eje

Menu looks good! AppleJack in modern American mixology typically means the blended stuff from Laird's. It is 35% Apple Brandy blended with 65% neutral spirits. It's got a bit more Whiskey character than pure Apple Brandy. Calvados is Apple Brandy from France. To the best of my knowledge, Laird's didn't start making the blended product until after Prohibition some time. In any older recipe that calls for AppleJack, that just means a younger American Apple Brandy or Calvados.

Oh, huh, 2-1-1 is what it is in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Wonder where that rather sweet sounding Cocktaildb Widow's Kiss recipe came from? So many cocktails to try.

Yep, you're right! I missed it when I was scanning the list of cocktails. Though, hmmm... One ounce of apple brandy, 3/4 oz of Benedictine, 3/4 oz of Yellow Chartreuse, and a dash of bitters sounds awfully sweet. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of the Vieux Carre or Cocktail a la Louisiane.

Picked up a small bottle of the Clear Creek young Apple Brandy yesterday along with a new bottle of the Laird's Bonded and a bottle of Morice Calvados Pays D'Auge. I think these are all young apple brandies, so it will be interesting to compare them along with the Germain-Robin Apple Brandy I've been mixing with lately. Initial impressions of the Clear Creek are that it is pretty young and hot on the tongue. It was tasty mixed in a cocktail. Hmm... I see along with Calvados, Bénédictine is also produced in the Normandy region of France. Anyone experimented with Calvados (or Apple Brandy) and Bénédictine? I don't see any recipes which combine the two in the Cocktaildb.

Dempsey Cocktail 2 Dashes Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles) 2 Dashes Grenadine. (Homemade) 1/2 Gin. (Generous 1 oz Bombay Gin) 1/2 Calvados. (Generous 1 oz Clear Creek Apple Brandy) Shake, (it would probably be more attractive stirred - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. I'm not sure what Steve McCarthy will be more angry about, the crappy photo of his product or the fact that I used his Apple Brandy in this 1930s era "shooter". Anyway, I dropped my wife's digital camera just before she was off for a trip to New York City. It seemed like the only civilized thing to do was to buy a new one and give her mine for the trip. Unfortunately, that means I'm stuck with my semi-working crappy old camera, which I also dropped about 2 years ago. At least until her new camera arrives. So you'll have to bear with me for a couple kind of crap looking cocktails while I figure out if I can get this thing to work. The Dempsey Cocktail is just booze. I assume it is named after boxer Jack Dempsey, "The Manassa Mauler." In the general vicinity of the "Earthquake" and "Bunny Hug," compared to those potent concoctions, the Dempsey Cocktail is actually fairly enjoyable. There's an almost "holiday" spiciness from the combination of flavors that I didn't expect. However, unless you want to be hugging the canvas later in the evening, I don't recommend over indulging on Dempsey Cocktails.

I believe so. There is food grade dry ice, which should be used if it is going in drinks directly. You can burn yourself on it, so be careful handling it and perhaps take some precautions so there is no way someone can suck down a cube. As it doesn't melt into water, rather Carbon Dioxide gas, any drinks should be already properly diluted before adding the dry ice.

Natalie over at The Liquid Muse has posted the MxMo XX Roundup. Pretty decent turn out considering the challenging nature of the theme.

Out here, the blended AppleJack is around $15 and Laird's bonded (100 proof) Apple Brandy is $19. I've also heard good things about Clear Creek's Apple Brandy, aged 2 years and around $25. The aged apple brandies are significantly more expensive. The Laird's 12 year is around $60 and the Clear Creek 8 year $40.

From the Laird's website, it looks like, along with the AppleJack, at least one of the Laird's Old Apple Brandies is available in New Orleans. Find a Distributor They don't really seem to list the bonded or 100 proof, so it may be a special order item. I know it isn't carried very widely in CA, except at specialty liquor stores and some of the warehouse type chains. edit - I would just drop Laird's a note, and see if they know of someone who carries it in your area. The regular applejack is OK; but, the 100 proof, for something like $4 more a bottle, is much more apple forward and assertive.

Deep Sea Cocktail 1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles) 1 Dash Orange Bitters. (Regan's Orange Bitters) 1/2 French Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/2 Old Tom Gin. (1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin, dash rich simple syrup) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Add 1 olive (Divina Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed) and squeeze Lemon Peel on top. Fabulous Martini-like cocktail and a great use for Junipero Gin. Also, not always that big a fan of the olive in lighter flavored gin martinis. With the Absinthe and orange bitters here, it really is an enjoyable combination.

Hey Chris, welcome to posting on eGullet and specifically to the cocktail forums. I buy herbs or spices for bitters at local health food or natural grocery type places. For example, here in San Francisco, Rainbow Grocery has a particularly fantastic selection of bulk medicinal herbs and spices. Online, I've ordered from Frontier Herbs and had good luck.

Agua de Jamaica is a beverage made from dried hibiscus flowers. They make a similar thing in the Middle East called Karkade. Hibiscus Tea on Wikipedia Enjoying the blog Caroline!

One of my favorite Farmer's Market vendors grows tropical fruits near Palmdale. This week she had Rambutan! Similar to in texture to lichi or longan, rambutan was maybe a bit tarter and more grape-like in flavor than either of those. Yummy in any case.

I've had this before and it is quite nice. Bamboo Cocktail with blue cheese, this time with raw milk Bleu d'Auvergne, new crop almonds, and some cut up jujube. Bamboo Cocktail 2 oz Dry Fino Sherry 1 oz French Vermouth 1 oz Italian Vermouth Build over cracked ice, stir to chill, squeeze orange peel over drink, and drop in.

Sure! A Sidecar made with Applejack (or apple brandy) is typically called an Applecart. There's also the Deuville Cocktail. Check this topic for more info on Applejack: Applejack, Traditional American Apple Brandy

Deauville Cocktail 1/4 Brandy. (Generous 1/2 oz Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac) 1/4 Calvados. (Generous 1/2 oz Germain-Robin Apple Brandy) 1/4 Cointreau. (Generous 1/2 oz Cointreau) 1/4 Lemon Juice. (Generous 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Quite nice! The equivalent of a 2-1-1 Sidecar. The use of Brandy and Apple Brandy gives it a bit more interest. According to wikipedia: So the use of Calvados in this cocktail, certainly makes sense.

Here are a couple pictures of fresh jujube from this morning's farmers' market: I had to struggle to find ones still with green, most are starting to dry and are entirely brown.

Darcy O'Neil has a very interesting technique for layering B-52s over on The Art of Drink: How to Make a Layered Shooter I would guess that cointreau has a slightly lower specific gravity than Grand Marnier; but, that shouldn't make much difference, as you're adding it last and either Cointreau or Grand Marnier should float on top of the Bailey's. Layering with high proof, low specific gravity ingredients like Cointreau or actual spirits is the hardest. They do tend to mix with other layers. Pour very, very slowly.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, October 12, 2007 Winemakers look to hardy hybrids for solutions to environmental challenges, Jim Clarke THE SIPPING NEWS: What we're drinking The $19 million cellar man, Jon Bonné Magazine celebrates 25 years of fine wine, Jon Bonné Books: Two big cheeses share secrets on the art of fromage, Lynn Char Bennett Uncorked: Flutist's golden palate befits his wine cellar, Jane Tunks Cocktailian: A kindred spirit's drink is a wallbanger, Gary Regan Recipe: Sappho Adapted from a recipe by Rafael Ballesteros, Spain. Pairings: King of Spanish tapas a perfect match for Rioja white wines, Lynn Char Bennett Recipe: Tortilla Española Chronicle Wine Selections: White Rioja, Lynn Char Bennett The Cheese Course: France's renowned Pont-l'Eveque worthy of a bishop, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bar Bites: Bossa Nova, Jane Tunks "This Brazilian lounge opened just a couple of months ago, and already it's one of the worst-kept secrets in SoMa. Get there before 8 p.m. or you'll have to elbow your way though the beautiful people. The vibrant design takes inspiration from Brazil's street culture, which spawned bossa nova and samba. The effervescent staff dresses up in bright yellow soccer jerseys, white-painted cinder blocks line one of the walls, and a homemade wooden cross is perched in the corner. Throw back a caipirinha, pull up a stool at the communal table and enjoy the Carnaval atmosphere." Bargain Bite: Arang Restaurant, Olivia Wu "Across from the icons of Japantown and tucked away on a Fillmore strip, a handful of Korean restaurants do a thriving business in affordable food. Arang, a preferred hangout for people in their 20s and 30s, is among the best."

I'm often saddened by the tragedy that is Anglo-American vegetarian food. I cannot count the number of well meaning vegetarian BBQs I've been to that involved just travesties of ingredients. Salt, for @#$%'s sake, salt, is there a reason you can't properly season your ingredients? There is absolutely no reason, beyond a failure of imagination and tradition, that vegetarian or vegan food need necessarily be inferior to meaty food. It's different, sure, and needs to be judged on its own merits, not against other ingredients. But I've made dishes in the last year or so with shitake mushrooms that made me say, "bacon, @#$% bacon, it is an inferior manipulation of meat beyond its scope." edit - Language, language...

There are three on Angus Winchester's YouTube page: anguswinchester Mr Hoshi's Dry Martini Love drink Ice Ball Carving And many more if you poke around on youtube.

David... Not Alchemist; but, I can answer your smash question. No, there is no citrus in the traditional Smash recipe. Dale DeGroff started adding lemon to it some time in the 80s or 90s. He covers that in a post over on the DrinkBoy forums. Dale DeGroff on Whiskey Smash So, it is pretty common to find folks adding lemon to their smashes these days. edit: Mr. DeGroff's Whiskey Smash recipe can be found on his website: Drinks T-Z (scroll down).

Davis Brandy Cocktail 1 Dash Angostura Bitters. 4 Dashes Grenadine. (1 tsp. homemade grenadine) 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 2/3 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac) Shake (Stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. A thoroughly enjoyable cocktail. All about the brandy with just a little sweetness and fruitiness from the grenadine.

Robert Heugel has some thoughts regarding Houston's cocktail scene on his blog "Explore the Pour" Houston: A Cocktail Desert; Where’s An Oasis? He does go on to list a number of places where you can get a good drink, so all is not completely hopeless if you find yourself in Houston for the weekend and in need of a cocktail.

Davis Cocktail 1/4 Jamaica Rum. (generous 1/2 oz Inner Circle Green) 1/2 French Vermouth. (generous 1 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 2 Dashes Grenadine. (1 tsp. homemade) Juice of 1/2 Lemon or 1 Lime. (1 lime) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. This is a confusing one, not least because the ingredient fractions fail to add up to the usual "one". My version of Duffy gives it as: Davis 1/2 Jamaica Rum. 1/2 French Vermouth. 2 Dashes Raspberry Syrup. Juice of 1 Lime. Shake well with ice and strain into glass. And the Cocktaildb, Jones' Complete Barguide one assumes, gives it as: Davis Cocktail 3/4 oz fresh lime juice (2 cl, 3/16 gills) 1 1/2 oz Jamaica rum (4.5 cl, 3/8 gills) 1/2 oz raspberry syrup (or grenadine) (1.5 cl, 1/8 gills) 3/4 oz dry vermouth (2 cl, 3/16 gills) I tried the cocktaildb version on Saturday night using Appleton V/X and my wife said it tasted like candy. Pretty disgusting. Way too much grenadine. Went back to the original, and decided the sensible thing would be an overproof and rather flavorful rum. Not bad at all. With the Inner Circle overproof rum and a reasonable amount of sweetener, it really is all about the rum and the lime. A refreshing tonic.