Father’s Day cocktail.” The goal: take a traditionally masculine drink and tweak it enough to be crisp and light for “summer sipping” yet keep (and maybe even make better) the original’s deep flavors. Dad, hubby, your brother…whoever you want to make this for on Father’s Day is going to love you for it. Forget socks, ties and grill sets, this drink is going to be your new tradition.

I’m going to suggest making it according to the measurements I’ve given, especially since I worked so hard on it. I’ll list some variations at the end though, I know not everyone likes to follow the rules.

Knock Your Socks Off 

(A “So, I’ve Been Thinking…” twist on the traditional manhattan)

• 1.5 parts Crown Royal
• .5 parts sweet vermouth (I’m going to suggest Carpano Antica)
• .5 parts fresh lemon juice
• .5 parts real maple syrup
• 2-4 dashes of bitters

Fill a shaker cup with ice, add all ingredients and shake well.

Strain into a chilled martini/manhattan glass or pour over fresh rocks in a short glass.

Garnish with a lemon slice.

Notes:

• Rinse your cubes, in the shaker and in the glass, no one likes the flavor of a freezer wall, rinse ‘em
• Add a little extra lemon if you want to cut the sweetness, serve with a lemon wedge so whoever is drinking can add more if they like, but this drink is not sweet so taste it first
• “Knock Your Socks Off” is modeled after “Bulliet Proof” from a local-ish restaurant, same ingredients except instead of the Crown Royal they used Bulliet Rye. The difference is the smoothness, Crown makes a smoother drink, Bulliet is pretty fantastic though, too
• The measurements are all mine, which is why it took weeks to perfect
• If you have a favorite rye or whiskey I’ll bet you could sub it no problem
• As I’ve mentioned before in the St Germain & Gin cocktail recipe, you can make an individual drink or a pitcher based on the measurements (for example: a part can be a shot or a cup)

If you try it please come back and let me know if it did, in fact, Knock Your Socks Off.