FrogPrincesse

Irish Mermaid (Massimo La Rocca) with Irish whiskey (Redbreast), cherry heering (Luxardo cherry liqueur), Aperol, orgeat (homemade), Angostura bitters Seemed too sweet and odd on paper, but was actually quite nice. The Aperol kept it balanced, and the flavor of the whiskey really came through.

Arrack Strap (Brad Farran) with Van Oosten baravia arrack, Cruzan black strap rum, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Campari, demerara syrup, xocolatl & orange bitters. Batavia arrack as the base - this is genius. Also I think it's my favorite use of black strap in a cocktail.

I've never had Pusser's but to me the Lost Spirits Navy Style has tobacco notes that are very distinctive and would make it a bit hard to mix with. To sip on it's also a bit crazy. I prefer their Polynesian and the 151 Cuban style.

Man Who Left Town (Sam Gabrielli) with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Byrrh quinquina, Amaro Nonino, orange bitters (Regan, Angostura, Fee). Pretty nice, maybe a bit heavy on the Nonino.

I fully agree on the bitters; Boker's is the way to go.

Dave Arnold's Liquid Intelligence just won the James Beard Award for best book in the beverage category.

Well, you have to put things in context. Arrogant Bastard was launched in 1997 and at the time there was not anything anywhere close to this level of arrogance. On a related note, Stone is relaunching their Ruination IPA. The 2.0 version is supposed to be bigger and bolder, using new varieties of hops and hopping techniques that were not available when it was first launched.

Looks interesting. The Laphroaig + S&C combo reminds me of this one.

A recent Manhattan with Bulleit rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Miracle Mile forbidden bitters, and a brandied cherry.

El Momento Perfecto (Daniel Bovey via Gaz Regan) with Plantation 3 Stars white rum, Lillet blanc, Byrrh, Campari, orange bitters (Regan, Angostura, Fee), homemade kumquat marmalade. This was very nice and the bottle of Byrrh that I opened for the occasion is delicious stuff. Can't wait to try more things with it.

For the #jetpilotchallenge2015 - Jet Pilot (Steve Crane via Jeff Berry) with Denizen Merchant's Reserve, Plantation Barbados 5, Lemon Hart 151, lime & white grapefruit juice, homemade falernum & cinnamon syrup, Angostura bitters, St. George absinthe. Jeff Berry's recipe is too sweet with my homemade syrups, so I had to cut down their amount by half approximately.

(From the Drinks! discussion) Rafa - How do you like Damoiseau VSOP compared to Clement VSOP?

Yes. Life is good, and variety is the spice of life... Also Neisson > KoHana >> La Mauny. But it's an unfair comparison because only the Neisson is 50%. I wish KoHana white (this was the Lahi sugar cane variety) wasn't diluted to 40%.

Very timely (maybe by design?). This weekend it's the Jet Pilot Challenge on instagram (#jetpilotchallenge2015).

There is a little article in PUNCH about the Florodora. It's very pretty indeed.

The Cocchi VdT is really nice in a Martinez. Personally, I really like the PDT ratios compared to other recipes that are more gin-heavy. Let us know what you end up making!

A few ideas in the Port & Sherry thread.

You could start with something like Beefeater as a "baseline" for both cocktails. Then branch out to more unusual gins such as St George dry rye.

Love that one. I tried it last year at Tiki Oasis in the rum tasting session that Martin Cate of Smuggler's Cove organized. I wish we could get it in California.

Speaking of Denizen Merchant's Reserve, it was really great in the Daiquiri variation called Captain's Blood (named after the classic movie with Errol Flynn). Rum, lime juice, simple, Angostura bitters Tasteful and balanced; gone in no time.

I made some orgeat last week after a few weeks sans. Like Hassouni I tried a Denizen Merchant's Reserve Mai Tai with 2 oz rum, 1 oz lime, 1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb, 1/4 oz homemade orgeat (Beachbum recipe), 1/4 oz simple syrup (and mint from the backyard!). This is a very nice Mai Tai, but I think I've been spoiled with the versions with aged agricole. So it did not quite satisfy my craving the way I was hoping it would. Still I like this rum very much.

I haven't tried it but recently I've had Cardamaro a couple of times which I found too tame and not bitter enough. On the other hand, I was thoroughly impressed with Ciociaro. I am going to buy a bottle even though I have Picon (they are similar but each has its own personality). Ciociaro on ice makes a fabulous aperitif. .

Or try the Cradle of Life. It's a fun tiki number.

Charterhouse Cup (Adrian Gomes via Gaz Regan) with green Chartreuse as the base (!), Pimm's No. 1 Cup, Trois Rivieres white rhum agricole (La Mauny), lemon juice, sugar (2 tsp reduced to 1 tsp), egg white. I knew this was going to be a winner because of the alliance between the white rhum agricole and the Chartreuse (cf the Green Mile and the Daisy de Santiago). Here the mix is lightened up by Pimm's which contributes some spice and works remarkably well. Smart drink.

From last night - Manhattan with High West Son of Bourye, Margerum amaro, Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters, brandied cherry. Very spicy/lively. And from a few nights ago, another Manhattan with High West Double Rye!, Margerum amaro, Miracle Mile toasted pecan bitters, Angostura bitters. (Margerum amaro on the rocks in the back) I tried it first with the pecan bitters only, but it needed the angostura to anchor the flavors.