eje

Unfortunately, I've got no advice one way or another regarding Peach Eau-de-Vie or Peach Liqueur in the case of the Judgette. The recipe is verbatim from Judge Jr.'s "Here's How" making it likely a prohibition era cocktail. I suppose, since there are other recipes in Judge Jr. which call for "Corn," it's not completely out of character that he would put in a recipe calling for home distilled peach moonshine. Judge Jr. gives the additional quip, "Sister invented this herself so I disclaim all responsibility as to results!"

"J" Savoy Cocktails (yes, almost all of them) with Daniel Shoemaker at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

A week is a bit long, but a day or three probably won't hurt too much. I usually try to use them the day they arrive or the next day. Again, I've never tried making vin de noix, so can't be of much help there. I believe it has been covered in this topic a couple times, so maybe look back through for recipes.

I go a bit long on the walnuts in my batches and 2# per liter of vodka is plenty. I've not made vin de noix, so someone else will have to pipe up there.

This is the Seventh in an ongoing series of bartender features in the Savoy Topic. Previously, I had experimented by asking the bartender at Montgomery Place to make me a Bombay Cocktail No. 2. While it was more or less successful, it seemed like it would be better to give future bartenders some fair warning, as the recipes and ingredients in the Savoy can be obscure. To make it less of a shock, I thought I would contact some local bartenders and give them a choice of the dozen or so Savoy Cocktails that might be coming up in the book. Surprisingly, some actually were game. --- * Continuing The Savoy "J" Stomp with Daniel Shoemaker at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR. The participants: eje: Your itinerant Savoy Stomper. Humuhumu: Tiki goddess and web developer. Trott: Talented musician, friend and co-worker. It was Trott whose quixotic quest to make all the recipes from the "Joy of Cooking" originally inspired me to take on the Savoy Cocktail Book. Tradertiki: Portland, OR blogger, Tiki enthusiast, proprietor of his home bar Reynolés Galley, and guide for the monthly "Tiki Tuesdays" at the Teardrop Lounge. Also along for the ride were Mrs. eje, who chose not to write up her thoughts, and Trott's friend Ken. Siobhan and her husband Ben stopped by a bit later. J.O.S. Cocktail 1 Dash Orange Bitters. (Regan's Orange) 1 Dash Lemon Juice or Lime Juice. (Lemon Juice) 1 Dash Brandy. (Christian Brothers) 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica) 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well (well, stir, please) and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top. Daniel stepped out for a moment, leaving us in the capable hands of Alyson for this and the next couple cocktails. This was perfectly fine, I suppose. A more assertive gin than the Plymouth might have saved this from being condemned as flat. Humuhumu: I'm tired of vermouth. Tastes pretty flat. Trott: J.O.S.=?? What could J.O.S. stand for? And who is Kaiser Solzheyn? TraderTiki: A bit flat, flavor down low, watery. Well, I'm pretty sure that J.O.S. doesn't mean "Java Operating System," but really have no other likely candidates. "Journal of Official Statistics"? There is a city in Nigerial called "Jos", but that's not an acronym. Journalist Cocktail 2 Dashes Lemon Juice. 2 Dashes Curacao. (Bols Orange Curacao) 1 Dash Angostura Bitters. 1/6 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/6 Italian Vermouth. (1/2 oz Carpano Antica) 2/3 Gordon's Dry Gin. (2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. It's always nice to come across a classic you have thus far avoided. I hadn't tried the Journalist before and quite enjoyed it. Interesting to see the response among the group that a slight adjustment of proportions makes, as this is otherwise pretty identical to the J.O.S. Daniel mentioned that this was one of the classic cocktail specials that they'd run through lately, to good response. I can see why. Humuhumu: Nice and Balanced. Trott: Excellent ass-end. (Great Finish!) TraderTiki: Balanced, spice at the finish. The Judge Jr. Cocktail 1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/3 Bacardi Rum. (3/4 oz Matusalem Platino) 1/3 Lemon Juice. (3/4 oz Lemon Juice) Powdered Sugar. (1 tsp. Cane Sugar) 1 Dash of Grenadine. (House made Raspberry Syrup) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. In his 1927 book, "Here's How," Judge Jr. says about this cocktail, "This drink, I discovered later, was invented by someone else, but it's good just the same!" I'm not sure which drink he's referring to, but it is pretty similar to the Bacardi Special. Kind of funny that a guy would name such a pink drink after himself! I found it refreshing. Humuhumu: Smells like watermelon, (the real stuff,) tastes too tart, without other flavors coming through->imbalanced. Trott: I like that a lot, but I'm totally wasted. TraderTiki: Too tart, grenadine not balancing. The Judgette Cocktail 1/3 Peach Brandy. (3/4 oz Briottet Creme de Peche de Vigne) 1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1 Dash of Lime. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. I actually found this one fairly pleasant. Definitely dessert-esque, Humu really pegs it as similar to a dessert wine. It is a cocktail I could see enjoying after dinner. Maybe with a dash of bitters? Humuhumu: Too sweet, tastes like dessert wine. Trott: Sweet. Dry peach brandy would be... Oh gosh, I've had a lot to drink. TraderTiki: Muscat like sweetness. Very sweet, but not cloying. Jupiter Cocktail 1 Teaspoonful Orange Juice 1 Teaspoonful Parfait Amour Liqueur. (Brizard Parfait Amour) 1/3 French Vermouth. (1 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/3 Dry Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin) Stir well in ice and strain. Twist of Lemon Peel. I've been putting off the Jupiter for some time now, as folks usually descripe it as difficult to make. But Daniel really pulls it off. Just the hint of the Parfait Amour flavor is very subtle and enjoyable. The sort of cocktail I really enjoy. Where even after all these cocktails, there is something curious in the flavors that makes you want to take another sip and figure out. Humuhumu: Simple--I think I have vermouth burnout, though. Trott: See above. TraderTiki: Calm orange flavor. * Obviously, it would have been wise to stop at about this point, but, well, few people have ever accused me of being a wise man. We also tried a couple Teardrop cocktails and some things that Daniel was working on. Then we settled up our bill and wandered off in search of dinner and, hopefully, to sober up a bit before the concert we were attending later in the evening. First, let me say how great it was that Daniel and the other bartenders at the Teardrop were willing to play along with this little game. I've sort of wanted to do something like this myself, in celebration of 2 years of Savoy Stomping, but how much more fantastic to have Portland Monthly's 2008 Bartenders of the Year mix the drinks instead? Not to mention wash the dishes! To be honest, when I was going over the drinks in preparation for the trip, and then looking at Teardrop's menu online, I was thinking to myself, "What the hell am I thinking? Why are we just not going to Teardrop to enjoy their drinks?" But then, who knows, maybe no one would have tried the John Wood cocktail for another 30 years. I certainly expect this may have been the first time anyone has made it in the last 30 years! Speaking from my side of the bar, I know everyone had a great time and came away with a real respect with what they are accomplishing there at the Teardrop Cocktail Lounge. Just about everyone in the group was already making plans to return the next time they were in Portland. I count myself lucky to have met these talented men and women and truly look forward to tasting what interesting things they are up to the next time I see them. I promise, there will be no Savoy Cocktails involved! --- *These pictures by Mrs. eje.

I remain fairly convinced that using aquavit as a base for an a la minute liqueur is a perfectly fine substitution for Kummel. The Gilka Kummel really isn't that great a liqueur. The alcohol base is pretty harsh. I think just about anyone with a passing experience in making liqueurs could probably make something more pleasant.

Well, first, I'd say the 2 parts Sweet Vermouth to 1 part Whiskey cocktail is far enough outside of the mainstream of modern American cocktails, that probably no one else in the group had actually drunk one before. To be honest, I really like Sweet Vermouth. I could happily drink Manhattan, Martini, and Martinez variations all night. Not everyone likes Sweet Vermouth that much, as perhaps you can tell by Humu comparing the Jeyplak Cocktail to "NyQuil". I guess I can kind of see the NyQuil comparison, though my family growing up was always a Robitussin kind of family. Sloe Gin is the medicine which reminds me of childhood cough syrup. Oh, and Apricot Brandy combined with gin and lemon reminds me of childrens' aspirin. By way of illustration, I'll include this (possibly slightly exaggerated) anecdote, which I was going to put in Part 3 of the write up: About this time, I hear Humu exclaim something like, "Nooooo! Not more vermouth! I'm vermoooooothed out!" There may have been some sobbing. And I thought the "J" cocktails were safe. I guess this is what happens when you involve civilians. Of course, to be fair, if we were in Humu's milieu and drinking 20 Tiki cocktails in a row, about this time I would be exclaiming, "No! Not more Pineapple Juice! I can't take any more Pineapple Juice!" It does make me wonder how warped my palate has become from drinking all these vermouth heavy cocktails. If you ask me to taste a cocktail, and I say, "Well, it could use a little more vermouth," now you know why.

This is the Sixth in an ongoing series of bartender features in the Savoy Topic. Previously, I had experimented by asking the bartender at Montgomery Place to make me a Bombay Cocktail No. 2. While it was more or less successful, it seemed like it would be better to give future bartenders some fair warning, as the recipes and ingredients in the Savoy can be obscure. To make it less of a shock, I thought I would contact some local bartenders and give them a choice of the dozen or so Savoy Cocktails that might be coming up in the book. Surprisingly, some actually were game. --- * Continuing The Savoy "J" Stomp with Daniel Shoemaker at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR. The participants: Daniel Shoemaker: Bartender Extraordinaire at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR. eje: Your itinerant Savoy Stomper. Humuhumu: Tiki goddess and web developer. Trott: Talented musician, friend and co-worker. It was Trott whose quixotic quest to make all the recipes from the "Joy of Cooking" originally inspired me to take on the Savoy Cocktail Book. Tradertiki: Portland, OR blogger, Tiki enthusiast, proprietor of his home bar Reynolés Galley, and host of the monthly "Tiki Tuesdays" at the Teardrop Lounge. Also along for the ride were Mrs. eje, who chose not to write up her thoughts, and Trott's friend Ken. Siobhan and her husband Ben stopped by a bit later. Jeyplak Cocktail 1 Dash Absinthe. (St. George Absinthe Verte) 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth) Shake well (well, stir, please) and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top. This is very similar to one of my favorite Savoy Cocktails (so far), the Fourth Degree. The big difference, being, in the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Fourth Degree is equal parts Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Dry Vermouth. This is 2/3 Gin, 1/3 Sweet Vermouth. Interestingly, however, some people use this recipe for the Fourth Degree. In his book, "Imbibe!" David Wondrich uses the Fourth Degree recipe from the Waldorf Astoria Bar Book which is exactly this recipe. I've no idea where the name comes from. All first 8 pages of Jeyplak googles end up at drink databases. Humuhumu: Tastes way too much like NyQuil. Trott: Absinthe Martini. TraderTiki: Unusual, alcohol sweetness, absinthe pastis flavors are calmed. Jimmy Blanc Cocktail 3 Dashes Dubonnet. (Dubonet Rouge) 1/3 Kina Lillet. (3/4 oz Kina Lillet Approximation) 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top. We were playing with a bottle of Noilly Prat which Daniel had infused with Orange and Cinnamon and then we were adding pinches of quinine trying to get something like Cocchi Americano. I think we got pretty close to modern Lillet Blanc, but it didn't quite get to where Cocchi Americano lives. It's an interesting challenge. Thinking back on it, it seems like the tinctures must be alcohol based. Orange, spice, quinine, mixed with the wine, and then aged. Humuhumu: Balanced, but kind of not special. Meh. Trott: Hmmm... Nah. TraderTiki: Tastes like perfume. Joburg Cocktail 4 Dashes Orange Bitters. (Angostura Orange) 1/2 Glass Caperitif. (1 oz Lillet Blanc) 1/2 Glass Bacardi Rum. (1 oz Matusalem Platino) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top. I had to twist Daniel's arm to get him to make this one with Lillet Blanc. He wanted to skip it as we didn't have any solid knowledge about the flavor profile of Caperitif. It's really a pretty decent light cocktail, even with Lillet Blanc. With a bit more full flavored white rum, this would probably be very good. In regards the name, the Caperitif sort of gives it away. Joburg is the slang name for Johannesburg, as in South Africa. Humuhumu: I like it! It tastes a bit like the oil-cured herbs de provence olives I get some times. Trott: I knew a guy in High School named Joe Berg. TraderTiki: Orange oil, lightly perfumey. Jockey Club Cocktail 1 Dash Orange Bitters. (Angostura Orange Bitters) 1 Dash Angostura Bitters. 2 Dashes Crème de Noyau. (1/2 tsp. Amaretto) 4 Dashes Lemon Juice. 3/4 Glass Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Daniel had called around trying to locate Crème de Noyau for this with no luck. I've tried to convince friends who travel to France to bring back some without any luck. I think I'm going to have to give up and just make it myself. It's stone fruit season. Surely there must be a bunch of stone fruit pits laying around to play with. Humuhumu: Smells like soap. Tastes very good, though... Trott: Puzzling. TraderTiki: Strong Citrus, sharp citrus on front taste. Johnnie Mack Cocktail 3 Dashes Absinthe. (St. George Absinthe Verte) 1/3 Orange Curacao (3/4 oz Bols Orange Curacao) 2/3 Sloe Gin. (1 1/2 oz Lindisfarne Sloe Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Sigh, I've been waiting and waiting for the Plymouth Sloe Gin to show up in San Francisco. The launch party was months ago. And every week I call the liquor store which is hoping to carry it, they say, "soon," or "It will be in next week." And stupidly, every "next week" or "soon" I stop in the store and there is no Plymouth Sloe Gin. Well, at least I have my half bottle of Lindisfarne Sloe Gin which I personally imported in my suitcase. Anyway, even with the interesting tannic tartness of sloe gin, this is too sweet. "Dessert anyone?" was Daniel's comment. I also don't quite get the combination of Absinthe and Sloe Gin. Humuhumu: Grape Juicey, too sweet. Trott: John Adams looks like George Washington, sort of. TraderTiki: Tart and tangy with great, berry depth. John Wood Cocktail 2 Parts Irish whisky. (Jameson's Irish Whiskey) 4 Parts Italian Vermouth (Carpano Antica Vermouth) 2 Parts Lemon Juice. 1 Part Kummel. (Gilka Kummel) 1 Dash Angostura bitters. Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. I really liked this one. As Daniel put it, "Sometimes when you're making cocktails, you come across one you just want to sit across from and puzzle over." A really interesting Manhattan variation. Apparently, however, not a crowd pleaser! Humuhumu: Unpleasantly sweet. Trott: Vermouth waits.. Then Pounces! TraderTiki: Flavor develops into a sweet bitter orange. Thus endeth part the second of our adventure at Teardrop Lounge. * *These pictures by Mrs. eje. ---

Well, there is the volume/percentage problem, which makes it hard to judge. In San Francisco, for example, there are probably several hundred bars, but only maybe 3 tiki bars. So to get a good Mai Tai, you might have to go to tiki bars 6 cities (well, Alameda, unless you ask them to make you a Mai Tai at Slanted Door, Beretta, or Flora)? But the second point I'd make is that it seems like Tiki bars have very heavily bought in to the "mix" idea. Very few are embracing the idea of fresh fruit. Even freshly squeezed lime or lemon. As Chris is pointing out, how weird is it that there is this plethora of fresh juice and fresh fruit, but you can't get a drink made with it. It is the same in Hawaii. There is a ton of fresh fruit stands and smoothie stands, yet the moment you step into a bar, all they serve are premade mixers.

So I tried Cocchi Americano, Lillet Blanc, and Jean de Lillet up against one another tonight. Lillet Blanc is a fresh, young tasting wine base with a strong orange component. Cocchi Americano is sweet, very spicy and strongly bitter. Jean de Lillet would probably be mistaken for a slightly odd French dessert wine. Say a decent young Sauterne. There is a tiny (not forgetting I am very bitter tolerant) bit of bitterness in the aftertaste, but it is all very well incorporated. The wine base is the dominant element, moreso than the other two beverages. Making drinks, I think I still have a strong preference for the Cocchi Americano. The Jean de Lillet made a very nice Barney Barnato Cocktail, I must admit. But I missed the spicy, bitter kick of the Cocchi Americano.

I stick with Spearmint and Spearmint cultivars (aka Mentha spicata). And the indomitable mint which grows wild in my community garden, whatever it is. Just because sometimes I don't feel like paying for mint. Whenever I have strayed, I have regretted it. Peppermint (aka Mentha piperita) tends to be a bit sharp. I find a lot of the flavored mint cultivars (grapefruit, chocolate, etc.) to be a bit vegetal in cocktails. I am interested in some of the regional mints and related plants. Well, some of them aren't even really botanically mints. Licorice Mint, Korean Mint, Egyptian Mint, Moroccan Mint, Chicken Mint, etc.

Sadly, the same can be said of just about everywhere else on the planet. But, like they say, Tiki Bars aren't really about the drinks. More about escaping from your every day life. As someone who enjoys both good drinks and escapism, I think that's a cop out. But such is life. If yer looking for good drinks, most Tiki Bars are not the place to look.

This is the Seventh in an ongoing series of bartender features in the Savoy Topic. Previously, I had experimented by asking the bartender at Montgomery Place to make me a Bombay Cocktail No. 2. While it was more or less successful, it seemed like it would be better to give future bartenders some fair warning, as the recipes and ingredients in the Savoy can be obscure. To make it less of a shock, I thought I would contact some local bartenders and give them a choice of the dozen or so Savoy Cocktails that might be coming up in the book. Surprisingly, some actually were game. --- * About a year ago Daniel Shoemaker and Ted Charak opened the Teardrop Cocktail Lounge. I visited Portland last fall and had a great time hanging out, geeking out about cocktails, and tasting the numerous bitters and elixirs they were making in house. I mean check out this fantastic Bitters and Tinctures holder they had custom made for the bar: Anyway, we've kept in touch after meeting at the bar. Turned out Daniel was a good friend of someone I knew in San Francisco. And as time passed I became acquainted with some other folks in the Portland bar and cocktail scene through various acquaintances. A month ago some friends and Mrs. eje hatched a plan to road trip up to Portland to catch a concert. As usual, I started to plot ways that I could squeeze drinks at quality cocktail bars into the very short, long weekend in Portland. I sent Daniel a note asking if he'd be interested in making some Savoy Cocktails while I was in Portland. He agreed and I sent him the list of the next few cocktail recipes. While I was thinking about that, it occurred to me that I would have at least three people with me who might be interested in at least trying some cocktails. I usually don't involve civilians in these sorts of affairs, but the "J" cocktails seemed pretty harmless. So I floated the idea of doing all of the "J" cocktails to Daniel. I would bring sheets for my friends to write down their notes and it would be a bit of a party. He also agreed to that, amazingly. So I started to do a bit of calling around of Portland friends to see if they would be willing to come out and help, or at least stop by and say, "Hi". The participants: eje: Your itinerant Savoy Stomper. Humuhumu: Tiki goddess and web developer. Trott: Talented musician, friend and co-worker. It was Trott whose quixotic quest to make all the recipes from the "Joy of Cooking" originally inspired me to take on the Savoy Cocktail Book. Tradertiki: Portland, OR blogger, Tiki enthusiast, proprietor of his home bar Reynolés Galley, and guide for the monthly "Tiki Tuesdays" at the Teardrop Lounge. Also along for the ride were Mrs. eje, who chose not to write up her thoughts, and Trott's friend Ken. Siobhan and her husband Ben stopped by a bit later. Daniel Shoemaker's BIO Jack Kearns Cocktail (No. 1) 1 Dash Lemon Juice. 1 Dash Syrup. 1/4 Bacardi Rum. 3/4 Dry Gin. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Jack Kearns Cocktail (No. 2) 1/4 Bacardi Rum. (1/2 oz Matusalem Platino) 1 Dash Lemon Juice. 1 Dash Syrup. (House "Gum" Syrup based on maltodextrin) 3/4 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Kind of one of those where you stare at them for a while and wonder if you have gone crazy. Nope, they're exactly the same. I did find one recipe for the Jack Kearns, in Patrick Gavin Duffy's "Official Mixer's Manual," which uses more syrup (3 more dashes) for the No. 1 than the No. 2. From his wikipedia article, "Jack "Doc" Kearns (August 17, 1882 - June 17, 1963) was an American boxing manager from the state of Washington. He is most famous for managing Jack Dempsey, who was World Heavyweight Champion from 1919 to 1926. He also managed Mickey Walker, Joey Maxim, and Archie Moore. He was given the nickname "Doc" from Dempsey." I guess if you were dealing with a boxing manager who could handle the Manassa Mauler, you'd probably give them what they want. "Feeling a bit sweet today, Jack?" Humuhumu: "Taste is very fruity, but still dry." Trott: "Refreshing, awesome, dry, but fruity." Tradertiki: "Subtle floral notes. Drier rum may crisp it up." Jack Pine Cocktail The Juice of 1/4 Orange. 1 Slice Pineapple. 3/4 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. As in the Holland House we have a stray piece of pineapple. Is it a garnish? Or does it go in the cocktail? Daniel initially interpreted this as a garnish, so we tried that. As cocktails go, not that interesting. A dry vermouth version of the Bronx. However, having recently run across a 1930s era recipe for the "Hugo Special", which calls for you to, "Place slices of orange and pineapple in a mixing glass muddle well," I asked Daniel to give that a try. Daniel's comment was, "that's a completely different cocktail." Others in the group were not that impressed, but I kind of liked it. Might have to revisit the Holland House and try it with muddled pineapple. Humuhumu: "Pre-muddle version-> Thin. Post-muddle version-> Better, but sort of blah." Trott: "Best light tiki drink ever." Tradertiki: "Slightly flat. Better with muddled pineapple." Jack Rose Cocktail The Juice of 1/2 Lemon or 1 Lime. 1/4 Grenadine. (1/2 oz Teardrop Lounge Housemade Raspberry Syrup) 3/4 Applejack or Calvados. (1 1/2 oz Boulard Calvados) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. The bar at Teardrop had just finished off the last of their house grenadine a few months before, so instead we're using raspberry syrup for the Jack Rose. For the first try we went with Lemon, Raspberry, and Calvados. When this wasn't met with unanimous approval, as a proper jack rose should be, we went for a second try with lime, raspberry, and Laird's AppleJack. Met with nearly unanimous aproval, with Mrs. eje proclaiming it to be her favorite cocktail of the evening. Humuhumu: "Dry, apple comes through strong->too sweet? With AppleJack and lime ->balanced and yum!" Tradertiki: "Apply and fruity. Could use some understatement. AppleJack and lime creates a subtler, less cloying sweetness." Jackson Cocktail 2 Dashes Orange Bitters. (Angostura Orange) 1/2 Orange Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin, Drops House Orange Tincture) 1/2 Dubonnet. (1 oz Dubonnet Rouge) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. My second try of the Angostura Orange Bitters and I am still liking them a lot. Strong bitter note, intense orange taste, a bit of spice (I was picking up a strong coriander flavor and maybe chamomille). Cocktail is nothing special to write home about. Humuhumu: "Tastes like tea. Specifically, some orange tea from Pike Place Market. Not all that good." Trott: "Way, way, orangey. Hmmm..." TraderTiki: "Dry Burgundy Orange." Jack Withers Cocktail The Juice of 1/2 Orange. 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica) 1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Well, as a Bronx is exactly the same with half as much orange juice, there's not much too surprising here. A light and rather vermouthy cocktail. Daniel insisted on re-making it again with Punt e Mes instead of Carpano, which certainly improves things. No real clues as to who Jack Withers may have been. Another boxer? Humuhumu: "First version tastes like licking someone's grandmother who has just put on a bunch of perfume." Trott: "Vermouth-a-rama. Hmmm..." TraderTiki: "Sweetness on the end, lots of citrus and melon notes. Version 2: More bitterness, punchier flavor." Jewel Cocktail (6 People) 2 Glasses Green Chartreuse. (3/4 oz Green Chartreuse) 2 Glasses Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica) 2 Glasses Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/2 Dessertspoonful Orange Bitters. (Healthy dashes Angostura Orange) Shake thoroughly and serve with a cherry, squeezing lemon peel on top. A Jewel Cocktail by any other name. One of a few "Savoy Cocktail Book" examples where the "party size" version of the cocktail goes by a different name. Others have noted that "Bijou" is the French word for "Jewel". Daniel also insisted we try a version of the Bijou he'd been making lately with Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey. Oh boy was that tasty! Humuhumu: "Very full bodied->Strong flavor, sweet. Could stand to be cut with some water, maybe should be served with an ice cube." Trott: "Muscular, bad-ass, Hell's Angel of Jaeger-like cocktails." TraderTiki: "A Bijou in disguise, Chartreuse brought out, then centered with the vermouth." Thus endeth part the first of our adventure at Teardrop Lounge. * *These pictures by Mrs. eje. ---

A Rum that has been mentioned to me as a good Cuban style dry white rum is Mount Gay's new white rum. I think they're calling it "Silver Eclipse" or some such silliness. I haven't seen it yet in stores, but it's on the list to track down the next time the Flor de Cana Extra Dry runs out. At the same time the person in question also mentioned El Dorado's White Rum as a preference, but harder to find. I've not seen that one either. From what I've seen in mail order places, both are quite reasonable.

You mean the Herradura Blanco in this picture: That's my house tequila. Great stuff! Though, I thought it used to be 92 proof and the most recent bottle I picked up for a friend was 90. Speaking of tequila, a bartender acquaintance suggested the Corralejo as a reasonable and tasty Reposado. I've been pretty happy with it so far in cocktails.

Wow, could it really be only a little over year ago that I murdered Murray Stenson's drink the Porteño? At the time, it just seemed wrong that it had more liqueur than bourbon... I re-made that version, maybe even drying it out a bit more... Tasted it, and thought, you know, this is muddled and generic. And what the hell was I thinking with a 4 oz drink? While it is balanced-ish, nothing about this is standing out for me. The character of the ingredients is lost. So I went back to the original recipe: 3/4 oz Bourbon (Binny's Barrel Select Buffalo Trace) 1/2 oz Fernet Branca 1/2 oz Cherry Brandy (Cherry Heering) 1/2 oz Fresh Lime 1/2 oz Falernum (didn't have handy, so used homemade Swedish Punsch) And goddamn, if that isn't a tastier drink. I mean, it is waaaaay Fernet-ier. It's an initial hurdle you have to get over, but yeah, it's delicious. Every ingredient plays its part and shows up as you go through tasting it. Sorry Murray.

Campden Cocktail 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/4 Cointreau. (1/2 oz Cointreau) 1/4 Kina Lillet. (1/2 oz Cocchi Americano) Shake (maybe stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Peel.) Oddly, going back through these recipes for my blog, it seems I have skipped completely drinking the Campden Cocktail. To be honest, it is only the bitterness of the Cocchi Americano which saves this from being awful. And even then, to my tastes, it's pretty on the edge.

Uh, that is supposed to say Junipero Gin, not "Vermouth"! I am as bad as Harry Craddock!

Hey! I didn't say anything about the Jean de Lillet! Dammit, why'd you say anything! Now Mayur's going to buy it all! Ahem. Sigh. In the spirit of share and share alike, Mr. BostonApothecary pointed out to me that a certain supplier has a certain product: Lillet's Secret Reserve - Jean De Lillet According to the Corti Brothers' representative, "Kina Lillet is what Jean de Lillet was called before WWI. The '04 Jean de Lillet that we exclusively have is sweeter than what Kina Lillet was. Kina Lillet no longer exists." I will also add that the nice folks at Corti Brothers are currently out of stock of Cocchi Americano, but say they will have it back soon. So perhaps all is not lost on the Kina Lillet front!

To sort of answer my own question, Ricola's Alpine Herb Extract being the most famous collection of Alpine Herbs: "Ricola's famous herbal extract of plantain (Plantago lanceolata), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), peppermint (Mentha piperita), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), sage (Salvia officinalis), lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), elder flowers (Sambucus nigra), cowslip (Primula veris), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), burnet (Pimpinella saxifraga), speedwell (Veronica officinalis), mallow (Malva sylvestris), and horehound (Marrubium vulgare)."

Thinking again about why the Imperial Cocktail seemed similar to a drink made with Cocchi Americano and also the quotes I posted yesterday. These words from the description came to mind: Specifically, the "alpine herbs". Dolin Vermouth de Chambery is specifically made with what they call "alpine herbs". Other than some alpine species of wormwood, I've never been exactly clear on what is meant by "alpine herbs", but maybe that is where the flavor commonality between the two lies.

They're even closer to the vest on the Cocchi Americano website: This website, from the importer is a bit more forthcoming: Interesting about the name!

It never occurred to me either, until I noticed flavor similarities to drinks made with Americano and when I made the Imperial Cocktail. Maybe they're using a grappa to fortify it and that's what I'm tasting?

As noted here, it appears my fave Kina Lillet substitute will not be back in the US for a while. Looking for ideas for creating a Cocchi Americano/Kina Lillet replica. Things I note: A relatively round wine base which is not fruity, per se, but not austere. Quinine. Orange. Cinnamon. Most recently, I was making a drink with Luxardo Maraschino and a generous dash of Angostura and noted similarities, making me suspect there may be bitter almonds or almond hulls in there (not uncommon in very old vermouth recipes). Other thoughts?

If any of you read (or write) blogs which cover cocktails, you might know that Paul over at Cocktail Chronicles has been organizing a monthly online cocktail event he calls Mixology Mondays. This month's event is being hosted by the cooperative Live Journal blog Scofflaw's Den. The theme is Mixology Monday "Bourbon". To quote them from their explanation of the topic: If you would like to participate, please write up a cocktail in this topic before Monday, June 16th at midnight. I will compile a list of cocktails posted and email them to the organizer. Bourbon will be a challenge and a change of pace for me. I have a few tasty Bourbons around the house, but most of my Whiskey mixing lately has been with Ryes. Anway, good topic, given the recent discussion of Summertime Bourbon drinks!