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DrinkBoy

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  1. Kathy, I'm glad I had a chance to meet up with you while you were in Seattle! And especially glad you had a chance to experience the Zig Zag, and Murray. Sorry he wasn't there on your last night. Another Chartreause cocktail that I am really fond of is the "Tailspin" Tailspin 3/4 ounce Gin 3/4 ounce Sweet Vermouth 3/4 ounce Green Chartreuse 1 dash Campari Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist and cherry. It's not one that you see very often, and when you do, they usually list it's recipe as basically the same thing as the Bijou (which uses a dash or orange bitters instead of the Campari), but frankly I think the Campari really turns this drink into something special. -Robert
  2. For a little background on "Molecular Gastronomy" you can refer to this: http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-mol4.htm and for a little more reading, you can refer to this article http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0218/p11s02-lifo.html In short, it is about looking at food preparation from a scientific angle. Somewhat similar to the "Food Scientist" approach of Harold McGee ("On Food And Cooking", "The Curious Cook") and Alton Brown ("Good Eats" on the Food Network), but perhaps taking things even a little further. One aspect of testing the boundaries, is what Heston Blumenthal does at his Fat Duck restaurant, and pairing foods together because "chemically" they have an affinity for one another, even though on the face of it they might not sound terribly appetizing. Caviar and White Chocolate apparently is one of the more noteable examples, although I have not yet tried this out myself. So I read into this sort of two different methods of thinking. One is to question "traditional" methods and wonder what the scientific rationale is behind it, the other is to challenge convention, and discover new ways of doing things. For example: Cocktails are traditionally served in a conical glass... is that really the best shape to use? and: Would a garnish of a cube of medium-rare steak work better then an olive in a Martini? (not that I have an answer to either of the above questions :-) To return back to part of the initial question/observation and something like a Mint Julep... Assuming that part of the intent with a Mint Julep is to impress a mint flavor to it... what is actually the best way to do this and get the best possible flavor result? Do you use just the mint leaves, muddling them hard into a little sugar syrup, and then add the ingredients... or do you use the mint, stems and all, and not muddle them at all, instead simply shaking everything together? Or perhaps there is a chemical compound in the mint that can't help but turn slightly bitter when combined with whiskey, and therefore the best way to get the mint "essence" without the bitterness is to festoon the top of the glass with a "veritable forest of sprigs"... That, would be Molecular Mixology. While we are also on the topic of flavor combinations, I might take a moment to recommend "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Nothing really Mixology related about it, but I think it is a facinating look into cuisine, flavor pairings, and insights into how a number of renowned chefs "think" about the cuisine they create. Conceptually there is some cross-over into Mixology as well. -Robert
  3. Perhaps tending bar in a standard chef's jacket might be just a "bit" out of place, but I personally (in the appropriate establishment) love to see bartenders in nice crisp uniforms. Dale DeGroff looks quite dapper in his trademark red jacket. And various other bartenders in well appointed bars will likewise wear various forms of "standard attire". Even in some casual bars I think that it provides a nice atmosphere for their to be a "uniform" that has been properly selected to suit the overall ambiance. And with all of the different styles of chef's jackets out there, I expect that there are some that would look damn fine behind the bar.The uniform could even be a random selection of "Bowling" shirts. Just the fact that the establishment thought about the atmosphere of their bar/restaurant to that level is a hopeful indication that they are making sure that everything (drink quality included) is being taken care of. I agree.Making great cocktails "shouldn't" be unexpected, but unfortunately, it is, at least over here on my side of the pond. I still need to make a trip over there to London and see how things have shaped up since the last time I visited. While I think the author of the NYT article didn't quite understand the topic as well as I would have liked, I think that the overall intent and direction of the article is one that I'd love to see get more exposure. (Side note: I was in the Zig Zag Cafe here in Seattle Wednesday night, and no sooner did I sit down at the bar, but the bartender handed me a copy of the article) If some of our "mediocre" bartenders were to see this article and realize that there actually is another level of achievment they could attain, this would be a move in the right direction. Many of the lesser (but in the majority) bartenders that I talk to don't really have a clue that they really could be doing better. -Robert
  4. Real Absinthe does not have a "pronounced" Anise flavor, just like real gin does not have a "pronounced" juniper flavor. It might be the "prodominant" flavor, but there is a lot more going on then just that. I think Absente is one of the better Absinthe substitutes available, and in-so-much as every absinthe tastes a little bit different, it works quite well.-Robert
  5. Yeah... not sure if it would then be more appropriate to instead add a splash of water to it or not, but I got used to drinking them this way, and I think that the combined robustness of flavors just works really well without any dilution. Besides, I think it just adds to that "contemplative nature" that I find so alluring, and just a little sensual, in this drink. But I've also had it stirred with ice to chill and dilute it, which is also quite nice. I've also been doing this ever since I heard you mention it some time back. It definately adds a nice little bit of extra depth which is nice. I should try a side-by-side with Absinthe and Herbsaint, and Absente to see if the difference in such a small amount is detectable behind the other flavors.But with the 'sudden' easy availability of Absinthe that is orderable online (or even purchaseable at "Duty Free" shops in various countries), there is no excuse for any cocktail enthusiast not to have a bottle of "the real stuff" available for things like this. I "just' got in a shipment of the new Jade Liqueur's Absinthes (by Ted Breaux, info at www.VintageAbsinthe.com). I ordered it last Thursday, and it got here today (Monday)... Ted said they shipped fast, but that is -real- fast. Can't wait to get home and give it a try.
  6. The New Orleans Sazerac... While recently down in New Orleans for the "Tales Of The Cocktail" event, I made a point of trying a Sazerac at most, if not all, of the bars I visited. New Orleans is, after all, the home of the Sazerac, so who should do it better? I'm sure that "somewhere" in New Orleans there are bartenders who really know how to do this drink properly, but on this trip I never encountered one. While out with the "gang", we visited one bar and when I asked for a Sazerac, they replied: "Sorry, we don't have that here"... even though they did have all of the necessary ingredients. So instead we all just had Absente drips instead. At another bar (the Merry-go-Round one :-) Audrey and I ordered a Sazerac, and it was so sweet that we promptly ordered a shot of rye to add to the drink... still too sweet. "Too Sweet"... this was to be the reoccuring theme throughout all of the Sazeracs I was to have. I assume this is because the bartenders are trying to alter the recipe in order to make this drink more "approachable" to the masses. I say: "If you don't like a cocktail the way it is 'supposed' to taste, then order something else, it's not like there is a limited selection or something" Here is how I make my Sazeracs: Place some ice in a small Old Fashioned glass to chill it. Remove the ice. This is the only time that ice plays a roll in this drink. Back when the Sazerac was first invented, there was no such thing as ice machines, much less refrigerators. Ice was a precious commodity, and most likely this drink was not chilled in the slightest. Using an atomizer filled with Absinthe (or an appropriate Absinthe substitute), spray the insides of the glass 3 or 4 times to coat. Pour a "small puddle" of simple syrup into the glass. I think I probably use about a teaspoon. Add three or four healthy dashes of Peychaud bitters. Remember, Antoine Peychaud made these bitters as a "health toinc", and so he would have wanted to make sure folks got enough of their benefits! :-> Pour in a measure (2 oz) of Rye Whiskey. No... not "Canadian" whisky, that isn't rye. I'm talking good old-fashioned American Rye Whiskey. Squeeze a zest of lemon over the drink, rub the rim of the glass with the yellow of the zest, then drop it into the drink. Serve... Properly done, a Sazerac should be a "contemplative" cocktail. When I drink one I can picture myself dressed in a smoking jacket, sitting in a dark wood library in front of the fire, and enjoying the peace and quiet after a long day at work. -Robert
  7. Actually, there is something that can "almost" be considered a German whiskey, except I don't think they currently export it. It is called "Bierschnapps", and is essentially just that. Schnapps made from Beer. It is unaged, and I'm not sure what proof it is distilled to, so I'm not sure if technically it is a whiskey or a vodka. The "Sierra Nevada" bewery here in the US was experimenting with this a while back, which is how I was able to try some, but I'm not sure if they've ever broadly marketed it broadly. -Robert
  8. I think such a "necessity" list really would depend on the establishment itself. I do however think that there are a flexible list of "classics", that every bartender should know, even if they are -never- ordered at their bar, just because they represent the basis for everything else. These might be: Gin: Aviation, Bijou, Martini, Negroni, Ramos Gin Fizz Whiskey: Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Bourbon Crusta Brandy: Brandy Alexander, Stinger, Sidecar Tequila: Margarita, (Sangrita) Rum: Daiquiri, Mai Tai, Floridita, Caipirinha Vodka: Vesper, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan However... Something that I think is perhaps even more important then this, specifically because if properly done it "leads" to this, is that bartenders learn to focus on "perfecting" a personal specialty. I'm not saying they invent a drink, but rather that they take a classic drink that is "appropriate" to their venue, and research the hell out of it in order to really "know" that drink. Scour through every book they can find and build up a list of the various (and often contradictory) recipes. Try to see the "truth" behind these recipes, and what the flavor profile intent of the drink actually is. Experiment to determine what "just the right" ratio is in order to end up with a drink that is "perfectly" balanced. Experiment with different brands to detremine how they affect the outcome. Learn how to make a "Sidecar" with just Brandy, Cointreau, and Lemon Juice... but end up with a drink that will surprise your customers by how silky smooth it tastes. ...then once you have that one down, pick some other drink and begin the process all over again. -Robert
  9. I keep meaning to spend some good quality time with both of the Fernet products and see what I can come up with. It is important to remember that these are technically "bitters"... and as we all know, one way of using bitters in a cocktail is just with the mearest dash. Of course, while nobody is going to suggest that you quaff down a glass of Angostura, the Fernet (and other) products are intended to be taken straight, and often are. So it would most likely be appropriate to use more then a "dash" in a properly constructed cocktail, perhaps even more then a "splash". A while back, I took on the challenge of trying to use Jagermeister to create a "good" cocktail, and not just one that some boozing college student would claim was "da bomb"... It took a while, but what I finally came up with is something I am fairly proud of: Mahogany - 1 1/2 ounce dry vermouth - 3/4 ounce Jagermeister - 3/4 ounce Benedictine Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Extra Credit: Before adding the drink to the glass, use an atomizer to spray the glass with a mild cinnamon tincture. To make your cinnamon tincture, soak 4+ sticks of cinnamon in 1 cup of vodka for about 2 weeks. While the Jagermeister is playing a fairly "active" role in in this drink, the cinnamon tincture is taking on the traditional "bitters" role. You "can" leave it out, but if you then try it "with" the tincture you will clearly notice an extra depth is achieved, without really being able to put your finger on where it is coming from (ok, sure, you could probably add a dash of tincture to the cocktail, but "misting" the glass from an atomizer just seems so cool :-) -Robert
  10. One good way to get a "dash" of a liquid product that doesn't come with a "dasher" top, is to take a long enough straw and dip it into the bottle, then cover one end with your thumb, withdraw the straw, then with the straw over the mixing glass, release your thumb. -Robert
  11. I would like to officially announce to the board a project that I, and several others that you know have been working on. "The Museum of the American Cocktail". http://www.MuseumOfTheAmericanCocktail.org This project was started by Dale and Jill DeGroff, and has as it's primary objective to create a physical museum which can be the focal point for historical information and displays about cocktails and mixology. We are quickly working towards opening the museum in New Orleans Additional details regarding the museum can be found here: http://www.kingcocktail.com/Press_2004.08.20.html Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail One of the first projects of The Museum of the American Cocktail will be to start up an annual print publication that will be used to gather articles on topics related to the origin and history of spirits, cocktails, and other subjects that relate to mixology and the art of the cocktail. We are officially announcing a "call for papers" to gather articles for the first publication, which we plan on making available Janurary, 2005. More information can be found here: http://www.kingcocktail.com/Press_2004.08.23.html -Robert
  12. Here are just a few of the pictures from the "Tales of the Cocktail" down in New Orleans... Here is Audrey "Libation Goddess" Saunders right before she did a wonderful presentation at the "Cocktail Clinic" that she did with Dale DeGroff. This is our waiter at dinner one night doing a "Cafe Brulot". A wonderful tableside presentation with flames and everything! Here is Dale DeGroff, and his wife Jill, at the booksigning reception. The place was crowded with folks, who were all having a good time sampling various signature drinks. I hosted one of the "Spirited Dinners" with Stephen Visakay (author of "Vintage Barware") and Kerri McCaffety (author of "The Obituary Cocktail"). Here we see the main course, trout almondine, along with the drink I created to go with it, the "French Quarter". Here is Fatdeko himself, sucking down another Ramos Gin Fizz... And here is the "dueling cameras" photo of the remants of Gin Fizzes on the table. Stephen Visakay joined in the Gin Fizz fun as well. -Robert Hess
  13. We had a FABULOUS time :-> I'm sorting through my digital pictures right now, and will post some of them to the cocktail porn thread, and I'll include more details about what happened there in this thread later (as will hopefully some of the others who attended...) ...of course some of what happens in New Orleans must stay there ;->
  14. :-< You mean mine doesn't count?
  15. Here is an article from MSNBC about Vermouth... Vermouth struggles to save itself http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5595203 ...which I just happen to appear in... (it might just be my current connection, but the article that comes up from the link above is incomplete, ending with a section on "Martini vs. martini". If that's what you see, then click on the "Print" link at the top of the page, that brought up the whole article, which goes into more details about the boutique vermouths and such) -Robert
  16. Yep, I'll be there.
  17. ...and just to play with the real purpose of the thread, here are some pictures of the drinks I had while on my recent visit to Trader Vic's in Atlanta: The Mai Tai: The Samoan Fog Cutter: The Huni Huni: And from my visit to Spice, the one picture taken with my Camera phone: The Dark N' Stormy: -Robert
  18. I suppose my "cocktail porn" can be found here: http://DrinkBoy.TextAmerica.com Where I use the camera of my "PocketPC Phone" (O2 XDA II for the phone geeks out there) to semi-document some of my drinking adventures. This is a "free" photo-blog service that appears to work quite well. And the photo's don't have to be taken with a camera phone, you can send in any images (although they prefer them to not be multi-megabytes in size). The pictures for Trader Vic's were all taken with my camera phone, but at "Spice" the lighting was too dim, and so I submitted pictures taken with my normal Nikon digital camera. There are several other "MoBlog" (Mobile Weblog) server sites like this out there. If you want to experiment with semi-regular posting/journaling of your "cocktail porn", then something like this might be an interesting thing to check out. While most of the posts to these moblogs are usually little more then the picture itself, as you can see from my site you can also include significant descriptions to accompany the photo's. -Robert
  19. It is important to remember that the Washington State Liquor Stores are a -GOVERNMENT- run system. And as such they almost never provide services above and beyond the call of duty... in fact they rarely even provide the services that they claim to be capable of :-> Many years back I wanted to get some Maraschino liqueur, and was very specifically told that it had to be a full case, or nothing at all, since this was not something that was being carried in the state. I ended up teaming up with a couple of other folks who split the order and was able to order a case in. They do not do special orders on anything less then a full case. What they -do- is requisition products from other stores. So as long as some store in the state as a product you are wanting, they are able to order as little as a single bottle from that store to be sent back to the main warehouse, and then sent to the desired store for you. Advockatt, while not "common", is something I think has been "in state" for many years now, so chances are that this was just not something that was carried in this one store, and it was "special ordered" from another store. I use the WSLCB database so much that I've even modified my system registry so that I can type in "WSLCB" followed by the thing I'm looking for, into the "Address" field of Internet Explorer, and it automatically jumps out to the database and does a search :-> As a matter of fact, this search capability is even something I helped the folks running the website set up onto their system. Originally it didn't provide a free-text search, but I messed around with figuring out how to post remote queries to their database and saw that the database was perfectly capable of responding to free-text strings, and then told the webmaster how to enable it :-> :-> -Robert
  20. I'm not a terribly big fan of Vodka overall, but Pearl is one of the vodkas that I always recommend to people. What I find about it that I particularly like, it is "texture". It has a smooth and creamy finish that I think allows it to stand out amongst the other vodkas who's marketing mavens are trying to differentiate themselves from one another by their apparent "taste"... -Robert
  21. Two great topics going on here... my input (late as it may be)... Roses: There is only a single cocktail who's recipe should include "Rose's", and that one is the "Gimlet". Even for that, I usually prefer to simply use fresh squeezed lime juice and simple syrup, not only does it taste better, but since there is no other reason to have Rose's around, it's far more practical. In it's day, Rose's was a sort of welcomed addition to the cupboard. Back then fresh limes were harder to find, and so a sturdy bottle of Rose's that would keep well was often better then nothing at all. But as a "quality" cocktail mixer it really can't compare to the real thing. Nothing grieves me more (ok, a few things) then seeing a bartender use Rose's in a cocktail that normally would have used just fresh lime juice (ie. not even any added sugar). Far too often folks treat Rose's as a substitute for fresh lime juice, even though that is not it's purpose at all. If you see a recipe that calls for Rose's, do a little more research and see if you can fine versions of this drink that call for fresh lime juice and see if they "also" call for sugar or not. This should help you understand how to make this drink in a more quality minded manner. Orange Bitters: As it has been stated by a few already... yes, a "properly" (as in like it was originally) made Martini includes orange bitters. When making them at home, I virtually always include this. And when I happen to drink them when I am out, I almost always have a little vial of home-made orange bitters with me that I can add to my Martini. And when I am out, I will order my Martini "extra wet", which unfortunately is how I need to let the bartender know how to make this so that it has enough dry vermouth in it to actually provide a better "balance" of flavors then how they normally make it. Originally, virtually any drink in the "Cocktail" category included bitters in one form or another. Back then, there were dozens of different types, and many bartenders even had their own private recipe that they would make up themselves. As for Peychaud bitters in a Martini... I recently worked up a special food and cocktail pairing for a restaurant in New Orleans (to be featured at the upcoming "Tales of the Cocktail" event), and for one particular dish I selected a Martini style cocktail (and I mean that in the true sense of the word, and not just a drink served in a "Martini" glass :-) that used Peychaud bitters. Here is the recipe: Tillicum 2 1/4 ounces gin 3/4 ounces dry vermouth 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of smoked salmon skewered flat on a pick. The skewered wafer of smoked salmon is remenicent of the way the Pacific Northwest Indians would cook their salmon around the lodge fires, and so I named it "Tillicum" in their honor. The Peychaud bitters adds a nice "salmon pink" color to the drink. -Robert
  22. When I first got started "stocking my home bar", and really didn't know much about different brands and such, I would pick up something that I felt might represent a good balance between cost and quality, sometimes going with names I recognized, sometimes not. When I got close to running out of something, I would pick up as its replacement a "different" brand, then I'd compare the two side by side, both straight, as well as in a cocktail (if there was enough left :-). I remember that when I started out, I had noticed that there was this one brand, "Monarch", that appeared to have a product in every category, and at a very good price. At the "start" of the above process, I tried a lot of Monarch... but very, very, quickly moved away from it as I compared it against other brands! Brandy: I bounce around a little on this. Sort of depends on what flavor profile I'm looking for. I've usually got a bottle of Metaxa around (although it technically is a "flavored brandy") and lately have been using Chalfonte as my normal house brandy/cognac for making cocktails with. Also keep some Pisco around. Gin: I "tried" to use Gordon's as my house gin, but as I compared it to slightly higher brands I just couldn't quite justify it. I've settled with Boodles as being my house gin, with usually a bottle of T10, Plymouth, and/or Hendricks also on the counter. Also keep some Aquavit around. Rum: Bacardi of course, but I also try to keep a bottle of Gosling Black Seal around for those drinks that need a little deeper flavor. Sometimes I have Myers, but usually Black Seal works just as well. Also keep some Cachaca around. Tequila: Sauza Silver is what I've been using lately for cocktails. I prefer silver for cocktails. I also usually have a bottle of Patron Anejo for sipping, and randomly pick up varous other bottles. There is a lot of variation in Tequila, so it's often hard to settle on a single one for sipping. Vodka: I so rarely use vodka in any of my cocktails that I haven't done much in the way of exhaustive testing. Most of what I use is for the manufature of bitters, tinctures, or in my simple syrup (makes it shelf-stable). Whiskey: Makers Mark is my house Bourbon. It just works -so- well in every bourbon drink that it just makes sense. Other bourbons might work better in something like an Old Fashioned, but then won't work as well in a Manhattan. For Rye, I use Old Overholt. Great price, and a pretty good whiskey as well. I don't use much Scotch in cocktails, tend to save it for sipping instead. Usually I've got a bottle of Laphroig around, but single malt prices have been going through the roof lately! I've tried some of the more bargin priced single malts, but they just don't compare. Irish, when I have it, I usually use Powers. Canadian, frankly I can't remember the last time I bought a Canadian Whisky. Others: (using slkinsey's list as a template/reminder :-) Aperitif Wines: (dry) Noilly Pratt, (sweet) Martini, Punt e Mas, Dubonnet, Lillet Herbals: Campari, Cynar, Benedictine, Chartreause, Ferent Branca, Branca Menta, Strega, Licor 43, Torani Amer, Jagermeister (but rarely use it)... Cordials: Cointreau, Maraska Maraschino (can't get Luxardo in the state), Cherry Herring, Sabor Absinthe, Absente Pastis, Orange Curacao (various), Triple Sec (various), white creme de cacao (various), Velvet Falernum... Bitters: Angostura, Fees Orange (at least until Gary's comes out!), Fees Peach, Peychaud's, and my own "House" bitters. -Robert
  23. There is some truth to that, however it would be more appropriate to say that "mixed drinks" were created as a way to mask poor quality alcohol. "Spirits" were once seen as a "compact" way of delivering alcohol. By most accounts, "Brandy" was invented in an attempt to dehydrate wine before shipping, with the expectation that you could simply re-introduce the water to it once you delivered it, and voila! wine... right... that didn't quite work out as they expected. For a long time, the spirits created from distillation were harsh and with poor quality control. But since they were so concentrated, it made it easier to ship barrels to the "public houses" around the country, where they would add various things to it in order to bring it to a similar strength as the local wines or beers (which also weren't necessarily of the same quality that we have today). The dates we are talking about above range from the 1400's until perhaps the 1700's. Over these hundreds of years, the quality of beer, wine, and spirits would be gradually increasing as the process was fine tuned. The cocktail was "invented" around 1800, and by then the "mixed drink" had grown up, along with the spirits they were made from, to be a far more distinquised, if not respected concoction. The quality of the spirits being used wasn't as good as we have today, but they were accepted as being quite good for the day, so it was no longer a "necessity" to mix with juices and such in order to create an acceptable drink. It is in fact probably the emergance of the cocktail that proves that the spirits were now quite drinkable, since prior to this time most of the mixed drinks would include a significant quantity of juice, water, soda, or other non-alcoholic ingredients. The cocktail on the other hand was one of the first mixed drink that was made almost exclusively of liquor. During the 1800's it was quite common for the bartenders to make many of their own cordials and such. In some cases they would even "make" whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy. In the first bartenders manual ever printed ("How To Mix Drinks" by Jerry Thomas, 1862) it includes a second section entitled "Manual for the Manufacture of Cordials, Liquors, Fancy Syrups, &c, &c" which along with recipes for the aformentioned cordials and syrups, it also includes a recipe for "Domestic Gin" (3 drachms of oil of juniper; dissolve in 5 1/4 gallons of alcohol, 95 percent; add 4 5/8 gallons of water and 1/2 gallon of white plain syrup), and later on a recipe for Irish Whiskey (3 gallons of genuine Irish whiskey; 7 gallons of best pure spirit, mixed) with the footnote of: "Without large distilleries these whiskies - Irish and Scotch cannot be manufactured with profit. It is a humbug to make them with essences, and a nuisance as regards to health. The best imitation is mixing in proportion to the price" So while the quality of spirits overall were definately improving, there would be a lot of variation from place to place. Some would use the true spirit, some a "watered down" version (as seen above), and it would also still be possible to find people "manufacturing" their own spirits using essences, or even non-essences just to produce a "similar" flavor. But such "humbugs" were on their way out, thanks both to increased manufacture as well as better access to shipping. Over the decades that would follow, the overall quality of the spirits, as well as the cocktails that were made with them, would continue to improve, which can be easily seen by how popular the "Cocktail" would become. But then comes prohibition, which would send us back to the "Dark Ages" and remove all of our hard won knowledge and understanding of the cocktail as a culinary experience. For essentially a generation (in drinking terms) we would come to view cocktails as simply a "party tool", and no longer the culinary libation it had become. We are still suffering from the impact that this decade wrought upon us. -Robert
  24. For many of you, this is "preaching to the choir", but I'll add in my 2 cents here as well... A "Cocktail" is intended to be a culinary experience. It should be reflected in the way multiple ingredients are combined together in a careful and elegant balance within which no single ingredient dominates over the rest. To drink a Martini with no vermouth, is to not be drinking a cocktail at all, but a glass of cold gin. If that is what you really wanted in the first place, why didn't you just order it that way? The "truth" behind the "dry Martini", is that it is -supposed- to contain a fairly decent amount of dry vermouth. Originally the Martini was a recipe that used -sweet- vermouth. This was also back in the day when the gin that was called for was "Old Tom" gin, a gin that was actually slightly sweet, and is no longer available. When the "London Dry" style of gin came out, people naturally started using it for their Martinis, but discovered that when they used this gin, their Martini's were better if "dry" vermouth was used instead of sweet. So people would ask for a "dry Martini", which meant that they wanted it to be made with London Dry gin, and Dry vermouth... using essentially the same recipe as would have been used for a "normal" Martini (ie. this ranged from a 1 to 1 ratio, to about a 4 to 1 ratio back then). The whole "dryer" concept really took hold following the "Great Cocktail Lobotomy" (aka. Prohibition). When numerous "celebrities" would be attributed with indicating various ways in which they would make their Martini's with as little dry vermouth as they could possible achieve... however if you look at the "source" of these gymnastics you will see that almost all of them were borderline, or full blown, alcoholics, and they were simply trying to increase the octane of their libation. When sitting at a bar, the conversation will often turn to "the Martini". The person I am talking with will sometimes go on and on about how wonderful a "dry Martini" is, or perhaps they will admit that they really don't like Martinis that much... either way, I will often request the bartender make me a "proper" Martini (-with- orange bitters, which I almost always carry with me), and allow my bar-companion to sample... almost to a one they are -shocked- at how good this drink is. Usually insisting that the bartender make them up one exactly the same. The only people who don't like this, are the ones who aren't yet able to handle a "fullon" cocktail, and prefer instead things like LIIT, Rum & Coke, or extra sweet cosmos. As I recount here, "my" Martini is not what you would serve to some unknown customer who simply ordered a "Martini", but I would -love- it of bartenders would become re-aquainted with this wonderful cocktail and be able to carefully recommend it to folks who are wanting to share in this little adventure. -Robert
  25. For anybody interested in reading the report that Audrey mentions above, you can see it here.
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