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Cordova Cocktail 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Tanqueray) 1 Dash Absinthe. (Lucid Absinthe) 1 Teaspoonful Fresh Cream. 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Cinzano Rosso) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. I was making dinner and had some fennel fronds around, so I dropped a couple on top. This was kind of weird. Cream, Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Absinthe really isn't a combination I would think of. It's not a bad cocktail; but, really didn't do a lot for me, either. I'd say, probably, I would greatly prefer it without the cream, thank you very much.

Yeah, the main problem I see between American and English Gins, is that even though the standard English gins are at 37.5%, they have high test (Navy, etc.) available for liqueurs. But, yeah, if Plymouth is available and reasonable, it worked well for me last year.

I haven't tried either of the Bend Distillery gins, Cascade or Desert Juniper as of yet. There is another topic solely devoted to newer gin bottlings. New Generation Gins, Notes on the new bottlings As much as I like to support new and interesting small distillers, it really is pretty tough to beat Beefeater, Plymouth, and Tanqueray, especially for the money. I've been hearing some good things about the Seagram's Distiller's Reserve as a decent well priced gin, and may give that a try the next time I finish a bottle.

With all this talk recently of White Negronis and Lillet, I went through the rather informative Lillet Website to get a handle on the product's history. 1872 Company founded 1887 Lillet formula created 1895 Lillet launched in Bordeaux 1895 In the US and West Indies "Lillet Export Double Quinine" marketed as a tonic wine 1909 Two products available in Europe, Kina Lillet and Sauternes Lillet 1920 "Lillet Dry" created and introduced in England, "to suit English tastes, especially when mixed with gin." 1962 Lillet Rouge created 1985-86 Lillet modernized its manufacturing facilities and Lillet Blanc reformulated, "...fresher, fruitier, less syrupy, less bitter..." edit - add link to website.

Any hints for cooking large tapioca pearls? I followed the instructions on a package, and it did not work out. Soak in water over night, cook on top of double boiler. Many were still crunchy and others dissolved. Maybe they were just really old?

Oof, yes, I'm not a big fan of over use of rose flavor or scent. A little goes a long way. I just thought it would be useful to put the recipe up, so perhaps Travis could adapt the method to redbud flowers. I have to admit I'm kind of curious what redbud taste/smell like. Slightly off topic, one of my biggest pet peeves is Star-Gazer Lilies in restaurants. To me, they smell like death. They have such an overwhelmingly cloying scent, I can't believe anyone with a sense of smell would knowingly place them in a restaurant or bar. Are they covering up some worse smell?

I believe that is called "bootlegging". My understanding, is it goes back to the three tier system. Liquor sold in a state must be purchased from the liquor distributors of that state. Also, there's not much point. If you're buying a case of Montecristo at retail price, how could you re-sell it for a profit?

"Jallab Syrup"! Funny! Well, you can return the "Julep" to its Arabic roots...

Charles H. Baker Jr. has a recipe for "Rose Liqueur Brandy" in his "The Gentleman's Companion" or "Jigger, Beaker and Glass". I've never tried it; but, it is worth it to note that he both macerates the roses in alcohol, and then sweetens with a rose flavored syrup.

Cooperstown Cocktail 1/3 French Vermouth. (1 oz Noilly Prat Dry) 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (1 oz Cinzano Rosso) 1/3 Dry Gin. (1 oz Junipero Gin) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Add a sprig of Mint. I first made this cocktail with another of our local gins, No. 209. Unfortunately, it really didn't have the Cojones to stand up to the dual vermouths in these proportions. With the Junipero, it is a pretty enjoyable cocktail. A dash or two of bitters, and we'd be cooking with gas.

Sloes are the tiny bitter fruit of a plant in the plum family called the Blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa). They aren't really sold commercially. I recently learned they make a liqueur similar to sloe gin in Spain. It's called Patxaran. However, instead of being on a Gin base, it is made on an Anisette base.

Likewise, thanks for tracking down the recipe, Chris, and thanks for sending it over LibationGoddess. While I haven't had the pleasure of drinking at Pegu, I whipped up a batch of Pearls this evening to rave reviews. Yummy!

The main challenge with making sloe gin is getting the sloes. If on the other hand, you are content with something like Damson Gin, and can come across some nice, flavorful, organic black plums, it isn't hard at all. Wash and freeze plums, steep plums in gin for a month with sugar. Strain out the plums and bottle. That's all there is to it. Maybe a half an hour on each end. Jackal10 has step by step instructions here: Autumn and Festive Preserves I made one last year and it turned out really well. I'd like to try with Pluots this year.

I don't want to discourage you from trying this. However, I believe most flower based liqueurs are distilled, rather than just infused. The idea, I suppose, is to separate the scent and taste from the more pedestrian plant tastes and also to concentrate the perfumes. I would suggest just making a syrup first. It's a lot cheaper and will give you something of an idea of the taste before you embark on liqueur making. Just gather up a bunch of flowers, make a hot 2-1 simple syrup, dump the flowers in the syrup and steep for a few minutes. Strain out the flowers, and see how it tastes. If you can't really taste the redbud flowers, the flavor will likely be too subtle for a liqueur.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 18, 2007 The Purple Pinot Maker, W. Blake Gray Essentials: Understanding the inner workings of a wine auction, Ben Narasin Winery Watch: August West puts down roots in the city, Lynn Char Bennett Winery Watch: Patz & Hall moves just outside Sonoma, Lynn Char Bennett THE SIPPING NEWS: In Our Glasses Label Watch: Bi-Rite Market's 18th Street Sip & Swirl: Two tastings to get you through the weekend Bargain Wines: Tasting France on the cheap, W. Blake Gray Pairings: A helping hand for Chilean Cabernets, Lynn Char Bennett Recipe: Ground Beef & Cucumber Pita Chronicle Wine Selections: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Olivia Wu Letters to Wine: A drink for Thai food Cocktailian: Peaches and herb, Gary Regan Cocktail: The White Nectar Cocktail The Cheese Course: Friendship Dairy's farmer cheese, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bar Bites: Anzu, Laura Compton "By the time you find your way through Hotel Nikko's dramatic open lobby up to Anzu, you'll have forgotten you're in the Tenderloin. The tranquil, living room-like lounge, with its palette of soothing blue and gray tones and intimate seating areas, beckons. Settle in for a few rounds of the expertly poured cocktails and well-matched appetizers from Anzu chef Barney Brown either here or at the wide, comfortable bar. The restaurant's dinner menu can be ordered in the lounge (sushi starting at 5:30 p.m.), but the bar menu boasts a few bites not available there. The weekday happy hour features $6 wines by the glass and cocktails, and $3 Anchor or Kirin drafts - a perfect way to either wind down at the end of the day or get ready for the second part of your evening. There's definite "Lost in Translation" potential here." Bargain Bite: The New Vally Medlyn's, Tara Duggan "While most of the restaurants in downtown Danville are a little too posh to qualify for Bargain Bites, this refurbished diner does, and with style. Around for at least 45 years in Danville, the restaurant was taken over this spring by the Cortlandt family. They kept a few of the specialties, such as French toast and the Sunkist milk shake - a creamy concoction flavored with orange sherbet and orange soda.'"

Huh, so I guess using Grand Marnier when a cocktail recipe calls for Curacao, is appropriate? Also answers my question about there being Curacaos other than the Brizard made with aged brandy! So, if the Brizard Orange Curacao was originally a Curacao Marnier clone, does that mean Brizard now has two products on the market based on Marnier's orange liqueur?

Colonial Cocktail 2/3 Dry Gin. (2 oz Plymouth Gin) 1/3 Grape Fruit Juice. (1 oz fresh squeezed Grapefruit Juice) 3 Dashes Maraschino. (Luxardo) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. While I wouldn't quite call this a "great" or "amazing" cocktail, it is pleasantly refreshing and enjoyable enough. I imagine it would be quite nice on a hot day. If we ever had any of those here in San Francisco. One thing I noticed was that this flavor combination really highlighted the nutty flavor aspects of the Luxardo Maraschino. edit - Oh, yeah, not too far from the Daiquiri variant reputedly enjoyed by Hemingway, eh?

Not a cigar smoker myself; but, at Forbidden Island in Alameda they do cigar and rum pairing patio parties pretty regularly. Might try dropping them a note, and see what they've had the best luck with.

I recently was looking through some old books about distilling (M. McKENNIE's 1871 English translation of Duplais' "A TREATISE on the MANUFACTURE AND DISTILLATION of ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.") The book fairly large sections on liqueurs. I did notice that there is a classification for liqueurs called "double" and another called "Third Fine". Notwithstanding Messrs Cointreau et Regan, I do wonder if the use of the word "triple" is somehow related to these traditional classifications.

You may or may not care; but, if you are making Root Beer from the Sassafras Root that you get at the herb store or on the internet, it may contain a substance the FDA considers carcinogenic. The use of Sassafras root bark was banned in the 60s because of it often contains potentially hazardous amounts of Safrole. Commercial Root Beer extracts should be made using Safrole free Sassafras extract.

1) Well, I was a bit fond of Thomas Dolby in the 80s. Still only 42. 2) OD'd on the Floyd in High School. Now only when Syd was still with them. 3) Uh, not too grey and never a ponytail. 4) Thin, but I prefer my Martinis stirred to a waltz time. Last time I wore a tie was to the Fat Duck. 5)Yep, though I do OK with pizza and other yeast doughs. 6)I did love my chemistry set and insect collection. Dogs are OK. Have a cat now. &)Mmmm... Beer! More cocktail bars need great, local microbrews. 9)Nope and nope. Music nerd and school paper photographer. 10) While the star quarterback does seem to be drinking French Martinis or Grey Goose and Cran, I can't say most of the cocktail people I've met are particularly nerdy. While there are a few of us who are actual nerds; obsessed, particular, and detail-oriented autodidacts seems a more accurate description of the greater population.

Cold Deck Cocktail 1/4 White Crème de Menthe. (1/4 oz Brizard) 1/4 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Cinzano Rosso) 1/2 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Reduced Crème de Menthe a bit. Still the dominating element of the cocktail. Not sure what I think about this one. It is very minty. Not exactly in an unpleasant way though. Was having some Elk Creamery Camembert de Chevre and crackers at the same time, and expected it would be a bad flavor combination, as many cocktails are. It was actually quite nice. The Maison Surrenne is a very different Cognac from the Pierre Ferrand Ambre. Stronger in the wood and vegetal characteristics, where the Pierre Ferrand is fruity/citrus and white pepper. It will certainly be interesting to see how it works out in other cocktails.

I had a local liquor store check into this. They assured me that Suze is definitely not available in the US at this time. Perhaps those stores that have it are just selling through remaining stock.

An friend informed me that he managed to track down the current importer of Suze: "House of Burgundy Imports in NYC" http://www.thehouseofburgundy.com/ Looks like they import Byrrh, as well!

Since Gwen gave us the option to create a cocktail that "...must contain is the warm and passionate essence of the sun, vibrant ruler of the proud cat," I was thinking about the fruit that most represents the sun to me. Since local citrus is kind of winter/spring in these parts, that seemed like a tenuous connection to this spoiled California Farmers' Market goer. On the other hand, peaches, nectarines, and apricots, seem to me like the essence of captured summer sunshine. From the first time they start appearing at the various vendors, we start tasting them, in their various stages. First they are little tart. Then a little watery. Finally there is that one or two blissful weeks where they are at their peak and you eat a dozen, yellow juice running down your chin. Then the inevitable disappointment as they turn mealy and soft. The apricot season is so brief, and it seems like there are so few vendors growing them anymore, that some years it seems like we skip a week at the farmer's market, and miss the good ones altogether. So how excited could I be when I tasted a liqueur that really seemed to capture Apricots at their best? Well, very excited really. Rothman and Winter Orchard Apricot* is a new liqueur based on Apricot Eau de Vie blended with Apricot Juice. It is far less sweet than most of the big commercial brands of apricot liqueur, and carries not just the flavor of apricot; but, because it is based on a Apricot Eau de Vie, it also captures the scent of the fruit. I've struggled finding a place for it in cocktails, as I thought I should treat it with kid gloves, to preserve the delicate flavor of Apricot. However, I recently read about a cocktail they are serving at the Flatiron Lounge in New York City called, "The Slope". It is composed of Rye Whiskey, Punt e Mes, and Brizard 'Apry' Apricot liqueur. Rye Whiskey, Bittered Vermouth, and Apricot liqueur seemed like unlikely bedfellows; but, I figured I'd give it a shot. I took a snort of the R&W Orchard Apricot, held the scent in my mind, and headed down to the basement to sniff out the appropriate rye. Happily (or unhappily) the first one I grabbed was the Pikesville Rye. I took one sniff of the opened bottle, and knew I didn't need to go any further. A nice smell similar to yeasty bread combined with hints of cherries and other stone fruit. I started to think that those folks at Flatiron were onto something. Back upstairs I cracked some ice cubes, measured out the ratio eGullet member Nathan had prescribed, and settled down to enjoy. Oh, yes, this is quite nice. The light sweetness of the apricot liqueur tempered by the bitter of the Punt e Mes. Both meeting together with the Pikesville and not a single element dominating or conflicting. It's definitely up there with my favorite brown liquor cocktails, like the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Red Hook. Really, kudos to the folks at Flatiron for seeing the potential of this combination. Theoretical Slope** 1 1/2 oz Pikesville Rye 3/4 oz Punt e Mes 3/4 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. *Full disclosure, I know Eric Seed the proprietor of Haus Alpenz and importer of Rothman and Winter Orchard Apricot. But, if you can't give your friends a shout out when they do something right... For the record, I don't really like his Walnut liqueur. **I'm calling it "Theoretical Slope", as Nathan was speculating on the composition of this cocktail without a recipe. It has since come to light that the actual ingredients of the Flatiron Slope cocktail are: 2 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye, 3/4 oz Punt e Mes, 1/4 oz Apry, Dash Angostura bitters. If you're using the Brizard Apry liqueur for this cocktail, I would recommend sticking with those proportions. edit - ack, I can't believe I used the word "actual" 3 times in one sentence. Added image.