FrogPrincesse

From yesterday - a Daiquiri No.2 with 2 oz J.M rhum agricole, 3/4 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, barspoon Clément créole shrubb, barspoon orange juice. Rhum agricole in a Daiquiri of some type (my standard bartender's choice order) is always a good thing.

Last night I enjoyed a Confederation Bridge (Bulleit rye, Cynar, Drambuie, Dolin white vermouth, Angostura bitters), one of Fred's picks for 2013 top cocktails at cocktail virgin slut. I tasted orange, chocolate, and honey, with a bitter Cynar finish. It was a tad sweet but I liked it.

I concur. To me the bonded apple brandy tastes very rough, and to be honest I did not care for it much. Not all calvados are good though, I have tried some that I did not like either.

I like A Moment of Silence as well. What kind of Daron did you get, the Fine or the XO? If it's the XO, it's pretty good on its own already. I've been making all kinds of cocktails that call for Laird's with calvados and have rarely been disappointed. Here are a few ideas for you: the American Trilogy (an Old Fashioned variation), the Lionheart, the Diamondback Lounge (the original with yellow chartreuse, on the rocks), Jeff Morgenthaler's Norwegian Wood (works best with the XO), Audrey Saunders' Tantris Sidecar. Last but not least, here is one I've been making a lot this winter, a twist on Eric Lorincz's Norman Conquest: 1 oz each scotch, calvados, and sweet vermouth, 1 teaspoon Drambuie, Angostura and Peychaud's bitters, stir, strain on ice, orange twist (see here). Calvados is also excellent in ice cream and crêpes. Enjoy your recent purchase!

From this weekend, an old friend (on the left) - Lost Abbey's Avant Garde ale (which is, as its name suggests, a bière de garde), and a Triple IPA "Hop Way to the Danger Zone" from local brewery Acoustic Ales. The triple IPA had a good IPA flavor profile; hoppy and floral with some depth. Relatively low carbonation and thin body were minuses. But on the plus side, a fantastic passion fruit aroma, and it's super drinkable. Oh, and as I realized after a few sips, it packs a punch at 10% ABV... Additional tasting notes from the brewery:

Nearly identical to the Cloister from PDT (1.5 oz gin, 0.5 oz yellow Chartreuse, 0.5 oz grapefruit juice, 0.25 oz lemon juice, 0.25 oz simple syrup, grapefruit twist), ...last night I tried the Echo, Echo (from the Ordinary in Charleston) which switches to green Chartreuse and adds falernum to the mix. 1.5 oz gin (Beefeater), 0.5 oz green chartreuse, 0.5 oz grapefruit (I've also seen a version at 0.25 oz), 0.5 oz lemon, 0.25 oz falernum (homemade). Beefeater is what they specify; I think I would like it too with a more juniper-forward gin like Junipero or Tanqueray. I went with 0.5 oz grapefruit but a bit less would be ok. The falernum gave it a little zing in the finish which was cool.

Another day, another Manhattan variation. This one, The Old Friends, is from Sydney's bar Eau de Vie. It's a kitchen-sink approach to a Manhattan with a little bit of everything. I made the cocktail based on the recipe published in Speakeasy Cocktails, but there is a version in their book that is heavier on the Cynar that I want to try too. 1.75 oz rye (Bulleit), 1 oz sweet vermouth (Dolin), 4 tsp Cynar (4 tsp = 2/3 oz; I used 3 tsp = 0.5 oz), dash absinthe (St. George), dash Angostura bitters, dash Peychaud's bitters, stir, strain over large ice cube (served up), lemon and orange twist, brandied cherry.

The crust looks nice in the photos, but it was rather soft. You know, I haven't tried any of the fruit breads in the book so I can't really help you. Hopefully others will chime in.

A Warning Label, a 1934 Zombie Punch, a Jet Pilot, or even a 151 Swizzle.

Here is another loaf that I baked from the same batch of olive oil dough (Feb 25 post). The second loaf is always better as the flavor has had more time to develop. The texture was better too, although I would have preferred something crustier.

Fat Tire amber ale (New Belgium). I hadn't had that one in ages. It's ok. Malt/petit beurre biscuit flavor. But it's very thin and watery, and does not have much body. I would not buy it again.

I made the European peasant bread last night. I did not have any rye flour so I used buckwheat instead. I really liked the texture. It was really crusty but wasn't dense inside. The flavor was very nice as well.

Josh Miller on his blog did a detailed review of black rums that included Coruba, Gosling, Cruzan Black Strap, Myer's, Trader Vic, and Whaler's. It should give you a good idea of the differences between these brands. http://inuakena.com/spirit-reviews/dark-rum-challenge/

Coruba is pretty cheap, at least here, and will do the job (it's owned by Wray and Nephew). Otherwise, Cruzan blackstrap, Gosling black seal, or Myers dark.

Catalina Offshore - love that place. I am lucky to live less than 15 min away.

Sorry I got lost in my thoughts. It was excellent of course. A dash or two of the forbidden bitters added plenty of bite and cut through the sweetness. Which bitters do you use in yours?

Michael McIlroy's Greenpoint is truly excellent. It's very harmonious and I love the herbal notes from the chartreuse. 2 oz rye (Bulleit), 1/2 sweet vermouth (Dolin), 1/2 oz yellow chartreuse, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters (Angostura).

From the backlog, a classic. Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. Nutty/malty with a nice dose of bitterness. Dry finish.

Yes - almost a year later. I used the ratios from Bartender's Choice (same as the Wondrich version although he only uses 1 dash of Ango). 2 oz (Junipero) gin, 3/4 oz lime juice, 3/4 oz (Pierre Ferrand dry) curacao, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash (1 each Regan and Fee) orange bitters. It was quite dry but I did not mind.

A nightcap earlier this week. Good stuff. Another nightcap - this one inspired by Hassouni. I used Miracle Miles forbidden bitters, which are Abbott-inspired.

Tuxedo No. 1 last night, a 2:1 martini with a rinse of absinthe. Sipsmith London dry gin, Noilly Prat extra dry vermouth, St. George absinthe. Very floral especially at first, mostly from the absinthe. The botanicals from the gin come through after a few sips.

I think with this one you are supposed to try it every 4 years to remind yourself why you don't like it... I am not a big fan either although it is pretty (2 years since my last attempt which was the Joy of Mixology version).

I tried it last night with Laphroaig 10 years, Dolin rouge, Luxardo cherry liqueur, and St. George absinthe. Quite intense, even with dilution. It would probably work best with a milder Islay.

After finishing MBV I opened a bottle of Shegöat from the Bruery, a "German-style ale". I was not expecting what followed. Beautiful aromas with the most distinctive ester flavors (mostly banana). Also good maltiness. It has flavor and depth. What a fabulous beer. I wish I could find more. From the Bruery:

Sounds like a plan!