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Less interesting than the other info above? I discovered that the spices have faded and the smoky-grassy flavor of the Yerba Mate has really taken over. I think I need to add some sweetener or start over again. Honestly, I think the best path is just to add a dash of absinthe to dubonnet or lillet rouge. Craddock seems to have been quite taken with this Hercules stuff, but not many other people. jazzyjeff mailed me to tell me he'd found one cocktail in the "Cafe Royal Bar Book" using Hercules, the Bullfighter Cocktail: Unfortunately, no description of the product's flavor there or anywhere else.

Gene Corrie Cocktail 1/2 Hercules. (1 oz YerbaMate/Steepsinthe/Dubonnet Mixture) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Tanqueray Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. I suspect the Gene Corri(e) here is Eugene Corri, a rather well known boxing referee who died in 1933. On December 7, 1907, at the fight between Gunner Moir and Tommy Burns, he became the first referee to officiate inside a boxing ring. He also wrote a Memoir, which is still in print: Also found this tidbit in the New York times archive from June 19, 1921: CORRI IS ON WAY HERE.; English Boxing Referee on the Adriatic, Which Docks Friday. The "Battle of the Century," on July 2, 1921, between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier was the first "million dollar gate" in boxing history. It took the Manassa Mauler 4 rounds and less than 11 minutes to knock the Frenchman Carpentier to the canvas. The fight attracted the largest crowd to a sporting event up to that time, and was one of the first fights broadcast on radio.

Gazette Cocktail 1 Teaspoonful Syrup. (1 tsp. Depaz Cane Syrup) 1 Teaspoonful Lemon Juice 1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso) 1/2 Brandy. (1 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac) Shake (stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass. Could go either way, shaking or stirring with this one. A bit odd and pretty OK as cocktails go. Don't know of too many cocktails that combine sweet vermouth and citrus, aside from the Bronx. As with the Bronx, I found it significantly improved with a drop or two of Aromatic Bitters (Bitter Truth in this case).

Well, I've been accumulating for a few years now. Fortunately, the nature of my Savoy project means, aside from Gin and Vermouth, I seldom have to replace more than a bottle at a time. And yeah, I somehow seem to have amassed a bunch of Absinthe.

Gasper Cocktail (6 People) 3 Glasses Gin. (1 oz Beefeater's Gin) 3 Glasses Absinthe. (1 oz Marteau Verte Classique) Add, if required, a very little sugar. (1 tsp. Depaz Cane Syrup) Shake (stir, please) well and serve. In stark contrast to the Gangadine Cocktail, this is not a girly Absinthe cocktail! In fact, if there was ever a cocktail that could use a good long time "cooking" on the ice, this is it. I do have to wonder if the same brilliant, and evil, mixological mind which was behind the Choker Cocktail was also behind the Gasp-er.

Hmmm... Well, I don't really think Tanqueray tastes bitter/acrid, so not sure what to do with that, and to the best of my knowledge there's no black pepper in the Aviation Gin. Along with a pretty standard and fairly limited bill of gin botanicals, they do include Lavender, which is a bit odd. But, I find it to be a pretty mildly flavored gin. Maybe you've been drinking too much Sapphire and Tanq 10 (feeble attempt at good natured ribbing...) I don't think it works in every cocktail, but I kind of like it in ATTY cocktails: 1 1/2 oz Aviation 3/4 oz Dry Vermouth 1/2 tsp violette 1/2 tsp absinthe Stir, strain, lemon twist. edit - uh, ooops! That was supposed to be vermouth in there, not double gin.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, February 29, 2008 Search for the perfect match: The Chronicle puts six wine experts to the test with two challenging dishes, Amanda Gold Recipes: Sole with Fennel, Watercress & Grapefruit Salad Pork & Mustard Stroganoff Is Europe too sweet on chaptalization? Age-old practice of boosting alcohol with sugar spurs debate among winemakers, Jim Clarke THE SIPPING NEWS: IN OUR GLASSES: What we're drinking Winery watch: Verge, Ella Lawrence First look: Bar 888 at Luce, Tara Duggan A wee dram of Welsh whiskey, Lynne Char Bennett Premiere Napa breaks records, Stacy Finz This week's events Cocktailian: When life gives you Meyer lemons, make a Midnight Smash, Gary Regan Recipes: Midnight Smash, Adapted from a recipe by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina in San Francisco. Tasting Room: Family schools tasters in traditional, modern wines, Carol Ness The Cheese Course: Even without a beer, Breakfast Cheese is an eye-opener, Janet Fletcher Letters to Wine: Happy to be hops-free 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Giordano Bros., Jane Tunks "At Giordano Bros. in North Beach, a blackboard on the wall is emblazoned with eight "answers to your Q's" about the "all in one" - the best of which is left for last: "The sandwich has been made the same way for over 70 years, so we suggest you don't try to change it."" Bar Bites: The Bistro, Karen Reardanz "The Bistro Opened in 1994 by Vic and Cynthia Kralj, the Bistro has established itself as one of the best beer bars in the East Bay and gained a reputation as an ardent supporter of the Northern California brewing scene. Local regulars, home brewers and beer aficionados stop by to drink, talk hops and listen to live music. This downtown Hayward bar is also home to a variety of killer all-day beer festivals, like last month's Double IPA Festival, November's West Coast Barrel-Aged Beer Fest and October's Wet Hop Beer Festival."

Nothing new on Hercules. My best advice at this time is Dubonnet Rouge or Lillet Rouge with a dash of Absinthe. I will note that my Dubonnet rouge/steepsinthe mixture has significantly changed in character. The spice has receded into the background and the flavor of the Yerba Mate has really moved forward. I think I'm going to have to add some sugar. If every blogger and their dog hadn't made and written about the Leap Year Cocktail today, I'd think about it. Eric Felten had a nice article in the Wall Street Journal this week: The Bissextile Beverage

Thanks Kev... Well, it's not exactly "work". From what I can tell, I've made approximately 300 cocktails so far. If I am on page 40 out of 136, how many cocktails does that say the book contains? 136/40 is 3.4. 3.4*300=1020 total. Is my math right? Damn... And I always said I was glad I wasn't making cocktails from a book like, "1001 Cocktails." So only 720 cocktails to go. Sigh...

I was recently reminded of Marco Dionysos' (aka cocktailgeek) Chartreuse Swizzle. A fine, fine drink, and far too easy to consume... "Chartreuse Swizzle" 1 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse 1 oz. pineapple juice juice of a lime 1/2 oz. Velvet Falernum Shake well with ice and strain into a collins glass over crushed ice. Garnish with lime wheel and wedge of pineapple.

Really, you like the Krogstad better than the Scandinavian brands?

OK, I'll play. This is just stuff for cocktails. No sipping booze listed. Gin: Pretty much always have Tanqueray, Beefeater's, Plymouth, and Junipero. Aviation, North Shore No. 6, Death's Door, No. 209, etc. as I go through bottles and try them and replace or not. Dutch Style Gin: VanWee's Oude, Anchor Genevieve, Boomsma Jonge and Oude. Vodka: Luksusowa for drinking and mixing, Finlandia for liqueurs Bourbon: Weller 12 year, Eagle Rare Rye: Rittenhouse Bonded, Sazerac Straight, Wild Turkey 101 Rum: Flor de Cana Extra Dry, La Favorite Blanc, St. James Ambre, Inner Circle Green, Lemon Hart overproof, Wray & Nephew Overproof, Appleton V/X, Pusser's, Haus Alpenz Arrack van Oosten. Cachaca: Mãe de Ouro Pisco: Alto del Carmen Tequila: Herradura Blanco 92 proof, Corralejo Reposado Apple Brandy: Laird's Bonded, Germain-Robin, Clear Creek, Calvados Roger Groult Eau-De-Vie: (Thank God I'm nearly out of...) Trimbach Kirsch, (...and can soon start using...) Clear Creek Kirsch, Aqua Perfecta Pear, Haus Alpenz Pear, Haus Alpenz Apricot, Zwack Barack Palinka Scotch: Compass Box Asyla, Famous Grouse Brandy: Generally one bottle of decent grape brandy. Currently Cerbois VSOP Armangac. Aquavit: Linie Arak: Razzouk Sochu: Some Awamori or another Absinthe & Absinthe-a-like: Herbsaint, Henri Bardouin, Verte de Fougerolles, Lucid, Kubler Blanche, Marteau Verte Classique, Jade PF 1901, Duplais Balance Liqueurs: Cointreau, Brizard Orange Curacao, Luxardo Triplum, Senior Curacao of Curacao, Clement Creole Shrubb, Grand Marnier, Benedictine, Green and Yellow Chartreuse, Gilka Kummel, Cherry Heering, Luxardo Amaretto, Licor 43, Velvet Falernum, Averna Sambuca, Averna Limoni, Brizard Creme de Menthe, Bols Creme de Cacao, Mozart Black Chocolate, Brizard Apry, Benoit Serres Liqueur de Violette, Brizard Cassis, Chambord, St. Germain, Luxardo Maraschino, Chouffe Coffee Liqueur, R&W Orchard Apricot, R&W Violette, R&W Pear, homemade stuff, things I can't remember, etc. Bitters: Angostura, All the Fee's Bitters, Regan's Orange, all the Bitter Truth Bitters Other wine based stuff: Punt e Mes, Cocchi Americano, Cocchi Barolo Chinato, Lillet Blanc, Dubonnet Rouge Other Bitter and Herbal Stuff: Cynar, Campari, Fernet Branca, Branca Menta, CioCiaro, Averna Amaro Siciliano, Ramazzotti Amaro, Strega, Suze Vermouth: M&R Rosso, M&R Bianco, Dolin Dry Syrups: Monin Orgeat, Lemon, Passion Fruit, and Raspberry, Fee's American Beauty Grenadine, Homemade Grenadine, Rose's Lime, D'Arbo Elderflower Syrup Edit - Oh yeah, pretty much the whole Haus Alpenz and Rothman and Winter line. They should have some sort of gold star or frequent buyer program... Can't wait for the Scarlet Ibis Rum and St. Elisabeth Allspice.

Gangadine Cocktail 1 Teaspoonful Framboise Syrup. (1 tsp Monin Raspberry Syrup) 1/3 Oxygenie Cusenier. (3/4 oz Kubler 53) 1/3 White Mint. (3/4 oz Brizard Creme de Menthe) 1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Beefeater's Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Wow, is this a pink, girly, and deadly drink. I'd give it points right there along with the Between the Sheets. I picked the Kubler, as previously I'd tried it in a cocktail with mint and thought it quite good. Also good here and didn't muddy up the drink's color like a Verte Absinthe would. I've not turned up anything regarding the name, "Gangadine." Might be a last name. Oxygénée Cusenier was one of the late-pre ban French Absinthe. It was Oxygenated, supposedly to increase its purity and make it a more healthful beverage. I guess this was an attempt to combat the increasingly strident hue and cry against Absinthe as a beverage in the early 1900s.

One thing I've always wondered about is why sweet potatoes have never really been used to make spirits. I know they sometimes are used in Japanese Shochu. But, it is weird to me, since just about every substance known to man that can be fermented has been fermented, that sweet potatoes don't really seem to figure. Not like they are hard to grow or anything. When you roast them you get such a lovely honey like nectar, just oozing from them, it seems like there should be some use for it...

Well, that's it for "F". Highlights included: Fair and Warmer a Rum Manhattan. Fairbanks Cocktail (No. 2) a fancy martini variation with a touch of almond. Fancy Cocktail Champange or Chicago Cocktail variation. Met with the excellent and very cool Jennifer Colliau at The Slanted Door where the highlights included the Fairbanks Cocktail (No. 1) and Jennifer's recipe for the Reunion Cooler. Who can argue with a well made Fifty-Fifty? A heated discussion about Sirop-de-Citron and Kola Tonic. Another pleasant Rum Manhattan, the Fluffy Ruffles, which I still dare any man in the audience to order. An inarguable Rob Roy variation called the Flying Scotchman Cocktail. One of my new favorites, a "perfect" Martini called the Fourth Degree Cocktail. Interesting take on the Frankenjack which turned out far more tasty than it had any right to be. The classic and delicious French "75" Cocktail. Last, but not least, a Brandy "Bobby Burns" called the Froupe/Fioupe.

The gentleman I talked to at Skyy Spirits is a Luxury brand specialist for Skyy and represents Camapari in the San Francisco area. His "Camapari guy" has a convincingly Italian name. Failing more information, I will note he the "Campari guy" did not say that the recipe has not ever changed, (frankly, I'd be surprised, given variation in quality and potency of botanicals, if it didn't change regularly,) just that he felt it tastes and looks the same.

Getting a bit afield from Imibibe... I assume these small players see what huge markets the vodka/gin markets are and figure there must be room for them to have a bit of space in the kiddie pool. What they often don't realize, at least initially, is that the vodka (and gin) markets are swimming pools full of sharks. That they'd really be better off starting in the markets that aren't so dominated by the big players. Find a niche, do it well, get a reputation, establish a brand. And also, that there are demands among bars doing cocktails for products that either don't exist or aren't well distributed. If you asked a bartender or bar manager if they really need another vodka behind the bar, what would they say? Probably, "no not really," unless it has some specific local hook. If you ask a Martin Cate or Erik Adkins whether they'd like a Falernum, they'll probably say, "How many cases can you get me?"

Full House Cocktail 1/4 Swedish Punch. (generous 1/2 oz homemade, eas recipe) 1/4 French Vermouth. (generous 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/2 Bacardi Rum. (generous 1 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze Lemon Peel over glass.) You may recognize this as the Four Flush Cocktail without the grenadine. I suppose, nominally less sweet than that ridiculously sweet cocktail. I dunno, as much as I preferred the flavor of the homemade punch, this cocktail seemed to show an unpleasant aspect of the Flor de Cana Rum, pumping up some of the harsher alcohol smells and tastes as I finished the drink. I'm going to have to try this again side by side with commercial punch. Maybe the next time I have low blood sugar.

Ha! I haven't had it yet. The guy at the liquor store is a Scotch guy and he tells me it is fairly flavorful and does maintain a lot of the character of the distillate. But, yeah, mostly something for Stillwater to sell while they age their allegedly scotch style whisk(e)y...

I asked a gentleman I know at Skyy Spirits about the change. He talked to his "Campari guy" who acknowledges the change from Carmine to an artificial colorant and that they switched to the clearer bottle in 2006, which makes the Campari look a bit brighter on the shelf. The Campari guy maintains, "However, there is no change in taste and no change in color either," of the contents of the bottle.

Karkade is made using the dried calyx from the flower of a specific kind of hibiscus. It is often also called Roselle, sorrel, or Jamaica. Plant Latin: Hibiscus sabdariffa If you go to a Mexican or Latin American specialty store, you will probably find it sold in bulk as "Flor de Jamaica." You can also order it from eGullet member Rancho Gordo: Jamaica (Hibiscus Flowers)

Nice name: Elettaria cardamomum (Spice Pages Link.)

Froupe Cocktail l Teaspoonful Benedictine. 1/2 Italian vermouth. (generous 1 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso) 1/2 Brandy. (Generous 1 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Another Savoy typo, it appears. Robert Vermeire calls this the "Fioupe Cocktail" and states, "Monsieur Fioupe is a familiar figure known all along the Riviera, by everybody, from prince to cabman." Sadly, I can't find any more information than that regarding Monsieur Fioupe. The cocktail, though, being basically a Brandy version of the Bobby Burns, is right in my comfort zone. Yum.

Wow, Andy that's cool information. Thanks for writing it up. Ice or no ice for you in the French "75"?

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, February 22, 2008 Yamahai warriors: Intense, funky and rich - traditional style of sake appeals to Americans, W. Blake Gray Vintage wine cans win over winemaker, Yvonne Horn THE SIPPING NEWS: Putting home brews to the test, Jane Tunks IN OUR GLASSES: What we're drinking Sonoma gears up for ninth annual prune-off finals, Jane Tunks Gadget: Silicone wine stoppers, Lynne Char Bennett Drink it if you cook with it, Lynne Char Bennett Beer: Extreme brews go higher, Jim Clarke Letters to Wine: Cool-climate vineyards embrace Syrah, Pinot Tasting Room: Get your sparkling fix at Sharffenberger, Tara Duggan Pairings: The legend of Shiraz - a Persian fairy tale, Lynne Char Bennett Recipes: Khoresh (Beef with Prunes & Carrots) Chronicle Wine Selections: McClaren Vale Shiraz, Lynne Char Bennett The Cheese Course: Spain's farmstead renaissance creates Leonora, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Mi Pueblo, Lynne Char Bennett "Taquerias abound, but Mi Pueblo - a San Jose Latino grocery chain with five Bay Area stores - not only offers ready-to-eat fare but also stocks a plethora of fresh ingredients for evenings when you want to cook." Bar Bites: Brick, Laura Compton "This restaurant has undergone a few shifts since it opened in mid-2006, but one constant has been the intimate atmosphere of the 68-seat space. Square amber lights over the copper-topped bar and votives at the tables at this Tendernob spot cast a flattering glow, and a brick wall hung with modern art adds textural contrast."