Dan Perrigan

That's funny. I did exactly the same thing. By the way, from what I heard, the original bottles had weak necks that would occasionally break off. They went with a different bottle company. I still use my original bottle, though, but I try not to hold it by the neck. Dan

For gins, Brokers (the one with the bowler hat) is my favorite all-around gin. Lots 'o juniper. Cheap too. When I can't find it I get Beefeater -- a terrific gin and never expensive. My favorite dark Jamaican rum is Corruba. (Drinking it right now in a planter's punch). I'll second the recommendation for Flor de Cana, and add one for Matusalem. It's Puerto Rican -- not Santa Cruz -- but excellent (and the best in my opinion for a Daiquiri) Dan

Chris -- have you tried the High West Rendezvous Rye yet? I find it delicious for sipping, and the best rye I've had in a Sazerac. Dan

I can sympathize, though, since I'm still trying to figure out what to do with 1.75L of New Amsterdam "Gin" Dan

Lemon Hart 151. Woo! Dan

I was at the Ford Mansion -- Washington's Headquarters Museum in Morristown, NJ today. I saw hundreds of amazing Revolutionary War documents and artifacts... and I also saw this: Richard Varick's Punch Bowl. It's a thing of beauty. Now if I can only find out what punch the Society of the Cincinnati served... What really struck me was that the bowl was not in the section of the museum that displayed personal items (cookware, watches, clothing, silverware, etc.) It was instead displayed in the weapons section -- surrounded by cannon, rifles, and bayonets. Dangers of the Flowing Bowl indeed! Dan

Old Granddad 114 works quite well at 1.5/1/1 Dan

One of my favorite uses is a modification of the "Barnum Was Right" -- sub out half of the Apricot Liqueur for Canton. So... 2 oz Gin 1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Apry or R&W Orchard Apricot) 1/2 oz Canton 1/2 oz Lemon 2 dash Angostura I always associate ginger with sushi, so I call it a "Barnum was Japanese" Dan

Thanks, all. I ended up giving up last night and poured the final 2/3 through a fine mesh strainer (twice) and it worked great. I'll try the cheesecloth and cotton too next time. Dan

Howdy. What are people using to filter their syrups (cinnamon, blackberry-habanero, etc.)? I've been using unbleached coffee filters, but they're too "filtery" -- very little gets through so it takes hours to filter a few ounces. Is there a good cross between that and a strainer? Thanks, Dan

Tomorrow night will be the first dinner party we've had since I received my copy of "Punch". I'm already a devotee of Fish House Punch (and am planning on making that a regular 4th of July tradition) so I've been looking for a different one to try and have settled on Billy Dawson's Punch. I just made a trial run 1/10th portion and it's pretty tasty. Anyone else try this one before? Any suggestions before I whip up a full double-batch tomorrow? Dan

A Royal Union -- Carrie Cole, Cragie on Main, Boston -- as described on Paul Clarke's Cocktail Chronicles 1 oz Calvados (used Laird's Bonded, since I'm out of both Calvados and Laird's 7 1/2 year old apple brandy) 1 oz Averna 1/2 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur 1/2 oz Amaro Nonino 2 dashes (used 16 drops) Xocolatl Mole Bitters (Stir and strain. No garnish) Wow. This is a glass of smooth. It's rich. It's silky. It's bittersweet chocolate and coffee and walnuts. The only thing more amazing than the drink is the fact that I actually had all the ingredients on hand. Dan

Wow -- it's back!? Anyone see it in the NY/NJ area yet? I didn't see it at Astor Wines last weekend. Dan

Hi Roddy. It's good. It won't replace Rittenhouse Bonded for mixing, though, (at least for me) because it's more expensive, lower proof (90), and harder for me to find. But it's tasty. It's good for sipping and makes a decent Sazerac. I think it's better than Redemption Rye (which I thought was too harsh for sipping) but it's no competition for High West Rendezvous (which has some 16yr old in the mix -- and makes the best Sazerac I've ever had). Always nice to see more quality ryes on the market -- and at $31/750ml it's not outrageously priced either.

I just posted in the other thread about the amaro I DID buy. The one I didn't (but Really wanted to) was Amaro Sibilla -- only a few thousand bottles are produced each year and it looked pretty delicious... but was $57. Oh well, next time perhaps. Dan

I was in NYC yesterday so I made sure to park near Astor Wines so I could look for "interesting things" on the way home. I ended up with a bottle of Bulleit Rye (95% Rye) and an amaro I hadn't seen before -- Amaro S. Maria al Monte. I'm always on the lookout for new (to me) amari. I just sampled this one about 10 minutes ago. It starts similar to Amaro Lucano or Averna, then has a subtle hint of Fernet Branca on the finish (which is completely dry). It's going to be fun to mix with. Dan

As far as sippers go, here's what I currently have open: Ardbeg 10yr -- Smoky and delicious. I like it slightly better than Talisker. High West Bourye -- I just got this bottle last week. It's a blend of a 10yr Bourbon and two Ryes -- 12yr and 16yr. It's really delicious. (Their Rendezvous Rye, by the way, is my hands-down favorite Sazerac rye) Compass Box Spice Tree -- Rich. A buttery, vanilla finish after the swallow, followed by a slight spice aftertaste. A really great whiskey. Eagle Rare 10yr -- The best bargain in Bourbon. Also makes my favorite Old Fashioned. Compass Box Flaming Heart 2010 -- This is the most incredible whiskey of any kind that I've ever tasted. It's a blend of 61% Highland Single-malt and 39% Islay single-malt, re-barreled and aged some more. I had the good fortune to be at my local liquor store when a rep from Compass Box was doing a free tasting of their entire line. He had this bottle under the shelf, but couldn't resist showing it off (and pouring a sample) for me and the other person tasting alongside me. The two of us bought the (only) two bottles of it that had been allocated to the store. I'm not sure if this was meant to be whiskey-only either, so I'm including two other favorite sippers of mine: El Dorado 15yr Demerara Rum -- I've tried many other aged rums, but none have the complexity of this. It's rich, but not overly sweet. Herradura Anejo Tequila -- I wouldn't have guessed (even a few months ago) that there was such thing as a Tequila to sip and savor, but this is definitely one. Dan

All I've ever tried is the 1st bottle of Cacao I bought (which is still about 98% full) -- Bols. I have no idea how it compares to Brizzard, etc., but 1/2 tsp of it makes a FINE 20th Century. Dan

What a coincidence... I just finished a Handy 2009 Sazerac about an hour ago. I haven't cracked my bottle of 2010 yet. Any opinions yet? Better/worse/same/apples-and-oranges? Dan

Ack! There's "stuff" in my pineapple syrup! On November 6, I made up a batch of Pineapple Syrup (4 cups sugar, 2 cups water, cubed whole pineapple, soak overnight and strain into bottle(s)). I topped it off with an ounce of Lemonhart 151 and mixed it in. I've been storing it in the fridge, but yesterday I noticed some filaments of brownish stuff at the bottom of the bottle. Is this normal sediment? Mold? Is there even any way to tell? I was hoping this would last a few months in the fridge. Thanks, Dan

The first Daiquiri I had was made with Matusalem Platino. Consequently, if it's made with anything else now it just doesn't taste like a Daiquiri to me. Funny how first impressions last forever. Dan

I can tell you from experience that using Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy in place of the peach brandy is quite delicious (and no added apricot liqueur is necessary). I made a giant bowlful for July 4, and make a single (ok, double) serving size version every once in a while. I first made this before I had my copy of "Imbibe!" so my proportions were slightly different than David's. Here's what I've been using: 2 cups sugar 16 oz Lemon 24 oz Cognac (Louis Royer Force 53 if you can find it) 12 oz "Dark Rum" (which I interpret as 4 oz Goslings 80, 4oz Goslings 151, 4oz Smith & Cross) 12 oz Laird's Bonded 64oz Water (Plus a 32oz Ice block) Enjoy! PS. David -- if you're reading... Have you tried a Fish House Punch with the Kuchan Aged Peach Brandy? If so, what measurements did you use? Thanks, Dan

Bad head cold today. Needed something hot with whiskey and lemon in it. Started with 4 oz boiling water. Added 2 oz Evan Williams Bourbon and 1/2 oz lemon juice. Needed sugar. Added 2 tsp rich (demerara 2:1) simple. Long thin lemon peel and a dash of Scrappy's Grapefruit Bitters (because what the hell?) This is making me feel better. Anyone else have any good "cold remedies"? Dan

Thanks, Colin! I went to the Franklin last time I was in Philly and absolutely loved it. The Boukman Daiquiri is still one of my favorites. Dan

Proportions? ...A few search hits seem to indicate it was previously on the menu at Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co in Philadelphia...but there's nothing close to a recipe. Ok Chris. It sounds like it's up to the two of us to attempt to reverse-engineer this thing. I'll let you know how it goes. Dan