Zachary

Hmm.... I would guess that the Lustau is about 4x as expensive as the Taylor. If the cost is not an issue, use the Lustau. It's definitely better, both for drinking and cooking. I'd think you could have that open for a month with no problem. Thanks, Zachary

Well, it really depends on the type of sherry you're talking about. As a general rule, the lighter in color they are and/or drier they are, the more careful you should be in storing them cold and the sooner you should drink them once opened. Finos and Manzanillas, you probably have a week. Things like Amontillado, probably 2. Once you get into oxidatively made sherries (Oloroso, Pedro Ximinez, Moscatel), you're looking at months or years without significant change. I've had bottles of completely black Pedro Ximinez open for a year - they just don't fall apart. Thanks, Zachary

Mark, Take 1/2 cup beet juice and 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar and reduce to 1/2 cup. Strain and chill. Drop the simple from the drink, up the Maurin Quina to 3/4 and add 1/2 oz beet syrup. Thanks, Zachary

So a multipart answer: Steven, It's very very hard. There are no red flags that you're dealing with spontaneous fermentation vs. cultured yeast. Given all the points of intervention in the winemaking process, being able to pick out what aromas, flavors and textures come from one way or the other is really difficult, even if you're in a tightly controlled situation (say, tasting Mosel Riesling - some of which are spontis and some of which are not). Piracer, I'm trying to parse your statement: "I think a majority of the time, it's a bit of a wate (sic) as the potential of the wine to be great isn't as high as if you knew what you were looking for." Are you saying that spontaneously fermented wines can't reach the same heights as cultured-yeast fermented ones? I'd think that people like Joly, J.J. Prum and Nikolaihof-Wachau would disagree with you. There are great sponti wines and great Wyeast fermented wines. There are poor examples of them as well. Blaming the yeast is like blaming the barrel for a bad (or good) wine. It might be part of the story, but it's never all of it. Mary, Ooh... an ad hominem argument. Are you claiming that winemakers who use cultured yeasts never suffer from brettanomyces or imbalanced acidity, or is there another reason you don't like spontaneously fermented wines? "Natural" (sic) winemaking is a moving target that's not well defined. Blaming the yeast selection as the primary cause of wine quality ignores the other thousands of decisions a winemakers chooses in any given day. Thanks, Zachary

I'll second Nibor's approach: 1. Get a bowl ready - combine cold apple cider vinegar and white vinegar in about equal parts - enough so the cucumbers and onions float. Season with S&P and a bit of sugar to taste. Whisk. 2. Take a few thin strips of peel off to make the cucumbers look nice. Slice a medium white onion thinly - about 1 onion per 2 cucumbers. 3. Mandolin the cucumber right into the bowl on the medium setting. Add onion and cover. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, then fish the goodies out of the bowl and eat with smoked chicken. Thanks, Zachary

Seabream - I would throw Levant (26th and NE Burnside) into the pile. Great food, interesting wine list. Thanks, Zachary

You know, I might just sub dry red wine (Shiraz?) for the Cocchi. Wait.... am I going to have to give up my membership in the All Things Cocchi fanclub? Thanks, Zachary

Matthew, DM me your email address and I'll send you my bookmark export file. Thanks, Zachary

Christian, Here is a link to the 1934 revised edition. It's amazing what you can find on Scribd or Google Books - I've got 20+ old cocktail books bookmarked, and most of them are from either of those two services. Thanks, Zachary

Ok, so that's interesting. I was basing the 50's date from the markings on the bottom, which read Oven "Fire King" (in script) Ware, Made in U.S.A., which a couple of websites date as post 1951 but before 1960. And you're right about the base. I went home and started looking online for the set - I had no idea Fire King made one - and saw lots of them without the base, or with 4 or 5 mugs. Thank you for the history. Zachary

I found this on Sunday at a little thrift store in north Portland. We think it's from the 50's. It's a Fire King Peach Luster Tom and Jerry set: 10 mugs, bowl and stand, in great condition, for $30. Needless to say, it came home with us. Thanks, Zachary

Hassouni, I've found 6 inch tall cut glass milk or juice pitchers like this one at thrift stores for around $10. They're a good size and hold enough to make 2 drinks. Thanks, Zachary

Hassouni, It's an older article, but here's Part 1 of a great primer on ice in cocktails, from Cooking Issues. I can sum it up for you pretty quickly: 1. The starting temperature of your ice doesn't matter that much. 2. Stirring vs. shaking doesn't matter that much, other than the time it takes to hit a certain temperature. 3. Chilling mainly comes from ice phase changing into water versus ice going from freezer temperature to 0 degrees. So - chilling your cocktail is all about the dilution of the cocktail. Swizzles and tiny bits of ice are just quicker than huge Tovolo cubes and stirring. Thanks, Zachary

Tiki Drinks, except for the Mai Tai. And it better be a minimalist Mai Tai. I'd love to run some RS numbers on your average Tiki drink. Thanks, Zachary

That Luxardo Amaro Abano is tough to substitute for - it's strongly black peppery. I think the change of Laird's Bonded for their applejack (which is IIRC 65% GNS) would be the best way to make that drink not flat. More proof + bitter sweet vermouth + punchy bitter + chocolate bitters (the Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters would be nice here) ought to work well. Thanks, Zachary

Yuri, Glad you liked the Old Fashioned. Changing out your Triple Sec for Cointreau will be a significant upgrade. Thanks, Zachary

Tri, Exactly. Or as a wise person once put it, survivors survive. Drinks are classics because they've proven themselves, but at one point, they too were experimental. Without creativity, we don't get the Jasmine, barrel-aged cocktails, or other cool stuff. A bad drink once in a while's not a tough price to pay. Thanks, Zachary

Yuri, Listen to what Dan and Chris say. Where in the world are you? I'm sure someone could point out a craft bar nearby (if you're in the US). Sweet, artificial flavored liqueurs are designed to mask the flavor of alcohol, and if you're already liking Cognac and Black Balsams, you don't need them. Personally, I'd start with an Old Fashioned: 3 oz Cognac 2 teaspoons Black Balsams 1/2 oz water 1 small sugar cube. Lemon or orange peel In a double old fashioned glass, add the sugar cube and the Black Balsams, and crush the sugar cube (a muddler if you have one, the back of a wooden spoon if you don't). Once it's a slurry, add the water, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the Cognac and stir to combine, then add a few ice cubes. Garnish with the peel. This is a variation on a classic drink, it uses what you have, and it really tastes good. Once you get the hang of this, you can exchange the Black Balsams for another bitters (like Angostura). After you figure out the way you like this drink, Go make a couple of Negronis, perhaps using Dolin Rouge, Cocchi Sweet Vermouth, or Punt e Mes from Carpano. Vermouth lets you make a ton of drinks. Buy small bottles, keep them in the refrigerator. They oxidize like wine, but a bit more slowly. Then the Martini, Sazerac and Boulevardier, and after that, the world's your oyster. Thanks, Zachary

One of my favorite things to have in the middle of a big dinner is a sorbet - it helps reset the palate nicely. The downside is too many of them are overly sweet or overly delicate to do the job properly, so I do this, which uses the Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment - freeze it for a few days ahead of time: 450 g. blackcurrant juice (this could be pomegranate, or any fruit juice) 150 ml water 125 g. sugar 1 Tablespoons corn syrup pinch salt 2 Tablespoons creme de cassis In a medium saucepan, add everything except the creme de cassis. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes, then add the creme de cassis and check the specific gravity with a clean, uncooked egg - float the egg in the liquid, and it's good to freeze when a nickle sized spot of the egg floats above the liquid. If it's too high, add some water until it's right. If it's too low, add more sugar. Pour the liquid into a sealable plastic bag and submerge in ice water until very very cold. When you're ready to make the sorbet, assemble the ice cream attachment and turn it on, then pour the sorbet base in. In 7-10 minutes, it ought to be done - not completely stiff, but more soft-serve consistency. Scrape the sorbet out of the bowl with a silicone scraper into a plastic container, and freeze overnight, or until firm. Just as a warning - if you double this recipe, it will not freeze in the bowl of the attachment. After 15 minutes of turning, my batch was 27 degrees and still liquid, but it set in the freezer beautifully. This stuff is the color of Beaujolais Nouveau and intensely flavored - it's beautiful to look at as well!

Dan, Let's simplify things a bit... Citrus: Campari, Aperol, Torani Amer, Amer Picon, Cora, Gran Classico Pie Spice: Ramazzotti, Averna, Abano, Montenegro (?), Nonino, Lazarroni Gentian: Suze, Pelincovac, Unicum, Sibilla, Mint/Menthol: Fernets, Branca Menta, Nardini Vegetal: Cynar, Cardamaro, Rucola, dell'Erboriste (?), Braulio, del Capo, Evil: Unicum Thanks, Zachary

Alright, you asked for it. These are sort of grouped together. Suze (French) - Honey, lime, gentian, transparent. Dusty bitter midpalate, then lime and simple syrup. Le Grand Rubren Genepy - Cleaner, more gentian focused (ingredients are water, sugar, alcohol, gentian). Minty/white musk, lightly bitter, but transparent gentian. Maraska Pelincovac - Vanilla/dill (like American oak). Heavy texture, quite bitter up front, earthy, then vanilla, some sweetness and chemical/quinine on the finish. Gran Classico - Campari-like, but more honey/floral, then citrus and cherry. Midweight, honey sweetness, then flowers and subtle bitterness. Campari (pre-2006) - Cherry-rhubarb, firmly bitter, somewhat sweet. A bit moreso in the palate, but rhubarb and quinine. Torani Amer - Marmalade and alcohol heat, and only slightly bitter, but 78 proof Amer Picon (French) - Marmalade, gentian/earthy, cola. Very sweet and heavy, with a gentian core, then citrus and rich cola notes. Amaro Cora - Honey, almond, citrus. Mildly bitter, somewhat glassy sweetness, then more honey on the finish. Soft. Cynar - Honey, tobacco, coumarin. Some subtle earthy/sulfury/vegetal bitterness in the midpalate, but rounded off with honey Ramazzotti - Root beer, cola, clovey warmth, baking spices, licorice. Fairly sweet palate, but rich and powerful, but not very bitter del Capo - Honey and a clean, slightly resinous aroma (like rosemary), which is accentuated on the palate. White musky, green astringence/herbs, honey. Lazarroni - Soft, Ramazzotti like texture and sweetness, but more leather, chocolatey, cola, honey. Slightly menthol on the palate, but easy. Fernet Branca - chocolate minty, spicy, resinous, then licorice and rubber/ menthol. Firm and bitter midpalate, lots of menthol. Branca Menta - Spearmint jellies, softer, warm and round. Soft pepper, then cola and candied mintl Luxardo Amaro Abano - Honey-cola, hugely black peppery, nutmeg (?) Spicy and dry, with lots of pepper. Amaro Sibilla - woodsy, honey, musky. Powerfully bitter, not quite ameliorated by honey. Somewhat sweet, but crazy bitter. Zwack Unicum - Malty, carob/coffee, bone meal. Chocolate and coffee offset by chemical quinine bitterness. Powerful coffee. Braulio - cut grass, honey, resinous, rounded, but then menthol, rubber/eucalyptus, cut grass. Moderately bitter, but very complex. Thanks, Zachary

Hassouni, If you can find some, the Lagavulin Distiller's Edition (finished in PX Sherry cask) is stunning - it's closer to you Highland Park than Caol Ila or Talisker, but there's just enough toffee/raisiny sweetness to balance the cold, unforgiving peat. Thanks, Zachary

KD, I just noticed your bottle of Campari - mine are the current bottle (on the right) and two that are probably 2005 vintage (they're Carmine colored). Do you know how old your bottle is? Thanks, Zachary

Fine... shame me into a picture. I'd love to try China Martini - did someone bring that back for you? Thanks, Zachary

I love love love Amari, and wish there were more readily available in the US. I have the following amari/aperitifs Campari (old and new) Aperol Torani Amer Cynar Amer Picon (French) Gran Classico Luxardo Amaro Abano del Capo Ramazzotti Suze (French) Cora Fernet Branca Branca Menta Maraska Pelincovac Zwack Unicum Sibilla Braulio Lazzaroni Genepy (alpine gentian liqueur) I'd love to get a hold of Nonino, L'Erboriste, Braulio Riserva, and Lucano, or any other weird things Oh, and like Sherry, the browner they are, the less you need to worry about them. I wouldn't store anything (maybe Aperol) in the fridge, though. Thanks, Zachary