KD1191

Wouldn't it be easier to just take a Sharpie® to the bottles and cross out "gin"? After all, the experiment above wouldn't produce "gin", but rather juniper-infused gin...if I read his post correctly.

Yes, I've enjoyed the North Shore line (including their more limited releases). While I find them well made, I haven't found room for either of the gins in my bar. The #11 is a fine example of a London Dry, very good in a negroni, excellent juniper flavor. The #6 is a bit harder to pin down. Not too long ago a trusted bartender demurred at the request for a drink featuring #6. If I had to guess, I'd say he probably was thinking along the lines of others in this thread who question whether it's appropriate to be calling these new-style products "gin". It's a very floral product. Derek & Sonja are very passionate about what they do, and are excellent ambassadors here in the Chicago beverage community.

An hour and a half standing in a line outdoors is not "nothing". Hot Doug's is in my personal file under "big deal, not worth it". I'd put Xoco in the same file, though I might be a shade more diplomatic. I'd say that if you can go to either at a time when the wait is minimal they are worth experiencing, but peak times should be avoided at all costs, unless you'll never have the chance to return. Kuma's is another entry on that list. To prcentauri, from what you mentioned liking best about Avenues, I'd wager you would absolutely love Schwa...next time.

I guess there's a lot of mumbo-jumbo associated with the term "holistic" but doesn't it boil down to treating the system as a whole rather than treating the component parts? Wouldn't that more or less define the type of organic farming going on at Polyface farm as discussed in Omnivore's Dilemma? Or, is mysticism inherent to the definition?

I think this disagreement just fuels the main point that calling things BDA or Organic or Sustainable is a whole lot of BS, because there are no empirically tested, universally accepted definitions of these terms. They are marketing ploys with a ton of emotional baggage brought to them by both their adherents and detractors. Comparing join dates or post length isn't going to get us any further towards definitions. Obviously BadRabbit is of the opinion that there's no part of BDA that would pass scientific muster, while MaxH disagrees. What's missed is that BadRabbit simply classifies the scientifically valid parts of the wine making example that MaxH is describing instead as "excellent organic farming". There's no disagreement at all about what techniques are scientifically valid, as far as I can tell, but only about what classification (Organic/BDA) particular techniques should be sorted into.

I have asked (on more than one occasion) if it is (by definition) a London Dry, and if it is, why it doesn't say so on the bottle. Tom Nichol has been present on one occasion when I asked. I am led to believe that they use an essence for one botanical as opposed the actual botanical, making it a 'distilled gin' as opposed to a 'London Dry gin'. I am happy to be proved wrong. That's fascinating stuff...and I have no plans to gainsay it. Thanks for sharing.

I live in the UK, I try to attend every training possible, and I am inquisitive. Tanqueray often host trainings. I'm 99.9% sure that it's not a London Dry, the 0.1% doubt is because I haven't watched it be made. I've certainly had a disagreement or two with Sam in the past, but it's painfully clear even to me that this is the type of comment he's talking about when he says you seem to have some sort of information that you are withholding. What information makes you 99.9% sure Tanqueray 10 is not London Dry Gin? The world needs to know...what did they tell you at these trainings? What did you glean on account of your inquisitive nature?

I think Leopold Bros. is doing something like this with their gin. They aren't making it a juniper bomb, but they are very earnestly trying to make the "true" flavor of juniper the heart of the finished product. They distill each botanical separately and only keep the heart of the juniper distillate for inclusion in the final distillation. Their opinion is that most people have a misconception that juniper = pine tar because the "tails" of juniper distillation are so unpleasant and dominate the true flavor in many juniper-dominated gins. A "juniper bomb" would be the result of haphazard or careless distilling... Leopold Bros. is far and away my favorite "new generation" gin. There's some more info on their process here.

Not just bartenders...we encountered it from a *** Michelin chef a few months ago. It was drizzled over suprêmes of orange and grapefruit as a palate cleanser at the close of breakfast. He'd used Amer Picon in an amuse and Campari in a dessert on a previous visit, so it wasn't completely out of the blue...

12 1/2" tall, about 11" diameter where the bottle tapers outward at the top. I think you mean 11" in circumference, not diameter.

Just took a tape measure to a bottle, which is not going to be exact, but I got approximately 12.5" tall & 3.5" in diameter at its widest...

I believe the recipe originally accompanied an article on high-proof concoctions/spirits, so a switch to the higher proof green fits that frame of mind. The intro to the WP recipe also says, "If it's too intense for your taste, use yellow Chartreuse instead (which the original calls for)."

I recall a French dessert consisting of chestnut ice cream with armagnac poured over the top...I imagine brandy might be a good place to start.

It never hurts to try calling Schwa again...things seem to change by the moment over there. So, even if you were told a week or two ago that there was nothing, something may have opened up. I'd also recommend Avenues or (as I mentioned up thread) Graham Elliot over L2O. Moto is certainly ultra-modern/molecular, but I don't know if I can call it a "meal" in the same sense as Alinea or any of the other places mentioned. It's more performance art in your mouth.

I share some of your concerns...in my opinion Belly Shack is more interesting (and closer to the L). Do the server/staff really drink what's left in the bottle? (Not trying to criticize, just curious.) If it's any good, absolutely. I've known some smaller places that strongly suggested a pour for the staff was part of the corkage fee. In an interesting twist on this practice that I discovered this morning, Gilt Bar insists you share a glass of any wine you bring from outside with someone at another table...

You shouldn't have a problem at Avec, but if you do, Sepia is right around the corner and is worth a shot. Though, I'd never discourage anyone from a trip to Lao Sze Chuan. North Pond is great, but I can't imagine it being as good dining solo...if you get the urge to go to Xoco, I'd skip it in favor of Big Star. The pork belly tacos and queso fundido are consistently better than anything that Xoco puts out. Plus, the bourbon selection is amazing. The only bar within 250 miles to serve Old Heaven Hill Gold Label, I'd wager. Still in love with The Publican... Unless you're sure you'll never be back, the Hot Doug's line on Saturday is just not worth it. Urban Belly or Belly Shack? The Bristol? I was very disappointed in my meal at L2O. Did you consider Graham Elliot?

I started doing this when my wife started bringing home giant bags of citrus from Costco that I couldn't put a dent in before they would start to rot. I have bags of 1oz lime and lemon cubes in my freezer. I'll drop one in a shaker and throw in the spirits and stir to dissolve, then go about making my drink. I haven't really noticed any issues except that I need to use 1 oz frozen to get the same effect as about 3/4 oz fresh. All things being equal, I would still prefer to juice fresh, but some nights I don't have it on hand or just want something quick.

The Julep is generally what I turn to when the bartender asks if I want to try their new signature single-barrel bottling of whatever (Buffalo Trace, Elmer T. Lee, etc.). For all the "throw out the rest and drink the bourbon" talk, a julep is an excellent window into the soul of a spirit.

Seems like the simplest theme would be base spirit. Tequila: Margarita, Paloma, Old Fashioned Rum: (Hemingway) Daiquiri, Cuba Libre, El Presidente Gin: Southside, Collins, Martinez Brandy: Sidecar, Roffignac, Crusta Rye: Daisy, Smash, Sazerac

While experimenting with the Gentiane des Pères Chartreux over in the Suze thread, I somehow thought of this Old Potrero Brooklyn, and realized that the Gentiane liqueur would add something interesting in the place of the Dry Vermouth. It would restore some of the bitterness that is missing in modern Amer Picon, for one... Garnished with a doctored Tillen Farms Maraschino cherry (a bottle of these 'all natural' cherries, where the sickly sweet liquid they were packed in has been replaced by a 3:1 Brandy/Luxardo mixture), the result was more-or-less as expected...initially somewhat sweeter, but with a lengthy and more bitter finish. With two ounces of ~125 proof whiskey, the higher proof of original Picon is not missed. The most predominate flavor is still the Potrero's oak, but the gentian and orange are well represented. It's a bit too sweet for me as is...I would cut back on the Gentiane or Luxardo next time.

I've heard good things about Fritz Pastry (1408 W. Diversey).

Margie's Candies (2 locations: 1960 N. Western Ave & 1813 W. Montrose Ave) is an old-fashioned soda and ice cream shop. They have fantastic hot fudge, and I'm quite fond of the pistachio ice cream. Mindy Segal's work at Hot Chocolate (1747 N. Damen Ave) is rightly praised, and the place is usually packed. If you can't get into the restaurant, you can try her work in the form of the toppings for soft-serve at Bill Kim's Belly Shack (1912 N Western Ave), where the Vietnamese Cinnamon Caramel is probably the best caramel I've tasted. ETA: I believe reservations can be made at Tru for dessert (PDF link).

Determined to play with the Gentian liqueur tonight. Thought process started with 'swap Gentiane for Campari in a Paper Plane'. This is where it ended: 1 1/2 oz W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3/4 oz Gentiane des Pères Chartreux (from all accounts, very similar to Suze) 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse 3/4 oz Lemon Juice 1/2 oz Bittercube Orange Liqueur (Cointreau is close, but add a dash of Regan's Orange Bitters) Shaken, strained and topped with a few drops of Lemon Bitters (Bittercube's 2010 Limited Release Lemon Tree Bitters, to be precise). The pre-shake volume is high, because I originally planned to only use 1 oz of Weller and none of the Orange liqueur. At first taste, the bourbon was completely lost and needed to be upped, and it needed something else...the Orange was my best guess. Flavor is pleasantly sweet upfront, with a forcefully bitter finish that demands another sip. This is at the heart of what I love about the Paper Plane, so in that I guess it was a success. However, I think the proportions are off, and I don't think the Yellow Chartreuse is contributing at all. Well, a switch to Rye might help the whiskey express itself, and Green Chartreuse is never lost in the background...here's what came next: 1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye 3/4 oz Gentiane des Pères Chartreux 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse 1/4 oz Cassis des Pères Chartreux 1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters Stirred and strained. The idea of combining the Gentiane with Cassis came from the Chartreuse website, and it's pretty spectacular. To paraphrase Jeffrey Steingarten, this is a drink I would pay for in a bar. Without the citrus, there is perhaps less depth, but the Cassis adds rounded fruitiness and the switch to Rye/Green Chartreuse lends piquancy that were previously contributed by the orange liqueur and lemon juice. The bitterness of gentian, always present in the background, is most obvious in the long lingering finish.

On a long road trip through Germany, we stopped at McDonald's. And, as if that weren't shame enough, I had a McRib... Partly I just wanted to hear my wife order it (I don't speak German). The best thing about the sandwich was that it was served with a moist towelette. I said to my wife, "It thinks it's ribs!"

Suze sounds remarkably similar to the Gentiane des Pères Chartreux that I picked up at the Chartreuse distillery in Voiron last month. And, here I thought that White Negroni I'd made with it was somewhat original... So far, my favorite way to enjoy it is on the rocks. Unfortunately in the wealth of new products I've had to play with lately, this one has been neglected. I'll have to experiment more soon and post the results here.