FrogPrincesse

They were fine! The fennel (actually conceived by two bartenders that I used to know) is a bit too close to the celery I have, but the lavender could be fun to play with. They also had a Chinese bitters that looked intriguing. I'd grab them if they are on sale!

A rustic tart / galette. These are wonderful with stone fruit.

Found last night at my favorite used bookstore.

That's exactly why I went with metal molds. Thanks for posting your results with the silicone molds!

As she writes, it's another way to make oleo-saccharum, a key ingredient in many punches. I make it by macerating lemon peels with sugar in a ziplock bag and leaving it in the fridge overnight. I love the idea of trying it with pineapple! Thanks for sharing!

I've been to bars that use them, so I've had the fennel and the lavender.

Manhattan inspired by The Normandie Club with Redemption rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Bigallet china-china, Lustau amontillado sherry, Miracle Mile toasted pecan bitters. I used rye instead of scotch and it looks like I forgot the amaretto. It was delicious nonetheless.

An old favorite - the Southside with Sipsmith London dry gin, lime juice, simple syrup, mint, Angostura bitters. Crisp and refreshing. I really love this gin.

North by Northwest (Brian Miller) with Sipsmith London dry gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, St. George absinthe, Crémant de Bourgogne rosé sparkling wine. This is an elevated French 75, the absinthe making all the difference. I had liked it with Old Harbor gin and it's also great with the Sipsmith.

Vieux [sic] Ananas (Ezra Star) with Rittenhouse 100 proof rye whiskey, Plantation Stiggins' Fancy pineapple rum, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Benedictine, Angostura bitters. This was pretty great. The pineapple rum is subtle enough that it's very easy to mix in cocktails - the pineapple isn't immediately obvious, but it does pop up over time as a nice surprise.

Susie Q (Joaquin Simo) with Daron XO calvados, lemon juice, cinnamon bark syrup, ginger syrup, vanilla syrup, sparkling Crémant rosé.

Golden Gun (created at Tiki Oasis) with Appleton 12 Jamaican rum, Plantation 3 Stars rum, lime & white grapefruit juice, Briottet wild peach liqueur (subbed for apricot), demerara syrup, Angostura bitters. Another winner!

I forgot to post this one (and a bunch of others...), but this was a very nice 10:3:2 Daiquiri with Ko Hana white agricole rum.

Baie du Galion with Ko Hana Hawaiian white agricole rum Lahi, green Chartreuse, Drambuie. This could have been a sweet mess, but it turned out great! It's like layering botanicals upon botanicals.

The Liberal with Bigallet is absolutely delicious (this was the Bartender's Choice version). Bigallet itself is wonderful, so that is no big surprise. Liberal Cocktail with Redemption rye, Bigallet china-china, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Regan's orange bitters.

Eat Your Books!

I would defer to @Rafa of course, but based on what I read, I would go with Campari or maybe your newly acquired Bruto! http://www.thekitchn.com/love-campari-youve-got-to-try-cappelletti-203689

@kaybThanks! I will have to make sure to try it (I may have tried it already, but if I did it was a long while ago).

The Conference (Brian Miller) made with top-notch ingredients is a top-notch cocktail! Better than my previous attempt. Here it is with Rittenhouse 100 rye whiskey, High West American Prairie bourbon whiskey (subbed for Buffalo Trace), Daron XO calvados, Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac (subbed for Hine H), Angostura bitters, xocolatl mole bitters.

How do you like Rogue River blue compared to other blue cheeses? Is it on the milder side like Bleu de Bresse for example? (I like all kinds; I am just trying to figure out what it's like.)

Remember the Maine a la Death & Co with Rittenhouse 100 rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Luxardo cherry liqueur (subbed for cherry heering), Etter 1998 kirsch (subbed for Massenez), St. George absinthe (subbed for Vieux Pontarlier). The inclusion of kirsch (which replaces part of the cherry liqueur that you see in most recipes) is interesting. It's a great version of this classic!

@ToliverYou are very welcome. I know what you mean. TJ's has a very solid cheese selection. The "affinage" (ripening) isn't always perfect, but they have a great variety and very reasonable prices. I buy stuff from various cheese shops once in a while for things I can't get there (at double/triple the price), but always come back to TJ's for the essentials (cave-aged gruyere, Parmigiano, Roquefort, Petit Basque, feta, etc, etc).

This is from a few weeks ago, a typical meal when I am home alone. French comfort food - Puy lentils with a poached egg and fresh basil, plenty of red wine vinegar (also shallots, thyme, bay leaf, dried chili, olive oil). The egg was slightly runnier than I like, but that is a minor detail.

@ToliverNot really. Or if it did, it wasn't obvious at all. They say they use a saison/ sour beer from Liberty Brewery for that purpose. I think if it contributes flavor, it's more there as general "funk" than an actual beer flavor.

@mkayaharaI wouldn't have said that of an equal parts version, but the Bartender's Choice app has this cocktail in an Old Fashioned template - spirit (bourbon or scotch), small amount of sugar (1/2 oz amaretto which I reduced closed to 1/4 oz), bitters. I am curious about the scotch version too!