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Barney Barnato Cocktail 1 Dash Angostura Bitters 1 Dash Curacao (1 barspoon Marie Brizard Curacao) 1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc) 1/2 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Germain-Robin Fine Alembic Brandy) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Sometimes you get nothing when researching cocktails, and sometimes it feels like you've stepped into the deep end. Barney Barnato was born Barnett Isaacs in the Whitechapel neighborhood of London in 1852. His father was a shop keeper on Petticoat Lane. He was a comedian, boxer, and probably a huckster. After hearing how well some of his relatives had done in South African "Diamond Rush", he followed them there, with naught but a box of cigars. Somehow he was able to prosper, and went on to found one of the two largest diamond mining firms in the history of that country. Due to some faulty business decisions, after a long struggle, in 1888 he was forced to allow his main competitor to buy him out. The check written to him at that time, for some £5,338,650, was the single largest check written up to that time in human history. The company, part of which he founded, went on to become De Beers. He operated in politics, for a while; but, events got ahead of him, and he left the country in 1897, shortly before the start of the Anglo-Boer war. He died as a result of falling from, being thrown from, or throwing himself from, the ship on the way back to England. Opinions differ. The problem with this cocktail is "Caperitif". The coctaildb ingredient database describes it as, "Defunct proprietary South African sweet deep golden quinquina from Capetown - along the lines of Lillet blanc." Fortunately, the recent resurgence of the Vesper should make Lillet blanc an easy commodity to come by in most bars. Many cocktail receipts suggest Dubonnet for this. I guess, unlike most recipes, in this case, they probably mean Dubonnet blanc. The Barney Barnato cocktail, itself, is a fairly subtle and sophisticated affair. A bit sweet, a little bitter, a little orange. None of the elements really dominate. Very nice. One last point, the Tiffany Diamond was likely discovered in a mine owned by Barnato in 1877 or 1878. I think there is a striking resemblance between the color of this drink and the color of that most impressive gem.

Really? Which brand of soju? If you've found a good one I'd love to see some tasting notes here.

Campari and Grapefruit is a pretty common flavor combination. A local frozen dessert company even makes a sorbet in that flavor. Just googling the two turned up quite a few drinks calling for both. Check out the Campari Cocktails topic for more info. I don't know of a drink recipe that calls for those ingredients specifically, so you'd probably want to order it as campari, grapefruit and tonic. Does seem odd that they would call it "Spumoni". I guess they just thought it would sound cool? As long as you don't think you're ordering ice cream. But, that's probably a topic for the Japan forum.

I haven't had a chance to try the new one yet. In the past, a friend and I have done side by side comparisons of releases and haven't found too much variation between years. Some subtle differences. To me, everything in the Buffalo Trace Antique collection is an incredible deal for the price (~$50). Some of the best American whiskies available.

Wow! You came home from work, made pasta, and then headed off for drinks!? I assume you have a pasta machine of some sort, to get such nice flat strips. What sort? I've been putting off a pasta making exercise for too long now.

I went back to this the other night in comparison to a couple other ryes. Thos. H. Handy 2006, Saz 18 2005, Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, and Pikesville Supreme. You will note my preferred whiskey tasting glass in front of the suspects in question. I find just covering the bottom of the bonne maman jar gives enough of a taste to understand the character of a whiskey, and the wide opening does a good job of directing; but, not over concentrating the aroma. One thing this year that is a little odd, is that they didn't put dates on the Antique Collection bottles. To order them by preference, I would still say Saz 18 2005 first. It is such a pleasant and complex sipping rye. I would put the Thomas Handy 2006 second. It is amazingly complex. The sort of rye where every sip shows a different aspect and lingers in your mouth, nose, and memory. But, it is rough, hot, and a bit rude. On this evening I felt like the Pikesville should come next. I definitely rank it higher than the Beam, and likely the Old Overholt, as a good all around whiskey with strong rye character. For straight sipping, at least that evening, among these whiskeys, I put the Sazerac Straight Rye last. The Saz Jr., however, remains my current favorite old-fashioned and manhattan mixing Rye. Also quite tasty in the Artist's (Special). Actually, I'm ambivalent about Sazerac Ryes in Sazeracs. Find I prefer their herbaceous, earthy character against angostura or Vermouth rather than anise. Just personal taste, I'm sure. While they are all from the same company, I did think that the Saz Jr. and Saz 18 2005 had more in common than either to the Handy.

"Straight from the Cask" doesn't really make sense to me, in the context of a blended Solera style Rum. I mean, I guess, it means they aren't adding any additional water at the bottling stage? Beyond that, it seems too confusingly close to whiskey terms like "Single Barrel" and "Cask Strength" that don't really apply to this style of rum making.

Don, Aside from the quality of cocktails at Pegu Club and Milk and Honey, what do you think it was about cocktails or cocktail culture that hooked you enough to become so enthusiastic a devotee?

I would think that dinner before Pegu would be wiser! That's a lot of SCM. Uh, I guess, you're lucky you didn't walk by Vietnamese or other Asian markets, or you would have had at least several other brands to try. The first thing that pops into my mind is something like the Barbary Coast Cocktail. Scotch seems like it would be a particularly nice pairing. Either that or just vanilla ice cream. Good luck, man!

Sheesh! Newbie mistake. URL fixed.

Oh boy! An East Coast cocktailian Foodblog. <rubs hands together> Excellent! I can't wait to steal shamlessly from any cocktail ideas you present this week.

Mark Bittman wrote an article in today's NY Times: The East Is West: The Best Chinese Restaurants in Southern California* *Link requires registration. Will require payment in a couple weeks.

Absolutely! Inspired by your previous flambé, I deglazed a tree oyster mushroom sauté with brandy last night. Deee-licious, and I didn't even set off the smoke alarm!

The Barbary Coast Cocktail 1/4 Gin (1 oz Beefeater's) 1/4 Scotch Whisky (1 oz Compass Box Asyla) 1/4 Creme de Cacao (1 oz Bols) 1/4 Cream (1 oz Half and Half) Cracked Ice Serve in a highball glass. (Fill highball glass with crushed ice, build ingredients in glass, stir until outside of glass frosts over. -eje) Most other cocktail books seem to either make the Barbary Coast as a shaken "up" cocktail (1/2 oz each ingredient) or as a highball (2oz whiskey, 1/2 oz rest, built over ice, topped with soda). However, since this is one of the few Savoy cocktails that doesn't include the instruction, "Shake well and strain into cocktail glass," I'm pretty sure that wasn't intended. There is also no mention of soda. I decided to treat it as a "swizzle". As an aside, with many of the cream cocktails, I'm afraid I must admit the routine is, mix, snap, sip, dump. They're usually too sweet and my doctor has told me to avoid dairy. For what it is worth, against my own best interests, I finished this one. Also, based on the assumption that this cocktail is named after the San Francisco's Gold Rush era Barbary Coast neighborhood, I will include the following quote, from Benjamin Estelle Lloyd, writing in 1876:

Hey Lisa1349, A couple of us have and written it up in the What Beers Did You Drink Today? topic. On the whole, I really like it. Especially given the strength, it is a very drinkable beer. Also quite well balanced for a Stone IPA. If you see it around, I highly recommend picking up a bottle or two. I've also seen the Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard around in six packs this fall. Another one worth trying, if you like their Arrogant Bastard Ale.

tdk7, thanks for the kind words! Barbara Cocktail 1/4 Fresh Cream (1/2 oz Half and Half) 1/4 Creme de Cacao (1/2 oz Bols) 1/2 Vodka (1 oz Rain Vodka) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with sprinkling of cacao powder - eje) This Alexander variation may be the only use of Vodka in the Savoy Cocktail book. I admit, I prefer the Brandy version. BTW, if anyone has advice on better brands of white creme de cacao, please let me know. The Bols (US) isn't bad; but, not the greatest, either. Not a very intense chocolate flavor. I suspect these cocktails would be better with a more full flavored liqueur. edit - Found two more Vodka cocktails in the Savoy by cross referencing from Duffy's "Mixer's Manual", the Blue Monday and Russian. Duffy also gives an alternate name for the Barbara, the "Russian Bear".

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, December 02, 2006 The bubbly issue: Champagne houses take root in California soil, Jon Bonné The bubbly issue: Easy-to-fix nibbles that go with sparklers, Olivia Woo Recipes: Crab Sandwiches on Brioche Pigs in Blankets Savory Prosciutto & Gruyere Palmiers Baked Potatoettes with Bacon & Chives Oyster Gazpacho Quinoa-Nori Rolls THE SIPPING NEWS: Digital Wine Thermometer History in a bottle Ancient Chinese wine Let the pros pour: Don't get stuck behind the bar while your guests have all the fun. If only the party could last forever The Tasting Room: Iron Horse Vineyards, Carol Ness Mireille Guiliano: Stay slim -- and drink Champagne, Stacy Finz Letters to Wine Spirits: Leftover Champagne? Sacre bleu! Time for Champagne cocktails, Camper English Recipe:French 75 As served at Top of the Mark Wine Business Insider: Small California wineries gain entry to N.Y. restaurants, Cyril Penn The bubbly issue: Which reigns supreme -- terroir or the winemaker?, Jon Bonné The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Domestic Brut and Blanc de Blancs, Jon Bonné The Cheese Course: Displaced Sardinian families make a gem, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bar Bites: EDK, Stacy Finz Bargain Bite: Hilary's House of Bagels, Amanda Gold CRITICS' PICKS: Asian noodle soups, Pho and more, Bill Addison "The Bay Area is abundant in one of the world's best feel-good dishes to grab between gift shopping and office parties: Asian noodle soups. They come in many guises, from Vietnamese pho and Japanese ramen to Chinese wonton soup and spicy Thai curry variations." Dining Out: 'Witchcraft, Bill Addison

Joseph, Quite enjoyed the piece. Now, I'm going to have to go digging for the previous one. I grew up near Madison, WI, another hotbed of anti-war activity. I'm a bit younger than you; but, worked with quite a few folks who had been politically active in the 70s. In fact, for part of the year, the produce delivery man was one of the Sterling Hall bombers. Really nice guy. Look forward to reading more of your further larger than life adventures <cue scary voice>INTO THE PAST</end scary voice>.

Balm Cocktail (6 People) 1/2 Glass Orange Juice (1/2 oz fresh squeezed) 1/2 Glass Cointreau (1/2 oz) 3 Glasses Sherry (3 oz Lustau Don Nuno Dry Oloroso) 1 Dash Orange Bitters (Regan's) 2 Dashes Pimento Dram Liqueur (Homemade) Fill up the shaker with cracked ice, shake and serve with an olive. The olive garnish doesn't make any sense to me. Also not sure if this is the appropriate Sherry. But, I just don't really like dry fino sherry. In any case, this isn't a bad cocktail, if you like orange, spice, and sherry. Just isn't quite as short and sharp as a liquor based cocktail.

YeeeOuch! Well, that takes care of that idea. Looks like it is available, though. Beltramo's Wines carries it and the Villa de Varda Rose liqueur.

I was reading Hedonia and in a restaurant writeup, they mentioned trying a violet flavored, Grappa based, liqueur. Hmmm... That certainly sounds like violet liqueur! Anyone tried it? edit - add blog source name.

How about Martinelli? Sort of the definition of "special". But, there is no shortage of wineries in that area. My personal fave is Joseph Swan Vineyards.

A couple restaurants I've been to lately have tossed their French Fries with what I believe is Quatre épices. This seems a bit odd to me. Is it normal elsewhere in the world?

Bacardi Special Cocktail* 1 teaspoonful Grenadine (homemade) 1/3 Burrough's Beefeater Gin (1 oz Beefeater) 2/3 Bacardi Rum (2 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry) The Juice of 1/2 lime Shake well and strain into cocktail glass Huh, this is tastier than it really has any business being. A bit like Harrington's Jasmine. Light and tart. Very similar to a glass of alcoholic grapefruit juice.

B is for Beligerent. I apologize for the alphabetical delay. Taking a brief break from the tyranny of the Savoy. Babbie's Special Cocktail 1 dash Gin (1/4 oz Beefeater's) 1/3 Sweet Cream (3/4 oz Half and Half) 2/3 Apricot Brandy (1 1/2 oz Vedrenne Liqueur de Abricot) Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass I hope Babbie was special for some other reason than her taste in cocktails. Beautiful? Rich? Found the drink much improved with a dash of peach bitters and a garnish of freshly ground nutmeg. Still, not something I ever would order.