thirtyoneknots

Doesn't "nonalcoholic beer" contain up to .5% alcohol even?

Just clarify on the guidelines here, eggs are considered dairy for this purpose?

Of course it isn't, but what I'm curious about is how different the oxidative processes are between wine and spirits. Clearly spirits do in fact deteriorate from exposure to the atmosphere; is this process related to the way in which wine deteriorates? It would seem logical that it is, with the higher % alcohol merely retarding the process to where loss of flavor is measured in months or years rather than hours or days. I mean the difference in longevity between a 13% abv table wine and a 20% abv fortified wine such as a Tawny Port is quite significant, and of course 40% abv brandy even more so. But in the end these will all lose something of their flavor when exposed to air...is it not reasonable to assume that temperature would also play a part going up the abv scale?

I am always curious to see measures like "1/8 oz" and wonder how people hit those with any precision...do you merely consider a 'scant teaspoon' close enough or are you making two or more and measuring the multimple amount? For my own part I don't think I've ever seen any measuring apparatus marked with 8ths of an ounce, though 1/8 and 3/8 and 5/8 show up with some unnerving frequency in recipes.

It may or may not apply in the same way to spirits, but I have noted time and again that temperature control helps preserve opened wine far more than any other measure. We've even had completely open bottles, no stopper of any kind (accidentally) left in the WineKeeper overnight, even longer, and because they were being kept at 'cellar temperature' the contents were not noticeably affected. Stoppered bottles left out at actual room temperature however, are rarely worth drinking past the second day.

Made a couple of Metropoles this afternoon...a somewhat difficult drink for me in the past, notable for its austere elegance more than its extreme deliciousness. The other day though I noticed I had 3 different dry vermouths open in the fridge at the moment (old and new Noilly, plus Dolin, and the Dolin Blanc and Tio Pepe Fino Sherry as well) so I tried it out with the "new" Noilly Prat and the Dolin as a comparison. When double checking the recipe in my new Mud Puddle edition of Kappler (and in Imbibe!) I noticed that a scant amount of gum was called for, which I had never seen in more recent recipes before. Both drinks were delightful but I must actually credit the scant half tsp of rich simple for that more than the change in aromatized wines. Neat way to show off the very different characters of the vermouths as well. Metropole: 1 oz Cognac (Hardy VS in both) 1 oz Dry Vermouth 2 dashes Peychauds 1 dash Orange Bitters (Fees/Regans) scant 1/2 tsp rich simple Stir with ice and strain into chilled glass, lemon twist.

My newest Flor de Cana 1.75L bottles actually didn't even have the flow regulating apparatus in them, just a sort of necked-down area at the spout. That and the subtle flavor difference in new and old (undoubtedly due to the older bottle being very slightly oxidized) had me panicking a bit but I don't think anything else changed.

These versions given above are what I've seen as the 'Prohibition Origin' school, though I don't think I've ever actually seen a primary source for that idea, only other books or whatever debunking the myth (with no explanation as to it's origin). To me it sounds like what someone would come up with if they were simply sitting there drinking a cocktail and suddenly wondered where cocktails originated, and didn't actually bother to go find out but instead came up with something semi-plausible out of thin air.

Appleton V/X is one of my favorite rums as well, but I don't think you can really say that a Daiquiri or Mojito made with it still qualifies for those names...the flavor of that rum is so different from any kind of white rum at all that it would certainly mean a new name for the drink. I mean if we switch to Scotch in a Manhattan it gets a new name, and even variations as subtle as the type of even amount of bitters in a Martini often qualify for new names. Appleton V/X is certainly as different from Bacardi/Flor de Cana ED/Havana Club as American Whiskey is from Scotch if not moreso. Not saying the drinks aren't fabulous, I'd just say you aren't really experiencing a true Daiquiri if you're making it with Appleton V/X. Planters Punch or Grog, perhaps?

Zwack has a sweet herbal cinnamon high note with a subtle bitterness and even more subtle anise character...it's essentially a digestif bitter in the Eastern European tradition, albeit not awfully bitter. It's a reformulation of the older Unicum product that is, at least around here, being primarily marketed to compete with Jagermeister in the places where it is profitable to do so.

Somewhat conservative estimate puts my count at 89...I'm puzzled by things that seem superfluous, like including both a Whiskey Skin and a Hot Toddy, or a Coffee Cocktail and a Port Flip. And while it's not exactly a life-changing drink, I also felt like the Bronx is inconic enough to deserve a place on a list like this, and Death in the Afternoon can indeed be an acquired taste. However, the list doesn't claim to be the 100 best cocktails ever, merely 100 things they think one should try. It is, undoubtedly, part gimmick, since there is an obligatory punch card and reward or recognition of some kind after completing all 100 drinks, but any gimmick that has people ordering Chrysthanthemums and Pisco Punch is one I can deal with. It also cleverly signals a wider range of offerings than a 12-15 drink cocktail menu can. The first few times I was at Anvil, people around me were mostly drinking things from the normal list. The last time I was in there they had recently implemented this list, and it was surreal but very cool to hear people ordering Sherry Cobblers and Old Pals as if they were Cosmopolitans or something. And of course a big part of the fun with lists like this is the discussion about the merits of the choices.

Can't help much on the timeline of the proof change, but the strip of paper across the cap is the old-school tax stamps which as far as I'm aware would indicate a bottle from somewhere between 1933 and 1980 (would love a correction on that if anyone has better info).

After the first time I tried Pimm's with Ginger Beer I haven't even bothered to mix one up unless I have some on hand. Blows the whole 'lemonade' (ie, 7-up) or ginger ale thing out of the water.

Its a great drink. Wish I could find Dolin around here. I'd really like to try it. ← Dolin Dry and Blanc are both remarkably good vermouths but there's nothing wrong at all with Noilly Prat and it should work just fine in this drink.

FWIW I find FdC Extra Dry quite sippable, and I certainly like it more than Brugal Blanco (not that I don't like Brugal)

From a perhaps too-practical perspective I like those bottles that are easy to grab from the rail with wet hands...Sazerac Rye is particularly good with it's long neck but most things in the 'standard' bottle work well like this. Many gins with their short necks can be difficult (don't even get me started on Hendricks) and Cointreau is tricky as well though I have seen neck extensions for Cointreau out there but have been unable to locate one. From a purely aesthetic viewpoint it's hard to ignore the St. Germaine bottle. But I'm more of a function over form kind of guy.

Concave against the ice always. And the only reason I can think of is "It works better that way". Toby ← I use it that way as well, I think it is easier to hold with one hand that way in general since your finger doesn't have to reach as far to hold it in place. I have fairly large hands and it still is slightly awkward to hold the strainer the other way (ie like a spoon set in the glass). For people with smaller hands I would think it would be nearly impossible.

This is definitely a problem for me in general - I love the Riedel highball and old-fashioned glasses we got as wedding gifts, but they are huge (22 7/8 and 15 1/8 respectively). It's either huge cocktails or mostly empty glasses (I don't mind so much on the old-fashioned glasses, but it's a real problem with swizzles, fizzes, etc.) One thing that's nice about the KegWorks tiki glasses is that they are only 10 oz - these work great for the drinks, but not as well for photos that let you see the cocktails. ← Wow those are gigantic! Almost to the point where they are impractical for making mixed drinks of any kind, it would seem. Of course my cabinet and a half of assorted glassware isn't winning any marks for practicality, either

The Pilsner glasses I have are conical and hold 10 oz, perfect for blending about 3-3.5 oz of liquid with crushed ice with an immersion blender and then topping up (as most recipes call for) with a touch more of crushed ice. I bought them for a song at a thrift store in Denton, Texas, but I've seen the same or very very similar ones since and I think they may still be in available. In general though, I do in fact think that modern glasses are larger than their predecessors.

Sure they are all different, but they still fall under the same category as 'Cuban Style White Rum' in my book. I've not had Havana Club, but Cruzan and FdC are less different than, for example, Old Grand-Dad BIB and Makers Mark, but nobody would argue that they are not both Bourbons.

Cocktail Rums are most commonly of the 'Cuban Style' as epitomized by brads ranging from Bacardi, Cruzan, Flor de Cana, and of course Havana Club. They are lighter in body and cleaner in flavor than rums of the Jamaican or Agricole traditions. While Appleton is lovely rum, it is best suited to punch-style drinks and would not suit well in traditional Daiquiris or Mojitos. I'm with those recommending the Havana Club, not least because of it's scarcity back here.

Was at Anvil last night and after a mind-blowing Martinez with the Hayman's and Carpano Antica, I asked them to make me a Sazerac with Linie Aquavit. I have a love-hate relationship with aquavit, but that was awesome.

While I'd agree they can be life-changing, neither Eagle Rare nor George T Stagg are rye whiskies.

Wherever did you come across such a thing? I've made some pretty pleasurable 115 proof rum by mixing equal parts Goslings Black Seal with their 151. Fabulous for punches but I have no idea if it comes close to a more conventionally produced product.

Interesting because I was making Boulevardiers for some folks tonight with Sazerac Rye and was thinking how this combo came dangerously close to being an indespensable drink. Perhaps the absinthe and peychauds are tricky additions?