Vieux Carré

Thanks Mike for the comparison between Fees and Bittermans. It sounds like very different products so I should probably get myself some of the Bittermans. In the Pegu Club, I substituted the grapefruit for the orange and kept the Angostura. I'm just adding one (healthy) dash of each.

I haven't figured out how to edit yet, so I'll just post again to indicate that I, of course, meant to state that I was using Buffalo Trace.

Who would have thought that one might make a quality cocktail using both St-Germain elderflower liqueur along with Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. But in the February 28th Wall Street Journal, Eric Felton did a piece on the Cooper brothers and created a cocktail in their honor, the "Cooper Brothers Cocktail." I finally got around to trying it and am quite enjoying myself. 1 1/2 oz. bourbon (Buffalo Springs) 1/2 oz. St. Germain 1/4 oz. Domain de Canton stir, strain, served in a cocktail glass twist an orange peal over the top serve with a twist

I just bought a bottle of Fee's Grapefruit Bitters and looking for a place to use them tried chrisamirault's suggestion of a Pegu Club. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at just how different the grapefruit bitters made the drink and, I think, may have even improved on one of my favorite cocktails. For those of you looking for a place to use grapefruit bitters, I recommend that you try them in a Pegu Club. Having now discovered that grapefruit bitters may really be worth having, I'm wondering how Fee's compares to Bitterman's. Can anyone give me a comparison taste-test? Is it worth getting the Bittermans if I already have Fee's? Are they completely different products?

Any suggestions on obtaining the swizzle stick itself? I have not really found a good substitute but would love to find something.

I was doing some searching about Suze (my daughter sent me a bottle from France) and ran across this interesting blog entry by Elliot Essman, a self proclaimed "bitterhead" with a "bitter tooth," titled "Bitter is Still Better." It is a nice wide-ranging discussion of bitters that might be of interest to those interested in cocktails. Check it out: http://www.stylegourmet.com/wine/art021.htm

Yes, I have always found the thin and smooth skinned lemon the better for juicing and the thick and rougher skinned lemon the better for twists so I try to get some of both. The same is true for limes.

Katie, Thanks for the suggestion of using Hendricks for a Gibson. I had assumed that the onion would work against it, but tried it and found that it works great. By the way, I am also partial to Bluecoat, but that might be due to my hometown allegiance since I grew up in the Philly burbs. Still, I find it a solid, well-made gin.

First things first: About a half a century ago my father taught me to make his favorite drinks for him: First, Gin & Tonic and Tom Collins (it was summer) and then the Martini and the Old Fashioned. I’ve been making mixed drinks every since, but about a year and a half ago I stumbled upon this forum and the quality of my cocktails has greatly improved to my (and my guests’) considerable pleasure. I offer a tip of the hat and a deep bow to all of you on this forum who have helped improve my understanding of the cocktail. Thanks. Now for my question: I like martinis. While there are many wonderful cocktails, none surpasses a good martini. In reading through various posts it has become quite clear that most people seem to have a clear idea of how they like their own martini. They have figured out the right gin, the right vermouth, the right ratio of gin to vermouth. I, on the other hand, like my martinis many ways. It depends on the day and what seems right at the moment. I have many different gins in my bar and I rotate vermouths frequently. What I’m wondering is if there are any combinations of ingredients that seem to work together best. For example, when I want a martini garnished with an olive, I prefer Junipero and Noilly Prat mixed 3 to 1 with Fees Orange Bitters. But when I feel like a twist, that combination just doesn’t work for me. The best martini with a twist I have had is a 7 to 1 209 and Vya with Reagan’s No. 9 (yes, Embury's ratio and close to what my father taught me). Unfortunately, it was the last 209 in the bottle and I haven’t been able to get any more. So, my question is what combination of gin, vermouth, ratio, and bitters seems to work for you given the garnish of olive, twist, or that crazy pickled onion that I sometimes crave in a Gibson.