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I hate jobs like this


Yojimbo

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I've been asked, once again, to create a drink for my daughter's school fundraiser. This year it turns out that a parent works for Remy Martin, and can probably get the liquor donated. I was forwarded the following list of brands I can probably use:

Cointreau

Highland Park

The Macallan

Remy Martin Cognac

Mount Gay Rum

Passoa (passion fruit liqueur)

Rough, huh?

With this level of quality, I could serve almost all of this stuff straight up and be very happy. Water pitcher and ice on the side, 'nuff said. But in the interest of philanthropy and experimental philosophy I thought I'd throw the list out, Apollo 13 style, and ask, what would you make with these ingredients plus mixers for a diverse group of NYC public school parents on a rare night out?

"The thirst for water is a primitive one. Thirst for wine means culture, and thirst for a cocktail is its highest expression."

Pepe Carvalho, The Buenos Aires Quintet by Manuel Vazquez Montalban

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I love these kind of challenges where you have to work with a limited number of ingredients. I think they are fun!

I would make a Sidecar or a Brandy Daisy with the Remy Martin cognac and the Cointreau. These are very approachable drinks.

A rum version of the Sidecar could also work with the Mount Gay rum (the XYZ cocktail or a Santa Cruz Daisy).

You might be able to pull off a Scorpion as well with the cognac + rum + passion fruit, asssuming you already have some orgeat.

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With some citrus and a couple syrups (falernum, orgeat), you could do a pretty large number of drinks from tiki-land with that booze list. Especially if you'll have both light and dark from the Mt. Gay line. One or two of those on the menu with whatever else you decide to do may be an easier sell to a general audience.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Looks like we can get only the ingredients for one drink recipe donated, so I plan to ask for cognac, rum and cointreau, so I can build Sidecars, rum sours, and tiki-esque drinks from the list. Giving up the scotch is really hard, but another parent pointed out that serving neat single malt might result in a rather different evening from what's planned.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions; as it happens, I have a full bottle of orgeat I plan on getting rid of so I can try homemade, and plenty of Falernum on hand!

"The thirst for water is a primitive one. Thirst for wine means culture, and thirst for a cocktail is its highest expression."

Pepe Carvalho, The Buenos Aires Quintet by Manuel Vazquez Montalban

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