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If I am using a blanco I tend to use Chinaco as I like its peppery character. But I tend towards a reposado in a margarita and especially when making party size batches I turns towards Espolon. Inexpensive and reasonably tasty if not particularly unique. Espolon just came out with an Anejo as well. Bought a bottle but haven't tried it yet. Anybody else try it?

I quit using tonic a long time ago and now when I get that craving Bitter Lemon is what I reach for first. Don't really recall why now except that it is likely because that is what my father likes. Usually Fever Tree as that is what I tend to keep at home.

With Scotch based drinks I find it very helpful to be pretty specific with what type of scotch you are using since there can be considerable variation from region to region and brand to brand. Most of the time when generic scotch is called for in a cocktail it seems to typically be calling for a fairly light blend like Famous Grouse unless otherwise specified. I would tend to think Glenlivet 12 is not too different from a blend like Famous Grouse although I have had neither in a while to really compare.

If you are of a mind to go well off the rails I would suggest for the Negroni ditching the gin altogether and go with Mezcal. Vida or Sombra works nicely. I also tend to sub Aperol for the Campari as well but either can work depending on your preference. 1.75 Mezcal 0.75 Aperol 1.00 Dolin Rouge 2 dashes Regans Orange bitters Of course at this point it is no longer a Negroni. I don't know what it is, but for me at least I know it is good!

I still have a couple of the gold cans left. I will have to give it another try in search of that "fatty" component. It definitely had a savoury edge as you describe that made it different from most other sake I have tried. I presume the unpasteurized nature helps create that flavor. You would likely enjoy the red can version if you can find it!

Like you I find I prefer the Junmai style preferable (free of added Brewer's alcohol). I was strongly admonished by the sake master that gave our little presentation that good sake should always be drunk at least slightly chilled and that warm temps were reserved for the every day run of the mill "table" sake. I did rather like it better slightly chilled than warmed which is the typically way I have had it in the past. Then again I was probably drinking a better quality sake as well! So is this one a ginjo or a honjozo? I have got to use all those fancy terms I learned somewhere!

The Daiquiri is a pretty straight forward drink, including the Cuban Daiquiri (which I think of as a daiquiri made with Cuban rum and different from the Hemingway/Papa Doble or Floridita Daiquiri with various combinations of grapefruit juice and maraschino). Short of a rich 2:1 sugar syrup I can't think of what this would be.

Finally got around to trying the Glendalough "Mountain Strength" poitin again. Still a touch of dish rag in there for me. Not sure if it is the beets or the "virgin Irish oak" but this one is likely destined for an as yet undetermined cocktail.

Finally had a chance to delve into sake a bit as I have always been curious. We had a sake master from one of the distributors come out to our little Wednesday afternoon tasting group and went through a few. Mostly from Kikusui as the local sales manager from Kikusui also came along. Very interesting but may have been a touch of sensory overload. Tried the Perfect Snow that Chris was, umm, so fond of a few posts up. I didn't have quite the negative reaction but it is certainly on the sweet side and a bit gritty and milky. Somewhat dessert like I suppose but clearly seemed geared to the western palate as our sake master said these were not a big seller in Japan. I will take him at his word. My favorites were probably the three Nama or unpasteurized sakes. A bit higher proof at 19% ABV (("cask strength") and had some real character to each. The gold can is the basic Honjozo version that is sealed as soon as it is filtered while the red can is "aged" in the cans for a year before being shipped apparently making it a bit unusual when most sakes or supposed to be drunk relatively fresh. An interesting fruit like flavor develops. Lychee perhaps? The green was a seasonal product made from the first rice of the harvest as I understand it. It is still has a bit of effervescent quality or tingle to the taste, especially in the finish. Others included the nigori style Perfect Snow as previously noted, Organic Junmai Ginjo in the black bottle which is "organic" (by US standards anyway) sake made with a California grown sake rice that is shipped to Japan to be brewed and then back to the US for sale. A bit drier with an interesting and distinctive vegetal nose and flavor which I rather enjoyed. The small blue bottle was the regular Junmai Ginjo which was described as a sake intended for consuming with food where you might normally have white wine. This one had the most subtle (read bland for me) taste but I can see where it would not compete with food flavors. Next in the small pink bottle and the small blue bottle were two the sake master brought. The pink had the lowest ABV and was intended as an introductory sake. The blue bottle was the sake masters own "barrel pick" with his name on the label and a painting done by his mother! It was quite flavorful with a lot of umami as best as I understand that flavor. Next was a Kikusui Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi that is made with rice harvested on the coldest winter days and then left to age until the following fall in stainless steel tanks. I didn't get much out of this one myself. Finally we finished with the Sakamai (a rare type of sake rice apparently) Junmai Daiginjo that is polished down to 40%. An interesting nose that seemed most like an Argentinian Torrontes light white wine. Quite striking! The palate didn't really match the nose but it was a nice light fruity flavor. A lot to take in but fun as well. Of course we couldn't limit ourselves to just sake so we finished with a comparison of Lillet to the Lillet Special Reserve (as it happened the Kikusui sales manager suggested cocktails with sake like the Vesper and the Corpse Reviver 2 where the sake replaced the Lillet. May have to give that a try.). The Lillet Reserve is Sauternes based and quite lovely on its own. I finally got that bottle of Blume Marillen and we decided to break that open as well before resetting the palate back to normal with a bit of bourbon. The recent Abraham Bowman Vanilla Bean finished bourbon finally arrived and we compared it to a particularly nice single barrel of Bowman selected by the Party Source. Both were nice but not sure I could really appreciate what the vanilla bean finish brought to the party. The random bottle of sake between the Lillet and the Blume was just something I brought in for the sake master to see.

Well, my palate may be a bit too finicky then! I will have to give it another go. But yes, I remember it as being rather unusual at best. The Teeling was more white dog-ish in a way I am more familiar with as I recall than the Glendalough was. But yes, I recall it being a tad on the funky side although I agree it is not really like arrack. Kind of its own sort of funk!

Solerno Blood Orange liqueur comes to mind as a possible alternative to the local tangelo liqueur. Have you tried that one before to be able to say if it would work? If not Cointreau or another curacao is always readily available. The Pierre Ferrand perhaps or is that too dry?

Sounds interesting! I had a Boulevardier riff using Cardamaro and AE bourbon recently but it was a bit too sweet to me. Byrrh might work with a more typical bourbon or even rye. But I also like Byrrh on its own or with just a splash of soda.

Yes, the "Premium" is the 80 proof stuff. High test is the 120 proof "Mountain Strength". Give it a go! What have you got to lose beside your sense of taste for a couple of days.... I jest as I do like it but definitely on the "funky" side!

If you think the Teeling is funky then you would really find the 120 proof Glendalough Mountain Strength "interesting". It is made with sugar beets and malted barley (and perhaps an old, well used dish rag...). I have both the Teeling (which is a more standard grain/malt mashbill at 123 proof) and the Glendalough (120 proof) and certainly like the Teeling better. I also have one called Knockeen Hills that is made out the traditional whey (yes, the leftovers from cheese that Ms. Muffet liked to snack on!) that is also 120 proof. They do make an 80 proof Glendalough which doesn't hit back quite as hard and an 80 proof sherry finished version that was practically drinkable! A bartender from Ireland suggested "that it’s hard to mask the flavor of poitín, but easy to compliment it". I think by that he meant if you bash it over the head with strong flavors you might be able to choke it down... “The Monk” 1 1/2 oz Glandalough Poitín (or the Teeling) 1/4 oz Amaretto 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino 3 dashes Chocolate Bitters Garnish: orange peel & Maraschino cherries I make no promises! Best bet is to just pour some over ice and take your chances...

Most likely has to do with the market it is sold in. I am not sure you can bring in a base spirit to the US at less than 80 proof but I know some bourbons in Australia are sold at lower proof so that may be the case for NZ as well. As FP notes Coruba here (when I can find it as it is not in my neck of the woods in Atlanta) is 40% ABV.

The three I had acquired from Europe were bottled May 2012 and are all before the current label change and had white labels. Alas, one has fulfilled its duty and the second is well on its way to doing the same. I am told it will eventually be available in the US but no sign of it so far. They need to hurry!

Ah, it appears my initial search was not robust enough.

So is Gold Rush the new name for this? 1 oz Rye, Angel's Envy 3/4 oz Jamaican rum, Appleton V/X 1/4 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross 3/4 oz Lemon juice 3/4 oz Honey Ginger Syrup And is there a specific recipe for honey ginger syrup or do you just add ginger to a basic 1:1 honey syrup?

Tried the Chairman's Reserve Forgotten Casks last night and again this evening just to be sure. Not bad but not really particularly noteworthy either. It claims to be a blend of 5 to 11 year old rums and there is a bit of barrel in it but I don't get much of the plum/raisin character some reviews describe. A bit more coffee and slight bitterness for me. It is non chill filtered which may have added a bit to the mouthfeel but at 80 proof, like most rums, it seems a bit thin. Definitely on the dryer side to me. Will likely end up being a cocktail mixer. Just not enough uniqueness to make me want to use it as a sipping rum.

Ah, forgot about Tempus Fugit. Have the lovely Crème de Cacao but not sure if the Crème de Noyaux is readily available here. Will have to look. And pick up the Blume Marillen too of course! Just got the Chairmen rum this afternoon at lunch time (a true impulse buy is it is not like I need more rum!) and they would probably frown on me drinking it in the office. But I may just have to take it with me tonight to try and save myself from the vodka crowd at the party I am going to.

I look forward to your report! I am stuck at a party full of heathen vodka drinkers tonight and unless I bring them with me I won't have the necessary ingredients to whip one up.

Yes, it made them sound more appealing but they are pretty spendy, especially the two Guyanese rums, and I have not had the best luck with Scottish aged/bottled rums. They are pricey and have been good but not great, especially for the price. To this point I have refrained from buying these. We shall see how long that lasts...

I wonder how well a nice solid agave forward reposado tequila might work in the Coin Toss. Might have to give that a try. I think the yellow chartreuse would play well with it. The Kah 110 proof reposado might be just the thing. And I really need to spend some more time with the Death & Co book. Have had it a couple months now but really just kind of picked through it rather than giving it a good read.

Almost bought a bottle of the Blume Marillien on an impulse today but ended up going with a case of Blushing Monk and a Chairmen's Reserve "Forgotten Cask" edition rum instead. Now I am kind of regretting it! So is there a crème de noyaux manufacturer you like? I see it from the usual suspects amongst liqueur manufacturers but always tend to shy away from those (Hiram Walker, DeKuyper, Bols, etc). Don't recall seeing a Brizzard version which is a brand I tend to default to but maybe they make one as well.

There are plenty of private collections that dwarf my little "store". No matter how many you have somebody always has more!