marty mccabe

Hi! Bumping this as I'm headed to Maine in June with my wife. Planning on going to Mache and Havana. I've seen mixed things on the internet about XYZ. Any thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

In Boston, the MA distributor is out of it, and offering the same, "we're waiting for more to age," explanation. I'm told to not expect any in MA before the end of the year, and then, expect it to be allocated. And I'm talking about the "regular" bonded 100 proof rye...

Coming from a wine background--and having enjoyed the St. Germain on numerous occasions--I'm inclined to believe that there is some serious acidity there simply by virtue of the fact that it's not cloying, and that it's in balance on its own.

Mine is "Cedar Phoenicia" brand, which seems to be the most common. Found it in the ethnic aisle of the local Whole Foods. As for what it is, cocktaildb says it is, "Generic for diluted orange flower extract in water," and it commonly shows up in very small quantities... All this said, anyone know how long it lasts once it's open?

So, I needed another bottle of rum like a hole in the head...but when it's imported by Haus Alpenz, "selected by request of Death & Co.", how could I resist? It's a blend of three to five year aged Trinidad rums, with each rum in the blend produced in copper pot stills and aged in white oak. Nicely dark gold in color, molasses, spices and caramel on the nose. The heat (Death & Co. wanted a higher proof flavorful rum for their cocktails, so it's 98 proof) is mostly absent on the nose, but comes through on the pallet in a young kind of way (which is to say, expected and not alltogether unpleasant) along with some nice sweet fruit. All in all, really nice for $29, especially given that apparently there's only 19cs to share. So, other than drinking it straight, anyone have a cocktail in mind? I'm sorry to say that I've never actually been to Death & Co. so I don't know what their vision is for this rum...

This is definitely one of the finest uses for Becherovka: http://imbibemagazine.blogspot.com/2006/11...ix-bitters.html "The Metamorphosis" from Eastern Standard in Boston.

Demerara is worth the price of admission, no doubt about it. Personally, I make it 1:1, as I'm an amateur, and I've found that many (not all) books work off of 1:1. 2:1 (which is believe is equivalent to dry sugar, measure for measure) is just too sweet for me, and I think, too easy to go overboard with.

I've got mixed feelings there: I'm the NE manager for Loimer's importer, so anything that encourages more Loimer to be drank...hey, great! That said, there's a lot more body in a Loimer Riesling than I think one might want in vermouth, as well as some residual sugar (about 7 grams in the Kamptal). What about a nice muscadet? Great acidity, light body. Seems like an ideal vehicle...

So, this might be too general of a question, and I certainly invite feedback to narrow it, but here's the gist of it: It seems like every time I look on Ebay, etc., there's some "new" vintage cocktail book that I've never heard of. So, which ones are worth it? And which ones are just plain old? To start, here's my collection of "vintage" (which I'll arbitrarily define as out of print): Bottoms Up, Ted Saucier Jones' Complete Bar Guide, Stan Jones Bartender's Guide, Trader Vic Esquire Drinks, David Wondrich The Official Mixer's Manual, Duffy The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, Embury Cocktail, Harrington Burke's Complete Cocktail & Drinking Recipes, Harman Burke I'm not including things like Jerry Thomas' book, or The Savoy Cocktial Book, as they're available in reprints. But what about things like: The Cocktail Book, A Sideboard Manual for Gentlemen Cocktail and Wine Digest, Oscar Haimo The Art of Drinking, Dexter Mason So, what do you all think? Ciao, marty

In the grand scheme of things, is this a book worth adding to the collection? I'm starting to be particular, or else I'll end up with "every" old cocktail book... Ciao, Marty

I checked with Rob Cooper, owner of St. Germain, and he said that they're with Glazer's, but still doing the paperwork, so it's not available for sale yet. Soon, I'd think, though... Ciao, Marty

Splificator (and everyone else), Not a Republican or investor either. That said, "How's Your Drink" is one of the few free things on the Wall St. Journal's website. To find it: 1) Go to www.wsj.com 2) Click the "leisure" link on the left side of the screen, towards the botton 3) Scroll down to "food and drink" and click on it. 4) Mr. Felten's "how's your drink" column will be one of the available free options on this screen. 5) And when you're actually reading the column, you'll see a search box on the right hand side of the screen. Type in "how's your drink" and many past columns become available. Ciao,

If you live in the greater Boston area, a number of stores have it. Apparently, a stash was found at the distributor: Brix Wine Shop and Martignetti's come to mind. That might be why bostonapothecary has some...

Hi Weinoo, I've never actually tried this recipe, but your post range a bell, so, from, "The Art of the Bar": Bob-tailed Nag 2 oz. Michter's single-barrel straight rye whiskey 1/2 oz. Cocchi Barolo Chinato 3 dashes mint bitters lemon twist for garnish Combine all the liquid ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir gently for 20 to 30 seconds, until cold, and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist. Hope it's good! Marty

After spending the weekend at my parents' country club, I'm keenly aware of the challenge. My thoughts: 1) G&T's only work at places that have good tonic, i.e., in little bottles. 2) Campari and soda, provided they have Campari, is always safe. 3) And finally, I always scope out the back bar. Invariably there's at least one bottle of something good that I can drink on the rocks. P.S. You'll almost always have to request garnishes...

Two things: First, I totally agree that when you're speaking of bitters, a dash is not a dash is not a dash. Second--and I might be totally derailing my own thread here--but my qualm with "to taste" is that I think there is an underlying vision to a drink, and I know that while food recipes often use the "to taste" instruction, with a cocktail, "to taste" affects a greater portion of sum. Am I making too much of this?

So, I've often stuggled with dashes. A little too big of a dash of Pernod in your Corpse Reviver #2, and it's all you taste. Stumbling around on cocktaildb.com, I came upon "1 tsp = 4 dashes" in the midst of a drink recipe. So, back it out, and you're left with 1/4 tsp = 1 dash. In the Corpse Reviver #2, it worked amazingly. My question: is this a universal definition? Can I use it in every recipe that calls for a dash or two? And if not, how do you measure dashes?

When I make ginger beer, I microplane the ginger into a bowl and then dump the ginger and any accumulated juices into the pot. I don't own a garlic press (I think they're evil), but I've never seen something that gets more out of ginger than the microplane.

Ginger syrup is next on my list. The recipe for it in "The Art of the Bar" gives a two week shelf life, so I'm inclined to think of it much on the same lines as the ginger beer.

So, I've been enthralled recently with two cocktails from Pegu Club: The Gin-Gin Mule And...The Jamaican Firefly Beyond the fact that they use a great home-made non-carbonated ginger beer in each drink, I think that ginger is a great spice for cocktails. So, with that in mind, what are some other ginger cocktails to explore? Maybe something muddled?

So, I stumbled upon a bottle of Cordial Campari in a store recently, and bought it, 'cause, well, I just had to! Essentially, it's a raspberry-flavored cordial. Beyond that, though, can anyone shed more light on it for me? Ciao, Marty

Drinks Magazine US...

I haven't seen Drinks magazine on the newsstand in forever, and their website is stuck on their Fall 2006 issue. I don't think I liked the magazine as much as I like Imbibe, but I'll miss Wondrich's and Rosengarten's articles if it's over...

So, my lovely wife and I were in St. Martin for a week this January. Before leaving, I compiled notes from egullet. Here are a few observations, in no particular order: - Don't rent from Alamo on the island. Ever. Under any circumstances. We rented a car from them when we arrived the first evening. It was returned the next morning, a rolling death trap. - Good maps aren't easy to find. If you rent from Hertz though, they have a booklet that was very helpful. - In fact, we ended up taking taxis for a couple days before we rented a car again, this time from Hertz. It was relatively cheap--you can get most places for $15 each way. It also allowed you the opportunity to take in the sites and get a general idea of the island before driving. - The roads on the Dutch side suck. In fact, if you're ever lost, and don't know which side of the island you're on, just look at the road. If there's a lot of pot holes, you're on the Dutch side. Bourdain recommended a 4x4, and defensive driving. I agree heartily! - Bistro Nu in Marigot - cute little French restaurant. We had a very nice meal there, marred only by the American guy at the next table asking the French owner for his soup, "Muy pronto." That was almost as bad as the American who brought his own beer cozy into the restaurant. - Hilma's Windsor Castle is impossible to find. I think Bourdain imagined it, one day in a drunken stupor. - Matouk's hot sauce is worth bringing home. - Grocery stores on the French side are a dream. Baguettes are warm, charcouterie is plentiful, cheese is everywhere... - Amstel Bright is very tasty, especially when served freakin' ice cold. - Rosemary's in Marigot is worth numerous visits. Whole fried red snapper, the most tender goat imaginable, conch--it's all great. - Philipsburg is only good for finding obscure liquors that you can't get in the states, and very cheap. And really, the duty-free shop at the airport is just as cheap. Right then, don't go to Philipsburg... - Lido in Cole Bay is amazing barbeque. Get two combo meals, split one with your wife (or significant other) and save the other one for lunch the next day. - If you like Rhum, stock up on Clement from the French grocery stores. - The number of restaurants that serve burgers and pasta in an effort to coddle Americans is embarassing. - Zee Best is good breakfast in Simpson Bay. - Beaches are somewhat hard to find. The signs are LITTLE. - Grand Case is small, and we regret not spending more time there. - Driving around the island is fun and easy. Well, that's all. I'd definitely go back. Thanks to everyone who posted tips (especially Bourdain). It made visiting a lot easier.

Got mine last week...