campus five

@elix I find the Creole Bitters to have a much drier finish the Peychauds in a finished cocktail. Having made practically the same Sazerac with Rittenhouse many times over, the Creole Bitters made for a much deeper, much spicier, and oddly much drier cocktail. Definitely a win, but I find myself being just slightly more generous with the 2:1 simple when making a Sazerac with Creole Bitters to compensate. I've also tried splitting the difference using both, and it basically does just that. All things told, I tend to prefer the Creole Bitters, at least in a Sazerac. That said, I'd bet that extra spiciness and dryness would probably also be welcome in a Vieux Carre or especially in the sweeter Cocktail ala Louisianne. Worth noting, I usually a 2 dashes of Ango along with 4 dashes of Peychauds or Creole Bitters. Bonus points if you can get a Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters instead of Ango, which add a amazing bottom end.

Do it. Doooo it. bentonscountryhams2.com It's $24 for 4 one-pound packages. Dooooooo it. (oh, and a 1-pound package makes a great christmas gift for your foodie friends)

Can't say that I picked these all up at once, and to be fair a couple of them were gifts, but over the last 8 weeks or so: Amaro Meletti Eagle Rare 10 Jefferson's Presidential Select Salers Hayman's Royal Dock Navy Strength Dos Maderos 5+5 Plantation Barbados Rum Lismore Single Malt Tapatio Blanco Rock Hill Farms Bourbon The Meletti and Eagle Rare were picked to make a cocktail on the Big Bar's new fall menu, the St. Anne's Helper (say that five times fast), which is Eagle Rare/Meletti/Carpano/Forbidden Bitters. I love Manhattan variations, and it's a stand out. I had already split a bottle with a friend of the Presidential Select the month before, but I found a bottle on sale, and I couldn't pass it up. I've been told it's basically Van Winkle 18 year. It's delicious. The Tapatio Blanco is pretty amazing, and I don't usually sip on blanco tequila neat, but this one deserves to be sipped. It's great. The Lismore was a surprise find. It was a gift from a friend who knows nothing about spirits, and was based on a recommendation from the guy a Trader Joe's. For a $15-$20 scotch, it's delicious - very easy drinking, and a good introduction for scotch-phobes. The Rock Hills Farms we got to take to a BYOB pop up dinner party, where we know the chef enjoys bourbon. The dinner was delicious, so we left him the bottle.

On the one hand, I think a "Red Hook" with Carpano, is probably best described as a "Red Hook with Carpano Antica." And I'm not sure there would anything wrong with that. Theoretically, you'd need less Maraschino, since it's sweeter. If you really want to fake the Punt e Mes, I'm thinking a dash of Campari would get you closer than any kind of aromatic bitters.

Not so much on the thread of lists of rye-based drinks, although I'm definitely going to be clipping this list and keeping it handy, but has anyone noticed what they did to our dear friend, Wild Turkey Rye? It's now 80 proof. Goddamit. Leave it to the major labels to screw up a great product.

Looking at the list of absinthes on Whiskey Exchange, any of the Jade products would be great. Plus, you'll probably be fine with a 20cl (aka 200ml) bottle for general cocktail use. Unless you plan on drinking absinthe with the traditional sugar cube/ice water drip method, you probably won't go through that much of it at a time. I generally keep some in a small 3oz spray bottle/mister, and a bit more in an empty bitters bottle for dashing. I've made enumerable Sazeracs, Corpse Revivers #2s, and other absinthe rinsed/dashed cocktails, and I've still got plenty left.

I haven't posted in this thread for a while.... Stuff that I've gotten within the last 6 weeks, or so: Ferrand 1840 Cognac Ferrand Dry Curacao Byrrh Quinquina Perruchi Sweet Vermouth Cinzano Rosso Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 year old Bourbon Bittertruth Travel Bitters Set (not shown) I haven't cracked the Byrrh, so I can't say anything about it.... Well, Louis from Miracle Mile Bitters did post something on FB about a Byrrh Negroni, and it being really good, Gonna have to try that. The travel bitters set is pretty awesome. I had a gig out of town, and it made it very easy to make several combinations of bitters in an Old Fashioned, and since I threw in a tiny spray bottle of absinthe, Creole bitters-based Sazeracs. I've been hooked on Carpano Antica for a long time, but recently switched to the Cocchi Vermouth (mostly because it's easier to go through a 750ml quicker than 1L, but also because it's equally as delicious). I've never really liked the M&R or NP or Dolin sweets. Cinzano has never been as ubiquitous as M&R or NP, but it is priced in the same ballpark. That's a good thing too, because I like it a lot more than either of those, and it's pretty available. Perfect for Negronis and Americanos, though I don't think I'd love it in a Manhattan. As for the Perruchi Sweet, it's similar to the Cocchi Vermouth but a tad drier. I really want to love the Ferrand products, but I'm not having the best luck. The sidecar I made with both (2 oz. .75oz, .75oz + .25oz simple), was both too spirit forward for such a young brandy, and too dry. I think something more like 3:2:1 ratios would be better. That said, the Curacao is delicious on it's own, and I just need to correct for it's drier-than-normal sweetness. Likewise, I think the 1840 would shine when combined with another spirit that needs some more bite in a cocktail, perhaps 12 year or old bourbon, or maybe an aged rum like El Dorado 12. Finally, the Jefferson's Presidential Select...Oh damn. So, Mark at the Winehouse here in Los Angeles was helping another customer pick out a father's day gift, and my friend and I overheard the description of this as basically being "Van Winkle 18" since it was from the Weller distillery. It easily lives up to that description, and it's delicious. My friend suggested, that since his birthday had just passed and mine was coming up, that we split the bottle as a reciprocal birthday gift. I decanted my half into a 375 bottle from a home winery supply store, and I gave him the pretty bottle.

Ditto.

The Creole Bitters are amazing. I've subbed them for Peychaud's in Sazeracs, and tried various combinations with some Peychaud's, some Creole, and mixing in some Ango. I do notice that the Creole Bitters seem to dry out a cocktail, perhaps because they are so spicy. I find myself needing to go slightly heavier on the gum syrup to compensate.

Cocchi Americano and Soda, with a dash of Ango Orange and nice fat orange peel with dinner. Followed by perhaps my favorite house Manhattan line up: Rittenhouse/Cocchi Vermouth di Torino/Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters/Lemon Peel. So good. So good.

Lillet Fashioned...hmm gonna have to try that tonight, too. I doubt I still have any Lillet in the fridge, so I'll probably try something similar with the Cocchi. I've been on the Cocchi train since before it was available commercially, and when it came out, we went through two whole bottles without actually making a cocktail. Since it was summer at the time, Cocchi + soda, on the rocks, with a big fat orange peel was where it was at. I still don't think I've personally made any Lillet cocktails with it, at home at least.

I've been using this trick to extend the life of the citrus I use for garnish: loosely wrap them with plastic wrap. They don't seem to lose so much moisture, and the peels stay way "oilier" for around over a week or so.

Oldly, I kind of dig a sazerac in d.o.f. glass. When the cocktail sits relatively low in the glass, there's more empty side walls to be coated with absinthe, which I feel makes for a more aromatic drink.

If you're looking for Benedictine recipes, there are a bunch in the "brown, bitter and stirred" category, such as the Vieux Carre, Cocktail ala Louisianne, Monte Carlo, the Bobby Burns, etc.

In better bars, you mean. Sadly, plenty of the craft cocktail places in Los Angeles do not follow this proceedure. As a customer, I have many, many times stirred an OF or OF-type drink after it's been built in the glass, and then placed in front of me with little to no stirring.

My favorite fall tradition: this year's George T. Stagg is paid for and ready for pick up.

Kingston Negroni was delicious, though I went with the lemon twist. Delicious. Good call.

Oh, I'm so making that right now.

I love the bitter mai tai, but i think proper dilution is key to bring the flavors completely together. I believe it was intended to be served over shaved ice, and I think it makes a big difference. Plus, a step up from the dekuyper orange would probably help a bit.

I'm not really into Martini's, despite having made them with a variety of quality gins, fresh vermouth, and in varying ratios from bone-dry to reverse. Even the best ones were good, but not something I really enjoy. However, this variation changes things: http://sloshed.hyperkinetic.org/2010/11/11/marleighs-favorite-martini/ It's 1:1 Citadelle Reserve to Dolin Blanc, orange bitters, lemon twist. Amazing. I've never made one for myself because I have seen Citadelle Reserve on the shelves anywhere since, but I just picked up a bottle a couple of days ago. I think it's time to break it out. *Edited to add that, as Marleigh suggests, the recipe is completely brand specific.

I bought of Dolin Blanc for making cocktails, especially White Negronis, but ended up just drinking it on the rocks with a lemon twist and splash of soda. I can't even remember if I have made a cocktail with it at home. It's the perfect summer afternoon drink. Same thing happened with my bottle of Cocchi Americano. Still need to get around to making a cocktail with that.

There are two recipes for the Jasmine floating around, Paul Harrington's and Robert Hess'. GIve both a try, I find that people who haven't enjoyed the cocktail, generally like it when made with the other recipe. Amazing what playing with ratios can do.

I probably hadn't squeezed any citrus for drinks at home in 6 months, and we're pretty much a bitter, brown and stirred household normally, but we've been on a lime kick lately. Nothing particularly avant garde, but we're really enjoying the heck out of margaritas with Boston Bittahs. 1.5 oz Milagro Repo / 1 oz Grand Gala / .5 Lime / dash Boston Bittahs (I'm guessing one full squeeze of the eyedropper is ~1 dash) We've also been making a lot of Daiquiris lately as well - havana club 7 and a couple hemingway daiquiris with the new Bacardi 1909 Ron Superior. Who knew Bacardi could make a product worthwhile?

I generally go for something easy, but usually a proper cocktail, and not a highball or something straight. So for a cocktail that is the easiest, I usually go with something stirred, and if I'm really lazy, then something built. That means a lot of Negronis, Old Fashioneds, and our house cocktail, a variation on the Left Hand.

A recipe for the the mezcal? 2 oz La Vida 3/4 oz Campari 3/4 oz Carpano Antica 2 dashes Mole Bitters stir, strain, up, flamed orange