eje

Oh wow, I forgot there was dairy in that. To be honest, I'd leave it out. Or just use all cream. "Half and Half" is a vile manufactured and chemically stabilized substance theoretically composed of half cream and half milk.

Unless you're just using avocado oil, it's probably going to be a mucky, messy proposition that will probably turn a most unattractive color of brown in short order. Best to think of fruits like avocado and mango as emulsions. Not the best subjects for use in infusions. Also, avocado is a pretty subtle flavor. I dunno that it's going to show up much against the tequila at cocktail temp. There's always Lucy Brennan's infamous Avocado Daiquiri if you have your heart set on an avocado flavored cocktail... edit - changed "legendary" to "infamous". I believe a much more accurate descriptor.

Green Room Cocktail 1/3 Brandy. (3/4 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac) 2/3 French Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 2 Dashes Curacao. (2/3 barspoon Senior Curacao of Curacao) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Orange Twist.) The "Green Room" is the room actors hang out in when not on stage. Of course, not uncommon for a fortifying nip to be taken before one heads out on stage. I had thought the term "Green Room" was to do with television. I was interested to discover that that the term's first recorded use* was in 1701! edit - "Mummer" is not just the name of one of my favorite XTC album, it also is a term used to refer to actors. That term goes back even further than "Green Room," having it's origins, according to dictionary.com, with the traveling troupes of actors in the 1400s. A pleasant enough cocktail. Certainly cried out for some bitters and a twist. *From Word Origins.org: Green Room

Thought this article, by Mr. Jeff Burkhart, a bit apropos, if maddening on many levels... Barfly: Jiggers are bane of bartender's routine Jiggers for all my friends!

Keens and a Cocktail, Frank Bruni There'll probably be nothing too new in this article for most readers of the Spirits and Cocktails forum. Still a nicely written article and enjoyable to see some main stream press for a well made classic cocktail.

Green Dragon Cocktail 1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/4 oz Lemon Juice) 1/8 Kummel. (1/4 oz Gilka Kummel) 1/4 Green Mint. (1/2 oz Brizard Creme de Menthe) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Beefeater's Gin) 4 Dashes Peach Bitters. (Fee's Peach Bitters) Shake (stir, shake, what's it matter?) well and strain into cocktail glass. I still haven't taken the plunge and purchased "Green Mint," so I guess this is a "Silver Dragon". In any case, talk about wacky. I mean, it's not an unbalanced or undrinkable cocktail. Just really weird. The Mint and Peach are the dominant elements here with everything else hanging in the background. I didn't throw it away. I just can't imagine any possible circumstances where I would make it again.

I did get to try Thomas Waugh's entry. I thought his cocktail did a good job of both featuring the Averna and re-interpreting a classic cocktail. It was a bit of a shock which classic cocktail he chose to re-interpret with Averna, but he somehow managed to take something I would normally be tempted to pour down the drain and make it intriguing. I could probably come pretty close to the recipe, but I'll leave it as a surprise for you when you get to Sicily. Best of luck to everyone!

Interestingly, Mr. Hollinger was out of town at the time of the competition so Jackie Patterson, (currently at Orson,) actually mixed his drink for the semi-finals. Mr. McDonnell has some formal relationship with Averna, and I believe acted as a judge for, at least, the West Coast semi-finals. I looked back through the press releases and, unfortunately, none of them included recipes. Perhaps after the whole thing is over they will publish them on the Averna site.

Greenbriar Cocktail. 1 Dash Peach Bitters. (Fee's Peach Bitters) 1/3 French vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 2/3 Sherry. (Bodega Dios Baco Fino Sherry) 1 Sprig Fresh Mint. Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with Mint tip.) Pretty weird, and the peach bitters and mint make it seem awfully girly, but not unpleasant. Somehow, I could imagine the Greenbriar going well with Middle Eastern food. Especially Feta Cheese and maybe Baba Ghanoush. Not sure exactly why.

It's a bit generous on the Lemon, Apricot Brandy, and Gin, but other than that, fairly close. Sadly, yes, I am still only on "Gre...", so it will be a while before I get to the K.C.B. Something to look forward to, anyway! Or perhaps a choice for the next Savoy night at Alembic.

If I have to memorize a bunch for a party or something I'll write them on index cards, use them as flash cards and reference during the event. Then afterwards they go in the recipe bin. The cool kids all seem to be using moleskine pocket address books for portable reference. Handy to carry around and indexed for quick reference. There's some discussion of electronic formats for cocktail recipe storage in this topic: cocktail recipe databases?, keeping track of recipes and notes

Great Secret Cocktail 1 Dash Angostura Bitters. 1/3 Kina Lillet. (3/4 oz Cocchi Americano) 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top. Very tasty! Pretty close to a Vesper, eh? I suppose if you were stuck with using Tanqueray or Gordon's it might make sense to cut the gin with a bit of vodka. But if you're using Plymouth, I see no reason.

Not Duggan McDonnel from Cantina, but Jeff Hollinger from Absinthe will be travelling to Sicily with Thomas. I think I might have some of the recipes in one of the press releases, will check...

You might find a few suggestions here: Maraschino Liqueur ;-)

Thanks for the info queneau. I blame Simon Difford for my brazen declaration of the use of shots or jiggers as a measure in England. One thing I always wonder about in areas where the amount of booze is regulated, is how you make drinks like the Fifty-Fifty. Are you required by law to measure no more or no less than 35ml of booze into any cocktail? So something like a Fifty-Fifty ends up a 70ml drink to get the ratio right? What about 80 proof liqueurs, like Cointreau or Grand Marnier? Is the shot size of those spirits also regulated? Just curious...

Grapefruit Cocktail (variation) (6 People) This was good, but I used too much sugar. A half teaspoon (or less) would have been plenty.

Grapefruit Cocktail (6 People) The Juice of 1 1/2 Lemons. (Juice 1/2 lemon, almost an ounce) 2 Small Spoonsful Grapefruit Jelly. (1 barspoon Duerr's Grapefruit Marmalade) 4 Glasses Gin. (2 oz Tanqueray) Add Ice and shake. (Squeeze Grapefruit peel on top. - eje) One may in this Cocktail replace the grapefruit jelly by any other Fruit Jelly of distinctive taste. Really quite tasty! I had to go a bit long on the Marmalade to cut the sourness of the lemon juice.

Oh yeah, in my experience, to generalize wildly, American cocktails tend to be written in ounces, English in shots or jiggers, European and Australian in Millilitres. So don't throw away that Oxo jigger, you'll need it sooner or later... The two measures which give me the biggest headaches are those written in 10ths and those, like Embury, who write recipes in "parts".

I know some people who work at the bar here, so I'm not the most unbiased opinion... My favorites at Slanted Door are the raw bar items and appetizers.

I haven't had much luck at the Orbit Room the last couple times I've been there. I do like that the cocktails are cheaper than the average and fairly generously portioned. I have had good experiences there in the past. But the last couple times the service has been painfully slow and the cocktails pretty mediocre. Definitely not consistent enough for me to recommend it to out of town guests.

I know those oxo measures have their fans, but I also cannot stand them. First off I dislike using plastic for measuring anything remotely reactive or really using it for much of anything in the kitchen. (I know they also make a stainless version.) Second, they are hard to read. You really have to pay attention, making them slow to use. I also imagine after a few trips through the dishwasher, the writing will be gone. Third, along with them being hard to read, it seems like there is a huge potential for over pouring. Eventually, I just gave up on houseware and kitchen stores and bought a set of stainless, conical, double sided jiggers from barsupplies.com. 1/2 and 1 oz, 3/4 and 1 1/2, 1 oz and 2 oz. You don't even really need the 1oz/2oz jigger, but they are so cheap, I figured what the heck. I am much happier now. I will note this doesn't solve the 1/4 oz issue. As it is conical, a quarter ounce is actually somewhere around 3/4 of the way up the side of the 1/2 oz jigger. You get used to it.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, April 18, 2008 Bugging out: Beyond pesticides - vintners who see insects as vineyard helpers, Deborah Grossman THE SIPPING NEWS: Tasting notes: Message for a bottle, Laura Compton Winery Watch: Winery watch on C. Donatiello, Tara Duggan Earth Day festival at Iron Horse Vineyards, Amanda Gold In our glasses: What we're drinking Tasting Room: Feel-good fun on Silverado Trail at ZD Wines, Tara Duggan Spirits: Italy's fiery grappa the latest liquor to go upscale, Camper English Vineyards thrive after sheep's handiwork, Deb Grossman Pairings: A sweet and sour match for German Riesling, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Smoked Trout & Sauerkraut Pizza The Chronicle Wine Selections: 2006 German QbA and Kabinett Rieslings, Lynne Char Bennett The Cheese Course: Gouda-style Beemster XO from Netherlands, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bargain Bite: El Sombrero, Jon Bonné "El Sombrero offers a down-home dose of Mexico just off Healdsburg's fancy main square and directly across from the upscale Oakville Grocery, a welcome break from $9 sandwiches and just the thing to fill you up after tasting the high-octane Zins at Rosenblum's tasting room across the street. The sun-filled storefront attracts a mix of Sonoma County locals and hungry visitors." Bar Bites: Laiola, Tara Duggan "Though it's officially a restaurant, Laiola has a definite lounge atmosphere, with a long bar and raised tables that take up most of the narrow space on Chestnut Street. Serious diners might come in for Mark Denham's gutsy Spanish plates, but everyone else seems to be here for the lively atmosphere and creative cocktails, with the great food as a bonus."

Yep. Works fine for sorbet. I think less well for ice cream/gelato. Basically, make a granita and then blend it. Chill your sorbet base, place in wide shallow container in freezer. Fork every once in a while until it solidifies and you've got granita. Process granita in blender or food processor. Return to freezer. I actually prefer the texture of sorbet made this way to the stuff from my ice cream maker.

The Grape Vine Cocktail 1/4 Grape Juice. (1/2 oz Twin Hill Ranch Grape Juice) 1/4 Lemon Juice. (1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice) 1/2 Gin. (1 oz Tanqueray Gin) 1 Dash Grenadine. (1/3 tsp. Fee's American Beauty Grenadine) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Wow, what a shock going from the Grand Slam to the Grape Vine! This is quite a tart cocktail! I found the Grape Vine pretty enjoyable, to be honest, with a lovely color.

This works for Juleps and other drinks served in chimney type glasses: Measure the length of the mint against the side of the glass and break it off so the top few leaves are just above the lip. Strip the leaves from the bottom stem section, leaving the top few pairs. Insert mint stem into glass.