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Craig E

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Posts posted by Craig E

  1. Asked this elsewhere on this forum but didn't get any bites:

    Has anybody here tried Amaro Sibona? At my local shop I had planned to try Amaro Montenegro about which I've heard so many good things, but the guy said he was no longer able to carry it, and Sibona was taking its place on the shelves. 

  2. After three nights of experiments I think I have found the right proportions for this drink, an original inspired by this month's Mixology Monday challenge:

     


     

    2 oz Rye, Rittenhouse

    1 oz Falernum

    3/4 oz Lemon juice

    2 ds Bitters, Angostura

    1 oz Club soda

    1 twst Lemon zest (as garnish)

    1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish)

     

    Shake whiskey, falernum, juice, and bitters. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Top with soda and briefly stir. Garnish.

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    The theme this month is "Drink of Shame." The idea is to revisit, and maybe rehabilitate, one of those horrible drinks from our younger and less sophisticated days. 

    I chose the first mixed drink I can remember learning about from my first year of college: The Seven and Seven--a generous pour of Seagram's Seven (unremarkable blended whiskey) topped with 7-Up (lemon-lime soda). What would a craft version of that sweet, citrusy, poundable drink be?

    I'd need whiskey, lemon, lime, sweetness, and bubbles. So I reached first for some homemade falernum, which could provide syrupy sweetness as well as a lime component (albeit more zest than juice). Added lemon juice to complete the lemon-lime requirement, and to provide sourness. Since the falernum introduced spiciness I thought I'd push further in that direction by using a rye, and I liked the high proof of Rittenhouse to stand up to the other ingredients. Bitters to hold it together, a little soda to give some bubbles, lemon oil and cherry lend a nice nose.

    In the end I've produced something that's really not too far from a regular whiskey sour. A more intentional inspiration was Lliam Dominic's Revelator. It's not a jaw-dropping invention, but I think the 18-year-old me would be impressed with this sweet, sour, and deceptively strong concoction. 

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  3. The red/white analogy seems sound to me. It's probably obvious but geographical origin of the spirits or other ingredients could be tied to the cuisine too. 

    I think of mixed drinks being naturally suited to before or after meals (aperitif and digestif functions), but maybe not such a clear fit alongside a big meal. Perhaps a shim would fit the bill as a wine replacement. 

     

    For the retro party it'd be helpful to clarify to what era it was retrospective. There's a big difference between 20s/30s drinks, 50s/60s, or 80s/90s! But the quickstart list at Kindred is not a bad place to start if looking for classics.

  4. T0SbtK7l.jpg

    Leftmost three are restocks. 

    Funny that I'm so excited about this haul--a couple of years ago not a single one of these names would've meant anything to me.

    Had planned to try Amaro Montenegro about which I've heard so many good things, but the guy said it's no longer imported (at least through his distributor I guess). They were carrying Amaro Sibona in its place--anyone here ever tried that?

  5. Hard to believe it needs the sugar cube with 1/2 oz Averna to 1 1/2 oz Scotch.

    "needs," maybe not. Might be worth trying without to see. One could also try boosting the Scotch to make it a little drier (and to add a little volume--it's a small drink per spec).

    It wasn't too sweet for me to enjoy it. But the sugar likely contributed to the aforementioned chocolatey phenomenon. Maybe the niche for this drink is as a "dessert Sazerac."

  6. If you grill chunk salmon and put it on a toasted roll, is that a burger?

    It's not what anyone means when they just say "burger." But all the same, the purists who would argue that it shouldn't go on a burger menu are probably fighting a losing battle.

     

    I'd call vodka and vermouth a vodka martini.

  7. Sforzando (Eryn Reece), a smoky and spicy Manhattan variation with Rittenhouse rye, Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal (Vida mezcal), Benedictine, Dolin dry vermouth, Bittermens xocolatl mole bitters (The Bitter Truth for Bittermens).

     

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    It's the dry version of Stephen Cole's Racketeer (although that one guilds the lily by adding a touch of yellow Chartreuse, a spray of Laphroaig, and Peychaud's bitters).

    I tried this one, also with Vida. 

    The first sip boosted my confidence in my growing belief that smoky mezcals are just not for me.

    But the second and subsequent sips I enjoyed without reservation. 

    I've had a similar experience with Fernet-heavy drinks--the initial, unenjoyable sip forces an adjustment on my sense of taste, and then I really like the drink from there on out.

  8. Grand Street (Alex Day) with Beefeater gin, Punt e Mes, Cynar, Maraschino liqueur, muddled grapefruit twist. I had made this cocktail before the book was published with ratios that were a bit different and without the muddled grapefruit skin. The version from the book is superior; there is something really pleasant about the grapefruit oil and the bitter caramel notes of the Cynar. A great bitter Martinez variation.

     

    I'll have to try that. Already on my to-do list was Rafa's Locandiera, which is a similar idea complicated by some Cherry Heering, hopped grapefruit bitters, and a Campari rinse. Have you tried that one?

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