limewine

Similar in name to Falling Leaves, though different in taste is the Fallen Leaves (past versus present tense). I first came across it on Drinkboy's site, and now I like to turn to it for a little taste of autumn. Fallen Leaves 3/4 ounce calvados 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth 1/4 ounce dry vermouth dash brandy Stir & strain; give it a good twist of lemon peel and enjoy. If anybody gives this a spin with the Laird's bonded, I'd be curious to hear how it turns out. Paul

Murray Stenson at Zig Zag Cafe here in Seattle suggested a drink made with Cruzan Blackstrap that I've found to be really amazing. Mix 2 ounces of the rum with around 1/4 to 1/2 ounce falernum, and the juice of 1/4 lime. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass. I've been enjoying this all summer. With Velvet Falernum, you only need to use about 1/4 ounce, but I've been playing around with homemade versions, and for these I like a bit more--1/2 ounce seems to work pretty well. Paul

well said....

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. I wound up hitting the BevMo on Bayshore (I'd been checking the Geary location), and came away with falernum, Torani Amer, Boomsma jonge genever and Flor de Cana white rum (thanks to Ed's praise of it over on the rum forum). I've seen none of these things in Seattle liquor stores, so I'm glad I had the chance to do some quick shopping. No Apry, however--the search continues..... Paul

As with the cocktail bars in SF thread, I thought this forum might be a better resource than the regional one for the type of information I'm seeking. I have an upcoming business trip to San Francisco, and while there I was hoping to acquire a few hard-to-find cocktail ingredients that are unavailable in the state-run liquor stores here in Washington state. I'm looking for stuff like Torani Amer, Velvet Falernum, Marie Brizard Apry, and the like. I won't have a lot of time in town, so one or two shops will probably be all I can hit. Does anybody have suggestions for places I should head for? I already checked BevMo, and they say they're out of stock or don't carry the main things I was looking for. Help?

I typically use POM when fresh pomegranates are scarce. Though I don't usually cook it--I've tried making grenadine using a 3:1 ratio of POM to sugar, but recently I've tried equal ratios, just shaken together fiercely in a big jar until the sugar has dissolved (it's easier if you use superfine sugar). This version is more like a syrup, and provides the sweetness required by a lot of drinks that call for grenadine, but you still have some of the fresh (as fresh as you can get from a bottle) pomegranate flavor. I keep a week or two's supply in the fridge (I also use it in Italian sodas for my kids), and freeze the rest--though I've noticed that, perhaps due to the amount of sugar, the stuff in the freezer doesn't freeze solid, it's more of a thick goo. Lately I've just been giving the plastic freezer container a good shake, then measuring out a dollop of chilled grenadine into my mixing tin. No complaints so far. Paul

Depends on the state. Here in Washington, where the state has a liquor monopoly, Velvet Falernum can't be found, and shipping in from out of state can be a pain (I'm not sure if it's completely illegal, but it sure is a hassle finding a place that will do it). Fee's falernum is also pretty tough to find (in Seattle, anyway), and trust me, I've looked. (There's always mail order, but from what I've read about Fee's falernum, I might be better off with the homemade.) I did mix up a batch a couple of weeks back, using the eGullet recipe. It's pretty sweet, much sweeter than I'd anticipated, though I've never tried the commercial stuff that's available, so maybe that's par for the course. I chronicled my experiences on my web log, along with a few drinks I've made with it. Slakethirst also detailed recent homemade falernum experiments, complete with taste comparisons with Velvet Falernum (and check out the bottle design!). A previous post on that site also compares VF to Fee's, with more praise being given to the former. I'm supposed to try some real Caribbean falernum later this week, thanks to a kind visitor to my web site, so I'll better be able to compare my homemade stuff with a more authentic version.

Here's another, that I just remembered thanks to Netflix (it's from To Catch a Thief, one of Hitchcock's Cary Grant pictures): Bourbon’s the only drink. You can take all that champagne stuff and pour it down the English Channel. Well, why wait 80 years before you can drink the stuff? Great vineyards, huge barrels aging forever, poor little old monks running around testing it, just so some woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma can say it tickles her nose.

Here's one I'm fond of--the original source is unknown (at least to me), but I cribbed it from Paul Harrington: "If, when you say 'whiskey,' you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty morning; if you mean the drink that enables a man to magnify his joy and his happiness and to forget, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies and the heartbreaks and sorrows; if you mean that drink ... then certainly I am in favor of it."

Orange or lemon? I've made crustas both ways, and while the orange adds a pleasant fresh orange-y taste and smell to the drink, between the orange peel and the curacao (and orange bitters, if you use Gary Regan's recipe), that one flavor is too prominent, IMO. With a lemon peel, I think there's a better balance of flavor and aroma (I think Thomas calls for lemon peel in his recipe). Paul

Trader Joe's makes a (fizzy) French Lemonade that pairs nicely with Pimms. Not as sweet as a lot of other citrus sodas I've found, and more lemony in flavor--mildly so--than vaguely, artificially citrusy. Paul

I'm quite partial to the Floridita Cocktail (not to be confused with the Floridita Daiquiri, which is a lovely drink as well). I can't recall where I first came across the recipe; it's not listed on cocktailDB.com. Floridita Cocktail 1.5 ounces white rum .5 ounce fresh lime juice .5 ounce sweet vermouth dash grenadine dash white creme de cacao Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. At first glance it looks like it can't possibly work, but in one of those weird twists of mixological alchemy, you wind up with a nicely complex drink in the glass. Just be sure to measure carefully, and don't overpour the grenadine or cacao--you just want trace hints of pomegranate and chocolate. Paul

I've been enjoying the lovely batch of limoncello I recently made using Katie's recipe from the limoncello thread. But, being someone who just can't leave well-enough alone, I've been fiddling with using it in cocktails. I'm not finding much reference material out there--none of the older bartending guides I have utilize it in drinks--and I was wondering if anybody has done much experimentation with limoncello? I'm looking to expand beyond the "put some in a glass of iced tea" recipes, and the basic use in a Lemon Drop. Here's one experiment that worked out well, I think. I've named it in honor of the length of time it's taken me to post it on this site. Procrastination Cocktail 2 ounces London dry gin 3/4 ounce dry vermouth 3/4 ounce limoncello wee dash of green Chartreuse Stir with ice & strain into chilled cocktail glass (if you want a drier drink, reduce both the vermouth and limoncello to 1/2 ounce) Suggestions? Paul

This bottle's a bit different from the one elswinger posted--kind of difficult to photograph, too, as the front label is clear plastic, but the back label is paper, so you see the blue paper with white print behind the image on the front (if that makes sense). Still Jean Lafitte on the label, though. I just bought this at the liquor store on Lower Queen Anne (Seattle) a couple of weeks ago, and I'm trying to figure out the best use for it. I've done a side-by-side tasting (neat) with Bacardi & Myers Platinum, just to help me figure out where it stands flavor-wise, and I've also mixed it in an El Presidente, to see how it stands up to the cocktail treatment (answer: quite well, thank you). If you're curious, I'm documenting my trials with this rum (along with just about everything else in my liquor cabinet) on my very young blog, the cocktail chronicles. It's still kind of sparse, but I'm adding more as time goes by. Paul

About a year ago I was casually talking to someone out in front of Jacks--owner's partner? realtor? sorry, can't remember--and he said that when Jacks moved out, they left some pretty serious plumbing problems behind in the kitchen, which would require a major effort and expense to repair before the space could be used again as a restaurant. Since it seems like 15th has been a tough place for new restaurants, maybe nobody's been willing to pony up the cost until now. Paul

Thanks everyone--this is exactly what I needed. Paul

Thanks everybody--that gives me a great start. (now if I could just find a place in Boise....) Paul

I'm working on a story for a regional magazine about restaurants that emphasize fresh, local and seasonal produce on their menus. In particular, I'm looking for places that have special growing arrangements with local farmers, or that operate small farm plots on their own to provide produce for the restaurant. I'm in Seattle, and know which places I'll cover here, but I'm looking for recommendations on Vancouver restaurants that are really doing something notable or special with local produce. (I'm also looking for places in Portland, and Montana or Idaho--I'm posting notes in those forums, too, but if anybody here has a suggestion, give a shout.) Thanks, Paul

I'm working on a story for a regional magazine about Northwest restaurants that emphasize fresh, local and seasonal produce on their menus. In particular, I'm looking for places that have special growing arrangements with local farmers, or that operate small farm plots on their own to provide produce for the restaurant. I'm in Seattle, and know which places I'll cover here, but I'm looking for recommendations on Portland restaurants that are really doing something notable or special with local produce. (I'm also looking for places in Vancouver, BC, and Montana or Idaho--I'm posting notes in those forums, too, but if anybody here has a suggestion, give a shout.) Thanks, Paul

This summer (ok, I'm starting a little early) my favorite is the Southside. Lemony, minty, with a nice dose of gin, and it can be served either straight up or as a long drink with a little fizz. 2 ounces gin 1 ounce lemon juice 1 tsp bar sugar sprig or two of mint, gently bruised in shaker (if you like it mintier, add the liquid and let everything sit for a few minutes) Shake with ice and serve (if you don't like the little green flecks of mint, you may want to strain it). Minty lemonade for grownups--verrry nice. paul