FrogPrincesse

I don't think you would regret buying any of these two. Punt e Mes and Dolin rouge are two great vermouths, and the Punt e Mes has a bitter edge that the Martini Rosso doesn't possess. As a compromise, you could buy only the Punt e Mes and mix it with the M&R you already own to use as "house vermouth". But honestly, the recipes also work great if you use your favorite sweet vermouth instead of a blend.

I take this with a grain of salt... I was just curious to see what rye was recommended by others with the Maurin sweet vermouth, since it seemed to clash with the Double Rye.

Oh no, of course. I was going to try it with Wild Turkey 101; it would make no sense to downgrade for the 81.

You are very welcome. And you picked a great cocktail book to go through! About falernum recipes, I did a review of published recipes a while back. Based on it, I've been very happy with the recipe that Adam Elmegirab posted on eGullet. That's my go-to recipe, and it has a great shelf-life too. Whatever you do, don't buy Taylor's velvet falernum. Its flavor is so weak, it's is a joke... Like clove flavored syrup. That's one case where it absolutely pays off to make your own.

And old favorite, the Don't Give Up The Ship (Crosby Gaige via the Bartender's Choice app) with Tanqueray London dry gin, Maurin sweet vermouth, barrel-aged Fernet Francisco, Cointreau. The Maurin vermouth was very nice in this (and so was the Fernet Francisco).

Based on this Manhattan Taste Test, I should try Wild Turkey rye + Maurin as my next Manhattan combination...

Manhattan with High West Double Rye!, Maurin sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters. Well, with this vermouth the Manhattan takes a very fruity path. It is different indeed. I thought the fruit in the vermouth would counteract the austerity of this rye, but this was not the most successful union, despite Angostura's best attempts to bring everything together.

Workers on the Tracks (Luke Andrews) with Wild Turkey 101-proof rye whiskey, Cointreau (substituted for Pierre Ferrand dry curacao), yellow Chartreuse. Boozy and herbal, very aromatic.

From this weekend, a round of Ocean Sides (Tanqueray London dry gin, lime, celery bitters, sea salt) followed by a round of Warday's with Sipsmith London dry gin, Daron XO calvados, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, green Chartreuse (Bartender's Choice ratios).

Park Life Swizzle (Thomas Waugh) with Endeavour barrel-aged Old Tom gin (substituted for Ransom), Lustau Los Arcos amontillado sherry, homemade falernum, lime juice, B.G. Reynolds ginger syrup, Angostura bitters. Very grape-forward. A bit too sweet with a lot of fruity flavors going on, with a savory note in the finish. I would maybe replace the ginger syrup by ginger liqueur for more dryness.

And welcome to eGullet @KK! It's always good to have new people join our cocktail party.

It's going to be a minute difference, because bitters are used just a few drops at a time, and taste buds are not that sensitive! The Angostura orange is fine. In comparison, the Regan's has a more pronounced cardamom flavor which is really nice. The Fee however is not that complex, so I would not go out of my way to get it.

Spotted at Trader Joe's in San Diego, one of my favorite gins, Sipsmith London dry gin for $29.99. A good deal for a gin that can be a bit hard to find.

I would probably have a lighter hand with the eau-de-vie. 1/2 oz is already a lot. I would start with a few bars spoons and build things from there.

Everything you ever wanted to know about shrubs: https://forums.egullet.org/topic/138386-shrubs/ Not to be confused with shrubbs of the Creole variety: https://forums.egullet.org/topic/150777-guadeloupe-shrubb/

Easter is coming soon... What is on everyone's menu this year? I will be cooking lamb for sure. I just have to decide in what form...

It's different. It's not going to relace my favorite sweet vermouths - Dolin, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Punt e Mes - but it's nice to have some variety!

Cocktails - I've been to Rumba recently. It's great. Classic cocktails with an emphasis on rum, tiki drinks, etc. Fun place too and they serve food (small plates) as well. For food - I really loved Lark which has a fantastic selection of local seafood/produce etc. A bit on the expensive side but very worth it. For less expensive seafood, Taylor Shellfish is great and completely unpretentious/super casual.

Sure. I've used it to add a bit of fruit and punch to a Smash (Gascon Smash), to modify a Martini (Plum Blossom Martini), in a Fizz (a variation on Toby Maloney’s Williams Fizz), a Dark & Stormy variation (Alastair Burgess' Perfect Storm), etc. Death & Co has a few recipes that use a touch of eau-de-vie as an ingredient to add flavor without adding sweetness.

That looks nice. The technique with rosemary smoke is similar to Jamie Boudreau's Rubicon Cocktail.

Improved whiskey cocktail with High West Double Rye!, Luxardo maraschino liquor, St. George absinthe, Creole & Peychaud's bitters. This is great. I don't really enjoy this rye whiskey straight, but in this drink it is great.

Well, I only had a small bowl full but it didn't agree with me at all. I felt really queasy afterwards. Thank god for Fernet. Best remedy for upset stomachs.

It'd be probably better with Campari... Like an Old Pal/Left Hand variation.

Old Fashioned with Nikka coffey grain Japanese whisky, gum syrup, Boker's bitters (and Angostura bitters). The floral acidity of the whisky clashed with the Boker's. It was better with Angostura.

It is very heavily flavored. Cheddar and porky smoke. A bit overwhelming after a few handfuls.