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Fox River Cocktail 4 Dashes Peach Bitters. (1 tsp Fee's Peach Bitters) 1 Lump of ice. 1/4 Crème de Cacao. (1/2 oz Mozart Black Chocolate Liqueur) 3/4 Canadian Club Whisky. (1 1/2 oz 40 Creek Barrel Select) Use wineglass and squeeze lemon peel on top. Hmmm... Looking at this now, it seems like it should be built, old fashioned style, rather than stirred with ice and strained into a glass as I did. All the same, I was OK with everything here except the lemon twist. I just didn't like how the lemon combined with the chocolate, peach, and whiskey.

Well, I was a bit surprised to see Vermeire calling for Dry Vermouth in his Martinez, but his recipe for the Third Degree is not particularly dry or unusual, at least for Cocktails of that era. Two parts Gin to one part Dry Vermouth, as far as my feeble brain can interpret the "gills" in the Third Degree. And then the Fourth Degree, being essentially the same amount of gin, but splitting the vermouth portion into sweet and dry. I don't have a vintage copy of MacElhone to judge from. I guess I do wonder, in regards the "continental" Martinez, if one was supposed to drop or leave in the Curacao and Orange Bitters or skip them in the Third and Fourth Degree cocktails. I haven't gotten that far in my experimentation in variations to see if the cocktails are pleasant with or without the Orange. Generally orange and Absinthe is a nice combination.

Linie Aquavit and Fever Tree Tonic with the juice of half a small lime. Oddly, I'm liking this better than my previous Gin and Tonic. A couple more, and I should be in fine shape for the Grammy broadcast.

I dunno, everytime I try to be a "purist" about something I find out I was wrong, so I've kind of given up. Sure, I like Gin in my Martinis and such, and will do my best to research and accurately make a recipe for Gumbo or Jambalaya. But, if the "accurate" way of doing it sounds like it is going to suck, I will have no qualms about changing the recipe. In the popcorn example, if I'm making it, I'll insist on doing it with oil on the stove. No microwave, no air popper, etc. After that, if you want to put freshly grated parmesan reggiano on it, like my wife, that's fine with me. In Mexico they put all sorts of weird things on their corn on the cob, and they probably invented both corn and popcorn.

One interesting point, (well, at least to me,) regarding the Absinthe Louche... Absinthe fanciers have long maintained that to get a proper louche on, a very slow drip is necessary. Say a 5 minute drip by drip procedure to add the water to your Absinthe. Others had pooh poohed this idea, saying it was just some sort of placebo type effect. I've kind of noticed that if I just use my refrigerator tap to add water to Absinthe that it really isn't the same as if I slowly drip it out of a water bottle. But, I'd never experimented with it. However, over at the Wormwood Society, one of the members performed an experiment, adding the same amount of water to a couple different kinds of Absinthe, one dripping slowly and the other slowly pouring the water in. He discovered that with some brands of Absinthe there was a visually apparent difference between the expression of the louche of the slowly and quickly dripped Absinthes. So perhaps rate of titration, or some other factor, also affects the way these substances fall out of solution.

Phrases.co.uk Explains the phrase "Third Degree": Including this amusing quote from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 1601: But, most common use of the "Third Degree" refers to the Masons. When a candidate enters the "third degree," or "Master Mason," they are subjected to a number of tests including an interrogation. To me, the use of the term for the drink is probably related to the the masonic use. It's a complex and sophisticated cocktail. Something Joe and Judy Schmo, (or Jacques and Jacqueline,) in from the country for a night on the town aren't probably going to appreciate. They're going to want gimlets, sidecars, or highballs. Something a little simpler. It probably takes a "third degree adept of drinkology," to properly appreciate this variation on the Martinez. In regards "Absinthe," by 1922 Absinthe had been banned in France, where Vermeire was bartending, for around 8 years. Unless he was using homemade steepsinthe or illegally produced Absinthe, he was probably using post-ban "Pernod" in these cocktails. I don't believe the term "Pastis" was used commonly to refer to these post-ban products until more recently. At least, I don't remember seeing the term "pastis" as an ingredient in cocktail books until relatively modern times. Though, if a bartender was pulling out a stash of banned Absinthe, that would really be something you would imagine they would reserve for "Third Degree Bar Adepts" and very good friends. The Fourth Degree of Masonry is the "Mark Master." edit - By the way, this theory is just complete and utter speculation on my part.

Doesn't really answer your question, but, interesting nonetheless... Robert Vermeire, in his 1922 book "Cocktails: How to Mix Them," includes the Third and Fourth Degree cocktails along with the Martinez. Saying, "The Fourth Degree is a Martinez Cocktail (Continental Style) with a dash of Absinthe and a cherry, but 1/4 gill of Gin, 1/8 gill of French Vermouth, 1/8 gill of Vermouth should be used." About The Third Degree, he says, "The Third Degree is a Martinez Cocktail (Continental Style) with a dash of Absinthe and an olive, but 2/6 gill of Gin and 1/6 gill of French Vermouth should be used." He gives the "continental style" of Martinez as: He uses the term "Continental" to differentiate from the English style of Martinez:

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, February 08, 2008 Wine lovers: He's passionate about red, she's devoted to white - how to bridge the color divide, Christina Kelly THE SIPPING NEWS: Airlines with top-flight wine lists, Carol Ness Red chocolate box, red roses, Jon Bonné Anderson Valley wine festival, plus more events, Jon Bonné In our glasses: What we're drinking Pairings: Potstickers to match Pinot Noir bring properity for the Lunar New Year, Lynne Char Bennett Recipes: Potstickers Chronicle Wine Selections: Carneros Pinot Noir, Lynne Char Bennett Cocktailian: The intinerant mixologist earns his keep by shaking and stirring, Gary Regan Recipes: The Marketa Cocktail Food and Wine Events The Cheese Course: Little to fault about Truffle Tremor, Janet Fletcher The Tasting Room: Funky farmhouse winery goes green, Tara Duggan 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Sancho's Taqueria, Miriam Morgan "You have to hunt for it, but taco aficionados in the mid-Peninsula have no trouble following their taste buds to this out-of-the-way spot in the Emerald Hills section of Redwood City. But compared with the hole-in-the-wall that it used to be, this bright, spacious location, a couple of doors down from the original, is big enough to be a landmark." Bar Bites: The Monk's Kettle, Jane Tunks "It seems that beer may finally be getting the respect it deserves in the Bay Area, as three serious-minded beer bars have opened up in quick succession: the Trappist in Oakland, and La Trappe and the Monk's Kettle in San Francisco."

Fourth Degree Cocktail 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Tanqueray Dry Gin) 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso) 4 Dashes of Absinthe. (1 tsp. Absinthe Verte de Fougerolles) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze lemon peel on top.) I was all set to say I preferred this cocktail with the proportions dried out a bit. I've made it in the past with 2 oz Junipero, 1/2 oz French Vermouth, and 1/2 oz Italian Vermouth and really enjoyed it. I've made that version for friends and they've really enjoyed it. Other times, I've made the equal parts version with different ingredients and not enjoyed it as much. This time, for whatever reason, this particular combination of ingredients was fantastic. There was a cherry/almond flavor that seemed to come out of nowhere, blindsiding me, and daring me to replicate it. What do you call that? Flavor harmonics? The Savoy version of this Harry McElhone Cocktail doesn't include the lemon peel garnish, but it really takes the drink to another level. I don't recommend skipping it.

I could be wrong but I thought I remembered noting Caramel Color on the label... Not on the label of mine... [...] ← Yeah, you're probably right. I think I am thinking of Brizard Apry instead of the Zwack Pecsétes Barack Palinka apricot Eau-de-Vie. Though I can't seem to find my bottle of Zwack at the moment. The disadvantage of having a large and poorly organized spirits collection. [...] ← Actually... Nice to know that the drink enfeebled brain cells occasionally fire in the correct order.

It's my understanding, that some of suspended/dissolved organic materials in tea (tannins and the like) are shocked out of suspension/solution when the temperature changes rapidly. Seems to happen more with certain kinds of tea, or strongly steeped tea. If you let tea come to room temperature on its own, then refrigerate, it usually won't cloud when iced.

The homemade punch turned out OK, unfortunately, I was using the wrong base spirit for my liqueur. Swedish Punsch, as far as I can tell, is nearly completely about the distinctive flavor of Batavia Arrack. It might have a tiny bit of citrus and spice, but mostly it is a sweetened Batavia Arrack (and Rum) liqueur. I started with Sri Langkan Arrack, which has a completely different character than Batavia Arrack. Sri Langkan Arrack is distilled from palm wine. Batavia Arrack is made by fermenting sugar cane with a red rice starter and then distilling. It has a flavor that is kind of like a combination of rum, sake/awamori, and scotch. I haven't yet experimented with making my own Arrack Punch using Batavia Arrack. I expect it wouldn't be that hard to make something that is superior to the commercial stuff. They had a very nice house made one at Forbidden Island. Mostly lemon, cardamom, and sweetener. It's just, a friend brought the Flaggpunsch all the way from Sweden, so it's kind of fun for me to use it and be reminded how cool it is to have good friends.

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 Jimmy over on his blog Jimmy's Cocktail Hour The theme is Variations. To quote Jimmy from his explanation of the topic: If you would like to participate, please write up a cocktail in this topic before Monday, February 11th at midnight. I will compile a list of cocktails posted and email them to the organizer.

Four Flush Cocktail 1 Dash Grenadine or Syrup. (homemade) 1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/4 Swedish Punch. (1/2 oz Carlshamm's Flaggpunsch) 1/2 Bacardi Rum. (1 oz Flor de Cana Rum) (1/4 oz Inner Circle Green Rum) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Drop in a cherry garnish.) Again unable to resist the urge to add a touch of "character rum" to a cocktail calling for Bacardi. Quite sweet, but not unpleasant. I'm always surprised by how dominant the Swedish Punsch is in the cocktails which contain it.

Not to be Mr. Stickler Guy or anything, but isn't Passito di Pantellaria from, uh, Pantellaria? Lovely stuff, by the way, should you be in the market for an unusual and delicious dessert wine. Reminds me of one of my favorite dining experiences ever at Babbo in New York*. Ah, happy, gluttonous times. With its unique character, I can see why it would occur to you when mixing with Averna. *Edit - Uh, ack, now that I think about it, I was mixing gluttonous after dinner wine experiences. We had Malvasia delle Lipari at Babbo. Passito di Pantellaria we had at Passione in London. Both were very happy experiences. Actually, I was thinking of the flavor of the Malvasia della Lipari which I think would be very interesting with the Averna. Edit - Again, sheesh, glutinous times would be very interesting, indeed. And sticky.

Flying Scotchman Cocktail (6 People) 2 1/2 Glasses Italian Vermouth. (1 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso) 3 Glasses Scotch Whisky. (1 1/2 oz Compass Box Asyla Scotch) 1 Tablespoonful Bitters. (Generous couple dashes Angostura Bitters) 1 Tablespoonful Sugar Syrup. (1/2 teaspoon Depaz Cane Syrup) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. A slightly sweetened and rather heavily bittered Rob Roy? Perfectly enjoyable cocktail, as far as I am concerned. "The Flying Scotchman" train running between Edinburgh and London, was, for a time in the 1800s, the fastest train in the world. It appears it was only bested in 1888 by a train called the "West Coast Flyer": FLYING OVER THE RAILS; THE FAMOUS "FLYING SCOTCHMAN" OUTDONE.A TEST OF SPEED ON TWO GREAT ENGLISH RAILROADS--ATTAINING A RATE OF 75 MILES AN HOUR.

Hey, well, the city of San Francisco, much closer to you than Halifax, has quite a nice composting and recycling program... Compost and Green Waste Recycling Program

If you whip up a big batch of Pisco Punch, you'll have no problem getting rid of that pineapple syrup. Of course, you really should be using gum syrup as the base for your pineapple syrup...

Fluffy Ruffles Cocktail 1/2 Bacardi Rum. (1 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry, 1/4 oz Inner Circle Green) 1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 oz Martini and Rossi Rosso) The Peel of 1 Lime or Piece of Lemon. (Peel from a lime) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (For extra fun, I added the peel to the drink for the picture. It looked neat, but made it difficult to drink.) OK, I couldn't resist slipping a little "character rum" in to zip up the flavor of the Flor de Cana in this cocktail. If Havana Club is any indication of the flavor vintage Bacardi Rum had, it probably had a little more funk than the very clean Flor de Cana. The Fluffy Ruffles is a pleasant, lime tinged, rum Manhattan. I dare you to order it! A quick google tells me "Fluffy Ruffles" was musical comedy by Hattie Williams which made its theatrical debut at New York's Criterion Theatre in the fall of 1908. Many of the songs in this production were co-written by Jerome Kern. Also, I find sheet music from earlier dates than that, so it appears it was first a ragtime song, or perhaps just that it was a popular name for songs, well, being that it refers to the fluffy ruffles of women's petticoats.

I could be wrong but I thought I remembered noting Caramel Color on the label... Not on the label of mine... [...] ← Yeah, you're probably right. I think I am thinking of Brizard Apry instead of the Zwack Pecsétes Barack Palinka apricot Eau-de-Vie. Though I can't seem to find my bottle of Zwack at the moment. The disadvantage of having a large and poorly organized spirits collection. I purchased it a long time ago and didn't really taste it until after I had tried the Haus Alpenz Blume Marillen Eau-de-Vie. Trying them together, I thought, "...And I would use the Zwack because?" The Zwack tasted more like tequila than apricots to me. I'm sure I stashed it at the back of some cabinet somewhere in the house. Really need to inventory and come up with an organizational scheme... edit - clarify that we were talking about comparing apricot eau-de-vie, not apricot liqueur.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, February 01, 2008 Bar Stars: The Chronicle honors bartenders who are defining Bay Area cocktail culture, Jon Bonné Bar Stars: Martin Cate, Carol Ness Recipe: Dead Reckoning Bar Stars: Camber Lay, Laura Compton Recipe: The Conversos Bar Stars: Carlos Yturria and Dominic Venegas, Jon Bonné Recipe: Family Style Bar Stars: Daniel Hyatt, Jane Tunks Recipe: Southern Exposure Bar Stars: Neyah White, Tara Duggan Recipe: The New Ideal Bar Stars: A dozen trendsetters who've shaken up the Bay Area cocktail scene, Jon Bonné Bar Stars: Legendary veterans from behind the slab, Karola Saekel The Cheese Course: Fromage lovers adore Italian Brunet, Janet Fletcher THE SIPPING NEWS: Label Watch on Newman's Own and Solaire by Robert Mondavi, Stacy Finz In Our Glasses: Anderson Valley Brewing Company turns 20, Stacy Finz Rosenblum hands off to Diageo, Jon Bonné First look at Oxbow Wine Merchant, Janet Fletcher Pairings: Surf and Turf for two marries brut rosé for Valentine's Day, Lynne Char Bennett Recipes: Surf & Turf for Two Chronicle Wine Selections: Brut rosé Champagne and domestic sparkling wine, Lynne Char Bennett 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Dry Creek General Store, Tara Duggan "If you're heading out for a jaunt through Dry Creek Valley's wineries, you could always grab cheese and salami at one of the tasting rooms. But people in the know head to this place instead for Wine Country picnic fare." Bar Bites: Underwood Bar & Bistro, Tar Duggan "There are very few places to find good food and ambience late at night in the Russian River area. Underwood Bar & Bistro in Graton has a special late-night menu from 10 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and is open Tuesday through Thursday until 10 p.m."

I could be wrong but I thought I remembered noting Caramel Color on the label...

Rich, Like many of the cooler vintage drink glasses I have, those came from my wife's grandmother. She was a wonderful woman who enjoyed a good stiff drink from time to time. We like to think that, were she still alive, she would be pleased to see that we are taking care of them and that they are still seeing proper use. You know, not being used as juice glasses for kids and run through the dishwasher every day.

Five-Fifteen Cocktail 1/3 Curacao. (3/4 oz Luxardo Orange Triplum) 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/3 Sweet Cream. (3/4 oz Cream) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. I knew I'd made something like this before: Bud's Special Cocktail. This is nominally closer to idea of a Creamsickle in drink form, than the Bud's Special had been, and a bit more pleasant. Still, not really the sort of drink I can finish.

My impression was that the Pescetes was Zwack's more generic Apricot Eau-de-Vie (or firewater) and that the Kecskemeti was some sort of a special appellation brand with apricots from a specific area of Hungary. I can no longer find the website where I got that impression, so perhaps if David Santucci is still around he could comment.