Knickerbocker Cocktail

August 27, 2021 by Jennifer

I know it’s been a little quiet here the past few weeks. I’ve missed you guys. I’ve missed sitting down at my computer and writing about what’s been going on in our lives while whipping up some delicious dinners and mixing up some delectable cocktails. Well, we’ve wrapped up our summer and the kids are finally back in school. Full time! No more pods, no more half days. The boys are back on their respective campuses and after 17 months I finally have some time to myself.

I can go shopping without the kids begging for junk food. I can casually peruse the numerous vendors at the farmers market at my own pace. I can try out new recipes and whip up new cocktails. I could even catch up on some of my favorite shows if I wanted to. (I may have already done this once or twice.) But most importantly, I can create recipes and shoot them without any interruptions. It’s wonderful and I’m so happy to be back at it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my boys and spending time with them, but we all need some alone time. Time to gather our thoughts. Time to just relax and not worry about anything. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until last week when I dropped my youngest off at school and came home to an empty, quiet house. It was weird, but I absolutely loved it! I wanted to celebrate!

And what’s the best way to celebrate? With a cocktail of course! While I’ve created and shared several cocktails over the past year and a half, I wanted to get back to my roots. I wanted to share a classic. Something that was tasty, but also fit with the warm weather we’re still having. I know other parts of the country are having tropical storms, but overall the temperatures are hanging out around the mid 70’s to low 80’s. The great thing about today’s tipple though, is that it can be enjoyed pretty much year round. It’s the Knickerbocker.

Preceding tiki drinks and most fruity rum cocktails, the Knickerbocker dates all the way back to the mid-1800’s. Although it’s unclear how the original drink came to be, the recipe was first published, along with several other classic cocktails, in the pages of Jerry Thomas’ The Bartender’s Guide. While I’m unsure of the cocktail’s origins, the moniker comes from a nickname given to the Dutch settlers in New York who wore pants that were rolled up to the knees, or knickers. While I’m not sure what rum and raspberries has to do with the Dutch, it’s a great name and an even better cocktail.

Best made with an aged rum that tastes of caramel and vanilla, the Knickerbocker isn’t as sweet as those other tiki (rum) concoctions that are so popular. But that doesn’t mean it should be disregarded, especially if you make it with homemade raspberry syrup and fresh raspberries. Now is the perfect time to taste this tipple as raspberries are in season and will be bright and fresh through at least September. The combination of sweet/tart raspberries and aged rum makes for a delightful drink that’s well worth a sip. While it may not be officially tiki, it’ll definitely have you thinking of sandy beaches and sunny days. Days that are full of summer fun and vacation vibes. Days that most parents (like me) are experiencing right now. So, if you’re looking for a cocktail to toast the end of summer and back to school with, nothing beats a Knickerbocker… unless it’s a glass of champagne… which also goes great with raspberries.