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Flying home from Morrocco I scored a bottle of JW Red in duty free. It came in a plastic flask shaped bottle and provided just the inflight service a nuerotic needed crossing an ocean. Back home pricepoint wise its neck and neck with Famous Grouse. Taste wise I won't say there is no comparison, unfortunately for JW Red there is and lets just say I only touch the Red now for two reasons. One it exist in my bar because it was ordered before I took over ordering and we haven't run out of it, and two because some fool orders it over the other better 30 scotches at their disposal.

Just wanted to chime in for Famous Grouse myself, use it in our well and well it does very well. CB Asayla does its part quite agreeably also. We've recently put a Scotland Yard section on our menu, anyone else out there have some new and exciting Scotch cocktails to mention? I think it is a very under utilized spirit, it being one of the most complex.

I'm with Mayur to a degree. I think a negroni is a great drink any time of day or night but I sure am fond of them before overly stimulating my pallet with a glutinious amount of delecious food. Toby?? Old Overholt and Herbsaint. Not Rittenhouse and some good absinthe?

Those bits of ice overly dilute sips in your mouth, and hurt my teeth.

Something no ones mentioned. If the question is where does the bar end and kitchen begin the answer is sometimes the bartender kicks the kitchen door open and the bar doesn't end at the bar. What is to be said of all the work the bartender does in the kitchen? Homemade everything thats what we preach and for alot of syrups, ginger beers, some infusions, etc... one needs a stove and even sometimes an oven. What I'm trying to say is the kitchen ends in the kitchen, the bar utilizes the kitchen. You eat soup with a spoon Cocktails call for straws or no utensil at all

I'm with Sam on this one. I've heard of this and had Stan demonstrate it for me and I'm just not sold on it. Yeah its real cute motion and the ice cube coming out circular is interesting but is the drink cold enough is what I wonder. The froth on that drink didn't look all that impressive. I think only a side by side comparison is in order. Anyone up for reservations at Tailor. I seem to remember Sam discussing a sort of cocktail outing once per month a while back, perhaps this could be the first outing??

that mint sprig makes me thirsty!

In the words of Joquin Simo who needs julep cups when you have C-cups. Prepare to shudder boys and girls.

The bartender is not always right. The customer is not always right. There are no absolutes except that there are no absolutes. Weather rules are unamerican or not one thing very much is: Freedom of choice. We have a few rules at my bar. No Standing: Room does not get overcrowded and service does not suffer from too many people to serve and getting in the way. We seat about 65 its a small room a rambunctious group of people screaming and yelling can ruin the vibe of the whole room. If they are being asked to tone it down a bit they are the ones asking us to ask them. No Flash photography, simply its annoying, if people only took one picture it'd be different but most insist of a photoshoot. Back to freedom of choice: There are thousands of bars in Manhattan or any other city you can go in and do what ever you wish, the cherry tavern if four doors down from my bar, to argue with the staff in my establishment over the rules they don't like is plain stupid, just leave. There are plenty of options. And yes there are certain people we don't want in our bar for the very reason they won't want to be in our bar.

There is no liquior in the ramble, and obviously it is a variation on the bramble. Also I've never seen a recipe for muddled blackberrys in a bramble.

A good drink is a good drink. If I have a good drink somewhere I find out how to make that drink because the more drinks I know the better chance I have of satisfying the forever more numerous customer base. Further I see nothing wrong with trying to order a house cocktail of a house in a different house. If a person is asking me for a gin gin mule or some other cocktail from another cocktail lounge I know this person really likes this drink and probably because its a good cocktail. This customer could actually be helping me become a better bartender if its a drink I didn't know how to make or ever heard of and they know the recipe I didn't. We are all on the same team. Every good cocktail at every good cocktail bar is good for all cocktail bars. Drinks are our resouces good drinks are our goals. We should share our resources because we are all trying to achieve the same goal. That goal I feel is to see a higher number of people drinking quality beverages. That can't be achieved in just one place. We need each other we are each other. Spread the good word one and all.

I like to make my palomas with fresh GF juice instead of GF soda. I just add a bit of simple and club soda instead. I would also like to take this moment to sing aloud the praises of the grapefruit twist. Try one in a gin martini or a negroni. Often one needn't even drop it in one is so aromatic. I also love infusing booze with grapefruit zest. Especially aperol and campari. Also can use grapefruit juice in punch.

Proportions are 1.5 gin (plymouth works well) 1 lillet .75 suze Charles at the lonsdale in london made me a great variation using noilly pratt amber and orange bitters. But alas one cannot get the amber either. Does anyone know if that liquor store in LA that has Suze ships?

I'm a real big fan of the Bianco vermouth and I think hands and pants down the Martini and Rossi I feel is far superior to the cinzano. The drinks I've used the bianco for are clearly a different and inferior drink with the cinzano. One of my favorite uses of the Bianco is its affinity with tequila. Very very lovely combo.

Whiskey on the rocks gets me "pumped and feeling alive" sometimes and is quite simple and straight forward, Also quite tasty and refreshing with soda and a lemon.

That would be what I call the Peach Monster Its 2 peat monster .50 St. G 1 or 2 dash angustora The St G. and Peat Monster really complement one another and create a subtle wiff of Peach. And I saw that you think half an ounce of St G. is too much for a drink Sam, Ie Makes it too sweet. I disagree. I find that like the above recipe 2 oz of good booze really blends well with half an ounce of St G and some bitters. I've done it with cognac, rye, scotch, tequila, Mezcal, and gin(add a grapefruit twist) all to satisfaction. Of course yours is a dry sophisticated pallet.

There are two on the new Menu at Death and Co. in Nyc. Thats two from amongst a plethera the bartenders have been working on. It truly is one of the finest liquiors to come on the market since I've started tending bar. I've tried it with every spirit with the exception of vodka ( why waste a good thing ) and it works with even peated scotch and aquavit. Well done Robert.

the oxaca is actually stirred not shaken. Thanks for the post Sam.

So no one mentioned foret saison perhaps my favorite beer on earth which I've only ever seen at the Pegu club. Its an organic belgium farmhouse ale. Anyway its off but on the subject but I need to reasearch belgium beers here in NYC and was wondering if anyone has recomendations other that DBA or the ginger man for an interesting watering hole where I can sample a wide variety of belgium ales.

A bartender dictated by the rule of thumb forgets that he has nine other unused fingers. Drinks are a matter of balance first and formost. Obviously the base spirit is a predominent component in the building of the drink. Too mix something because it is cheap is as foolish as not mixing something because its deemed expensive. Flavor profile has a much greater impact on the end result (the cocktail) than that of price point. Just like life itself what we have is still the never ending search for the happiest medium.

Point taken Nathan. Sorry for the scrutiny. Your next drink is on me.

nathan a few things. one it was a greenpoint not an eastpoint. second there was one large group of young girls not a few. also "standard" drink prices are not unacceptable when places are putting things like el tosoro reprosado as base ingredients in drinks. Also I think its a little early to say anything is clear about anything such as there obviously being two groups of people when the place has only been officially opened nary a week. And just for the record I wouldn't go so far as saying the wicked kiss is a SIMPLE variation on the widows kiss. its a variation but i think simple is a bit undermining.

Please for the sake of all that tastes good can we please never mention vodka and an old fashion in the same sentence ever again after this one. Whats next a kettle one sazerac. Just gouge my eyes out with a bar spoon I wish to read no more. What hit the spot last night? A George T Stagg old fashion. Thats right some 130 proof bourbon. I.E. something that belongs in an old fashion. Please note: an old fashion is something that softens and features a booze.(end of sentence) Vodka tastes like nothing so there is nothing to feature or showcase. Why bother with biters, sugar, and bartendered loving care. Just shake the shit out of it and drink down the sooner the better its gone.

The credit card system should be in in a few days at most. One and all bring your thirst and plastic.

The cocktail menu was limited just for the first two weeks. By the end of the week there will be an extended cocktail menu of at least 13 to 15 drinks. Patience please.