themaninwhite

So you're the trouble maker! We had 3 more orders for them at the bar once people saw us making them for your table... ← one request was for "that drink that's supposed to take twelve minutes to shake." grrrrr...

i agree that blanton's is pretty great, but if you're looking for something a little less pricey, i'd recommend something from the weller family. my favorite is the weller antique, which usually sells for around $20 for a liter. it is (like maker's mark) made with wheat rather than rye so it is a little more mellow in flavor than some other bourbons, and since it has not reached the level of popularity of maker's it has maintained its rather modest price point. also, the higher proof (107) makes it great for mixing (it makes a particularly great mint julep), which isn't to say that it isn't an excellent sipping whiskey in its own right.

my default sweet vermouth is the carpano antica formula, which i prefer to the m&r. it's a little more sweet and mellow than the punt e mes, and to my taste nothing (for the money) can beat a 2:1 rittenhouse:antica manhattan with a few dashes of hermes orange bitters. *drool*

themaninwhite works practically across the street. Maybe he can check it out for us today. ← unfortunately i'd already eaten, but i picked up the menu. i'll check out the food tomorrow.

I actually have TheManInWhite's pasta machine on loan at the moment. It's made by Imperia but I'm not sure what exact model number it is. Maybe he'll come out of the shadows and comment. I've been meaning to get the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment but been putting it off as well. Once I give this back though I'll have to finally pick it up. Fresh Pasta is so easy to make and better than store bought pasta. ← Ciao, tutti. The pasta machine is (I believe) the imperia 150, which is usually about $50, but I just checked and Amazon has it in stock for just under $40. I've found making the dough very therapeutic, and although it takes more time, after one taste you will have a hard time having pasta from a box...though I may have little choice unless I recapture my machine from donbert. I guess after the dulce de leche tasting we can call it even.

Ack! Called out of the shadows... Everything at the party worked out relatively well. A large percentage of the people were appreciative of what we were trying to do, and a few were genuinely interested. However, there's always that group that has to cop an attitude about everything. ("Sorry, we ran out of ice and there's none at the store, but we're scouring the neighborhood to find more" "But I want a cocktail NOW"...ugh) The favorites seemed to be the Caipirinha and the donbert original (though we've come to find that many people created something similar over the course of this year) the Fresh Prince of Cucumber: muddle mint and cucumber 2 oz gin 1/2 oz simple syrup 1/2 oz key lime juice stir in rocks glass with ice top with soda mint and cucumber garnish The end was particularly interesting, when we had run out of cachaca, gin, rye, scotch, and applejack, and were left with aperol, tequila, and a variety of juices and vermouths. All in all a fun time and some good practice with speed, but altogther not quite so enjoyable as a smaller setting with people that you know will really appreciate it.