What did you drink at Tales of the Cocktail 2008?

[Splificator]

Re the Improved [spirit] Cocktail:  The whole point is that you can use pretty much any base spirit (and any bitters) that you like.  I rather like doing it with Louis Royer's high proof cognac, but it's also delicious with genever or just about any American whiskey you might like to use.  As noted, it's especially good with higher proof spirits that you can mellow on the ice.

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Exactly so. While I like Bulleit fine in the drink, I make mine at home with Rittenhouse bonded, Wild Turkey rye or Woodford Reserve (when I'm feeling that I need a little extra coddling). Generally, as to technique, I like to stir this with fine ice (i.e., cracked within an inch of its ever-lovin' life).

[Chris Amirault]

Strain and serve up? Or on fresh rocks?

[Dave the Cook]

I thought I had Rittenhouse, but alas, no. Wild Turkey rye worked just fine, though. Stirred with languor (and chipped ice) and strained into a heavy chilled glass.

Thanks, Mr. Wondrich (Sam, too).

[slkinsey]

I usually have mine strained and up in a coupe. But they're also pretty good old-old school, on a single gigantic rock. That's how they're doing them at Clover Club. . .

[johnder]

And special thanks to Mr. Deragon for assembling a big-ass bowl of Rack Punch on Sunday morning, at which point he had every right to be dead drunk in a gutter on Bourbon St.

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I have to say -- after a long night of drinking on our first real day off Saturday night, there is nothing quite like waking up at 10:30 and mixing a batch of arrack punch.

The smell of arrack first thing in the morning was churning my stomach something fierce.

I had to tap my inner strength to actually have the fortitude to taste the batch when it was done.

[Splificator]

I usually have mine strained and up in a coupe.  But they're also pretty good old-old school, on a single gigantic rock.  That's how they're doing them at Clover Club. . .

I generally like my Improved cocktail as a quick tonic, rather than a slow-sipper (so up, rather than rocks), but leave out the fancy touches and I'll go for the rock. Pedantic? Sure. Silly? Probably. Evidence of deep-seated structural failure in the medulla oblongata? I'll leave Dr. Deko to diganose that.

The smell of arrack first thing in the morning was churning my stomach something fierce.

I had to tap my inner strength to actually have the fortitude to taste the batch when it was done.

Well, my thanks to whatever higher power you summoned to your aid to perform that crucial task. Your Stalingrad of the soul resulted in as good a bowl of Punch as I've ever tasted.

That arrack really is something, isn't it? Like pouring liquid phermones into your drink.

[TAPrice]

The second was Sara Roahen's Sazerac, adapted for both cognac and plastic cup (hard to do a rinse in those things). Looking at the ingredients, I expected a sweetish mess, but I was wrong:

2 oz. Hennessy VS

3 dashes Peychaud bitters

3 dashes Angostura bitters

1/2 T simple syrup

1 T Herbsaint

lemon twist

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Is that 1 tablespoon of Herbsaint? It's a lot more than a rinse, and thus very interesting, if so. No one was shot for the Angostura heresy, eh?

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I watched her make quite a few of those, as I had cornered a hero of mine right next to her table, and I was peppering (he might say "annoying") him with questions. If I had to guess, I'd say yes, for two ounces of cognac, a scant tablespoon would be in proportion (the drinks at the Cocktail Hour are about half-sized). I'm guessing that problem was that the Hennessy (another sponsor) softened the Herbsaint, requiring a green boost. Maybe that accounts for the Angostura as well. I can't argue with the results; it was very tasty, and I wasn't the only one who thought so. She couldn't make them fast enough, and ran out of cups at one point.

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Sara lurks occasionally around here (I think), but she doesn't really post. I helped make some last minutes adjustments to the sazerac right before the crowds came in, so I'll chime in on this one.

The use of Angostura and Peychaud's is common, even if the Sazerac company wishes it weren't so. A lot of good New Orleans bartenders use both, although it's more common to see 2-3 dashes of Peychauds and one of Angostura. Sara and I had a back and forth email exchange about this a while back, and she really thinks using the two in equal proportion brings out the liquorice flavor. After a few experiments, I have to agree.

The sponsor had no rye, so at first Sara was going to be forced to use Bourbon in the Sazerac. Rather than commit such a heresy, she opted for Hennessy. Not sure that she had used it before.

Pay no attention to the specified amount of Herbsaint. It's a rinse. Not to be measured. During a few test rounds, we decided that probably the plastic cups weren't holding the rinse so she opted to keep a little more in the bottom of the glass. The Hennessy was very assertive, so she ended up shaking a little longer to incorporate more water.

[slkinsey]

The use of Angostura and Peychaud's is common, even if the Sazerac company wishes it weren't so. A lot of good New Orleans bartenders use both, although it's more common to see 2-3 dashes of Peychauds and one of Angostura. Sara and I had a back and forth email exchange about this a while back, and she really thinks using the two in equal proportion brings out the liquorice flavor. After a few experiments, I have to agree.

Most bars in NYC seem to use both Peychaud's and Angostura. I like it. That said, three dashes of each seems excessive in a two ounce drink. 2 Peychaud's and 1 Angostura is plenty, unless they are very short dashes. Audrey and I once tasted a bunch of Sazeracs made with different amounts of bitters, and any more than 2 + 1 seemed to make the drink all about the bitters.

The sponsor had no rye, so at first Sara was going to be forced to use Bourbon in the Sazerac. Rather than commit such a heresy, she opted for Hennessy. Not sure that she had used it before.

Seems like a reasonably good choice. Hennessy VS is bold enough for this drink. I've had, for example, Sazeracs made with Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, which is a very smooth one.

The Hennessy was very assertive, so she ended up shaking a little longer to incorporate more water.

"Shaking"?!

[TAPrice]

Most bars in NYC seem to use both Peychaud's and Angostura.  I like it.  That said, three dashes of each seems excessive in a two ounce drink.  2 Peychaud's and 1 Angostura is plenty, unless they are very short dashes.  Audrey and I once tasted a bunch of Sazeracs made with different amounts of bitters, and any more than 2 + 1 seemed to make the drink all about the bitters.

Yes, Sara seems to have a light hand with the dashes.

The Hennessy was very assertive, so she ended up shaking a little longer to incorporate more water.

"Shaking"?!

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I'm not sure there was a bar spoon around. Most of the other drinks were batched. Conditions were not ideal, perhaps, at the cocktail hour.