thirtyoneknots

I'm excited to check this palce out, though I question their exclusive use of Vya. Vya dry is really not conducive to making most classic drinks calling for dry vermouth aside from the Martini, it's just too different. Shows that their heart is definitely in the right place though. -Andy

What is the copyright date on this book? What I seem to recall about this drink offhand is that it is typically attributed to LA in the 40's and uses apricot liqueur in 1:1:1 preportions. I'm not sure what you used, but in this formula, what about eau-de-vie? -Andy

Second the Sazerac, also many Benedictine drinks, the complexitites are unveiled as the drink warms where they may have been obscured by the cold at first. I would also put Manhattans up there at times. -Andy

I don't know about swizzle sticks, but have them be sure to look out for Wray & Nephew Allspice Liqueur and Appleton Estates 21 yr rum.

Hopefully not too late to share something I've been enjoying lately. I love Old fashioneds (who doesn't? Commies, that's who) and always liked the notion of the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail, but the only genevere available to me is the Boomsma, which I find uninspiring, so I normally just make it with a good London Dry, at least until Anchor Distilling's Genevieve becomes available. The other personally notable thing about this drink is that I'm not huge on either Grand Marnier or Maraschino, finding them excessively heavy and with a slightly off-putting funk (esp in the Maraschino) but I love either of them here. Not too exotic for this crowd, but here's a recipe anyways: Improved Gin Cocktail: 2 oz good gin (Tanqueray or Boodles, or Junipero if I'm really going all out). 1 tsp, give or take, of GrandMa or Maraschino (lots of other liqueurs work ehre too, try a creme de violette, or apry, or whatever you want). 3ish dashes Peychaud's, or orange bitters if you want to mix things up a bit 1ish dash Absinthe (Jade Edouard is what I have; if you only have pastis I might be tempted to skip this part) Now lots of books and websites say stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, but I always build this on the rocks, for whatever reason. Lemon twist. Never ceases to amaze how versatile the 'Cock-tail' formula is. And they're pretty much all good, too.

Since you brought it up, does anyone know if this stuff is imported? -Andy

I like Wondrich's portions of 2 oz gin, .75 of lemon, and 1 tsp each of maraschino and violette. I much prefer the dry Aviation recipes for the suaveness and the effectiveness at restraining the power of the liqueurs used, both of which can take over if used carelessly. -Andy

Not sure what kind of space limitations you are working with, but wine coolers are a pretty inexpensive investment in your own wine enjoyment, especially if you get them on sale. I recently bought a cooler at Home Depot on clearance for under $200 that is rated for 50 bottles (though it has rack space for 52 and currently holds over 60). Definitely recommended if you are planning on even some medium-term cellaring. The device is pre-set for the exact conditions laid out above, but it can be adjusted. -Andy

Finally got around to trying the Pompadour from Killer Cocktails, having picked up a bottle of Pineau de Charentes recently for this purpose: 1.5 oz Rhum St. James Hors d'Age 1.5 oz Gautier Proprietor's Reserve Pineau de Charentes (aged 5 yrs) .5 oz lemon shake/strain/up, no garnish. Really fascinating drink, highly recommended. Comes on at first sort of like a Sidecar, but the finish has the unmistakeable characteristics of the St. James. Beautiful balance, slightly drier to my palate than a 2:1:1 sidecar, and at least as interesting. Definitely a drink for the jaded palate. Side note on PdC: Does anyone know if this stuff is supposed to be refrigerated? It says 'De Luxe Cigar Blend' on the bottle, implying it to be drank after dinner (where I would normally think of sweet drinks), but most of the info I have suggest it is drank as an aperitif in it's native land. If anybody can shed a little light on this I'd appreciate it. -Andy

I also like the Pierre Ferrand Ambre, which we use at work. At home lately I've been enjoying the Hardy's VS 'Red Corner', which I got on sale for $20. I like it better than Hennessey VS, which it is roughly in the same style as, and about as much as the Martell VS, which is a slightly different style, both of which are $6-8 more. On the sipping front, I recently acquired a bottle of Kelt VSOP, which I am enjoying very much, liking it more even than the Kelt XO we have at work (which I find too hot). Drinkboy has recommended the Kelt VS, which I can't seem to locate, but I did make one Sidecar with the VSOP, as per Mr. Wondrich, and it absolutely spoiled me. Anyways, just my 2 cents on brandy. -Andy

The names refer to the color perhaps?

For me the distinctive thing about good quality Orgeat is not it's subtle nuttiness, but the lovely perfumed notes it contributes, as well as the silky mouthfeel (in a good quality bottling; I swear by the 1883 line). I don't think Hazelnut would work the same way, though it'd probbaly still be tasty. -Andy

What if you added two more dashes of grenadine and served this on the rocks? Looks like it might do a little better, being in the old-fashioned-esque category, though with the interesting twist of splitting the difference in booze. -Andy ← Decided to put my money where my mouth is today and actually try this, with a slight adjustment; 3 dashes Jade Edouard, scant tsp homemade grenadine, generous oz Tanqueray and the same of Drouin Calvados, on the rocks with a lemon twist. I really kind of dig this actually. the flavor combination of it is very 'baked apple' which is fun and a little surprising, since I always thought the apple character of the Drouin was sort of musty, verging on unpleasant. Here it really works. Definitely a case of flavors combining into something never-before tasted, with only hints of the original ingredients coming through. The gin definitely contributes something tangible, though the juniper character comes out only in the finish (and this is with Tanqueray!). The Vieux Carre format has proved interesting and versatile, this format, which is similar, could prove to do the same. -Andy

Hopefully this will have similar pricing and distribution to Junipero? Count me excited. I always feel like I'm missing out on something when I use the only thing available, Boomsma. -Andy

Hm ok, so what are some other products this company deals in? I'm trying to find some clue to look for on distributor inventories so I can know who to bug about this stuff. -Andy

Thanks, Kent; might be worth a drive to Austin Am I remembering correctly that St. Germain is made and/or imported by the same guys who deal with Chambord? So theoretically it should be the same distributors as well, even if they aren't actually carrying it in a given state. -Andy

Does anyone know if St. Germain is distributed in Texas, and if so, by what company? Thanks much -Andy

Did you use the stems of just the mint leaves? I think that shaking hard does impart perhaps a little bitterness, but not too much. ← Could also have to do with time of year and, by extension, the quality of the mint.

My preference except in rare occasions is for a cocktail of 2-2.5 oz (before chilling). This comes out to about 3 oz after stirring or shaking and goes nicely into my small glasses. Better to have several small drinks that stay cold than one large one that is warm by the bottom. Also lets you try different things in one night and/or doesn't make you feel like you need to drink more just because there's still booze in the glass.

Mr. Clarke did a writeup on this about a month ago: Applejack Old-Fashioned at Cocktail Chronicles -Andy

Rolling shake with cracked ice, unless you want mint pieces in your teeth. ← I love mint pieces in my teeth

Fee's Peach Bitters are distinctly unlike other bitters I have ever tried (and I have tried most of what is on the market). For one thing, they are not at all bitter, and they are also not terribly peachy. More like peach-flavored Snapple with an almond essence hiding in the background. Fun to play with but not really suitable for normal bitters applications. In this drink I would think the bitterness to balance the sweetness of the bitters (heh) is being provided by the mint stalks from hard shaking. -Andy

So you would say that the Clear Creek product is an inappropriate substitute for Calvados then? These do indeed appear to be identical aside from being formulated for a single serving vs. a crowd.

As I recall, 'Cape Brandy' was once a product of some acclaim, so may be worth a try.

Having only tried three different Calvados I can say that he Christian Drouin was also not to my liking, though I might stop short of saying it ruined anything. For about $25/bottle I found the Daron to be quite servicable. The other one I have tried was the La Captive, which as the name suggest, has a captive apple in the bottle. It costs nearly $50/bottle and I found it to be no better than the others for half as much, and closer to the Drouin in character. Luckily it wasn't something I actually paid for. So Daron for me til I find something else to try, but the Drouin does have a cooler looking bottle I think. -Andy