596 replies to this topic

[KatieLoeb]

Is the Smith and Cross a white or dark? I notice that you recommended the Appleton white before - I was able to find that one in the LCBO system.

I recommended the Appleton White as an alternative to the ubiquitous and not so tasty (by comparison) Bacardi. The Don Q Cristal also fits this same slot very well at a similar price point. If you taste any of these side by side with the Bacardi, they win hands down. I look at these things in a commercial environment as "what will the 'well rum' be" in whatever restaurant where I'm working. For that pour you'll reach for the rum and cokes or the basic rum + mixer that you'll sell oodles of without even thinking about it. But the metric is the same for the "household pour" at a decent quality/price ratio.

Edited by KatieLoeb, 31 August 2011 - 08:52 PM.

[Sunny&Rummy]

I would definitely also put Cruzan White in that list of winning quality vs. price light rums. Only slightly less versatile but still a very good white rum for the price is Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 year. I have yet to try it, but I also keep hearing great things about El Dorado 3 Year light rum.

[Tri2Cook]

I would definitely also put Cruzan White in that list of winning quality vs. price light rums. Only slightly less versatile but still a very good white rum for the price is Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 year. I have yet to try it, but I also keep hearing great things about El Dorado 3 Year light rum.

The El Dorado 6 year silver is available through the LCBO as is the Havana Club Anejo Blanco. In my non-expert opinion, both of them are well worth having. Either would be a good choice.

[EvergreenDan]

I have yet to try it, but I also keep hearing great things about El Dorado 3 Year light rum.

ED3 is tasty, but very sweet. It does not seem to serve the same purpose as a regular light "house" rum. Brugal could be on a short list of versatile, inexpensive, light rums.

[haresfur]

I'd go with the Cuban. I use Ron Santiago de Cuba.

[Anna N]

Against my usual habit of avoiding cocktails except for the weekend I felt the need to wash the day away. I am sipping on a Captain's Blood - dark rum, lime juice, simple syrup, agnostura bitters. The first sip was a definite put off but damn, the taste is growing on me. Rum always smells a lot like gasoline to me so I have usually avoided it except in cooking but who knows......

[haresfur]

Against my usual habit of avoiding cocktails except for the weekend I felt the need to wash the day away. I am sipping on a Captain's Blood - dark rum, lime juice, simple syrup, agnostura bitters. The first sip was a definite put off but damn, the taste is growing on me. Rum always smells a lot like gasoline to me so I have usually avoided it except in cooking but who knows......

What rum? Maybe find a decent sipping rum then work from that to cocktails then switch the rum to something funkier if you want to go that way. I'd maybe try that with Barbancourt, Goslings, Myer's, or even Capitain Morgan. I'd avoid Bacardi and at least to start, Inner Circle (or probably Smith & Cross which I haven't tried). It's been a long time since I've had Lamb's Navy but from what I remember, it might do but stay clear of the overproof. Maybe not PC with the cockail weenies, but I like Pyrat XO as a float on some drinks - it's just not what I'd grab for most cocktails.

Then again we do dark rum in hot chocolate so maybe I'm not to be trusted.

[Sunny&Rummy]

Against my usual habit of avoiding cocktails except for the weekend I felt the need to wash the day away. I am sipping on a Captain's Blood - dark rum, lime juice, simple syrup, agnostura bitters. The first sip was a definite put off but damn, the taste is growing on me. Rum always smells a lot like gasoline to me so I have usually avoided it except in cooking but who knows......

THAT is the Captain's Blood I know and love. Using your favorite aged sipping rums in that one makes about the best midnight daiquiri you can imagine. Matusalem Gran Reserva, Barbancourt, Cockspur 12, and Pampero Aniversario all shake up to make a glorious Captain's Blood.

[Kerry Beal]

Part and Parcel - yum!

[Anna N]

Being a Brit and definitely grumpy tonight the Grumpy Brit #2 seemed all too appropriate. So good I am sipping on my second one! Kind of defeats the "low alcohol" benefit though.

[Tri2Cook]

Part and Parcel - yum!

Tasty indeed, did you do it with vodka or gin?

[Kerry Beal]

Part and Parcel - yum!

Tasty indeed, did you do it with vodka or gin?

Tanqueray #10. You could drink that stuff neat!

[Anna N]

....
What rum?

Sorry, missed this question. El Dorado 12 year old. Budget won't stretch to a vast variety of liquors so it often will have to be what is on hand until I win the lottery or our LCBO starts to drop their exorbitant prices.

[Tri2Cook]

Part and Parcel - yum!

Tasty indeed, did you do it with vodka or gin?

Tanqueray #10. You could drink that stuff neat!

Haven't tried that one but, to be honest, I haven't met a gin I couldn't drink neat.

Right now I'm wondering which rum that I have could stand in for the Barbancourt in a...

Don's Little Bitter

1/8 oz Peychaud's bitters
1/8 oz Angostura Orange bitters
1/4 oz Angostura bitters
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 oz Barbancourt 8 year rum

Shake, strain, coupe.

[Sunny&Rummy]

Part and Parcel - yum!

Tasty indeed, did you do it with vodka or gin?

Tanqueray #10. You could drink that stuff neat!

Haven't tried that one but, to be honest, I haven't met a gin I couldn't drink neat.

Right now I'm wondering which rum that I have could stand in for the Barbancourt in a...

Don's Little Bitter

1/8 oz Peychaud's bitters
1/8 oz Angostura Orange bitters
1/4 oz Angostura bitters
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 oz Barbancourt 8 year rum

Shake, strain, coupe.

You are one of the lucky Canadians who can get Havana Club 7, so that would be a more than suitable stand-in. Matusalem Classico would suffice, and the 15 or 18 would kill.

[Tri2Cook]

I have the Havana Club 7 in the cabinet right now (along with a couple of it's siblings) so I'll give that a try. Thanks!

[Anna N]

Being a solo drinker I have to try my best to make the best use of ingredients. Grapefruit juice is calling out to be used up so tonight's cocktail:



Whoa, Nellie! One of my favourites so far. I will resist the urge to have a second one but it will take great willpower. Rye, Rum, Cointreau, Grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup.

[Kerry Beal]

I also have some left over grapefruit juice that I should be thinking about using up - however tonight went for the Jasmine. Gin, cointreau, campari, lemon.




Looked great but didn't come across as particularly well balanced - I ended up adding a tiny bit of elderflower concentrate (from Ikea) to mine and that helped a bit. I suspect a bit of simple would have done the trick.

[campus five]

There are two recipes for the Jasmine floating around, Paul Harrington's and Robert Hess'. GIve both a try, I find that people who haven't enjoyed the cocktail, generally like it when made with the other recipe. Amazing what playing with ratios can do.

[Anna N]

Tonight's Cocktail:



Intriguing flavour.

Any of the cocktail experts care to share with this greenhorn how you are measuring minute amounts? Although I have a couple of decent measuring "shots" none go down to 1/4 ounce with any accuracy. I am assuming you use a medicine dropper when drops are called for and dashes I guess are just a quick shake of the bitter's bottle with the special top.

[Sunny&Rummy]

There are two recipes for the Jasmine floating around, Paul Harrington's and Robert Hess'. GIve both a try, I find that people who haven't enjoyed the cocktail, generally like it when made with the other recipe. Amazing what playing with ratios can do.

Agreed, and I much prefer the Hess ratios to Harrington, even though it is Paul's drink.

[Kerry Beal]

There are two recipes for the Jasmine floating around, Paul Harrington's and Robert Hess'. GIve both a try, I find that people who haven't enjoyed the cocktail, generally like it when made with the other recipe. Amazing what playing with ratios can do.

Agreed, and I much prefer the Hess ratios to Harrington, even though it is Paul's drink.

Twas the Hess I mixed.

[Kerry Beal]

Corpse Reviver # 2.

[Anna N]

Tonight's Cocktail:



Intriguing flavour.

Any of the cocktail experts care to share with this greenhorn how you are measuring minute amounts? Although I have a couple of decent measuring "shots" none go down to 1/4 ounce with any accuracy. I am assuming you use a medicine dropper when drops are called for and dashes I guess are just a quick shake of the bitter's bottle with the special top.

Oops forgot the name of the cocktail - it was a Red Line.

[vice]

Any of the cocktail experts care to share with this greenhorn how you are measuring minute amounts? Although I have a couple of decent measuring "shots" none go down to 1/4 ounce with any accuracy. I am assuming you use a medicine dropper when drops are called for and dashes I guess are just a quick shake of the bitter's bottle with the special top.

Well, we've talked dashes before, and a lot of us have moved our bitters and frequently dashed liqueurs to dropper bottles for consistent measurement. As for jiggers, you're unlikely to hear complaints about the Oxo mini.

[haresfur]

Once I get below 1/2 oz I use teaspoon measures or if it is just for me, I usually guess then adjust.

[EvergreenDan]

... the Jasmine. Gin, cointreau, campari, lemon.
...
Looked great but didn't come across as particularly well balanced - I ended up adding a tiny bit of elderflower concentrate ...

I like the Jasmine, but I love the Bitter Elder:

Bitter Elder
by AmateurHour, commenter on Oh Go.sh and Cocktail Chronicales
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lemon juice

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail

My notes: Absolutely delicious. Made with Tanqueray. More Campari isn't bad -- 3/4 oz

Edited by EvergreenDan, 05 September 2011 - 11:20 AM.

[EvergreenDan]

Was this the Redline? If so, it was named for Boston's subway line that goes through Harvard Square. If it was a different cocktail by this name, I'd love the know the recipe.


Redline
by Chowhound DavidSqPro
2 oz Rye
1 3/4 oz Grapefruit juice
1/4 oz Lemon juice
1/4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz Campari
4 dr Absinthe
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
2 ds Angostura bitters

Shake, Rocks, Lowball

I use a kitchen measuring spoon for teaspoon measurements. It also helps to know that 3 tsp = 1 tbsp = 1/2 oz. So sometimes you see 1 1/2 tsp and you know that that is just a 1/4 oz. I use the 2 oz OXO measuring cup for regular drinks and the 8 oz OXO measuring cup for larger batches.

A "dash" of Bittermens bitters is about 1" of liquid in the dropper.

Edited by EvergreenDan, 05 September 2011 - 11:31 AM.

[Anna N]

Was this the Redline? ....

It was indeed. I have been making good use of Kindred Cocktails to help me make drinks with the ingredients I have on hand. And thanks for the information on measuring. Guess I'll be looking for the small Oxo measure. Thanks again.

[Anna N]

[I like the Jasmine, but I love the Bitter Elder:

Bitter Elder
...

One of my favourites so far in my early journey into cocktails!