organicmatter
-
Posts
20 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by organicmatter
-
-
So the class on the 22nd will it be with Wondrich, Degroff...(Olsen?) face to face? The website says a full day of seminars ect. Do they imply hoe that works? That list is some very busy men. If it is them that is very, very cool. Just being in the same room as them and being able to ask questions is worth it.
And if that is the case, will there be cocktails? And then who's shaking.
Toby
That's right Toby. When I did the class (in San Francisco) it was a full day with Paul Pacult, Dave Wondrich, Dale DeGroff, Steve Olsen, Andy Seymour, and Doug Frost. There was a lecture/Q&A portion (including a blind spirits tasting), a written exam on spirits, history etc. (all the stuff covered in the take-home materials) and then a "practical" exam, where we were asked to prepare three cocktails. Here are links to a couple of my photos from the San Francisco live event:
-
I just got my BarSmarts package in the mail a few days ago. I'm in the middle of the course and already I have mixed feelings about it.
Anyone completed the program?
I got a chance to do the program when it was in San Francisco. I got the impression that it was tailored to folks who have substantial experience working behind the stick, but are either new to, or trying to capitalize on, this "new" trend toward culinary cocktail and otherwise high-end drinks. The history is well put-together and concise, but pretty redundant (and cursory) if you've at least read Imbibe. That said, it's long and detailed enough that I can imagine that it might try the patience of someone who's not geeking out over mixology.
The info on spirits production and history did fill some gaps in my knowledge, and I would expect they would do the same for most people already in the business. This was my favorite part of the course, and the part that they spent the most time on at the live class.
The service part was kind of wasted on me, not working behind the bar. That said, it was nice to get a sense of all of the other business that your bartenders have to worry about in addition to simply making a great drink.
The recipes are a good intro to making a good sampling of classic drinks, with a nod to the popular, for people who might be used to shortcuts like [shudder] sour mix. If you're taking the course it's worth knowing (and I don't think it's any sort of spoiler) that in the practical exam you're free to use your own ratios as long as the drink you produce is well-balanced. I wasted a lot of time trying to remember the recommended ratios for drinks like the daiquiri or the margarita that were different than the ratios I prefer.
All-in-all I enjoyed the program, and got quite a bit out of it, even though I don't believe I was the target audience. I think it's particularly well-designed for introducing working professionals to classic mixology and spreading the word of the culinary cocktail. My two cents.
I don't believe that there's anything sufficiently comprehensive in what I've offered above that it might infringe on any copyrights, but I'm glad to edit/remove any of this if any of the copyright holders or their surrogates disagree.
-
So wait, is Bonded Old Overholt no longer being produced? My local stores have quite a bit, so I'd consider grabbing a few bottles.
There never has been bonded Old Overholt. It's sold at 80 proof. We're saying that we'd like to see it at 100 proof ("bottled in bond"). And, as Andy points out, it's literally a matter of changing the labeling and reconfiguring the process to add less water (I'm sure there are also some minor legal hoops to jump through with respect to introducing a "new" product).
In my opinion, if they brought out Overholt at 100 proof, it would take the place of Rittenhouse as the mixing rye of preference. I've been thinking of ways to make a 100 proof version out of the 80 proof stuff, either by fractional freezing or using a rotavap.
My mistake, I just confused it for Rittenhouse. Oops!
-
i have come in my possesion a bottle of Lyle's Golden Syrup...
Since i have only some limited use for this in cooking/baking...can i use it in my drinks?
(certainly future i will continue to make my own syrups, but i need to use this stuff up)
shanty
I learned the hard way that you need to make a lighter syrup from it by dissolving it with water first, much like honey. Trying to add a barspoon of straight Lyle's to a stirred drink is a surefire way to end up with a cloying, syrupy mess stuck to your spoon and strainer, and a very, very, very dry drink.
As for recipes that it works well in, I never got far enough with it to find out.
-
Rittenhouse Bonded Rye: $17.99/750ml (would still be great at twice the price!)
Don't tell Heaven Hill that!
-
I make a half-hot-half-cold process grenadine as well, and I throw a couple star anise pods in with the hot process during reduction. It's not for every drink, but it's a noticeable (and enjoyable) note in my Jack Roses. I'll have to try vanilla and/or orange flower water in the future.
-
I have ordered several times from Bar Products. The website is stuck in the 80's but they ship quickly and have good products. You just need to wade through all the flair tending stuff.
Seconded - it's the only place I've found online that carries the 1/2 - 3/4 jigger. But seriously, if you're epileptic, have a friend order from the website on your behalf, or at least make sure someone is standing by with a tongue depressor.
-
Sorry to resurrect an oldish topic, but i am interested in buying an Absinthe, I have read thru the "newer" end of this thread, but wondered if there were any other newly available Absinthes worth trying..I have limited supply to choose from at my local shops..(lucid, st george, and all the substitutes)
I can also purchase from drinkupny.com as connecticut allows home liquor delivery...so Kubler53 becomes available as well...
I plan to try it in the traditional fashion, and in a Sazerac, DITA, and a few others...
I checked some reviews over at wormwoodsociety.org, but wondered what you've tried over the past year...
thanks
sb
I bought my bottle of St. George when the only domestically available absinthes (at least that I was aware of) were St. George, Lucid, and Kubler, all of which you mention. Given those three, the St. George is absolutely what you want. It's complex and delicious where the Lucid and Kubler are simpler and more anise-heavy.
However, since then a number of other options have become more widely available, and I can't testify as to the quality of many of those.
-
I was just given a bottle of the new Hangar One spiced pear vodka, and despite not being a big vodka drinker, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to anything St. George Spirits produces. This was a huge success:
2 oz. Hangar One spiced pear vodka
1/4 oz. St. Germain (it would probably be good with up to 1/2 oz.)
2-3 dashes Angostura
Stir, strain up, smile.
Thanks to campusfive for the suggestion to pair pears with St. Germain.
-
So, I finally picked up one of the Oxo strainers last week, and although I'm still getting used to it, I do like it. It's a little small for some of my shakers, but so far that's the only downside.
A quick and easy solution is to buy a super cheap strainer with a big fat spring, take the spring out of your OXO, put it *inside* the bigger springs (like a train passing through a tunnel, or whatever less family-friendly metaphor you happen to prefer), and then put both springs back onto your OXO. With a little fiddling to make sure the big spring "sticks out" all the way around, you'll find that the OXO fits more snugly in your 28 oz tins.
(Credit where credit is due: thanks to donbert for the tip.)
-
Well, Repeal Day came and went last Friday. What were people tippling?
I had some friends over and made up a little menu with some beverage alcohol history, the text of the 18th and 21st amendments, and a short drink menu for the night. Most of them had no idea about Repeal Day, or much knowledge about cocktails beyond the typical fratboy-sweat-infused vodka and Redbull, so I tried to keep things simple, interesting, and as steeped in American history as possible, while serving winter-appropriate cocktails. The menu was as follows:
Jack Rose
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Rye Flip
I was a little worried that my philistine friends would balk at the use of egg in a cocktail, but I easily made as many flips as I did other drinks combined. Good times had by all, and I think that a number of my guests are now primed to be a little more discriminating about their drink choices when they dine out.
[edited for grammar]
-
With the news that Hayman's is starting to be distributed in the U.S. I was wondering when distribution might hit Los Angeles or San Francisco (I'm assuming it will take a bit longer to get to less populous locales in California), and I figured that other people in other places might be wondering the same. So feel free to use this as a one-stop-shop for posting info about Hayman's distribution anywhere in the U.S.
But especially L.A. and the Bay Area.
-
This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.
First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges. Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.
This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.
The Riviera
2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.
Ice: None
Mime Shake. Add KD. Shake. Strain. Serve up.
Toby
How long will the infused Campari keep? My wife hasn't loved Campari (the negroni was our drink of the month - new years resolution that has been fun to keep) and I'm going to try this out and give it another go.
To the best of my understanding it should essentially keep indefinitely because of the relatively high alcohol content of the final infusion. In an effort to intentionally keep the ABV high, I took the advice of a friend and used Seagram's Distiller's Reserve for the infusion because it's 1.) cheap, and 2.) 102 proof. I especially wanted something strong to keep the ABV high despite the maraschino and Campari.
And yes, in the final infusion (and especially once you mix up a Riveria) the bitterness of the Campari is nearly gone. A definite Campari gateway drink.
-
The Riviera
2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.
Ice: None
Mime Shake. Add KD. Shake. Strain. Serve up.
Toby
Good God that is an amazing tipple. For anyone wondering whether the infusion is worth your time, it absolutely is (and it's simple enough to scale down).
-
FAIRVIEW MANHATTAN
2.0 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
11 drops Peychaud’s Bitters
Rinse of Laphroig
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: 5 drops Pine Liqueur
Small Lemon Peel, light oil.
Ice: None
Stir. Strain. Serve up.
Cheers,
Toby
Thanks a ton for the recipes, Toby; they both sound unique and delicious. In my imagination the anise in the Peychaud's and the pine are a fantastic combination. Do you use Zirbenz, or is your pine liqueur a proprietary house recipe?
-
I almost made a liar of myself - here's what I've been drinking lately:
1.5 oz. rye (I've been using Pikesville - it doesn't impress me much, but it lets the other flavors though, which works in this case)
.5 applejack (Laird's bonded)
.5 Carpano Antica
dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged
dash Regan's Orange
Stir and serve up in a cocktail glass rinsed with Scotch (Macallan cask strength).
-
Hey ladies and gentlemen - long time listener; first time caller.
I've been playing around with with Manhattan variations lately - different whiskey:vermouth ratios, bourbon, rye, regular proof, overproof - the list goes on and on. (Read on for my current favorite.) I also just bought a bottle of the Macallan cask strength (which is delicious, by the way). I'm not a huge proponent of the Rob Roy, and I'm not quite ready to dump an once and a half of pricey Scotch into my mixing glass, but one thing led to another a few nights ago, and I ended up rinsing my cocktail glass with the delectably high-proof Macallan. The result was fantastic.
The rinse changed very little about the flavor of the drink at first sip, but completely changed the finish - as the spice of the rye and sweetness of the vermouth and apple brandy (like I said, recipe follows) trailed off, the Scotch really asserted itself.
I'm not a Scotch expert at all, so I'm not sure whether the long finish of the Mac cask strength is a happy coincidence for this particular cocktail or whether I've merely discovered what everyone else already knew. Either way, I'd welcome other ideas for cocktails that use a Scotch rinse, or those that might be tasty served in a glass with a peaty washdown.
Santa Barbara Bar
in Spirits & Cocktails
Posted
I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is nothing worth your time in Santa Barbara. If you like beer, for pure atmosphere, go to Elsie's, or the Mercury Lounge in Goleta (weird, but low-key and good). If you like ales, order the Firestone Double Barrel; you won't be upset with it. Do not waste your time trying to order any kind of mixed drink.