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Batard, looking at some of those lists makes me wonder if there is anything that hasn't been used to brew beer!

Welcome to eGullet batard, and welcome to posting! In any case, Natho, homemade ginger beer doesn't typically contain any alcohol to speak of. This is one of the better pages I've seen with instructions: Homemade Ginger Ale My limited understanding of the little yeasties is as follows. When you initially pitch yeast into a nutrient rich medium, they primarily concern themselves with reproduction. They don't start to produce alcohol until the population density reaches a certain level. Ginger beer/ale is never left actively fermenting long enough for them to reach the population levels necessary to prompt them to produce alcohol. I can't remember ever seeing a modern ginger flavored beer on a malt base, other than that Sam Adams Brewer Patriot thing. It was not really very tasty. On the other hand, I could imagine a ginger flavored mead or cider might be pretty good.

FWIW, the Bourbons and ratings (0-4 stars) are as follows: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve, 20 Years Old, 3 1/2 stars Vintage, 17 Years Old, 3 1/2 stars Knob Creek, 10 Years Old, 3 stars W.L. Weller Centennial, 10 Years Old, 3 stars Evan Williams Single Barrel, 1996, 2 1/2 stars Blanton's Single Barrel, 10 Years Old, 2 1/2 stars Basil Hayden's, 8 Years Old, 2 1/2 stars Jim Beam Black, 8 Years Old, Rated Best Value, 2 1/2 stars Woodford Reserve, Small Batch, 2 1/2 stars

Dubonnet Cocktail 1/2 Dubonnet. (Generous 1 oz Dubonnet Rouge) 1/2 Dry Gin. (Generous 1 oz Tanqueray) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. A fine, if somewhat plain, cocktail. I can't really think of anything to say about it other than that. I've read the Dubonnet they have in Canada and Europe is different from the Dubonnet we get here, so perhaps this is a more interesting cocktail elsewhere.

Well, I had kind of an awful one from Sam Adams the other year as part of their "Brewer Patriot Collection." Their "Traditional Ginger Honey Ale" was supposedly based on a Thomas Jefferson recipe. Most homemade Ginger Beer recipes I've seen pitch yeast for carbonation, not alcohol formation. The yeast is pitched into a ginger flavored sugared water solution and then the "beer" bottled in a sealed container (stoneware bottles are traditional.) Are you going to try for an actual beer with a malted barley base? Look forward to reports.

I've picked up some Mesquite Bean syrup to experiment with. Will report back on that in the near future. However, the current report is regarding using the Mesquite Gum Syrup in a Sazerac. The usual, 2 oz Sazerac Straight Rye, Dashes Peychaud, barspoon Mesquite Gum Syrup, Absinthe wash, and lemon twist. Unfortunately, I don't know that I have anything particular to report, other than this seemed to be one of the better Sazeracs I've made for myself. It did seem to taste a bit different than usual, but I would be hard pressed to say if it was the Mesquite Gum or just that I had made a few Sazeracs last week for friends and was in practice. In any case, it certainly did no harm to the drink. A side by side comparison with plain syrup and Mesquite Gum syrup is needed!

Of the many interesting cocktails in Wondrich's "Imbibe!", the "Buck and Breck" caught my eye. Primarily because Wondrich notes it was one of the few cocktails Jerry Thomas claimed to have invented, but also because he notes it was a West Coast cocktail, perhaps served at the legendary Bank Exchange Bar here in San Francisco. Apparently, named after James Buchanan, (who Wondrich notes, "until very recent times...was a candidate for worst president in American history,") and his running mate John C. Breckenridge in the 1856 presidential election, it also is interesting in that it inverts the usual sugar rim, by coating the inside of the glass. Well, the glass is a bit on the large size. Probably something like a double old-fashioned would be what is called for. Even with chilled champagne this is a bit warm. I'd say it might not be a horrible idea to give the brandy, bitters and absinthe a quick spin with some ice in a mixing tin. A couple years ago, one of our local breweries had these amusing bar coasters made up with replicas of a prohibition era, "Prescription Form For Medicinal Liquor." "Doctor, Doctor give me the news, I've got a bad case of..."

To the best of my knowledge, because it isn't distilled post infusion, Creole Shrubb probably falls nicely into the category of ratafia, rather than curaçao liqueur.

Du Barry Cocktail 1 Dash Angostura Bitters. 2 Dashes Absinthe. (Marteau Verte Classic) 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 2/3 Plymouth Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Add slice of orange. Close, but no cigar? If I hadn't made my version of the Fourth Degree Cocktail recently, I would probably enjoy this more. It's OK. But, splitting the vermouth between sweet and dry is waaaaaay better, at least to my taste. Though, I should try it with my spiffy new Dolin Vermouth. It's possible, my Noilly Dry was getting a bit tired. Googling DuBarry, one of the first things that comes up is Marie-Jeanne, Comtesse du Barry, professional courtesan and royal mistress to Louis XV. Executed during the French Revolution, her last words to the executioner were reported to be, "Encore un moment, monsieur le bourreau, un petit moment," ("Just a moment, executioner, just a brief moment"). Even though I enjoyed the Fourth Degree a bit more, there are certainly worse ways to pass the time while waiting for the executioner, than the Du Barry Cocktail.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, November 30, 2007 Pairings: A four-course meal to pair with one sparkling wine, Lynn Char Bennett Recipes: Filet Mignon Tataki Winter Vegetables in Puff Pastry Shells Herbed Pork Rib Roast with Shallot-Mustard Sauce Herb Panna Cotta with Toasts A field guide to sparkling wines from around the world, Jon Bonné THE SIPPING NEWS: IN OUR GLASSES A $300 bottle of Champagne, Jon Bonné Inside-out Champagne glasses, Camper English Champagne crown resealer, Lynne Char Bennett Sparkling cocktails fizzing over, Madelyn Feldman The Cheese Course: A selection of cheese to pair with Champagnes and sparkling wines, Janet Fletcher Tasting Room: America's biggest sparkling wine house shines, Carol Ness Chronicle Wine Selections: Brut Champagne and Domestic Sparkling Wine, Lynn Char Bennett Cocktailian: Wondrich's sparkling prose inspires drink, Gary Regan Recipes: The Prince of Wales' Cocktail, Adapted from a recipe in "Imbibe," by David Wondrich. 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Custom Burger, Amanda Gold "The burger trend continues its march across the city, with Horizon having recently opened and Best-o-Burger, among others, on the way. But Custom Burger/Lounge was one of the first of the new wave, boasting any number of ways in which to customize your burger." Bar Bites: Phoenix Irish Pub, Jane Tunks "With the holiday season in high gear, there are enough pressures - too much family time, unavoidable trips to the mall - to drive even the most well-intentioned person to drink in the morning. Luckily, the Phoenix Irish Pub in the Mission District opens at 9:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays to serve the needs of grinches like me."

Better channeling Baker than Embury...

There's a pretty extensive writeup of the pros and cons of the Behmor 1600 on the Sweet Maria's site: Sweet Maria's Behmor Roaster Guide - v 1.0 (under construction!)

The Jack Rose and Ward 8 are both pretty quintessential rustic American drinks. From Wondrich's new book, "Imbibe!" the Prince of Wales, with its combination of Champagne and Rye Whiskey sounds awfully tasty, and downright celebratory. It would be pretty easy to make the rye and bitters portion of the drink, chill it, and then just pour and top up with champagne.

Dry Martini Cocktail 1/2 French Vermouth. (Generous 1 oz Dolin French Vermouth) 1/2 Gin. (Generous 1 oz Junipero Gin) 1 Dash Orange Bitters. (1 dash Fee's Orange Bitters, 1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters) Shake (Stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze lemon peel over glass.) As always, it's fun to give a classic a spin with a new ingredient. I've wanted to try Dolin Vermouth since hearing about it at a cocktail seminar at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar a couple years ago. Finally found some at a local liquor store. It's quite tasty in a different way from the Vya Vermouth. It seems to use a dry white wine base closer to the Noilly Prat Dry in body and flavor, but is pumped up in the herbs and bitterness department. Further experimentation is assuredly required! This is definitely one of the better "Fifty-Fifty" Dry Martini type combinations I've tried in recent memory. Quite possibly in the top 5 all time, at least to my current taste.

You don't have to tell me. Every weekday I ride a bus whose stops include San Francisco's Bayview district, Juvie, and two schools. It's a lucky thing Alembic isn't open at 8:30 AM, or you might find me there, weeping for the future of civilization, instead of at work. Still, the demise of civilization and downfall of humanity has probably been predicted since before Cain killed his brother Abel, even if old guys, (and I mean that affectionately and inclusively,) like us no longer recognize its shape or direction. There has to be a way for these guidelines to be presented without a bar or club being perceived as exclusionary. After all, if the goal is to raise the standards of cocktails in all bars, we can't just be preaching to the choir in shoebox size private clubs. Though, that is a good place to start.

I'm with you at the end. I don't find any of the rules listed in the article particularly onerous and most come down to common sense, at least for me. I will say, though, I've read figures ("Alcoholica Esoterica" or "Mondo Cocktail", maybe?) which indicate there were more speakeasies in New York by the end of Prohibition (Volstead Act's repeal in the US) than there were bars before prohibition started. Surely, in this case, the well lubricated throat or greased palm in the correct professional circles would be far more effective and likely at avoiding inauspicious discovery than simple, "Ssh, everybody, be quiet, the cops are on the corner!" After all, the whole country was very, very thirsty...

To me there's a bit of irony that modern "Speakeasies" are at the forefront of this rule making. Were the Speakeasies of the 1920s and 30s places of refinement and gentle conversation? Were the hotel bars and clubs of the Roaring 20s, frequented by flappers, dandies, and gangsters, places for quiet reflection and the appreciation of the well made cocktail? Are the Choker, Earthquake, Block and Fall, or Between the Sheets cocktails delicate potations to be savored? I'm all for the elevation of cocktail arts and its practitioners. I think, though, that modern libation artists should recognize that they are trying to create something new and not encourage false histories and a nostalgia for an age that never existed.

Oh, yes! "No Cellphones," should be the 21st Century equivalent of, "Check your weapons at the door," standard in every bar and restaurant!

I understand the need for some rules, say, "Check your gun at the door," or, "Please respect our neighbors by leaving quietly," others not so much. I mean any time in a service relationship you get away from, "The customer is always right," aren't you setting yourself up for an adversarial relationship with your customers? Something like, "Respect your bartender and he, (or she,) will respect you," makes a lot more sense to me than "The bartender is always right." And fer cripes sake, get over the cosmo. I can understand bartenders being tired of making them, but made well, it's a perfectly fine drink.

Well, sweetness is always relative. I think my tastes are being permanently skewed by Savoy Cocktails. In any case, as with many Savoy Cocktails of this sort, small and very cold are the keys to enjoying it. If you made this cocktail at 3 oz or larger, with the chance to significantly warm in the glass it would get cloying. However, at around 2 1/4 ounces, stirred well with very cold cracked ice, it isn't bad at all. But, you know, it's probably less sweet than most soft drinks or many modern cocktails (Margarita, Daiquiri, vodka and red bull, Jaeger bomb, Irish Car Bomb, etc.) as served in mainstream American bars and significantly more sophisticated.

Dream Cocktail 1/3 Curacao. (3/4 oz Cointreau) 2/3 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac) 1 Dash Absinthe. (Dash Verte de Fougerolles Absinthe) Shake (Stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. I'd read this recipe yesterday, and made it from memory. Ended up Accidentally subbing Cointreau in for Curacao. It is already plenty sweet, so I'm not sure I entirely regret the accident. I've made so many Gin cocktails with Absinthe, it's very interesting to see how it reacts to the Brandy. With Gin the synergy is almost always around the anise flavors of the Absinthe and Gin. With Brandy, different flavors come out. I'd call this a a very flowery cocktail. It reminds me of orange blossoms. However, in the absence of any other mitigating elements, the combination of Brandy and Cointreau is a little harsh. I would guess Grand Marnier or Curacao with the Brandy would be a bit smoother.

Also check out Jeffrey's repeal day website: Repeal Day is December Fifth

Apparently, he is not entirely gone. They have stopped production of "Emeril Live," but will continue "Essence of Emeril." Emeril Leaves Food Network

I really like the Alaskan Winter Brew. It's a malt heavy, lightly hopped English style ale flavored with Spruce tips. Something about it really reminds me of the holidays. Maybe of when we have a christmas tree in the house, or of walking through an evergreen forest. Really nice stuff. That and their Smoked Porter are two of my favorite beers from Alaskan Brewing. Both are great on a cold winter evening.

Gonna torture you again with today's google subsidiary menu, be sure to scroll down to the veal meatloaf with chaterelle gravy... PANTRY Create Your Own Salad R**Organic Field Greens R**Chopped Baby Romaine Salad Toppings Roasted Skinless Chicken Breast Strips Applewood Smoked Bacon Bits Tuna Bay Shrimp *Grated Parmesan Cheese **Spicy Crispy Tofu R*Feta Cheese R**Watsonville Silva Apples **Chickpeas **Roasted Delicata Squash R**Carrots **Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms **Roasted Chioggia Beets **Kalamata Olives R**Red Onion *Hard Boiled Egg **Sunflower Seeds **Olive Oil Croutons **Candied Pecans Dressings Tossed to Order *Non-fat Honey Lavender Yogurt Dressing **Toasted Walnut Sherry Vinaigrette **Persimmon Ginger Vinaigrette *Ranch Caesar CROCKERY *Polenta Soup with Chanterelles and Roasted Garlic Onions, Garlic, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Cream, Vegetable Stock Shrimp Bisque Rock Shrimp, Leeks, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Rice, Garlic, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Shrimp Stock, Cream POT LUCK SALADS *Apple and Blue Cheese Salad Butter Lettuce, Grilled Red Onions, Black Arkansas Apple Slices, Sliced Organic Red Grapes, Walnut Bread Croutons and Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing EAT YOUR VEGETABLES **Steamed Broccoli di Cicco *Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Skin On Red Bliss Potatoes, Garlic, Butter, Milk, Salt, Pepper **Cannellini Beans With Sage Cannellini Beans, Onions, Bay Leaf, Thyme and Sage ROAST Veal Meatloaf with Chanterelle Gravy Ground Veal, Eggs, Cream, Panko, Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Parsley. Chanterelle Mushrooms, Garlic, Shallot, Butter, Flour, Cream Citrus Snapper Filet of Snapper, Satsuma, Basil, Jalapeno, Shallot, Orange Juice, Butter