KD1191

Thanks, I'll also have to make the related Smiler Cocktail, as I'm fond of all things Bronxy.

Had martinis on the brain last night, but it was after dinner, so I wanted something a bit less bracing. I ended up with this: 2.5 oz Tanqueray Malacca 1 oz Noilly Prat Dry 2 barspoons Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao 1/2 dropper Bittercube Orange Bitters It was delicious enough that I went searching to find if it had a name...apparently, it's a sort of reverse Chanticleer.

It's typically sold in 1L bottles, if that helps lessen the sting at all...

I've always chipped away with the foil cutter of a wine key...once you expose the plastic cap you're nearly there. Score around the base a few dozen times and pull.

Yep, that's VEP, and the wax, especially on older bottles, is some of the hardest I've seen used for this sort of application.

I want to go to there (there being any store that has those three bottles sitting on the shelf). Haven't seen any Black Maple Hill in the wild in a couple years (the 23 rye is one of my many white whales), and while Handy used to be available nearly the entire year 'round in places, it's been several months since I saw a bottle.

That's what I was thinking. I'm also quite partial to Leopold Bros., which is far from juniper-heavy.

Yeah, that was my thought. Ingredients listed on the label of a distilled spirit is somewhat rare, no? It makes me wonder why one might do that...and, if calling those items out and defining them as 'ingredients' would allow someone (semantically/legally) to then claim they are not 'additives'.

I am purposefully quite ignorant about the making of rum (whiskey does enough damage to my wallet, thank you much), so forgive me if this is out of left field, but seeing as molasses is listed as an ingredient, couldn't it also be used after distillation without being considered a 'coloring additive'? The extremely precise, yet non-definitive nature of the distiller's comments reminds me a lot of what I hear from the lawyers I work with all day. That said, the proof is in the tasting, and I look forward to the opportunity to sample this particular quandary.

The other night, an ABC3 Old Fashioned. Tonight, that 'Bijou Riff' recently referenced in the Chartreuse thread, which is really excellent. With several strong flavors taking turns coming to the fore, the strength of the Mozart bitters is really showcased.

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded," in effect. Tonight I made myself a Martinez using Bittercube's barrel aged cherry bitters, which arrived yesterday. They feature top notes of cherry accentuated by angelica, lemon peel & juniper...pretty much ideal for mixing with gin and Leopold Bros' stellar maraschino. This is one of the best drinks I've made in some time.

I'd never been into the bar proper. Twice previously I'd stopped by when in the area to see if they might have a seat, but didn't make it past the phone booth, as there was no more availability at the bar for the evening, so last night I made sure to show up close to opening. Strangely, I ate crif dogs long before I knew that pdt existed.

Made my inaugural trip to pdt last night...well, actually I'd been there a few times before I lived in NYC, but this was the first time I was able to get past the front door. Started with a Victor's Special: 2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye .75 oz Blood Orange Juice .75 oz Cynar .5 oz Cardamaro Finished with a Benton's Old Fashioned.

Never had a problem with one-handed shaking on the Koriko weighted set I have from Cocktail Kingdom. That said, I'm 6'4", so I may be the exception. ETA: The setup you describe seeing in bars sounds pretty similar to the one Toby describes here. So, perhaps be on the look out for 'Royal' brand weighted tins.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool..." I'd like to buy a bottle of the commemorative Elmer T. Lee, if only I could find one. It looks like a heartwarming presentation.

I had The Bad Habit (Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Cantaloupe, Cynar, Egg White, Laphroaig Quarter Cask) and Will Robinson Swizzle (El Dorado 8 Yr & Spiced Rums, Pineapple, Smith & Cross Rum, Batavia Arrack, Green Chartreuse). I'm not a peaty scotch guy, but everything else in The Bad Habit sounded good, and I'm glad I went with it. The swizzle is a pretty solid tiki concoction. If I'd stuck around longer I'd probably have gone for the Bols Deep, a genever & rye milk-clarified punch, but the Forgetful Jones with pistachio-black pepper falernum and the wine-based Zwack Morris also look intriguing.

Had a few drinks off of Pouring Ribbons' new menu on Saturday. They were all great, but one has stuck with me... Sedgwick Avenue: La Favorite Ambre, Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino, Junipero Gin, Orange Marmalade, BBQ Bitters It started with a question, "What's with the gin in this rum drink?" The explanation, "It's a Bronx riff," followed by a lengthy dissertation containing some of the finest cocktail nerdery I've witnessed in recent years, both surprised and excited me, the Bronx being one of my favorite classic cocktails. I may never understand it, but the combination of the funky aged rhum and a dash of pineapple juice (not mentioned on the menu description) produced some crazy chemistry that evoked the aroma of the missing dry vermouth. It's the sort of drink where you just stare off into space for awhile, and all you can say is, "Huh..."

Have you tried an old fashioned? If bitterness is the issue, dose it with a bit more sugar.

Maybe I got a bad bottle...or, you got a good one. My gold standard for rye is the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, equally impeccable neat and in spirit-forward cocktails. Naturally, it's become something of a white whale, but I've found it sitting on the shelves twice since the Pappy craze struck, so I guess it's not as impossible to find as the bourbon. If I need something more powerful for a drink with citrus or flavorful liqueurs, I go for the Wild Turkey 101 or Rittenhouse 100. I miss my bottle of Willett, but not that much with those two options right behind it. As I mentioned above, I think the Old Potrero whiskeys, including the 18th Century, are exceptionally interesting. They were all profoundly helpful to me in understanding "what is rye?". They demand attention, but reward it.

I don't mean dry as a descriptor of flavor, but as a physical sensation. A sip of the Taylor Rye leaves my mouth parched, similar to an unbalanced wine extremely high in tannin. Very few spirits have this effect on me. I know there are a few others, but can't think of any at the moment. I don't find Knob Creek all that interesting. For something in the same direction as Taylor, but different, I'd recommend the Old Potrero bottlings from Anchor.

Nope. Whistlepig wouldn't enter into my top 10 for ryes (mixing or sipping). I don't care for the dry finish on the Taylor, but it's still better than WP, imo. Of the ryes currently on my shelf, I'd rank them as: Mixing - Rittenhouse LMDW Blue Label Bonded, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, Wild Turkey 101, Rittenhouse Black Label Bonded, Sazerac 6 Sipping - High West 21 Year, VWFRR, Old Potrero Hotaling's*, Rittenhouse 25 Year, Old Potrero 18th Century*, Sazerac 18 *Not technically Rye by U.S. law. despite 100% rye mashbill.

Yeah, tax stamped for Montana (1981, if I'm reading it right)...found in my dad's liquor cabinet a few years back.

They certainly made a point of making RYE stand out, but blended and 80 proof speak louder to me...feels like an attempt to cash in on the spike in rye consumption using the difference in labeling requirements for Canadian whisky.

I made a batch of this Hibiscus Milk Punch, which Erik credits to the fine people of Drink in Boston. I mixed up the base a bit...a little more than half was Caña Brava rum, with the rest split between a couple of nearly empty bottles of pisco (Mosto Verde de Quebranta and Moscatel from Estirpe Peruana), with a splash of Wray & Nephew Overproof added to the mix. The finished result is pretty stellar. The lime, in particular, presents a really fun character after the milk clarification...like that jello and sweetened condensed milk creation that your wacky aunt would bring to Thanksgiving, but in a good way. It certainly doesn't hurt that the final product is a gorgeous pink color with an amazing floral aroma. ETA Photo: On the right, punch over ice with grated nutmeg & cinnamon. On the left, 1:1 with coconut water. Both delicious.

A New York Sour: 2 oz Old Grand-Dad 114 3/4 oz Lemon Juice 1/2 oz Rich Simple 1 Egg White Mime shake. Shake with 60 g crushed ice until completely dissolved. Strain over large ice in a rocks glass. Float 1/2 oz Russian River Valley Cabernet Franc. Was inspired by the spice in the Cab Franc to try pairing it with the OGD. This was very nice. I love the texture you get from the egg white with the crushed ice method.