Help for a Couple of Cocktail Novices (Part 1)

[EvergreenDan]

To be honest, the first time I made it, I thought "Hmmm, I can't get my head around Caribbean rum and Italian amaro." The second time I made it, I loved it.

Smith & Cross is a bit of an acquired tasted. My wife used to hate it, but now likes it just fine. It is sort of the Limburger of the rum world.

[curls]

No picture tonight - but made the Brother's Perryman again. Beefeater, St Germain, Campari, flamed orange rind. Yum!

Sounds good, I would like to try this! What ratios are you using?

Ounce and half of gin, 1 ounce each of St germain and campari.

Thanks Kerry!

[sbumgarner]

I love the bitter mai tai, but i think proper dilution is key to bring the flavors completely together.

I believe it was intended to be served over shaved ice, and I think it makes a big difference.

The Bitter Mai Tai might be one of the best drinks I've had all year, but Campus Five is right - it needs some extra dilution to help tame all the aggressive, rich flavors going on. Another excellent drink to try with Smith & Cross and Campari is the Kingston Negroni from Death and Company - equal parts S&C, Campari, and sweet vermouth, stir, strain into rocks glass over ice, orange twist. Perhaps I have a weird predilection towards that that combo, but that drink also really does it for me.

[campus five]

Oh, I'm so making that right now.

[thirtyoneknots]

I love the bitter mai tai, but i think proper dilution is key to bring the flavors completely together.

I believe it was intended to be served over shaved ice, and I think it makes a big difference.

The Bitter Mai Tai might be one of the best drinks I've had all year, but Campus Five is right - it needs some extra dilution to help tame all the aggressive, rich flavors going on. Another excellent drink to try with Smith & Cross and Campari is the Kingston Negroni from Death and Company - equal parts S&C, Campari, and sweet vermouth, stir, strain into rocks glass over ice, orange twist. Perhaps I have a weird predilection towards that that combo, but that drink also really does it for me.

Buddy of mine did that same drink with Bonal. Called it "Negroni, Please". Winner.

[campus five]

Kingston Negroni was delicious, though I went with the lemon twist. Delicious. Good call.

[sbumgarner]

Thanks - as soon as I posted that last night I decided I needed to make one as well. Tried adding 2 dashes of mole bitters to change it up a bit, turned out to be a very pleasant addition.

[Kerry Beal]

Not sure of the name on this one - it's Pimms with gin, angostura bitters and fizzy lemon. Enjoyed a first sip then set it down next to the child.

Heard it hit the ground. My mouse was under the mess - don't think it's ever going to work the same again. Kinda sticky this one.

Anyway hubby seemed to enjoy his!

[EvergreenDan]

Call it Sticky w/ Kid?

[Kerry Beal]

Call it Sticky w/ Kid?

Good name!

[tanstaafl2]

Not sure of the name on this one - it's Pimms with gin, angostura bitters and fizzy lemon. Enjoyed a first sip then set it down next to the child.

Heard it hit the ground. My mouse was under the mess - don't think it's ever going to work the same again. Kinda sticky this one.

Anyway hubby seemed to enjoy his!

Never had Pimm's #1 but my understanding is that it is a 50 proof gin based drink to begin with so if you add more gin that would be a lot of gin! I see from looking up a couple of recipes that gin is a common companion to Pimm's. Is it pretty typical to add more gin to drinks containing Pimm's? I suppose if it works then that's OK!

Does this drink have a preponderance of the fizzy lemon part of the equation?

[EvergreenDan]

Yes, Pimm's is 50 proof, which isn't so high -- comparable to Campari for example. You'd add gin to Campari, right?

[Kerry Beal]

Not sure of the name on this one - it's Pimms with gin, angostura bitters and fizzy lemon. Enjoyed a first sip then set it down next to the child.

Heard it hit the ground. My mouse was under the mess - don't think it's ever going to work the same again. Kinda sticky this one.

Anyway hubby seemed to enjoy his!

Never had Pimm's #1 but my understanding is that it is a 50 proof gin based drink to begin with so if you add more gin that would be a lot of gin! I see from looking up a couple of recipes that gin is a common companion to Pimm's. Is it pretty typical to add more gin to drinks containing Pimm's? I suppose if it works then that's OK!

Does this drink have a preponderance of the fizzy lemon part of the equation?

This particular version did have a preponderance of fizzy lemon - I don't think it necessarily needs to. Was just the size of the glass I chose. More sticky stuff for the floor, the papers, the check books, the computer mouse, the TV remote...

[tanstaafl2]

Yes, Pimm's is 50 proof, which isn't so high -- comparable to Campari for example. You'd add gin to Campari, right?

True enough. It was just the gin on gin thing I guess that got me. Kinda like the Rusty Nail of gin...

[thirtyoneknots]

Unlike Drambuie, which is unmistakably based on Scotch, I doubt "gin" is the first thing very many people think of when tasting Pimms by itself.

[tanstaafl2]

Guess I need to add Pimm's to my long list of things to try!

[Anna N]

Last night I had a Banff cocktail: Whisky, Grand Marnier, Kirsch and Agnostura bitters. No photo as my camera battery was dead.

Tonight a Caipirinha. I did not expect to like this at all but felt I should at least try it. Surprisingly I really enjoyed it. I used only 2 ozs of Cachaca so I could at least stay upright until after dinner.

[Kerry Beal]

My first Sazarac - simple, peychauds, Fourty Creek John's Private Cask (I know it's not the right kind of rye - but damn it's smooth!), absinthe spritz in the glass and a lemon twist (now residing in the glass but don't tell anyone).

[Kerry Beal]

A 'Little Italy' tonight. I used canadian whiskey in place of the rye, punt e mes, cynar, a bit of maraschino cherry syrup and a flamed orange rind. Most excellent!

[Beth Wilson]

Ok, I admit to being a little light in the knowledge on cocktails so I am even more of a novice than you Kerry, but what the heck is a flaming orange? Does it make a big difference in the taste?

I just had my first attempt at flambe desserts so now I may need a new challenge!

[Tri2Cook]

Nice one Kerry, sounds tasty. I'm still trying to convince the local store that they want to order a thing or two for me (rittenhouse and yellow chartreuse). I think they didn't read the part of the LCBO site that says "your local store will be happy to order anything the LCBO carries". But I can make that drink minus the punt e mes... if I can figure out a good sub.

[Kerry Beal]

Nice one Kerry, sounds tasty. I'm still trying to convince the local store that they want to order a thing or two for me (rittenhouse and yellow chartreuse). I think they didn't read the part of the LCBO site that says "your local store will be happy to order anything the LCBO carries". But I can make that drink minus the punt e mes... if I can figure out a good sub.

Recipe calls for sweet vermouth - it should work just fine with whatever you've got.

There is yellow chartreuse at a couple of the Toronto stores - let me know if you want me to grab it for you. Ditto on the Rittenhouse.

[Kerry Beal]

Ok, I admit to being a little light in the knowledge on cocktails so I am even more of a novice than you Kerry, but what the heck is a flaming orange? Does it make a big difference in the taste?

I just had my first attempt at flambe desserts so now I may need a new challenge!

Beth - gotta try this - I think it does make a difference in the flavour.

.

[Tri2Cook]

Sweet vermouth I have, I'll give it a try.

[Kerry Beal]

The boys decided they wanted Manhattans tonight - Canadian whiskey, carpano antica, dashes of angostura, absinthe, orange liqueur and grenadine. It was dad's 94th birthday - so we had cake, but no candles so we didn't burn the house down.