Rafa

I think tonight calls for an Aviary Cocktail, courtesy of Grant Achatz and American Bartender of the Year Charles Joly. The Aviary Cocktail 100g vodka50gr Red Bull25g carbonated Gatorade10g Midori5g whey protein.5 Malort tincture2 each fist bumpsNo instructions provided, but I think we can safely assume they're "CHUG CHUG CHUG."

Exactly. I don't see why Wray & Nephew couldn't work in a Mai Tai in the same way S&C works, as one component of a more rounded rum mix. It's delicious on its own and mixes well in most places S&C is called for. 2 oz of the stuff would overwhelm the other flavors but a half or even a whole ounce mixed with one or two other rums sounds delicious. I might try that tonight or tomorrow...

Maybe I should rename it the Overshare. Well, we did ask... Recently I enjoyed a Holidays Away at Pouring Ribbons. With Islay Scotch, honey syrup, lemon peel, Unicum, and a touch of Bénédictine, it's like a bittered, aromatic take on a Penicillin. Highly recommended, if that sounds appealing.

I think I thought I saw him try. He did, but I slapped his face. We shared a cigarette later so it's all cool. So you're the reason his voice was wrecked on his last few records. (I have written several thousands words on R.E.M. My secret shame.) Edit: Accidental double post. Made the most of it.

Hmmm. It's one way to get noticed I guess (it worked - I am now following his blog). The history of the Mai Tai was detailed by Jeff Berry in Remixed and seemed well supported. I will have to refresh my memory regarding the specific details (good thing I have some homemade orgeat left in the fridge). It's well worth following, though I object in part to his tone and his framing (only clear-eyed mixological historian vs. hipster charlatans) and his general approach to cocktail history (strict prescriptivism based on a somewhat problematic canon of pre-prohibition literature). That said, I've learned a lot from his work, and his work on classifications and families of mixed drinks is well worth reading.

Agreed. Nice sipper in a classic style but it disappears in a mixed drink. You want something assertive and distinctive; if you can't get one of the older Appletons or El Dorados something like ED5 will do fine. Ditto the two Banks blends (5 Islands and 7) and Denizen white, if you can get those. Basically as long as you mix rums with character and use good orgeat it's hard to go wrong with a Vic's Mai Tai.* *On the "Vic's" Mai Tai note, Andrew Willett at Elemental Mixology asserts that there's no evidence that Vic Bergeron came up with the Mai Tai recipe attributed to him and that it's more likely that Vic took credit for it after the fact. Willett can be curmudgeony and delights in painting most modern mixologists as fools and frauds, but he is also well-researched and often right on fine points of mixological history. Can someone who's more familiar with Jeff Berry's research on the topic counter this assertion, or provide more context?

I think I thought I saw him try.

^^ Kicking myself for not writing "The jigger's up." Shaker story: When I was competing in the regional final of the Auchentoshan Switch at Clover Club, I was so embarrassed to be seen shaking my Baby's First Boston Shaker by Julie Reiner that I breached cocktail contest decorum and stealthily asked the Clover Club barbacks if I could borrow one of their shakers. I lost. The moral is, invest in a real pro shaker.

I've been found out. Time to go into hiding.

Champagne for my Real Friends, Shaken Vodka Martinis for my Sham Friends

Only the ones for my enemies.

So, what did you wife think about it? Don't leave us hanging. Has she recovered? I'm gratified by all the enjoyment that many of you are getting out of this drink, by the way. It's idiosyncratic but it hits a lot of my sweet (or bitter) spots and I'm glad it hits yours too. Oh, right, thread topic. Many nights of many Martinis for me (Broker's, Dolin, Regan's, lemon twist), plus a few things I'm working on for this month's MxMo. And I just bought a bottle of glorious manzanilla, so I'm looking forward to a weekend of sherry cocktails. I think I'll start with a Bamboo.

I have a crummy old glass-and-metal Libbey set from Target. Has recipes for your parents' favorite cocktails (Tom Collins, Martini, Daiquiri, and uh Bacardi) on the sides. Looks like this, works just fine. Do I have to turn in my eGullet cred card now?

Trifecta of spousal abhorrence: Mezcal, Spanish brandy, Fernet Branca. We're having it tonight.... I refuse to take any blame for you foisting this on your spouse.

I can't seem to master the fine art of "not violating very basic terms of fair use," so just pretend I responded to your comment with a picture of a smiling Bertram Cooper, serene and smug, in the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

The rum's definitely the dominant flavor, followed by the milk/malt from the beer and a bit of the pineapple/coconut combo on the swallow.

Last night at Donna in Brooklyn my bartender asked if I would like to try the house spin on a Piña Colada. Without feeling much enthusiasm, I replied sure, why not. What I got was this: Piña Colada (Beer)by Matt, Donna, Brooklyn, NY.2 oz Stout, Left Hand Milk Stout3/4 oz Coconut cream3/4 oz Pineapple juice1/2 oz Demerara Rum, El Dorado 51/2 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross1 spg Mint (as garnish) Shake, strain over one long ice shard in a Collins, garnish with slapped mint sprig, serve with straw. My notes: Amazing. You wouldn't guess there was beer in it, but the stout adds a silky mouthfeel and malty/chocolate notes. Great rum combo. Best Colada I've had. Their house coconut cream was cut with a lot of coconut milk, so it wasn't overly rich or sweet at all. Can't wait to have another one.

There's a bar in DC that does that. Quite good. I wouldn't say they beat rum mojitos hollow though - a mojito is supposed to be a clean, refreshing, effervescent drink for hot weather. Mezcal by its very nature doesn't have that effect. A Mezcal buck with mint would probably be superb though... Mezcal's never going to be as light-bodied or as "clean" as (Cuban-style) rum, but I still found these refreshing and more-ish on an unseasonably hot and muggy night. Then again, I used a relatively light mezcal. I recommend it. It's complex and sippable at a very reasonable price.

Rafa- what mezcal did you use? Fidencio Clásico, which has moderate smoke and a lot of jammy fruit on the palate. I could see how something heavier, like Sombra or Vida, would overwhelm. I might cut it with a tequila (or even a rum) in that case. I also made a variant with Crémant and a homemade serrano syrup that I really dug.

A round of mezcal "Mojitos." To quote Terry Lennox on the subject of another drink, it beats rum Mojitos hollow.

Hmmm... http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fiddy Urban Dictionary? PS- I'm just following Audrey Saunders' lead...

I had a delicious fiddy-fiddy Martini at Pouring Ribbon's last night with Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin and Dolin Dry Vermouth, orange bitters and a lemon twist. Dolin is so good. I don't know why I don't stock it more often.

I took advantage of the (same?) Astor sale to buy Fidencio Clásico mezcal, not to be confused with the more common Fidencio Joven. Beautiful stuff. Amazing nose: full-flavored roasted agave notes with fruit and brine and smoke and earth and clay. No burn to speak of, just a nice subtle heat on the back end. Built for sipping.

Excellent idea. I too do that with tropicals that I otherwise find lacking (like my "Piña Colada," which I make with dark rum, added lime, and a barspoon of allspice dram). In some cases, a small amount of a pie spice amaro (Ramazzotti, etc) can similarly add depth and spice; I like Luxardo Abano, which has a cola character but adds a great savory black pepper note. My favorite Tiki drinks tend to have a depth of spice to them; it's one reason I generally prefer Don the Beachcomber's drinks to Vic's (as much as I love the glorious Mai Tai).

Seconding this And this. I've had some good enough cheap Proseccos from TJ's, but sadly I can't remember any of the labels. Their Amontillado blend is alright enough for mixed drinks where the sherry isn't a dominant player, though I don't enjoy drinking it on its own. Still a good value at $5.