Zachary

Here's the newest one - this actually worked well on the first try. Sorry about the (more) obscure ingredients. They're necessary, trust me. Vienna, September 13th, 1683 by Zachary Pearson 1 oz Coffee (brewed, cold) 3/4 oz Mezcal, Alipus San Balthazar 3/4 oz Genever, Bols Barrel Aged 3/4 oz Zwack Unicum 1/4 oz Suze 1/4 oz Orgeat 1 bsp Bitters, Boker's 3 ds Bitters, Scrappy's Lime 3 dr Bitters, Scrappy's Cardamon Shake, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. -- Kindred Cocktails | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community Thanks, Zachary

Dan, Thanks for posting this - the inspiration for this drink was my love/hate relationship with Tiki drinks. Too often they're a dump bucket for the tail ends of bottles of rum, a rainbow of exotic syrups and so much fruit juice you might as well open a paleta stand. When Tiki drinks are good (a minimalist Mai Tai), they're staggeringly good. When they're bad..... think bad mulled cider. Ick. This series of drinks is meant to claim the Tiki aesthetic in a Tiki framework with nontraditional flavors. Tanstaafl and FP, I don't think this is overly bitter. Yes, it's equal parts rum and amaro, with very little sweet "filler". But the temperature of the drink and the proof of the spirit manages to reduce the bitterness. I think this is a bit more bitter than a Negroni, but not by much. FP, Unfortunately, Amaro Sibila is not substitutable - it's sweetened with wild honey and cooked over an open fire and nothing quite replicates those aromas, even though if you were brave, you might try to bitter Barenjager with both gentian and quinine to do so. Thanks, Zachary

So let's talk about Sherry for a second before we get back to cocktails... As a rule of thumb, the lighter in color your Sherry, the more you need to treat it like wine. Fino and Amontillado sherries have about a week before their salty-chalky goodness is blunted by oxidation. Palo Cortados (which are delicious by the way)... maybe 2-3. Once you get into the brown colored sherries, the lifespan of the wine increases significantly. Oloroso sherries can last six months to a year or more in a cool place. Once you start to add in sweetness (as in Cream, Pedro Ximinez, Moscatel), all bets are off. I've had open bottles of Pedro Ximinez sherries open for 24 months and they don't change significantly. Something else to remember. All Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso sherries are dry. All Pedro Ximinez and Moscatel are sweet. Sometimes, brands will sweeten an Oloroso, or blend Oloroso and Amontillado, but they have to call it by a trade name, like Lustau's "East India Solera", or Harvey's "Bristol Cream". Some producers make a generic style called "Medium", or "Cream" which is also sweetened. Thanks, Zachary

Matthew, I have it and it's delicious stuff. Intense sweetness in the midpalate, attractive youthful vigor. A bit rough around the edges, but nothing using it in a Brandy Crusta shouldn't solve. Thanks, Zachary

Carbon Dioxide. If you brew freshly roasted (like literally out of the cooling bin) coffee, the bloom can overflow your device, and the trapped CO2 forms carbonic acid, which alters the flavor profile of the coffee. Leave it alone for a couple of days and it offgasses (through the one way valve in the front of the bag!), and you're fine. Thanks, Zachary

Not today, but Saturday at a hole in the wall liquor store that shall remain nameless: 1x 50 ml Pierre Ferrand Ambre - $3.99 2x 50 ml Pierre Ferrand Abel - $3.99 (one traded away for a 50 ml of Suntory Hakushu 12 yr) 1x 200 ml Bowmore 21 - $12.99 1x 375 F. Meyer Quetsch eau de vie $7.99 1x 375 Aqua Perfecta Poire $9.99 Zwack Unicum 1999 Dunn Howell Mountain CS $80 Thanks, Zachary

Dan, April Fool's was yesterday..... wait, you're serious. Did you really think that *any* creme liqueur was for you Actually, it can be used to soak cakes, but I wish it were made in a half bottle. Thanks, Zachary

Chris, Hmm... I think Zin starts to get interesting closer to the $35 range than $50 - if you can find these, they're well worth it: Storybook Mountain (Napa) Seghesio Rockpile (Dry Creek) Navarro (Mendocino) Cedarville (El Dorado) Thanks, Zachary

Andrew, The Monterey and The Esquire. Thanks, Zachary

Mark, AFAIK, El Dorado has 3 distributors in the state: Favorite Brands in Houston/Austin/Dallas, Bill Reed Distributing in Abilene, and Great Western in Amarillo. Personally, I don't know that any of them really care about the brand - it's hard to find, and either seems to be discontinued when I do find it, or the shelf is just empty. Where do you live? I think I might be able to point you to the right people if you're looking for something. Thanks, Zachary

Woah now... let's not be hasty. While I'd certainly agree that Franklin has great brisket, their ribs and sausage were solidly good. I think that the ribs are better at Louie Meuller in Taylor, or Kreuz (love the cured aspect, almost bacony), or Smitty's. I think Black's has the best sausage (of the big 5), followed closely by Smitty's and Louie Meuller. But yeah, get a cab if you have to, and wait in line, but go to Franklin for the brisket! Thanks, Zachary

My way of chicken stock is effectively what Bourdain says to do in "Les Halles". Take 2:1:1 yellow onion, carrot, celery to fill a sheet pan with a bit of oil. I have a Calphalon roasting pan, so into that goes bony chicken parts (from broken down chickens, augmented with turkey necks and chicken wings), then a package of split pig's feet, which should fill the pan to a bit more than a single layer. Add a pinch of salt over the meaty parts, then add a couple of teaspoons tomato paste (from a tube) mixed into a tablespoon of flour. Heat oven to 450, and roast the meat for an hour. Remove from the oven, turn the meat over, put it back in, put the veggies in for another hour. In the mean time, tie up your aromatics in cheesecloth: 5-6 sprigs of thyme, 1 onion skin (for color), 2 bay leaves, 5-6 parsley stems, 1 tablespoon peppercorns. In an 8 quart stock pot, add a couple inches of water. Add the cheesecloth. Remove the pans from the oven, and add the veggies and parts to the stockpot. Deglaze both pans with water, being sure to scrape well - this is where the color comes from. Fill the pot with more water until everything is covered by a few inches, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Scum will start to form. Remove it. Be vigilant about this - the more scum you remove, the clearer your stock will be. Now, let the pot simmer for as long as you can. 4 hours is good, 8 is better. If the water level drops to the level of the parts, add more water to cover by a few inches, but remember... adding more water will make more scum. Remove that stuff. When you're done simmering, strain the chicken stock, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Let the stock rest until a layer of fat forms on top. At this point, you can either freeze the stock and remove the fat cap, or just spoon the fat off the top, saving the fat for sauteeing potatoes, or Thanksgiving dinner, if you're around that time. Wipe out the stock pot with a paper towel, and return the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat, simmering the stock. This will throw some foam around the edges of the pot, which you should skim off. Reduce this down until you have it reduced as you want it. I tend to reduce it 4x (marking the level of the liquid on a wooden spoon helps). Pour the stock through a fine strainer into the container of your choice, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, you will have chicken stock Jell-O covered with a thin layer of fat. I cut this into cubes and throw the cubes into a Ziploc, which goes into the freezer, if I'm not using it right away. Thanks, Zachary

Jrshaul, Texas Sheet Cake - chocolate buttermilk sheet cake with a chewy, fudgelike icing spread on while warm. This one, from Recipe Gullet, looks good. It looks like it makes 24 servings, but I'd make separate cakes instead of trying to scale the recipe (if you need that much). Thanks, Zachary

Cap'n, I'm trying to get a feel for your two positions here - that it's a shame that rum is unregulated, can be made in just about any way, adulterated with lots of things, and has no real aging requirements (though I think Venezuela does mandate minimum aging requirements) and that the AOC system, which attempts to regulate production method, additions during fermentation and aging, and minimum aging requirements is overly regulatory. I personally find it frustrating that without knowing a particular producer, I have little idea what I'm going to get when I buy a bottle of rum. I've found a few favorites (S&C, ED 15, La Favorite Blanc, Havana Club 7, Flor de Cana 12), but spending $30 on a bottle of random rum that could vary wildly with regards to flavor profile is just not good for anyone. Thanks, Zachary

If anyone wants to go to Franklin, you should get there by 9:30 or 10 AM at the latest. My last visit, we were there at 10 (an hour before they open), and there were 15 people ahead of us in line. By 11, the line was around 100-150. But if you go, get the brisket. It's atypical, but stunning. Thanks, Zachary

Andy, Yeah... speaking of things that should be in wider distribution, Pierre Ferrand 1840 is awesome, but very atypical for modern Cognac. It's drier, some alcohol (90 proof), but has a fantastic texture and almost seems to be sweetened. Thanks, Zachary

Tri, That El Dorado White 6 is high on my list of things I'd love to acquire. Alas, here in Texas it seems like there are a half dozen distributors, none of which get the product out into distribution. Thanks, Zachary

Tanstaafl, Personally, I think that La Favorite Blanc and Neisson Eleve Sous Bois are great examples of the agricole style. Thanks, Zachary

Doorbell, Austin's a big city - care to give us some guidelines that might help us help you? Thanks, Zachary

From their website, it looks like Whitley Neill is distributed in NY by Southern. Thanks, Zachary

Douglas, Thanks for hosting MxMo - I've had a love/hate relationship with all things Tiki (mainly because there was a long period of time when I thought that Tiki drinks were all dozens of ingredients, most of which were bizarre neon colored syrups). Since getting Beachbum Berry Remixed, I have seen the light. I wanted to take a minimalist tack with this challenge, so I present this, which is archived here. White Tai 1 oz. La Favorite Blanc (for aroma) 1 oz. Flor de Cana White (for dryness) 1/2 oz lime juice 1/2 oz orgeat 1/4 oz Cointreau 6 drops Pernod Absinthe (just enough to louche slightly in the drink). Shake, strain, up. If you'd like a fancy orchid garnish, that's great, but please... no fruit salad to detract from the drink's whiteness. Thanks, Zachary

Southern peas are a love of mine, and while they're harder to find in Central Texas than in Houston, I'm avidly awaiting the pea season as we speak. My favorites are Lady Creams, then Purple Hulls, then Black Eyes. I'm not a fan of Crowder peas - they have a dull, starchy taste even when cooked. For the more delicate peas, I like to saute a little bacon (well, a good amount of bacon), then throw in some onion or shallot and a little garlic. When all that's soft, some fresh thyme, a dash of cayenne, some pepper, and enough good chicken stock to cover the peas by a couple of inches. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the peas are very tender, add salt and serve with the bacon on top. Now there's a couple of ways to do this. I personally like to have cornbread and greens with my peas in a small bowl with enough of the cooking liquid to make things soupy - this is mainly because I love my chicken stock. Another nice touch is to have some hot peppers soaking in vinegar and add heat that way. Leftover peas get made into pea fritters, which are delicious. Thanks, Zachary

Braulio, the awesome amaro from the Valtellina. Their website is Italian only, they don't seem to have an email address, and the importer that comes up is their Aussie one. But I want Braulio, and their Riserva Thanks, Zachary

Jrshaul, ScoopKW and Chris have it right. Dinner for 26 is mainly an exercise in logistics more than anything else. Plan out the menu, then break each item into logical steps. Have everything prepped and ready before you do it. By the way - the place you'll want to spend a good portion of your money is an Indian Grocery. It looks like there's a place called Bombay Bazaar at 753 S. Gammon Rd in Madison. Usually, places like this will have good stuff, and cheap. If you have extra money, you'll be able to buy frozen naan and just warm them. If you have the money (and remember... you should buy the best spices you can - they provide tons of flavor for the volume you use), find a Penzey's and buy a small jar of Sweet Curry powder. If you have extra money still, and you want meat, buy chicken thighs, marinate them in yogurt and spices (again, Penzey's Tandoori is very nice), and broil them until they're cooked through. This is effectively how I make this, but scaled up for your needs. It ought to serve 26, especially if you have rice and other sides. This is vegan and gluten free. Masoor Dal (for a crowd) 6 c. Masoor Dal (red split lentils) 12 cups water 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon curry powder 4 medium yellow onions, chopped 6" ginger, peeled and minced fine 6 cloves garlic, minced fine 3-6 chiles (jalapeno or serrano), deseeded and chopped fine 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds, whole 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, whole 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, whole 6 tablespoons oil 2 bunches of cilantro, stripped and chopped (garnish) 3 chiles, deseeded and chopped (garnish) In a small skillet, dry toast the whole seeds over medium heat, shaking frequently, until they're aromatic. Remove from skillet and set aside. In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Add onions, and cook for 2 minutes until they turn translucent (some color is fine here), stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic and chiles, and saute until aromatic, about 1 more minute. Add the reserved seeds, and stir to coat with oil. Add the curry powder, and stir in - cook until the curry has coated all the aromatics, about 15 seconds. Add lentils, and stir them to coat in the oil. Once they're coated, add the water and salt. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat until the water simmers, then cook, uncovered, until the lentils are falling apart - be sure of this... you don't want any resistance when you bite into the lentils. This should take 30-40 minutes. As the lentils fall apart, this will thicken a bit. You're going to want to stir this to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot, especially if you have thin/cheap pots. Serve over steamed rice, and garnish with cilantro and chiles. Serve naan on the side, or samosas, which Indian groceries should have frozen. Thanks, Zachary

Jrshaul, I think I'd go Indian. Cheap, nutritious, filling, delicious. Start with aromatics: garlic, ginger, chiles. Add fresh toasted seeds: brown mustard seeds, coriander seed, cumin seed in about a 1:2:2 ratio. Add some carrot, onion or shallot, cook til translucent, add curry powder (take your pick). Add lentils (I like the red ones that fall apart when cooked, but YMMV), add chicken stock or water, and simmer until the lentils are either starting to come apart (the red ones) or tender. Taste for seasonings and adjust.Garnish with chopped cilantro and chiles (for heat lovers). I would serve it with frozen naan if you can find it and plenty of steamed rice. I would guess that a half cup of lentils would be about a serving. Thanks, Zachary