FrogPrincesse

Here you go - http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?ITEM_NAME=260331&ITEM_NUMBER=260331&language=EN Isn't crème Yvette a bit different from crème de violette though? From what I read, it's more berry and vanilla-forward and may not be a good substitute. See for example kindredcocktails and imbibe magazine.

Rafa is always ahead of the game.

Delicious. Enjoying it now. Any references. Ratio. Bar name, year, etc? It's a tough name to google for. Dan, Glad that you like it (I don't dare ask about your wife this time!). It's from the Bartender's Choice app, credited to Benjamin Schwartz, Little Branch, NYC, 2010.

Maybe I should rename it the Overshare. Well, we did ask... I was going to say that I'll have what she's having, but am very unfortunately sans Cynar at the moment. This week is not starting well at all. Anyway, back to the weekend fun. Tried a De La Louisiane and its diametric opposite, Michael Madrusan's Deep Blue Sea - light, crisp and slightly salty. If you have a bottle of violette languishing somewhere, give it a try.

Finally got around to making a La Louisiane last night. There was no good reason why I waited so long. It's in the Creole/Vieux Carré family and it's very good. Rye, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, absinthe, Peychaud's.

I've been a different bar and had the waiter tell my female companion a drink was "strong". I put it down to staff training, really. I trained my staff previously to refer to drinks as either "spirit forward" or "easy drinking" rather than "strong" and "light". I really would like to see more effort put into training floor staff at decent cocktail bars. So used to this. Here people warn you if the beer is sour, if the cocktail is bitter, contains a raw egg, etc... They will even take your wine glass away if you are a woman and seem pregnant... No such nonsense at the Sycamore Den. This relatively new bar in Normal Heights looks like your dad's man cave in the 70s, complete with wood paneling, banjo, shotgun collection, and period-appropriate music selection. Kind of fun although somewhat crowded (as expected) & loud on a Saturday night. Too busy hipster-watching, I opted not to take photos. Eric Johnson formerly of Noble Experiment designed the cocktail menu. I had a Swiss Bank, a mild daiquiri tempered by pineapple juice and a touch of absinthe, Swiss-Mist like (but with rum). It would have been a more logical choice for my first drink (starting with something subtle) but instead I went for the Dovetail Julep, a great rendition with gin & cognac, a hint of peach from the bitters and more of that Kubler absinthe. It looked like a snow cone piled into a little tin camping mug. Really nice. Also a Monk Improved, an improved cocktail with Maraschino & Chartreuse. It will be good to go back on a weeknight when things are a little calmer.

Hmmm. It's one way to get noticed I guess (it worked - I am now following his blog). The history of the Mai Tai was detailed by Jeff Berry in Remixed and seemed well supported. I will have to refresh my memory regarding the specific details (good thing I have some homemade orgeat left in the fridge).

If you have access to Appleton, I would go with that. Although I use the 12-year at home, the V/X is what I have seen many bars use for the Jamaican component. I have tried it and while it's lighter than the 12, it's still a very nice rum for mixing.

Franci - I kill them with a knife and grill whole for a few minutes, then cut in half and grill further, basting with marjoram-infused olive oil. More details here. http://forums.egullet.org/topic/131552-cooking-with-the-babbo-cookbook/#entry1895668

Thanks for mentioning it on the beta cocktail thread a while back. It's an interesting cocktail for sure.

So, what did you wife think about it? Don't leave us hanging. Has she recovered? Looks like they are no longer on speaking terms.

Very well done Shelby, and Happy Birthday! (Everything looks amazing, especially the duck foie gras...)

Oh, so that's where you get all of your recipes from...

I second the recommendation for the Koriko tins. I have two sets and they work beautifully.

So, what did you wife think about it? While I was enjoying a Kingston Negroni I made another awful realization - I had not made a proper Manhattan in months! (the desperation Manhattan I had to make at a recent party that had a do-it-yourself bar using Canadian Club whiskey does NOT count...). So that's what I ended up making for my husband. Rittenhouse rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Jerry Thomas' decanter bitters, brandied cherry.

The other day I realized with horror that I had never tried Joaquin Simo's Kingston Negroni. I had tried a cocktail combining Campari with Smith & Cross in Benjamin Schwartz's Professional, as well as countless Negroni variations, but not this one for some reason. I decided to remedy the situation immediately. Not as crisp or bitter as a regular Negroni (this was equal parts but I've seen recipes for the Kingston Negroni cutting down the vermouth to 3/4 which makes sense). But it's wonderfully flavorful with the rich aroma of the S&C balancing out the Campari.

Thanks! I had read the wikipedia entry but could not really tell what it was like.

I am not familiar with ginger wine - how does it differ from ginger beer, tastewise?

tanstaafl2 - agreed. Plan is to keep enough of the old bottle to do a side-by-side and see if I could detect a difference.

Oh, and after following the discussion between tanstaafl2 and KD1191, I checked my bottle of Rittenhouse (that I have a tendency to hoard because it's really good and can be hard to find in San Diego), and it's the DSP 354. So now I have an excuse to finish it if the new stuff is supposed to be even better!

Restocking the bar except for the bottle on the left which is new and was already put into good use in a Nouveau Carré. Was also looking for a good genever (Bols or ...) but did not have any luck so far.

Thanks for the plum cake recipe link, Anna. Kerry - Are you going to reveal your 19 vermouth ingredients? Also, are you improvising or following a specific recipe? It's fascinating to follow you along (as usual)!

The plum cake looks very appetizing actually in a rustic kind of way. What kind of dough recipe did you use?

Hassouni - You are very welcome. That drink sounds tasty. I can't get Rittenhouse but I suppose I could try a less potent version with the Sazerac 6 I have. It actually warmed up to 67F here today after a couple weeks of hovering in the 35F - 45F range. Feels like summer again. You are located in Canada, right? The Sazerac should make an excellent version too. I like that rye; I just think that it's a little pricey for what it is (at least in the US where it is significantly more expensive than Rittenhouse).

Prawncrackers - Many thanks for what looks like a fabulous recipe. I have some pasteurized crab claws that I plan on using, so this won't be as decadent as your recipe with live crabs, but still worth trying I think.