FrogPrincesse

I also prefer to stay simple with a light sprinkle of fleur de sel to highlight the flavor of the foie gras.

Glad to see galettes des rois in the thread! Here is the one I made last week, a bit late for Epiphanie. I used Clement VSOP rhum agricole in the frangipane. The puff pastry was Pepperidge Farm and it puffed up nicely lot during cooking. I was very happy with the result!

Creamy, rich umami bomb. That's what good foie gras tastes like.

Reissue/repackage? The old book had history and recipes too. The publisher is different (Ten Speed Press vs. Jared Brown).

Didn't the Negroni book come out last year (here)? Or is that a different one?

One of my favorites desserts during the holiday season, Matt Rowley's Harold and Maude-inspired ginger pie. The crispy top is wonderful and the flavor of ginger pretty incredible. With the texture and taste of the pie, it almost feels like it contains shredded coconut. I used Barbancourt 5 Star for the rum.

Yeomen Warder (Phil Ward) with Beefeater gin, Dolin dry vermouth, Cynar, maraschino liqueur. I love Cynar, so for me this is a great Martini variation.

I liked this one too. It's another successful combination of apple brandy with Laphroaig, like the Shruff's End. More rounded with the bourbon. I went with Daron XO calvados for the apple brandy instead of Laird's.

For the record, I like the Naked and Famous a lot, even though I tend to dislike Aperol in most applications because it's not bitter enough. (from the Mezcal thread).

Light and Day by Alex Day. It has some of the DNA of a Last Word with the gin, Chartreuse & maraschino combination, although it's much lighter mainly due to the ratios. It's stirred even though it's technically a sour with a small amount of orange juice. Light and Day: Plymouth gin, yellow Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur (Luxardo substituted for Maraska), orange juice, Peychaud's bitters (substituted for Death & Co's house Peychaud's bitters). Very pleasing, with a beautiful color.

Orkney Chapel (Jason Littrell) with Highland Park 12-year single malt scotch, Dolin dry vermouth, sherry (Lustau fino substituted for amontillado), Grand Marnier, sugar cane syrup, orange twist. Very nice use of sherry.

Nice photo. An early version with soda & ice served to Simon Difford during Bacardi Legacy UK had him comment "I found it diluted on the night, perhaps better served 'up'). The recipe on the Floating Rum Shack has since been updated to the new & improved version (no soda, served up) (also on its facebook page).

A classic - Remember the Maine with Willet 2-year rye, Dolin sweet vermouth, Luxardo cherry liqueur, Angostura bitters, St. George absinthe. Lots of licorice between the rye and the absinthe (and possibly the Dolin red). Potent and beautiful.

That looks great. It reminds me of another one I make sometimes, the Home on the Range.

Last night's Three Dots and a Dash with Clement VSOP, El Dorado 8, orange & lime, homemade falernum, allspice dram, honey syrup, Angostura bitters. I forgot to try the McGee version so I will have to make another one again soon.

A few recent drinks. Corpse Reviver No. 2 with Junipero gin, Lillet, lemon juice, Cointreau, St. George absinthe. A little too aggressively lemony with the Junipero. It's more balanced with Beefeater. Sazerac with Willet 2-year rye, gum syrup, Peychaud's and Angostura bitters, St. George absinthe. This was great. Clement VSOP rhum vieux agricole (and roasted chestnuts). La Favorite rhum vieux (and more chestnuts). My go-to Negroni these days, with St. George dry rye gin and Dolin for the sweet vermouth.

An old favorite, Don't Give Up the Ship with Sipsmith London dry gin, Fernet-Branca, Dolin sweet vermouth, Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao.

Old Fashioned with Blanton's single-barrel bourbon, gum syrup, Angostura bitters.

Mai Tai with Denizen Merchant's Reserve, Clement Select Barrel, homemade coconut orgeat, Clement Creole Shrubb, lime juice, and a float of Lost Spirits Polynesian-style rum. That was pretty amazing. The Denizen was designed for Mai Tais and it certainly delivers. The Clement Select Barrel is just meh for me on its own (too smooth for agricole) but it works great here adding deep oak notes. And the Polynesian-style rum adds tropical notes with crazy esters. 3/4 oz Denizen Merchant's Reserve 3/4 oz Clement Select Barrel 1 oz lime juice 1/2 oz coconut orgeat 1/2 oz Clement creole shrubb 1/2 oz Lost Spirits Polynesian-style rum (float)

Whist Cocktail (Savoy, adapted by Thad Vogler) with El Dorado 5 demerara rum, Daron XO calvados, Dolin sweet vermouth. Manhattan-esque and very similar to another delightful cocktail, the Corpse Reviver No. 1.

Another drink from the Bacardi Legacy competition (after Ally Martin's Young Cuban), this one by Remy Savage of the Little Red Door in Paris. The Columbus with Bacardi Superior, St Germain, yellow Chartreuse, Laphroaig 10, Angostura bitters. It is very much on the sweet side so I went very heavy on the Laphroaig and added a drop of Fee whiskey barrel-aged bitters (which were specified in an alternate version of this cocktail).

Christian Siglin of Bankers' Hill won the 2014 Eater award for best bartender (runners-up include Eric Johnson of Sycamore Den, Anthony Schmidt of Rare Form, Trevor Easter of Noble Experiment, Jen Queen of Juniper & Ivy). Here is a recent interview. The quote below represents his style very well I think.

From last night - Ancient Mariner (Jeff Berry) with Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, El Dorado 5 Demerara rum, St Elizabeth allspice dram, white grapefruit & lime juice, simple syrup. Spicy and warming.

I did not have to sign either.

Little Secrets (Brad Bolt) with El Dorado 5, El Dorado high strength (Plantation overproof), lime juice, St Germain, rhubarb bitters (cherry bark vanilla bitters). It really needs the 7 drops of bitters to cut through all the other ingredients. It's an interesting take on the Daiquiri.