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KD1191

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  1.  

    Leopold Aperitivo. Thoughts?

     

    No thoughts I am afraid, only a question - with regard to bitterness, is it closer to Campari or Aperol?

     

    Pulling up my thoughts on first taste: Aperitivo has layers of flavor that will keep me reaching for it over Campari & its substitutes. Also, it smells like heat.

     

    Revisiting it now, I would certainly say it's closer to Campari than Aperol, but I haven't had Aperol in the house for over a year. There's a bit more grapefruit (or, pomelo? I know the Leopold guys like pomelo) than orange. The bitterness is very gentian, Suze-like.

    • Like 1
  2. It's been awhile, but I recall the Bigallet being pretty spectacular. The proof and the orange notes were pretty much pitch perfect, but there was an undertone/background note that seemed to be missing vs. vintage Picon...perhaps the result of their starting with beet neutral spirit.

  3. I shared some Honesty with a few friends who commented on how evocative it was of grappa...not surprising, given the methods involved (it's basically pear pommace brandy). So, I busted out an old favorite grappa cocktail, which for the life of me doesn't appear to exist on the Internet (it was an original 'Rogue' cocktail, that didn't survive the transition to Beta):

     

    Clocka (Troy Sidle)

     

    2 oz Unaged Grappa

    1/4 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)

    3 Dashes Orange Bitters

     

    Stir, strain over fresh ice and garnish with a mint sprig & one drop of rose water.

     

    CLDea7zWwAA_iZ0.jpg

     

    On paper, it looks like an old-fashioned, but looks can be deceiving.

    • Like 2
  4. Shipment from Chicago just arrived...

     

    2x Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum

    2x AEppelTreow Honesty Pear Brandy

    1x Leopold Bros Aperitivo

     

    IMG_20150713_123126.jpg

     

    I've had the first two, and love them both. The last I have no experience with, but given my adoration for all things Leopold (and tiny red bugs) I am pretty excited to try it. The Honesty brandy remains one of the most intriguing spirits I've ever tasted, and I'm glad I was finally able to track down a supply of my own. The back of the bottle sums it up nicely:

     

    IMG_20150713_123309.jpg

    • Like 3
  5. I've long held a theory that the trend toward 'spicier' foods becoming more common place (eta: in US chains...the rise of Chili's, Chipotle, Buffalo everything etc.) is related to an aging boomer population that is losing its sense of taste and needs bigger flavors in order to taste anything...this thread inspires me to see a corollary that suggests that as wine has become more popular among a younger demographic that they have created a market for more nuanced/restrained wines, as their more sensitive, un-dead (heh) palates don't need massive flavors to enjoy a wine.

     

    Probably not the case, but my ears were burning, and I thought it was an interesting adaptation of something I've long thought might be true, but have never given any time to trying to prove...

  6. Sign in the bar advertised a barrel-aged Old Fashioned...when the bartender approached, I pointed at the sign and the following conversation ensued:

     

    Me: Old Fashioned?

    Bartender: Brandy or Bourbon?

    Me: Bourbon.

    Bartender: Sweet, Sour, or Seltzer?

    Me: Uh... <quizzically> none of the above?

     

    Oh, Wisconsin...I ended up with a decent, if somewhat bitter, Old Fashioned.

    • Like 1
  7. A few Matthew Webb Gimlets:

    2 oz Tanqueray

    3/4 oz Lime Juice

    1/2 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin

    1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse (I used MOFS)

    1/4 oz Simple Syrup

    Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, and top with 4 drops Angostura.

    Thus fortified, one might (theoretically) swim the English Channel.

    • Like 2
  8. Years ago I was a guest at a dinner that was an attempt to demonstrate the feasibility of food/cocktail pairings. Those involved parlayed the concept into a series of well received courses at a Michelin *** restaurant and then what continues to be an extremely successful bar in the 'molecular mixology' realm. So, yeah, decent bonafides... Even with skill, talent, and organization behind that effort, the dinner was not exactly a success. There were certain courses that floored me, including a whitefish with blackberry sauce that was served with a whiskey smash where the fruit created a perfect bridge. But, even when the pairing worked perfectly, there were structural concerns to the concept that I'm still not convinced they've overcome (even today). The proof, the volume, the intensity...they all need to be dialed in perfectly. It's not impossible, but it's a tough ask.

    • Like 1
  9. hello,

    is tthere a reason why a sazerac is served in a rock glass ?

    Why " can't " it be served in a coupe glass since it is served without ice ?

    More surface area to coat with absinthe, end result is more aroma of absinthe than flavor impacting the final product.

    • Like 3
  10. Try 'dry' shaking with a single ice cube (what I do), or run the tins under cold water before shaking to contract them.

     

    Both great suggestions. I'm also fond of the 'crushed ice' method for egg white drinks (adding just enough crushed ice for desired dilution and shaking until it is fully dissolved).

    • Like 1
  11. http://forums.egullet.org/topic/102593-egg-whites-emulsifying-tricks-and-tips/?p=1507775

     

    When you dry shake at room temperature, you evaporate some of the alcohol into the airspace, which expands giving the air in the shaker "positive internal pressure." This is the opposite of the "negative pressure" that is created when shaking with ice, which we all know helps to keep the pieces of the shaker together. The end result is that some of the air inside the shaker would like to escape to create equilibrium. The same thing would happen were you to dry shake with warm water.


    NB. There is really no such thing as "positive or negative pressure." What we mean by saying this is "greater or less than atmospheric pressure."

     
    • Like 2
  12. 'Vodka Martini' gets the point across, but the drink is actually called a Kangaroo.

     

    Many people use Martini to refer to any cocktail served in a V-shaped glass...not much different from how many refer to any protein served between two buns as a burger.

    • Like 2
  13. Unfortunately I think the ice would just force off the larger lid and not the small lid which is stuck.

     

    Are the holes in the strainer large enough that you could put something (a skewer, chopsticks, etc.) through and push on the lid from the inside? Might take quite a bit of force, but at least any damage would be on the inside.

  14. Will you be buying any of this?

     

    How do they deal with "fresh" juices?  Doesn't any juice going into the bottle need to be pasteurized. thereby making it not fresh, by default?

     

    I feel like I caught the first wave of the 'craft bottled cocktail' trend all the way back in 2010 when a local distiller bottled a product that could be shaken to order to produce a relatively spot-on Corpse Reviver #2.

  15. I did not find any Chartreuse (I think it's a myth that GLSes have them)

     

    My Chartreuse shelf disagrees. It's the first thing I look for when I check out tiny out of the way stores...I think the earliest I have is from the mid-to-late 70s (green, found in Houston at a barred window hole in the wall that appeared to trade mostly in Soju...it was on a strip of Korean restaurants), but I picked up at least a case from the 80s between the south and northwest sides of Chicago. I've seen enough from the 90s hiding in plain sight in NJ that I don't typically bother with it anymore, unless the price hasn't been adjusted for inflation at all. The exception there is a 1999 I found that is the closest thing I've seen to the mythical White Chartreuse.

  16. Saddened to hear that Jean-Georges Klein departed L'Arnsbourg at the end of the year. The new chef is Philippe Labbé, most recently of L'Abeille at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris.

     

    While I'm excited to see what comes of Mr. Klein's next venture, I feel a profound sense of loss for a place where I enjoyed several of the most memorable meals of my life.

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