thirtyoneknots

You’re a normal, well adjusted human being who is naturally curious. But be forewarned, that’s how they get you. It starts out innocently enough; you try different gin cocktails while your friends are drinking vodka and soda. Next thing you know, on your way to far-off relatives for Thanksgiving dinner you’re yanking the car off the road to scour a mom and pop liquor store for extinct ingredients while the family cools their heels in the backseat. And forget about bringing leftovers home because the refrigerator is loaded with myriads of homemade liquid concoctions! Various simple syrups & grenadines, numerous versions of pimento dram & falernum and… oh look, Earl Grey infused gin… gotta go… Rich Edit: Missed an "of" ← Oh dear, have you been in my kitchen lately? ;-)

I have been lead to understand that 'bruising' gin is a metaphor about the aromatic quality, similar to bruising mint or other herbs. Of course I may be completely mistaken, and at any rate it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Although on second thought, it does seem that shaken gin drinks sometimes display less of the aromatic quality of the gin, though my first instinct would be to attribute that to the fact that they normally contain other ingredients that would obscure the botanicals (cream, juice, eggwhite, etc). Or I could be dreaming the whole thing up. -Andy

Continuing my journey through Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, tonight after dinner I made an East India Cocktail: 3 oz brandy (Martell VS) 1/2 oz raspberry syrup (1883 de Philibert Routin, highly recommended) 1 tsp curacao (Marie Brizzard) 1 tsp maraschino (Luxardo) 1 dash bitters (2-3 dashes Angostura) Stir and strain (or shake if using Smuckers syrups). This made two drinks in my tiny glasses. The book calls for a cherry garnish but I used an orange peel instead, to good effect. I've long been a big fan of the Japanese Cocktail after dinner, though I typically cut the Orgeat by half (again, using 1883 de Philibert Routin) and this looked to be in the same family. I was pleased with the complex flavor and subtle sweetness, just right for an after-dinner stomach settler. All in all though, I doubt it will replace the Japanese in my regular rotation. I'm not sure what % of cocktails I have tried from that book, but I know that I have had everything to the Golden Dawn (though of course I'm not going in order). Absinthe will be ordered after Valentines Day and hopefully some Swedish Punsch by spring, I think that'll set me to complete the book. -Andy Edit to close parenthesis Edit again for clarity

Second the Blood and Sand, though I make them more like this. I actually am not terribly fond of Scotch, at least not blends, but oddly enough there are times when nothing but scotch will do, so I do keep some around (B&S doesn't really count in that area for me though since it isn't terribly scotchy in flavor). I do enjoy Drambuie though. On any given day, though, I'd much rather have a cocktail with Irish whiskey than scotch. I do love me some Irish whiskey cocktails. -Andy

Alternatively, you can get new friends. ← YES

Smoking Martini: Correct me if I'm wrong, but what this essentially creates is a glass of blended scotch, no? Of course it has a dash of pastis in it and not to mention Islays are probably not often used in blends, but is that not essentially what it is? It's something I've always found interesting in concept, but it also seems custom-made for the Scotch lover (which I wouldn't quite call myself). Vya: Agreed on the dry, I think I've more or less decided I don't care much for it as a mixer, especially for the price. I recently acquired some Marie Brizard Cassis, so maybe I'll use it up in Pompiers, since it is really, really good by itself or in simple concoctions like that. All things considered, I think my final opinion of Vya is that for me its not worth the extra money or extra trouble it costs, NP and M&R it is! I did rather enjoy the sweet though, I could see myself buying that again, just to spoil myself a bit. -Andy

Sure it's nice to be able to make Cosmos or Martinis if thats what your friends like, but I learned long ago that most people really do want to be shown something new, and so when my friends come over now they tend to just say yeah make whatever, if I even bother asking them anymore. Sure they may like Martinis, but you can get that at any old bar. Eventually you'll be able to ask someone what they like, and based on that make them something they've probably never had before but will love. They like 'Apple martinis'? I bet they'd love a Jack Rose. Lemon Drops? Drop a 20th Century on them, etc. -Andy

To my taste, Benedictine was definitely the dominant ingredient, as opposed to what I feel is a better balance with WT101. I suppose it's a nice way to showcase the flavor of Benedictine, but since the first time I tried it was with Wild Turkey rye, I have a very definite perception of what the drink is supposed to be, and Saz6 doesn't deliver that profile. My opinion of the baby saz so far is that it more or less fills in where other ryes like Wild Turkey or Old Overholt fall short. For example, I like it with citrus whereas I don't find the others terribly pleasant with it, but I find it lacking in bite for Manhattans (go-to here is WT), Sazeracs, or Old-Fashioneds (WT or Old Overholt, depending on the mood). In a way I find it to be a relatively bourbon-like rye, not in flavor, but in the way it mixes. Hope that makes some sense. I like it quite a bit and do plan on keeping it around certainly, but it certainly won't supplant Wild Turkey. Of course in some cases I think that perhaps wether WT or Saz6 works best depends on the other ingredients involved. Take for example the Vieux Carre, one on my short list of favorites (though occasional, the ingredients aren't cheap). I typically make it like this: 1 oz Rye 1 oz Cognac 1 oz Vermouth 1 tsp Benedictine (or half as much, as the mood strikes) 2-3 dashes Peychauds 2-3 dashes Angostura Build over ice, garnish with twist of lemon. Now if I was going to use a suave, sweet(ish) rye like Saz6, I might go with a dry(ish), gentle cognac like Hennessey. But with a bigger, bolder rye like WT, I might use something like Martell or Couvorsier to better compete, flavor wise. It's fun to experiment, certainly. And with the Vieux Carre, it always tastes good regardless ;-) -Andy

Tonight I had one I've been meaning to try for over a year now, but I never seemed to have the opportunity and all the ingredients at the same time. It looked rather sweet so I tweaked it slightly before even making the first one, here's what I came up with: Bistro Sidecar 1.5 oz Brandy (Martell VS) .5 oz Tuaca .5 oz Frangelico (DeKuyper Hazelnut) 1 oz lemon juice (fresh) .5 oz tangerine juice (fresh, it was actually a little under .5 oz, maybe 1/3 or so) Shake and strain. This made two drinks in the tiny glasses I favor. The recipe originally called for sugar rimmed glasses, but I rarely bother with those at home, preferring to balance the drink in the glass, and as previously noted, I was trying to dry it out anyway. I also lacked roasted hazelnuts and so dispensed with garnish alltogether. Verdict? Very nice, interesting once-in-a-while variation on the sidecar. I think what I came up with here is balanced enough to please those who are accustomed to 2:1:1 sidecars, it's perhaps a touch sweeter than that. Since I rarely use hazelnut liqueur, I have not yet seen fit to replace the liter of DeKuyper I bought back when I was just getting into this hobby, though I'm sure Frangelico can only improve the drink. The really interesting thing about it is that as made here, the hazelnut liqueur contributes mostly to the aroma and a bit in the finish, though it is almost to the point where unless you know it's in there, you may not be able to put your finger on what exactly it is you are tasting/smelling. Much like the cacao in a Twentieth Century in that regard, and in fact hazelnut liqueurs may be fun to experiment with as replacements in that and similar drinks (Delmarva #2, La Floridita Daiquiri). All in all, recommended to try for anyone who enjoys Sidecars (and who doesn't?). If you normally make your Sidecars with 2:1 of Cointreau:lemon rather than 1:1 (ie, a sweeter drink), I suggest cutting the amount of bothjuices by half. -Andy

Since I never took a course and am essentially self-tought, the only thing I have to add is that I use the skill set I picked up from waiting tables far more than I ever thought I would. Extremely valuable experience. -Andy

Scooping the ice with the glass has got to be the number one mistake here, the one for which there is no excuse. You would not believe how many people out there do that though, I have seen everybody from brand new waiters to upper management and everyone inbetween do that, its rediculous.

Putting the baby Saz through the paces continued tonight after some hiatus, first on the agenda was a de la Louisiane, one of my favorites: 3/4 oz Sazerac 6 yr Rye 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Vya) 3/4 oz Benedictine 3 dashes Peychauds 3 dashes Herbsaint. Garnish with a twist This is one of my favorite after-dinner type cocktails, normally made with Wild Turkey rye. After trying this, I firmly believe the WT is a better choice for this drink, as it's stronger flavors can better compete with the Benedictine, and it's a bit drier as well. Second was the Oriental: 2 oz Sazerac 6 yr 1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Vya -- the last ounce) 1/2 oz Cointreau 1/2 oz Lime (fresh, natch) Since I like using very small cocktail glasses this made two. I have never been terribly fond of drinks combining American whiskey (esp rye) and citrus, the tartness of the citrus tends to bring out an odd (to me anyway) funky flavor that isn't terribly pleasant. However, from my first taste of the Sazerac 6 yr Rye, I had theorized that this might be the most citrus-friendly whiskey ever. This drink proved me right. Such a beautiful combination of flavors, and of course the use of Vya certainly can't have hurt. I'd probably up the drink to 3/4 oz of lime next time since it was a little on the sweetish side for me but since it was late in the evening I didn't mind too much. Highly recommended. -Andy

I often enjoy a cocktail after dinner, and I think a Sazerac on an extremely full stomach is one of the best feelings in the world, although Sazeracs are not for everyone. One of my favorites after dinner that is sweet enough to be approachable to the casual drinker is the de la Louisiane. It goes something like this: 3/4 oz Rye (I like Wild Turkey 101 but soon to be tried with the baby Saz) 3/4 oz Italian (Sweet) Vermouth -- Martini & Rossi is acceptable 3/4 oz Benedictine 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters 3 dashes Herbsaint or other pastis (Pernod, etc) Stir and strain into small chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and a maraschino cherry if you just can't help yourself. So good. -Andy

I always thought that 'White Curacao' was once a generic name for what we would now call triple sec, though that would make for a very odd ingredient list with already having Cointreau in there. -Andy

The restaraunt where I work is very focused on their wine, and is owned and managed by people who are very passionate and very knowledgable about wine. We have the best wine selection in the area, including over 300 by the bottle, over 60 by the half bottle, and over 45 by the glass, and they were all carefully selected for their quality. I say all this because I have not personally (yet) tried the sparkling wine we offer by the glass (in a split) but I trust that it is of good quality, even if it has a modest price. The wine director himself told me it is good, so I feel confident recommending Cristalino Cava for this purpose. For drinks calling for sparkling wine I typically use Cava because it is such a great bargain, cheap enough to buy for any occasion or no occasion at all. I don't know how much it goes for at reatil, but we sell splits for $6, so it must be $3-4 at the store (if you can find it). Hope this helps. -Andy

Twists: I have a really cheap vegetable peeler that came with a huge 80 piece kitchen set I got for like $40 when I first moved into an apt. It's not that great for actually peeling vegetables, as it tends to take too much off, but it makes the best twists EVER. This leads me to believe that peelers suitable for peeling are not suitable for cutting twists. YMMV I really didn't understand twists very well until asking a question like that in a forum like this and receiving the following quidance: When you practice squeezing the twist, do it with the colored side of the peel towards a lit candle or other flame source. When you do the twist correctly, you will see the oils from the peel flare up. This may make it easier for you to really understand what a twist it doing. It certainly worked for me. -Andy

Don't want to get too far off-topic here, but last time I made grenadine I put about 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tbs of orange flower water per quart of finished product and it was pretty much the best grenadine i've ever had, lots of complexity. -Andy

After having recently acquired a tiny bottle of Abbott's and receiving for Christmas a cologne that listed coumarin as a fragrance I feel qualified to opine that coumarin/tonka is subtly, but distinctly, different from vanilla, at least in aroma. I find it interesting that everyone is hesitant to use tonka beans in their recreations but noone seems too hesitant to use the real old Abbott's (aside from the obvious scarcity issue). Surely a drop can't hurt? -Andy

Re: Cherries and Olives. The two most essential cocktails in all of drinkdom, each with a highly canonical garnish. And I never use either (unless it is for a guest who requests it, or of course if at work). The reason was touched on recently in a Cocktail Chronicles writeup: Why go to all that trouble to perfectly fine-tune and balance this magnificent and delicate combination of spirits, wine, and bitters only to drop some mass-produced highly processed gob of blah into it, destroying this careful balance with sweet syrup or salty brine? For me, a heavy twist of lemon suffices in both of these. Also, I don't like olives -Andy Edit for clarity

So jealous! I had originally heard (or imagined I heard) that they would be out by the end of 2006, obviously incorrect. Hopefully they hit shelves soon. -Andy

Also, while this topic is bumped, I was wondering if anyone had any sort of update on the much-anticipated (by me anyway) Angostura orange bitters.

Is it not true that all straight Bourbon and [American] Rye is "single malt"? So to clarify; Single Barrel offerings are theoretically more unique (between bottles) than single malts in scotch and irish, right? I think a lot of this confusion arises from people not understanding what blended means as in blended whiskey, as opposed to blending by the master blender for consistency, quite a different process if I'm not mistaken. -Andy

I was wondering if anyone could offer some insight on what, if anything, defines "single barrel bourbon" in the legal sense. I have some suspicion that there is precious little that has to be done to qualify for this on the label but I may be wrong, so I wanted to check. I have heard people equate single barrel bourbon with single malt scotch, which I know is not right, but I want to know what exactly makes bourbon single barrel. Thanks in advance. -Andy

I have forgotten the orange bitters before and noticed a marked difference in taste. Once I dribbled a bit into the drink, the problem was solved. Of course I would recommend a powerfully-flavored orange bitter like Regans' (or perhaps the Angostura when it comes out--any word lately?) to be able to compete with all the other strong flavors going on. Save your Bitter Truth or whatever for Martinis. -Andy

I'm as big a "vodka snob" as they come but a few words on that: I don't think Vodka is bad, I just think it's boring. I'm kind of against it because its so...safe. And lame. And utterly...boring (I know I said that already). Its the booze equivalent of tofu. Ordering vodka cocktails is the food equivalent of going to chilis every night because you know the food will never be horrible. Blah, whatever. That said, I keep vodka around around for several reasons, though I couldn't tell you when the last time I used it was. Mostly I use it to make syrups shelf-stable, and for that it is indespensable (though the very cheap will do nicely for this). Also I am prepared to make things like Bloody Marys (though I don't care for them myself) and White Russians (the girlfriend, a committed Gin Girl, still likes one on occasion) if the are called for. However, friends, when they come over, drink gin and not vodka. I am proud to say that all my friends, even the former vodka fanatic, are now gin drinkers, with a little help from me (marvellous what a 20th Century can do for someones outlook on life). I think the fact that you are considering eliminating vodka from your cabinet gives you enough 'cred' without actually having to do it if you enjoy it sometimes or have a use for it (which you do), unless of course it is an issue of cost or space. In which case, 86 that junk. -Andy