Jamie B

I haven't used eGullet in years, so let's see if this works: The Pur filter system has enabled me to make my best bitters ever, while cutting down my labour by hours. Not only does it do a fantastic job of filtering the final product without any further sedimentation, but I feel that it better integrates flavours. Erik mentioned that my system may work because I'm making my bitters by blending individual tinctures, but I don't actually filter my bitters until the batch has been blended to the flavour profile that I'm trying to achieve. In other words, I don't actually use the Pur until my final filtration (at $8/filter with only 5 or so uses in this fashion it wouldn't be economically viable to use the Pur every time). My pre-blended filtrations are quickly done with layers of cheesecloth. As for those who think that a tiny little carbon water filter is going to strip away all flavour, be aware that every distillery filters before bottling. A lot. Woodford Reserve, for example, puts its whiskey through 40 filters. You can also buy crappy Kangaroo filters (~$30) whose purpose is to make bad booze taste better (I haven't tried it so I don't know if it works), so we know that a carbon filter won't strip much colour or flavour. So I say give it a shot. It works great for me (I can't imagine doing it any other way now). If you're in San Francisco go to Bourbon & Branch to taste my bitters or if you're in NY go to Death & Co. I think you'll find that they have a TON of flavor and don't have a lot of that "edge" that you can find in some homemade bitters. I purchased my Pur on sale at Amazon and I think it cost something like $25 including 5 filters. Not a bad deal at all. Jamie Boudreau

Had the Irish Blonde and it was crap. The list said Reagan's orange bitters and they were using Stirrings. Never a jigger was in sight (not necessarily bad), the bartender never tested my drink, the pours weren't fluid and the bartender seemed like a fish out of water. Anastasia and Jarod trained the staff (I think) but when I mentioned their names all I got was a blank stare. The food was great! The room is beautiful (as were the people). When did we start putting pineapple juice in a Singapore Sling?!?!

I learned that my liver is capable of handling huge amounts of alcohol over two days and little sleep. Thank God I emulsified my egg white BEFORE I shook it in my strainer.......

For me it's got to be the Martinez. Thank you Jerry.

I can't see how the LDB could make Moonshine change it's name, given the double meaning. At the very worst, all they would have to do is put a space in the appropriate spot, as opposed to rebranding.

The drink that I hate to make is the chocolate "martini". It is an unrational hatred, true, but every time I make this drink with the dreaded "martini" attached to it, I can't help but think that I should be in the dessert section and not the bar. I can't help but shake my head (internally) whenever someone orders this liquid dessert right before enjoying an eight course meal. And of course there is the cosmo. I like to say that "every time someone orders a cosmo, an angel rips off his wings." It stuns me when people walk into a bar with an interesting cocktail program and refuse to look at the menu placed in front of them and order the same old boring, indistinct drink that you can get at any bar in the world. Adventure and imagination do truly seem to be lacking at times. On the other hand, whenever someone orders a Widow's Kiss, Pegu Club or Aviation (oh my), it makes me smile, as I know balance is key, and a challenge awaits.

I agree....especially with smaller measures (1/4 oz, etc). Unfortunately I did not find it practical at work, so I only use it when perfecting recipes.

A drink we've done in the past is the Stearns cocktail (a twist on the Vesper) 2 oz gin, 1 oz vodka, splash of Pineau du Charentes (or Lillet if not available) and an orange twist (I like to add orange bitters). Perhaps play around with the ratios in order to show off the vodka. Good luck!

I completely agree with this statement, and if I can make someone interested in ordering an Aviation by putting "citrus and juniper infused vodka" instead of "gin" on my cocktail menu, then everyone wins. I win by turning people on to well crafted cocktails regardless of their spirit base, and the guest wins by expanding their horizons. I do find, however, that one can not use a overly junipered gin whilst doing this, or the experiment fails. A good beginners gin like South or Van Gogh, which are both heavy on the citrus component work well. The cocktail in question should be considered as well. I find a gin mint daisy is a good cocktail to use to convert the uninitiated.

I too, sometimes come across difficulties in selling things like gin, vermouth etc. I find that selling gin as citrus and juniper infused vodka works, as well as explaining that vermouth is just fortified wine, and as people don't like all wines they won't like all vermouths, but there are good vermouths out there (Vya, Cinzanno Rosso, Noilly Pratt...) and they may like those. Push on, let people be aware that cocktails don't have to be layers of sweetness, merely substitutes for dessert, but a beverage that can stimulate the mind and palate.

I make a heated drink with rye, ginger of the indies liqueur, apple juice, and orange bitters and lemon twist garnish that always get great results when someone is sick or cold from the weather. I also make a Moroccan mint tea, with spiced rum, two drops of absinthe, lemon, mint, star anise, cinnamon stick, tsp simple syrup and hot water.

I realize that this may be oxymoronic, but are there any "real" cocktails in Vegas? I'm going on Sunday, and have to believe that given the influx of quality dining in the city, and the number of bars, there must be at least ONE place where someone can get a drink that is either interesting or made properly, or, dare I say it, both! Any direction would be greatly appreciated, as I'm sure the concierge will be of no use.

-- and, of course, the Cosmopolitan has to go in a 1980s period cocktail glass with a fluorescent pink stem in the shape of a lightning bolt (preferably plastic). ← You can get specialized Cosmo glasses!!!! Sign me up! And plastic no less. (As if I don't cringe enough when I see Cosmo on a drink chit) I just hoped for a larger response so that when I told my bartender that the world agreed with me, and that sours should go in stemmed-ware (even though the wrong stemmed-ware), I would have more than one person on my side. Not to belittle the weight of your opinion Samuel. It's just numbers are always more effective (well usually anyway)... I think we'll go with the Champagne flute; it looks more elegant, and people won't confuse the drinks for "martinis". On the martini note, I'm thinking of making the servers ring in a Kangaroo when they want a vodka "martini" and a Montgomery when they want a dry gin martini. Let the education of Vancouver begin!!

Thanks for your input Samuel, I can live with that solutiion and will see if my colleague can as well. I WAS hoping to hear from a larger base of people though.........

I think we are losing track of the original question, which was, given our limited selection of glassware, which glass is better suited, historically and practically, for a sour: our cocktail or rocks glass? We are considered one of the best restaurants in Canada, and our cocktail program is based on obscure (and not so obscure) pre-prohibition cocktails, along with some originals. We want to provide the best cocktail we can, with the limitations that we have (such as limited space for glassware, hence the limited selection) We also want to have consistency amongst our drinks (ie same glassware). As we both respect the opinions of the people in this forum (and he has met a few of you), your help is appreciated. It is also my understanding that traditionally a sour glass always had a stem, hence my stand on serving it in the closest thing that we have to a sour glass in the restaurant: the cocktail glass. The two sour drinks on the autumn drink list are: Rum Sour 2 oz Haitian rum 1 oz lemon juice tsp simple 2 dahses Fee’s aromatic bitters and Apricot Stone Sour 1.5 oz Spanish brandy .5 oz apricot brandy .5 oz each: fresh lemon & orange juice We do make other sours by request or in the other seasons menus that have egg white in them. Fizzes are served in a fizz glass, sans ice. Pisco sours are served in a Champagne flute, sans ice.

We occasionally add egg whites to our sours, depending on which sour. We never add ice (unless requested by a guest). As for heat....the hand touches the stem and not the recepticle of the cocktail glass, and as there is no ice, and the glasses are crystal and therefore quite thin, I would assume that the drink would get warmer in the rocks glass faster, due to heat coming from the hand. Having said that, I have not put a thermometer in the drinks after regular intervals to find out if this is actual fact and not just conjecture.

So we are making sours at work, and a new 'tender and I are having a debate over which glass to use. Or selection is limited as we only have 4 different types of wine, and one champagne, highball, old-fashioned (rocks), fizz, and cocktail glass to choose from (all crystal). I say put sours into a cocktail glass as every sour glass that I've ever seen has a stem. He says that every sour he's ever had has been in a rocks-style glass. The only reason that I don't immediately veto him is because he is a bartender of some renown, and I value his opinion and knowledge. Given our limited glassware selection, which glass do you think is better for sours: cocktail or rocks? (Don't say get proper glassware either, please. I'm considering that option, but space is limited)

Lately I've been loving the Hearst: 2oz Plymouth gin, 1oz Cinzanno, 2 dashes each orange and Angostura bitters. Mmmmmmmmmmm.....silky

I've just tried the mint bitters, and I have to agree with the Alchemist. Yikes!!! I enjoy using the other Fee's products, but what the hell were they thinking with their mint product!!!! I normally use Angostura, and occasionally Fee's Aromatic in Mojitos and find that they seem to work. On another note, I make a Spiced Bourbon Smash at work that utilizes the peach bitters quite nicely....

I usually eat with my surrogate family at Chianti's. Although I normally don't eat there, the staff invites me to a pot luck dinner that is made in the restaurant. Essentially everyone tells the G.M. what they want to cook, and she makes sure that it is in house, and then everyone crowds into the kitchen and cooks arounds the cooks during service. When the restaurant closes down we all eat. Candied pureed yams are always on the "menu" and I look forward to them every year, but the neat thing is that because of the number of people/cultures, I always get to taste a bit of someone elses version of "Thanksgiving". They relegate me to the gravy station everytime....

Lumiere does not have seperate prices for its a la carte menu, as this is what the tasting bar was designed for. Yes, they do have 14 menu items at $14 each in the tasting bar (probably one of the best kept "secrets" in the city, as, for example, where else can you get a seafood risotto with lobster, prawns and scallop served in a $175 plate, with $350 of cutlery, for that price?) , and they also have larger items (decouverte: "discovery: or 4 dishes in one, and the 16oz, usually shared, only sous-vided steak in the city) Lumiere does have a seperate dessert menu for the dining room in case someone wants dessert after their a la carte dinner and they have chosen cheese as their third course, instead of dessert. The desserts are also a little more substantial than Nu's, not to take away from what their dessert philosophy.

Desserts in the tasting bar are $7.50, in the dining room they are $12.00. A litre of water is $8.95.

Andrew, I was at Bacchus, Glowbal, and Chambar (as well as others) tonight and didn't see you. Have you finally decided to go in disguise?

OK, I'm back, and have some details. Vineyard is open until 4am every day but friday/saturday as stated. I've found this great new place on Granville called SIP that is open with full kitchen until 2am every night. Food is good (especially for the hour) and all has booze in it (either cooked with, or sprayed on). Service is great too, as all staff were very happy to see me there even regarding the hour. It can be found on 1117 Granville St. and phone at 604.687.7474. Email @ ray@siplounge.com. I've talked to Ray and he is hoping for the industry crowd and has hinted that he may put curtains up and stay open later...but note that this is a hope not a reality as of yet. As it stands, full menu, and a willingness to stay open for industry with a half decent menu is a good, if not great, thing. Just tell them that Jamie from Lumiere sent you and I'm sure they will bend some rules. I myself was allowed to get a beer after hours, with asurances that I would pay and drink quickly. I only wish it was across the bridge. My search for after work places continues...but perhaps I've found the spot?

I know that the Vineyard is open until 6am on Fridays and Saturdays (which I guess is really Saturdays and Sundays), and that may be their hours everyday. I live two blocks away so I'll ask as I'm on my way to George tonight. They have an incredible wine list too. Chateau Palmer for $299?!?!? Too bad there is no food to match with it!