KatieLoeb

This was the better photo of the two of these I made tonight. First was Goslings Gold rum + Smith & Cross with a dash of Goslings dark to give it some character. It was good but not stellar. Then I remembered I had some La Favorite Ambre in the house and substituted it in the second drink. Also added a dash of Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters along with the Angostura just because I've been meaning to play with them and this seemed as good an application as any. Much better drink this round. I still stand by the original recipe of the Scarlet Ibis and the Smith & Cross being the foundation of this cocktail. Nothing can quite replace the funk or the complex bass notes in the Scarlet Ibis with something else. It's just not the same. However, the second iteration was a vast improvement over the first. Fat flamed orange peel is crucial as well. And now I shall tottle off to bed....

It's the average over the course of a pay period, at least wherever I've worked, so I'm with ScoopKW that I've NEVER seen a manager go back and make sure the servers got a minimum of minimum wage on any given day. If you work 40 hours in a week but over the course of that entire week you've averaged over minimum wage for the week, no one's going to go backward and pay you for that slow Monday night when everyone was at the sports bar down the block watching Monday Night Football and your place doesn't have a TV. The nightmarish prospect of having to figure that out on a day to day basis for each tipped employee is enough to keep most management types from even attempting it. Never has happened in my experience. And again, who's policing it? Even if in theory they have to do it, it's not like anyone is checking and unless an employee files a complaint, who's going to know?

I have two gold filters in the house that fit my coffeemaker. First one came with the machine and the other I bought for a dollar at a garage sale so I'd have a spare. They get rotated through being used for coffee and being used as a tiny version of the chinoise for straining smaller batches of stuff that I don't feel like dirtying the big stainless steel one over. They also go through the dishwasher easily on the top shelf, which I love!

The aroma of the spices was quite delightful. Decided to use regular sugar but if I make more I might try using Demerara sugar for added flavor. Final product still had a bit of flotsam and a tad of jetsam floating in it after straining but that no doubt adds to the enjoyment! Had a bit "neat" once it had cooled. I think for me it was a tad to peppery so I may modify the recipe a bit with less black pepper and crushed red pepper (which I hope is more or less the same as red chile flakes). Perhaps the peppery-ness will be a bit muted when used in a drink. It does make quite a lot! May have to try to cut it down a bit next time. Plan to take this batch to Thanksgiving to share with family and friends. Was going to have a rum Old Fashioned with it but by the time it cooled it was getting a bit late. So I will need to try an old fashioned or two for myself in the near future in addition to any other drinks that it might be useful in. Dontcha know I was just posting in the other thread about this... Glad you got around to trying it. It definitely tastes stronger on its own than it does when mixed. If you still find it too "hot" for you then just cut back on the peppercorns and pepper flakes. Or you could do what I suggested in the other thread and add a few slices of peeled fresh ginger for a less peppery hot flavor of heat. I find that a gold coffee filter works very well for straining this and then you don't have to strain wee bits of spices through your teeth. I have about a quart leftover from my batch and I might divide it into two smaller containers and freeze one. I haven't tried freezing this specific syrup, but have had excellent results freezing other flavors to no ill effect whatsoever. I'm going to make myself an Old Fashioned #6 tonight before bed. I've earned it...

Don't know if anyone else has gotten around to it since I posted the recipe, but I had to make a batch of spiced simple syrup last night for some sangria I served at an event this evening. I slipped a few paper thin slices of peeled fresh ginger in with all the other spices simply because I had it lying around and hated to see it go to waste. It was an excellent addition. Made the syrup have just a bit more heat and kick. Good stuff. Haven't tried it in anything else but the sangria thus far, but will report back. I wish I had a bottle of Scarlet Ibis in the house. I've got the Smith & Cross and would love to test drive it in an Old Fashioned #6. Might have to scrounge for an alternative rum just to make that happen...

Wild Turkey 101 rye Manhattan. Carpano Antica. Angostura and Whiskey Barrel aged bitters. Home made cocktail cherries. A bit of the cherry preserving liquid which is cognac, Heering and the cherry poaching liquid with spices. Most definitely hit the spot. Bullseye!

What a lovely restaurant. Beautiful decor, great lighting and the food looks fabulous. Simple and delicious is something I would never tire of. I can understand why it's one of your favorite places.

Ah. That's entirely different. Dang those tortilla wrappers are really low carb! I've never seen those around here. Didn't realize the lactose problem. My bad. Carry on...

Don't remind me. I had a personal invitation but am unfortunately stuck at my computer finishing up some writing. I would go when I'm done but I suspect I might go all the way across town and find I can't even get in the door. Perhaps a well placed text message in advance will get me in the door. That might be an excellent reward to myself when I finish up.

Did you have to back to the bank/ATM again to cover your finds? That's the motherlode score but dangerous to the newly corrected bank balance as a side errand. Just sayin'...

The Ransome substitutes surprisingly well for whiskey in certain applications. Try a Ransome Sazerac or Old Fashioned and let me know what you thought... edited to add: Oh yes. And don't neglect treating yourself to a Ransone Martinez. Best thing ever.

I was thinking asteroid. Could've been an asteroid. But it was merely the perfect punch bowl ice orb. I wish I knew how to do that. Ice carving is a bit out of my wheelhouse. Was this a sphere or a half-sphere? If it's a half-sphere, it's easy to achieve with the right bowl. Nope. Full on orb. The Franklin crew takes their ice deathly seriously. Ice orbs for rocks glasses are always available as well, for their cocktails served "on a rock".

I was thinking asteroid. Could've been an asteroid. But it was merely the perfect punch bowl ice orb. I wish I knew how to do that. Ice carving is a bit out of my wheelhouse.

My monthly LUPEC meeting was hostessed this evening at The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company, one of the City of Brotherly Love's finest drinking establishments. We ladies were treated to a delicious punch made from Plymouth gin, fresh lemon, house made mulled wine syrup, bitters, and a few other fine ingredients. It was fantastic and perfect for the season. I'll have to get my friend and colleague, bartender Al Sotack to share the recipe. Even tastier than it looks. Yes - that is a gigantic hand carved ice ball in the center of the punch bowl. These guys don't mess around.

Excellent start to the blog! Looking forward to the rest of the week. I'm on doctor's orders high fiber diet, so I get mine in with a bowl of Kashi GoLean Original with some fruit on top, either berries or a cut up peach or banana. Throw on one of those little cartons of organic vanilla milk and I've got my daily calcium in there too. And it doesn't taste like cardboard, it's actually delicious. Just an alternative thought in case you tire of the peanut butter burritos 2x daily...

pastrygirl: That cordial recipe is specifically designed to be the homemade and improved version of Rose's Lime Cordial. It's meant for mixing with booze and is dialed a bit tart accordingly. Not sure if it would be useful for pastry applications unless it were for lubricating the pastry chef with a gimlet or two. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

That cup is begging for a lovely hot toddy in it. A shot of hooch of your choosing with a flavored simple syrup, a few clove studded pieces of lemon and/or orange rind topped with your favorite herbal tea. Nothing more soothing for the soul on a chilly day. Alternatively you could just put some hot cider in it and call it a day. It's such a pretty cup it'll make everything taste better.

Mint simple syrup works best for me. Virtually any drink that I'd use it in (julep, mojito, caipirina, etc.) has a fairly significant dose of simple syrup or sugar anyway. If you don't want a 1:1 ratio make a weaker syrup instead. It keeps for about a couple of weeks before it starts to lose it's flavor. Blanch the washed leaves in the simmering syrup. Cool slightly and buzz through the blender to expose maximal surface area. Cool overnight in the refrigerator and strain through a chinoise or gold coffee filter, pressing down on the debris to get all the syrup and flavor out. Refrigerate immediately after funneling into a clean glass bottle.

My recipe for lime cordial is in RecipeGullet HERE I usually cut the limes in half and then core them out with a grapefruit knife. I can cut the lime rinds into pieces more easily and then put the lime flesh through an elbow squeezer to get the last bits of juice out to add to the recipe.

In theory they're at every IKEA. Or perhaps you could order more online if there isn't a store near you. As soon as I clear some space in my bar cabinets I want a six pack of these too...

Well I'll be damned... Sounds interesting. I wonder if the zest might not make an interesting cordial for gimlets that might taste significantly different from my house made straight lime cordial (to which I already add Kaffir Lime leaves for a nice limey bass note) to be worthy of experimentation?

These are the ones. Just saw them today in my local IKEA. Small. Shaped right. Feel good in the hand. 5 oz. capacity. $2.99 for a 6 pack. Can't go wrong. At that price they're practically disposable.

I didn't even know the limes were used. I always thought it was about the leaves. Do they taste different? Less tart? More tart? More fragrant? How are they different than regular Persian limes?

You beat me to the punch on the 21 Club. That was my first thought when I read the thread title.... I love Minetta Tavern because there's really good food, excellent cocktails and that gorgeous old school bar with the wooden doors and big latches on the refrigerated section underneath. Throw in all the old photos of celebrities on the walls and you have major atmosphere coupled with the ingredients for a refined evening of eating and drinking well. ScoopKW you're a naughty boy... edited to add: Not sure what night of the week you're planning on having your bachelor soiree or how many will be in your party, but obviously making advanced arrangements with whatever establishment you choose and not going at the height of service on a Saturday evening will make for a far more pleasant evening with better service for all parties concerned.

I'm with marktfrau. I've added a few bruised (read: bashed with the bottom of a bottle or can) cardamom pods to the filter on my regular drip coffee maker and had delicious cardamom scented coffee with minimal muss and fuss... On that note I'm going down to the kitchen to set up the coffee pot and timer for first thing in the morning. I'd forgotten how much I like this. Thanks for reminding me.