Kent Wang

As far as I know an atomizer, mister, and pump spray are the same thing. I use the Muji 12 ml. It's the smallest I've ever seen, but for cocktail purposes this will last you for months, and the pump works very well. I had one from the Container Store that often jammed for some reason. I think spraying is the best way to dispense bitters. In particular, spraying some bitters on top of a drink really brings out the nose. This also has the interesting effect of causing the drink to change drastically over time as the initial sip is very bitters forward and as it settles this goes way. You can also do an absinthe rinse easily, though I always prefer to spray on top of the drink. I keep spray bottles of Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters, Angostura Orange, Bittermens 'Elemakule Tiki Bitters, Laphroaig, and absinthe. Do spray bottles completely obviate the need for dashers, such as the ones that come with the bitters bottle or glass dashers? It's hard to measure, but I think one pump is roughly equal to a dash. I just found that the Muji website has a warning: "Anything with a high percentage of alcohol should not be placed in these containers. No foods, drinks, oils, nail polish remover, perfume, cologne, toner ink, vinegar, paint should be put in these containers." I'm not sure if they're just trying to cover their butt legally, but this article suggests that PET is fairly safe. The amount of liquid dispensed through a spray bottle is trivial compared to a wine bottle. You could get a glass spray bottle if you're really worried.

The Whisky Exchange absinthe selection includes the Jades in 20 cl bottles for around £22 (~$30 ex VAT). Which one should I get for cocktail purposes?

Do all cocktail bars use the same coupe? Is it the Leopold from Cocktail Kingdom? What is the ideal size? 4.5 oz seems a bit small as I often make 3-4 oz drinks, add in dilution and your contents are uncomfortably close to the rim. I know some bars will often serve drinks to the rim but it always spills a bit and gets your hand messy as you're drinking.

We've used the Wine Diaper for years. The key with them is that they are not for protecting the bottle as much as they are for protecting the other contents of the suitcase. They offer minimal padding, but they are lined with super absorbent material that can quickly soak up the contents of any leaks or breaks. We put the bottle in a wine diaper, then wrap the whole thing with clothing or other padding material. We've never had a bottle break (probably 100 bottles of wine & liquor brought back to the U.S. in checked luggage with this method at this point) and the few times I've had seals/caps leak, the Wine Diaper absorbed everything and nothing in the luggage got wet or damaged.The same company now sells the Jet Bag for even less money. I can't tell the difference between the two. This looks like the best solution. Wine Hug gives better padding but it doesn't seal in the liquid. For ultimate protection you could use both. Wine Hug is also quite expensive at $25 each, while Jet Bag is $8 for 3.

Does anyone have photos of Japanese plates that they own, or just photos of ones they like?

I'm in London now. I have Cointreau in my cabinet. Which should I stock next? Grand Marnier, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Triple Sec? How about DeKuyper or Bols? I believe the European versions of those are much better. What would one use Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb for?

How about Bitter Truth Golden Falernum Liqueur, Intense Falernum, and Cocktail Kingdom Falernum Bitters?

Which raisin variety is the best? Is there some sort of premium one I can get? I'm in London. I want to use these for making a rum infusion. I did it before with red raisins which I think are better for infusions than the green raisins as the flavor has a fuller body, just like red wine and white wine. I used to get them at the Muslim market in Shanghai, where traders brought them from Xinjiang, in northwest China.

What's the point of fruit infusions when you can just juice them instead? For example, a strawberry infusion is my absolute favorite, but why go through the trouble of infusing it when you can put the strawberries into a centrifugal juicer instead? (A blender and a strainer can also work) The advantages of an infusion over just adding spirit to juice is that the spirit will remain fairly high in alcohol content, since it doesn't extract much water or sugar from the fruit, and because of this will have a fairly long shelf life. But for most fruit infusions, you end up making a cocktail where you would want to put sugar back in and wouldn't mind some dilution either. If I wanted to make a big batch of a strawberry cocktail for a party, I would just juice the strawberries and add spirit. It'll probably taste fresher, too. So the only remaining advantage of an infusion is the long shelf life. But there are also disadvantages, aside from the time and effort, you also lose quite a bit of fruit and spirit through the process. If you try to eat an infused strawberry, it'll taste very boozy. I think most people just end up tossing those, but you can bake with them, make a boozy smoothie, or juice them, as I describe below: Of course this primarily applies to fruit infusions. Obviously, spice and tea need to be infused.

I think I've only seen the Y-style at bars, though haven't paid that much attention.

Does peeling citrus for cocktails call for a specific style of peeler, such as the Y-style or the straight swivel? The Sweethome has detailed reviews of the best vegetable peelers. I got a channel knife from Cocktail Kingdom and it's great for twists.

I found this site, Hip Pressure Cooking, with some very detailed reviews. Fissler got a middle grade. I just ordered the recommended WMF Perfect Plus.

How loud are the electric crushers? I'm considering a manual one if it will be quieter. The folks at Tiki Central seem to find the manual ones fine. I posted this over at the blender topic: could I use a Vita-Mix or Blendtec to crush ice, or will that only give me smoothie consistency ice?

Can one of these blenders crush ice for cocktails? Crushed, but not smoothie consistency.

I just moved to London and need to build my kitchen from scratch. Instead of getting a regular big pot and a pressure cooker, I'd like to just get a pressure cooker. Boil pasta with the lid off. I'd also like to have a steamer insert. Any recommendations? Preferably available in the UK.

When doing shots of Smith & Cross, everyone must high five each other and yell, "Navy strength, baby!"

This looks amazing. Is the smell as heavenly as I imagine?

Just got back from Hong Kong. 001 - Pretty good, has some house infusions. Food is good. You can Google for the phone number and address, or PM me. Quinary - Has some molecular elements, though mostly gimmicky (I've yet to be impressed by molecular cocktails, I even thought Aviary was gimmicky, though I loved Alinea). At least everything was good. Pretty good food, also with some molecular touches.

Pro tip: You only need to find one good cocktail bar in a city. If you want to go to some others, just ask the bartender what they recommend. The Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards has some places I've never heard of: In Singapore, there's also Bar Kode in Little India, which I haven't been to but hear is well-regarded.

Are there many foreigners in the countryside? Would it be difficult to get by speaking only English?

If you ever venture outside of major US cities, internationally or even into deepest, darkest flyover country, it may be difficult to find good cocktail bars. Reviews can be unreliable, as you never know what the author means by "good cocktail". For this purpose, I will define it as the caliber of bars similar to Pegu Club, Death & Co, Bourbon & Branch, Violet Hour, Cure, etc. eGullet member tikibars has a website and a book coming out called Destination: Cocktails where he lists many bars in lesser known places like Berlin, Austin, even Anchorage. I actually accompanied him to a few bars when he came to Shanghai. I would like to expand and update his list with some bars that I've been to. Each city is sorted from best bar to not as good (but still pretty good). Shanghai Senator Saloon - Opened summer 2012, this is now the best bar in town. Bartender from Portland The Publick (formerly Apothecary) - Branch of Beijing Apothecary, but ownership change and renamed to The Publick. Alchemist el Coctel Beijing Mai - In a hutong (alley), lots of character. Cheapest drinks I've ever seen, around ¥50 ($7). Bartender ex-Apothecary. Apothecary Singapore Tippling Club - Some creative and molecular touches. Bar Stories Ku De Ta - On top of the Marina Bay Sands. Decent menu, probably made by a consultant, but drinks made too sweet—ask them to make it less sweet. Still, surprisingly good for a place with an amazing view. You could just go here instead of the Singapore Flyer. Hong Kong 001 - Haven't been but I've heard is quite good. Might need an invitation or code. Lily & Bloom - Visited in 2010, only five cocktails, probably a consultant gave them the recipes and left. The secret cigar room is pretty neat. Bangkok I went with friends to two bars that were decent. Can't remember their names but I could find out if you PM me. Berlin Lebensstern - Most extensive rum menu I've ever seen, with over 40 from Martinique alone. See Destination: Cocktails for more in Berlin, and many other places.

Oh yes, that's the one and only thing that I've only ever seen at street vendors but not anywhere else. How odd.

You're deep-frying them? In China, we usually either steam or boil them plain, or in a "red sauce" which is soy sauce, some sugar, and a bit of star anise if you feel like it. Once cooked they'll last for a couple of days. I've never seen pickled ones before, but it sounds interesting. I've never seen deboned duck tongues before either.

I've tried putting the can in the fridge. That helps to solidify the fat and then it's easier to separate that out.

Does this work as well for rye?