KD1191

Something I just tried based on a technique Alchemist mentioned over in the Drinks! thread... Into a mug went: 2 oz Estirpe Peruana Mosto Verde Moscatel Pisco 1 bag of Rishi Peach Rooibos Tea I let that sit while water came to a boil, then added: 1/2+ oz Hibiscus Syrup (1:1 Hibiscus Blossom 'Tea':Sugar) 5 oz of just shy of boiling water Removed the tea bag and stirred. Dropped in a slice of lemon. Aroma: Floral, tropical bomb Color: Gorgeous purple/red color Flavor: Delightful sweetness with a funky pisco back and a slight tartness from the tea/lemon. ETA: Just tried this again with ginger syrup in place of the hibiscus...even better.

It might not have been as big of an issue in the past, before the super-sizing of drinking vessels. Consuming 3-4 oz of Champagne before it went flat probably didn't present as much of a problem to our forefathers.

There are many here much more learned in the science behind the standard/optimal percentages of dilution in cocktails, but I'll agree that with hot drinks it often seems the amount of water called for is much larger than what you'd expect would result from stirring/shaking a cold cocktail. That said, something about the application of hot water can really bring the aromas and flavors out of certain elements (I'm thinking of the Cynar Toddy a few days ago...) even while they dilute them. In some cases you're adding something like tea, which in effect is serving as both a "mixer" and dilution...

Wanted something warm. Glanced at Twitter and found what I was looking for, Cynar Toddy.

I haven't had the product, but from what you're describing, I would try recipes calling for Orange Gin. Maybe, the Flying Dutchman from Ted Haigh's "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" 2 oz orange gin juice of 1/4 orange juice of 1/4 lemon 3 Drops Angostura Bitters Alternately, use it as a base to do some infusions...

Finally got "Forgotten Cocktails" for a gift...so far, very pleased. Made the Ford Cocktail with Ransom, very tasty. 2 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin 2 oz Noilly Prat Dry Scant Bar spoon Benedictine Scant Bar spoon Regan's Orange Bitters Lemon Twist

Outside of NY, I've heard the 1/2 Regan's + 1/2 Fee's bottled in a new container referred to as "50-50" Orange Bitters. I recently tried the Bittercube line and found their Orange Bitters quite nice. They seemed similar to the 50-50 mix on first examination, but didn't have a chance to do a side-by-side comparison or any experimentation. [Moderator note: This topic continues here, All About Bitters (Part 2]

It's possible that tonight I was the first person on Earth to taste this drink...I only mention it because as someone who lacks both creativity and the stomach/wallet for elaborate experimentation, it would be a rarity for me. I assume there are those among us for whom this is a nightly occurrence, due to the breadth of their homemade cordials and scavenged antique spirits, or simply their limitless imaginations. For the less hearty/lucky souls, we must hope we are sitting at the right bar at the right time, when inspiration strikes and stars align. Tonight, I was at the intersection of knowledge and ingredients that I imagine likely makes me the first person to make Michael Rubel's (The Violet Hour, Big Star) Harlan County (so far my favorite in his pursuit to craft a drink embodying-and named for-each of Kentucky's 120 counties) using Vietnamese Son Tinh Apricot Liqueur in place of the called for Marie Brizard Apry. It was really, really good. 2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon 3/4 oz Lime Juice 3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Apry is called for, and when it is used I like to choose a rougher bourbon (i.e. Elijah Craig, Elmer T. Lee)...with the Son Tinh, the BT was perfect.) 1/4 oz Rich Demerara Syrup 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters Shake, strain, sip.

In honor/defiance of the snow blanketing Chicago, we enjoyed Tom & Jerry last night...some were made with Blackstrap and Matusalem, others with Blackstrap and Weller 7. I'm not entirely fond of the vanilla notes in Matusalem, so I preferred the Weller.

Ah, yes, I've always been fond of Rocky Mountain oysters... But, seriously, it's probably a given that most contestants would select whiskey for such a theme. Perhaps tequila or mezcal and a southwestern vibe are the way to go. The New Mexico green chile idea, in particular, sounds like a start.

Sadly, I don't believe there's anything close to the quality of sushi you can get in Vancouver anywhere in the Midwest. A good friend who recently moved to Milwaukee from Vancouver swears by Phan's Garden (1923 W National) for phở, not sure about the rest of their menu. Fortune Restaurant on Hwy 100/Oklahoma is probably the best Cantonese I've had in the Midwest...particularly fond of the squid with chili in spicy salt, eggplant and salted fish casserole, and shrimp with honey walnuts. The place looks like a dump, and it also serves chow mein to locals, but trust me. There are a couple mediocre Mongolian BBQ places in Milwaukee, but I don't know of a good Korean place. Indian seems to be hit or miss.

Agreed, but go for more than 4-bottles. The vermouth shelf of my wine fridge always seems to be full...

Well, I can't say this has been a problem for me, because I don't know of any drinks that I'm fond of that were formulated with/for the modern neon-red "grenadine". It's in scare quotes because that stuff isn't really grenadine at all. By definition, and etymology, grenadine is made from pomegranate. Any classic recipe calling for grenadine would be completely thrown out of whack by most of the off-the-shelf products calling themselves grenadine.

I like the Ango Orange, use them somewhat frequently, but never think of reaching them in the capacity of "Orange Bitters". They're just not really very Orangey at all. "Indian Food Bitters" might not have sounded so appealing to the buying public, perhaps. But, seriously, they work well with many tequila and mezcal applications, also applejack. It almost seems like there needs to be some other fruit element in the drink before the Angostura Orange will even begin to present an orange note, but maybe that's just me. If a drink calls for Orange Bitters, I'm using Regan's almost exclusively. The Angostura Orange gets used when I'm working on new things, or if I taste something and think it would help bridge the gap. ETA: Alchemist has an interesting "summer" Negroni with the Campari dialed way back and using Cinzano Bianco vermouth...one of the best application of Angostura Orange I've had.

Toby's Juliet & Romeo certainly deserves a spot on the list.

The New York Times seems to think: Gin-Gin Mule Benton’s Old-Fashioned Oaxaca Old-Fashioned Red Hook St-Germain Absinthe Drip Bartender’s Choice ETA: Just finished reading the article and find it funny that they harped on the marketing angle of the St. Germain cocktail while ignoring the same with regard to the Moscow Mule. I would add Sam Ross's Paper Plane (as composed with Campari, not Aperol-this may be a Toby Maloney change, or may be Sam's original recipe, I'm unsure) to the list, one of my all-time favorites.

One that hasn't been mentioned that I like is Maine Root Ginger Brew (found at Whole Foods). It's not the spiciest out there (it's much better than a Ginger Ale, but I still add a dash or two of habanero bitters), but it has great flavor.

I don't think any accounting would put Chicago in the same class as New Orleans (or Philly, either). Las Vegas is a stretch. Chicago is the best in the nation for some genres (molecular, fine Mexican) and arguably #1 in several others (traditional Mexican, head-to-tail/offal) and doesn't significantly lag NYC in any category. New York's size more-or-less guarantees it the first spot, but I don't see any other city except maybe the greater San Francisco area making the types of advances on NYC's dominance that Chicago has in the last 10 years.

Is that a cheese? It sure is. As far as cooking at home, I've fallen in love with quinoa this year...and renewed my life-long love of beets and cauliflower. On the dining out front, revelatory oysters at The Publican made me question my belief that I have to wait for trips to the coasts to get 1st rate seafood.

New York will, and should, win almost any poll...it does everything well. The caveat being that if you're looking for the absolute best in some particular types of cuisine/experiences, there may be better examples in some areas than the best available in New York. For example, if you're looking for inventive/modern/scientific cuisine ("molecular gastronomy"), NYC's best can't beat Chicago.

I agree with the initial point, that in many instances off-season produce is tasting better than it has in the past. And, personally, I can't conceive of why purchasing produce from Holland or Mexico would be inconceivable. Surely, there are many valid objections to many of the valid objections. In one recent example, Bayless was taken to task on Twitter for the increased "carbon footprint" of using Mexican avocados. He argued any perceived harm was outweighed by the need to divert water to produce Californian ones...not to mention that they are always in season and he prefers the taste.

I'm willing to suspend disbelief to a degree, but a lot of this sounds like mysticism. I don't mean to discount your personal experience, Kohai, but being served a free poured Manhattan without bitters would put me on my guard. I honestly wonder whether Mr. Uyeda's drinks could be picked out of a lineup. Is there something about the theater involved that makes his drink superb, while an identical drink prepared in another room might fall flat?

I don't know what the magic number is, but green chartreuse (110 proof) usually needs a bit of warming to light. I don't think it could hurt. ETA: Having just read the Esquire article, I think adding the boiling water should suffice...you shouldn't need to heat the booze individually, prior to that step.

Grapefruits are so good right now. I have a few different varieties, but the Rio Stars from Texas produce some beautiful juice, and were my inspiration tonight. I've been wanting to combine grapefruit and campari since having a dessert that featured the two last winter. I reached for the Wray & Nephew, and decided to riff on Sam Ross's Paper Plane: Equal parts (1 oz each) Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, Amaro Nonino, Campari & Rio Star Red grapefruit juice, shaken with faux draft cubes and strained into a chilled coupe. I squeezed a healthy swath of grapefruit peel over the drink. Like the original, this drink packs a punch. But, at first sip it's also quite well balanced. Each ingredient gets its turn to shine...unfortunately, I think the W&N might just be a bit too funky for this application. By the time I got to the last 1/4 of the glass, it was all I could smell. I'm going to have to try some other rums and see what improves on the formula.

Yes, had this the other night in Sam Ross's Paper Plane: equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Campari (I think Sam's recipe now calls for Aperol, but Campari is so much better) and lemon juice. Normally, Elijah Craig is my go to for that drink, but it could not be located. The Weller worked very nicely. Was definitely able to stand up to the Campari. As such, I imagine it would likely make a good Boulevardier as well.