campus five

1.5 oz white dog, and it was either 4 or 6 dashes of bitters, and then 1 barspoon of a 1.5:1 white sugar syrup, orange. Actually, maybe the person who gave me the idea will post what it was supposed to be - organic matter where you at?

I've picked up quite a few things in the last 6 weeks or so: Cardamaro, Rabarbaro, Scarlett Ibis, Willett 3yr Rye, Buffalo Trace White Dog, Bitter Truth JT Bitters, Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters, and Jade Edouard Nouvelle Orleans. Several of the purchases have turned out very well, but the best thing to come along lately was something homemade: Gomme Syrup. I bought some powered Gum Arabic of ebay, and followed Paul Clarke's instructions at cocktailchronicles.com. It has been AMAZING. Oh, and it was way easier than I had thought it would be. So by combining some recent acquisitions and gomme syrup, I have made several astounding cocktails. The mouthfeel of each cocktail was so luscious. So far I've made: Sazerac - rittenhouse BIB, gomme, 4 dashes Creole Bitters, Nouvelle Orleans - possibly the best Sazerac I've had Scarlet Ibis Old Fashoined - Scarlet Ibis, gomme, forbidden bitters - amazing, and so deeply flavored Willett Rye Old Fashioned - Willett, gomme, 2 dashes ango, 2 dashes 50-50 orange - again one of the best Old Fashioneds I've had Lastly, I've been pretty down on the white dog/moonshine trend, but a friend introduced my to the BT White Dog with a stellar old fashioned: White Dog, Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bokers Bitters, white sugar syrup, orange twist (unflamed). The Bokers bitters and white sugar were key to keep from overpowering the flavor of the white dog. Delicious.

A couple recent acquisitions: Three bottles in my quest to put Eric Seed's kids through college: 1) Rabarbaro Zucca Amaro 2) Cardamaro Vino Amaro 3) Scarlett Ibis As well as: 4) Miracle Mile Bitters Co: Forbidden Bitters (@ Barkeeper) (their attempt at a Jerry Thomas bitters, sans Snakeroot) 5) Willett 3 year Rye (115.2 proof) I haven't cracked the Cardamaro yet. Everything else has gotten at least a couple uses. The bitters have turned out to be outstanding - amazing in an old fashioned.

Went to 1886 in Pasadena, Ca last night a finally got to try a couple cocktails that are debuting on their spring menu that I'd heard about while they were in the planning stages. Both feature coffee infusions, and both were delicious and pretty darn deep. The first featured coffee-infused Gran Classico bitter, along with Bols Genever and Antica. 2 bols / .75 infused Gran Classico / .5 Antica The second was a chicory-coffee infused rye Sazerac. Intriguing stuff to be sure.

Good god, of course you're right.

Bought a bottle of Bonal a couple weeks ago, but there don't seem to be many recipes calling for it specifically. I know I could have experimented, but I was just feeling lazy, so I googled "bonal recipe" and the 7th link down was from www.cocktailchronicles.com - perfect, a trusted source. The first recipe on Paul's post was called "Bonal & Rye" (credited to Todd Smith, Dalva, San Francisco). It fits Dave Wondrich's no fail formula of 2 spirit/1 fortified or aromatized wine/.5 liqueur, and it's delicious: 2 oz Rye (rittenhouse bib) 1 oz Bonal .5 oz Cointreau 2 dash Orange Bitters stir, strain, up, orange twist. It was slightly sweet, so I think you could lower the liqueur to 1/4 oz.

Went by a liquor store with a first-rate selection that I hadn't been to in probably 6 months. I hadn't really thought about why I stopped going there - then I realized it was the prices. They charge at least $5 more per bottle, and more expensive stuff can be up to $40 more. If I really needed something, and couldn't find it elsewhere, I'd pay the premium, but I just cant' justify an impulse buy there. So here's some of the stuff I thought about getting but passed up because they were just overpriced: Stagg and Handy (because they wanted $129.99 a bottle) Russell's Reseve Rye Laird's Bonded Lavagulin Distiller's Edition Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal Ocho Anejo

I'm not often by the K&L Wine in Hollywood, but I was in the neighborhood and ran out of Campari the night before. I went in for Campari, and came out with Gran Classico, and some Jade Edouard Nouvelle Orleans Absinthe. Oh, and the Campari. So in honor of spending way too much f-ing money at once, we made two cocktails last night: 1) A Sazerac with Rittenhouse/Creole Bitters/Nouvelle Orleans - possibly the longest finish on a drink ever. Amazing. 2) A Negroni's Loss (http://looka.gumbopages.com/2011/02/15/negronis-loss/) from Jason Schiffer at 320 Main. It's basically a negroni with Bols Genever / Gran Classico / Antica / Lemon+Orange peel. Wow. It was a delicious night. Expensive, but delicious.

Dave Wondrich mentioned the Paul Masson VSOP in an Esquire column on cheap spirits a year or two ago. I use it in Embury's Brandy Punch all the time. I can get it here in CA for $11-12. Too bad I haven't seen it in a 1.75L - that'd make some really good, really cheap punch.

In honor of fat tuesday (which totally snuck up on me), a Sazerac. Rittenhouse BIB, 2:1 Demerara syrup, Bitter Truth Creole Bitters, 1/2 Vieux Pontalier 1/2 St. George spritz. I'm really warming to the Creole Bitters. They're noticeably drier than Peycahuds,so I've been going just a tad heavier on the sugar. Great depth of flavor, with much less superficial anise. I could've gone with a spendier Rye, and I've got a few, but I've trying to really get to know the Creole Bitters.

On the Jasmine there are the original Paul Herrington proportions, and then I've seen a lot of people use Robert Hess' modified proportions. Try both.

The Custer: Rye, Cynar, Galliano, Bitters. http://looka.gumbopages.com/2009/11/18/cocktail-of-the-day-the-custer/

Bear in mind that when tasting 24 samples, there's bound to be a ton of subtlety lost. That being said, I've always dug the rye-ness of Russell's, but not dug the lower proof. My notes indicated that the 101 seemed "corn-y."

Last saturday a friend organized a blind tasting of 24 ryes. I'm sure he or I will post some more complete results. They were: Thomas Handy - 2 vintages Sazerac 18 - 2 vintages Van Winkle Rye High West Rendezvous High West 16 year High West Bou-Rye Rittenhouse 100 Rittenhouse 80 Wild Turkey 101 Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve Whistle Pig Redemption Rye Pikesville Old Overholt Sazerac 6 yr Old Potrero (can't remember which one) Vintage Rye 23yr Jim Beam Rye (Ri)1 Michters US*1 and a couple more that are escaping me at the moment. Across the board, the favorites were two vintage each of Sax 18 and Handy, as well as the High West 16 yr, Vintage Rye 23 and Van Winkle Rye. Rittenhouse 100 and Russell's also did well on the second tier. Whistle Pig was not well liked, generally. Also, the particular Old Potrero we have was so distinct that it stood out immediately, but it was not well liked either. There was also a vast difference in the amount of "rye-ness", with several whiskeys being noticeably corn-heavy. Also it should be noted the everything was tasted straight, and things that are good straight may not work as well in cocktails. In a previous tasting, I vastly preferred Vintage Rye 21 over Van Winkle (which has always been one of my favorites) when tasted neat. Surprised, i then tried Manhattans, and the Van Winkle made the better cocktail. My feeling was at the time, that there were some odd notes in the Van Winkle neat that I didn't like which were covered in the cocktail, and it allowed all of the other amazing notes to come through. The wonderfully balanced Vintage 21 was lost in the cocktail - it was balanced all by itself, and the rounding off effects of the ice, vermouth and bitters just drowned out the spirit.

I'm pretty sure the last bottle of Carpano Antica I got was corked. It was definitely off somehow, and that would be the first thing to come to mind. It was really dry tasting, and bit oxidized. I need to get another to double check, but I think, by now, I know what Antica tastes like.

I've used it in half-brandy Sazeracs. The raw, young quality of the rye was tempered nicely by some decent armagnac. I wish I could remember it more clearly, but it's been a couple months since I was experimenting. I remember the drink falling into the interesting category, at least experimentally. Maybe I'll try one of those tonight.

Apple Jack Old Fashioned 2 oz Laird's Bonded 1 tsp raw sugar 2 dashes Fee's Whiskey Barrel Bitters Lemon twist

On the availability discussion: I was at a Bevmo today, and was heartened to see Angostura, Peychauds and Regan's Orange all in stock, on the shelf. That was unthinkable not too long ago.

Walking by a mexican panederia in East LA, I smelled something amazing. I picked up some mexican pastries, but I smelled something particularly yeasty, cinnamon-y, and well...New England-y. It was like an under-baked coffee cake, smelling of raisins, cinnamon, yeast, butter. Mmm... I was inspired by the flavor and thought of this: 2 oz. Powers Irish Whiskey 1/2 oz. Lustau PX Sherry 1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram 1 dash Fee's Aromatic Bitters Stirred. It was good, but it lacked depth and spice. So I added 1/2 oz of George T. Stagg ('08), and then another 1/4 oz of Sherry to balance. So it ended up: 2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey 3/4 oz Lustau PX Sherry 1/2 oz George T. Stagg ('08) Bourbon 1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram 1 dash Fee's Aromatic Bitters Stirred, Lemon Twist. It turned out pretty good, if a bit big. The whiskey does a good job of mimicking the dough, the sherry reminding of the raisins, and the rest suggesting the spices.

Be aware that a'bunadh does vary quite a bit from batch to batch. Of the 5 or so batches I've tasted, 1 was amazing, 1 was great, 2 were really good, and 1 was meh. That said, I'd buy another bottle once I finish my current one.

I'm pretty sure that just means "dry", not "blanco." Although, they do make an "ambre"

Oh shit. Now I need to buy some of these too. God knows I love my 1" Tovolo molds. http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-King-Cube-Silicone-Tray/dp/B00395FHRO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1279673000&sr=8-2

I'm enjoying one of those cocktails that may well require purchasing a couple things to make, even for the more advanced cocktail geek. I specifically bought Galliano, Celery Bitters and Rhubarb Bitters to make it after having tried it at Copa D'Oro. The Custer 2 oz Rye (they used Sazerac, I use Rittenhouse BIB) 1/2 oz Galliano 3 barspoons Cynar 2 dashes Rhubarb Bitters 2 dashes Celery Bitters Stir, Strain, rocks glass w/ 1 big rock, Orange Twist And you can read more about it here: http://looka.gumbopages.com/2009/11/18/cocktail-of-the-day-the-custer/

Masson VSOP works great in punch. I generally use it in Embury's Brandy Punch, and the rough edges are nowhere to be found. I'd bet that in a punch with so many other flavors, those edges would be well hidden.

Here's hoping I actually get around to using some of it in cocktail before I polish off the bottle by drinking it on the rocks with an orange twist. So delicious.