EvergreenDan

What do they taste like? If they are appealing straight, I'd start by trying them in recipes that call for allspice dram (aka pimento dram). Or maybe with rum and lime or bourbon and lemon. If, OTOH, they are unappealing, I probably wouldn't through good booze after bad liqueurs.

I tried the Honey Fitz too, but added 1/2 of lime to satisfy my anti-sweet tooth. I liked it. Lemon may have been better.

I think there is room for -- and need for -- critical reviews and recommendation lists / star ratings. I think they serve different needs and audiences. For an enthusiast with a deep knowledge in an area, critical reviews are necessary to explain in detail the item(s) being reviewed, how the review was conducted, what the result are, and what conclusions may be drawn. This is a labor intensive to perform and time consuming to read and evaluation. I think most eGullet readers would appreciate this type of review. For a person without a great deal of experience in an area, and a desire to quickly arrive at a purchase decision that isn't a dog (may not be perfect, but at least isn't a mistake), I think summary recommendation lists are very useful. If the list can provide some further guidance, that's great. It was my intention to create a "quick reference" guide for those who would be otherwise clueless (or at least unsure) about what to buy. If this could be augmented with a simple star system, that's even better. And I think a few footnotes would be a good idea (for example to note that Smith & Cross is not a typical rum, maybe a few words about what it is like, and maybe a few words about how you might use it). On the other hand, I don't think that Tanqueray versus Beefeater requires as much explanation. If it were available, great. But for most people both are good choices for a London dry.

Good idea on the rum. I'm not sure how to split it, though. For discussion's sake, maybe you can improve on (or comment on) this: Rum (light) Economy: Cruzan 2 year Everyday: Apppleton white Premium: Rum (amber) Economy: Ron del Barralito 3, Ron Abuelo Anejo, Goslings Black seal Everyday: Appleton V/X, Barbancourt 5 star, Brugal Anejo Special: Flor de Cana, 10 Cane Rum (dark/special) Economy: Old Monk, Meyers, Cruzan Blackstrap Everyday: Premium: Ron Zacapa Centenario (dark, sweet), Smith & Cross, Batavia Arrack Von Oosten (not true rum) (I split it by color/age, rather than region or style. I'm not sure that a table like this is up to the job of indicating the different styles and flavors, though.)

I combined them because the two products fulfill the same role in cocktails, differing only in origin/AOC and perhaps quality. I'm not a huge fan of Laird's Applejack, particularly for a beginner with few bottles, when Laird's apple brandy is available (which sometimes it isn't). It isn't that much more and, being 100% apple brandy, it has much more apple flavor. Similarly, I tried to avoid mixto tequilas. I haven't had the Clear Creek Apple Brandy, but at under $30, I'm guessing it's worthy, too. Of course, I don't claim to be an apple brandy/calvados expert and I'm looking for guidance from experts here, and everywhere. Yes. The purpose of the table is to recommend products that are good values (by definition cheaper than alternatives of the same quality). That said, there may be a few exceptional products that should be highlighted with a * or "(great value)" or something. Laird's brandy may be one of these, not sure.

Pip, I would be keen to include your results (updating on an on-going basis). I'd also like to include other specific feedback. (Additions, deletions, wrong category, etc.) Post 'em up and I'll get things updated. I'm wondering if Rum should have a "dark" category as a separate line. And should I include some unique rums like Smith & Cross or Batavia Arrack "(not true rum)"? And what about eau de vie? Should I include some of these? Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate it)!

Maybe it does have to do with proof. I've never had this happen before (although I don't use egg white often). I made a Tuesday with Mole, double batch, with 1 large egg white. I had to sub 151 Goslings, so the proof was higher than expected. I did add the egg white last. The coagulation is unappealing. Probably should have tossed it, but I used some very good cognac in it and I just couldn't. Taste was fine. Texture was a bit slimy (as it didn't foam up as expected). Coagulated egg white was very fine and not particularly noticeable as solids, but just mouthfeel and visually, of course. ... not as mellow as I had hoped to be ...

Good point. After looking at BevMo prices, I moved all but Gordon's out of the Budget category. I intended Budget to be the cheapest option consistent with craft cocktails. In intended Everyday to be a step up for those that can afford it. And premium I intended to be a better option for neat/straight use, or top-shelf cocktails, or special occasions. The categories are fuzzy, though.

I often read a spirit recommendation, but later can't find the reference when I want to go to the store. So I set about re-reading threads and trusted blog posts, and combining them with my opinions into a quick reference for recommended brands for spirits. I would very much welcome any feedback from fellow eG'ers. I realize that there can be no consensus on something like this, particularly above the budget level. Still, some reference is better than nothing for someone starting to build their bar. For many folks, it can take a looong time to drink up a mistaken purchase. I know I have a few of those bottles.... Recommended brands on Kindred Cocktails I am also working on a survey of Amari and will start a survey of herbal liqueurs. These areas are so bewildering that I think some tasting notes and recommendations would be really useful to many folks. The Amari survey link is at the bottom of the Recommended brands page.

This sounds right. I routinely make baked apples topped with an extremely thin slice of lemon, topped with a bit of sugar to caramelize. Baste with apple syrup that forms in the bottom of the pan. Crunchy, brown, not particularly bitter, and heavenly. If it weren't so much work, they would make killer garnishes for a Calvados sour or something.

(Pot): Hey, Kettle, ...

Excellent advice from Chris. Two other tips: 1) Read the guide that is pinned to the top of this very forum. There are some interesting comments about general paradigms. For example, the sour-sweet-bitter is a favorite of mine. 2) I often think about a starting flavor, then what flavor(s) might compliment it, then try to fit it into a model that is familiar or promising. So for example, a Manhattan is a dry, spicy spirit + pie-spice sweet complex wine + some bitter undertones. Maybe you want to play with a peppery tequila. How about using some Luxardo Amaro Abano (strong black pepper + sweet + bitter)? Or some Amaro Meletti (chocolate + sweet + bitter + spice)? Maybe both (since black pepper and chocolate sounds interesting to me)? This is how I cook too. I have kale and am making soup. What other flavors seem like they would compliment this, either reproducing something that I know is a winner (aromatics + earthy spices + sausage + stock) or something novel based on a promising idea (cream of spinach, but with kale). This is an excellent topic. I look forward to hearing from and learning from others.

Since I live in the dead-zone of MA, I've ordered from DrinkUpNY and had it shipped to NYS during trips. They have free shipping over $100, and they have things that aren't distributed in MA.

I haven't had a bottle of creme de cacao since I was in my early 20's. I've been wanting to make a real 20th C. Cocktail, as I've been sub'ing Meletti and I wanted to compare the two. I just could not reach down to the bottom shelf (Dekuyper, Hiram Walker) to buy the stuff. I just can't imagine it improving any drink I might want to try it in. I was thinking that maybe I'd try to find the Mozart dry chocolate spirit and use that (with simple, as needed). I haven't found it yet, but a dry, bitter chocolate spirit appeals to me. I also have Bittermen's mole bitters to help. What are people using for creme de cacao? Should I hunt down Marie Brizzard, or is there a better option such as the above?

I was at a holiday party last night and found a bottle of Sint Maarten Old Man Guavaberry Liqueur: http://www.guavaberry.com/guavaberry.htm It was open and I suspect it had been for some time. It smelled like Cherry Heering, so I made a version of Gilroy with rum and guavaberry. Pretty good. I wonder if it has a vibrant fruit flavor when fresh, or if it is intended to be sort of oxidized / complex tasting.

I could swear that I saw Agavero mentioned somewhere in an eGullet cocktail, but searching didn't find it. I bought a bottle in St John. It's 100% agave (a mix of resposado and anejo) tequila infused with Damiana flowers (and citrus, I think), sweetened. 64 proof. I used it as the triple sec in a Margarita and liked it. I believe it is available in the US, but I've never seen it in MA. The woman in the store said it was her favorite and that she drank it straight. It's pretty sweet for that, IMO. And, no, I didn't notice any of the claimed aphrodisiac properties.

I swam to the Soggy Dollar bar just two weeks ago and had the original Painkiller. It includes orange juice, has no cinnamon, and the topping of nutmeg is both freshly grated and very generous. I believe a closer recipe is: Painkiller Skinny Legs on nearby St. John makes their version thusly: Painkiller (Skinny Legs version) I got the Skinny Legs recipe from an e-mail from a local I know who asked the owner for the recipe. The amounts are approximate as the bar measures by eye.

With an OXO measuring cup, it's easy to estimate the 1/3 and 2/3 oz, or use 2 tsp and 4 tsp, if you prefer. Normally a 3:2:1 ratio drink would be 1.5 oz : 1 oz : 1/2 oz = 3 oz. But this drink has two more ingredients, and I didn't want it to become a huge 4.5 oz drink. Without substantially changing the flavor of the drink, I'm not sure what other option I had. Once nice thing about metric measurements is that there are a lot more convenient ratios with centiliters.

Like Margaritas? You'll love Cuatro Naranjas! Named for the 4 orange colored or flavored ingredients. Small back story

My plain-old OXO vegetable peeler makes nice swaths of peel with no pith. The swats are covered in oil, and more squirts out when squeezed over the glass. After squeezing, the peel is glistening with oil. It's hard for me to believe that there isn't enough left on the peel to flavor the drink -- at least a mildly-flavored one like a Martini or simple whiskey drink.

Good timing, as I'm in the Caribbean right now. I enjoyed a Daiquiri with Pusser's, minimal simple and 2 dashes of Angostura. I found that the pie-spice flavors of the bitters really complements the molasses / caramel rum flavors. No longer a Daiquiri, perhaps, but very enjoyable.

For a low-alcohol fun drink: Build 1 oz Cocchi Americano 1 oz Cynar add ice, stir top with seltzer top that with 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters The top half of the drink is just bitters and seltzer, but as you drink, it transitions to the bittersweet Cocchi/Cynar combo. That's about as much fun as I know how to have with that little alcohol. OTOH, the Ransom / Zirbenz / Cynar trio sounds fantastic. And I have all the stuff. I don't know whether to be happy, proud, ashamed, or sad. EDIT: Just made a tiny one to try it. Very interesting. A great cocktail to linger over. Might even improve a bit as the ice melts.

At the risk of stating the obvious, an Aviation and two variations would be where I'd start. I'd start with a tiny amount -- you can aways add more. I've made Aviations with as little as 1/4 tsp of Violette and the flavor, while subtle, is still very present.

I'm calling it Knotty Pine until Mr thirtyoneknots gives it a better name. Although with the flavor profile, maybe Naughty Pine?

My chemistry is rusty (ok, seized up tight), but isn't the vapor pressure of one molecule independent of others in solution? I'm entirely willing to accept the conclusion, but the explanation makes me