thirtyoneknots

Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey told me they finally produced a lower proof version because some restaurants (assuming national chains) and stores could not carry high-proof spirits. Are the "bonded" liquors really bonded by the government anymore? Does the ATF still explicitly define what constitutes a bonded spirit? And is Laird's applejack not only watered down but also mixed with neutral spirits? Wild Turkey doesn't explicitly say 'Bottled in Bond' and the proof is 101 not 100, but I've always been curious about that. Unless there has been some law to supersede the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 I can't imagine produers would be allowed to use that term on the label without following those rules, so I reckon the Gov't is involved somehow. And yeah the regular 80 proof applejack is blended with goofyness like apple wine and neutral spirits so even if it was otherwise 'bonded' it wouldn't be 'straight apple brandy'. No idea how this applies to their higher end stuff.

Bonded whiskey must also be bottled at 100 proof, so 80 proof whiskey could not be labelled as "bonded" although it may well be aged the same way. In all likelyhood they age everything in the same place and just add more water to make 80 proof than they do for the Bonded. Strange as it seems to us here on a board like this, many consumers do not want their whiskies to be that potent for a variety of reasons and are more likely to buy the 80 proof version of a product if it is available. I think that is the main reason for producing a lower proof version alongside a bonded product, not to skirt any regulations. Bonded Vodka makes no sense conceptually because the spirit does not require aging. As I was typing this I got to thinking about how many whiskies are still out there labelled as 'Bottled in Bond'? We have the fan favorites of Rittenhouse and Laird's, as well as a very good candidate for my favorite Bourbon of all time, the Old Grand-dad BIB. Any others out there? It certainly isn't as common as it once was/ought to be.

1 tsp = 5 ml

I would expect that that is almost certainly the case. And as I noted above I'd be willing to bet it doesn't matter at any rate anyway.

Has Knob Creek changed appreciably lately? Not a brand I go to much but I have some friends who it may find it of note.

I'd imagine that any 'terroir' expressed in grain would be negligible compared to the character of the water itself. And given the tremendous amounts of water needed to make distilled spirits, transporting it would likely add prohibitvely to the cost. If you wanted to make whiskey elsewhere why not just let it express its own local character?

The wording makes it sound as if it may still be available at their bar. Anybody know?

I certainly would! Carpano Antica should not have that character or anything resembling it.

The Hardy VS is my got-to for mixing at home since it is delicious and goes on sale with some regularity. I confess to not having tried anything higher but they tend to go on sale quite often as well and I may snag a VSOP next time I see it. The way I look at it, Hardy is so inexpensive that even if the VSOP is "only" as good as the VS, it's still not really a waste of $25-30 since thats what it takes to get a bottle of VS from one of the bigger houses to begin with. Speaking of which, I've seen Martell VSOP with a red label around lately in the low 30s...anybody ever tried this? I've been thinking of picking it up since it's only a few $$ more than the VS and I love me some Martell. Seems to be a peculiarly low price for VSOP Cognac from a major producer but I'm certainly not complaining. I've been disappointed in my bottle of Martell VSOP. It's a little too nutty, and not very round in flavour to my tastes, while being unnecessarily hot. It might be fine in a cocktail, though, and if you're a fan of the house then it's likely worth a shot. I think, more than anything, it's simply emblematic of the larger houses using younger & younger spirit to fill out their VSOPs. The Hine Antique is superb; my friends and I rated it level with Hennessy Paradis. Another house that I would look into is Delamain; I've only had their Vesper, but it is excellent. Another vote for Delamaine. I have also only had one of their bottlings (Pale & Dry) but it is terriffic if you like the richer style like Martell. Only downside is they don't seem to have anything below the $60-80 range.

I'll second the mention of White Horse. A great mixing Scotch for well under $20. I like it because it has just enough oompf to not get lost in a cocktail with other strong flavors. Yeah it does seem more "Scotchy" (with apologies to Ron Burgundy) than other popular blends such as Famous Grouse or Johnny Walker and perhaps less complex. When drinking White Horse I often sort of feel like if you took any aspect of its character away it would no longer really be recognizeable as Scotch, which while making for a somewhat unexciting rocks sipper, makes it ideal in many cocktail situations.

The Hardy VS is my got-to for mixing at home since it is delicious and goes on sale with some regularity. I confess to not having tried anything higher but they tend to go on sale quite often as well and I may snag a VSOP next time I see it. The way I look at it, Hardy is so inexpensive that even if the VSOP is "only" as good as the VS, it's still not really a waste of $25-30 since thats what it takes to get a bottle of VS from one of the bigger houses to begin with. Speaking of which, I've seen Martell VSOP with a red label around latelf in the low 30s...anybody ever tried this? I've been thinking of picking it up since it's only a few $$ more than the VS and I love me some Martell. Seems to be a peculiarly low price for VSOP Cognac from a major producer but I'm certainly not complaining.

For some reason, at least in Texas, White Horse is very hard to find in bottles smaller than 1.75L; I've seen it maybe 3 times and only in very out of the way places. In the large bottle it is more or less ubiquitous around here, which is very peculiar to me. In general it has much more of a smoke and malt character and less fruit than Famous Grouse, almost more like a Highland Malt character to the Grouse's Speyside-esque profile (if comparisons like that aren't taboo). Tasty but very different. Balmore Legend, being an Islay single malt has much more smoke but it is fairly tame compared to something like Laphroaig. Makes a divine Rusty Nail.

Balvenie Doublewood is divine but in most cases a blend will suit better for cocktails. In addition to the venerable Famous Grous that vice mentioned, White Horse is another good choice for a blend, as is Dewars and JW Red. For a nice everyday sipper that can also be fun (and relatively affordable) to make the occasional cocktail with, hard to go wrong with Balmore Legend (about $26 locally after going up last year). Makes a great hot toddy as well.

Much cheaper (about $45-50 locally) but the Kelt VSOP is my favorite for "affordable" sipping cognac. Not as rich but similarly layered fruit expression to the Cordon Bleu. I find the Kelt XO, oddly, to be very blah...hot and somewhat unfocused. I'd rather take the VSOP any day, even if I was buying it with your money.

Impossible to F up an Old-Fashioned, except when it is. And then I stick with Bourbon and water. Old Fashioned especially applicable since you can spill just about any kind of booze in there and it still works. Also great for soothing the nerves after a series of mishaps, either mixological or personal.

I generally add a generous half oz (or perhaps closer to 3/4 oz) of vanilla extract to about a cup and a half of 1:1 simple (1 cup sugar and 1 cup water).

I have a feeling that a forthcoming book from our favorite bearded drinks writer will propel the nascent interest in punches into orbit. I mean who was drinking Improved Cock-tails two years ago? Exactly.

Because it doesn't adhere to the authentic original but uses its name? Exactly. I just don't think its very good form to stress all these points about 'authentic' and old-school drinks then serve a Mai Tai variation as a Mai Tai. I won't dispute that the Surf Room is a fine drink, but it's akin to serving people a Tantris Sidecar in lieu of a Sidecar.

I'd have to respectfully disagree with you there...the Zombie was only misunderstood, abused, and bastardized due to the overzealous secrecy of its creator. Vic published his Mai Tai recipe to the eternal betterment of all Mankind and so deserves a place among such luminaries as Jerry Thomas and Henry Charles Ramos for making public the secret recipes on which his livelihood depended. I'd also be very hesitant to serve as a "Mai Tai" any recipe containing pineapple or orange juice. Just doesn't seem right, especially as exposure to the uninitiated.

The most essential, most perfect, most misunderstood, abused, and bastardized: The Mai Tai, of course. And if you are going to be able to compare it to a Daiquiri it shows what happens when you start tweaking classic formulae.

Sounds like this could also be read as an interpretation on the Roffignac, which would use more syrup and plain soda instead of the grapefruit. It's an odd drink, and quite rich.

First cold front on the first day of fall, and the temperature finally goes below 80 after 3 months of highs over 100. Reading on the back porch with my pipe and test-driving my new Mole bitters in an Old-Fashioned made with Flor de Cana 7 yr rum. Delightful, and very fitting with the mood.

Did you omit an egg from the ingredient list? If not on what grounds would you consider it a flip?

*cough* so what about almond, soy, or rice milk? They have about as much to do with dairy as chicken fetuses. Haha more in fact, since they at least use the name "milk". Made a Madiera flip the other day, with 2 oz Bual, 1/4 oz simple, and a whole egg shaken up and strained, dusted with nutmeg. Really nice drink but no dairy

If you're trying to make a crowd-pleasing drink but have to avoid citrus I think that Bianco or Blanc Vermouth is a great way to round off the harsher flavors of spirits while keeping sweetness in check. I've had lots of fun drinking Dolin Blanc mixed with Tequila Por Mi Amante, I wonder if a regular blanco would work the same way? Anvil in Houston has a fabulous drink called the Peruvian Riddle, made from Chamomile-infused Pisco with Bianco and orange bitters in classic (ie, wet) Martini preportions. I would imagine this drink would work well with an uninfused Pisco as well.