Scott S

I recently compared two Mai Tais, one with Marie brizard Orange Curacao and another with Senior Curacao of Curacao. The MB was better, but not by a whole lot, but one probably wouldn't notice the difference unless sipped side-by-side. My goal this weekend is to compare a number of "new to me" orange liqueurs, and compare a number of them in Mai Tais.

I definitely agree. I keep turbinado- and demerara-based simple syrups around at all times, and some turbinado-based rock candy syrup for the extremes. I haven't used white over-processed sugar for SS in quite some time.

Demerara Syrup? Is this just a simple syrup with Demerara Sugar?

I've made it, and it was quite decent, especially for the relatively small amount of work needed. However, Pacific recently changed the formula, and an "expert" on homemade orgeat has this to say about the new formula: More info - much, much more - about homemade orgeat can be found here: http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/vie...69&forum=10&116

One thing that I like about the nylon, versus cheesecloth or towels, is that the nylon doesn't absorb any of the liquid. But this is kinda cutting hairs...

Will they work to make a good orgeat? Yes, certainly. Will they work as well as whole almonds? No. Would those work as well as whole unblanched, unskinned almonds? No. Would those work as well as fresh almonds? No. Basically what I'm saying is that the sliced blanched ones are another step further from fresh, so they won't be "as good" and any other option which is closer to fresh. The slicing would dry them out a bit, and they won't be as fresh as whole ones. But the sliced ones are certainly easier to use, and will still make an orgeat that will beat Fee's into oblivion. One tip that I found if you get into making more than one batch of orgeat... When it comes time to squeeze the almond "mash" most recipes call for cheesecloth, which is a mess and a pain and expensive IMHO. Instead, use a nylon straining bag which can be found at any wine-making supply store. Basically this is cheesecloth made from nylon - they're re-usable, and you can squeeze the heck out of them to get every possible drop. And once you're done, just throw it in the washing machine to clean it.

I also tossed my Fee's once I made my own. The homemade stuff really opens one's eyes.

Fee's remains the worst Orgeat I have ever tasted. The first time I ever compared it to home-made Orgeat caused to to pour the entire bottle of Fee's down the drain. Terrible taste, and nothing like "real" Orgeat. It's a lot of work, but I'd suggest making the recipe below at least once, just so you can get an idea of what Orgeat is supposed to taste like (well, a modern interpretation). http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=26&resolution=high

From that sounds of that recipe it should be ready to drink immediately. I can't imagine what good a year would make, since the puree should mix in immediately. There's nothing to "infuse" really. But then again, I'm kinda guessing. IMHO this seems like a bit of a waste. I would make some passion fruit syrup - basically the same as above, though with only a few ounces of vodka as a preservative. Now it can be used in many more drinks, such as the tiki drinks that I love. Add a bunch of vodka and stir and you'll have "instant passion fruit liqueur." There are a few recipes for passion fruit syrup - including one made from actual passion fruits - here: http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/vie...orum=10&start=0 Particularly at the top of Page 2, Melintur's post. And Perfect Puree is an ultimate way to make it the easy way...

Chow: Best Eggnog http://www.chow.com/recipes/10758 Is it safe to use raw eggs in eggnog? http://www.chow.com/stories/10224 FWIW.

For wine? Or spirits? I could swear that I once went to Brix after hearing a ton about it, but it was tiny and they had maybe 20 bottles of spirits behind the counter... I did grab their bottle of Luxardo Maraschino though. I appreciated that. But did I miss a second floor or something??

Cambridge Mall liquors seemed to have an amazing selection. Though I have to admit that I was not looking for such liqueurs - they just had a bunch, and many that I had no chance of recognizing.

Googling for "bon vivant companion rum shrub" yields at least 3 different recipes... A Google Book Search shows what appears to be Bon Vivant's Companion - Rum Shrub Recipea digitized version of Jerry Thomas's book, and a different recipe without milk. Since I would immediately think that the lemon juice would curdle the milk in the recipe you posted, I wonder if this is a better bet?

Excellent catch Erik. Thanks! That at least does confirm 92 AD which I saw in another article, with reasonable commentary supporting it - unlike the other article. And the extra terms may help, too. Thanks.

I've been curious about aging lately, and have been trying to dig up any definitive information about when oak barrels began being used to age wine and spirits. So far I've found little information, and it's been anecdotal at best. I can not find any two articles that even come close to agreeing on much beyond current info. In short, I can't find anything that even seems remotely definitive. Well, at this point I've found so much differing info that I can't be certain that it's correct. So far this has all been web searches, but I can't even find a book containing info about the history of barrel aging. Can anyone point me to some reference about the use of barrels to improve wines and spirits?