FrogPrincesse

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.

Ok, I need to step up my crushed ice game, I get it. Last night's cocktail seemed perfect after a dip in the pool... The Risk Pool (Phil Ward) with Hayman's Old Tom gin (Tanqueray old tom), Rothman & Winter crème de violette, lime juice, grapefruit juice, simple syrup. I found it excellent. Interesting and light, less cloying than an Aviation.

That sounds a bit involved, but you are welcome to demonstrate your bag and mallet technique at my house anytime....

Aperitivo Julep (Alex Day) with Dolin dry vermouth, Amaro Ciociaro (Amer Picon...), Massenet crème de pêche (Briottet pêche de vigne) Just Another Julep (Brian Miller) with Buffalo Trace bourbon, demerara syrup, Gosling's black seal rum (Cruzan black strap), mint. The Aperitivo Julep is light and easy-going. Simple. Just Another Julep packs a punch. It's great, but you definitely need to let the ice melt a bit so it mellows to a manageable level. Here is an earlier rendition of Just Another Julep with Coruba for the rum, when my mint was a bit more robust.

I liked this one too. I had it in January and forgot to post my impressions here. Very white Negroni-esque, therefore it's a good one in my book! Terrible Love (Phil Ward) with Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal (Del Maguey Vida), Suze, St Germain, Regan/Fee/Angostura orange bitters.

Shrimp scampi, pictured before adding the pasta. An old favorite that is not especially photogenic - boudin noir (blood sausage). My kind of comfort food. Suzanne Goin's triple pork burgers (ground pork, chorizo, bacon) with manchego, arugula, aioli, from Lucques. Rock fish with onion soubise and wilted leeks in beurre blanc, loosely based on a recipe in the AOC cookbook.

More crushed action. Bin 'n Gitters (Charles H. Baker Jr. via Bartender's Choice) with Perry's Tot navy strenth gin, lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters. I don't know if I love that gin in that application, but navy strength is a pretty sure way to get buzzed. Haha.

I'd try it in a Zombie or a Jet Pilot.

Yesterday's Manhattan with Willet 2-year rye, Margerum amaro, Miracle Mile forbidden bitters, two brandied cherries.

Really like this one. Sometimes simple is best, and this combo is a great thing on a hot summer/autumn night. First it's all about the Fernet, then the bourbon starts to peek out, and they end up blending beautifully. It's very refreshing too. The Fernet is there as an intense herbal bouquet accented by the mint garnish. Midnight Stinger (Sam Ross) with Elijah Craig 12 bourbon, Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, simple.

Thanks Jo! The cherry is a brandied griotte cherry from France, Perigord to be exact. They are called Guinette and I highly recommend them.

Two pairings that bore me to tears are Campari + grapefruit, and Fernet + ginger (thank god, nobody mentioned them). So predictable and not so interesting. More combos I like: Islay scotch and maraschino Cynar and coffee Orgeat and Angostura bitters Calvados and Peychaud's

Cleaning up the iPad and going through old photos. Here was the menu this year. We went with a few of our favorites. Various little canapés with salmon roe and crème fraiche on blini, smoked salmon from Santa Barbara smokehouse, a smoked fish spread, and champagne of course. The main course was duck confit with a pomegranate salad. Dessert was David Lebovitz's Racines cake and homemade eggnog ice cream.