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Diabola Cocktail 2/3 Dubonnet. (1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Rouge) 1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Junipero Gin) 2 Dashes Orgeat Syrup. (Monin) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. This is a fine and enjoyable cocktail, significantly improved by the addition of a dash of Angostura Bitters. If you choose to make it yourself, I would advise picking a more aggressively flavored Gin, given the ratio of Dubonnet to spirit. "Diabola" may be Latin for "Evil One." It certainly is used as part of the "Latin" binomial for various menacing looking plants and animals like the "Dracula Lily" (Dracula diabola) and "DEVIL'S RIVER BLACKHEAD SNAKE" (Tantilla rubra diabola). Diabola also appears to be a common name among certain, how shall we say, sub-cultures which frequent some of the more colorful corners of the Internet. Fair warning: in case you are drawn to Google it yourself, these pages are of the sort which you really probably shouldn't dig in to while at work. Again, like the Devil's Cocktail, I can't say I found this cocktail particularly evil, menacing, or deceptive.

There are a number of brands of juicers like that. Wearever made a number of models over the years. Just look for "Universal Juicer" or "Vintage Aluminum Juicer" on eBay. I've got two kinds and they both work great for pomegranates.

After plying my wife with a "Last Word" last night, I experimented a bit with a Strega variation. It still needs some work; but, it wasn't bad. 3/4 oz Lime; generous 3/4 oz No. 209 Gin; scant 3/4 oz Strega; scant 3/4 oz Monin Orgeat; shake and strain into cocktail glass. I don't quite know why I felt drawn to the Orgeat instead of Maraschino. Maybe sheer perversity, or perhaps due to recent discussionhere. In any case, it definitely gave the cocktail more body, which we weren't quite sure about. It seems like the dry finish of the Last Word is what gives it a lot of its "more-ish" charm, despite being 1/2 half fairly sweet liqueur. I think next time, 3/4 oz Lime; 1 oz Gin; 1/2 oz Strega; 1/2 oz Orgeat.

This is an interesting article: Barrel Making If you haven't already, perhaps expanding your searches to include "coopering" and "cooperage" will help.

Devil’s Cocktail 1/2 Port Wine. (1 1/4 oz Ficklin Old Vine Tinta Port) 1/2 French Vermouth. (1 1/4 oz Noilly Prat) 2 Dashes Lemon Juice. Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Well, this is an appropriately named cocktail for Halloween. Though, it really doesn't seem particularly satanic to me. It is refreshing, light, and somewhat wine-like. Perhaps it is a "Devil's Cocktail" because it doesn't really seem like it has any alcohol?

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 16, 2007 Music to drink wine by: Vintner insists music can change wine's flavors, W. Blake Gray 'Enter Sandman' with Cab? Road testing Smith's theories, W. Blake Gray New Zealand's aromatic whites, Jim Clarke THE SIPPING NEWS: Pumpkin pie, just like Mom used to drink, Camper English Georges Duboeuf: The man, the myth, Jon Bonné BART-hopping for artisan brews, Madelyn Feldman Tiki bar crawl, Camper English In Our Glasses Beer: Fresh hop brews now on tap, Jay R. Brooks Letters to Wine: Hair of the wolf The Cheese Course: French goat's milk Bucherondin perfect for the holiday table, Janet Fletcher Pairings: Turkish lamb is fit company for Napa Cabernet, Joyce Goldstein Recipes: Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Lamb & Walnut Kofte Chronicle Wine Selections: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon More Than $50, Lynn Char Bennett 96 Hours Bar Bites: Yoshi's at Jack London Square, Tara Duggan "Though its soon-to-be-unveiled San Francisco sister is getting all the attention these days, let's not forget the original: Yoshi's in Oakland. Yoshi's first opened as a tiny sushi bar in North Berkeley in 1973 and moved to Claremont Avenue in Oakland a few years later, where it began to host live music. It eventually became one of the Bay Area's premier jazz clubs, and in 1997 moved to its current location in Jack London Square. Many people arrive an hour or two before the 8 p.m. show, reserve their seat in the jazz club, then sit down to dinner in the large, airy restaurant, either at the long sushi bar or at a sunken table. There's also a lounge and cocktail bar." Bargain Bite: The Grove Cafe, Laura Compton "The best coffeehouses can become neighborhood institutions, as is the case with the Grove in the Marina district. This corner spot, which opened in 1994, draws a wide-ranging clientele with its friendly counter service and funky urban ambience. If the rough plank floors, wall-length pews and mismatched chairs don't tip you off to the coffeehouse vibe, the laptop-toting patrons - even during breakfast - certainly will. Yet there are just as many parents and couples enjoying the indoor and outdoor seating."

Interesting, notahumanissue! I believe they still made it with lime, not lemon. I'll have to give it a try "the right way" at home. I don't think I've ever made a Last (or final) Word for my wife. She was quite taken with it. Gave Jerry Thomas' "Improved Gin Cocktail" a try last night with the Anchor Genevieve. Holy crap, is this something entirely else from whenever I've tried making this cocktail before. Improved Gin Cocktail: healthy dash or two angostura; scant tsp depaz cane syrup; scant tsp luxardo maraschino; dash verte de fougerolles absinthe; 2 oz hollands gin; stir with cracked ice, strain, twist lemon peel over glass. I've tried this cocktail with Aviation (good, a bit flowery), Boomsma (fine), Death's Door (not that impressed, gin didn't bring much to the party), and BlueCoat (awful). With the Genevieve, it is a completely different animal. It's a big, spicy, brawling cocktail that practically jumps out of the glass and down your throat. I dunno, almost like liquid fruitcake. In a good way. Completely blew me away. If this is the sort of thing you could expect to find in a bar in the 1800s, I'm beginning to see the appeal.

I talked to a local liquor store and they checked into the Genevieve. Apparently the CA distributor (Young's Market) has it available and at this point it is just a matter of getting it out to the stores. The price should be about the same as for Junipero. I'm off now to go pick up a bottle. Woo!

Is there something special about Almonds in Orgeat? Or could one really use any nut? I mean, I know ultimately Orgeat is part of a continuum of grain or nut based beverages that stretch across the span of human history from Horchata to Barley Water to Odwalla's "Superfood". However, what about a filbert/hazlenut based "orgeat"? Or black walnut? If not, why not?

Desert Healer Cocktail The Juice of 1 Orange. (Juice 1 1/2 Honey Tangerine) 1 Glass Dry Gin. (2 oz No. 209 Gin) 1/2 Liqueur Glass Cherry Brandy. (3/4 oz Cherry Heering) Shake well and strain into long tumbler and fill with Ginger Beer (Bundaberg). I've been meaning to try the Bundaberg Ginger Beer for a while. The Desert Healer seemed a fine excuse to pick up a 4 pack. Very natural tasting, if a bit sweeter than I expected. With the Bundaberg, Heering, and Tangerine Juice, this cocktail ends up a bit on the sweet side for me. Quite tasty all the same. One interesting idea I had was, instead of shaking the Heering with the cocktail, to add it after shaking and then top with ginger beer. I bet you could get a nice Tequila Sunrise type effect. Will have to try that next time. I suppose there is the question of Cherry Eau-de-Vie vs. Cherry Liqueur. I tried it both ways, and didn't really care for the Kirsch version. Almost all the sweetness here comes from the juice and ginger beer. Swapping Heering for Kirsch didn't make that much difference in sweetness and the Trimbach Kirsch I used brought out an unpleasant "Children's Aspirin" flavor in the cocktail. Anyway, after the not very good Kirsch version of this cocktail, which went down the sink, I still had a half a bottle of Ginger Beer. 2 oz of Rittenhouse Rye, a couple ice cubes, topped with cold Ginger Beer. C'mon. To me, it was tastier than either version of the Desert Healer. Rye and Ginger Beer, what a combination. Sometimes simpler is better.

I have to re-try it the Dempsey with a Calvados, myself; but, yeah, I was surprised at the flavors that showed up. There was definitely a "holiday spice" thing going on, even with the Clear Creek Apple Brandy, that I had no idea where it was coming from. I can only imagine that it would be more interesting with a Calvados.

We had a few cocktails before dinner at the Presidio Social Club last night. An H.G. Wells, which is a dry Maker's Mark Manhattan with a dash of pastis. Quite enjoyable. A Pays d'Auge Cocktail, which I didn't quite catch the details of. Calvados, lemon, simple and maybe some other stuff. Mostly it tasted like a glass of boozy fresh apple cider. Quite refreshing and very fall appropriate. My wife went traditional and had a most excellent South Side and a somewhat over tart Pegu Club. They also whipped us up a "Final Word" to try. A Last Word with Rittenhouse bonded Rye in place of the gin. I dunno if it was exactly an "improvement" over the traditional formula for the last word. Quite enjoyable in its own right, in any case. A nice space, friendly staff, and a good bar. They did make the mistake of asking me, "What is your favorite Rye Whiskey?" The answer to that question will bore the pants off anyone who isn't a whiskey enthusiast, including my wife.

Huh, that's odd, November 6 on Amazon. The copy I pre-ordered from Powell's Books arrived last week. Interesting that the NY Times is suggesting that folks make Blue Blazers in their homes. Can't wait to see the letters to the editor from that! (They are really cool, though. The last time we tried it, my wife arrived at the conclusion that no one who makes Blue Blazers needs air fresheners. Burning whisk(e)y has a much more pleasant and comforting smell than any commercial air freshener.)

I'm not quite sure how close this product is to a wide release, as I believe they did the debut at WhiskyFest San Francisco. But, the other day at The Alembic Bar in San Francisco, I got to try some of Anchor Distilling's new Genever Style Gin, Genevieve. They are actually brewing the "beer" from which they make the Gin at Anchor. If I remember the label correctly, is a blend of Rye, Barley, and Wheat. Very nice stuff. You really get the young whisk(e)y flavor and body in this Gin. Reading David Wondrich's "Imbibe!" right now, and hearing that Jerry Thomas actually meant "Hollands" Gin for many of his recipes, this product comes at exactly the right time to try some of those formulations. I can't wait to try an Improved Hollands Gin Cocktail with it. Hopefully we'll be seeing it in stores soon.

Actually, Charles Jacquin et Cie sold off the Chambord brand to Brown-Foreman in 2006 for a substantial chunk of cash, so no connection there any longer. Robert Cooper, whose family owns Jacquin et Cie, is involved in St. Germain and Jacquin et Cie is importing the St. Germain for distribution in the US.

Because of its similar flavor and smell to tobacco, I've been meaning to experiment with Rooibos infusions for a long while now. I was, however, kind of unhappy with the quality of the packaged tea I'd purchased. I did finally get some bulk stuff that smells awfully good. Though, I believe bostonapothecary has done some experimentation along these lines already. To the best of my knowledge, Rooibos has no serious side effects.

Unfortunately, Stollen, (or Julekake, as they call the similar Norwegian bread,) just doesn't have the shelf life of a fruitcake. I'm sorry, mail order yeast breads just don't do it for me. Anything that is half-way edible after a week is going to be so pumped up with preservatives, that you're better off without.

Moderator note: This topic became too large for our servers to handle, so we've divided it up; the earlier part of the discussion is here: Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2006–2007) This is the second 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, but this just seemed to result in a grumpy bartender. 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. --- After about a month of travel, sickness, and scheduling conflicts, I finally was able to get together with Josey Packard at The Alembic Bar to make some Savoy Cocktails. While we were at it, I asked her a couple questions. Diki-Diki Cocktail 1/6 Grape Fruit Juice. 1/6 Swedish Punch. (Carlshamm's Flaggpunsch) 2/3 Calvados. (Le Merton Vieux Calvados) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. For comparison, Josey wanted to try this with both white grapefruit and ruby red grapefruit juice. I think Josey's first comment was, "Wow, that's an adult cocktail!" and her second was, "I could drink the hell out of this!" Given the relatively small amount of Grapefruit juice, we were both a bit surprised that the we preferred the touch of sweetness and additional fruitiness that the Ruby Red Grapefruit brought to the cocktail. It was a subtle difference; but, enough to be noticeable. In any case, I agree with Josey about this cocktail. Definitely one of the highlights so far of the letter "D." From Google, as far as I can tell, "Diki-Diki" is a Filipino adjective used to convey "very small." There is also a small African Antelope called a "Dik-Dik." Q: What ingredient have you been experimenting mixing with lately? We had wanted to try the Desert Healer cocktail as well; but discovered the bar was out of ginger beer. Devonia Cocktail (6 People) Pour into the shaker 4 glasses of Sparkling Cider (2 oz Two Rivers Gravenstein Apple Hard Cider) and 2 glasses of Gin (1 oz Gin.) Add some ice and a few drops of Orange Bitters. Shake lightly and serve. The Devonia was particularly appealing as The Alembic Bar currently has a very nice Hard Cider from Two Rivers on tap. We first tried it with Plymouth Gin; but it was maybe a bit too adult. The Two Rivers Gravenstein cider is a very dry cider, almost like one of the French champagne-style ciders in character. Interesting, however, to compare the cider on its own with the cider, gin, orange bitters mix. Mixing the cider with the gin, really brought out the earthy, apple peel flavors of the cider, especially in the smell. For a second try, Josey had the idea to try the Devonia with Anchor Distilling's new Genevieve Genever-style gin. Even though we had no illusions that this cocktail is really a Devonia, we both preferred it. The complexity of the Genevieve worked well with the cider. And, I might add, the Genevieve is a really interesting taste all on its own. The young whisk(e)y character of the distillate comes across loud and clear in the smell, taste, and body of this new gin. Personally, I can't wait to get a bottle myself and start experimenting with it. Q: As Alembic is a restaurant and bar, have you found any particularly good food and cocktail pairings? Q: Do you have an original cocktail or an old favorite you feel represents you and your style of mixing? I am impossibly biased towards both The Alembic Bar and Josey Packard, so it is tough for me to even pretend impartiality here. Alembic is a great bar and Josey is a wonderfully engaged and engaging bartender. If you're in San Francisco and into cocktails, Alembic should be one of the two or three "musts" that goes on your "to do" list. You'll find Josey there, usually earlier in the evening or during the day, 5 days a week.

I should have posted this sooner, as the contest is over now. In any case, over on The Spirit World Last month they had a contest they are called Raiders of the Lost Cocktails. For the first contest, the challenge spirit was Strega. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to track down a bottle until the contest was over. But, now that I have one, and am not sure what to do with it. It seems like it would work in at least an interesting way in just about any cocktail that calls for Chartreuse. But, beyond that, I haven't seen much in the way of cocktails that truly feature Strega. The last post in this topic was over a year ago, surely someone has come up with something new and interesting with Strega in that time.

Great report and pictures, docsconz! Wow, I am quite pleased and somewhat surprised to see the number of vegetable courses offered in the tasting menu at Coi! That is very cool.

De Rigueur Cocktail 1/2 Whisky. (1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse) 1/4 Grape Fruit Juice. (3/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice) 1/4 Honey. (1 teaspoon Jan C. Snyder's Blue Curls Honey.*) Cracked ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Another cocktail ripped from the pages of Judge Jr.'s "Here's How". I first tried this with the usual Compass Box Asyla and California Buckwheat Honey. The California Buckwheat honey was a bit much for the Asyla. The second version with the nominally milder Blue Curls honey and Famous Grouse was better. I've no idea about the ridiculous amount of honey this recipe calls for. A teaspoon was, if anything, still a bit too sweet for me. Oh yeah, "Wooly Blue Curls," I just have to type that again, if there is a better plant name than, "Wooly Blue Curls," I don't know what it is. *

No, that is exactly what I mean.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 16, 2007 The wine industry looks at alternatives to barrels that mimic the flavor of oak casks for less, Derrick Schneider Letters to Wine: Mule gets a kick from lost ingredient THE SIPPING NEWS: Scaring up Halloween cocktails, Camper English To cork or not to cork?, Victoria McGinley A nose-friendly wineglass, Derrick Schneider Oregon loosen up wine-naming laws, Cyril Penn San Francisco wine store and wine bar openings, Jane Tunks In Our Glasses World View: Drink globally to ward off 'cellar palate', Jancis Robinson The Cheese Course: Serpa, a Portuguese cheese from French sheep, Janet Fletcher Cocktailian: The classic sidecar cocktail recipe is updated, Gary Regan Recipes: Tuscan sidecar Adapted from a recipe by Jon Connors, head bartender at Country restaurant, New York. Tasting Room: The two sides of Napa Valley's Clos du Val, Carol Ness Uncorked: Retired judge Scott Snowden is the arbiter of fine wine and more, Stacy Finz Pairings: Five-spice baby back ribs to pair with Washington state Syrah, Tara Duggan Recipes: Five-Spice Baby Back Ribs Chronicle Wine Selections: Washington state Syrah and Rhone-style blends, Lynn Char Bennett 96 Hours Bar Bites: Nickies, Jane Tunks "Nickies The name on the sign may be the same, but the new Nickies on Haight Street is nothing like the divey dance hall of your hazy, smoke-filled memories. The interior of the late-night haunt has been gutted by new owners Noel Morgan and Shay Lyon. Open since June, the revamped Nickies includes a mahogany bar, comfy padded banquettes and, most important, an Americana-fueled menu to soak up that alcohol." Bargain Bite: Katana-ya, Cindy Lee "Katana-ya You don't have to go to Japantown for home-style Japanese food. Just shy of Union Square, Katana-ya is a good spot for a soothing bowl of ramen, fresh sushi or savory don buri (rice bowl). The small entrance is easy to miss on busy Geary Street, but walk in and you find a cozy Japanese noodle shop complete with a five-person sushi bar and a fairly extensive menu."

I do remember it was just mint leaves I shook in my experiment cocktails. I don't remember if they were from the garden, supermarket, or farmers' market. I think it was the Kentucky Colonel Mint that I planted in the backyard garden this spring; but, I could be wrong.

Boy, howdy! Toronado Wet Hop Festival Description: A selection of wet hop beers made from hops that have not been dried , which imparts a different aroma and flavor profile than normal. The lineup of beers will include: Deschutes Hop Trip Drakes Brewing Co. Harvest Ale Bear Republic Confiscation Beach Chalet Hop Patootie 21 st Amendment Harvest Moon Half Moon Bay Green Gold Blue Frog Last Hop Standing Moonlight Brewing Co Sublimmminal Moonlight Brewing Co Greenbud Chinnook Moonlight Brewing Co Greenbud Cascade Sierra Nevada 20th Street Ale Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale Marin Wet Hop Cask IPA Moylans Wet Hopsicle Unfortunately due to the fire in San Diego we were unable to transport the 5 entries from there Location: Toronado, 547 Haight, San Francisco, California Time(s): 11:30 AM till closing Admission: no charge Contact Name: David Keene Contact Email: info@toronado.com