kvltrede
-
Posts
193 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by kvltrede
-
-
If you can find the Starbucks Coffee Liqueur use that instead of Kahlua. It's a lot less sweet and tastes more like dark roast espresso than oversweetened coffee, which I understand the Patron XO is more similar to in flavor profile.
I like both Kahlua and Patron XO. While I haven't done any side-by-side taste testing--and again risk revealing myself as a palate-challenged rube--I'm also perfectly fine with two cheapo coffee-flavored liqueurs: Sabroso and Caffe Lolita. They might fall short in a side-by-side but on those rare occasions I'm in the mood for a coffee-flavored liqueur I don't find myself wishing I'd spent two or three times as much. That said, if the Starbucks is less sweet than all of the above I'm sure I'd prefer it but as it's the priciest of the bunch I'll stick with vodka and ice as an easy means to keep the sweetness in check.
Speaking of price, the only reason I have a bottle of the Patron XO at home is that it was on sale for a ridiculously low price last summer. I think it was on sale because of problems with a new style of bottle. The standard bottle is squarish but what I bought (for around $6) was a tall, slim bottle with a reusable cork stopper. When I opened it the cork broke off in the bottle.
Compared to every other reusable cork I've seen this one looked dry and cheap so rather than make do I took it back to the shop. The guy there mentioned they'd had some problems with these corks. He also made the obvious suggestion--that I could simply have used a cork screw to remove the broken cork--but my feeling was why should I have to pry out a broken cork, find a replacement stopper and probably deal with cork bits or maybe even the broken-off end of the cork in the bottle for as long as it took to finish the bottle? Anyway, I opted to exchange it and I had the guy open the new bottle before I left. This cork hasn't been a problem (fingers crossed).
It's a long shot but maybe some of these bottles are still around at the heavily-discounted price. The stuff inside is the same so it's well worth buying if you find one. You may want to have a store employee open it before you leave the store though.
Kurt
-
Or, Does a Faux-tini by any Other Name Taste Just as Sweet?
I know, I know. Whether one is of the "Jack Lord, people, there are rules for this!" school, the "rules, schmools, I'd settle for a little imagination" school" or the "enough with the kvetching, let 'em call it what they want" school, I imagine we're all a little tired of threads regarding the naming of cocktails. Yes, even those of us guilty of starting such threads ....
However, the latest Gary Regan piece at Wine Enthusiast includes such an egregious example of cocktail-naming heresy that the the "faux-tini problem", while a more pervasive issue, simply pales in comparison. In fact, I'm a little curious as to why Mr. Regan let it pass with only--as I read it--an exceptionally subtle rebuke.
Here's the excerpt in question:
Gin is also the base for the Tom Collins, a fairly simple drink, but one that’s stuck around for a long time. “This is a long drink, to be consumed slowly with reverence and meditation,” wrote David Embury in his book, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (Garden City Books, 1952). Made with gin, lemon juice, sugar and club soda, the Tom Collins can be a very refreshing quaff in the warmer months, but John Mautone, one of the owners of Dylan Prime, a great Manhattan steak house, and a good place to select from an array of fine cocktails, has brought this classic completely up to date in a cocktail he calls the Dylan Collins.“The Dylan Collins was created with the thought of marrying a classic cocktail recipe with limoncello because of the growing popularity of this spirit in our restaurant and the history of it in my Italian upbringing,” says Mautone. “Pallini Limoncello is rich, thick and syrup-like, and it possesses the qualities evident in my Sicilian uncle’s homemade limoncello.” But not only did he add limoncello to the recipe, Mautone changed the base spirit, too, preferring to use Grey Goose Le Citron vodka rather than gin. And don’t look for any club soda in the Dylan Collins—it’s served straight up in a martini glass at Dylan Prime.
I appreciate that Gary provides more than enough information in the lead-in paragraph for the reader to see the absurdity of the "Dylan Collins" but still, Gary's a fine writer with a wonderful sense of humor. I'm sure he could have made a more pointed comment without offending Mr. Mautone.
Anyhoo, maybe it's just me. Maybe I simply need to get over the fact that the tremendous majority of people, even those in the food & drink industry, have little imagination and equally little regard for history. After all, it doesn’t take much to see that the semantical obsessions of one wanna-be cocktailian don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
Then again, is it really nit-picking to insist that a Collins is, by definition, a long drink served over ice? Have we reached the point at which merely taking "inspiration" from the Collins family is sufficient cause for calling the result a "Collins"? No matter that the drink is shaken & strained into a cocktail glass? No matter that it contains egg white (!), for pete's sake? Is it wrong to assume that any bartender worthy of passing along a recipe to Gary Regan knows the difference between a long drink and a short drink?
The drink itself strikes me as a one note affair that is essentially a variation on the Lemon Drop. It may well be quite pleasant and refreshing. What it ain't, to be damn sure, is any sort of Collins. This is one case where "Dylantini" or "Dylan Collins-tini" or something equally lacking in imagination would be a better name. If this were my invention (and my restaurant) I think I'd call it the "Dylan Drop" but it's my guess is that Mr. Mautone knows his drink is really a Lemon Drop variation but figures that the Lemon Drop isn't "cool" enough to be acknowledged as the inspiration for it while a Collins is just passe enough for it's cool to be rehabilitated.
Whatever. I'm fully aware that I'm expending energy better spent elsewhere but I appreciate that there are like-minded folks who don't mind the occasional rant on topics of questionable importance.
Kurt
-
P.S. when everone refers to marschino are you refering to the syrup or the spirit?
If it isn't clear from the context I'd say it's a pretty sure bet that any reference to maraschino is to the liqueur (and any drink actually calling for maraschino syrup is likely to be improved by subbing Maraschino liqueur anyway).
Kurt
-
Bourbon and orange bitters are great. Recently I have been pouring 2 1/2 oz of bourbon and 1/2 oz maraschino over ice and adding two splashes of Fee Brothers orange bitters. This makes a very nice sipping drink for me.
Add a couple splashes of Angostura to that combo and you've made your bad self a Fancy Free Cocktail, lancastermike--albeit one with a little extra "pep". The recipe below calls for the usual shake'n'strain but I generally go "rocks" with this one myself so don't dust off your shaker on my account.
Fancy-Free Cocktail
2 oz Bourbon
½ oz Maraschino
1-2 dashes each Angostura and Fee’s orange bitters
Shake with cracked ice and strain. Garnish w/cherry.
I don't recall where I came across the Fancy Free but I think it was either the Gumbo Pages or DrinkBoy. Since Chuck at GP sez he got it from Robert at DB I don't suppose it matters much but as both sites are great I'll link to both sites.
Kurt
-
Chuck Taggart mentions Plymouth Sloe Gin in his blog today. Scroll down a bit to read it. In short, Chuck likes it. He also mentions that Dr. Cocktail, Ted Haigh, suggests the Mohawk Sloe Gin as an acceptable domestic sub. Go figure.
So, how did Chuck manage to scare up a bottle of the Plymouth? Apparently he took the plunge and ordered it from RoyalMileWhisky.co.uk. The prices and selection are good but the shipping's a killer so, for now, no sloe gin for me.
No Pikesville Rye for me either. Yes, you read that correctly: one can order Pikesville Rye from Royal Mile. It may be nearly impossible to find in the States but easy as pie if you're willing to have it shipped from overseas. Again, go figure.
Kurt
-
Sean,
If you have sufficient access to pomegranates and the time and man-power to make your own grenadine by all means do so. If not, my bottle of Angostura Grenadine lists pomegranate as an ingredient. It's cheap and it suits my minimal grenadine requirements. However, and I may be outing myself as a palate-challenged rube here, but I don't taste a significant difference between the Angostura and the notoriously pomegranate-free Rose's Grenadine. I guess there's something slightly "off' about the taste of the Rose's but as I'm not drinking it straight and, in fact, primarily using it in recipes requiring only a dash or so for color I don't find that to be a problem. If I was making a cocktail requiring grenadine as a true flavoring agent I'm sure I'd use something else.
As yours is a commercial venture, and considering the cost of the POM Wonderful, the William-Sonoma, and the man-hours required of homemade, I would recommend that you look for a bottle each of the grenadines made with at least some actual pomegranate juice and do some taste-testing, cost analysis, etc. It shouldn't be too difficult for you to find Angostura, Fee Brothers*, Trader Vic's* or Monin* grenadines but I know enough about the restaurant biz to know that this may not be the case.
Another option to consider is Pama, the new pomegranate liqueur. It's pricey--and obviously not a 1:1 sub for grenadine--but I've heard good things about it. Might be worth a try.
Kurt
* I believe these have pomegranate juice as an ingredient but I've never seen them in person so be sure to check the label.
[ed. for spelling and the addition of an adjective.]
-
...Its in my eGCI unit on "Autumn and Festive Preserves", about halfway down. Actually shown is Damson Gin, but Sloe Gin is identical, except with sloes.
Wow. That is an amazing and informative thread, Jack, and your photos are fantastic (likewise the Preservations Basics thread). Great, great stuff. Thanks for the link and the info.
Kurt
-
...If all goes well, and nothing is smashed by UPS or FedEx, we'll have the following....
Sazerac 6 yo
Sazerac 18 yo (2 bottlings)
Classic Cask Rye
Van Winkle Family Reserve rye
Van Winkle 12 yo Rye
Black Maple Hill rye (made by Van Winkle)
Wild Turkey Rye
Jim Beam Rye
Old Overholt Rye
Michter's Straight Rye Whiskey
Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
...I'm still slightly tempted to pick up one of the Anchor Old Potreros; but, can't quite bring myself to part with the change.
Jack Lord, but I'm jealous which, of course, is crazy considering that I can go to Binny's and Sam's at my leisure and also considering what I spent at Binny's a mere eleven days ago. Seems to me, though, that a true ex-pat Wisconsinite would have found room for one more pricey bottle o'hooch in that order.... Cali's making you soft, Erik! My prescription for you is a shot of Kessler's with a PBR back to slow this process down. Once a month oughta fix you right up but if taken in public while wearing blaze orange you might get by for around six months.
I look forward to hearing about the Classic Cask and the Black Maple (assuming you can fit any posting time in with your rye drinking time).
Kurt
-
There was a somewhat interesting article in the NYTimes last week. Beyond the tired but still-welcome "rebirth of the cocktail" rehash the article spent some inches on NY bars that prefer to use and promote little-known, altogether forgotten and low-hype spirits:
...'We have a specific philosophy about brands, and it's that they don't matter at all,'' said Sasha Petraske, the owner of Milk & Honey and Little Branch, and a consultant to bars like Double Seven. ''The ice and the juice in a cocktail are far more important. The whole premium vodka thing is too ridiculous to even talk about.''Audrey Saunders, the owner of the Pegu Club, agreed.
''I believe that all of the great bottles have already been produced,'' she said. ''If you understand your ingredients and how to bring balance into your cocktails, you don't need any of the new and improved products.''
Ms. Saunders is determined to resurrect such forgotten spirits as pisco, Madeira, Chartreuse herbal liqueur (''Only three monks know the recipe for it!''), maraschino liqueur, sloe gin, rhum agricole from the French Caribbean islands and Laird's AppleJack from New Jersey. When a customer once requested Jack Daniel's, a bartender had to hunt through the storeroom to locate a bottle....
Obviously the mention of sloe gin in the list of spirits Audrey hopes to resurrect is what caught my eye. I immediately wondered what brand of sloe gin made the cut at Pegu Club or if they made their own. Have any of you lucky, lucky people who've been there had a sloe gin drink there or seen a bottle behind the bar? I've never tried either the DuBouchett or DeKuyper bottlings but my guess is that neither spends much time, if any, in proximity to actual sloe berries and, as such, I doubt either bottling can be found at Pegu Club.
Which brings up another question: is there such a thing as a good commercially available sloe gin? I know Plymouth makes one and that it's supposed to be good (or at least made with actual sloe berries) but I've never seen it in the Midwest. Googling seems to turn up only links to homemade sloe gin recipes, drink recipes, the DuB and DeK bottlings and UK-based sites. Apparently, sloe gin is taken somewhat more seriously over there.
This is hardly a pressing issue but I'm curious. Any sloe gin lovers or likers here? Anyone make their own?
Thanks.
Kurt
-
A nice variation on the daiquiri is to use a ginger infused simple syrup. The Ginger-Lime with the rum are very tasty and complimentary flavors.
Made a couple of these last night. Fantastic. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to mix one up when the ginger syrup was fresh last week. I imagine the result would have been similar but with a bit more bite. Regardless, this drink is going in the regular rotation.
Thanks for the tip, Katie.
Kurt
-
Anyone have any recommendations for a liquor store or online source which will ship Rittenhouse bonded (and Pikesville) to CA?
I get mine from Binnys.com....
Binny's is local for me so I've never ordered from them but I imagine their mail-order biz is as equal to their in-person. Of their sixteen locations I've only been to the downtown and Lakeview stores but I like them both. In fact, I just spent a ton of dough at the downtown store last weekend at a 15%-off sale, or rather, preferring to see the glass as half-full, I should say that I saved a lot of money...
Binny's has a decent selection of ryes but they don't have the Pikesville. In addition to JBeam, Wild Turkey and Old Overholt they have both the 80 and 100 proof Rittenhouse and maybe a half-dozen or so pricier ryes.
One I picked up that isn't listed at the website is the 6-year old Sazerac rye. I don't know where the mail-order biz is based but you may want to ask about that one if you can't find it locally. I think it was $25. I've only taken a little taste of it and used it in a Manhattan so far but it's quite good. I'm not sure it's worth twice the price of the Rittenhouse or a couple bucks more than the Wild Turkey but I'm looking forward to a more serious tasting of my own with it this weekend.
Speaking of which, has anyone here heard of Stephen Foster Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey?
Here's the info from the label:
80 proof
Bottled in Kendtucky by Stephen Foster Distilling Co., Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky
"Fully Matured at Thirty-six Months"
Charcoal Filtered
Distilled In Kentucky
I bought this in WI over the holidays. It's a liter bottle and I think it cost $11. I'd seen it in the shop over T-giving and intended to do some research but forgot so at Christmas I just bought it. Turns out that Googling wouldn't have been much use had I remembered to look for info. So far I've turned up next to nothing. There's a link to a rye whiskey article at Cigar Aficianado and a "ghost" link to an old page at Heaven Hill's website but there's little else and absolutely nothing more current than the CA article. My guess is that the undated CA article is at least a few years old.
Here's what CA has to say:
This rye is charcoal filtered, as is Jack Daniel's, and tasted somewhat like its Tennessee cousin. It started out very sweet -- almost like a candy cane -- and proceeded to a charred smokiness. The finish was short. It formed a neutral partnership with the cigar, which tended to overpower it a bit. A milder smoke is advisable for a pairing with this whiskey.I've only given this a small taste and used it in a Manhattan too but it's not half-bad. I don't think I'll rush back home to WI to buy the remaining half-dozen or so dusty bottles at this shop but if I'm home and in dire need of cheap rye I'll know where to find it. For now I think this will be used primarily for my homemade cocktail cherries but I'm still quite curious about it. I assume it was just a cheap spirit with limited distribution that's simply faded away but it strikes me as odd that what may be the last available bottles for sale anywhere are collecting dust on a store shelf in Ripon, WI.
Kurt
-
And from tomorrow's New York Times, essentially the same story but with several other absurdly extravagant cocktails discussed as well:
...Julie Clark, 28, an options trader from Chicago, celebrated one of her biggest trading windfalls with a $135 Champs-Élysées cocktail at Le Passage. The Champs-Élysées is made with Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, Grand Marnier, orange juice and sour mix; it is served in a Bottega del Vino crystal cognac snifter, which the drinker can keep. "I wanted to celebrate," Ms. Clark said. "It was great. I really liked it."....I hope Le Passage uses a really good brand of sour mix. Just any old bottom-shelf sour mix might make for a less tasty drink.
Kurt
-
As long as the topic of rye has been bumped I'll hop on. Has anyone here tried Olde St. Nick Rye? Apparently it's a bonded rye made in Kentucky.
I have book of spirits reviews from the Beverage Tasting Institute from 1999. I was flipping through it the other day and saw Olde St. Nick listed. They gave it a rating of 94 and their description prompted a quick visit to the Sam's and Binny's websites. No luck. Google wasn't much help either except that the one link not in Japanese--and which was last update 6/2004--says that Olde St. Nick is export-only. That piece of info is from 1999.
So, anyone tried it? Any overseas eGulleteers tried it or seen it on a liquor store shelf or backbar?
Kurt
-
Noah, it's my guess that the lack of response here shows just how little is known or remembered about Rock and Rye. However popular Rock and Rye may have been at one point it doesn't appear that many recipes for it have made it into cyberspace. I did find one recipe for a single serving of Rock and Rye at Cocktail.com that called for 2 oz. rye, rock candy and the juice of a lemon. Um, no thanks. If I'm in the mood for a whiskey sour on the rocks I won't be ordering it extra-sour or with real--well, non-ice--rocks. I should point out, however, that this lumpy, tart concoction is from a cocktail book published in 1933. While Baker's recipe is of similar vintage I wonder if it's recipes like this that brought about the demise of Rock and Rye.
Another possibility may be that the bottled version of Rock and Rye has played a part in its decline. I can't say as I've ever seen a bottle that didn't appear to me to be a budget-priced "well" spirit. I also can't say that said bottles ever sparked any interest in me other than idle curiosity. As such, while I think Mbanu's no-fuss recipe will certainly do in a pinch and is likely to be better than store-bought I think a Baker-style recipe is your best bet.
I'm fortunate enough to live in a city where I can buy Old Overholt or Rittenhouse bonded for $13 and 80-proof Rittenhouse for $10 so I may well give this a shot sometime soon. If I do I'll be sure to report back. In the meantime, if you're still interested but don't yet have a copy of Baker's book, here's the gist:
In addition to the ingredients I listed above (a bottle of rye, rock candy, an orange, a lemon and a dozen cloves) Baker also includes 1.5 ounces of Jamaican rum and a cinnamon stick or two. Combine these and let sit for two weeks. Then strain but return the fruit to the rye. I assume the rock candy will have dissolved by this time but, if not, I suppose I'd return that too. At that point it's ready to go.
What I don't know and couldn't discern from the rock candy recipes I googled up is whether one can substitute regular sugar or simple syrup for the rock candy and, if so, how much of either is the equivalent of a half-cup of rock candy? Some of the rock candy recipes I reviewed are essentially simple syrup recipes but with string involved to spark the creation of big sugar crystals. Others suggest heating the syrup to a temp of 250 degrees or so. At what temp does the flavor of sugar start to change? Any candy-makers in the house? I haven't had rock candy in probably 30 years so I don't remember if it's nothing more than "big sugar" or if it's something mid-way between sugar and caramel. Anyone?
Thanks.
Kurt
-
I'll state upfront that I know next to nothing about the history or the flavor of rock and rye. Hell, I only tasted rye whiskey for the first time a year or two ago so I'm certainly not qualified to make any bold statements about rye or any rye variants*. However, having said that, I'll point out that Charles Baker**, one of the patron saints, big cheeses, lord-high muckety-mucks of our little cocktail-centric world does include citrus and spices in his recipe. Off the top of my pointy little head I think he called for quartered lemons and oranges and cloves in addition to the rock candy that gives rock and rye its name (or so I assume).
Are there different schools of thought as to rock and rye. Is there a bare bones, no fuss school? Mbanu's recipe sounds like a pleasant and simple drink but it also strikes me that it's a dash or two of bitters and a nice slice of lemon peel away from being an Old Fashioned. Also, I guess I just find it a bit of a stretch to think that anyone now or decades ago would find it profitable to bottle sweetened rye whiskey. [Yeah, yeah, I know. I hadn't even finished typing that last sentence when I realized how silly it was.]
I just made a quick trip to CocktailDB. The description of rock and rye there is "Generic for liqueur, traditionally with a rye whiskey base and infused horehound & fruit flavoring, often with macerated fruit in bottle's bottom."
"Horehound"?
Kurt
*Not that this would stop me, of course...
**Charles H. Baker Jr: "Jigger, Beaker, and Glass : Drinking Around the World" (aka Vol. 2 of "The Gentleman's Companion")
-
The only trend that I hope happens in 2006 is fresh citrus continuing to work its way into bars throughout the United States.
I'd be happy with that.I know that it's largely a function of my spending too much of my out-of-the-house drinking time in divey joints but I'd be absolutely thrilled if fresh citrus found its way into more of the establishments I visit. "Happy" would be a huge understatement. What would make me merely "happy" would be not having to specifically request that my Old-Fashioneds and Manhattans have bitters in them.
And if that isn't too much to ask I'd be pretty excited to find that some of the dives I visit have spent the measely few bucks necessary on an actual bottle of Angostura. What, like it's gonna go bad if it only gets used once a month? If I'm willing to put up with stale vermouth and no garnishes other than tired lime wedges the dives I visit can keep a dusty bottle of bitters behind the bar.
Um, so what was the topic of this thread.....
Kurt
-
This may not be what you're looking for but in a recent thread about beer "cocktails" I posted three recipes from a cool little book from the '50's called "Here's How!": the Glasgow Hot Pint, the Pickwickian Dog’s Nose and a recipe given to the author by CBS’ Andy Rooney called the Hot Ale Flip.
I haven't felt the need to try them but they don't sound half-bad.
Kurt
-
I keep Rittenhouse in the well at Pegu, and we make one Whiskey smash after another. It makes a kick-ass Manhattan too....
Audrey
I recently gave the Manhattan Special a try. Like Audrey's Little Italy it's a variation on the Perfect Manhattan but instead of substituting Cynar for the dry vermouth the Special subs Benedictine.
I'm not a guy who needs cold weather to be in the mood for a Manhattan so the good ol'Manhattan and Perfect Manhattan aren't in danger of falling out of favor at my house but when it's really, really cold I think the Manhattan Special will be my go-to cocktail. The Benedictine provides a little something extra that's especially warming even when the cocktail itself is nice and cold.
I used Rittenhouse for the first two Manhattan Specials and Old Overholt for a last "halfie". The 80-proof OO stood up against the Benedictine better than I expected so if OO is the only rye on your shelf you don't need to pick up a more potent and flavorful rye before enjoying this delicious cocktail. I certainly preferred the Rittenhouse version and highly recommend it for this drink--or something equally potent like Wild Turkey's 101-proof rye--but the old standby will do you just fine.
Next up, a Manhattan Special with Vya sweet vermouth instead of Noilly Prat's. I'm curious as to whether the Vya will push this cocktail over the top in a good or not-so-good way. Stay tuned.
Kurt
-
...I think most of the beer/ale/stout cocktails at Cocktaildb.com have been mentioned above but following the link will take you to the beer-as-an-ingredient page....
...I picked up a cocktail book from the '50s called "Here's How" a couple weeks ago and I think there might be a few drinks in it that haven't been mentioned above . . . I'll take another look and report back.
Okay, so I checked "Here's How!" and found only a few beer’n’booze drinks that can’t be found via the above link to Cocktaildb.com. They're hot drinks, which, I think, is not what the original poster was looking for but here they are:
[Note: I had very little luck searching for more info regarding "Here's How!" so I think it’s safe to assume that the copyright wasn’t renewed in 1985 and, as such, the book may be excerpted here. For more info on the book see below.]
Glasgow Hot Pint
(for six)
4 cups ale
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp sugar
4 cups Scotch
While the ale is coming to a boil in a saucepan, combine the Scotch with the sugar and egg, mixing well. Add the mixture gradually to the boiling ale, stirring constantly to prevent the egg curdling. Pour into mugs from a height to generate froth. Drink while foaming. (If you must use glasses, don’t forget to leave a spoon in each while pouring the hot mixture.)
The knowledge that a Hot Pint would be available at Grosvenor bar has shortened many a winter night’s ride from the Prestwick air field to Glasgow.
Andy Rooney [Yes, CBS’ Andy Rooney], who certainly ranks among the ten best writers ever fired by Arthur Godfrey, did a wartime stint with Stars and Stripes in England which not only equipped him to write The Story of Stars and Stripes but exposed him to a hot ale recipe:
Hot Ale Flip
1 quart ale
½ tsp mace
3 fresh eggs
½ cup moist sugar
Put the ale on to boil in a saucepan and beat the egg whites and yolks separately in two heat-resistant bowls. When the whites are stiff, combine with the sugar and mace, then stir in the yolks. Pour the boiling ale into the mixture slowly, stirring constantly. Then pour the mixture from one bowl to the other several times until you get a smooth blend and a fine froth. Serves four or five.
Not only is the Hot Ale Flip nourishing and warming, but it is reputed to keep off colds, coughs, megrims, and other ills occasioned by London winter fogs.
Chapter 9 nuzzled us with the Yorkshire–or cold–Dog’s Nose. The time has now come to speak of the warm, or Pickwickian, Dog’s Nose. In Chapter XXXII of Pickwick Papers we find the following phrase: “Dog’s nose, which your committee find . . . to be compounded of warm porter, moist sugar, gin and nutmeg (a groan, ‘and so it is,’ from an elderly female).” Our own Dickens Committee has come up with the following recipe, suggesting that in case you cannot get porter at your supermarket, you use beer or ale instead:
Pickwickian Dog’s Nose
(for two)
1 pint porter
2 tsp brown sugar
2 jiggers dry gin [3 oz.]
2 pinches nutmeg
While the porter (or ale or beer) is heating, dissolve a spoonful of sugar in each of two 12-ounce mugs (or glasses with the spooins left in) with a little hot water. Then add the gin and nutmeg. Pour in the porter just before it reaches the boiling point.
That's a pretty fair representation of the book but as long as I'm at it I'll add a couple more examples of the non-recipe writing. Here's what Blochman has to say about the Shanghai Buck:
In the days before the Communists abolished joie de vivre from Shanghai as detrimental to the political philosophy of a People's China, the Taipans used to knock off work about 11.am.m and sidle up to the mile-long bar at the Shangahi Club for a little stimulant to get them through the last hour until tiffin-time. A favorite, according to Bruno Shaw, an old China hand, who was editor of the Hankow Herald last time your editor was in the then Celestial Kingdom, was the Shanghai Buck...
And apparently he's not a big fan of the Zombie or Trader Vic:
The Zombie has a Haitian name, pretends to come from the South Seas, and probably originated in one of those California restaurants called Trader So-and-So's, where monotonously complex rum drinks and Chinese food are supposed to complement the atmosphere created by Hawaiian music, bamboo screens, and tapa tableclothes. It is typical of the long rum drinks synthetized [sic] in these popular cafes...
Kinda cool, ain’a? It reminds me a lot of Charles Baker's book. Blochman and his journalist pals aren't nearly as colorful as Baker and his pals and the stories are more perfunctory and less exotic in general but the drink recipes strike me as solid and the approach is similar. For a cheapo paperback that cost 35¢ new it's a substantially better "poor man's" version of Baker than one would expect. There's no need to go on a time-consuming search for it or to pay more than a couple bucks if you stumble across a copy but I like the book a lot.
Kurt
For those of you interested to know more, though, here's what little I was able to find out (which is pretty skimpy even including what can be learned from the book itself): The full title is "Here's How! A Round-the-World Bar Guide" The author is Lawrence Blochman–-probably Lawrence G[oldtree] Blochman the mystery writer but I’m not sure. The book contains nearly 400 recipes "From America's most famous foreign correspondents- members of the Overseas Press Club". The publisher was New American Library and the 1957 copyright holder is the Overseas Press Club. The purchase price of the original Signet Key paperback was 35 cents. I was happy to pay Half-Price Books 18¢ asking price.
-
Ah, geez. Erik's dissing Pabst and Mbanu's praising Bud Light? Have I somehow stumbled upon the Bizarro World eGullet?
I think most of the beer/ale/stout cocktails at Cocktaildb.com have been mentioned above but following the link will take you to the beer-as-an-ingredient page. From there, those inclined can do some clicking and check out a couple dozen recipes.
I picked up a cocktail book from the '50s called "Here's How" a couple weeks ago and I think there might be a few drinks in it that haven't been mentioned above so I may be able to provide a few others but I'll have to do it from home later. IIRC most of the "beer & booze" drinks in "Here's How" are hot drinks and as I'm not particularly inclined towards mixing beer and booze together whether hot or cold I only skimmed that section but I'll take another look and report back.
Kurt
-
Anybody tried Greenall's Original Gin? I noticed it at Sam's recently and the price is right but I can't find a review anywhere. It's an old brand, which is promising, but that may well mean nothing.
I just picked a substantial amount of Bombay at a nice price so I'm hardly in need of gin at present but I saw this thread and thought I'd ask.
Thanks.
Kurt
-
I just reread this thread and realized that no one had suggested adding a healthy squeeze of lime to their Campari and soda. This is, I believe, the superior summer beverage, and the lime plays nicely with the bitterness in the Campari. Squeeze three-quarters of a lime into the soda and pour on the Campari, then toss in the last lime quarter. Bliss.
Hey, thanks for this idea. Like others, it seems, I found Campari to be a pretty overwhelming ingredient. I've given Negroni a couple tries and didn't really enjoy them all that much. This thread gave me enough ideas that I've been meaning to try a couple of them and give Campari another shot but I didn't get around to it until the other night when I gave your drink a shot. I really liked it. The first sip reminded me just how strong a flavor Campari has but the lime juice tempers it nicely and as the drink blended I enjoyed it more and more. Kinda weird though how I kept tasting grapefruit without any grapefruit juice in the glass. Thanks again. This is a damned tasty and refreshing drink.
Kurt
-
Is cleaning that big an issue? If you've got an automatic diswasher, don't you just throw everything in there?
I have an auto dishwasher. I prefer not to put my Cuisinart stuff in it but I sometimes do. I also will admit to sometimes doing little more than rinsing when switching from limes to lemons (or oranges or grapefruits...) so, no, cleaning isn't that big a deal but, really, whatever additional time is needed to juice one or two lemons by hand is easily equaled by the time spent getting the juicing attachment from the cupboard, setting it up, juicing and washing the attachment or putting it in the dishwasher. As we're talking about only a couple mintues time max. I wouldn't argue with someone who preferred to go electric. I might, in fact, feel differently if my Cuisinart was a smaller version.
One more thought, though, on putting juicing stuff in the dishwasher: citrus pulp isn't always removed in a dishwasher and can get "baked on" during the drying cycle.
Kurt
-
Here's a solid answer for you: it depends.
I have a similar attachment for my Cuisinart--a larger model than yours--and I like it. I don't find mine to be particularly messy even though it does spin around faster than I think is necessary. I don't throw a lot of big parties but I'm glad I have the juicer when I do. I am also glad to have it when I'm in the mood for homemade lemonade or limeade but, honestly, that's only a few times a summer. I'd probably make it even if I had to do all the squeezing by hand.
So, for $11 I'd say that you would be getting a good product. Whether you have sufficient gadget-space or would use it when only a lime or three need squeezing I couldn't say. I use my lime press and the cheap plastic thing that sits on top of a bowl more than I use the attachment on my Cuisinart. Cleaning those is an easy choice over cleaning the Cuisart y attachment unless the amount of citrus is in double digits.
Kurt
Soda Siphons: The Topic
in Spirits & Cocktails
Posted
As you might expect Sam's right about the iSI chargers and about checking on the working order of an eBay siphon. Apparently my luck is better than Sam's as re eBay siphons though. I've purchased two older siphons and both were in good repair. However, in my ignorance I purchased siphon #1 without realizing that it was missing the piece used to screw the CO2 cartridge to the siphon. Despite being in good repair it's unusable without the cartridge holder. I suggest that the presence of a cartridge holder should be item number one on any checklist used when browsing for used siphons online.
I've since purchased an older glass and wire mesh siphon and a brand new iSi siphon. The chargers (aka CO2 cartridges) are standardized but each siphon has a different size cartridge holder and neither of those fits #1. Gaskets, cartridge holders and other replacement parts can be found online but aren't necessarily standardized so don't count on finding the right parts after the fact.
I bought my first chargers from Amazon when they had 'em for $5 (and they counted towards the $25 total purchase needed to get free shipping). That was no longer the case last summer when I needed to restock so I found an eBay seller selling 'em in bulk at $5 per box (incl. s/h).
I don't use the siphon much in the winter but I'm glad to have it when gin rickey weather rolls around. It also can be used to make a tasty soft drink out of fruit nectar or freshly squeezed citrus. Passion fruit nectar and charged water was particularly delicious.
Overall, I can't say a siphon is indispensable but beyond the initial expense it's cheaper than bottled fizz water. Perhaps more important, it's infinitely cooler than twisting off the cap on a bottle of club soda.
Kurt