peterb

I tend to use Salignac VS for mixing. Typically you can get it for around $20/750ml. It's a very neutral cognac that is well-suited for mixing, you don't feel wasteful in using it, and it's not unpleasant at all.

Can I get meta with my contribution and say "Just about everything from the Savoy Cocktail Book?" It's like the thing is some sort of hypersophisticated practical joke.

I think this method is too complicated. I've always found that using hot water results in clearer ice. I think starting with just-boiled water (for "normal" sized ice cubes) is all you need to do.

For mixing, I find that Appleton VX is both widely available and quite distinctive (for a non-agricole rum).

The Nikka Yoichi 15 is, for me, the apex of the value curve. Smoky without being overwhelming, rich, vibrant, and if you don't tell people it's Japanese before serving them they'd swear it's a Scottish single malt. Around $100/bottle, and worth every penny. I reviewed it here. "The nose is all iodine and seaweed, and it scratches peat and sea salt down your throat like a tea clipper sailing from Hong Kong. This is not something you would drink with dinner, but rather something to be sipped while sinking into a deep leather chair."