brinza

It gets better. If you look at the V&V Trading Company Ltd Collection page, where they have close-ups of the labels (because those Bigfoot-style blurry photos of the bottles are useless) we find out it's "Blended Canadian Vodka!" I really have to wonder if these are actually made in the countries that are claimed on the labels. Why go to those lengths for something this dubious?

I'm going to have to give this a whirl. I've been wanting to make something that was decidedly bitter put tasty and this looks like it would fit the bill and sounds like a great aperitif. Is this your own recipe? I've got Fever Tree Bitter Lemon and everything else you list. Now I know what tonight's first drink will be.

I'm drinking one of these right now (actually it's my second). Wonderful drink. And strong. I love the spiciness. However, I thought the aquavit got kinda lost, even though there is a full ounce. (I did use Aalborg and Laird's BIB, but I used Carpano Antica Formula since I don't have Punt e Mes) I realize that this drink is probably meant to be its own unique flavor and not one where you taste all the individual components, but nevertheless I tried a variation: I reduced the amounts of apple brandy to 3/4 oz and the vermouth to 1/2 oz (and swapped out M&R for the CAF). The result is a little crisper and even brighter, I think (though still strong!). It's still a melange of flavors with no one coming to the forefront, but it gives more of that sense of "there's something in here I can't quite put my finger on." I can't help but wonder if the blended applejack is more suited in this case since it would be less overpowering, but you've had it both ways and might be a better judge. Either way, I agree with you that it's a winner. It's an unexpected combination of ingredients with a successful result and one of those rare formulas where two spirits work well together. Did I mention this a strong drink? I like 'em that way, but damn. I thikn betr shtop typping now/

I think Dale DeGroff, in one of his books, suggests something similar: empty about half the brine from a jar of gourmet olives, top it off with vermouth, and use that.

I was in Morgantown a few weeks ago and was able to stock up on Rittenhouse BIB @ $12 a fifth. I also took the opportunity to try a bottle of WV's Isiah Morgan Rye Whiskey which is unaged (white dog). Very strange stuff. Definitely not for sipping, and not likely to work in the usual whiskey cocktails. The nose is very pungent in a way similar to a very pungent cachaça like Santo Grau. The liquor store I was in also had (ri)1 for $62. I just shook my head. Jeez, I thought $46 was bad. I can't imagine very many WVU students are buying this (and judging from the pallet-loads of near gallon-sized bottles of Jagermeister in the store, I don't think they are).

I tried this with your proportions and I'm not so sure. Tried adding a splash more Benedictine - that wasn't it. Tried a bit more ginger beer - not it either. Threw in some Regan's orange bitters - a bit more interesting. From the way different flavors came and went from the forefront, maybe it's just another "twitchy" scotch cocktail to balance. ← While I realize it says 'whisky' not 'whiskey,' (and as much as I love the challenge of making cocktails with Scotch), for some reason I usually make this with bourbon or rye. I find that works quite well.

To me, harmony is sometimes more important than balance. The ingredients should interact harmoniously to provide pleasing results. Balance, however, depending on how ones defines it, can be either something to strive for or something to avoid. Balance can mean something as simple as ensuring not to overpour a strong ingredient like Absinthe or Kirsch which can ruin the drink entirely. Some recipes (Sidecar, Manhattan, Knickerbocker, Martini) can withstand wide variations to suit the drinker's taste and yet the overall character or idea of the drink remains the same, while others (Corpse Reviver #2, KCB Cocktail, Twentieth Century Cocktail) require precise measuring of the prescribed ingredients lest the point of the drink not come across. So, there are times when balance means getting the drink to do what it's supposed to do, but sometimes balance is irrelevant. But if the drink lacks harmony, then it's unlikely that balance can make up for it. If balance is taken to mean levels of sweetness, bitterness, tartness, fruitiness, herbaceousness, alcholic strength, etc., then too much balance can easily lead to blandness, or to a loss of dynamics. By dynamics, I mean in the musical sense of variations in soft/loud. If the mixologist becomes too concerned with making every drink "balanced" in that sense, then all of his drinks, though they might run the gamut of exciting flavors, will all lack dynamic range. Sometimes, the extreme is essential to the drink whether it's bitter, sweet (Yellow Parrot), or kick-ass strong (Regan's Carbonated Piston Slinger (which calls for two ounces of 151 rum ).

You nailed it right there. When I tasted it, it just seemed kind of flat, lifeless. Like striking a bell that's sitting on the ground. No resounding peal, just a dead thunk. I'd be hesitant to spend even $25 on the stuff. No way can I see paying the $40+ they're asking (and this from someone who happily buys Booker's bourbon for $46). Maybe the lack of finish is a moot point in if used in a cocktail (something more complicated than an Old Fashioned, that is), I don't know. Has anyone here mixed with this yet? I'd be OK with that. The vodka-style packaging combined with the elevated price seem to suggest that the whole marketing campaign of this product has been conducted as it if were vodka. Case in point: a new distillery recently opened in Pittsburgh called Boyd & Blair. They make potato vodka using locally grown potatoes; it's distilled in small batches; and the proprietors fill the bottles themselves. As vodka goes, it is very good--comparable with the best Polish vodkas. They wanted to price their product at around $20-$24, but the PA LCB said, "No, you'll sell more if it's priced at $29.95." It's been selling like gangbusters*. But then it actually is vodka. (ri)1 is not vodka. I doubt their strategy will work. *I actually would like to see them succeed because they are a local company and they are the first distillery in Southwestern PA since the 1800s. They do have plans to eventually expand into making gin and whiskey.

I just managed to get a bottle of the new stuff yesterday. I have to say I prefer it to the old. I still have some of the old on hand and was able to compare them side by side. A considerable difference, to be sure. The new version is not quite as dry, and certainly has a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. Also, I agree with statements about its being more floral. Hmm...wonder how it would be with St. Germain? Anyway, I'm pleased with it, and I just hope I can continue to get it on a regular basis. Hey, if this is actually what has been the real Noilly Prat all along, who am I to argue?

That roundtable transcript was fascinating and eye-opening. It's good to know that those people are so in-tune to what's going on as far as what consumers are craving and what "the cocktail people" are doing. It will be interesting to see if any of them do anything to change the availability of rye.

Man, I love Pink Gin. There is something about the way the bitters harmonizes with the aromatics in the gin. I tend to stick with Ted Haigh's suggestion of using "six goodly dashes" of bitters. A simple drink, yet it's so much more than the sum of its parts--the chemistry just works.

That was good. I was glad to hear that she made sure to include orange bitters in the Martini recipe, stressed using small glasses for cocktails, and that she kept her Old Fashioned recipe very basic (though I'll concede to an orange peel or a spoonful of orange marmalade). I got a laugh out her comment, "White Bacardi is disgusting!"

I've seen teeny tiny bottles of bitters. Comes with 4 or 5 bottles to a pack. Can't remember where or what brand, though, but if you konw it exists, you can look out for it. ← Tabasco makes tiny little bottles of their hot sauce... you can get them at World Market. I use these bottles, filled with bitters, for my travel set. Although recently I've just been carrying around a bottle of Angostura... ← Splificator suggested those in his Esquire article (linked to in post #5). I believe the bitters prasantrin is referring to is Underberg. They come 3-packs of very tiny (20ml I think) glass bottles. Last summer my wife and I, along with a friend, went up to Presque Isle, PA for some bike riding. It was an overnight stay at a hotel with no bar. What I did was take a plastic tool box and load it up with some key ingredients: gin, rye, Campari, sweet vermouth, and dry vermouth, plus bitters, a mini shaker and a jigger. With that we knew we could make Martinis, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, Negronis, Old Pals, and a host of others. The tool box is the kind with a snap-lid container embedded into the main lid with small compartments for hardware. I used those to store sugar cubes, stirrers, napkins, etc. We sat out on the patio in the evenings with our portable bar and received a few envious looks from other hotel guests!

I'd like to see the makers of Bulleit Bourbon make a straight rye. The bourbon is already 30% rye, so doing a straight rye doesn't seem like it would that much of a departure for them. Even if bottled at 90 proof like the bourbon, I bet it would be a good product.

I would have thought that a possible reason for this might have been to make it more like Martini & Rossi in order to gain or maintain market share, but (if Wikipedia is anything to go by), Noilly Prat was acquired by Martini & Rossi in 1971 so that hypothesis probably doesn't fit. It's interesting that the demand for rye went up once cocktail writers began pointing out how most of the classic whiskey cocktails were formulated with rye in mind, yet when the original vermouth used to create the Martini returns, it draws such strong reactions, many negative. (I haven't gotten my hands on the new(old) stuff yet, so I can't offer an opinion.) I realize that a lot of the reaction is over the deletion of the American formula, however, moreso than the mere return of the European version. I imagine their marketers feel that offering both side-by-side would create confusion. Also, they probably would like to see more consumers just drink the stuff instead of using only tiny amounts at a time. Surely there must a quality dry vermouth out there that can fill the role of the American Noilly Prat?

Interesting that you mention that, as just recently I was reading an article describing Sidecars as being made with a sugared rim, implying that it was essential to how the drink is served. That got a raised eyebrow out of me, thinking that that didn't seem right.

Interesting. I have a hard time even thinking of these products as "gin." Perhaps I'm wrong from a historical perspective, but I think of redistillation as intrinsic to gin. ← Super-premium bathtub gin! I'll pass. Another odd gin is New Amsterdam. I had a chance to taste it back in November and I'd have to think that putting it in the traditional gin recipes is likely to give unexpected results. It's probably mixable in some way, but you'd have to reformulate a recipe to accommodate it.

I'm working on it, Andy! The wife returning from a business trip this week will be bringing back some Carpano Antica Formula and Broker's Gin. With a fresh bottle of Campari waiting in the wings, it's going to be Negroni heaven!

Made three very interesting drinks this weekend, all of them winners. First was one from the Savoy with the rather uninspired name of Cherry Mixture: 1 Dash Angostura Bitters 1 Dash Maraschino (Luxardo) 1/2 French Vermouth (Vya Extra-dry) 1/2 Italian Vermouth (M&R Rosso) This really surprised me. As simple as it seems, it's amazing. You get all the herbal character from the two vermouths and the bitters, with a little added sweetness from the maraschino (don't overdo that dash, though). Hard to guess that there is no spirit in this. At first I thought it might be a good way to use up vermouth, but once you start into these, you might find yourself buying more vermouth just the make them! I had mine "up", but next time I'll try it on the rocks as Erik suggested in the Stomp. With any luck, I'll also be able to make that next one with Carpano Antica Formula. The next thing, also from the Savoy was the Self-Starter Cocktail. A rich resume of strong flavors play off one another much in the manner of the Corpse Reviver #2: 1/8 Apricot Brandy (Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot) [1/4 oz] 3/8 Kina Lillet (Lillet blanc) [3/4 oz] 1/2 Dry Gin (Bluecoat American Dry Gin) [1 oz] 2 Dashes Absinthe (Kübler) [1 dash, using "dash" measuring spoon] Since I opted to make a smaller drink than what was probably intended, I used only one dash of Absinthe. One of those drinks where everything plays it role nicely. The apricot is very apparent, the Lillet makes its presence known, and the absinthe gently pokes through, all on a canvas of gin. A lot of flavor here. I might even suggest that the apricot brandy be scantly measured as it seemed to be a little more assertive than the other flavors. Alternatively, one could increase the gin slightly. While this drink could easily become unbalanced if one is not careful, there are several ways to experiment with adjusting it (not to mention trying it with different brands of products) to get it preferable to one's taste. And it's definitely good enough that it's worth the effort. The Last Word I used: Bluecoat Gin Luxardo Maraschino Green Chartreuse Fresh squeezed lime juice I'd never had one of these before, and now I know why it's talked about so much around here and receives the praise that it does. It's been a while since I had any Green Chartreuse on hand, so having purchased a new bottle, I knew I had to make this. Totally amazing drink. Aptly named, too. Difficult to describe--it has to be tasted to be understood--so it's the drink itself that has the last word.

You're right--I keep forgetting that. I paid $18 for Vya, so this is isn't all that much more. I might just bite the bullet and try the CAF. Sam, could you elaborate on what you mean about the Dolin not working "exactly like most sweet red vermouths"? BTW, what exactly are blanc vermouths? Are they simply semi-sweet white vermouths? How are they used? I noticed that M&R has a blanc which has shown up in my area.

I'm still searching for a sweet vermouth that I can say I really like, not that I've tried all that many--I don't have a lot of choices. I'm okay with M&R, but I'd like to find something better. It's amusing to read how the Vya vermouths have polarized those who've tried them. While I like the dry and would buy it again, I grew rather disappointed with the Vya sweet, being able to find only a few cocktails I could make it work in. I'm glad to have tried it, but I won't be buying again. I just keep getting this tomato/celery taste that ruins the drink for me. I'll bet it would be great added to a Bloody Mary! I think I can get Noilly Prat sweet or Dolin sweet. Not much has been said about Noilly Prat sweet, so I'm wondering what people think of it. The accolades for Carpano Antica make it sound tempting, but wow, $30 for vermouth. Is it really worth that much? I keep Dubonnet around to use when it's call for, but I guess that's not really vermouth even though it works well as an alternative. This is an important quest for me as the Manhattan is one my favorite and most-often made cocktails. (If you're wondering how I can enjoy Manhattans so much when I haven't had a vermouth that I can be excited about, it's because I probably obliterate the vermouth with overdoses of bitters).

I think that's the problem right there. Straight gin is going to taste sweeter than gin with a little vermouth in it. The vermouth is going to make the martini taste drier. I disagree with the conventional wisdom that less vermouth=drier. That may be what it's called, but not what it is. I just think it's a sad state of affairs that in many places, to get gin in your martini, you have specify "gin martini" like that's the variation, otherwise you get vodka. Might as well just say, "I'd like gin & vermouth, stirred, twist, served up--call it whatever you want." Sometimes, to keep things really simple, I'll just order gin & bitters--no point in even explaining what Pink Gin is (because you know you'll have to). Not to derail too much, but I recently had to explain to a young bartendress what a Sidecar was. Then she proceeded to serve it on the rocks. I nearly wept.

Ardmore is back with a very nice malt. Matured in quarter casks. Superb.

It took Pennsylvania about three years to figure out how to classify Cachaça. They had it with the liqueurs for a long time, then moved it to somewhere equally inappropriate, but finally put it on the rum shelf.

Tovolo makes silicone ice trays in a 1-inch cube size: http://tovolo.com/prod/ice/icetrays.htm I got mine through Amazon.