MikeInSacto

Thanks for the note! Any thoughts on how much we might expect this to improve over the next few years? Mike

Hard to argue with a lot of these, but one more that I would put on the list: perfect french fries. Mike

I think it's fairly common in the wine tasting world to purposefully try wines that are corked, oxidized, etc. in order to be able to identify those faults. So it seems to me that you're on the right track (as well as being a masochist ) Mike

Key limes have just started showing up here as well. I had thought of trying some in cocktails, so it's good to know they're a little stronger than Persian limes. Thanks! Mike

I'm also unsure whether WI is still number one but I remember reading that somewhere. I also vaguely recall that WI was number one in Angostura bitters consumption but don't quote me on that. However, I've said it before but I'll say it again, I haven't found brandy Old Fashioneds to be common in WI, just brandy Manhattans. I'll also repeat, though, that this doesn't mean you shouldn't double-check with the bartender before ordering an Old Fashioned in WI. Maybe it's common in other parts of WI, just not southeastern WI where I spent most of my first thirty-plus years. ...Then again, maybe I was just hanging with the wrong crowd and a Brandy Man-swilling family. I just googled up this article from the Madison weekly, The Isthmus. Here's a taste: And there's this article from BeverageNet.net: Me, I'll stick with old-fashioned Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. Kurt edited to add 2nd link ← I have to thank you for the reference to Jeff Hagen's book. My wife grew up in Green Bay, and one of her fondest traditions is the Friday Night Perch Fry, with plenty of Brandy Manhattans. I was able to order that book on Amazon for her upcoming birthday - it will be quite the surprise. I'll say one more thing - if you want to insure that you WILL learn to make a good Brandy Manhattan, just marry a girl from Wisconsin. Mike

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'll start paying more attention to the seasons and to where the fruit's coming from. I can't imagine that the majority around here doesn't come from Caifornia, but stranger produce-related things have happened.... Mike

Sure! One we make often is Planter's Punch, from a recipe in Anthony Dias Blue's "The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks". It calls for the following: 2 oz rum 1 1/2 oz orange juice 1 1/2 oz pineapple juice 3/4 oz lemon or lime juice 1/4 oz grenadine (It's not the best Planter's Punch, but it's a simple weeknight thing that requires little thought or special ingredients.) Anyway, it seems too sour at these proportions. Throttling back on the lemon or lime (by maybe a teaspoon or so) brings it much more into balance, to my taste. As another example, I made margaritas a while back out of DeGroff's "The Craft of the Cocktail". It uses 3:2:1.5, and I think your idea of the 3:2:1 would have been better. Again, the balance just didn't seem to be there. I suppose my wife and I may just be sensitive to sour things, but this seems to be a common thread for us. Thanks very much for the reply! [EDIT] Forgot to add that I will ask the plant-oriented people I know if lemons or limes are likely to get less sour once they're off the tree. If that's the case, then that might be a factor. Good thought, in any case. Mike

Hi everyone - I have a question for you knowledgeable barkeeps. Are there significant differences in lemons and limes based on regions or particular types of fruit? I ask because when mixing drinks, I seem to get much more sourness out of the lemons and limes than tastes appropriate. Something like a margarita or a chapala inevitably comes out way too sour if I use the proportions specified in the books I have. They don't just taste this way to me - my friends and family confirm this as well. I live in Northern California, so the fruit is always fresh. I buy whatever I get at the grocery store, so I'm not talking limons or Meyer lemons or anything like that. This is more a matter of curiousity than anything else - I've gotten to the point where I can adjust most recipes to take this into account. Still, does anyone have any idea on what this is all about? BTW, this is an amazing forum for a total amateur to stumble into. Hope I'm not asking something that's been covered a hundred times in previous posts. I tried searching but could not come up with anything. Thanks in advance for any ideas on this. Mike