turkoftheplains

Smith & Cross, lime, and demerara syrup, 2 : 1 : 3/4-- this is the drink that got me through the heat wave.

Interesting. I've inverted the ratio, and I've done this drink with various bitters. I always assume that anything I "invent" has been invented by someone else before 1930 (and probably reinvented by someone at TVH or similar), but it's always fascinating to find a source. I'm using the Cocci as my dry, with either Vya or Punt e Mes as the sweet. Closer to a traditional Manhattan than a perfect, I know, but drier than it sounds.

Reviving an old topic: 1. Cocchi Americano for dry vermouth, for life-changing but disconcertingly yellow Martinis and for perfect Perfect Manhattans. Cocchi for Lillet blanc in everything that calls for it. 2. Cruzan Black Strap for other brown spirits, particularly in citrus drinks. I'm starting to become a little embarrassed at my evangelism for this product. Since I first discovered it, I wouldn't think of using any other rum in a toddy either (but this isn't really a substitution.) 3. The Lemon Last Word (whatever the real name for this is) is at least as good as the revelatory original.

in re: Embury: Love this place, but don't understand how they let Fred Sarkis slip away and go back to Chicago (where they don't need him nearly as much.) I still like it a lot (and as far as straight-up bars go, there's nothing else like it in the Burgh), but it does bum me out that he's gone.

This is the one I got: http://cocktailhacker.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/BlackStrap.jpg Cripes, I hope Absolut didn't screw it up, because it's exquisite. I've not seen the "Navy" bottle before, but Pittsburgh also doesn't get fun booze like Blackstrap unless I go to the trouble of special ordering it from the state-run liquor store. Of course, if mine's the new one as you're suggesting, I can't tell you whether it's an inferior product, since it's superior to not having blackstrap rum.

I just got a bottle of Cruzan Black Strap. God damn. It's not one of the gorgeous sipping añejos everyone else seems to be talking about, nor one of those oh-so-rare legitimate overproofs, but it is officially my favorite new toy. I am subbing it for every brown base spirit in every place imaginable and it is doing wonderful things for me. I especially like it in hot drinks, which never did much for me up until now. As with all other things cocktail-related, I'm very, very late to the party-- this is egullet, Toby Maloney posts here for God's sake! So I know this is old news to everyone on this forum, but I need to declare my undying love for this stuff. I have to give credit where credit is due: to the genius who came up with the Black Strap Sour, which was my first taste of this particular spirit. He left the 'Burgh for Chicago right as I was doing the opposite, and he is sorely, sorely missed.

I love making cocktails at home but juicing citrus every time I want one is a pain. My girlfriend cooks like a fiend, and makes heavy use of her freezer. I've stolen a page out of her book recently and started freezing my lemon and lime juice. I measured the ice cube trays and found that one held almost exactly 0.5oz and the other nearly 1oz of unfrozen liquid. In order to address the melting/chilling/dilution issue, I stir the frozen juice into room-temperature spirits before making the rest of the drink as usual. Does anyone else do this? Are there any problems with using fresh-frozen juices in this way for drinks?