Nightcaps

[JAZ]

I've fallen into a pattern over the past couple of years of making a nightcap most nights. Even when I'm out for dinner, I'd almost always rather skip the after dinner drink or dessert there in favor of having one last drink when I'm home.

I find that, for the most part, I like a different kind of drink as a nightcap. It's the time rye or scotch are most likely to make an appearance, and when I think about it, I guess that my nightcaps tend to be higher in alcohol, and also sweeter. There are some nightcap drinks that I also occasionally make earlier in the evening, but there's not a whole lot of crossover.

My current rotation includes the Marconi Wireless, Rusty Nail, East India Cocktail and a variation of the Last Word. A new addition has been the Widow's Kiss.

Anyone else in the nightcap habit? What do you make?

[jmfangio]

A nightcap is a rarity for me, but I quite like Audrey Saunders' Good Night, Irene , which I first read about on the Cocktail Chronicles.

Edited March 10, 2008 by jmfangio (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

I enjoy the nightcap as well, including the East India (which recipe are you using?) and the Widow's Kiss. I also like the Japanese Cocktail and the Stinger as last call-type drinks. The De La Louisiane is another. As you can see, I also favor the sweeter drinks at this time as well.

[Mike S.]

My nightcaps tend usually to be a good sipping whisk(e)y on the rocks. Lately I've rediscovered my remaining stock of (the now-discontinued) Forty Creek Three Grain Canadian Whisky. Very smooth and sweet; in fact once it dilutes out with ice a bit it reminds me of a wonderful black walnut liqueur. Brilliant. I like it better than the current bottlings of their Barrel Select product, and still don't understand why they stopped making it. But I'm equal opportunity on this point, with various bourbons, scotches and Tennessees in the regular rotation.

For mixed-drink nightcaps my standards are the Rusty Nail (mostly in winter) and the Corn 'n Oil. I also enjoyed a few Good Night Irenes around Christmastime and thought they were outstanding.

Cheers,

Mike

[Mayur]

Armagnac, cognac, or single-malt neat, in that order.

If I have to make an actual cocktail, it's likely to be a Vieux Carre of some kind, or perhaps an old-fashioned. Despite the name, the Last Word rarely crops up as the final dram of the evening, since it's a bit too sharp and citrus-forward for that.

[Peter the eater]

Nightcaps are for me maybe once a month. I like a rich port for the after dinner before bed slot, and a bit of stinky cheese along with it. If my father is in the house it has to be a snort of cognac, VSOP or better, warmed in the microwave.

On Christmas morning we have a champagne OJ mimosa. What's a wake-up nightcap called? An eye-opener?

[thirtyoneknots]

On Christmas morning we have a champagne OJ mimosa. What's a wake-up nightcap called? An eye-opener?

←

Actually, yes, among other things.

[eje]

Usually, I have more sense than to have a spirituous nightcap. But, when non-sense prevails, I'll go with a sipping whisk(e)y or r(h)um. Maybe with a splash of water, depending on the spirit. Red Breast Irish Whiskey neat is probably the most likely suspect.

Recent experiments with late night Absinthe and consumption have been, uh, interesting...

Edited March 12, 2008 by eje (log)

[campus five]

For me I can't beat a nice old fashioned. Usually I make a half recipe because I need to get up in the morning. Last night I enjoyed one with 1 oz. Thomas Handy Rye, 1/4 oz. 1:1 white simple (I wanted to let the flavor of the whiskey come through rather than the richness of demarrara sugar), some Fee's whiskey barrel, and nice fat orange peel. Yum.

Then again, sometimes I just sip some Stagg. Slowly. Very slowly.

[Tiare]

Nightcaps are for me a sipping rum…and which rum varies.

[Katie Meadow]

Scotch, neat. My husband is a regular, I'm an occasional. If there's any good dark chocolate around the house, then count me in. Nothing beats a sip of scotch alternating with letting a little chunk of bittersweet chocolate melt on your tongue. Mmm, yummy.

[Amarantha]

Single malt with a little dark chocolate, usually. Occasionally Cognac. Would do Armagnac if I had any; sometimes have Armagnac or Calvados to end a good restaurant meal.

[mbanu]

I've found this to be an enjoyable nightcap.

1 ounce bourbon

1/2 ounce apple cider vinegar

3-4 ounces boiling water

honey to taste

[scubadoo97]

Nightcaps are for me a sipping rum…and which rum varies.

←

Same here except the rum is usually paired with a fine cigar

[Mike S.]

Note to self: Try good SM scotch with dark chocolate.

God I love you people.

Cheers,

Mike

[Chris Amirault]

I lived on SM scotch, dark chocolate, and baguettes for two days on a cross-country train trip when I was in my early twenties. Those were the days....

I'm about to make this Stinger/Goodnight, Irene thing I've been playing with:

2 oz rye (Rittenhouse BIB)

1 oz Branca Menta

1/2 oz Licor 43

1 dash Fee's orange bitters

Stir with cracked ice; strain into old fashioned glass with fresh cracked ice. Orange peel if you have it.

[shantytownbrown]

I found Highland Park 12 yo to be a great chocolate accompaniment (or is it the other way 'round?) ....really brings out something in the whisky...

just my humble opinion

shanty

[Mike S.]

Combining two prior thoughts from this thread:

Forty Creek Three Grain Canadian Whisky on the rocks + chips of El Ray Gran Saman 70% = Awesome.

[nickrey]

Single malt, normally something really peaty like a Laphroaig quarter cask non-chill filtered.

No ice, no water, just smoky silky smoothness.

Of course being cask strength of 48% alcohol by volume may account for its nightcap potential.

[Chris Hennes]

Yikes, that Laphroaig quarter-cask is a "once-in-a-while" Scotch for me. More often I stray into the Highlands, or at least restrict myself to the regular Laphroaig if I'm going Islay. My wife complains about too much peat before bed . Tonight, however, I'm working through a bottle of Cabernet because I was too lazy to mix a proper drink. I'm with JAZ, however, in that I tend to break out the Rye and Bourbon for my nightcaps.