Around America Series

When Stiff sent us an electronically-pilfered drink menu from one of his classy joints in Vegas, an idea for the next new series popped into my mind. Why not recreate specialty cocktails from bars across America so that we can enjoy them at home? All you need is to send me a cocktail menu with ingredients and I'll put my skills to the test in order to get a decent pour from them. Ready? OK, here's one get us started...

Drink: The Venetian Canal
Establishment: Salute Lounge at The Palazzo
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
First Connoisseur: Stiff

1 1/2 ounces Captain Morgan
1 ounce Disaronno
1 ounce Midori
1 ounce Blue Curaçao
2 ounces of sour
Splash 7up

Shake all ingredients except the 7up on ice. Splash with 7up.

Essential Liquor #28

#28) Melon Liqueur - Our last liqueur in the 30 Essentials series is melon liqueur.
Sweet, but not sickly sweet, melon liqueur is a surprisingly wonderful mixer that blends interestingly with unobvious bed-fellows like cream. Consider the crazy combination that is the Jedi Mind Trick - melon, cinnamon schnapps, Bailey's, and 151. I don't think that I have ordered a Jedi Mind Trick at a bar where the bartender didn't ask, "Ah, are you sure?" However, every bartender who then tried one always appreciated it afterwards. Melon liqueur is often one of three ingredients in any cocktail, so Joe can buy Dekuyper here or Midori for more class.