Alchemist

Maybe you could tweek the "monkey gland" cocktail to use this product. Monkey squared?

MMMMMAAGGGG(LIKE HOMER SIMPSON) Tom and Jerrys! Did anyone else get to have the Tom and Jerrys last yeqar during the big blizzard @ Bemelmens? Wow, I'm pretty sure it's whats served to the Gods on Olympus when it's too chilly for ambrosia. I's good that it is so labor intensive. If one could just whip up a batch in a heartbeat they wouldn't be such a treat.

The reason that martitis are returned because in most bars is not the ratio of vermouth but the age of the vermouth. Vermouth is a WINE. Wine turns to vinager afrter a time. One would never expect to take a bottle of Fume Blanc, that had been sitting unrefrigerated on a shelf for a few months, and have it be potable. Vermouth is delicate. It should be bought in the smallest bottles possible, and kept in the fridge unless you are in the process of making a cocktail. Have you seen the vermouth bottles at Milk and Honey? The are the small, and the martitis are wet there. So you know you are getting crisp, fresh martini. I will never order a Martini or manhattan if I see the vermouth on the back bar with a speed pourer(and usually a thick parka of dust) on it. It is then time to order a bottle of beer and dream lovely Milk & Honey/Flatiron/Pegu/Little Branch/WD 50 dreams, of wet Martinis, hot velvet Manhattans, sublime Blood and Sands, Naughty Negronis, Valliant Valintinos, and butt-kicking Bronx.

Apple jack OR Calvados, pardon the sloppy grammer. And yes the Bonded ROCKS!!!

I have been playing around with apple jack and calvados because they just scream fall. But it's hard to pull back the sweetness. I love the apple blow fizz, but I like to cut the calvados with a little Poire Williams (41 Jane Does) to bring in some extra texture. Any body got some apple jack/ calvados combos they like?

I find the essential oils in lime peel are rather harsh and overpower the mint. The rum smash works well because lemon peel is more delicate. Lime juice is the way to go with mojitos. In a caiparinha, the sturdiness of the liquor stands up to lime essence.

Like all supurlitive cocktails, the Mojito is destined to spawn an armada of imatators. Soon there will be a Mo-hito (sic) (picture of Some famous Moe) on every tacky chain resturant menu from Long Island mega malls to strip malls in sunny Cali. There will be canned whip cream involved. I used to be of the school of thought that it was best to grind, pulverise, and shred the mint almost into a paste. Then after trying the experment in Jigger, Beaker, and Glass, where Mr.Baker (One of the few that doesn't make his insurance companies dislike him) Instructs you to take a mint leaf and gently bite down on it and then grind it between gnashing molars. The difference is amazing. So I now muddle the mint loveningly with demerara syrup instead of a sugar cube. Then add lime juice, rum( I really like Methusulm, it's cuban style, very dry) crushed Ice. Straw, and then a forest of spanked mint, to delight the olfatory sense, as well the tastebuds.

Yum, I make a cherry compote for thannsgiving and thanks to you some of it will end up singing splish, splash in a champange coupe.

How about barkeep. We keep the bar from falling apart, we keep the peace, we keep on going, and going..., we keep up apperiances, we keep in mind a zillion things, We keep up the good work, we keep it togather, we have been known to be our brothers keeper, and we keep on keeping on. What about Gary Regans "cocktaillian?" I know it now refers to all people who are cocktail obsessed. And in referance to what one should call a barkeep to get their attention, I like "excuse me" then, "kind sir" or "rock star" or "Hero" depending in my mood. I hate buddy, sport, chief, big guy, dude, yo, io, "when you get a miniute", "No rush...But..." ect.

Cherry cider! That sounds like it has a lot of potential. I recently had for the very first time a starfruit, which, though it was underripe and kind of bland, seemed like it could be a pretty useful ingredient for cocktails--citrusy and a little bitter without being very sour. Probably a pain to get juice out of, though. ← I like starfruit as a drink garnish. A slice looks so pretty perched on the rim of a cocktail glass. I doubt one could juice them though. ← Even if you could juice the flavor is too sublte for cocktails. Even a whisper of lemon or lime obliterates the starfruit. But they remain one of the most exotic garnish ever.

Admin: This discussion split from the thread on Pegu Club, as it is an interesting one in its own right. Can we please not call them (us ) bar chefs.

Go to your local heath food store. get ginger juice. Make 1 part to one. go easy, it is sweet and hot.

Blantons also comes in a cloth bag like the ones you speak of. And it's a lovely brown. One doesn't have to feel like The Artist Formaly known As to enjoy the flannel bag.

Throw a little home made ginger syrup and it will warm the cockels of your heart throughout the cold months.

I do belive it was the english who visited the addition of limes upon perfectly unsuspecting gin in the first place which birthed the gimlet. I'm sure there were "pink drinkers" who were horrified. A little variety in life keeps the palate awake, ones companions dying to attend your next shindig to sample your potables and way to veer from the ruts that are so easy to get stuck in.

Well we are now muddling our way into fall. It may be time to put aside those childish things, juices and the like, and pick up the instruments of fall. I'm thinking apple jack, Rittenhouse rye, deep cuban style rums. How shall we pair cocktails to golden turkey? Maybe some of that cranberry sauce or cherry compote should sneak into a shaker. Any Ideas?

Yes completly translucent and the flavor of the vermouth, and brine can osmois (SP?) all the way through.

I didn't see Degroffs Whisky Smash mentioned any where yet. And if this isn't one of this loveliest muddled drinks ever i'll drink a cosmo made with house vodka, well tripple sec, roses lime and cran out of a gun whos lines havent been cleaned in a couple a years. (this is the cocktail geek version of "i'll eat my hat", it doesn't roll off the tounge but the image...) And one can happily sub rye, rum, or gin. The thing i like about the smash is the delicateness of the drink. the esential oils of the lemon don't overpower the mint.

If you like the cuccumber as the sweet/savory aspect in a tini, soak paper thin slices of cucumber in 1/2 dry vermouth and 1/2 olive brine, cover leave in fridge an hour before violet hour, make a 'tini, then float 3 slices on top. i think this is a way to complement the cucumber notes in Hendricks or to bring extra flavors to a hot summer, porch-sitting cocktail.

I have infused a few bottles of liqour over the years and i kept coming up against the same problem. As soon as Had infued peppers into something my sweet tooth would come out. I now just infuse simple syrups. I have around 12 simples in my fridge. This way I can use the vanilla in both burbon and vodka. Also you have more contol over the intensity of the flavor in each cocktail. You can rinse a glass leaving just a whisper of the flavor or use it in equal parts to the acid and have it a bold, blustery statement.

I know that it's not classic but my Negroni has half the amount of campari as sweet vermouth. It makes for a smoother, less biting cocktail. it's also better for the people who don't know they like gin yet. 2 oz. Plymouth 1 oz Sweet Vermouth 1/2 oz Campari stir with big chunks of cold ice and strain into a Marie Antoinette. Garnish with a spiral, orange twist, the orange oil floating like a rainbow in a pool of liquid fire.

If you are using rum how about pinapple juice as the acid, and back down to a Wash of Navan. Rum and pine were made for each other, but a dash of bitters, or lime cant hurt. The mint used as a garnish is both visually striking, and you get that subtle mint hint that is refreshing. Also what about making a Mai Tai, but substituting the vanilla for the orgeat? To paraphrase the immortal Charles H. Baker... These are the experments that cause our insurance company to dislike us... happy experimenting