556 replies to this topic

[Chris Amirault]

Agreed on the lemon bump.

Today bought M&R rosso, Citadelle gin (my wife's favorite for the Fever Tree G&Ts I'm planning to make once it warms up), and Dubonnet rouge, which I buy almost exclusively to make one of my favorite drinks, Robert Hess's Rochester:

2 oz rye
1 oz Dubonnet
1/2 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz absinthe
2 dashes Angostura

[FrogPrincesse]

Got a few things at Hi-Times last week...

[patrickamory]

George Dickel No. 8. This is a super-smooth Tennessee whiskey. I've already killed half the bottle!

[KD1191]

Lemon Hart 151...now, where's my swizzle stick?

[Tri2Cook]

Actually yesterday, El Dorado 6 year silver. Not sure how it stacks up in the world of white rums but, since that and Havana Club Anejo Blanco (which I already have) are the only local or semi-local options other than Bacardi and Captain Morgan, I thought I might as well give it a shot.

[Boilerfood]

Cruzan Blackstrap, Flor de Cana 4, and Pimm's. Summer is in full swing as far as I am concerned.

EDIT: I guess I should mention that my Lemon Hart 151 arrived in the mail the other day. That stuff is AMAZING.

Edited by Boilerfood, 17 April 2011 - 04:39 PM.

[vice]

Stopped at K&L Hollywood to pick up Vieux Pontarlier absinthe, Campo de Encanto pisco, and Benedictine. Others in my expedition snagged some Whistle Pig and El Dorado 15.

[Dan Perrigan]

Lemon Hart 151. Woo!

Dan

[EvergreenDan]

Was stocking up at the NH liquor store (Bulleit rye, yeah! Fernet at a good price. Whodathunk?). Had heard good things about Root. Artisanal-looking label. Birch bark listed last after many other spices. Expecting a complicated, herbal 80 proof liqueur with a vague flavor of root beer. Nope. Smells and tastes just like A&W. What am I going to do with 750ml of that? So I'll be putting scoops of ice cream in my drinks while the other Dan is playing with LH151.

Edited by EvergreenDan, 24 April 2011 - 11:30 AM.

[Dan Perrigan]

...What am I going to do with 750ml of that? So I'll be putting scoops of ice cream in my drinks while the other Dan is playing with LH151.

I can sympathize, though, since I'm still trying to figure out what to do with 1.75L of New Amsterdam "Gin"

:)

Dan

[Ufamizm]

One of the local stores here just ran a closeout special on Karlsson's Gold. While I normally abhor vodka, Karlsson's is the exception, with that earthy, mushroomy flavor. Bought out their inventory at 9.99 a bottle!

[Boilerfood]

...What am I going to do with 750ml of that? So I'll be putting scoops of ice cream in my drinks while the other Dan is playing with LH151.

I can sympathize, though, since I'm still trying to figure out what to do with 1.75L of New Amsterdam "Gin"

:)

Dan

When you figure it out let me know.

[EvergreenDan]

1 juniper berry, muddled
1 oz New Amsterdam Gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz Punt e Mes

Would that work? I've never tasted the stuff.

[brinza]

Sunday, I went to one of Pennsylvania's "specialty" stores. These are simply stores with larger than average footprint that can afford some shelf space to a few unusual products. The PLCB has been trying very hard of late to bring in more products that cocktail enthusiasts are demanding, so I give them credit for that, but not everything is available everywhere. The store I visited* isn't all that far, but there are at least 3 other stores closer to where I live, so I don't go there on a regular basis. So my wife and I took a ride on a rainy Sunday and filled up a shopping cart with:

Hayman's Old Tom Gin (had never tasted before; tried it, love it. Should be loads of fun to experiment with)
Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum (tasted this in a bar and was bowled over; haven't cracked the bottle open yet, though)
Liquore Strega (have tasted it before, but never bought a bottle. It's nicely Chartreusey. Curious to see how it would work in an Alaska or a Yellow Parrot)
Ramazzotti (already have a bottle, but it's nearly gone and I love this stuff)
Plymouth Sloe Gin (finally broke down and bought some)
Herbsaint Original (Hey, it was $13.00 off the regular price!)
Marie Brizard Orange Curaçao (Until now, the only products we had in PA that served as orange curaçao were Grand Marnier and its imitators such as Gran Gala, etc. It will nice to be able reach for this when a recipe calls for, you know . . . orange curaçao).

All of the above are rather new to PA (meaning within the past few months)

we also picked up:
Cherry Heering (been out of this for a while--now I can make Blood and Sand and Singapore Slings again!)
Elijah Craig Bourbon
Cinzano rosso vermouth

For any and all Pennsylvania residents, I highly recommend Nathan Lutchansky's incredibly informative blog PLCB Users Group. It's a godsend for anyone who regularly buys liquor in PA.


Postscript: After all this, doesn't my friend call me last night while driving through Maryland to tell me he's at "this amazing liquor store." Arggh. I tell him I just spent a small fortune on liquor two days ago. He mentions Dolin Vermouth, so I say OK, get me a small bottle of Dolin Dry. Then he says into the phone, "What's this? Bulleit Rye?" Aaahhh, damn you! You know that just came out, don't you? And you know I want it. All right, get that. Don't tell me about anything else! I don't want to know.



* for anyone who cares, it's the Fox Chapel store in the Waterfront Plaza (Rumor has it that this is the store where Mario Lemieux used to buy his wine).

[toolprincess]

6 bottles of Shocktop beer
Leblon Cachaca
Jack Daniels
Absolut Vodka

[jsmeeker]

Here is my haul from today

[EvergreenDan]

Uh oh, Jeff, your Green Chartreuse is low. ;-)

[_john]

fairly easy to guess what cocktail I'm studying now.

[BennyAdeline]

Today I bought Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy and Benedictine to make Honeymoons for the wife. The highlight purchase of the day though was fresh cherries at the farmers market. These bad boys looked like they were about to burst open with juice. After a few jack roses I got into whipping up a fresh cherry gimlet and it turned out amazing first try with a nice balance of sweetness and sour with the gin popping it's head up just enough to excite the tongue. I'm going to use them tonight to make a long drink/punch with gin, benedictine, cherries, lavender, mint, gomme,and lime. I'll top it off with an ounce or two of ginger beer and a nutmeg finish. I hope it works out.

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[KD1191]

I grabbed bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year and Marie Brizard Apry at Astor Wine & Sprits this weekend...two things I haven't be able to find in Illinois in recent years. I probably overpaid (especially considering I had to pay $25 to check my bag on the way home as a result), but for some of the last of the PVW15, I'm sure I'll get over it.

[KatieLoeb]

Ordered for pickup later in the week. One bottle Plantation Rum 20th Anniversary by Cognac Ferrand. Delicious stuff. Aged first in bourbon barrels, blended and then aged in cognac barrels. Tastiest sipping rum I've had in some time. This bottle is a gift for a friend's 50th birthday along with a pair of nice vintage snifters. Hope he likes it...

[BennyAdeline]

Ordered for pickup later in the week. One bottle Plantation Rum 20th Anniversary by Cognac Ferrand. Delicious stuff. Aged first in bourbon barrels, blended and then aged in cognac barrels. Tastiest sipping rum I've had in some time. This bottle is a gift for a friend's 50th birthday along with a pair of nice vintage snifters. Hope he likes it...

...How could he not? Sounds great!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

A large volume of Zhumir Original Aguardiente - I'm going to get a turkey very very drunk....

[campus five]

A couple recent acquisitions:

Three bottles in my quest to put Eric Seed's kids through college:
1) Rabarbaro Zucca Amaro
2) Cardamaro Vino Amaro
3) Scarlett Ibis

As well as:
4) Miracle Mile Bitters Co: Forbidden Bitters (@ Barkeeper) (their attempt at a Jerry Thomas bitters, sans Snakeroot)
5) Willett 3 year Rye (115.2 proof)

I haven't cracked the Cardamaro yet. Everything else has gotten at least a couple uses.
The bitters have turned out to be outstanding - amazing in an old fashioned.

[Tri2Cook]

Got my bottle of Fernet Branca. I ordered it and St. Germains but only the Fernet came in today.

Oh, and I grabbed a bottle of Appleton Estate Extra too... but that was a replacement, not an addition.

Edited by Tri2Cook, 13 May 2011 - 02:15 PM.

[Dakki]

The usual bot of Famous Grouse and another of Flor de Cana 5. I thought I'd start to learn to mix rum cocktails tonight.

Unfortunately I locked my keys inside the car in the liquor store parking lot and now I don't feel like learning much of anything.

[BennyAdeline]

The usual bot of Famous Grouse and another of Flor de Cana 5. I thought I'd start to learn to mix rum cocktails tonight.

Unfortunately I locked my keys inside the car in the liquor store parking lot and now I don't feel like learning much of anything.

When I first started playing with rum I focused hard on pre-prohibition rum cocktails. In my internet searching I ran into the Waikikian. At first I rolled my eyes at the whole tiki drink thing but I made one while I was bored. BOOM! Delicious! I have found that my omakase abilities have gone through the roof since getting a better understanding of tiki drinks. I highly recommend that you add a little tiki in while exploring rum.

Waikikian:

1 1/2 oz lemon juice
1oz G. Marnier or curacao
3/4 oz orgeat
1 1/2 oz white rum
1 1/2 oz dark rum

Get everything except the dark rum into a large tumbler or highball glass. Fill with finely cracked ice and stir well for 45 seconds. Float the dark rum on top and go nut with the garnish (Orange slice, luxardo cherries, canned pineapple pieces).
Careful, it is potent and way to easy to drink.

Edited by BennyAdeline, 15 May 2011 - 10:29 AM.

[haresfur]

New to my local Dan Murphy (Aussie Chain) Santiago de Cuba ron anejo. Haven't mixed with it yet but I had a sip and IMO it's very tasty.

[Yojimbo]

Snuck into Astor Wines last week to get the bottle of El Dorado white that I'd passed up the week before (bought Barbancourt 8, a small bottle of green Chartreuse, and a bottle of fino sherry instead). The El D is truly a steal at $13 and has more flavor than I'd ever expected from a white rum.

Alas, they were out of Marie Brizard Apry, so another trip is in order . . .

[thirtyoneknots]

God bless Astor for keeping El Dorado 5 at a reasonable price. About a year ago it inexplicably jumped to about $20/btl in Texas (or at least at the big chain) which makes me very sad. There are so many other rums at $20 to consider. At $13, its a no-brainer.