KD1191

Shipping spirits into Ontario from outside of Canada pretty much has to go through the LCBO. They frown upon trying to bypass the sytem so, very kind though the offer is, it's really not worth it to try to sneak around it. It's not a K&L shipping issue, I'd gladly pay their shipping charges to get the stuff I want, it's the upcharge due to the monopoly the LCBO maintains on spirits in Ontario that is the killer... I'm sure I can still have a lot of fun with this tiki stuff without the 151 even if some things won't be authentic. Not to mention that putting alcohol into the mail in the U.S. can be a felony...laws vary by state, but most shippers will refuse to accept packages containing alcohol except from licensed distributors.

FAA hazardous materials regulations forbid alcohol of 140 proof (70%) or higher on planes (checked or carry-on) in the U.S. (hence George T. Stagg's nickname "Hazmat"). I don't know if this definition of hazardous materials extends to non-aircraft transportation. I hope not, because my driving route from Kentucky to Chicago would then require a detour around Indianapolis, where there are various signs on the Interstate warning against transporting hazardous materials through the city.

The Gun Shop Fizz (2 oz Peychaud's) and the Angostura Sour (1 1/2 oz Angostura) both appeared in Rogue Beta Cocktails, which has a number of drinks with heavy 'non-potable bitters' components.

I don't think what you're looking for exists in this country, but down a slightly different road, the gents at Leopold Bros. make some 'fruit whiskies'. They "follow the 19th century practice" of adding fruit juice to blended whiskey...which doesn't sound entire appetizing, but they are quite tasty in the right context. I've had the peach and heard very good things about the apple...there's also a blackberry. These clearly aren't produced in the same fashion as something like Calvados, but there's a similarity to the resulting product...a oak-aged distillate with a significant fruit character.

Sambal Oelek has a very similar chili-heat profile to Sriracha, but without garlic, additional spices or sugar.

I grabbed bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year and Marie Brizard Apry at Astor Wine & Sprits this weekend...two things I haven't be able to find in Illinois in recent years. I probably overpaid (especially considering I had to pay $25 to check my bag on the way home as a result), but for some of the last of the PVW15, I'm sure I'll get over it.

There are a lot of variables across the project, but from what I've read the way in which they will be released (12 varieties at a time, 4 times a year over 4 years) will be planned such that if you buy any two bottles from the same 'release' they will have only one or two differences. They could potentially differ in mash bill, char, top cut vs. bottom cut, or coarseness of the grain, but not all or even most of the above.

Not just your parents, but your guardian or spouse, too, so long as they are of legal drinking age. It seemed my brother was "married" to a different girl every night for a while there before he turned 21.

That sounds very, very good, although more "similar" than "Boulevardier." Might be name-worthy. Did it have one, perhaps? Not that I know of...though I'll try to remember to inquire the next time I see him (Fred Sarkis of Sable Kitchen & Bar). He made essentially the same comment as Eric, about employing the Bonal to enhance the wood in the bourbon.

My drinking companion this afternoon ordered a Boulevardier, or similar. Our bartender poured Weller 12, Bonal & Cynar and added small pinch of salt. I didn't get a chance to try it, but my friend appeared to be immeasurably pleased with the result.

I mixed it with cachaca and a touch of lime (mine was still a little sweet). The little bottle was soon gone. Also nice is plain seltzer. That sounds good, I imagine it also pairs just fine with gin. I had a drink at The Violet Hour that was (I believe) a riff on a Hemingway Daiquiri but with Pisco & raspberry shrub. La Chunga 2 oz Pisco Italia 1 oz Grapefruit .75 oz Lime .5+ oz Cocchi Americano .25+ oz Raspberry Shrub 13 drops Bittercube Bolivar Bitters Shake/Strain/Serve up

The tartness of raspberry makes it an excellent candidate for shrubbing.

Had an excellent bistro meal at Josephine "Chez Dumonet" in the 6th (117 rue du Cherche-Midi) last fall. Some of the best salmon I've ever had (smoked in-house) and a stellar terrine. I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into with the andouillette, but that's hardly their fault. Funky doesn't begin to describe it. My wife's bœuf bourguignon was perfect, classic. The much hyped soufflé was a bit of a let-down, cheese was a better way to end.

This reminds me...a bit of St. Germain or Green Chartreuse (even better, Elixir Végétal) sprinkled over grapefruit supremes is terrific.

Nice to see L'Arnsbourg back on the list at #98 after a year (or two?) off. It's easily on of my favorite dining experiences in the world, and would surely rank much higher on the SP list (and likely quite a bit lower on mine) if it were near a major metropolis.

I will second daisy17 regarding both Les Cocottes and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, but I will point out (since you mentioned your wife is pregnant) that both feature counter service (though Les Cocottes does have some high-top tables), so they're not the most comfortable of restaurants. La Régalade Saint Honoré was both very cozy and the menu struck a great balance. There were certainly heartier options, but the light-ish choices were equally, if not more, appealing.

While raised with the cut-in-half, attack with grapefruit spoon method, I eventually realized that far too much of the precious juice ended up wasted and/or in my eye. So, ever since I was entrusted with a sharp enough knife I've peeled them and cut supremes. My love of grapefruit is such that somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 way through I usually end up ditching the knife and going at it with my hands, tearing the membranes and pulling away the flesh with my teeth while standing over the sink.

This Soap Opera product placement for Chex Mix and Cherrios is astonishingly bad. Wayne's World was already spoofing this sort of thing back in 1992 with their Pizza Hut bit.

Lemon Hart 151...now, where's my swizzle stick?

In my opinion, this is a cocktail you have to use Lillet Blanc for, not Cocchi Americano. It is a modern cocktail and it was created with the modern version of Lillet Blanc. Though, to be honest, not all classic cocktails are improved by using Cocchi Americano, either. Agree that Cocchi Americano doesn't seem like the right choice. I've had success with Cinzano Bianco, though I was using the Carthusian Gentiane, not Suze. 1 1/2 oz Tanqueray 1 oz Cinzano Bianco 1 oz Gentiane

At that speed, I have to believe there there is not "somebody grab[ing] them", but someone employing technology to game the system. I was able to manually "hold" a table last night by clicking on it every few minutes (it gives you 10 minutes to complete the reservation and the clock resets when you click again). This gave me time to call the friend who I was booking the table for and get the information re: their preference for wine pairings, etc. without risking losing the preferred time slot. This is just one of the "quirks" of the system that I would imagine could easily be abused by a script.

I'll be there in two weeks...I was part of the first or second wave of mailings, but the DNS update hadn't propagated for my ISP (I was still getting the old website), so I had to have a friend log in and book the table for us. It was a mess, their technology let them down...both their e-mail server and their understanding of how the DNS switchover would work. Still, once I was able to get into the site (about an hour after my table was booked by my friend), I found it quite functional and easy to use. I look forward to future releases being slightly less hectic (hopefully).

Liquor, any kind, really. With the city of Chicago having the highest sales tax in the country, combined with the three-tier liquor distribution system in Illinois, buying just about any booze is cheaper abroad (with the exception of American-made products like bourbon, of course). Above average French wine is another thing where I can't bring enough home with me. A good Pommard, for example, will set me back at least $60 here, with better offerings easily topping $100. Meanwhile, I can get something of the same quality for $20 at one of the shops in the village or perhaps $30 in Paris.

Caramel sauce for vietnamese chicken. I'd go with flan. Panela is generally synonymous with piloncillo (wikipedia says this is know as rapadura in Brazil). Is it possible the "açucar mascavo" is actually muscovado? On my own personal spectrum, if white sugar is well done, demerara is medium and piloncillo is rare.

Try it in an Old Fashioned with Laird's Bonded & Angostura Orange...a mighty tasty cocktail. As for piloncillo, I like it with Rhum Agricole.