171 replies to this topic

[FrogPrincesse]

The Paddington: white rum, Lillet blanc, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Bonne Maman marmalade, absinthe rinse (I used pastis).

It is essentially a Corpse Reviver No. 2 variation with the rum replacing the gin, and the grapefruit juice + marmalade replacing the Cointreau.
I did not have the Banks 5 Island rum that the recipe calls for, so I substituted Flor de Caña. After tasting the cocktail, I decided to add a couple of drops of grapefruit bitters that a friend made and gave me.



It was excellent.

[Tri2Cook]

Finally got the book. I was going to preorder it and didn't. When I remembered to go back and order it, it was out of stock. Arrived yesterday along with Beachbum Berry Remixed. Looking forward to exploring both.

[FrogPrincesse]

Finally got the book. I was going to preorder it and didn't. When I remembered to go back and order it, it was out of stock. Arrived yesterday along with Beachbum Berry Remixed. Looking forward to exploring both.

That's great! These are really good cocktail books. I've been very happy with PDT so far as you can probably tell. Beachbum Berry Remixed is really fantastic too, full of wonderful tiki concoctions.

[FrogPrincesse]

The Conquistador (Sam Ross, 2008)



The ingredients are: aged rum (I had to substitute Appleton 12 yr for Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum that is specified), blanco tequila (I substituted Don Julio for Siembra Azul), simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, "house" orange bitters (I used Regan's and Angostura), egg white.

As described in the book, this is a very smooth tequila drink. And I am happy because I finally managed to froth the egg properly!

[FrogPrincesse]

Cavalier: Cognac, lemon juice, Cointreau, orgeat, apricot preserves, orange bitters.

The orgeat, apricot preserves and orange bitters add subtle touches of flavor to what is essentially a Sidecar variation.

[EvergreenDan]

21st Century: Tequila, white Creme de Cacoa, Lemon, absinthe rinse. Sorry, but meh. I added a couple of dashes of Xocalatl Mole bitters, which helped a little. I sort of liked it at the start, but was glad when the glass was empty.

[Tri2Cook]

21st Century: Tequila, white Creme de Cacoa, Lemon, absinthe rinse. Sorry, but meh. I added a couple of dashes of Xocalatl Mole bitters, which helped a little. I sort of liked it at the start, but was glad when the glass was empty.

Pretty much the same way I felt about it. I enjoyed the 20th well enough and the offshoot 19th (bourbon, dubonnet rouge, creme de cacao, lemon juice) even more (I think, it's been a while) but something about the 21st didn't work as well for me. My lack of experience left me unable to figure out exactly what that something was but it didn't feel like it continued the chain started by the other two and didn't completely agree with me even as a standalone outside of the "century" theme.

[FrogPrincesse]

The Apricot Flip from John Deragon/johnder.

A simple flip with Cognac, R&W apricot liqueur, simple syrup, an organic egg, and grated nutmeg.



Very smooth and balanced. The apricot liqueur works great with cognac.

[FrogPrincesse]

For him, I made a Bee's Knees (gin, honey syrup, lemon juice) using PDT's ratios.



Very nice use of honey in a cocktail. It tastes quite acidic at first but then the honey kicks in without taking over the drink.

I had a Sam Ross' Penicillin a few days ago, and he often uses honey in his cocktails, so this inspired me to try this cocktail.

[Tri2Cook]

For him, I made a Bee's Knees (gin, honey syrup, lemon juice) using PDT's ratios.

Very nice use of honey in a cocktail. It tastes quite acidic at first but then the honey kicks in without taking over the drink.

I had a Sam Ross' Penicillin a few days ago, and he often uses honey in his cocktails, so this inspired me to try this cocktail.

I like the Penicillin, I'll have to try the Bee's Knees.

[EvergreenDan]

21st Century: Tequila, white Creme de Cacoa, Lemon, absinthe rinse. ... {meh}

Pretty much the same way I felt about it. ...

I think that combining two childhood flavors -- chocolate and licorice -- is tempting fate. There is something candy-like about it. Oddly, it sweetened as it sat on ice, and effect that I have not noticed in other drinks.

[slkinsey]

21st Century: Tequila, white Creme de Cacoa, Lemon, absinthe rinse. Sorry, but meh. I added a couple of dashes of Xocalatl Mole bitters, which helped a little. I sort of liked it at the start, but was glad when the glass was empty.

Pretty much the same way I felt about it. I enjoyed the 20th well enough and the offshoot 19th (bourbon, dubonnet rouge, creme de cacao, lemon juice) even more (I think, it's been a while) but something about the 21st didn't work as well for me. My lack of experience left me unable to figure out exactly what that something was but it didn't feel like it continued the chain started by the other two and didn't completely agree with me even as a standalone outside of the "century" theme.

I'm pretty sure that the 19th Century, as originally formulated by Brian Miller at Pegu Club, contained bourbon, Lillet Rouge, white creme de cacao and lemon juice. Not that Dubonnet Rouge (or even Bonal) wouldn't work plenty well.

But your point is well made about the fact that this tequila drink breaks the model, which in its loosest interpretation is: base spirit, white creme de cacao, quinquina, sour citrus. The two elements that hold these drinks together, in my opinion, is the white creme de cacao and the quinquina. Without that thread of chocolate and the bitter quinine finish, it just doesn't taste like a "century" drink to me. The connection is further muddled by the incorporation of non-cannonical absinthe. I'm not saying it isn't a good drink, just that it's a bit "one of these things is not like the other" alongside the 20th Century and the 19th Century. In the case of the 19th Century, the use of a stronger-tasting and more tannic red quinquina made sense together with whiskey. With tequila, I'd think that a return to a white quinquina would be in order -- perhaps an Americano would be interesting. I'd be interested to see what tequila, white creme de cacao, Cocchi Americano and lime juice would taste like.

[Tri2Cook]

I'm pretty sure that the 19th Century, as originally formulated by Brian Miller at Pegu Club, contained bourbon, Lillet Rouge, white creme de cacao and lemon juice. Not that Dubonnet Rouge (or even Bonal) wouldn't work plenty well.

Sounds good to me. I have a text file I've been collecting drink recipes in for a couple years now. It never occurred to me to save sources as well. Looking back, that would have been a good idea. I'm pretty sure the recipe from whatever source I collected it from said dubonnet rouge (I'm not arguing that that's correct, just guessing that's what the person listed wherever I got it). The reason I'm assuming that is, when I change something in a recipe to accommodate what I have/can get, I always put it in parentheses beside the original ingredient. So thanks for the correction, I'm going to add that into my file (although lillet rouge is not available through the LCBO so I'll have to stick with the dubonnet).

[FrogPrincesse]

The PDT gang always seemed to nail just the right spirit for a given drink, and part of what I'll enjoy is trying my hand at matching what I have and can get against what's preferred by the team. For example, right now I'm enjoying a Brown Bomber made with 2 oz Four Roses Small Batch (in for Dickel #12), 3/4 oz Cocchi Americano (in for Lillet blanc), and 1/2 oz Suze: an outstanding drink. I first made it with Henry McKenna, a very rye-forward bourbon, and that was very good indeed. However, subbing in the softer, more vanilla-y Four Roses brings out the sweetness necessary to nail the balance (especially with the additional bitterness of the Cocchi, sharper than Lillet blanc) and allow the Suze to shine in the long finish. I've never had the Dickel #12, but reading up on various tasting notes that emphasize the caramel and vanilla, well, I think that the FRSM is a spot-on substitute.

I just tried the Brown Bomber tonight and all I can say is WOW. This is great. The White Negroni is one of my favorite cocktails, while my Suze-hater husband's go-to drink is the Manhattan. The Brown Bomber manages to merge both drinks while harmoniously integrating the Suze. Phenomenal- we both loved it.

Note: I did not have Tennessee whisky so I substituted bourbon (Buffalo Trace).

[FrogPrincesse]

Brown Derby: bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace, the recipe called for Maker's Mark), grapefruit juice, honey syrup + grapefruit bitters (my addition).



The combination of bourbon with honey and grapefruit is particularly harmonious. I added a couple of my friend's homemade bitters for an extra layer of flavor.

[FrogPrincesse]

For me, another grapefruit cocktail: the Edgewood with Plymouth gin, grapefruit juice, Punt e Mes, Lillet blanc, and a pinch of kosher salt.
I guess this makes it a Kina Cocktail variation with grapefruit (I am currently indexing the Savoy Cocktail book for Eat Your Books).



The grapefruit is a little more assertive in this one (which is fine by me). The salt is essential, it's suble but it adds a savory touch. Adding a couple of grapefruit bitters works great too in this one.

[FrogPrincesse]

The Leapfrog: Plymouth gin, lemon, simple syrup, R&W apricot liqueur, orange bitters, mint.



It tastes like a delicious variation on the Southside. The apricot liqueur and orange bitters add a nice touch.

[FrogPrincesse]

For him, the Gold Rush (created at Milk & Honey): Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon, honey syrup, lemon juice



Quite simple but the honey and lemon extract a lot of flavor out of the bourbon, including some interesting orange notes.

[FrogPrincesse]

A Cin Cyn with dry instead of sweet vermouth, the Berlioni.



The recipe specified Tanqueray but I substituted Junipero.
It's very reminiscent of the Negroni, which I love.

[FrogPrincesse]

For him, the Newark: applejack (I had to substitute calvados), Vya sweet vermouth, fernet-branca, maraschino.



It is relative of the Red Hook, with an extra long finish and more funk, both courtesy of the fernet. Applejack as specified in the original recipe would probably work better than the calvados which is a little subdued and hardly noticeable as the base spirit.

[FrogPrincesse]

The PDT cocktail book has been indexed on Eat Your Books (here). That should be very helpful to search for cocktails by specific ingredients.

[thirtyoneknots]

For him, the Newark: applejack (I had to substitute calvados), Vya sweet vermouth, fernet-branca, maraschino.



It is relative of the Red Hook, with an extra long finish and more funk, both courtesy of the fernet. Applejack as specified in the original recipe would probably work better than the calvados which is a little subdued and hardly noticeable as the base spirit.

Is Laird's Bonded not available in your area? Calvados is a poor substitute, besides being more expensive.

[FrogPrincesse]

For him, the Newark: applejack (I had to substitute calvados), Vya sweet vermouth, fernet-branca, maraschino.

It is relative of the Red Hook, with an extra long finish and more funk, both courtesy of the fernet. Applejack as specified in the original recipe would probably work better than the calvados which is a little subdued and hardly noticeable as the base spirit.

Is Laird's Bonded not available in your area? Calvados is a poor substitute, besides being more expensive.

Laird's bonded is available in my area. I used to have a bottle that I finished some time ago.
I actually don't care for it in most drinks, this one being one exception. It's a little too rough for my taste, so I decided not buy another bottle.

[FrogPrincesse]

Last week I tried the Coda: aged rum, rhum agricole blanc, lime juice, allspice dram, demerara syrup, whole organic egg, grated nutmeg.
For the aged rum, the book specified Ron Pampero Aniversario from Venezuela (which I have never tried). I substituted El Dorado 12. The El Dorado 12 is good but has a tendency to get lost in mixed drinks as it is very smooth and understated. I think that's why I don't use it more. But it's quite reasonable at about $30 a bottle and has a good flavor.
For the rhum agricole blanc, I had the Neisson that the book calls for and that I've been using mostly in Ti Punches or daiquiris.
I decreased the amount of St Elizabeth allspice slightly (from 1/2 oz to ~ 1/3 oz) based on the comments from mukki and EvergreenDan.



The blend of rums was harmonious. The allspice was also very good. I actually think I could have used the entire amount of allspice instead of the ~ 1/3 oz that I used, especially once I realized this was essentially a tiki drink. The cocktail could easily have been a Donn Beach creation with the assertive allspice/cinnamon flavor, and the clever mix of rums. Next time I will serve it in tiki-appropriate glassware.

[ChrisTaylor]

De La Louisiane. My first cocktail from the book. Very good. Used Punt e Mes instead of Dolin because I have *that* much left in the bottle and don't really use vermouth often enough to keep more than two bottles--one red, one white--open at a time.

[Keith Orr]

Anyone else made the tonic syrup? I thought the ingredients list didn't match the final quantity. They stated 24 oz each water and sugar plus the rest of the ingredients and you'd end up with 24 oz of syrup. I used 16 oz each of sugar and water plus the rest of the ingredients as listed.

I made a gin and tonic as the recipe stated and found it a bit bland, but still superior to commercial tonic. Looking at some other recipes for homemade tonic syrup it looks like the PDT recipe makes a lighter product than some which use more cinchona and a bit of citric acid and lime juice and a little less sugar.

[FrogPrincesse]

My husband was out last night so I made PDT's version of the Rosita - I seem to always go for the Campari when he is out (no wonder, he abhors Campari despite all my attempts at converting him).
This version of Gary Regan's creation has the particularity of including a dash of Angostura bitters.



The cocktail is really gorgeous in the glass; a beautiful color. It was bitter (as expected) and quite boozy (as expected). It was also intensely herbal with some weird notes that I did not especially enjoy. Maybe it was my selection of brands that was not optimal, I am not sure. It just did not really come together in a harmonious way for me.

[FrogPrincesse]

I tried the Beachbum last night, a cocktail created by John Deragon (johnder) as an homage to Jeff Berry. It is a classic tiki cocktail with a combination of two rums (Flor de Cana white and Mount Gay Eclipse amber, for which I substituted El Dorado 12 year), together with pineapple juice, lime juice, apricot liqueur and (homemade) orgeat.



I liked the fact that the pineapple and apricot were in the background enhancing the rums, rather than taking over the drink. The orgeat rounded everything up. It is reminiscent of a Mai Tai, with the pineapple juice and apricot liquor replacing the curaçao.

[FrogPrincesse]

One of the first flops for me was PDT's take on a classic cocktail called the Jimmie Roosevelt. With V.S.O.P. Cognac, Champagne and a float of green Chartreuse I was expecting something exceptional. The brown sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters took a while to dissolve so I was hoping that maybe the cocktail would improve over time. The cocktail was balanced but fell flat and did not have an interesting/distinctable taste unfortunately. I don't think that it's my choice of brands because I used the same Cognac that is specified in the recipe, and a perfectly decent French Champagne.




I am a bit puzzled because Jim Meehan says that it is one of his favorite cocktails to make (see this interview for example). It is fun to assemble but why bother if the end result is not up to par? The interview mentions a demerara rinse that I did not see in the book. There may be other tricks to making this cocktail that are not included in the book and would improve the recipe.

[Keith Orr]

One of the first flops for me was PDT's take on a classic cocktail called the Jimmie Roosevelt. With V.S.O.P. Cognac, Champagne and a float of green Chartreuse I was expecting something exceptional. The brown sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters took a while to dissolve so I was hoping that maybe the cocktail would improve over time. The cocktail was balanced but fell flat and did not have an interesting/distinctable taste unfortunately. I don't think that it's my choice of brands because I used the same Cognac that is specified in the recipe, and a perfectly decent French Champagne.




I am a bit puzzled because Jim Meehan says that it is one of his favorite cocktails to make (see this interview for example). It is fun to assemble but why bother if the end result is not up to par? The interview mentions a demerara rinse that I did not see in the book. There may be other tricks to making this cocktail that are not included in the book and would improve the recipe.

In the interview Meehan refers to a Demarara Sugar rinse, but doesn't mention a sugar cube soaked in bitters.

One other thing I have to mention about the PDT book that frustrates me - The ingredient listings are often incomplete. In the recipe for the Jimmie Roosevelt, Champagne is not listed in the ingredients. I've noticed that this is fairly common with recipes that call for Champagne in the book, but there are other examples.

BTW, Frog Princess - I really enjoy your posts and excellent photos. Please keep up the great work.