FrogPrincesse

Orange juice!!! Oh no.

So their Ford Cocktail is like a Turf Club then? (gin, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, orange bitters, absinthe rinse) Confusing.

No Benedictine in their Ford cocktail?

There are a lot of things I forgot to post in this thread. I might have to make them again to refresh my memory! This one I remember. Sling of Aphrodite (Joaquin Simo) with La Favorite rhum agricole amber (oops, grabbed the white by mistake), Clear Creek pear brandy (Etter's superlative aged pear eau-de-vie), Fuji apple juice (Joe's Kids), homemade cinnamon bark syrup. If you are going to mess with rhum agricole, the result better be superior to the rhum itself! Joaquin let us down on that one. It is a bit like dumbed down agricole. Probably ok for his most timid clients who haven't been introduced to agricole... But yeah... Next!

Thanks Rafa! Kerry got me into this hobby of collecting glassware.

Chad!!! That's so cool. He is a great guy. Can't wait to watch him compete.

Finally tried an Aquavit & Tonic with Krogstad aquavit from Portland. 2:1 ratio, my favorite tonic water of the moment (Fever Tree), and a lemon peel garnish (2:1 ratio). Meh. I much prefer the gin version.

From last weekend, a round of Green Flash(es) with Damoiseau rhum agricole from Guadeloupe, lemon juice, honey syrup, St. George absinthe, Louis Roederer Champagne brut. I just love this cocktail. And I actually saw a hint of a green flash recently. Its gin counterpart is great as well. North by Northwest (also by Brian Miller) made with Old Harbor San Miguel Southwestern gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, St. George absinthe, Louis Roederer Champagne brut. Elegant and crisp.

Chartreuse as an accent... to improve a very standard rum! Garrigue (Karim Mehdi via Gaz Regan) with Barcardi superior white rum*, lemon juice, yellow Chartreuse, homemade orgeat, sea salt. A close relative of Marcis Dzelzainis' Gainsbourg Daisy, the Garrigue starts soft and subtle. A bit Army & Navy-esque. The Chartreuse manages to extract more flavor out of the rum, while the orgeat creates mouthfeel and a longer finish. It's interesting; light but flavorful. *Costco-size bottle donated by some "friends"... getting very little use in my house.

From last night, a heroic Sazerac with Willet 5-year straight rye whiskey, Small Hand gomme syrup, Peychaud's bitters, St. George absinthe. That rye delivers.

There are more yellow Chartreuse ideas in the Chartreuse thread amongst others. I like the Daisy de Santiago and the Chien Chaud that pair it with rum, the Alaska that pairs it wth gin, Death & Co's Coin Toss, the Greenpoint which is a killer Manhattan variation, The Naked and Famous with mezcal, the Norwegian Wood with aquavit and applejack, etc, etc...

When in doubt, always go for goat. Do you remember what kind of cheese it was?

Don't worry, I had plenty of Amontillado before, just not in the comfort of my own home until now.

Indeed, I am pretty sure it was TJ's. Bottle with a screw-top cap! Very decent though.

Thanks rotuts, you are too kind! First time making it.

The weather cooled off a bit and I was in the mood for clam chowder. With a nice piece of baguette and a glass of Muscadet.

Finally got a bottle of amontillado, so here is my rendition of the Flor de Jerez. Flor de Jerez (Joaquín Simó) with Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican rum (Appleton 12-year), Lustau Amontillado (Los Arcos) sherry, Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur (Briottet peach liqueur), lemon juice, cane sugar syrup, Angostura bitters. Lightweight at first. Lemon and rum. Then the sherry kicks-in. Lots of raisins and dried fruit. It's flavorful, pretty light, and not too sweet. I like it.

Last night's Negroni with Beefeater gin, Campari, Margerum amaro. After the Negroni I had the Margerum on its own. It's like a good sweet vermouth with a nutty finish.

Time to upgrade to Clement Creole shrubb...

Cooper Union which is a Sazerac riff with Irish whiskey and St-Germain. Thank god the Laphroaig used as a rinse (I went with 4-5 generous spritzes) makes this interesting and cuts the sweetness considerably. Cooper Union (Phil Ward) with Redbreast 12-year Irish whiskey, St-Germain, Regan/Fee/Angostura orange bitters, Laphroaig 10-year scotch This was a repeat. I forgot to report the first time around.

That sounds great. What ingredients did you use?

I like the videos of Dale DeGroff. A bit old school, but he is elegance personified. So fascinating to look at. If you do the Barsmarts online courses, there is a series of videos focusing on technique. It's either free or very cheap, and I found the courses helpful. More info about Barsmarts can be found here.

That's right. The 2 works great for cocktails but for sipping, the 4 is the way to go.

It's good but I like the 4 better. But it's impossible to find now.

Sideways but still pretty. From last night, a Manhattan with 2-year Willet rye, Cocchi Barolo Chinato, Angostura bitters, brandied griotte cherry.