FrogPrincesse

The Coralillo (Thomas Waugh) which is the Mexican name for the coral snake. El Tesoro añejo tequila (7 Leguas añejo), yellow Chartreuse, Busnel VSOP calvados (Daron XO), Clear Creek pear brandy (Morand pear eau-de-vie), apple slice garnish. Potent and aromatic. The use of eau-de-vie in small touches is clever and inspiring (also seen in the Hallyday and the Red Ant).

I went to Trader Joe's last week and went a bit overboard. Mostly local beer. Captain Morgan 1671 spiced rum was an impulse buy - I needed spiced rum for a skip trip and this was only $9. But I like Kraken much better. The 1671 has a lot of vanilla and chocolate and not much spice actually. It is a bit boring. I am a bit ashamed that I succumbed to the hype around the Monkey Shoulder blended scotch, after many of you recommended other more interesting scotch whiskies for mixing. It was mostly convenience and price ($29 I think).Tried neat, it's smoother and sweeter than what I am used to for a scotch, but I can see how it should work pretty well for mixing. From their literature (!)

Impressive haul, pto! The mug has been on my list of things to get for a while now... I am very jealous :-)

Something to do with the combination of the Dolin dry vermouth, Punt e Mes, and yellow Chartreuse. Maybe it would have been better with the Old Weller, I am not sure because I've never had it.

Sforzando (Eryn Reece), a smoky and spicy Manhattan variation with Rittenhouse rye, Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal (Vida mezcal), Benedictine, Dolin dry vermouth, Bittermens xocolatl mole bitters (The Bitter Truth for Bittermens). \ It's the dry version of Stephen Cole's Racketeer (although that one guilds the lily by adding a touch of yellow Chartreuse, a spray of Laphroaig, and Peychaud's bitters).

Another tequila-based Negroni variation, the Negrita (Giuseppe Gallo via Gaz Regan), with tequila Ocho plata (7 Leguas tequila blanco), Campari, Barolo Chinato. The dried fruit/raisins and general depth in the Barolo Chinato are a nice contrast to the fresh and crisp tequila.

Also very good with Willet 2 yr as I found out a week ago. Great minds etc...

De rien! You should speak to Martin Doudoroff; he is the app developer.

You really need to buy Gaz Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails app. In the meantime, the proportions are 2.5/0.25/0.25/0.25, orange twist. Cheers!

TV dinner lol. What if the drinks are on par with what you had at some of the best bars in the world? And are more creative because of the huge amount of prep work that happens behind the scenes? Don't get me wrong, I love bar showmanship (not talking about flair, just good technique). I actually thought I would hate White Lyan when I went there because the concept was so different from what I am used to, but ended up spending hours trying a bunch of things and talking with the bartender. It is just a different type of experience. In the end, If I have to choose between a cocktail that is made before my eyes but may take 10-15 min and may not be spot-on if the bar is busy, or something that tastes great and is served in less than 5 min, I know where I am going back. :-) Also, if I am at the bar with a group of friends, I am much less likely to be focused on what the bartender is doing than my friends' conversation. Cocktails on draft are a big thing too. In San Diego, Polite Provision has half a dozen cocktails on tap (although unfortunately they tend to be on the sweet side). It's a great option when the bar is busy.

Pretty sure they are since it's one of their core concepts. See their January menu here. This is also in-line with their goal to be as sustainable as possible and to limit their waste. Also in the article they make a point that fresh fruit "can't be relied on to deliver a consistent flavor".

They do their own take on these classics, rather than just trying to recreate them. I think that's part of the charm. What they serve is not something you will find elsewhere.

Homemade falernum? It's one of the keys I think.

White Lyan does not use any juices or perishables. They use acids for sours (malic, citric, tartaric, etc).

There is a huge trend with pre-mixed cocktails, both for products available in stores but also in bars. The White Lyan in London, which is mentioned in the article, has this philosophy behind the bar, where everything is prepared in advance. Cocktails are pre-mixed and pre-chilled, and all the bartender needs to do is dispense and garnish. The result is that the quality and consistency of drinks is improved. Also this allows the bartender to focus on the customer rather than complicated drink preparations. I would consider buying pre-batched cocktails as long as they are not something I can easily make at home (for example something using ingredients I don't have access to, or barrel-aged cocktails as Lisa already mentioned). They would make a great gift for sure. White Lyan's Manhattan mix is really excellent and I would not mind having it again, although at £50 for 500 mL, it's probably not something I would buy for myself.

I had to try this one because of its name and because it contained Fernet. The Trainspotter (Thomas Newcomb via Gaz Regan) with Dickel rye (Willet 2-year rye), St Germain, cherry heering (Luxardo cherry liqueur), Fernet-Branca. It's a clever way to sneak in Fernet into a cocktail, although it seems like such a crazy idea to combine Fernet with St Germain. Someone thought it tasted like cherry-flavored cough syrup, but I respectfully disagree. It does not really taste like Fernet either; everything meshes together really well, with the rye front and center. It's described as a twist on the Brooklyn cocktail and it has a similar vibe, a bit rich and aromatic.

The Williamsburg (Clif Travers via Gaz Regan), which is described by its creator as a cross between the Greenpoint and the Red Hook. Old Weller 7-year bourbon (Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon), Dolin dry vermouth, Punt e Mes, yellow Chartreuse. I thought it was a bit too herbal for my taste but it was well received by its Manhattan-loving recipient.

I finally tried Paul McGee's version of the Three Dots and a Dash on Sunday, to celebrate Don the Beachcomber's birthday. My rum combo was pretty outstanding with La Favorite vieux rhum + El Dorado 8. The dry curaçao was very nice indeed. It's such a great cocktail.

Downgrading?

Most of the flavor of the bacon comes from the fat so I would considering fat washing - render the fat from the bacon or the rind, mix it with your base alcohol (bourbon, vodka, whatever), place the mixture in the freezer to separate the vodka from the fat, fine filter as necessary.

Speaking of the devil, here is the Devil's Soul (Ted Kilgore via Gaz Regan) with Rittenhouse rye, Vida mezcal, Averna, St Germain, Aperol, flamed orange twist. Boozy with smoke and orange undertones, and a hint of St Germain at the very end. Very enticing.

A white Negroni variation last night, also found through Gaz Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails app. Tthe Citrine (Jake Sutton) with Sipsmith London dry gin, Suze, Dolin/Vya sweet vermouth (Cocchi vermouth di Torino), stir/strain/up (rock), lemon twist. I love the Sipsmith gin (very crisp/bright flavors), and the VdT paired really well with the Suze. Very happy.

A recent Greenpoint (Michael McIlroy) with Rittenhouse rye, Margerum amaro, yellow Chartreuse, Angostura and Regan & Fee orange bitters

Red Ant (Thomas Waugh) with Rittenhouse rye, Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal (Vida mezcal), Massenez kirsch (Etter 1998 kirsch), cherry heering (Luxardo cherry liqueur), homemade cinnamon bark syrup, Bittermens xocolatl mole bitters. This one tasted awfully tannic to me, but the person who ended up finishing it thought it was perfectly fine. Strong cherry notes from the cherry liqueur and the kirsch, smoke from the mezcal (hence the name?). .

Here is another iteration prepared 50:50 with the Son of a Bourye again, and Boker's bitters. Really great, but now my bottle of bottle is officially finished.