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I've always nominally preferred the Naranja tins to the Koriko for one handed shaking. The diameter is slightly smaller. They still carry them at Umamimart. Umamimart Barware

Koriko tins are the usual size for metal tin sets, the large is 28oz and the smaller 18oz. You can definitely shake two modest size drinks in them, if you need to.

From what was reported to me at Portland Cocktail Week, yes, Unicum will be reintroduced into the US some time in the near future, along with the plum flavored version.

This morning, I sent a query to Jared Brown (of Mixellany fame) regarding Lillet, Craddock, and the US. In the message, I made the quip, "I guess Craddock was not just the world's largest Hercules and Caperitif fan at the time, but maybe the world's first Lillet Brand Ambassador." He replied, "Truer than you realize. Craddock appeared in 1930s ads for Lillet in a UK trade magazine."

I'm not quite sure it is quite that bad, but it does seem like a lot of importers with dollar signs in their eyes are looking rather hard to find the next Fernet. I recently tried a wine based beverage similar in flavor profile to Campari which Haus Alpenz is hoping to bring in, which was quite nice. Alpenz also had another very rooty Alpine Amaro which I quite enjoyed. A friend brought some Braulio and Braulio reserve from Italy, a very nice herbal Alpine Amaro. I understand it may be imported soon by Domaine Select. I don't think any of these will be the next Fernet, but they were definitely a cut above the typical commercial Amaros.

Regarding storage, generally, I only refrigerate wine based beverages. I've never had a commercial neutral spirits based amaro 'spoil'. I assume their flavor does change or evolve as they age, especially if they are infusion based, as most amaros are.

Also, interestingly, though I have identified sources for many of the recipes in the Savoy Cocktail Book, (Ensslin, Thomas, McElhone, Judge Jr, etc.) up to now, none of the Kina Lillet/Lillet recipes have yet been identified as coming from any other source.

Out of curiousity, this morning I took a look through Hugo Ensslin's "Recipes for Mixed Drinks", one of the last influential cocktail books published before prohibition in the US. No mention of Kina Lillet/Lillet at all. Plenty of Dubonnet and even some obscure bitters like Calisaya, but not a peep about Lillet. On the other hand, then, as now, brand name ingredients in a cocktail book were generally more of an indication of an advertising or sponsorship deal with the author or publisher, than anything else.

Yeah, I wish I knew where and when the Corpse Reviver No. 2 was created. I'm pretty sure it is a Craddock original, but I don't know if anyone knows if it was something he made in the US or if he invented it after moving to England. As far as a survey of pre-prohibition cocktail books in the US, looking for Lillet, that's an interesting idea. Perhaps one that Greg Boehm or Cocktail Kingdom might have the resources to undertake! In general, I always think of one of the things that happened during prohibition was that American bartenders in exile started mixing drinks with a wider palate of European liqueurs. For me, the quote about English Lillet suggested the opposite. That the version in France was sweeter and more bitter than that sold in England. "In France we need the kina to have a little more substance and to be a little sweeter in order to withstand the mixtures that consumers unfortunately require to consume our product, because it is quite obvious that a gourmet would never blend our Kina with anything; in England we are told that our Kina is drunk with gin as a cocktail."

Very nice frogprincesse, thank you for reporting! How do you think the "lillet dry type canadien" relates to the previous quote about availability of these varieties of Lillet: "Kina-Lillet Apéritif", "Français", "Dry Export" or "English-style Lillet"? My question remains: What version of Lillet would have been available in America before prohibition and in England during prohibition?

It looks like I was using the tasting glasses from Greenwood Ridge, which are fairly small wine glasses. The Cremant de Bourgogne Rose I used is not super dry, despite being called a brut. I think definitely quite a bit more champagne than 1.5 oz, probably at least 3.

Tried three white negroni variations last night using the PDT ratio as a starting point. 2 oz Plymouth Gin 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc 1/2 oz Suze 2 oz Plymouth Gin 3/4 oz Dolin Blanc 1/2 oz Salers 2 oz Plymouth Gin 3/4 oz Tempus Fugit Kina l'Avinion d'Or 1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Grand Classico Bitter I am gradually coming to the conclusion that either my Suze is tired, or I just don't like it. The original was my least favorite of the bunch. Second was a nice feature for the Saler's and a tasty cocktail. The Third was the most 'negroni' of the three, adding the herbal accents of the Gran Classico. Guests were about 50-50 between it and a classic negroni.

Check Brinza's comment above. Another source of information I've found interesting is this seemingly well researched article originally from 'Flavors of France': Lillet: the classic Bordelais aperitif

To the best of my knowledge, the timeline from the lillet website is accurate: 1872 Company founded 1887 Lillet formula created 1895 Lillet launched in Bordeaux 1895 In the US and West Indies "Lillet Export Double Quinine" marketed as a tonic wine 1909 Two products available in Europe, Kina Lillet and Sauternes Lillet 1920 "Lillet Dry" created and introduced in England, "to suit English tastes, especially when mixed with gin." 1962 Lillet Rouge created 1985-86 Lillet modernized its manufacturing facilities and Lillet Blanc reformulated, "...fresher, fruitier, less syrupy, less bitter... The Lillet company has no information or will not talk about the "LIllet Export Double Quinine", Kina Lillet or any other product, maintaining Lillet Blanc is the only white lillet they have produced. They also maintain no other bittering agent than Quinine has ever been used in their products, making Cocchi Americano's gentian-herb flavors a bit far afield from the much more tame Lillet. Others have tasted white lillet samples vintage pre-1985 and said they were nearly identical to modern Lillet Blanc. However, if you read David Embury (circa 1948), he talks about two versions of white Lillet being available in the US, "Kina Lillet" and "Lillet Vermouth", and espouses only using "Lillet Vermouth" for cocktails, as the other is too bitter and syrupy. My guess is some time between 1948 and 1986 the more bitter and syrupy version of lillet was discontinued and the company standardized on the Lillet Dry it had been marketing in England. Note, the company does still occasionally produce the delicious vintage dated Reserve Jean de Lillet, though to me, that product is no more perceptibly bitter than Lillet Blanc. I believe this product is the descendent of the 'Sauterne Lillet' mentioned in the timeline.

Hadn't noticed the Old Pal recipe in the appendix for Barflies and Cocktails, thanks for pointing that out: Uh, wait, Adam: "Eyetalian Vermouth"? Anyway, I quite enjoy the idea that an Old Pal made with Rye and Gran Classico is doubly transgressive for the true cocktail geek. If only I could do something about the Dry Vermouth. Imbue or Sutton Cellars, perhaps? Regarding the historic character of Canadian Whisky, Darcy O'Neil has published some articles. I suspect it was more like the juice Whiskey Pig and some of the other "negotiants" are currently selling as "Rye", than the "Canadian Club" of today.