brinza
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Posts posted by brinza
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Just picked up Embury. How refreshing to read something so opinionated! (Though I have to imagine the state of Scotch whisky in 1948 must have SUCKED, as he claimed to have not been wild about it)
I love his book and his attitude. He doesn't pull any punches, but manages keep a bit of a sense of humor about it all. Even when I don't agree with his opinions, he makes me laugh. I love when he does the "Well this drinks sucks, but if you really must try it, here's the recipe." I didn't get the impression that he didn't like Scotch so much as he didn't think it should be used in cocktails.
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I'm looking for new white/silver rums for daiquiris and such. Any thoughts about Diplomatico Blanco? Or Plantation 3 Stars? El Dorado white? Neisson Blanc? Any others? No HC here.
If I could get El Dorado 3 white on a regular basis, I don't think I'd buy anything else.
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A fair comparison between the Appleton White and W&N Overproof requires that both be tasted at close to the same proof. Approximately two teaspoons of water (or a tad more) to the OP will come close to accomplishing that. Then compare them.
The next time that I am able to acquire a bottle of each, I will try that. I've had both, but I can't remember if I had them both on hand at the same time. If I did, it didn't occur to me to do a side-by-side tasting.
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I'm definitely not averse to zest - I'm just not as much a fan of the sourness/acidity. All of my favorite craft cocktails I've had when I'm out and about have been whiskey-forward and bitter or herbal: Manhattans, Brooklyns, Red Hooks, Greenpoints, Vieux Carres, etc. What are some good cocktails with similar profiles (spirit-foward, bitter/herbal) based around rum, gin, or tequila?
Have you visited Dan's Kindred Cocktails yet? This is such an excellent cocktail database (not only in content, but in functionality), that I no longer even bother with any of the others. You'll find a lot of cocktails of the type you describe there, and once you've looked up one, check out the list of similar cocktails at the bottom of the page, and you'll soon be off on a journey of discovery.
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I once mixed scotch with lapsong souchong tea. It tasted like a dirty dish rag. I kid you not.
While trying to force Lillet Rouge to do something useful, I imagined that it should go well with brandy. The valuable lesson learned was that brandy is the last thing you want to mix it with.
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And there's Don Q, which I don't even consider to be rum-flavored vodka, but "vodka-flavored" rum. (I put vodka-flavored in quotes because of what that phrase implies).
Jimbo, I think you conflated my comments about Appleton with my comments about Brugal Extra Dry. I don't think Appleton white is a reach--in fact, I feel it's a pretty good white rum. I just didn't find it to be very "Jamaican." It could be that I don't know what white Jamaican rum is supposed to taste like. if W&N is the benchmark, I'll go with that.
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The Mrs. got limes at Bottom Dollar the other day for $0.50 each.
Jo, they have Bottom Dollar stores in NJ. Is there one near you?
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The word "mixability" is always a red flag for me. At a spirits tasting festival, a Brugal rep said they are trying to appeal to vodka drinkers with their new Extra Dry white rum. Well, they succeeded in part, because it does not taste like rum at all. What I don't think they get, though, is why vodka drinkers would buy something that's not vodka, unless they want something that's not vodka. I understand trying to gain additional market share and all that, but if you're a rum producer, why not try to make a better rum and appeal to . . . rum drinkers! I did have a bottle of Appleton White and it was okay, but did not seem to have much of a Jamaican rum character. As a simply white rum, however, it's better than some, but I would not go out of my way to get more. I eventually used it in drinks that merely called for white rum. W&N, on the other hand, I'd definitely buy again (next trip to The Party Source perhaps).
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All these Mai Tai variations encouraged me to experiment a bit this past weekend, using what I had on hand.
1 oz Appleton V/X
1 oz Pusser's
1/2 oz Brugal Anejo
splash Lemon Hart 151
3/4 oz lime juice (generous, probably closer to 1 oz)
3/4 oz Gran Gala
1/4 oz orgeat
I usually use 1/2 oz each of the orgeat and orange curacao, but I wanted to steer it in a different direction, while keeping the sweetness level about the same.
I have to say that this was one of the best I've made yet. I reproduced it for my friend and myself the next day, and it was still good. Now I want another bottle of S&C so I can try it with that.
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I think it's a novelty and a fad. They are simply taking advantage of buyers who don't know any better and think they're getting something unusual and special. It's definitely a low-cost/high-profit product, but it's not going to replace any distiller's flagship product line. People will get tired of it, and it will fade. I can't imagine that there are that many drinkers who love the stuff so much (and who are willing to pay the artificially high price) to keep it around as a competitive product in the marketplace.
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Some might think that Bombay Sapphire is over-hyped or over-rated, but it really is a delicious, low-juniper gin. They were one of the first (if not the first) to come out with a gin like that, and IMHO they really did achieve something special. It's got a wonderful mix of botanicals and a level of juniper that does not overwhelm a drinker who is not braced for an intense gin. Plus it's got a higher ABV than their dry gin and even though the flavor is subtle, it is not weak. It can easily be enjoyed straight (which I sometimes do). Definitely not a G&T gin, though.
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I thought the sugared rim was only for the Brandy Crusta and not the Sidecar.
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I'm glad others have mentioned that DeGroff's recipes tend toward the sweeter, because I've noticed that pattern, too, but I still love his books anyway. I wasn't aware that his recipe for the Jack Rose called for simple syrup, though. Wow. Perhaps I never really looked at it, because I used to automatically turn to the one in Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, but I've since discovered that to make a nice Jack Rose where the flavor of the applejack comes through nicely, and the lemon and grenadine are well-balanced, the 8:2:1 ratio works best: 2 ounces applejack, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 ounce grenadine.
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Yes, it is.I agree with that philosophy for the most part, especially if using something better than Don Q. After all, isn't a basic daiquiri the way many people test out new rums?
True (I was being facetious about Embury because he probably looked down his nose at most of the juice-laden tropical punches). And when you look at a lot of tiki recipes, it becomes apparent that the Daiquiri is the kernel of many of them.Speaking of Tiki, even the Mai Tai was created to showcase a rum, not hide it.
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Ladies and gentlemen:
8:2:1 is a winner. Yes, it's more tart than sweet, but everything is in relative harmony. I might go so far as to say 8:2.5:1 is my ideal, but I think this is my new default ratio, unless it's a really hot day and I need the extra bite that 8:3:1 gives - but in either case, the 8 parts rum to 1 part 2:1 SS is where it's at.
Of course, this was all with Don Q, which brinza rightly pointed out as not being the best stuff to use, but since the first two were done with it, the third had to be as well, for consistency's sake.
The thinking behind Embury's ratio for sours is to ensure that you still taste the spirit. He referred to the other ingredients as "modifiers" which I think is very telling. His idea was that the liquor is what you're really drinking, so for a cocktail, you just want to augment it slightly, not obliterate it. I don't think David Embury drank a lot of tiki drinks.
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Yeah, I really don't enjoy M&R or Cinzano... or Dolin Rouge for that matter. And I really, really hate Noilly Prat.
There's an "oregano" note that I really dislike (kind of like bad faux-italian food), and Noilly Prat almost has on "olive" note that I find especially nauseating.
Also, I found all of them very "thin". They couldn't really stand up to the whiskey in a manhattan for me.
But Carpano Antica, Cocchi Vermouth Di Torrino, and Contratto Rosso are all amazing.
Interesting that you made the comment about oregano, because I definitely get that with M&R, slightly with Dolin, and especially with Vya, but I don't taste that at all in Cinzano, which is actually my favorite everyday vermouth. I agree with you on Noilly Prat rouge. I've only had one bottle (a 375ml) and didn't care for it at all. I'd use Cocchi Vermouth di Torino more often if I could get it easily. I might have to try the Contratto before PA decides it's too good for us to have.
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I suspect 8:2:1 would still come out tangy and refreshing. I'll try that ratio next time.
That is David Embury's recommended ratio for sours and it works quite well. I could never seem to get a Jack Rose to taste right until I used this ratio. (But don't use Don Q unless you want a Kamizake instead of a Daiquiri!).
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It looks to me like someone drew a slash mark on the sign, Anna.
The sign does also say, "or .29 ea"
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At Trader Joe's the price for a bag of organic limes (approx 6 limes) used to be $1.99. I think I paid $3 last week (I bought a couple of bags to make daiquiris). Yesterday they were not in stock, but for a Monday that is pretty typical as they were in the process of restocking.
I just bought a bag at Trader Joe's in Pittsburgh last week and I can't remember exactly what I paid, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary. Could be a different story the next visit, however. I'll have to see what Bottom Dollar is charging, if they have them at all.
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The contratto sweet vermouth is wonderful. I'd put it up there with Antica and Cocchi di Torrino.
Wow, that's quite an endorsement. Those are two of the best (if not the top 2). Thanks for the insight.
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I wonder if there is cause to define a sub-class of cocktails that could be described as "Super Aromatics" which might use the Bijou as the base model. The sheer number of botanicals in a Bijou is staggering: the 130 from the Chartreuse, plus the dozen or two from the vermouth and the gin, and then bitters. Furthermore, the Bijou has no other additives (juice, syrup, etc.) to adulterate the purely aromatic mix.
The base formula could be something like:
- an herbal liqueur, such as Chartreuse (either variety), Benedictine, Strega, or a genepi.
- vermouth, amaro, or quinquina
- a botanical base spirit, such as gin, genever, or aquavit
- bitters
Many of the drinks mentioned in this thread seem to follow this pattern.
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Could this not be transformed into a Gin style spirit by infusing with Juniper or other spices (pepper even)? or is that not the point of white dog?
Something does exist along those lines: https://www.wiglewhiskey.com/store/organic-ginever
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Just now finished a Quin Quina Crusta, after having noticed it while re-reading the Bonal thread. When I clicked on the Kindred link I attempted to add it to my cocktail book, only to discover it was already in there, but for reasons unknown I had never actually made one. I'm glad I finally did, even after looking at the ingredient list with a bit of skeptcial eye. Wonderful drink. I skipped the "crusta" part, however, and made it up instead of over ice.
BTW, I tried that Armistice, too after seeing Leslie's post. It's everything it says on the tin!
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If you recognize what you have done in time then you can always scale up the other ingredients to match the error. Drink is better and you have more of it.
That is what I would call a win, win!!!
Exactly. To mitigate the extra 1/4 oz of Cointreau, a little more lime and and extra float of Lemon Hart over the top would take care that easily!
Best Manhattan variations?
in Spirits & Cocktails
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I may have to try this over the weekend. I've got a little bit of Meletti left which I'll use in lieu of the Averna.