[Bloody Mary]

20 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I don't do BM, but husband does.

Eventually you will explode.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2016 - )]

On 5/25/2020 at 5:04 PM, Tomcollins said:

Monin orgeat (bottom shelf I know, but the only one they had and having never used it before, I didn't want to start making my own. Not a tiki guy).

 

I'm on the lookout for a peach brandy in the UK, if anyone could point me in the right direction.

 

Cheap orgeat is flavored with almond extract, which has quite a different flavor from soaking almonds in water. They are quite different. You might need to order some good stuff.

I've never found real peach brandy (aged distilled fermented peach juice). I'd say peach eau de vie plus maybe some cognac would be a good sub?

[Drinks! 2018]

Very good.
 

Naked and Famous
by Joaquin Simo, Death & Co, New York, NY

3/4 oz Mezcal, Del Maguey Chichicapa (or Vida)
3/4 oz Herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lime juice
3/4 oz Aperol

Shake, strain, straight up.

--
Kindred Cocktails | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

[Drinks! 2018]

Where have you been my whole life?

Roycroft Cocktail
by Gary Crunkleton, The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (USA)

1 oz Rye, Rittenhouse
1/2 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Bénédictine
1/2 oz Cherry Liqueur, Cherry Heering
1 oz Lemon juice
1 sli Ginger (as garnish)

Shake; strain; up; garnish.

--
kindredcocktails.com | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

[Drinks! 2018]

On 5/17/2020 at 12:50 PM, scamhi said:

made a daiquiri with 2oz Pierre Fernand Stiggins Pineapple rum. 1 oz fresh lime juice and 1/2oz 1:1 simple.

Well now you've got me wondering about 2oz Plantation Stiggin's, 1/2oz lime, 1/2oz Pierre Ferrand dry curacao.

[What's the origin of bourbon?]

Well, if you really want to know.... https://kindredcocktails.com/article/bourbon

 

[Cocktail Challenge: Tequila and French Vermouth]

On 4/14/2020 at 2:41 PM, Craig E said:

I might try some experiments. In the meantime I've enjoyed the Jalisco Stroll in the past. 

Man, clicking that link to Gaz's site, left untouched since his death, hits you in the gut.

[Drinks! 2018]

Craig, when I see your orange garnishes all I can think about is riding a bike standing up and having my feet slip off the pedals.

[Best Manhattan variations?]

Thinking about Black Manhattan-ish variations:

2 oz Bourbon

1/2oz Luna Amara Aperitiva

1/2oz Blanc vermouth
cherry
Big rock

 

[Gary Regan RIP]

Soooo sad. I never met him, but his emails to me were always generous and his bartender-oriented newsletter revealed a depth of compassion and thoughtful consideration of others.

[Scotch Whisky: The Topic]

On 10/14/2019 at 8:50 PM, scubadoo97 said:

mostly drinking ... real rum these days  

Previously drinking fake brews?

[Scotch Whisky: The Topic]

I've not had the 8, but Lagavulin 16 is a standard that others are compared against (as is Laphroaig 10). I'm not saying they are the best, but that they are well known and respected for what they are. I like Laphroaig 10 in cocktails because it's super heavy peat stands up. I find it a bit one dimensional all by itself. Lagavulin gives you some nice wet bandaids with your campfire.

 

[Adoption: moving a drink to a new family]

For a Negroni-as-highball, I'd include the sweet vermouth because its such a big part of the flavor profile. Maybe add both bitter lemon and lemon juice to base Negroni?

BTW, seltzer and just about any amaro or aperitif makes a great low alcohol cocktail. Maybe with a squeeze of lemon.

[Cooks Illustrated COCKTAIL RECIPE BOOK]

Looks underwhelming, given the variety of great cocktail books by, ya know, cocktail experts.

I also don't recommend Modern Brain Surgery by Mr. Goodwrench.

[Adoption: moving a drink to a new family]

On 9/2/2019 at 7:53 PM, Craig E said:

A little surprised at how much the acid tamped down the assertiveness of the amer.

I've had this discussion before. To my taste buds, sour reduces bitter. Some don't find this to be true.  For me, a Negroni is a fairly "advanced" bitter drink. Campari, soda, and lemon is much easier.

Also: Maybe try Punt e Mes is your Sourpuss Liberal.

[Gin that doesn't suck]

Thanks for the ideas. The  Barr Hill (aged) was not the Old Tom, which I see pretty regularly. It may have been a limited run.

I ended up buying the Monkey 47 and the Sipsmith. The Sipsmith is very typical with juniper front and center (but not overly so) and the other botanicals melded. I like it. It is very smooth, which makes me wonder if it has a touch of sugar or glycerin in it.

The Money 47 definitely has a slight weird aspect to the botanicals. I like it (and I found it for $55 right before I saw it for $59 - gulp).

We had three rounds of Martinis, which this morning seems like one too many. The third was the Uncle Val's Botanical, which after two Martinis seems interesting rather than just weird.

I've had Hayman's Royal Dock, which I do recall liking. The Navy Strength is good is some cocktails, but probably needs some time on ice in a Martini, or a different ratio.

I did inquire about gin nips, but they only had things mainstream things. It would be cool if someone could put together a sampler pack.

[Gin that doesn't suck]

I'm generally happy with any number of mainstream gins: Bombay (usually regular, but Sapphire is fine too), Beefeater, and Tanqueray. And I've tried some strongly-flavored specialty gins.

 

• Ransom Old Tom is very heavy on coriander. Too strongly flavored for a Martini, but makes an interesting Negroni.
• Barr Hill (aged, not Old Tom). Also strongly flavored. Don't remember it clearly, but I recall being glad when the bottle was empty.
• Botanist. Remember liking it, but don't remember exactly what it was like. Remember thinking it was spendy.
• St George Terrior. Very strongly flavored, but don't recall it clearly.
• St George Dry Rye aged. I think this was limited release. I recall liking it a lot. The non-aged is available I think, but you don't see it often.
• Uncle Val's Botanical. Just bought this. Has a strange flavor that I can't quite place. Familiar, but strange. Disappointed.
• Hendrick's. Too floral and cucumber.

 

So what are some good gins that aren't mainstream, but also aren't so out there that they make a poor Martini? Something a tiny bit unusual, but not batshit crazy? Not citrusy because I'm using it in a Martini where I don't care for citrus flavors. (Yeah, no orange bitters for me.) Not floral because grandma's soap should stay in the bathroom. I hate buying a whole bottle and then having to use it up in heavily disguised drinks like a Negroni. I wish I could buy a dozen nips and start sampling.

Thanks for your ideas.

[Adoption: moving a drink to a new family]

Martinez: Gin (typically Old Tom), sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes in my house), a bit of maraschino, and bitters.
Martinez as a sour: Above, but add lemon juice. Improves the drink, especially when made with original ratios (a lot of sweet vermouth). Egg white would be extra credit.
Martinez as a high ball: Above sour, but also add fizzy stuff. I used Bitter Lemon.

[Drinks! 2018]

2 hours ago, haresfur said:

2 oz [gin], 2 oz Campari, 6 oz Bitter Lemon Soda

I use this format quite a bit, although usually with less Campari and always with some acid -- lemon or lime. Of course tonic water works too.

[How are botanical flavours incorporated into vermouth?]

I didn't re-read the following to see if it speaks to your production questions, but this is a great resource: https://vermouth101.com/

[Drinks reimagined as food]

Sundae Night in Manhattan

Find ripe stone fruit of your choice. I used nectarines. Blanch and peel if needed/desired. Cut into wedges. Warm an ample amount of bourbon (I used about 12 oz for 6 nectarines), ignite, and let it burn out. Be prepared for very tall flames. This will reduce the volume to less than half. If the fruit isn't super flavorful and sweet, add some appropriate jam. I used peach. Pour over fruit and macerate. I added some full-strength bourbon to add some alcohol bite and a bit more bourbon flavor. Refrigerate. If using fruit that discolors (e.g. peaches), you'll probably want to add lemon and more jam. You want the fruit slightly tart because the other components are sweet.

In a separate pan, reduce about a cup of your favorite sweet vermouth until it coats the back of a spoon. I used Carpano Antica. Cool to room temp.

 

Serve fruit topped with vanilla ice cream and a small drizzle of vermouth syrup. I didn't add bitters, but some drops of Angostura would have been nice too. The syrup is quite bitter and sweet on its own, but it's fabulous on the fruit.

I didn't think to garnish with a Luxardo or bourbon cherry, but that would have been a nice touch. Definitely making this again.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2016 - )]

I've had the Ransom Old Tom. How does the dry compare? Same heavy spices? Coriander as I recall was very prominent in the Old Tom.

[Naming Cocktails]

On 5/30/2019 at 12:10 PM, Alex said:

The naming of drinks is a difficult matter...

 

To butcher a Computer Science quip, "There are only two difficult things in cocktails: Fernet and drink naming."

[Naming Cocktails]

Jamaica Ginger has an interesting history, I just discovered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_ginger

 

Now back to my bowl of Vomit Flakes and milk.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2016 - )]

Just finished making a triple batch of my variation of Amer Boudreau, yielding 6.5 bottles. Unlike last time, after straining off the 95% Everclear, I washed the peels in 8 oz of hot water, and added that. It seemed to have a nice orange flavor, but it did add quite a bit of cloudiness. It drops the proof to 96%, which is fine. If it was a mistake, I'll be drinking it up for quite some time. Brooklyns anyone?