[Seeking Widely Available Tequila Blanco Comparable to Tequila Cabeza]

I enjoy Don Julio, Herradura and Corralejos.

 

Btw, what cocktail(s) are you making with it?

 

*I jsut noticed a few threads below is an "All about Tequila" topic.

[Seeking Widely Available Tequila Blanco Comparable to Tequila Cabeza]

I don't know a ton about Tequila, and I am not familiar with the brand you mention. I'd say though, the most important thing is that you get a 100% agave Tequila and make sure it has a Nom#. Standard Cuervo sliver is not 100% agave but rather a mixto(added sugar).

[Opening a Boston Shaker One-handed]

Cheers for the well wishes.

 

My shaker is tin+glass.

 

Its hysterical watching my gf trying to hit it, she just doesnt have the strength or cooridination or something.

 

I also have an aboslut vodka promo shaker with some kinda foamy stuff on the outside that I never use. Seems that one opens more easily, especially with a whack from my wooden muddler.

[Opening a Boston Shaker One-handed]

Any ideas on how to break the seal of a boston shaker when one has a broken left wrist?   Serious question.

[Manhattans and ice - am I being too picky?]

Anyway, at least 75% of the time I get a Manhattan in an old fashioned glass served over ice, the last place it was served over crushed ice! I didn't bother to say "up" or "neat" when I ordered as I always thought that a) a Manhattan is a drink that is served up, and b) I was told that you only specify the rocks option if you are wanting the drink served out of the norm from what is considered standard. In a million years I wouldn't think to have to order a Martini up, so why is the Manhattan any different?

The last place I didn't say anything and drank it as my experience in the past has been if you send it back then they just pour that same drink off the ice and into a cocktail glass, which just watered it down more and left ice chards in the drink.

 

I agree with you 100% that if you are going to serve a Manhattan any other way than up, then you should ask first. Every cocktail book I own also backs this up.  I was at a very highly rated gastro pub in Chicago a couple months ago and was surprised that my Manhattan was served on the rocks with a twist. I actually mentioned it(among other things) in a Trip Advisor post and I was run out of town on a rail by people telling me that it's totally "standard" to serve them on ice.

[Mai Tai Recipes]

Edit:  since I can't edit -- and now I have the hiccups.  This is horrible.

 

A little late, but have you tried the trick in the Joy Of Mixology book? Take a lemon or lime wedge, dash it with Angostura, put it between your teeth and suck - hiccups are gone! Worked for my GF and I thought it might be the power of suggestion, but then I did it a few weeks later and it really works.

 

 

Made a very "standard" Mai Tai tonight:

1oz Appleton V/X

1oz La Mauny Ambre

.5 oz Cointreau

.5 oz orgeat (Monin)

.75 lime juice

dash ss

 

Quite rich tastng.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

Good stuff.

Yeah, for sure. I had a dram neat followed by an old fashioned. Wonderful.

 

 

 

 MGXO has apparently been reduced a bit in quality with each bottle design change (no age statement, so legally they can do whatever they want) - but I find the stuff in that design bottle still very nice.

 

I did read something like that from a certain "captain" also. He's the only source I've heard this from, so can't be sure it's a fact. He comes across as a bit of a *ic* and self promoter the way he comments on just about every rum review out there -  just my opinion. But, then again, I seem to agree with his reviews a LOT. I also think he's trying to do something good for rum(drinkers). In any case, MGXO suits my tastes very well, so I hope they keep doing it this way.

["The PDT Cocktail Book"]

21st Century, Agaveles Blanco tequila, Lemon juice, Creme de Cacao, Ricard rinse.

 

Not sure I'd make it again, but enjoyable none the less.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

[Swizzles!]

How's the Bitter Truth falernum?

 

I love it! However, I have nothing to compare it to as it's the only falernum available here. That said, I find it nice and spicy - strong clove and cinnamon/allspice,  thick mouthfeel, not overly sweet. It also has this slight soapy thing going on (but not in an unpleasent way). I usually cut back (i.e. 1/2 oz when a recipe calls for 3/4 oz), otherwise it can tend to take over.

 

Going to try making my own when this bottle nears it's end.

[Swizzles!]

Coudn't decide between a bourbon drink or a rum swizzle, so made a Bourbon Swizzle

 

2oz Wild Turkey 101

1/2 oz Falernum

3/4 oz lime jiuce

3 dashes Peychauds

3 dashes Angosura

 

I haven't finished reading the whole discussion on layered vs. mixing bitters in, but I like the the bitters on top because of the look plus the fantastic aromatics you get. Also seems to me that the bitters slowly make thier way down into the drink and it develops nicely as you sip. I also thought the WT worked quite well with the falernum and lime. Wasn't sure if the falernum and Peychauds would clash, but tasted pretty good to me.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

I was surprised to learn that Beefeater gin is made at a lower proof for markets outside the U.S., based on just such a tax-avoidance calculation.

 

Here you can choose between 40 and 47 with Beefeater and same with Tanqueray "normal" at 40 and an "Export Strength version at 47.5, similar with Gordons and Bombay. Just depends on which shop you go to as to which they carry. Seems like the higher proof ones are actually cheaper or at least the same price.

 

All the US made stuff sold here(Bulleit, Sazerac, etc) is the same as in US, but for some reason Buffalo Trace bourbon is 40% (label shows that it was bought from a UK distributor) annoying. UK must have tougher regs or much higher taxes on over 40 and maybe Austrailia is the same.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

Coruba is very cheap. That may have something to do with it. 

 

Seems quite highly regarded in Tiki circles as a lower shelf dark rum though, most seem to prefer over Myers or Cruzan blackstrap. I haven't tried it yet as it's not available here. I did notice that the images of older bottle lables state 40%.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

A colleague brought me yesterday from New Zealand and a few weeks back from the UK.

 

Surprised that the Coruba is only 37 abv...almost approaching liqueur, wonder why they didn't at least go for 40?

[Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)]

Made 2 drinks trying to kill of this bottle of J&B scotch.

 

First one was a recipe I came across on EG about 8 months ago and copied onto my phone, but hadn't made yet.

 

I take it all back

2 oz blended scotch

.5 oz elderflower liqueur

1 dash regans orange/fees orange

1 dash whiskey barrel aged bitters

 

Preceding the recipe, the poster had written "OK, I take it all back. I just made this new old fashioned thing. Oh man oh man."

 

I don't know the name of this drink, so in my cocktail recipe book, I called it the "I take it all back" and I agree, Oh man oh man!

 

Second one is from Difford's Guide, French Whisky Sour

2 oz blended scotch

.5 oz Ricard

1 oz lemon juice

.5 oz ss

egg white

3 dashes angostura

 

Pretty good, if a tad sweet

[The Tiki Drink Discussion Topic]

Test Pilot

 

[post='']

[Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)]

2 oz Fighting Cock

1/2 oz Cherry brandy(Tsing Tao/ 60 proof)

1 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz simple

2 dash Bittercube Cherry-Vanilla bitter

 

Nice, rather complex whiskey sour.

[Organizing That Messed-Up Liquor Cabinet]

I show these pictures to my fiancée to help convince her my cabinet is not too crazy. It helps!

+1

 

I did the exact same thing yesterday. I showed my gf tanstaafl2's pics and the guy with that treasure chest and said "See, i have almost nothing, you should be very happy"

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

 

The mug has been on my list of things to get for a while now... I am very jealous :-)

 

There's a mug you don't have? From the wonderful drink photos you post, I'd have thought you had every tiki/cocktail glass design ever produced!

[Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)]

Dub Treo

1 1/2 oz Appleton Reserve (used V/X)

3/4 oz carpano

3/4 oz Aperol

1 dash Whiskey barrel aged bitters

[Organizing That Messed-Up Liquor Cabinet]

My girlfriend was cool enough to give me a little corner in the apartment. A "Spring is in the air" party planned for this coming weekend!

 

 

 

[Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)]

Rum Swizzle - first one with real swizzle stick - Awesome!

1 oz HC7

1 oz Santa Teresa anjeo (to kill it)

1/4 oz Meyers's Dark

1/2 oz Falernum

Lime

2 dashes Ango, 2 dashes Fee's OF

 

 

 

3D's&aD

1 1/2 oz La Mauny Rhum Agricole Ambre

1/2 oz Eldorado 5 yr

1/2 oz fresh oj

1/2 oz lime

1/2 oz honey syrup

1/4 oz Bitter Truth Falernum

1/4 oz homemade Allspice Dram (Kevin Liu recipe)

1 dash Ango, 1 dash Tiki bitters

 

Allspice dram came out a little hot, might have to cut back or dilute it more? Excellent drink though.

[What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2014 – 2015)]

Bounty from a trip to the States(Florida and Chicago)

 

Blackwell Jamaican rum

Meyers's Platinum

Mt. Gay Eclipse Black 100 proof

Zaya 12 yr

Pussers British Navy

El Dorado 5 yr

Wray & Nephew overproof

Scarlet Ibis

Few Spirits Navy Strength Gin 114 proof

R.L. Seale 10 yr

Smith & Cross Jamaican rum

Siesta Key Gold rum(Florida)

 

Agave syrup

Fees 12 pack assorted bitters

Orange blossom water

Bittercube Cherry Vanilla

Ango orange

Bittermen's Tiki

Fees Whiskey Barrel Aged

Bokers

 

Lost Lake tiki bar Chicago swiped coaster

Barspoon

Channel knife

Tiki stir sticks

Sword picks

Stainless steel picks

 

Tiki Bar sign, Lewis Bag

 

 

Three Dots and a Dash mug(paid for )

 

Genuine Swizzle Stick (bought at Independent Spirits, north side Chicago, only place saw one)

 

 

Very happy with my pull, though the Meyers's is questionable(haven't tasted yet) and I might have rather bought different individual bitters rather the the Fee pack.

None of these rums are available locally, so all new to me!

[Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)]

Enjoying a fantastic Daiquri. Picked up this bottle of Pampero Blanco blind and it turned out to be a flavourful little silver rum. Very nice.

 

2 oz Pampero Blanco

wee bit less than 3/4 oz lime jiuice

1/4 oz ss

[How many bottles in check in /what to bring back from States, FL & Chgo]

Binny's is awesome. I saw several items on their website that I wanted. A few of them were listed as "Limited stock/please call" and were only available at one or two ocations(and not one convenient for me). I emailed them in the morning asking if I could pay for them now online, and pick them up on Feb 19 when I'm in Chicago. That night they replied that they were holding my order at the Lincoln Park store until Feb 21 and that I could pay upon pick up. How cool.