Drinks! (2013 Part 1)

[Plantes Vertes]

Hot Ham Water

Oh God No. Why won't bacon know its place?

(1 oz Bols Genever to 1/2 oz Broker's Gin. Don't really know what to call these, but they seem to respond to both John and Tom.)

That's a Lady Chatterley's Lover.

[Bourbonaut]

Hot Ham Water

Oh God No. Why won't bacon know its place?

I can actually see this working, for once.

[EvergreenDan]

Made these tonight, using a 50/50 mix of Aperol and Campari, plus the lime for the ice cube. It didn't freeze to a solid cube (as straight Aperol does), but more like a cube of slush ice. I served it in a lowball with a spoon/straw to use to mash it up. It is a very pretty and unusual drink, and delicious if you like basic Gin & Tonic and Campari flavors. I kept the gin in the freezer to help keep the cube solid for service.

I also made some Pama / lime cubes, but my non-bitter-loving guest wanted Mojitos. Oh well, I'll drink them tomorrow with frozen cachaca.

Frosun
by Dan Chadwick, Kindred Cocktails
1 1/2 oz Aperol (or Campari, plus)
1/2 oz Lime juice (frozen into a cube)
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/4 oz Lime juice
1 1/2 oz Tonic water (chilled)

In advance, freeze Aperol and 1/2oz lime juice. Shake gin and 1/4oz lime juice, strain into lowball glass, add tonic, stir gently, add cube, serve with straw or spoon for imbiber to use to break up cube.

Starts as a straightforward Gin and Tonic, but the bitter orange flavor evolves. Sunny and fun.

[Plantes Vertes]

This weekend Adam George and I decided we weren't getting enough cocktails in our lives, so we met up for some drinks.

First we went to the Viajante bar in the Town Hall Hotel, in the salubrious and lovely Bethnal Green, as it's known to foreigners who've never been there. The hotel is looks nice though and although nobody but us seemed to want to be in the bar, the world and his dog had determined to crowd up the restaurant and almost stopped us getting lunch. Don't go there when you're hungry!

Anyway, the important stuff:

Negroni Sbagliati, which were refreshing and delicious.

Not just a cup of tea

Beefeater 24, ginger-infused tea, cinnamon, raspberry jam, egg white

In my view this drink was quite vomitous, and in Adam's it was poor. Way too bland and silky. It tasted like chai plus gin. It is folly to mess with a cuppa.

What was this called? I don't know.

Carrot juice, tequila anejo, frangelico

The barman very generously made these specially for us because it was a sunny Sunday.

Then we muscled our way into the dining room and ate some small food off nice big dishware.

After that we fell back on the resources of Adam George. No criticism of his hospitality; thank you again Adam for some great drinks.

Negronis

These had been in the bottle for eight months-odd. We debated whether that made any difference as compared to the made-to-order version and decided that the flavours in this one were enjoying a very happy marriage, at any rate.

Aviations

With a new gin on me, Portobello Road, the house gin of a West London pub. Very subtle flavour.

Pegu Clubs

In Adam's sage view this drink is overrated.

Tom Collinses

We both considered that an elegant sufficiency, so we called it a day.

[Hassouni]

First mai tai of the season:

1/4 oz homemade orgeat (slkinsey's scaled down recipe)

1/4 oz 2:1 evap. cane syrup

1/2 Senior Curaçao

1 oz lime

2 oz Scarlet Ibis

Shaken with ice cubes, strained over crushed ice.

First time doing much with Scarlet Ibis besides sipping it, and the combination of that and the homemade orgeat (which is better than my last batch) really knocked this out of the park. Perfectly balanced, deceptively strong, and deliciously refreshing.

[Adam George]

Looks banging.

I had my first Daiquiri of the Summer a few weeks back, although you'd be forgiven for thinking summer was over already now.

[Plantes Vertes]

Looks banging.

I had my first Daiquiri of the Summer a few weeks back, although you'd be forgiven for thinking summer was over already now.

Um, when did that summer actually happen?

Edited May 29, 2013 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[Adam George]

There was a day a few weeks ago I left the house without a coat.

[EvergreenDan]

Heat wave coming to Boston. That orange-colored curacao gives it an alarming color. I don't get why stores stock the orange (or worse blue) curacao Senior Curacao and not the white. Well, actually I do understand, I just don't like it.

Why didn't we kill the first person to color raspberry blue?

[Rafa]

Agree about the orange (not aesthetically amusing enough to justify using it instead of clear), but I will defend blue curacao to the death.

[Hassouni]

My shop used to have the clear Senior, but last time they only had the orange. Then I found out it's ALL artificial color. Wonderful.

[Hassouni]

Just made something tasty off the cuff:

1.5ish oz LH 151 diluted down to 80 (over 24 hours then left another 24 hours to settle)

3/4 oz or so homemade pimento dram

3/4 oz lime juice

3 dashes Angostura bitters

Shaken and served up. Does this drink already exist? (Demerara rum, pimento dram, lime and bitters?) If not, I henceforth name it the Jaguar's Tail, after the national animal of Guyana. I might up the rum in the ratio, I only had 1.5 left though.

[Adam George]

I will defend blue curacao to the death.

Yes Brother!

When I get my delivery in, I'm making a Smith & Cross, Trois Rivieres and Blue Curaçao Mai-Tai.

[mkayahara]

And don't forget the glory of the Corpse Reviver Number Blue! Or the Blue Pegu, for that matter. Blue curacao has myriad uses.

[EvergreenDan]

Rafadamahara Martini

2 oz Blueberry Vodka (Cold River, infused with Skittles (blue only))

1 oz Blue Curacao

1 oz Blue Gatorade

1 ea egg white (blue chicken egg)

Flamed orange peel, ignited with blue butane lighter flame

Dry shake for 15 minutes until you turn blue, shake with ice, stain, straight up, garnish, blue sippy cup.

Edited May 31, 2013 by EvergreenDan (log)

[Rafa]

Rafadamahara Martini

2 oz Blueberry Vodka (Cold River, infused with Skittles (blue only))

1 oz Blue Curacao

1 oz Blue Gatorade

1 ea egg white (blue chicken egg)

Flamed orange peel, ignited with blue butane lighter flame

Dry shake for 15 minutes until you turn blue, shake with ice, stain, straight up, garnish, blue sippy cup.

Um, pretty sure a Martini needs to have an olive. And that's too small to fit into a Martini glass (16 oz). I hate to say it, but I think you blue it.

ETA - maybe top it off with Blue Moon?

Edited May 31, 2013 by Rafa (log)

[Plantes Vertes]

Rafadamahara Martini

2 oz Blueberry Vodka (Cold River, infused with Skittles (blue only))

1 oz Blue Curacao

1 oz Blue Gatorade

1 ea egg white (blue chicken egg)

Flamed orange peel, ignited with blue butane lighter flame

Dry shake for 15 minutes until you turn blue, shake with ice, stain, straight up, garnish, blue sippy cup.

My sippy cup's reserved for d'Yquem and it takes more than a 15min shake to make me go colours, but I really like the sound of this and I've been saving my Skitel One for something special. Gonna try it thanks!

[Plantes Vertes]

Derby, since it was Derby day. Ruler of the World won at 7-1, ridden by Ryan Moore, for those who hadn't heard. I didn't win anything. I didn't lose anything either though!

2 oz bourbon

¼ oz Bénédictine

1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir with ice and strain

[Adam George]

No photo, but I realised I had unvacuumed Dolin Dry in my fridge so made myself an extra Dry Chrysanthemum.

2.5oz Dolin Dry

1oz Benedictine

3-4 Dashes Absinthe Bitters*

Up

Lemon twist

* 3:1 Absinthe to Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal, spiked with Angostura Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Fernet Branca and infused with fresh mint.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Adam George (log)

[Adam George]

Sun is out.

WRAYGRONI!

.75oz Wray

1oz Cocchi Torino

.5oz Cynar

.5oz Campari

Stir

Rocks

Grapefruit Twist.

[Plantes Vertes]

Sun is out.

WRAYGRONI!

I think it's cheating only to try and get the 'Wray' part into your puns.

[Adam George]

And...?

Brice and I also made a Bloody MarWray, a DaiquiWray and a Piña CoWrayda.

I love Sundays.

[Plantes Vertes]

And...?

Brice and I also made a Bloody MarWray, a DaiquiWray and a Piña CoWrayda.

I love Sundays.

Think you mean Sunwrays.

[EvergreenDan]

Think you mean Sunwrays.

Said aloud, it sounds like you've already had a few.

[Adam George]

And...?

Brice and I also made a Bloody MarWray, a DaiquiWray and a Piña CoWrayda.

I love Sundays.

Think you mean Sunwrays.

Oh shhiiii...!