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eas

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  1. The branding and formulation change was done in tandem with a partnership with Diageo USA. Indeed the new product, designed for the US market, is sweeter and less bitter than Unicum. Given the longstanding popularity of Unicum in the home market, I'd be very surprised if the home market "Unicum" product has changed formulation for risk of losing a loyal market.

  2. 1.5 oz. batavia arrack van oosten

    .75 oz. apricot liqueur

    .75 oz. lemon juice

    dash angostura bitters

    .25 oz. float of smith & cross

    for some reason i've sought this out time and time again.

    i think the "bali passion" recipe on the side of the arrack bottle should change to this recipe. eric seed, any chance?

    S- do you have a name for it? :-> We actually just changed the recipes on the bottle and Bali Passion is gone. IRRC it now has the Bombay Govt Punch.

  3. Is there any substitute for the rhubarb bitters or does this give me the excuse I need to buy another bottle of bitters?

    You'll likely see more Rhubarb options later this year.

    If exploring Rhum Agricole, one not to miss is the Neisson Eleve Sous Bois. It's one of my favorite spirits across categories.

  4. Even as importer of the Nux Alpina with ready access to green walnuts, I'm all the more green from not making my own batch these past four years (perhaps knowing well the fate of my nuts in that green line at customs?). As noted above, the style of the Nux and indeed the region's walnut liqueur is more weighted towards the spices and botanicals, and this you'll find as well extending into certain parts of northern Italy. As its served digestif or with espresso, its perhaps unsurprising it has more in common with Amari/Bitter. Other walnut liqueurs we explored went even further down this path, and for those that love bitter and herbal it's well worth the venture. In the opposite direction, we did find some aged like fine Balsamic vinegar, though less useful in service. The making and sharing is a great tradition of nocino, in all its varieties in design, vagaries of production, and enjoyment in service.

  5. great topic, here are some top of mind:

    - "hey, wine is for that pasta-salad crowd" - wow, took me back to the '80s in a flash

    - "no, we don't have any Rye" from three J.Beard nominated venues, no excuse (and given the drinks served, food in beard)

    - "you really want gin in that?"

    - "are you really from Cleveland?" and a well bruised Browns fan too, I'm long used to it

    - "well, no one cares about vermouth" uh-huh

    - "you really wish we had corn-nuts, dontcha?" mean cruel tease

  6. My guess is that the the FoodSaver would only pump out a neglibly greater amount of air than a hand pump. I have a FoodSaver and would also consider inconvenient to have to take it out each time to use it. I have a hand pump in a drawer, while the FoodSaver is in the pantry.

    Here's my system: I buy Dolin, which is only available in 750 mL (around here anyway). I have a bunch of 375 mL bottles from NP and M&R. I pour the Dolin into the half-bottles and put vacuum tops on them.

    I take the wino route of using Argon gas - in fact I bought my last bottle at Austin Wine Merchant ("Private Preserve").

    I think the 375s of the Dolin line are in TX now...

  7. What cocktails traditionally call for Jamaica rum? The Alpenz website lists some recipes, including the daiquiri and planter's punch, but did those recipes specifically call for Jamaica rum?

    Or more importantly, what cocktails benefit most from the S&C? Certainly, the daiquiri is so flexible a recipe it can showcase any type of rum. Any others?

    The "Jamaica Rum Daquiri" calls for Jamaica Rum, the standard "Daquiri" is a different drink, typically calling for a lighter rum. It is indeed a great formula to open up a rum's characteristics, as was pointed, 'the Daquiri doesn't lie".

  8. While the Inner Circle Green was suggested as a substitute in the absence of pot-still Jamaica Rum, it wasn't and isn't traditional Jamaica Rum. The IC has its own merits, story and virtues apart from its role as a substitute. If you nose and taste the Smith & Cross side-by-side with either IC Green (114) or IC Black (151), you'll likely find the S&C far more aromatic and flavor intensive. It's not something so unique to S&C - this is typical of the grade of pure pot-still Jamaica Rum at 114 proof.

    I'd suggest tasting and mixing side by side with Plantation Jamaica 1998, Appleton 12, Wray & Nephew 151. Yes there are differences of proof and production style, but all are different takes on Jamaica Rum.

  9. Here I'll write in response with the upfront disclosure as the US importer and representative for Smith & Cross.

    The general goal was to revive the style of Jamaica Rum prevalent into the early 20th century, which is measurably different than what is on offer today.

    Most all Jamaica rum now uses pot-still distillate as a top note to column still product, and is very much focused on delivering an easy drinking, delicious sippable experience, with the oak/vanillas and sugary flavors we love and see across the spectrum of better product today.

    Jamaica Rum historically was once considerably different. I'll summarize here - more at the alpenz website (http://www.alpenz.com/images/poftfolio/smithcross114rum.htm) and for a wonderful in-depth reading I'd suggest the chapter on Jamaica Rum in Hugh Barty King & Anton Massel's "Rum: Yesterday and Today". Until the arrival of the first column stills in the 1960's, Jamaica Rum was all pot-still. The old style Jamaica rum was famous for a "heavy" full flavor and aromatic style with great tropical fruit and spice notes. The funky, agricole and even bread like notes are very much a function of the old Jamaica style of production - using the skimmings, dunder, cane juice (though minimal relative to the molasses) and yeasts unique to each sugar estate and their sugar production. While not a sipping rum by contemporary standards, this style of rum imparts an extraordinary depth of classic rum flavors to mixed drinks. And after letting it open up, you may find yourself sipping it too. Be careful if you really like it - its the origin of of the term 'dunderhead.'

    A few other things to note in summary that have come up in discussion: Navy strength (114pf) is not the same as navy rum (which was mostly Guyana with Jamaica, Barbados & Trinidad). Jamaica pot-still rum was classified by ester content / flavor intensity, of which the Plummer and Wedderburn were the "Home Trade" qualities. The UK angle was integral to not just the old brand mark but more importantly the history of this style and of rum in general. Lasty, this isn't a re-creation brought to market for wall decoration and collectors - its intended for use in service as a base spirit in seriously delicious drinks calling for Jamaica rum. If not to your liking, please do explore the other lovely Jamaica rums in market.

    David had initially suggested the revival of this style almost three years ago and sipped through a number of iterations along the way. Audrey and her team weighed in mightily on the proof decision. Numerous others voiced in on many facets of the project. We hope you enjoy it!

  10. Everything sounds interesting, but does anyone eat savory food after these "cocktails"--???

    Bill - yes. The Negroni is a wonderful aperitif, especially with the amaro as a component. Leads well into all good things savory.

  11. Our house Negroni is from what Toby placed on the menu at Bradstreet in Mpls, with equal parts Campari and Cynar. It works so well that, unless I have my wife's other favorite amaro in its place, it gets booted back. Thank you Cynar, Toby, and a wife that cares!

  12. Highlights:

    - Seeing so many friends in one place, totally overwhelming

    - Doing the vermouth/aperitif seminar with Paul and Neyah and the great folks in the audience that shared perspective/guidance

    - For our spirited dinner, the team at Wolfe's in the Warehouse and Somer Perez, that for lack of Agricole for a Ti Punch let us do a wine course, and for shortage of fresh blanc vermouth for a Savoie Fraise gave us a great Sauternes (omg).

    - The bloggeroutspost next to bar tonic for too many reasons

    - The Bartender's Breakfast was fabulous - not too crowded relative to others of the week, and if I could hear people speak, any of you could too

    Lowlights:

    - My poor audience hearing me backfill for the author of "Citrus: A History", a fabulous book you all should buy, and let's hope for better health of the author.

    - The goons at Harrah's who turned away many/most foreign nationals for the awards reception.

    Priceless moment:

    In the elevator with Brian Rea "I ordered an Americano and they gave me some fancy coffee"

  13. Maybe buy your friend a hand juicer, a fine gin, and give some instructions. If he's got the pleasure of a summer house then all the more reason to enjoy fresh juice and this season's berries. If your friend lacks the skill, patience or interest, have him invite you out for the weekend, and/or send him off with some cold beer. There's just no substitute for fresh juice.

  14. Sometime in late '07 or early '08 MB changed US importers from Heaven Hill/Bardstown KY to Imperial Brands (think Sobieski Vodka) with the sale/restructuring of Belvedere S.A. In addition to labeling changes they or MB also reduced the ABV on a number of products (e.g., their apricot Liqueur "Apry" went from 30% to 20.5%). The Cacao and Menthe are still fine and useful products. With the importer change there were likely distributor changes, and given the exceptional effort and resources poured into Sobieski, perhaps for a while a secondary priority. Nonetheless Imperial has made quite an investment in MB so we can probably expect more to come.

  15. So I'll quote my colleague on the punsch project, and he's had a long day so this may bear further explanation, but here goes: "Well the name Caloric was first used by Company Cederlund in the 1860. The name came from a machine “ the Caloric engine” that the inventor John Ericsson created around the 1860. It was a common thing to do take machines, buildings or events and turn them into brand names."

  16. wisdom then said that you had to have a high quality, full bodied and flavorful wine base to produce a good dry vermouth.

    Perhaps the US/domestic producers used full bodied and flavorful wines, but not so with the leading French vermouth producers. Their reliance on Ugni Blanc and Colombard date back to the phylloxera outbreak in the late 19th century. For both the dry and blanc styles, a light, neutral wine base was and is necessary to highlight the herbal, spice and fruit notes. For those producing a Marseilles style, cask selection and aging time/process also weighed in.

  17. The clear Blanc (aka bianco) style of vermouth originated in Chambéry in the 19th century and was a hallmark product of most all of the producers (Comoz, Dolin, Boissiere, Richard, etc.,.). The clarity was then a marvel, though today no mystery to most any white wine producer. Many of these same producers made in tandem a dry variation, no less pale, that became especially popular in the 1920's and 1930's was soon replicated elsewhere. Martini adopted both clear styles, and today their Blanc (they call Bianco) is the world best selling of any vermouth.

    Most Blanc/Bianco and Rouge/Rosso of the same family have the same % sugar, though typically have different formulations within the family (expect lighter and more fruit notes on the Blanc).

    On matters of storage, the Carpano Antica should be among the longest lasting - it has a higher level of sugar than most any other sweet red vermouth on the market, and to great effect.

    As I'd noted in another thread, many of the great French producers also made vermouth of the Marseilles style, which Noilly Prat has just reintroduced into the US market to replace their pale dry. This style is noted for its gold/straw color, oak from the aging and a Madeira finish. In France it's quite popular for cooking and IMO expands our options for vermouth in cocktails.

  18. No question it's sweeter. I ran the brix on most all dry vermouth a few months ago (and can post results once I pull the file), and while the old US Noilly and other dry vermouths hold an almost uniform 3% sugar, the traditional Marseilles (aka new) is 4%, a 1/3 more, but still not as sweet as the Blanc and Rosso styles.

    Something lost in the discussion, and unfortunately in the promotion to date of this NP, is it's heritage as the Marseilles style of vermouth. This style was noted by it's presence of color (paille or doré - straw or gold), the wood from aging, and it's Madeira finish. Popular at the turn of the century, typically served in drinks with fruit syrups or used in cooking, many other French producers made this as well.

    With growing popularity of cocktails in the 1920s, the preponderance of leading French vermouth producers (Richard, Mermet, Dolin, Reynaud, Boissieres, Comoz) saw tremendous growth in sales in the dry offering of their hallmark clear vermouth. Blanc then meant clear, and you'd see sweet and dry versions on offer. Most of these producers ceased production of a Marseilles style vermouth by the 1930's.

    While today the NP sells very well in France for kitchen use, it's unique flavor characteristics deserve exploration both at the bar and kitchen.

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