Czequershuus

Billies Chilies from Twisted Pine last night. My first chili beer. Quite nice, reminiscent of a well made Michelada. I could see how this would go well with spicy food, especially Mexican food, but not likely a beer I would purchase again. Good, but not moreish.

Would wee punch be made with Bud Light?

After restocking BG Reynolds Orgeat two weeks ago, I decided to embark on a couple of Mai Tai variation that had been building up in a to-try list. Last weekend I went for the Bitter Mai Tai: 1.5 Oz Campari 0.75 Oz Smith & Cross 1 Oz Lime Juice 0.75 Oz Orgeat 0.5 Oz Cointreau Shake with ice, strain over crushed ice. Garnish? Do you think there is any fresh mint in Minnesota right now? My first time making this with all the intended ingredients together. A masterful slow sipping cocktail. Then earlier today I found myself indulging in the Tia Mia: 1 Oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida) 1 Oz Jamaican Rum (Appleton V/X) 0.25 Oz Cointreau 0.5 Oz Orgeat 0.5 Oz Simple Syrup(Rich Turbinado) 0.75 Oz Lime Juice Shake with ice, strain over crushed ice. Wow. I must say, Mezcal may just be a new favorite base spirit. My bottle of Vida has yet to produce a cocktail that is less than extraordinary. This was a wonderful variation, the that oddly matches the funk role an Agricole might play in a normal Mai Tai. Finally, I am currently enjoyinh a Mai-TaIPA, courtesy of Jacob Grier's Liquidity Preference blog. 1.5 Oz IPA(Ballast Point Sculpin) 1 Oz White Rum (Angostura) 1 Oz Aged Rum (Flor de Cana 4 Year) 1 Oz Lime Juice 0.75 Oz Orgeat 0.5 Oz Cointreau Shake with ice, strain into a collins glass over ice. Yummy! Sculpin is a fantastically balanced IPA to start, and it add so much here. Sort of a grapefruit flavor, but with that wonderful hoppy bitterness. I think my instinct to avoid a powerful rum was correct here. This one ask for the rum to stand in the background. Lovely. Now, the problem is there is still so much Orgeat left, and it only lasts about a month or so. Guess I will have to do more drinking.

Doomed to failure. Next question? Agreed. I have previously embarked on the same fools errand, and if like me you just don't like tomato juice, nothing will make it work.

Woof, that will teach me for posting late at night after a full day of work. Conflating completely different things I had read in my mind. Carry on about your business everyone one, nothing to see here *slink round corner*

The Lucien Gaudin is actually one of my favorite cocktails, and while I can see it being an extension of a Negroni, I tend to think of it in a mental category of vermouth/amaro sours, where the acid role in the drink is split between the citrus and wine-based portion. I do think it can be a sensitive drink though, one that requires very fresh vermouth and decent limes.

For the 2 types of Bourbon you might want to consider a wheat heavy and a rye heavy as a contrast. I really enjoy Bulleit as a Rye heavy, and I think the prototypical wheat heavy is Maker's Mark.

Reviving this old thread because of my recent experiments with a Stout Syrup I made. So, what do I immediately do with a new syrup, once I have used it for the drink I created it for? Old Fashioned time! 1.5 Oz Rye(Rittenhouse) 1 tsp Stout Syrup 2 ds Angostura Lovely rich drink. Still clearly an OF, but with a nice maltiness, both on the nose and the sip. This is a great way to combine my love of beer and cocktails!

Continuing experiments with my glorious bottle of Vida! Oaxacan Ice Water 1.5 Oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida) 1 Oz Lemon Juice 0.5 Oz Agave Nectar(Rich Turbinado Syruo) 2 Ds Grapefruit Bitters(Fee's) 1 OZ Soda Water Shake first four ingredients with ice. Strain into a Old-Fashioned glass with fresh ice(I used a water goblet, as inspired by the name:) Again, a total success. This drink really lets the Mezcal shine in a way that is not overpowering. And a great use of my recently acquired Grapefruit bitters.

Finally found the time to make a stout syrup so I could make this cocktail, which has been hanging about in my to-make file for quite some time. Battle Royal Fizz(found on Cocktail Virgin Slut) 1.25 Oz Cynar 1.25 Oz Fernet Branca 1 dash of Angostura Bitters 1 Egg 1 Oz Stout Syrup Dry shake first 4 ingredients, shake with ice, strain into a glass containing the stout syrup. (Next time I would shake with the syrup, as mine lost most of the carbonation in creation, and did not mix well in the glass. I needed to stir to get it to combine) Delicious drink, rich, creamy, bitter. Definitely in the desert realm, but a complex rather than a cloying sweetness. For the stout syrup I used Green Flash Double Stout, 1:1 with Turbinado sugar. I let the syrup boil for a short time so the mix could reduce a bit. Glorious syrup, rich, extremely thick, distinct flavor. A real winner.

After a rather disappointing drink experiment based on a dubious recipe made worse by a substitution, I decided on a drink from the inimitable Dave Wondrich. The Cocktail is the Sangre de Agave, as found in Killer Cocktails, as well as all over the web. 1.5 Oz Reposado Tequila (Piedra de Azul) 0.5 Oz Dark Rum (Goslings) 0.75 Oz Lime Juice 0.5 Oz Cassis (Mathilde) 0.5 Oz tsp Rich Demerara Syrup Lovely cocktail. Wonderfully rich. I love the interplay of the dark rum and cassis, which is supported by the backbone of the tequila's peppery notes. Perfect blend of rich and fresh, and a great way to end a rather long day.

Another Mezcal cocktail that worked out fantastically was the Velvet Goldmine, which I found on Cocktail Virgin Slut Velvet Goldmine 2 Oz Mezcal (Vida) 0.5 Oz Velvet Falernum 0.5 Oz Fernet Branca 0.5 Oz Pineapple Juice 0.75 Oz Lime Juice 0.25 Oz Agave Nectar(I used simple syrup, because of what I have seen about Agave Nectar, and it is what I had) 1 ds Peychauds Shake with ice and strain into rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig(Omitted, my mint has already received frost) and a straw Wow, super complex and tasty. I think I like Mezcal a bit more than my budget allows, because this is a sensational cocktail. Deep flavors, creating impressions of thing that weren't there(I kept getting a faint hint of coffee).

My local Liquor store finally started stocking Rittenhouse. Yay! Normally I go there for the excellent craft beer selection (And the free tastings twice a month), but their whiskey selection has been steadily improving, and now I find Rittenhouse in my area. Woohoo!

Pasteurized eggs are an option, but as long as the eggs are fresh there should be no problem. The chances of having any issues with raw eggs are quite miniscule.

Reviving this thread as I have just acquired my first proper bottle of mezcal (Del Maguey Vida) Wow is this a glorious product. I was worried iI would not find the smokiness agreeable in cocktail. . I have a bottle of Laphroaig that I enjoy on its own, but I find overwhelming in most cocktail applications, and I was hoping the mezcal would not be the same. Well, it was not. I found Vida wonderfully balanced, smokey yet fruity, that kind of jammy fruitiness I find so attractive in tequila. A truly fantastic spirit. So to try it out tonight I gave it a whirl in the Oaxacan Old-Fashioned using this recipe. 1.5 Oz Reposado Tequila(I recently bought Peidra Azul at an enormous bargain) 0.5 Oz Mezal (Del Maguey Vida) 1 tsp Agave Syrup(I used Simple, having read about the scam that Agave nectar represents) 1 ds Bittermans Xocoatl Mole bitter Stir, lowball, rocks, flammed orange twist(Which I sadly skipped, good oranges are just not availible in my area now) Lovely. Really capture the spirit of an old fashioned, with plenty of flavor to contemplate. I also tried this, which I found of Cocktail Virgin Slut (One of my three favorite recipe resources, combined with here and Kindred Cocktails) Last Caress 2 Oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt) 0.75 OZ Benedictine 0.25 Oz Mezcal 0.25 Oz Maraschino 2 ds Angostura Bitters Wow, very nice cocktail. Maraschino and Mezcal seem to play very nicely, something about the smoke fights the Marachino funk so neither take over. The Benedictine hides in the background, providing a lovely honey backdrop . I do love Rye and Maraschino as a combo, and this just works.

Is this their How To Fit In on eGullet Gift Pack? I'm pretty sure it is there I'm sorry you live in the midwest gift pack.

My order from Drinkupny arrived today. A little feeling flush after a thin summer present to myself. The Luxardo and Cynar are long awaited restocks. All the rest are new to me. Just tried the Vida and the S&C. Oh boy what a treat. Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Another great thing to think about is shrubs mixed with soda, or even better, with iced tea. You get sour, sweet, and whatever flavor elements are in your shrub. Also, different soda with bitters are good. I think there is a Serious Eats post about best soda/bitters pairings, but personally I love Ango and Coke, and Spie with peach or rhubarb bitters.

Sometimes simple is best. Recently I purchased some fun sodas at a specialty shop, including Fentimens Dandelion and Burdock. After tasting it on it's own, I could not help thinking it would go well with Fernet Branca. Bingo! I love it when a drink works in my head and in the glass.

I just tried this recipe the otherday too. I found it very enjoyable cocktail that really showcases how gin and Peychauds can work together, unlike in a rather unpleasant 50/50 martini I tried to make subbing the Peychauds in for the orange bitters. Next time I might reduce the simple to .33 oz though, I found it edge up on too sweet.

A little experiment based off my recent purchase of Breckenridge Bitters 1.5 Oz Blanco Tequila (Sauza Hornitos) 0.75 Oz Lime Juice 0.5 Oz Breckenridge Bitters 0.5 Oz Benedictine Quite nice, much better than what usually happen when I try to invent rather than seek out a recipe. I found so few recipes incorporating Breckenridge Bitters that I just had to experiment. The drink features a nice interplay between the honey of the Benedictine and the buttery notes in the tequila. The Breckenridge Bitters play a background role, but a very nice supporting one. I just had this feeling they would play well with Benedictine For those who have not tried the Breckenridge Bitters, they are in the same family as Campari, very much an aperitif. I have read they are somewhat similar to Gran Classico, which I have not had the pleasure of sampling. To my mind they are mellower than Campari, both a bit less bitter and much less syrupy.

I was out of town the last few days, and my girlfriend was patient enough to indulge my hobby and let me stop off at a couple of liquor stores so I could pick up some things I cannot get in town. I managed to pick up Ansac VSOP Cognac(Great Bargain) Dry Fly Gin Bittercube Bolivar Bitters Breckenridge Bitters Now off to sample the haul!

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross You can always try it with J Wray white overproof! Now that is a fantastic idea. I must try this soonish.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross

So my bottle of B.G. Reynolds Orgeat has arrived! Up until now must admit I have been using Fee's Orgeat(heresy, I know). I tried making my own, which alone among my syrup adventures was a spectacular failure. I finally decided to splurge the 15 bucks to order the good stuf from Amazon, and today the package arrived at my door. My first experiment was a Mai Tai according to this recipe: 1 Oz Rhum Agricole (Depaz Blue Canne - the last of my bottle I'm afraid) 1 Oz Applecton V/X 0.5 Oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat 0.5 Oz Cointreau 0.75 Oz Lime Juice 0.25 Oz Simple Syrup Perfect. An utter delight. I am glad I was not to used to the very sweet Fee's Orgeat. Next up was a Japanese Cocktail, using this recipe 2 Oz Cognac (De Marsy is what I have) 0.5 Oz Orgeat 2 ds Angostura Wow, this syrup is much less sweet than what I have used before. I must admit I needed a dash of simple to balance out. I never have this problem, but at least it is a good problem to have. It is so much easier to make a cocktail sweeter than to reduce sweetness. More experimentation is called for.