Drinks! (2012, part 2)

[bostonapothecary]

Moderator note: The original Drinks! topic became too large for our servers to handle efficiently, so we've divided it up; the preceding part of this discussion is here: Drinks! (2011–2012)]

"some wine connoisseurs disdain the muscat as plebian and of obvious flavor" - amerine, from the "technology of wine making".

trying to prove them wrong...

2 oz. cesar pisco "italia" (my favorite)
1 oz. "madeirized" muscat grape "mistelle" cut to 400g/l **
1 oz. lime juice
egg white
dash angostura bitters

**the 800g/l mistelle was put in a canning jar and heated in a pressure cooker for one hour. the color browned significantly and the aroma took on a darker tonal effect.

the results were nothing epic but defnitely delicious and might even benefit from a sweeter 3:2:1 to emphasize the aroma.

i tried to madeirize-caramelize liqueurs in a similar fashion, but could not produce any significant results. i thought the alcohol in the liqueur might prevent the liqueur from super heating as high as the water outside of the jar. grape juice is high in fructose which caramelizes at lower temperatures than other sugars so that might have something to do with the results as well.

…I make them just to express myself – things I feel and want to say – havent words for – Georgia O'Keeffe

Edited April 8, 2013 by Mjx (log)

[Yajna Patni]

I made a bijoux. equal parts gin, chartreuse and sweet vermouth, orange bitters and a twist. I have to say I was not a fan of this really. Gin was tanq, bitters were angostura orange. It is just too sweet for my palette. I find a negroni too sweet too unless I am really in the mood. I love the flavor of the chartreuse in this, but found the vermouth too heavy, and the drink all over just too sweet. May be I will tweak it by doubling the gin. That would make it not really the same though I guess, and I may save the chartreuse for cocktails I know i like.

[tanstaafl2]

Last night was a Doctor Cocktail from the Vintage Spirits book. Got a little delayed in trying this but finally got to it.

2 oz rum (Appleton Extra)

1 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan of course!)

0.5 Lime juice

Quite nice! S&C rum will be next when I return to this.

Tonight I went with a "Hard Eight" taken from The Modern Mixologist by Tony Abou-Ganim which arrived today along with a couple of other books purchased with a little Christmas "mad money".

2 oz Barbancourt 5 star rhum

0.5 oz lime juice

2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Chilled Ginger beer (fever tree - I used about 3 oz)

Build in a Collins glass with ice, top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with sprig of mint.

Have to say this one didn't do it for me. I find Barbancourt to be a fairly "delicate" rhum and the ginger beer pretty much dominated. Perhaps I used too much which is why I dislike these non specific quantity recipes.

Wasn't a lot of discussion about this book here that I could find with a modest search so I took a chance in ordering it. The book itself seems nice enough but the first part (some 80 pages) is more basic bar info aimed at more of a starting crowd. I am no expert certainly but it didn't seem to offer much that was new to me.

The 60 or so recipes include some interesting ones but it has a number of fruit purée's, a lot of pineapple juice (which is not really a favorite of mine), the odd mix of unusual ingredients I am not sure I would want to track down just to try a drink (Bonny Doon Framboise anyone?) and a surprising number of vodka based drinks (especially flavored vodka's). Nothing wrong with vodka I suppose but not a base spirit I am using much of at the moment. Pictures are nice when present but not every recipe has a picture which was also a bit of surprise given the relatively limited number of recipes and was a little disappointing I must admit.

Time will tell but not sure it will be a book I return to frequently.

Also picked up The Essential Cocktail and Imbibe! along with Boozehound which I thought might be an entertaining read on my upcoming trip.

Edited January 15, 2012 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[tanstaafl2]

Started flipping through The Essential Cocktail today and was still feeling a bit rummy when I landed on the Bacardi cocktail.

I suppose it is not truly the Bacardi Cocktail though since I went with the Flor de Caña 4yo white rum.

1.5 oz Bacardi white rum (used FdC 4yo white)

0.75 simple syrup

0.75 lemon juice

1 tsp grenadine (used the mix from Doc Cocktails book with Pama and Sonoma pomegranate syrup)

Messed up and used lime juice the first time and rather enjoyed it! Tried another using lemon juice and I didn't like it as well. Mine didn't get quite as pinkish as the picture in the book.

Overall I liked this book. Feels solid and the info on each recipe and their variations seems quite interesting.

[haresfur]

I thought that for a Bacardi cocktail you substituted grenadine for all the simple, that's what I'd do. ...of course I'd substitute Cuban rum for the Bacardi.

[mkayahara]

I thought that for a Bacardi cocktail you substituted grenadine for all the simple, that's what I'd do. ...of course I'd substitute Cuban rum for the Bacardi.

DeGroff addresses this question directly, but not (to my mind) satisfactorily in the book. Essentially, it boils down to "real pomegranate grenadine is hard to find, so make the Bacardi with sugar and add a touch of [presumably artificial] grenadine for colour".

To me, the more vexing question is: Why lemon juice instead of lime?

[thirtyoneknots]

I thought that for a Bacardi cocktail you substituted grenadine for all the simple, that's what I'd do. ...of course I'd substitute Cuban rum for the Bacardi.

DeGroff addresses this question directly, but not (to my mind) satisfactorily in the book. Essentially, it boils down to "real pomegranate grenadine is hard to find, so make the Bacardi with sugar and add a touch of [presumably artificial] grenadine for colour".

To me, the more vexing question is: Why lemon juice instead of lime?

There has been some discussion about this before, apparently this is common in English translations of recipes that were originally in Spanish, since the terms for lemon and lime are very similar. "Lime" has been taught as "lima" in most every Spanish class I ever took, but I've read that in some time or place it is/was a "limon verde", as opposed to a "limon"--lemon.

[tanstaafl2]

I thought that for a Bacardi cocktail you substituted grenadine for all the simple, that's what I'd do. ...of course I'd substitute Cuban rum for the Bacardi.

DeGroff addresses this question directly, but not (to my mind) satisfactorily in the book. Essentially, it boils down to "real pomegranate grenadine is hard to find, so make the Bacardi with sugar and add a touch of [presumably artificial] grenadine for colour".

To me, the more vexing question is: Why lemon juice instead of lime?

I certainly thought lime first even though the book says lemon and made it with lime kind of as a reflex. I think I would use lime and probably forego the simple in place of using Doc Cocktails pomegranate syrup alone as you note. It certainly has plenty of sugar in it but is a bit more "pomegranate-y". Don't have Cuban rum so that wasn't an option.

Might also add a teaspoon of Rose's grenadine just to get a little more color. Mine looked more like a Pink Lady. Haven't got much else to do with the Rose's anyway.

Edited January 16, 2012 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[tkd7]

I made a bijoux. equal parts gin, chartreuse and sweet vermouth, orange bitters and a twist. I have to say I was not a fan of this really. Gin was tanq, bitters were angostura orange. It is just too sweet for my palette. I find a negroni too sweet too unless I am really in the mood. I love the flavor of the chartreuse in this, but found the vermouth too heavy, and the drink all over just too sweet. May be I will tweak it by doubling the gin. That would make it not really the same though I guess, and I may save the chartreuse for cocktails I know i like.

I prefer a dryer version of this drink as well - 2 parts gin, 1 part chartreuse, 1 part vermouth. Give it a try with those proportions. I think you will enjoy it.

[thirtyoneknots]

I made a bijoux. equal parts gin, chartreuse and sweet vermouth, orange bitters and a twist. I have to say I was not a fan of this really. Gin was tanq, bitters were angostura orange. It is just too sweet for my palette. I find a negroni too sweet too unless I am really in the mood. I love the flavor of the chartreuse in this, but found the vermouth too heavy, and the drink all over just too sweet. May be I will tweak it by doubling the gin. That would make it not really the same though I guess, and I may save the chartreuse for cocktails I know i like.

The Bijou is rich, true, but the best showcase for Chartreuse. It's more of a digestif thing in my mind. I'd recommend upping the gin more gradually than doubling it--double will change the character pretty drastically. Maybe try 1.5 oz and see what you think? Or do it "perfect" by splitting the difference in vermouth.

Or I seem to recall your Chartreuse bottle being pretty small. Maybe just try other stuff with it.

[bostonapothecary]

1 oz. st. james ambre

1 oz. hispaniola mamajuana

1 oz. goya coconut cream "toasted" in the pressure cooker for 50 minutes

1 oz. lime juice

this might be the most successful attempt so far at trying to use a pressure cooker to augment aroma for the sake of a cocktail. i put the whole unopened can in the pressure cooker taking a queue from what some do with sweetened condensed milk. the aroma really takes on a lovely quality reminiscent of so many desserts i've had featuring toasted coconut. if any one wants to try this out, i vouch for goya brand as the best coconut cream on the market.

i thought of making a sweeter 3:2:1 style drink to emphasize the aroma, but then i opted into using a quotient of the lightly sweetened mamajuana to give a similar effect in an equal parts drink.

cheap thrills.

[rmillman]

Rusty Blade gin negroni: wow.

Probably a little overshadowed one of the best sipping gins I have ever tried but I needed to try it as I brought several interesting bottles from The Cask in SF that do not make it into the draconian state of MA.

[tanstaafl2]

Rusty Blade gin negroni: wow.

Probably a little overshadowed one of the best sipping gins I have ever tried but I needed to try it as I brought several interesting bottles from The Cask in SF that do not make it into the draconian state of MA.

Glad to hear you liked the Rusty Blade gin. I bought a bottle awhile back but haven't gotten to it yet. I need to dig it out and give it a try along with the St. George Dry rye gin and the bottle of Genevieve I have in the back of the liquor cabinet. Might add the Citadelle Reserve gin and the Bols genever as omparison points and have a little gin/genever tasting session at some point.

[deensiebat]

Put up my first batch of a 44 cordial. Went with the basics -- just rum, orange, sugar and coffee beans. And now the waiting....

[Yojimbo]

The classic Brooklyn cocktail, with a twist:

2 oz. Riverboat Rye

.75 oz. Dolin Blanc

1/2 teaspoon each Maraschino and Bitterman's Amer Nouvelle (ok, it was more like a full barspoon each)

I didn't have an orange in the house, but a twist of clementine peel did just fine.

This was probably my closest experience to the actual cocktail, for some reason I've never stuck exactly to the formula when making this in the past, and the Bitterman's is probably closer to the original Picon than even the Cio Ciocaro I've been using, per Spliflicator's suggestion.

I like it so much, I think I'll have another.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Yojimbo (log)

[tanstaafl2]

I think tonight I will make a small portion Doctor Cocktail with S&C and one with Appleton Extra for a "taste off".

I am also curious to test Ted Haigh's assertion that it can make a lesser rum shine. I have a bottle of Brugal gold which is OK but nothing special so maybe I will add that to the taste test tonight and see!

So I made up 2 separate Doctor Cocktails at 2:1:1 with rum, punsch and fresh lime juice. The first was with S&C and the second with Appleton Extra.

The stronger proof of the S&C made for a drier drink with a bit more kick while the sweetness of the punsch remained more accessible with the Appleton which I find to be a little sweeter and mellow in comparison to S&C anyway. Of the two I think I prefer the version with Appleton although the S&C definitely has more character and funk as was to be expected.

Didn't get to the Brugal last night so tonight perhaps a comparison between Appleton and the Brugal to see how much difference the rum makes.

Hopefully the lime juice holds up as I went ahead and juiced what I had on hand last night.

[thirtyoneknots]

The classic Brooklyn cocktail, with a twist:

2 oz. Riverboat Rye

.75 oz. Dolin Blanc

1/2 teaspoon each Maraschino and Bitterman's Amer Nouvelle (ok, it was more like a full barspoon each)

I didn't have an orange in the house, but a twist of clementine peel did just fine.

This was probably my closest experience to the actual cocktail, for some reason I've never stuck exactly to the formula when making this in the past, and the Bitterman's is probably closer to the original Picon than even the Cio Ciocaro I've been using, per Spliflicator's suggestion.

I like it so much, I think I'll have another.

Brooklyn should properly have Dry, not Blanc vermouth. Probably more accessible that way though.

[haresfur]

Nir

White wine with a splash of black currant cordial.

[EvergreenDan]

The term "cordial" confuses me. It seems to be routinely used as a synonym to liqueur both in common usage (signs in liquor stores) and on the web. Yet non-alcoholic Rose's is called a lime cordial.

I assume you are referring to a non-alcoholic cooked sweetened black currant juice? How does that differ from black currant syrup (similar to the sour cherry syrup that I buy at the middle-eastern store)?

And how does the flavor of this black current cordial differ from creme de cassis (other than having some alcohol, obviously). Less oxidized / fresher?

From your other thread, have you tried them with rum, rhum agricole, or cachaca? I'd think they would go well, although maybe these spirits are expensive in Australia

[haresfur]

The term confuses me, too. I think they are more similar to Rose's so I would think pretty much synonymous (sp?) with syrup. Although barley cordial seems like it would have more in common with Orgeat (I haven't tried it). Part of my interest is from wondering what the alcohol component of Cassis brings to the table. I like the idea of using locally available items in my drinks from a philosophic and cost perspective. The Cassis choices here are a mass market line of various flavours (kind of like a Bols knockoff) or quite expensive import.

In any case, without a detailed comparison it seemed to me that the cordial made a decent drink, although you probably wouldn't see any reason to sweeten up your wine.

I think rum is a good bet. Maybe something like a knickerbocker. I haven't seen agricole here.

[EvergreenDan]

Not the most creative combo, but:

2oz Rye (WT101)

1oz Cynar

1/4oz Dry vermouth

1 dash earthy bitters of your choice (I used homemade)

twist lemon

On the rocks. Very nice blemished Manhattan. Blemished? Not quiet perfect

I might dial back the Cynar to 3/4 oz next time to raise the proof a bit and dry it out a touch. Andy might want to put in an extra oz instead

[thirtyoneknots]

Not the most creative combo, but:

2oz Rye (WT101)

1oz Cynar

1/4oz Dry vermouth

1 dash earthy bitters of your choice (I used homemade)

twist lemon

On the rocks. Very nice blemished Manhattan. Blemished? Not quiet perfect

I might dial back the Cynar to 3/4 oz next time to raise the proof a bit and dry it out a touch. Andy might want to put in an extra oz instead

I might. And don't forget the Zirbenz.

[Yojimbo]

The classic Brooklyn cocktail, with a twist:

2 oz. Riverboat Rye

.75 oz. Dolin Blanc

1/2 teaspoon each Maraschino and Bitterman's Amer Nouvelle (ok, it was more like a full barspoon each)

I didn't have an orange in the house, but a twist of clementine peel did just fine.

This was probably my closest experience to the actual cocktail, for some reason I've never stuck exactly to the formula when making this in the past, and the Bitterman's is probably closer to the original Picon than even the Cio Ciocaro I've been using, per Spliflicator's suggestion.

I like it so much, I think I'll have another.

Brooklyn should properly have Dry, not Blanc vermouth. Probably more accessible that way though.

Andy, my bad, I used Dry, but wrote Blanc by accident! Agreed, blanc would make for a softer, less sharply defined drink.

[bostonapothecary]

"civil disobedience"

1.5 oz. 1995 guyana rum finished in chateau y'quem barrels

.75 oz. M&R sweet vermouth

.75 oz. chartreuse "special edition"*

*a special addition of chartreuse was created by removing green chartreuse's non-aromatic white sugar and replacing it with aromamatic jaggery sugar which smells of the loveliest of coconuts. the process revealed green chartreuse's sugar content to be approx 242 g/l. tasting the separated native sugar and water quotient also revealed an absence of bitterness implying that green chartreuse is only the product of distillates and not the product of infusions. to state that another way; chartreuse has no non volatile bitter principles. yet, we describe it as bitter. the illusion of bitterness comes solely from the aroma supporting my practice of classifying aromas in terms of gustation.

a really lovely drink. extraordinary aromatic tonality. my supply of the guyana rum is tragically dwindling as i've finally hit my stride in creating great drinks for it...

[thirtyoneknots]

How do you figure Chartreuse involves no infusion when it has color like that? Doesn't seem like the kind of product you'd find blue #4 in.