Friend of the Farmer

According to the importer there have been some subtle changes based on feedback, with the last set in effect from bottles dated January (or Frebruary?) 2009 forward. Most notably the product is more pliable now - I can step up to 1/4oz or slightly more if using a more flavor intensive gin than Plymouth (and we rotate Beefeater and Brokers). I'm still waiting on getting pretty flowers put on the label. On a separate note - thank you to whomever is making the Maraska Maraschino more available - nice to have a good option aside from our friend Luxardo.

the new Bols liqueurs bottles handle so well - wish more were like it and they almost kinda makes me want to flair bartend too. Though given the risk of the contents spilling out, I'd best stick to knife throwing.

Any recommendations for which bourbon is best in a Lion's Tail?

A Hemingway Daiquiri with Neisson Eleve Sous Bois - like a genie in a bottle

how much of that Cocchi Americano do you have left (or willing to share)?

The Pages Vedrenne product has been here for a while - it is labelled as a Creme de Violette in small type, and in large type as Partfait Amour. By taste I found it more of a Parfait Amour - similar to the forthcoming Yvette with vanilla notes and citrus (and as such not a traditional Violette). jmfangio is right that it is not as sweet as the Hermes.

I'm not finding the changes helping me so much, however much I want to like having something different. And it does seem odd I find myself adjusting old book recipes calling for French Vermouth to now use less of the new/old Noilly Prat. As Gary and others have mentioned, you need to use less, and for many that means going from 3:1 or 4:1 to upwards of 5:1 or 6:1. This ups the overall pour cost, and with more alcohol poured, gets the Somm irked for threatening wine sales at mealtime and raises alc liabilities. That said, doing a standard ratio should bring out the wood notes which should appeal to the oakey-chardonnay crowd. The new featured cocktail on the back label suggests a broader target audience, and so maybe to support this we should try serving the recommended 2:1 Grey Goose to Noilly Dry. Sounds cynical from me but at least it highlights the distinctive profile. I would like to do more to highlight the unique character here, especially that Sherry/Madeira finish. So no one has spoken to how this works differently in the kitchen from the old - is it better with deglazing and with sauces?

My last bottle of the St Elizabeth Allspice Dram was $27.99 for 750ml from Shopper's Vinyard in NJ. We polished that off last weekend making Lion's Tail cocktails and mulled cider the prior. I'll likely get a half bottle at Crush Wine ($21 there) with wine for Thanksgiving unless I do a mail order haul from SV or DrinkUpNY. The Berry Hill product sold today is not the same as Pimento of years ago. It's been reported on other forums that it's now made with GNS and molasses. Still a tasty product, but not what it once was. I've been a fan of Chuck Taggart's recipes and done a few variations on; next want to rif the St E if I can find some funky pot-still rum.

I've done variations on the Raffles Cocktail shown on the importer's website, there listed as equal parts 3/4oz Batavia and Fresh Lime with 3oz ginger ale on the rocks in a highball. A variation of this using Canton and Velvet Falernum is or was on the menu at Gramercy Tavern. The Bombay Government Punch served at Tales was fantastic. I made it once more at home but seem to have since misplaced the recipe card.

The Alpenz website posted the recipe for the Water Lilly (Silver sans egg white) and it was 2oz Dry Gin 1/2 oz CdV 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 1/2 oz Cointreau I had then tried variations with the St Germain Elderflower and Violette and it came across a little too acidic, though quite nice after dialing back the lemon juice. Reminds me I'd wanted to retry this with some of the newer gins on the market.

Luxardo funk/intensity can be a factor, but could also be the gin selection, and I'd suspect the latter. I've used more CdV in my proportions (somewhere upthread) as I typically prepare the Aviation with either Aviation Gin (making a botanical garden drink), Reisetbauer Blue (though now out), Bluecoat or often Beefeater. To my palate these have stonger botanical notes that (if I get it right) harmonize with the CdV floral. With Plymouth, which I otherwise adore, the CdV and Maraschino stand out too much, and Bombay/Sapphire ruins it as it does too many a drink. That said, much of my last CdV bottle went into Arsenic & Old Lace/Attention/Atty variations as we're testing some of the new absinthes and revisiting the pastis. Suppose that deserves its own thread...

Regarding the amount of Maraschino, others have noted that it depends on the type used. I'll use 1/4 to 1/2oz of Maraska, but just a teaspoon of Luxardo, the latter can quickly take over a cocktail. Got my Maraska in California from Bev Warehouse in LA - and they also mail order. The Alpenz website lists a few retail stores that mail order most anywhere. I also just saw the Violette at Morrrell Wine last week, and they've been good with delivering 'relief supplies' into two control states I've been stuck working.

There's a thread in this forum on the Aviation, so perhaps hop to there for better advice. So why is it so difficult to find ingredients in Massachusetts? Is there something to the liquor laws?

Batavia Arrack is made from sugarcane and java red rice. Most every commercial production of Swedish Punsch is a blend of Batavia Arrack and a rum. It's largely an economic decision, as the Arrack is expensive. Nonetheless it's fun to experiment to further the complexity of taste in the Punsch. Even better when I have more then a mini of the Arrack.

Home distillation of fruit sounds like an expensive hobby. And if you just use the apricot juice you won't get any of the characteristic tastes that come from the apricot stones. I'd stick to buying Apricot eau-de-vie or the comparable apricot fruit liqueur.