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Oh, good point! I forgot Mr. Haigh covered this cocktail in "Vintage Spirits..." There it is, slightly larger; but, the same proportions. A half ounce of orange bitters just seemed a little crazy to me. I will have to re-try it using regular orange bitters. A good way to go through the orange bitters, anyway. Yes, Aperol is similar to Campari. Less bitter, more orange flavor, and only mildly alcoholic. It seems sweeter than Campari. May just be because it is less bitter. I don't know what the actual sugar content of either is.

Calvados Cocktail Variation of the above. 3 Glasses Calvados (2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy) 3 Glasses Sweetened Lemon Juice (Juice 1/2 Lemon) (1 teaspoon Caster Sugar) Shake very Thoroughly and serve. Since this was just an Apple Brandy Sour, I didn't feel quite justified in using the Germain-Robin Apple Brandy in it. Perfectly tasty Apple Brandy Sour, and quite refreshing. Dunno why it is called a "variation on the above" or why it isn't named simply "Calvados Sour". Let me know why you think this interpretation might be incorrect.

Calvados Cocktail (6 People) 2 Glasses Calvados (1 oz Germain-Robin Apple Brandy) 2 Glasses Orange Juice (1 oz Orange Juice) 1 Glass Cointreau (1/2 oz Cointreau) 1 Glass Orange Bitters (1/2 oz Aperol) Add plenty of ice and shake carefully Turned this into a single serving drink. Two main puzzles here. First, I would expect something called "Calvados Cocktail" to be a Calvados Cocktail. That is to say, Calvados, sugar, bitters, and a twist. What the orange juice is doing here, I don't know. Second, "1 Glass Orange Bitters"? The only thing I can think is they might mean an aperitif bitters like the Dutch Hoppe Orange Bitters. The closest thing I could think of was Aperol. The flavors are there and interesting; but, as written above, it's too sweet for me. Suggestions? Thoughts?

Just to tack on a bit to andiesenji's excellent post, it is very important to remember that much of California is essentially a dessert. Almost all of our rain is received from December to March. In most of the state, there is no rain for the rest of the year. Even the giant redwoods are not watered so much by rain as a persistent mist. Much of the native flora is adapted to a dormant period in the summer. Our native buckeye is deciduous, dropping its leaves in the early summer and leafing out again in fall when the rains start. One of the funniest sights, among our native plants, are the fall buckeyes, completely naked of leaves;but, laden with nuts. So, yes, agriculture here is very, very dependent on irrigation and those aqueducts.

I'll try not to get these things wrong this time. There are a variety of different Anise flavored liqueurs and spirits out there. Anisette should be flavored almost entirely with Green Anise (Pimpinella anisum). Pastis is often flavored with Star Anise and other "licorice" flavored spices and herbs. Among Pastis, Pernod (and Ricard) both have fairly simple flavor profiles. Other Pastis type liqueurs (Is Pastis considered a liqueur?) have a more varied herbal component than these two. Henri Bardouin's Pastis, for example, is much more complexly herbaceous than either. Anisette (~25%) is typically less alcoholic than Pastis (~40%). It is also usually sweeter. The Spanish anise liqueur I used, Anis del Mono is available in both a sweet (dulce) and less sweet (seco) style. I used the dulce one.

Soft gin like Plymouth? Why would you use a soft London Dry Gin to substitute for Tom Gin? Old Tom gin was created in England to capitalize on the demand for the relatively expensive Dutch Gin. I would guess a lot of it was either poorly distilled or even cold compounded. I'm sure, eventually, some fine examples of the distiller's art evolved; but, you don't sweeten distilled spirits if they are soft and pleasant tasting. You add sugar if they are on the harsh side.

Arizona actually has quite a lot of agriculture. While a lot of the farms have been converted to real estate developments in recent years, they still produce a lot of cotton among other agricultural crops. They even have some vineyards.

Anyone have any tips on how to get bartenders to make not so dry, dry martinis? There's a bar here that carries the Blue Coat gin, and I've been trying to get them to make me a martini with it. My preferred martini is something like 2 oz gin, 1/2 oz dry vermouth, orange bitters, and a lemon twist. I will be darned if I've had much luck getting bartenders to put in more than a dash (if I'm lucky) of dry vermouth. I think the first time, they skipped the vermouth altogether, which I had a hard time even drinking. What should I say?

Couple more notes about the Cafe Kirsch: If you don't have decent strong drip coffee for it, use espresso. We've gone over Kirsch/Kirschwasser/Cherry Brandy/Cherry Eau de Vie a number of times on eGullet. Just so's you know: In the US a number of the larger liqueur companies market something they call Kirschwasser. If you look at the ingredients, you will discover that it is typically artificially flavored and sweetened neutral spirits. I've tried a couple (they're cheap) and they are truly vile. Think, cherry cough drops dissolved in kerosene. Kirsch or Cherry Eau de Vie is almost always sold in 375ml bottles and is relatively expensive. It is distilled from a "wine" made from fermented cherry juice and is (usually) an unaged clear spirit. In the US, Clear Creek, St. George Spirits, Peak Spirits, and others make acceptable versions.

No answers, either, really. We do have deserts and mountains here in California, which, while lovely, are not particularly agriculturally productive. And many of the perennial crops are not productive all year 'round. There's still only one grape harvest per year. On the other hand, if you drive through Iowa or Wisconsin, you see, more or less, two crops. Corn and Soybeans. If you drive through the Central Valley of California, you'll see a much larger variety of crops. Ahem, and if I had to pick a US state whose agricultural products I would be forced to live on for the rest of my life, uh, I'd probably pick California. Not that I'm biased or anything. But, the wine in the midwest just is not very good.

Cafe Kirsch Cocktail The White of 1 Egg 1 Liqueur Glass Kirsch (1 oz Trimbach Kirsch) 1/2 Tablespoon of Sugar (1 teaspoon Caster Sugar) 1 Small Glass of Cold Coffee (1 oz Peet's Kenyan AA, Melitta Drip) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Weird. I expected to like the last cocktail and expected to dislike this one. Wrong on both accounts. This is tasty and pretty! I'll take this over a Red Bull and Vodka any day. Of course I'm going to regret drinking it, when I can't sleep tonight at midnight.

Cafe de Paris Cocktail The White of 1 Egg 3 Dashes Anisette (1 Barspoon Anis del Mono) 1 Teaspoonful of Fresh Cream 1 Glass of Dry Gin (2 oz Boodles Gin) Shake well and strain into medium size glass. Kind of underimpressed with this one. Maybe I overshook and it got a bit diluted? Anyway, I felt like the anis could have been a bit stronger, and the cocktail a bit sweeter. Cafe de Paris is a famous nightclub in London. The Prince of Wales was a well known guest in the early days, somehow insuring the club's success. Hmmm... Wait a sec. Seems familiar somehow... Something about Prince Harry and a treasure box, Mahiki tiki bar becoming successful in London. Do the British never get tired of these stories? Anyway, my favorite story from the Cafe de Paris website:

I know one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn as a cook is letting the ingredients speak for themselves simply and directly. I have a tendency to try to "improve" things by embellishing or adding ingredients. Sometimes the best way to enjoy a tomato, still warm and freshly picked from the garden, is simply by slicing it and sprinkling on a little salt and pepper. OK, maybe gild the lily with some olive oil. I'm sure wine makers have to learn a similar lesson, to get the best out of their grapes. And to get back to bartenders and whisk(e)y... A lot of bartenders could use some practice in letting their ingredients speak simply and clearly, before moving on to concocting overly complex, exotic new creations.* A well made Old-Fashioned Cocktail, (spirits, sugar, bitters, twist), whether it is made with American or Canadian Whisk(e)y, doesn't need to be "improved". edit- *By the way, I am not trying to make pointed comments directed at anyone in particular. I am referring more to the proliferation of faux-tini bar menus involving vodka, some sort of fruit, and some other exotic flavor. Seems to happen more at restaurants than bars, and it is always best to stick with beer in that situation.

Cablegram Cocktail Juice of 1/2 Lemon 1/2 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar (1/2 teaspoon caster sugar) 1 Glass Canadian Club Whisky (2 oz Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey) Shake well, strain into long tumbler (1/3 filled with ice) and fill with Ginger Ale (Reed's Ginger Brew). Along with the Bull-Dog, another very good long drink featuring ginger ale. This one is a whisk(e)y sour plus ginger ale. I felt like the ginger and lemon would need a whisk(e)y with a bit more spirit than Canadian, so I went with the younger Sazerac. Worked quite well. The recipe in the Savoy doesn't mention ice in the serving glass at all. However, every other recipe I read suggested building it over ice or straining it over fresh ice. I dunno if the ginger ale in England was less sweet or if they just liked sweeter drinks; but, I'm not entirely convinced this needed any extra sugar at all. With the Reed's, I think you could just build it in the glass with ice and leave out the extra sugar. Googling this, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they have re-vived the Cablegram at Vessel in Seattle. It was even referenced in some reviews of the venue as one of their more outstanding cocktails. Of course it involves house made ginger ale and such. Still, nice to see a bar bringing back obscure classic cocktails!

Well, I only picked it up for the Savoy Cocktail Book recipes that specifically call for some sort of Canadian Whisky. I haven't experimented a huge amount with it. The one which impressed me most recently was this: Byrrh Cocktail I was initially tempted to sub in American Rye Whiskey; but, after I tasted the cocktail with the Forty Creek, I realized that changing the whisky would have been a mistake. A stronger flavored whisk(e)y would have completely blown the balance of the drink.

I would say, no Canadian Whisky does not aspire to be American rye. They are separate traditions governed by different regulations. Maybe someone else who is more of an expert in Canadian Whisky can talk more about the traditions and regulations. Some facts: My understanding is immigrants in North America soon discovered that their favorite grain, barley, did not grow very well in the New World. So they adapted their distilling traditions to new grains. In the Northern parts of the New World, Rye was often the primary grain, and in the South, Corn. Much of the whisky made in Canada is made in a manner most similar to blended Scotch. As economics and science flattened the types of grain available in different areas of the New World, whisk(e)y producers were able to blend more grains into their products. Many of the larger Canadian whisky producers came of age during American Prohibition supplying large volumes of "Rye" to thirsty Americans. There are currently some Canadian distillers aspiring to bring their products closer to American or Scotch Whisk(e)ys. My point was, if you've got to have a Canadian Whisky behind the bar, why not make it one from one of the newer Canadian producers who is trying to re-invigorate the tradition and also interested in the craft of whisky making? Not just a mega-producer marketed by a global spirits conglomerate. re: Terroir I suggest you give a read to this recent NY Times essay from chef Daniel Patterson and Food Scientist Harold McGee: Talk Dirt to Me (link may require registration and/or payment). The short summary is, what many people perceive as "terroir" in wine has less to do with actual dirt and more to do with the craft and tradition of the winemaker.

Well, I'm as much of an American whiskey bigot as anyone else here. But, there are good spirits, bad spirits, and overpriced spirits in every category, including American Whiskies. Not to mention innovators among the producers. You gotta give people like John Hall credit for at least trying to reinvigorate their craft and tradition. It also doesn't hurt that it is good whisky.

I do like the 40 Creek Barrel Select, especially for mixing. It's a great, easy going whisky for cocktails where you don't want the spirit to blow the other ingredients out of the water. It's also a pretty good sipper, and compares well to many whisk(e)ys in its price range. I really haven't tasted a wide enough variety of other Canadian Whiskys to know how it compares to Crown Royal, Canadian Club, or whatever. I'd love to give that Alberta Premium a try some time. 100% Rye makes it sound awfully appealing.

Cool stuff, mbanu. Horchata is something I'm really interested in. Seems to represent a pretty wide variety of flavors and techniques from almond milk, to rice milk, to some weird thing involving sedge kernels. I'm not entirely sure I've even had one that didn't involve dairy. I'd also really like to try to making it myself.

Cabaret Cocktail 1 Dash Absinthe (Verte de Fougerolles) 1 Dash Angostura Bitters 1/2 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Boodles Gin) 1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Blanc) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Add a Cherry. Boodles and Absinthe go very well together. It will probably be no surprise to anyone that I quite enjoyed this cocktail. Though, I could do without the cherry. My Lillet Blanc was getting tired tasting, so I thought I would give Dubonnet Blanc a try. It's an interesting difference. The citrus is much stronger in the Lillet, and it also seems sweeter. I have to admit I think the Dubonnet blanc is a nice change.

Well at long last we have finished the letter "B". Is it just me, or does it seem like we've been on that pesky letter for ages? From Babbie's Special to the Byrrh Special. I would have no problems recommending any of the following strong contenders, Bacardi Special, Barbary Coast, Barney Barnato, Bijou, Biter, Block and Fall, Blood and Sand, Bloodhound, Bacardi, Blackthorn No. 2, Blue Blazer, Blue Train Special, Bobby Burns, Brandy Crusta, Brandy Blazer, Brandy Special, Bronx, Brooklyn, Bolo, Brain-Storm, Byrrh. Wow, the letter "B" was really pretty good, eh? "C" from "Cabaret" to "Curacao", looks to be almost as exciting. Including such classics as the Cameron's Kick, Champs Elysees, Clover Club, and a couple Corpse Revivers. Hopefully, they'll be some surprises among the unknowns, as well.

cdh makes great points. I would imagine it is an uphill battle to get any white rum onto the shelves, no matter how great the product is. Where single malts Scotches and expensive Bourbons have a built in cache, convincing a retailer to carry white rums other than Bacardi, has got to be tough. Especially when they are probably going to cost about twice as much. At least Rhum Agricole has some selling point to differentiate it, and Cachaca has a bit of buzz. I know the Montecristo silver is available here, as some bars stock it. I've never seen it at retail, though.

re: Substituting Dubonnet Rouge for Byrrh I did a side by side taste test, and they are not as far apart as I had imagined. The Rare Assemblage is a much nicer aperitif than the Dubonnet Rouge. Seems like the big differences might be the style of the base wine used and a slightly lighter hand with the spices. Byrrh Special Cocktail 1/2 Byrrh Wine (1 1/2 oz Byrrh 1875 Rare Assemblage) 1/2 Tom Gin (3/4 oz Junipero, 3/4 oz Boomsma Jonge Genever) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass We've had a few defunct ingredients, so far: Hercules, Caperitif, East Indian Punch, Secrestat Bitters... But, for most of those, cocktaildb has had substitution recommendations. "Tom Gin", though, is one that has always stumped me. There is still one made in the US by Boord's. However, most opinions I've read don't think much of that gin. The surly, and now deceased, barkeep at Aub Zam Zam in San Francisco did insist on making his Martinis with it, and calling for any other gin, got you kicked out the door of that establishment. I've heard the now defunct Tanqueray Malacca was a fairly decent substitution for Tom Gin. Unfortunately, I've never run across that gin anywhere. It's been suggested to me, by persons who would know, that Junipero, slightly sweetened, isn't a bad substitution. Of course I can't leave well enough alone, so, as Old Tom Gin is regarded as the "missing link" between Genever and London Dry Gin, I threw in some Jonge Genever. A perfectly tasty, and slightly sweet gin cocktail. As far as "special" goes, I'd really have to give the nod to the plain old "Byrrh Cocktail" above as something truly special and unique.

Well, the only other real option would be to sprinkle it with seasoned salt, slather it with butter, and bake (or broil) it. Certainly not with perch, crappie, or bluegills, though. Only the larger fish, like Northern. Lot of work to fillet; but, man those little fish were tasty...

Thanks for those answers! Lots to think about. I should have known that liquor stores were around, as I did know Berry Brothers and Rudd have been in business in England since around 1700. I just wasn't sure if they would sell liquor as well as wine, (port, sherry,). I guess the liquor stores would buy casks of liquor and then package in containers for shoppers? Interestingly, at the Cadenhead Whisky Shop in London, you can still select a bottle size (20cl, 35cl, and 70cl) and then choose to have it filled from one of four casks of malt whisky or one cask of rum.