lemon_twist

Imbibe magazine ran a nice article on moonshine a while back and it happens to be one of the articles they have posted in full online: http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Modern-Moons...New-Moon-Rising

I had an Austrian neighbor that used to serve a dark rum, campari, and orange juice drink. Don't know the ratios though.

I quite randomly picked up a book today at my University library titled _Standard Cyclopedia of Recipes: Priceless Information for Everybody_. It's an old book, copyright 1901, that contains instructions on how to do just about anything you might want to be doing in 1901. Really neat stuff. So first recipe in the index - How to make Angostura bitters. Hmmm... I flip down to see what they say and I find a recipe for Angostura, Boker's, Hostetter's, and Wild Cherry bitters. Also included in the book are recipes for imitation Holland gin, Country gin, and various rums, whiskeys, and brandies. Anybody run across this book before? I've heard of Angostura and Boker's but anybody know a recipe for Hostetter's bitters? I'm not sure how authentic the recipes are because the book obviously is keen on imitations (and saving money), but maybe it could be interesting to someone?

The only brands you can legally bring back are the ones that have been approved. The US customs page has a big article specifically about absinthe.

Thanks guys, I had Suze on my list, but took it off because I saw it in a store and I thought I was mistaken about it's US availability. I hope it is still there! The Perique Liqueur de Tabac looks very intriguing. That is now at the top of the list. Do you think it will be hard to find, even in France? As for the Absinthe, I don't really want my friend to do anything illegal for me. If it was my own suitcase I might take a chance. As is, I'm worried that the elixir vegetal might be on the borderline. I read that it is sold in drugstores in France?? Can't trust everything you read on the internet though...

I have a friend who will be traveling to France in a few weeks and has offered to bring me back a bottle or two. I was going to ask him to price check the chartreuse line (esp. the elixir vegetal which I haven't seen too much about here) and maybe Amer Picon. Do you guys have any other suggestions? I don't see myself going to Europe anytime in the next 15 years so I don't want to let this go by.

Most of the bottles I run across in my neck of Texas are still old formula. Even Spec's in Austin is stocking liter bottles of old formula (off-Mopac).

Maybe you already know this: Wet the filter paper after you pull vacuum but before you put in your bitters. This will prevent undesirables from going under the paper before it is sucked flat. I've never used a little pump like that before. Will you have to continously pump it the whole time you filter?

Actually, Spec's printed a little article about it in their store magazine. I haven't looked for it in Austin, but presumably the Houston stores will def. have it.

The vinegar to attract the flies and the detergent to break the surface tension of the liquid and prevent the flies from escaping.

Well, it's not as bad as I made it sound. I was maybe exaggerating a bit. Half and Half is treated in some matter so that the fat globules in the cream do not separate out and float to the top. I think it is more of a physical process than chemical. Though, there are ultra stabilized versions of half and half that have a shelf life of decades rather than weeks. Those probably involve chemicals. Anyway, I think pretty much any cocktail that calls for half and half can be made with cream. Can anyone think of a reason half and half would be necessary? Maybe if it is subbing for half milk and half cream in a milk punch or something? ← I would say the fat content in your milk/cream matters a lot. Whole milk and 2% taste/feel a world apart to me. Same for half and half/whipping cream. It seems "cream" has different definitions in different countries. According to wikipedia ( ), the US half and half can have the same fat content as the UK cream or half cream.

Was the mint primarily a garnish or was it muddled in as well?

When you think about all this, it seems like the flavors you are trying to pull into the alcohol really aren't from the bacon itself (or rather the pig). That is, you smoke and cure pig flesh to "infuse" the meat and fat with certain flavors. Then you fat wash it in spirits to pull all those flavors out. I can't think of a more direct way to do this, but it is a little round about.

Did you ever pick this stuff up? I just noticed it listed in the inventory of my local liquor source and was curious as well. It was listed as a grappa (although you would think it would be listed as an eau de vie).

I would have to put in an opposing viewpoint here. I am the only cocktail-drinker of my bunch of friends as well. Just this month I threw a christmas party. I had several drink choices - a bottled Aviation, a "champagne cocktails" bar, eggnog, spiced cider as well as the nonalcoholic stuff. I considered doing a bottled Manhattan but decided against it. I'm glad I did. Most people there found the Aviation to be too strong and requested something to cut it. Not surprising I suppose. It's easy to forget what it is like when you first switch from rum and coke to real cocktails. Basically - I would include at least one cocktail that isn't too hard for a newbie to handle. Something, for example, with juice in the ingredients. It sounds like some of your friends would be fine with the hard drinks, but if the only choices are Manhattan or Aviation, I bet at least a few people will come away with the impression that they don't enjoy classic cocktails very much.