EvergreenDan

Good: Single malt and cognac are in the row closest to the entrance Bad: 30-packs of Bud Lite are closest to the entrance. Good: Check out person is knowledgeable about the lastest interesting bottle that you've found on the shelf. Bad: Check out person says, "You like that stuff?" as you're paying. Good: Little samples of rum to taste. Bad: Little samples of vodka whipped cream to taste. Good: You scan the shelves and find lots of bottles that are at the front of your liquor cabinet. Or you wish they were. Bad: You scan the shelves and memories from your college years send a shiver down your spine. Good: Endcap has handles of Tanqueray at a great price. Bad; Endcap has handles of Grey Goose at an astronomical price.

Perfect Redhook > Redhook What the world needs is Punt e Mes Dry.

Braulio Amaro Alpino Haven't played with it much, but the initial sip is a lovely, mild, wine-based amaro. I imagine it will make a great Black Manhattan. Hideous Flash Italian Website I would have copies some text and run it through google translate but, ya know, Flash.

I know it's not fall yet, but I'm on a Redhook kick: Red Hook by Enzo Enrico , Milk & Honey, Manhattan, NY 2 oz Rye 1/2 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur 1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish) Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail, garnish My homemade cherries pale, literally, in comparison to the Luxardo cherryI had at Spoke in David Sq, Somerville, MA. I think I would prefer a perfect version; that's next. I also think I prefer it on a single large rock -- a bit of extra dilution isn't bad, especially it you find it a touch sweet as written. It is surprising out a Manhattan can be transformed with just a bit of Maraschino and vermouth choice. Also, inspired by the Martinez thread on Chanticleer Society, I made a Martinez with Punt e Mes. Wonderful.

Okay, plus a white agricole (JM at the moment) and a cachaca. Just don't ask me to pare my amari down to 4.

Barbancourt 5 star, Cynar, lime. Daiquiri? Sure. Nice. I'm trying to winnow down my rums. Finishing the Barbancourt was easy. Getting rid of all those dark rums is going to be harder. I'm pretty sure I can live with a dry white rum and Smith & Cross. I wonder if Meletti goes with dark rum....

Get out. Just leave. You obviously aren't one of us. The original calls for dark Jamaican rum, not blackstrap. Perhaps you might like that better. I also think that 4oz of pineapple is 2.5 oz too much. Jungle Bird commentary on Kindred Cocktails.

@Frog. Yes. Bitter Elder by AmateurHour, commenter on Oh Go.sh and Cocktail Chronicales 1 1/2 oz Gin 3/4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain 1/2 oz Campari 1/2 oz Lemon juice Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail My notes: Absolutely delicious. Made with Tanqueray. More Campari isn't bad -- 3/4 oz I just made this a few days ago with the new-to-the-market St. Elder. It's the best use of Elderflower liqueur that I know.

I stopped in Cambridge's Russel House Tavern and Fred Yarm made me his new Chutes & Ladders, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The combination of Tequila and rum-based Swedish Punsch is unexpectedly great. It is a variation on the Metaxa from the Royal Cafe Cocktail Book, according to Fred's blog, Cocktail Virgin Slut. At home, I substituted Tempus Fugit's Kina L'Avion D'Or for the specified Cocci Americano and was satisfied with the result. I recall someone (apparently not Fred) rejecting the combination of rum and tequila, but this one sure works. Chutes and Ladders by Fred Yarm, Russel House Tavern, Cambridge, MA 1 1/2 oz Blanco tequila, Zapopan Blanco 1 oz Swedish Punsch, Kronan 1 oz Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano 1/2 oz Lime juice 1 ds Simple syrup (optional) 1 twst Orange peel (as garnish) Shake, strain, straight up, single Old Fashioned glass, garnish Complex and delicous

Here's a bunch of Maurin Quina cocktails on Kindred Cocktails.

Chris: nom ... words ... nom nom nom What I don't know is whether you've seen the light or joined the dark side.

I object to the concept of downing 1.5 oz of liquor at a time. Just as revolting as "Man versus Food". And get off my grass, kid. Now sipping a "shot" of tequila with a side of sangrita is a different experience.

I'll bite.

A Teeny Monk, perhaps

Picked a name. Wedderburn is the heavy distillate used in Smith & Cross Wedderburn or Bite by Dan Chadwick 2 oz Cynar 1/2 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross 1/2 oz Lemon juice Shake, strain, rocks, lowball

It's a reduced sugar cane syrup. Based on viscosity and sweetness, I would say that it's equivalent to a rich simple syrup (2:1).http://dandm.com/spirits/rum/rhum-j-m-sirop-de-canne.html Or maybe 2:1 Demerara syrup. Funny; I had remembered it as clear when I saw it in the store.

I assumed Sirop JM was just simple syrup. Wrong?

I know gum arabic is tricky to dissolve, but the idea of a thickened vermouth seems brilliant to me. You can also try various ratios of dry vermouth to cut the sweetness. I do think that a silky mouthfeel comes largely from sugar, and I share your dislike for sweet things. Hopefully someone with gum arabic or other thickener experience will chime in. BTW, a Martini made with frozen gin and refrigerated vermouth is viscous and silky too. It is higher in alcohol than most people like, though.

If it were made with a certain other run, Lemonheart would be fitting ;-

Sorry Fred, but the sexy beast kicks your Daiquiri off the Navy Dock. I much prefer the Cynar base ratio, and I think lemon works. The Smith & Cross adds just the right undertone. Plus, the sexy beast has a reasonably amount of alcohol. Cynar is only 16.5% ABV. Now for a name.... Hmmmm.

No name yet. I am going to try Fred's Navy Dock Daiquiri to see which I prefer first. I'd be tempted to call it Sexy Beast, but it doesn't have Southern Comfort and Apple Pucker.

Welcome, Kent. I bet you'll be happy with a regular Hawthorne strainer. It doesn't have to fit tightly. The two ears and handle keep it in place. It's only purpose is to keep the large ice out of the glass. Smaller ice chips will go through. If you want to remove those too, then you need to double-strain by pouring through the Hawthorne and then through a fine-mesh strainer held in your other hand. This technique is also used to remove fragments of muddled ingredients (e.g. mint, citrus, fresh ginger).

2 oz Cynar 1/2 oz Smith & Cross 1/2 oz Lemon It's just like a Daiquiri, except that it's bitter, funky, lemony and nothing like a Daiquiri. But it's damn delicious.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross You can always try it with J Wray white overproof! Now that is a fantastic idea. I must try this soonish. Shake in old hiking boot to complete the JWray -> S&C substitution.

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.