Snark

Excellent. Will look forward to it. Hoping busy at work will (maybe more in the future) lead to busy blogging, too... What's the cocktail competition about?

When do we get to see some content on "Manning the Bar," Adam?

I Am D.B. Cooper Douglas fir eau de vie (Clear Creek) 2 oz. rye (McKenzie, because I'm finishing up a bottle) ¾ oz. rosemary-infused maple syrup (Yum.) ¾ oz. lime juice 3 dashes Angostura Bitters Rinse glass with eau de vie. Shake and double-strain remaining ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass with large ice cube. Garnish with slapped rosemary sprig. http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/grab-a-db-cooper-cocktail-and-disappear-at-prospect/Content?oid=2597063 Very tasty, but the aroma of the garnish might be a bit overpowered...

I picked up a bottle of Yerlo today. Hmong rice liquor; 120 proof. I'd never heard of it, but I just moved to Madison, WI, and it's distilled just up the road (well: 184 miles up the road) in Sturgeon Bay, so... It's interesting. Nose definitely gives away the jasmine rice base; taste reminds me of a couple of the varieties of white whiskey that have become popular (including Death's Door's), thought without the tang of the corn; price is definitely higher than I'd pay if this wasn't a first-time curiosity. (I wasn't able to find a review anywhere online.) It reminds me of some baijiu I've had before, too... I'm not sure what to mix it with. I guess I could treat it like white whisky and see what happens. I'm tempted to open a bottle of Koval's jasmine liqueur I was given as a gift and see if jasmine on jasmine works... any thoughts?

I know you'd keep posting this sort of stuff here and on your site even without this sort of encouragement, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading (about) the research you're doing. Terrific stuff.

Pisco might work. I made two variants tonight. 1 oz Rhubarb Tea 3/4 oz Batavia Arrack or Rhum JM blanc 3/4 oz Averna 3/4 oz lime juice 2 d Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters (one very full dropper) I'm probably just go 1:1:1:1 next time. I think the Rhubarb will still come through, and it would certainly make a more memorable recipe. Of the two variants, I preferred the agricole and my wife like the Batavia Arrack. This is a nice drink, but I have to say that like, rather than love, Rhubarb Tea. I look forward to hearing other recipe ideas. I'm not in love with the Rhubarb Tea either, but I'd still be interested to know people's thoughts if they ever mix this up: 1 ounce Rhubarb Tea 1 ounce Pisco (Encanto) 1 ounce Averna 1 ounce lime juice 2 dashes Bittermens Burlesque Bitters 2 slices cucumber 2 strawberries Muddle cucumbers and strawberries with lime juice; add booze and let sit for a minute or two. Add bitters, shake, and strain into coupe. Garnish with strawberry section or cuke slice if desired. I'm not at all convinced I've quite nailed it, but it's a decent enough spring drink, I think.

Thanks for the suggestions. Definitely more acid. I could try an agricole; I don't have any cachaca on hand (I have to work on that), but last night I was pondering how the Rhubarb Tea might work with Pisco...? Different flavor combo, of course, but maybe worth trying...

My batch of Amer Boudreau is very bitter, but I love it; I've been using ratios closest to the "Bartender's App" version listed above, though sometimes with even less maraschino (because of how overpowering that ingredient can be).

A friend brought over a bottle of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction's Rhubarb Tea. I'd never heard of it before, but after a little searching, I decided to make: Dan's Rhubarb Jimjam: 1.5 oz Rhubarb liqueur (Rhubarb Tea)1 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum0.5 oz Averna0.5 oz Lime juice Shake, strain, rocks, lowball"Inspired by the Averna Jimjam. Something of a work in progress, but very good." I do like it, but the rum overpowers the drink some, and (even then) it's a bit sweet for my taste. Dan or other folks, have you tweaked this any further? And has anyone else found a good use for the rather-sweet Rhubarb Tea?

More like 9-11 weeks, overall -- I made the "batter" (see below) roughly a couple weeks before the party, which was on December 13. It has a ton of booze in it, but I was (still) worried, so I reserved a small amount of the batter in a separate container, and I taste-tested it each day leading up to the party. (I also put a large, bold warning sign out in front of the nog at the party.) But the stuff from December 14 through February 8 had the "fluff" added (since I just dumped the leftovers into sanitized glass milk bottles). A friend took about 32 ounces (again, batter+fluff) home with him, too, and also reported no problems drinking it through the end of January. We might've been lucky, though. I wouldn't serve the leftovers to guests (unless they absolutely insisted), and of course anyone at particular risk of foodborne illness should avoid this anyhow. Here's the recipe; I wish I could remember how I came across it. I might've tweaked something(s) I found... I made a double batch for the party. Ingredients (for roughly 1 gallon) 12 large eggs 4.0 cups good-quality whole milk (I used Oberweis) 2.5 cups good-quality, pasteurized heavy cream* (divided into two portions: 1.0 cups and 1.5 cups) 2.0 cups granulated white sugar Pinch salt Whole nutmeg (for grating/garnish) 1 liter bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace) 6 ounces brandy (I used Jacques A. Cognac) 4 ounces dark rum (I think I used Myers's -- this is the one brand specification I'm unsure about, because I didn't have to buy it before the party as I did the other booze for the punches) *I find I can tell a difference between pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized cream in ice creams I make; I don't know if I could've noticed any difference in this nog, but I didn't take any chances. I suppose, though, that using pasteurized rather than ultra-pasteurized cream may risk decreasing the refrigerated life of the nog still further. Method for "batter" Separate egg yolks and whites; store whites in freezer. Mix yolks and sugar by hand or in mixer until smooth. Add milk, 1 cup cream, salt, and booze. Stir. Transfer to clean glass container(s) and refrigerate. Method for "fluff" (and service) Remove egg whites from freezer and allow to come to room temperature. Beat room-temperature whites in/with mixer (or, if in need of workout, by hand) to form stiff peaks. Scrape whites into (large!) serving container. Beat 1.5 cups of cream in/with mixer until moderately whipped. Add whipped creams to egg whites in serving container. Remove batter from fridge; if separation has occurred, recombine. Combine batter with fluff gently, using a whisk and/or spatula. Grate nutmeg on top of full volume, and (if desired) over each individual serving.

OK, then: I used eje's "Chinese New Year's Punch" to very good effect at a 75-person winter party this past December, as a non-alcoholic or "spike-your-own" option alongside his "Great Pumpkin Punch" and a very boozy eggnog. (I can't remember where the eggnog recipe came from, but it included bourbon, brandy, and dark rum, and it just kept getting better and better the longer it sat in the fridge. Which was a very long time, indeed, as I misjudged how much eggnog 75 people would drink. Not 2 gallons, as it turns out. I finished it on February 8th or so.) The hit of the party was definitely the Great Pumpkin Punch; I made a double batch of it, and it did indeed render about 6 quarts, and there was absolutely zero left at the end of the party. (In fact, the only reason I got to try the punch-as-served was because my wife set some aside for me.) It was a lot more work than the "Chinese New Year's Punch," though... for that, I used a relatively cheap sparkling wine at the suggestion of someone at the local Binny's; I can't remember if it was one of the Segura Viudas line, but it well might've been, and it worked just fine for the folks we had. Edit: I am, coincidentally, drinking eje's Ashtray Heart right now. eje, if you're reading this: thank you. Chinese New Year's Punch Peel and Juice 4 Lemons 1 Cup Sugar 16 oz Pomegranate Juice 2 Teaspoons Green Tea 4 Whole Cloves 4 Green Cardamom Pods, crushed 1 Cup Water 1 Bottle Knudsen Sparkling Pomegranate, Chilled Oranges, sliced for garnish Ice Freshly grated nutmeg Method: Macerate the Lemon Peels in the Sugar until they release their oils. Boil water and combine with tea and spices. Steep for 6 Minutes. Strain hot spiced tea into sugar and peel mixture. Stir to dissolve sugar. Combine strained lemon juice with spiced tea syrup and chill your “Shrub”. Pour Shrub into punch bowl, add Pomegranate Juice. When guests arrive add ice and Sparkling Pomegranate. Garnish with orange wheels. Serve in small cups and dust with freshly grated nutmeg. Add booze to taste, if desired. Great Pumpkin Punch 1 Bottle Bourbon (Weller 12 Year suggested; Buffalo Trace used)1 Bottle Cognac (Landy suggested; Jacques A. VSOP used)
1/2 Bottle Batavia Arrack
4 Small-ish Sweet Potatoes, washed and roasted
4 Oranges, Zested.4 Lemons, Zested
4 Cloves
2 Sticks (Cassia) Cinnamon.16 oz Water.1/2 Pound Piloncillo1/4 Pound Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds), crushed (I didn't roast these, and I wonder if I should've -- if eje's around, maybe he can weigh in)1 quart Whole Milk (Straus Family Creamery suggested; Oberweis Dairy used) Method:
 Zest citrus and add zest to Brandy, Bourbon, and Arrack. Juice Oranges and 2 Lemons, strain, and add to aforementioned liquid. Slice Roasted Sweet Potatoes and add to aforementioned liquid. Add Cinnamon and Cloves. Allow to infuse for at least 48 hours. Heat water and add Piloncillo and Pepitas. Simmer below a boil for 10 minutes and refrigerate over night. Carefully strain peels, Potatoes, and Spices out of Liquid, trying not to crush potatoes. Juice other two lemons and add to Flavored Booze Mixture. Heat milk to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Add to Flavored Booze Mixture. Allow to stand undisturbed for 30 minutes and filter through cheesecloth, removing milk solids. Filter Pumpkin Seeds out of Syrup, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible, and combine with Flavored Booze Mixture. Cool and allow to stand for a couple days. Rack liquid off of any accumulated sediment into clean bottles and chill well before serving. Makes about 3 quarts.

So is everyone just using cheap(er) mezcal, then?

It looks as if you've got the food and libations covered; my only contribution, then, is to ask whether you really want to call her your girlfiend. I mean, if she's down with it, that's cool... (Heh.)

The Lustau Dry Amontillado might work for you as a dry sherry. I've been happy with it (most recently in Tonia Guffey's Teenage Riot, from rogue beta cocktails), and Astor carries it for $16, which doesn't strike me as unreasonable. Cheers!

Has anyone done any side-by-side comparisons of cocktails made with Maguey's Vida, next to the same cocktails made with more expensive mezcal (e.g., Maguey's Chichicapa)? I ask because some recipes (e.g., rogue beta cocktail's Black Cat) specifically call for a pricier mezcal, and I'm interested in whether folks that have feel the difference in price is worth the difference in taste.