Jump to content

Scott S

participating member
  • Posts

    54
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Scott S

  1. Scott S

    Orgeat

    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.
  2. 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.
  3. Demerara Syrup? Is this just a simple syrup with Demerara Sugar?
  4. Scott S

    Orgeat

    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
  5. Scott S

    Orgeat

    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...
  6. Scott S

    Orgeat

    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.
  7. Scott S

    Orgeat

    I also tossed my Fee's once I made my own. The homemade stuff really opens one's eyes.
  8. 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
  9. 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...
  10. 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.
  11. 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??
  12. 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.
  13. 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?
  14. 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.
  15. 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?
  16. Thanks! At least I know they exist. Now to find someplace that sells them individually, not by the dozen.
  17. I'm going to be doing a rum-tasting/rum-education event and was thinking about using pre-measured pours so that I don't get the attendees totally intoxicated. (And they would help for speed, too, when lining up 20 shots.) I was looking for 1/4- or 1/3-oz pre-measured pouring spouts, but can not find any this small. Perhaps my google skills suck... Does anyone know where I could get such small pre-measured spouts? Or, does anyone know of a decently quick, decently accurate way to pour such small amounts? Thanks.
  18. Just noticing this thread... Are there any liquor stores in NYC that are noted for carrying a good rum selection? I'm particularly looking for agricoles, cachacas, and aged sipping rums.
  19. Martignetti's on Soldier's Field Road has it. Or possibly it was Marty's in Allston? Worth a call to both to confirm.
  20. I do the same. I guess that I'm lucky that I live within an hour of 5 states.
  21. Chris, I feel your pain, for sure. About the only thing to do in our area (I'm just north of Boston) is cross state lines. At least you live in a small state, so the state lines are close. :-) I'm always searching for good rums, and often make "rum runs" to check out liquor stores that advertise a decent rum selection. I have been trying to keep track of what stores have various notable brands, or at least if they have a good selection. This summer I plan on hitting many stores in Connecticut, since I can't find much agricole or cachaca in Massachusetts. 4 brands that I am looking for aren't distributed in Mass, but are available (somewhere) in CT. I have to say that I have only seen the 12-year-old Montecristo in my runs, but if I ever spot it I'll let you know.
  22. Your quotes match what I have heard, too. Seems like the true reasoning behind the names is lost, but it leans to triple sec being dryer than the sweeter curacaos, and also seems to imply that triple secs are of higher quality. But the "bastardization" of the name curacao rings true if one reads the Senior web site which explains why they call their product "Curacao of Curacao." We named it "Curacao of Curacao" to differentiate it from other brands of Curacao liqueur that are not original. We are the only original since we have the only Curacao liqueur processed with the dried peels of the "Laraha" (bitter orange native of Curacao).
  23. Just my opinion, but I have a hard time calling something like Grand Marnier a triple sec just because of everything else going on. While it may technically be a triple sec I don't feel that such a title does justice - not mentioning the cognac base seems like hiding something while at the same time not mentioning a very important point. Would you call the Cuvee Du Cent Cinquantenaire a triple sec? Seems like heresy. In the end, I think the most imprtant thing is liking what you like. It really does depend on the person, the mood, and the cocktail. With that thought I'd say that I will always have Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and Citronge on hand. My bottle of Gran Gala will probably remain untouched for years to come. The others will be forgotten once they're all used up on cocktails or friends where the taste isn't so important.
  24. Didn't you say Orangero was clear, though? It looks orange here. Wow, yes that's orange, and Orangero is definitely clear. Perhaps they added some coloring agents to Grand Orange? Or changed the ingredients enough to get that color? The descriptions are similar though, but the Orangero does mention something about bitterness. Considering that, IMHO, the Orangero was not very worthwhile, maybe others thought the same and they dropped Orangero and devloped Grand Orange? Both statements seem quite reasonable to me. Depends on the cocktail, and the person, though I would also always lean towards Cointreau.
  25. A lot of my reasoning behind such a statement had to do with the amount of orange taste compared to the sweetness and also compared to the other things going on. For instance the MB Orangero (which I also think is now Grand Orange) is so light in orange taste that you'd barely taste it (if using recipe measurements) or you'd have to add much more (to get the same amount of orange taste) and then other things would be going on (too much sweetness, or too much "background" taste). The GranGala I found to be just too "funky" and odd. I certainly wouldn't blindly substitute GG for GM without thinking about the rest of the cocktail. Same here. I'd say that fits how I calssified them, but I won't argue that I'm absolutely correct. I would probably switch for margaritas, but not for everything. I guess that I saw this as the taste prominence of the brandy/cognac. In Cointreau the orange is quite powerful compared to the taste of the brandy, so I put this under triple sec. Classify it how you wish - I didn't mean for it to be a thorough classification but more of an easy way to differentiate. After tasting them side-by-side I would never substitute the MB for Cointreau. While they are both high quality I got no comparison in taste. That is, I found the Cointreau to be much stronger in orange taste. If comparing two of the same cocktail using the same amounts of both then the MB has more of a chance of being undetectable. IMHO. Funny how it works. I had no problem finding Senior but the MB Curacao was nowhere to be found, even after hunting through over 20 liquor stores from Boston to Maine.
×
×
  • Create New...