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.

If you're looking for a nice synopsis of the European studies, click through to this article recently published online by the National Institute of Health (the NIH is a US govt agency): Absinthism: a fictitious 19th century syndrome with present impact http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlere...i?artid=1475830

CUSTOMS INSPECTION - watch out Clearing US Customs this past Wednesday I was sent to the Ag inspection line. I always declare in full on my blue form (lose my passport, lose my job) the wine and/or spirit type, and this time had "5 bottles of french aperitifs(spirits)". The first thing asked - "Are they Absinthe?" While I joked that I wouldn't risk both my mind and job, he said they specifically look for it. And though what I had was perfectly legal, I was greatful I didn't have to explain the Gentian aperitif.

Ted & Linda up at Hemingway's, near Killington Vermont, had a wonderful cocktail that was in one of Gary's books many years ago. Sorry I don't have the book or recipe!

Whenever in New York I pick up a bottle of one of the Vermont Spirits vodkas. One is distilled from maple syrup and another from milk sugar. If drinking straight, its hard to go back to the grain stuff after enjoying these. They are just delicious. If mixing and paying for it, I'll stick with the Zyr, Hanger One or Luksoska. Of course economically, the distributors seem to deliver the freebies on a steady basis. I was recently at a bar in a resort town that has over half it's vodka selection comped on a steady basis. And there's the boomerang on those marketing dollar products.

I've got a bottle - It's interesting but very different in composition than expected with the name "Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir". The neck tag makes this clear: Neck tag reads: "This Eau de Vie is made from an infusion of springtime buds of Douglas Fir boughs picked by hand into clear brandy which is then re-distilled and re-infused with more buds. Finally it is strained and then bottled at 95.46 proof." My opinion: the taste and nose is much more of the undefined brandy (I think it's a mix of apple and/or pear). A pine resin taste does come out in the finish. It is not a clear distillate - that final infusion imparts a pale lime green color - the producer should know better than to call this an Eau de Vie, especially given the target audience knows it should then be colorless. Assuming that the brandy is from a tree fruit, this product is more accurately by taste and design a "Two Tree Brandy".

In some other thread I'd promised to report back on the stone pine cocktail I'm serving this season. Eje is right on the fragile nature of the Zirbenz, but I've experimented around (and cheated by asking bartenders using it) and find that a little goes a long way and still economic if not mixed with too many ingredients. So what I'm serving is an offshoot of the recipe suggested by Gary Regan a few months back. Alpine Christmas 2 oz Gin (Plymouth here) 1/2 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur 1 twist lemon 1 candycane (1 drop of peppermint extract optional)

Dulce de leche can be so wonderful because of its rich full creamy taste, but I think too easily recede to a less savory taste sensation through dilution. If you enjoy a real dulce de leche, you may find both the Duseda and (especially) the Bailey's Caramel to be lacking. I'd strongly suggest a focus on pairing options with the real deal - dulce de leche desserts. Last year at Christmas we had a big hit with a traditional bread pudding with dulce de leche and served with a pear williams brandy. Katie's suggestion of bourbon could really pair well. More recently have had a Bantoffee pudding (e.g. pie) with a scotch whiskey - and will try that at home. Let us know what you end up trying - whether in drink or on the table!

have you seen them in the US? I've only seen them in Europe.

If in Vancouver skip the MB and go for even higher quality Giffard for the price. It might be the only market in North America for the french Giffard line. They are fantastic. Hope they make it to the USA someday.

Go over to Berry Bros on St James and pick up a bottle of Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur - it's made from a pine fruit picked in the high alps and has the aroma of the holiday tree. If you go to the US importer's website there are plenty of recipes with gin, but my favorite is equal parts gin to zirbenz with two drops of peppermint oil.