jmfangio

I just got a small sample and have yet to play around with it that much. First impressions - definitely more intense than the R&W, but not quite as sweet as the Hermes violet. Very nice in an Aviation, but now I want to try it in the famously finicky Atty, which I've only been able to get right with the Hermes. It's a bit early for me to render a final verdict, but if it works in the Atty as well as the Hermes, I'd say it's worth the price difference.

That's the Tantalus from the Savoy Cocktail Book. I had one at Alembic in SF about two years ago, with a house made Forbidden Fruit recreation. Really lovely drink, but I have no basis for comparing their FF recreation to the original.

Darn, I missed it! February 22nd is a big day on the drinking calendar, as it's also Luis Bunuel and Don The Beachcomber's birthdays. So, a good excuse to have either a Margarita, Bunueloni, or Zombie (just not all on the same night, please).

Sometimes just changing the label of one ingredient can render a beloved cocktail sink-worthy. One of my favorites from the Savoy thread has been the Imperial, which I love with Angostura, and perhaps even more with the Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged, but I recently mixed up a round over at my Mom's house, where all she has on hand aromatic bitters wise are the regular Fee's. Blech. Down the sink, and I went back to mixing Martinis.

In order: Gin (mostly Beefeater, No. 209 or Junipero when I'm feeling flush, but when I spot a bottle of Plymouth with the Friar label in an out of the way liquor store at the old $15.99 price I jump on it) Vermouth (Noilly) Rittenhouse BIB And, in reverse order, the stuff that will be hard (read: expensive) to replenish: Hermes Violet (down to about 1/4 bottle) Verte de Fougerolles absinthe (down to about 1/3 bottle) Chartreuse Elixir de Vegetal (Love it, but at the rate I'm going I could probably pass it down to my grandkids)

I can only guess that someone looked at (or wanted) a glass similar to the ones you see in the movies and the name stuck. Thus far, I've had no luck trying to find out where the term was first used. The attached picture is a choice example of the kind of glass we're talking about (and because of this scene, I shook my martinis to a waltz beat for many years, until I finally came to the conclusion that stirring is better).

That may be part of it, but I think the size is also a factor, i.e., a glass that fits the smaller proportions of most classic cocktail recipes, rather than the 6oz+ monstrosities that we see so much of today. Sorry for the grainy iPhone photo (no flash), but here is a picture of what The Tar Pit Bar calls their 'Nick & Nora' glass (and the drink, by the way, was an absolutely lovely Fitty Fitty).

I spotted a few dusty bottles of Grand Marnier 'La Grande Passion' in a liquor store today. Has anyone here ever had it? I hadn't heard of it before, but found this bit of info from Grand Marnier on another forum: In the mid 80's we effectively launched a liqueur based on passion fruits and Armagnac that was called 'La Grande Passion'. It was sweet and contained less alcohol than Grand Marnier. However, mainly due to the fact that we were using a rather expensive Armagnac rather than cheaper neutral alcohol, we were not able to compete against many others price wise. Therefore we ceased the manufacture of this particular product around 1994 hence the reason you won't find it anywhere anymore.

I believe that's colloquially known as 'Spring Break.'

Have you looked around the web for a glass collector's forum?

Speaking of slightly malty qualities, now try it in an Improved Hollands Gin Cocktail. More revelations await you.

I use Paul's recipe posted over at The Cocktail Chronicles, and it's always worked out well for me. The only thing that I do differently is use demerara sugar. Mix up a batch, make yourself a Sazerac, and prepare to have your world rocked.

Hi folks, I spend most of time here in the Spirits and Cocktails forum, but I'm popping up here to remind you, in case you didn't already know, that today is the 250th anniversary of the Guinness brewery. On this day in 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the brewery site. So, instead of popping champagne this New Year's Eve, perhaps a Guinness, or even a Black Velvet?

Every time you squeeze a lemon or orange for juice (in a non cocktail related application), you shed a little tear thinking of all those beautiful twists gone to waste...

A few months ago I made David Lebovitz's recipe for Candied Bacon Ice Cream, and thought it was fantastic. I'm planning to make another batch, and add some chopped up Reese's peanut butter cups. Candied bacon, chocolate, and peanut butter? Yes, please.

I've been busy playing around in the lab (well, OK, my kitchen), and came up with two new flavors: Bacon Bitters and Chocolate/Chili Bitters. For each, I used the Hess House Bitters recipe as a base, divided the infused rye into two parts, and the same with the water after simmering and infusing the solids. For the Bacon Bitters I fat washed the alcohol with some good smokey bacon drippings, and used maple syrup to sweeten. The result? Really lovely aromatic bitters, but not a hint of the bacony flavor I was hoping for. I may try another fat wash, or just enjoy them as is. For the chocolate/chili bitters I infused strained mixture with roasted cacao nibs, and ancho, cayenne, and chipotle powders, then caramelized some demerara sugar and added that and the reserved water to the alcohol. These absolutely blew my mind. I haven't tried the Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters yet, so I can't compare, but I think they're far more flavorful and complex than the Fee Brothers' Aztec Bitters. I've only just started experimenting with them, mostly by adding a dash to various spirits and liqueurs to see how well they play together. So far, they're great with tequila and rum, and mind bogglingly good with St. Germain, Canton Ginger, and Santa Teresa Rhum Orange. I already have another batch in the works.

D'oh! Points for enthusiasm: 1 Points for fact checking before posting: -1

One that immediately comes to mind is the Charlie Chaplin, from Old Waldorf Bar Days: 1 oz Sloe Gin (Plymouth, though I've also used a homemade damson plum liqueur that a friend brought back from an English farmer's market and, following a suggestion from Baker, Tequila por Mi Amante, both to good effect) 1 oz Apricot Liqueur (I only have the Rothman & Winter, so I can't vouch for how well other labels work in this drink) 1 oz lime juice Shake, strain, no garnish. This is one that I ignored for a long time because, on paper, it sounded too sweet for my palate, but it's really quite crisp and tart, with a lovely stone fruit flavor. I also wholeheartedly agree with Sam about the Remember The Maine and The Last Word. And, partly for sentimental reasons, I'd like to nominate the Corpse Reviver #2, as it's one of the first recipes I made that inspired me to move beyond Martinis and down this road of ruin to my liver and credit card balance. It's also one of the drinks, along with the Jasmine and Aviation (with violette) that I use to convert people who say they hate gin, and have yet to fail.

Had to make a Rob Roy tonight, as on this night in 1894 the operetta Rob Roy premiered on Broadway. So... 2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse) 1 oz Italian Vermouth (Carpano Antica) 1 dash Angostura bitters Stir, strain, garnish with maraschino cherry (homemade). Nice. Very nice, indeed (but, truth be told, I still prefer a rye Manhattan).

I recently read Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller. Really enjoyed, and learned a lot. This is, as the title implies, a history of spirits. I can't wait for their next book, which is slated to be a history of cocktails. http://www.amazon.com/Spirituous-Journey-Jared-McDaniel-Brown/dp/0976093790

Off the top of my head, two books I'd suggest are Barflies and Cocktails, and Baker's The Gentleman's Companion. Many of the recipes in Barflies are followed with an attribution to a specific bar/bartender. Not quite a definitive history of the drink in question, but at least a good place to start. If you can't get a copy in Paris, let me know, and I'll list the names of the drinks/bars/bartenders here. With Baker, there's always a story to accompany the drink, while in many cases it simply means that he's giving us the story of having a particular drink in a particular place, he also often gives a more detailed history of the creation of the drink itself.

Potential understatement of the year! I missed the previous discussion about the Mother's Ruin Punch, but the cinnamon tea infused vermouth sounds like an amazing idea. Perhaps a Red Hook variation, using it in place of the Punt e Mes?

Welcome to the Cocchi cult. First, try it in any old school cocktail that calls for Kina Lillet, and I guarantee that you'll be blown away by the difference. Are you certain about early 2010, though? I'd heard November, and that's what it says on Haus Alpenz's website, but if you got it straight from the proverbial horse's mouth, I guess that I'll have to be patient for a few more months. Did you also have a chance to try the Bonal Gentiane Quina Aperitif Wine? I'm very curious about that one, especially since Suze is no longer available in the US.

I picked up these nifty ice ball molds which make three 2 1/4" spheres last week at a shop in Little Tokyo. Not bad for $1.99!

K&L Wine in Hollywood has the Pages Parfait Amour in stock (it's not listed on their website, but I was just there yesterday and there were several bottles on the shelf). Have you checked with their San Francisco branch?