Rafa

Oooh that sounds right up my alley. I'll be making this tonight as I have all the ingredients (though not a vintage old-style bottle of LH151, sadly).

If you add a blood orange twist you can call it a Bloody Harlan.

Hipster Pal? Seems a bit too obvious but perhaps Gran/Grand Pal? or Classic Pal? Grand Old Pal's good, if a little Republican-leaning.

Hipster Pal? Oh, the Old Pal? Yeah, I liked it back when it was the New Pal.

That sounds delicious, but probably deserving of a name other than Boulevardier. Along those lines, Toby Cecchini suggests thirds of Campari, Cynar, and Braulio.

Sounds like a good whisky to have around the house for cocktails and such, and as a more approachable sip for people who want to see what Scotch is like but would be turned off by the tire-fire taste of, say, Lagavulin.

The hipster thing would explain why I've seen it behind so many Williamsburg bars... haven't tried it, but a vatted malt with the Balvenie can't be too bad. The website is a hilariously loud, Red Bull-fueled Flash monstrosity. In addition to dapper suited monkeys it features some rumpled 20somethings, which I imagine is what gave Dan the hipster vibe.

Heads up, New Yorkers: Amaro Braulio is now available at Astor. Been wanting to try this one for a long time; it's often described as piney, mentholated, complex, and bracingly bitter. If anyone's had it and has notes they're welcome.

Here's one I made at a party not too long ago that's good for those who like the herbal/thyme-y flavor of Meyer lemon zest. Regular old lemon would probably work well for those who don't. Bert Cooper 1 1/4 oz Gin, Tanqueray1/4 oz Meyer lemon juice1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur, Luxardo3 oz Champagne1/4 oz Crème Yvette (float)2 twst Meyer lemon zest (one shaken, one as garnish) Shake gin, Meyer lemon juice, Meyer lemon zest, and Maraschino with ice; strain into a chilled Champagne flute with a Meyer lemon spiral at the bottom. Pour Champagne. Float Crème Yvette.

I imagine it's popular too at coastal resorts and other areas catering to tourists and vacationers, as is the case worldwide. Curious: how common is rhum agricole in France? I know France is Martinique's main export market, but I don't know whether AOC rhum is the main kind of rum consumed there. Moving back on topic, the Airmail is a delicious and balanced Champagne cocktail. I like it in the PDT ratios with Banks 5 Island.

I like the Boulevardier fine, but agree that the 1794 is a much better drink.

The Old Pal is very good when made with Gran Classico instead of Campari. (Not sure whether that merits a new name. Old Buddy? New Pal? Pen Pal?)

Also re: that linked survey, FrogPrincesse, I admit to not being intimately familiar with the bar culture of France, and I know that Mojitos are very popular in much of Europe right now, but 80% of all cocktails sold in France? Wow. And Piña Colada at #2? I suppose as a Puerto Rican I should feel some pride in that, but mostly I'm just surprised.

Time to get it Before you let it Get to you I've also had this on my to-try list for a while, but isn't it made with dry, not blanc, vermouth?

Thanks Rafa! It's a good cocktail for sure. It's funny because I was just reading that the Americano was quite popular in France (one of the top ten most requested cocktails according to a survey I just read), but I don't think that they have been introduced to the Royale version yet. this I will have to try; I love a Negroni, and love champagne You might also like Sam Ross' Famiglia Reale, a Negroni with an added ounce of Champagne and a grapefruit twist.

One of my favorites, though I've never understood why it's called a Negroni Sbagliato when if anything it's an Americano Migliorato. (Or Regale.) Beautiful pic.

Last night I had the Lagavulin 16 side by side with the Distiller's Edition (2010). The 16 tastes like a Viking tire fire on a stormy beach. It is unspeakably delicious. The Distiller's Edition, which is also 16 years old but aged in PX casks for two of those, magnifies everything I love about the 16 and adds some wine cask character on top of that. It's sweeter, brinier, more savory, more complex, somehow even more delicious. Magnificent. At $90-$100 it's not an everyday dram, though, except maybe in Valhalla.

Infusion, rim, or garnish? You're joking, as though Iberico-infused Lagavulin isn't the most delicious thing you or I have ever heard of. I drank many drams in penance for misplacing my bottle, then let myself be berated by a proper Scotsman for good measure.

Last night, Lagavulin neat with Iberico ham. Can't beat that.

Some people (not me) find it overly tart as written. And big. More "tub of ethanol" business.

Yet another bad cocktail with orange juice. To tie into that other thread.

Don't understand the dislike for the Vieux Carré among people who otherwise like Manhattans (so excluding you, Dan P). It's just a Manhattan where the rye's split equally with Cognac, plus a dash of Peychaud's and a teaspoon of Benedictine. Is it just too boring for people? Too sweet?

The B&S is one of the hardest drinks to balance. A lot depends on the tartness and sweetness of your orange; you really just have to taste it as you make it. That said, I can offer some guidelines: go heavy on the scotch and vermouth, use Punt e Mes, cut back on the OJ and Heering, and use a flavorful orange varietal that's in season (I like Cara Cara and blood oranges). It's fun to substitute the vermouth with rich bittersweet aperitifs like Bonal or Byrrh, or a good medium-bodied Amontillado. You can also use an orange liqueur or amaro (e.g. Ramazzotti) in place of the orange juice—I like Solerno blood orange liqueur (80 proof) and use it here. If you haven't yet, try using Punt e Mes for your sweet vermouth and adding a quantity of whatever amaro you have on hand. Audrey Saunders' Little Italy (2 rye, 3/4 sweet vermouth, 1/2 Cynar, and a bit of the syrup from a jar of Luxardo cherries) is a good place to start. This sounds great. I'd much rather use vodka to stretch out the Cocchi than to smooth out the gin. I'll give this a shot.

Along similar lines: 1 oz Cynar 1 oz Punt e Mes 3 oz Champagne Chilled champagne glass Garnish: orange twist & Luxardo cherry (drop in glass)

I'm quite taken to the malty nature Bols Genever brings to an Aviation, actually. 50ml Genever 10ml Maraschino 10ml lemon 5ml Bitter Truth Violette Yes, I do like these on the spirit forward side. They benefit from a longer shake, obviously. Sounds great. I like my Aviations spirit-forward too (the Maraschino can dominate too easily).