FrogPrincesse

A bloody Daiquiri, why not. Benjamin Barker Daiquiri by Brian Miller with aged rum (El Dorado 8), lime juice, Campari, demerara syrup, absinthe (St. George). Pretty well done because the Campari blends harmoniously and does not become obvious until the end. A good option for an aged rum Daiquiri with a slightly bitter finish.

I didn't get it at first either. The drawing on the label is of a cat, not a dog. Very confusing. Here is the explanation from their website.

A thought for the Swiss last night with this bière de garde from Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2011 (BFM), aged in oak barrels. It took me a bit by surprise - I am not used to this type of flavor profile. It's alcohol-forward with some apple cider, a lot of dried fruit (raisins), and a distinct sourness. The finish is tannic.

That sounds sweet indeed. I like mine a bit more Fernet-heavy. 2 oz rye : 3/4 oz Fernet-Branca : 1/4 oz simple syrup (Bartender's Choice app spec), with an orange twist.

Nice detailed report, Brown Hornet. I've been there once but opted not to report because Chef Blais was not in the house that night (I was aware of it but decided to go anyway based on excellent reports from my friends), and although the food was nice, it was not at the level I was expecting. I also tried a couple of cocktails that left me cold (and, interestingly, are gone from their current drink menu) . But I will be back for sure. The place is fun and has a ton of potential. It's great to see more and more of this type of restaurants in SD - did you have a chance to go down a few blocks to Ironside Fish & Oyster?

You're very kind but there is no need to. I am sure I will make it to your neck of the woods in the not-too-distant future. I heard there were a few good bars I needed to try.

Thanks Rafa. I actually don't mind the hours of steeping and straining (it's like a routine - I've been doing this for years now), but I am naturally curious. I don't think we get this orgeat on the West Coast. It's Adam Kolesar, correct?

The Lomaland is an American take on a Belgian-style beer, so I guess I am not really taking any sides today. But I am brainstorming on what will be the best way to celebrate France's ultimate victory.

Yum indeed, although the St. Germain made me cringe for a second. My date got the Fernet-laced drink and I got the St. Germain one. I complained of sex stereotyping, of course, but the drink was good so it was a very mild complaint.

For reference, we also have this previous discussion. A topic worth revisiting for sure.

Modern Times Lomaland Saison*. Gotta support the local breweries! This one happens to be located less than 5 miles from where I live, so it would be hard to be more local unless I start making beer in my garage. It's on the light side, refreshing with lemon and dry grass notes, and pretty dry. * I forgot the interesting bit. The beer is named after an utopian colony that used to be located in Point Loma in San Diego at the beginning of the century. Only a few buildings remain.

That looks really good. Bookmarked for future use. Never heard of Tiki Adam's orgeat before - how is it? (Maybe a silly question - obviously it must be good if it's in use at Casa Rafa.)

More Mai Tai love. A while back I tried rumdood's Look Normal, which is a Mai Tai of some sort with white rum as the base, and absinthe and maraschino replacing the orange liqueur. If we stretch this concept a little more, there are similarities with Dave Shenaut's Leaning to Tie. Now cachaça is the base (I used Leblon which is very grassy), a good dose of pastis (I used St. George absinthe) mixed with a touch of Campari replace the orange liqueur, and he swaps out the lime juice for orange juice. Without lime juice it's less acidic and sweeter than a regular Mai Tai. The flavor is hard to describe but there is something really intriguing in the way it all meshes together, herbal and nutty flavors. I liked it. Learning to Tie: cachaça, orange juice, orgeat, absinthe, Campari I am now intrigued about cachaça/white rhum agricole + absinthe possibilities outside of the Mai Tai template.

It looks like I've been on a Sazerac kick lately. Last night was The Betwixt and the Between (Greg Perrault) with bourbon (Blanton's), sweet vermouth (Margerum), green Chartreuse, absinthe (St. George). High proof bourbon was recommended but I did not have any; I agree that it would work best to stand up to the Chartreuse. In any case, it's a good herbal-forward variation on the Sazerac. Not pictured, an excellent variation I had this weekend at Sycamore Den with Redbreast Irish whiskey, St. Germain as the sweetener, absinthe, and cherry bitters.

Stone / Farking / Wheaton W00tStout (2013 collaboration series). Imperial stout brewed with pecans, wheat, and rye; 1/4 aged in bourbon barrels. Coffee and bitter cocoa notes. Medium body and carbonation. Bitter/ slightly tannic finish. The high alcohol content (13%!) is well masked. Not unforgettable but it was very nice with steak.

Olde Ale British-style ale MMXIV by AleSmith. It's pretty big with lots of malt and a nice bitter finish (from English hops). Very good with a flammenküche/tarte flambée.

Marcella Hazan's poached shrimp with olive oil and lemon juice. It looks like nothing but it's really delicious. You could serve it on a little skewer or a small piece of bread.

Last night's cocktail was a Chien Chaud (a litteral translation of "hot dog" into French), a creation by David Wondrich with rhum agricole blanc (Neisson), coconut water, yellow Chartreuse, and Angostura bitters. I am always a bit protective of my rhum agricole but I decided to give it a try. It's wonderful. The various elements complement the rhum very well, and it's a great summer drink. It's in the same vein as Charles Baker's Coco de Agua, with the agricole making everything more interesting.

The Isle of Man Vintage cheddar from TJ's is pretty good. Very creamy with a lot of flavor.

More golden beets, this time with fennel and valencia oranges. The oranges were incredibly fragrant, and were probably the best ones I've ever tasted.

A couple of nights ago I made a classic sorrel sauce (Trois Gros recipe) to accompany a fillet of sockeye salmon. The sorrel is from my patio. This was accompanied by a Santa Barbara rosé. It's nice how the acidity of the sorrel cuts through the cream & butter.

I am guessing it's a reference to the Tom Cruise character in the movie Cocktail. Anyway, I would ditch the piña colada idea and learn how to make an Old Fashioned a la Ryan Gosling. Minimal equipment required* and she will be impressed, guaranteed. * photoshopped abs excluded

That should read Dolin dry vermouth.

I had a Daiquiri with Neisson blanc a couple of days ago. Difford's 10:3:2 ratio. That might be perfection.

Here's what I used: 210 g flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 115 g unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons water. I sprinkled a few tablespoons of sugar on the fruit and crust before putting the tart in the oven. See here for more details.