Help for a Couple of Cocktail Novices (Part 1)

[Kerry Beal]

The Voyager - rum, lime, benedictine, falernum, angostura. I do love rum!

Probably my favorite Robert Hess original. In fact I think I'm going to shake one up right now. What rum did you go with?

[mixes drink. . . ]

Yep, that is very good. I honored the original Hess recipe and used Bacardi 8, but I had every intention of using El Dorado 5 until I realized I was out!

Grog shop run tomorrow.

Cockspur VSOR.

[Kerry Beal]

If you have Pimms, you might try a porch swing.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/porch-swing/

That looks well worth a try - just have to remember to get a cuke.

[Will]

I've never played with Vya, mostly because it only seems to come in a large bottle and I am scared that it will go "off" before I can finish it. Given that it's a vermouth, I would use it in the places where I use my more common sweet vermouth. Manhattan, Negroni, etc.

We can get the 375 ml bottles of it here, which is pretty small.

I keep our vermouths in the wine fridge - that way, it doesn't get as cold as in the regular fridge, and also doesn't pick up off-odors, which is the main other objection I've heard to keeping vermouth in the fridge. I like Vya's sweet vermouth pretty well, but I think I still prefer Carpano Antica by a bit.

[Kerry Beal]

Captain's Blood - rum falernum, turbinedo simple, lime, boker's bitters.

[Tri2Cook]

Your posts are keeping me in the rum mood so I decided to try the Final Voyage.

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum (1/2 oz Appleton Extra + 1/4 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof)

3/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot (Bols)

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain, up.

Best I could do with what I have, it was tasty even if not authentic.

[Anna N]

Your posts are keeping me in the rum mood so I decided to try the Final Voyage.

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum (1/2 oz Appleton Extra + 1/4 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof)

3/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot (Bols)

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain, up.

Best I could do with what I have, it was tasty even if not authentic.

Thanks for being so honest! I have been a bit reluctant to post my drinks as sometimes the ingredients are exactly as you say - what I have.

[Sunny&Rummy]

Captain's Blood - rum falernum, turbinedo simple, lime, boker's bitters.

Kerry, can you please post that Captain's Blood recipe and tell me where it comes from? The Captain's Blood incarnation I am familiar with is this one from Robert Hess' site which is fairly different, but simile and excellent.

[Kerry Beal]

Captain's Blood - rum falernum, turbinedo simple, lime, boker's bitters.

Kerry, can you please post that Captain's Blood recipe and tell me where it comes from? The Captain's Blood incarnation I am familiar with is this one from Robert Hess' site which is fairly different, but simile and excellent.

A combination of evo-lutions recipe and this one here.

[Kerry Beal]

The Jungle Bird - OK but a bit 'muddy' in flavours for my taste.

[Anna N]

A Ward 8 for me. This cocktail habit is growing on me. Good thing I largely confine it to the weekends.

Kerry spotted this glass at a charity store and I am in love with it.

[EvergreenDan]

I agree -- that is a nice glass. Good ergonomics compared to a conical "Martini" glass.

Handsome seltzer bottle, too. If my SodaStream looked like that, I wouldn't hide it in a cabinet!

[Kerry Beal]

Aviation - gin, lemon, maraschino and creme de violette. Not sure I'm a fan - perhaps part of the problem is that the maraschino is 70% alcohol. Not sure I'm prepared to put out $25 for a bottle of the regular proof stuff to test out that theory.

[Tri2Cook]

I like the Aviation (regular proof Luxardo, didn't even know there was a high proof version) with the diclaimer that I've never had an authentic one. I don't have creme de violette.

[Kerry Beal]

I like the Aviation (regular proof Luxardo, didn't even know there was a high proof version) with the diclaimer that I've never had an authentic one. I don't have creme de violette.

The high proof is for pastry purposes - sold at places like Qzina.

Got to figure out some other use for the violette too.

[Tri2Cook]

I've considered doing my own violet infused booze that I can rinse the glass with or spray on top to at least get the character in the drink even if it's not authentic. I really don't expect to see creme de violette at the LCBO anytime soon. As for other drinks that use it, I'm not sure. I've never searched for them because it seemed kinda pointless without it.

[Kerry Beal]

Yesterday's drink - Katie Loeb's Best Negroni.

Tonight - a St Germain cocktail Nomayo sans the champagne float.

[Anna N]

Don't usually do cocktails during the week but needed a consolation prize after giving up an adorable kitten I had fostered to her new home! Bitter Elder - Gin, St. Germain, Campari and lemon. Bitter seemed appropriate.

[FrogPrincesse]

I like the Aviation (regular proof Luxardo, didn't even know there was a high proof version) with the diclaimer that I've never had an authentic one. I don't have creme de violette.

The high proof is for pastry purposes - sold at places like Qzina.

Got to figure out some other use for the violette too.

Kerry,

I could be off base but I don't believe that this is the same product, although it's made by the same company.

Maraschino liqueur is a very versatile cocktail ingredient and a key element of many wonderful cocktails (El Floridita, Last Word, etc) so it may make sense to invest in a bottle to continue your cocktail adventures. I was a little skeptical when I bought my first bottle but I went through it quite fast and now I always make sure to have it available.

The violette, on the other hand, is something I've only used in the Aviation so far.

[Kerry Beal]

I like the Aviation (regular proof Luxardo, didn't even know there was a high proof version) with the diclaimer that I've never had an authentic one. I don't have creme de violette.

The high proof is for pastry purposes - sold at places like Qzina.

Got to figure out some other use for the violette too.

Kerry,

I could be off base but I don't believe that this is the same product, although it's made by the same company.

Maraschino liqueur is a very versatile cocktail ingredient and a key element of many wonderful cocktails (El Floridita, Last Word, etc) so it may make sense to invest in a bottle to continue your cocktail adventures. I was a little skeptical when I bought my first bottle but I went through it quite fast and now I always make sure to have it available.

The violette, on the other hand, is something I've only used in the Aviation so far.

Well there is some for sale at the LCBO in Stoney Creek which isn't too far from home - perhaps I should break down and buy a bottle for experimental purposes. Anna would share it with me I'm sure.

[haresfur]

Well there is some for sale at the LCBO in Stoney Creek which isn't too far from home - perhaps I should break down and buy a bottle for experimental purposes. Anna would share it with me I'm sure.

Go for it. You owe it to your fan-base.

[KatieLoeb]

Yesterday's drink - Katie Loeb's Best Negroni.

Yeah. But did you LIKE it?? Did it improve your evening? That's all I need to know.

And of course all of this is subject to taste. If you like more Campari or less gin or whatever, you're the one drinking it. Your fate, or at least your cocktail, rests in your hands. At least for those rounds you're mixing up yourself, yeah?

[Kerry Beal]

Yesterday's drink - Katie Loeb's Best Negroni.

Yeah. But did you LIKE it?? Did it improve your evening? That's all I need to know.

And of course all of this is subject to taste. If you like more Campari or less gin or whatever, you're the one drinking it. Your fate, or at least your cocktail, rests in your hands. At least for those rounds you're mixing up yourself, yeah?

Like it? I did indeed!

[Anna N]

....

Well there is some for sale at the LCBO in Stoney Creek which isn't too far from home - perhaps I should break down and buy a bottle for experimental purposes. Anna would share it with me I'm sure.

Absolutely! Did not even realize it was available here in BLUE Ontario.

[EvergreenDan]

The Bitter Elder is a very fine cocktail. It needs a wider audience. I wish I knew the real name of its creator:

Bitter Elder

by AmateurHour, commenter on Oh Go.sh and Cocktail Chronicales

1 1/2 oz Gin

3/4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain

3/4 oz Campari

1/2 oz Lemon juice

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail

[Anna N]

The Bitter Elder is a very fine cocktail. It needs a wider audience. I wish I knew the real name of its creator:

Bitter Elder

by AmateurHour, commenter on Oh Go.sh and Cocktail Chronicales

1 1/2 oz Gin

3/4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain

3/4 oz Campari

1/2 oz Lemon juice

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail

So far in my very limited journey into cocktails this is one of my favourites.