Time seems to fly by these days. I swear it was just January not long ago and now summer has come and gone in the blink of an eye. And the week has once again reset itself much to our dismay. It’s Monday, and back to the mundane work week that we all (well, 99% of us anyway) most endure. But, hey, it’s not a complete loss, as this isn’t just any Monday, but just so happens to be a Mixology Monday!

That’s right, it’s once again time to break out your home bar, or practice that new drink you’ve been thinking about if you happen to be a professional barkeeper. This month’s theme is brought to us by DJ Hawaiian Shirt of the Spirited Remix blog, and he challenges us to utilize an often misunderstood cocktail ingredient, orange juice. Here’s what Mr. Shirt has to say:

It really irritates me when people dismiss an ingredient. Whether it’s too ordinary, or difficult, or inconsistent, or overpowering, I can’t help but feel such conclusions are lazy and defeatist. Your theme this month is “Orange Juice”, an ingredient I too often see derided or ignored when it comes to thoughtful mixology. Surely an assembly of such mixological brawn as MxMo can find or create a delicious way to mix OJ, right? And before you think this challenge isn’t challenging, regard my rules:

1) Whether it’s established or your own creation, write about a cocktail that uses orange juice. Not orange liqueur, or oil, or bitters, or tangerine juice. Orange juice.
2) Your orange juice can be fresh squeezed, from concentrate, or from a bottle, carton, or can.
3) Your orange juice cannot be buried in the cocktail; it must play at least a noticeably supporting role in the drink.
4) If you must choose one of the simple, already-establish orange juice cocktails (you know the ones), then at least write something thoughtful enough to make me want to mix one up.

He has a compelling point. OJ gets a bad rap. Wether it’s fresh from your oh-s0-conveinient concentrate; lazily overly doused in that piss poor excuse of a cocktail you call a “Mai Tai”, or up for double homicide (sorry, couldn’t resist); OJ is simply not on most serious cocktailians minds when it comes to craft ingredients but when used improperly perhaps it’s not the juices fault, but our own incompetence. Touché Mr. DJ, touché.

So, what should one do with this seemingly mediocre and mundane citrus? Well, interestingly enough, there are already a plethora of classic cocktails to showcase. Income Tax Cocktail anyone? Perhaps a nice Monkey Gland to sip on? Or better yet, one that I think was created specifically with the Pacific Northwest in mind; the Damn the Weather.

Hailing to us from the 1930’s courtesy of the infamous Mr. Craddock and his cocktail opus, the Savoy Cocktail book, the Damn the Weather cocktail is a classic example of that’s era’s strong obsession with orange juice having no real added benefit to the rest of the ingredients other than simply a filler. An uninspiring mix of gin, curaçao, sweet vermouth and, of course, orange juice. I mean, it’s not a bad cocktail per-se, it’s just that I’ve never really understood the need to combine sweet vermouth and orange juice in a billion different-yet-similar cocktails. Sure it works for some more than others, yes Income Tax Cocktail, I’m looking at you, but by large it’s not the most appealing combo. In fact, if you take away the orange juice, the Damn the Weather sounds more agreeable, or at least an almost Martinez anyway.

So what’s my solution? Well for one, I’d lose the sweet vermouth and go with, let’s say, Cocchi Americano. The bitter, herbal tones and citrus make more sense here with the gin. Then I’d throw in a dry, nutty component, say a nice Amontillado sherry, and heck, while we’re at it maybe even swap out the gin for…well, hell just look at what I jotted down below. Cheers.

Damn These Nimbus!

1 oz Bols Genever

1 oz Amontillado Sherry

.75 oz Cocchi Americano

.75 oz Freshly Squeezed OJ (NO CONCENTRATE OR CARTON!)

12 drops Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters

1/12 tsp Orange Blossom Water

Combine ingredients over ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish and enjoy.

Head on over to Spirited Remix and Mixology Monday for all the orangey goodness and thanks to Fred Yarm at Cocktail Virgin Slut for keeping things going. Cheers.