Drinks! (2012, part 2)

[dml]

1.5 oz Dow's white port

.75 oz Noble-Dame calvados

.25 oz Cinzano extra-dry vermouth

4 drops Pernod

It started with raisin flavor of the white port. Apple seemed a good match. Then the vermouth, for some desperately-needed acidity and bitterness. And fennel, to round out the flavors and aromas.

I'm v happy with this for an improvisation, and my wife--whose palate and judgement are generally more sound than mine--quite likes it, too. I'll be making this again and tweaking it.

[bostonapothecary]

sour grapes

1.5 oz. cascade mountain gin

1 oz. eau-de-verjus

.5 oz. cocchi aperativo americano

a spectacular expression of dryness. extraordinary aromatic tonality. cascade mountain gin is some pretty heroic stuff and definitely becomes the greatest attention feature. it could only be cooler if the eau-de-verjus could be more competitive by having more aroma, but of course you could invert the ratios. i'm kind of wishing i had an eau-de-gentiane and could throw the jurancon into the mix with some old raj to uphold the proof.

[bostonapothecary]

sour grapes

1.5 oz. cascade mountain gin

1 oz. eau-de-verjus

.5 oz. cocchi aperativo americano

a spectacular expression of dryness. extraordinary aromatic tonality. cascade mountain gin is some pretty heroic stuff and definitely becomes the greatest attention feature. it could only be cooler if the eau-de-verjus could be more competitive by having more aroma, but of course you could invert the ratios. i'm kind of wishing i had an eau-de-gentiane and could throw the jurancon into the mix with some old raj to uphold the proof.

the inverted version was really boring. to get further into grand cru territory, the eau-de-verjus simply needs more aroma. the charm of an eau-de-gentiane is growing on me. i know they exist somewhere. i either need to acquire one or make one.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks to a remarkably generous gift of bottle #2, I'm no longer hoarding my first bottle of Marteau absinthe. Just made Harry Johnson's Turf Cocktail:

2 oz gin (Plymouth)

3/4 oz dry vermouth (NP)

1/4 Maraschino (Luxardo)

dash orange bitters (Regan's)

hefty dash absinthe (Marteau)

Stir, strain, lemon twist. Might have to have two.

[Adam George]

Just made the best Daiqiri I have had in a long time.

Havana 3

Lime

Golden castor sugar syrup - 2:1

10:3:2 ratio

[rod rock]

Thanks for the Harry Johnson's Turf Cocktail!!

[bostonapothecary]

yesterday i acquired some dry marsala wine at formaggio kitchen. it is hard to find a marsala that isn't marketed mainly as cooking wine so i thought i'd give this bottle a go.

.5 oz. el dorado 75.5% over proof rum

.5 oz. intorcia marsala "dry dessert wine"

.5 oz. wray & nephews berry hill pimento dram

.5 oz. maurizio russo "nocino" walnut liqueur

1 oz. cynar

2 dashes peychaud's bitters

the back of the marsala bottle suggested that it had a walnut-like color so i'd i thought i'd throw a some alliteration in the mix... this bottling of walnut liqueur is not my favorite, but i needs to be drank. this drink is lovely enough, but i think the pimento dram is slightly too attentional and should probably be changed to a 1/4 oz. and the walnut liqueur enlarged to make up the difference.

there is a chill in the air and i'm really liking the walnut liqueur meets marsala idea. i should probably pick up a bottle of my favorite which is the haus alplenze. resurrecting the walnut oil sour might also be in order.

[Keith Orr]

I'd been casting about looking for some recipes to use a bottle of Linie Aquavit that I was given.

I stumbled across The 866 at the Washington Post.

I'm quite taken with this cocktail. Equal parts of Aquavit, Campari and grapefruit juice with a dill frond garnish. I dispensed with the salted rim.

It has almost a salty and savory character. Quite enjoyable.

I'd also be open to any other suggested recipes using Aquavit.

[bostonapothecary]

I'd been casting about looking for some recipes to use a bottle of Linie Aquavit that I was given.

I stumbled across The 866 at the Washington Post.

I'm quite taken with this cocktail. Equal parts of Aquavit, Campari and grapefruit juice with a dill frond garnish. I dispensed with the salted rim.

It has almost a salty and savory character. Quite enjoyable.

I'd also be open to any other suggested recipes using Aquavit.

linie is great fun and is a staple of my very limited bar at work.

i enjoy it in a simple bees kness variation.

1.5 oz. linie

.75 oz. honey syrup (1:1 with water or vodka)

.75 oz. lemon juice

or in the völstead:

1 oz. high proof rye

1 oz. linie

1 oz. punt y mes

spoonful spruce tree honey syrup (1:1 with vodka or water) or sub molasses syrup or something fun.

cheers!

[Keith Orr]

With a few minor tweaks, to account for the ingredients on hand, I made the Völstead

1 oz Linie Aquavit

1 oz Bulleit Rye

1 oz Noily Prat Red, plus a dash of Campari

barspoon full of Clear Creek Doug Fir Eau de vie

a few drops of honey syrup.

This is a damn good drink. It's days like this that I really enjoy retirement - it's after noon and I don't have anyplace I've got to be, so stir up a drink!

Thanks for the recipe.

Edit to add: The Aquavit is really well integrated in this drink. It's in the background and part of the whole as opposed to being the in the forefront as in the 866.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Keith Orr (log)

[Keith Orr]

With a few minor tweaks, to account for the ingredients on hand, I made the Völstead 1 oz Linie Aquavit 1 oz Bulleit Rye 1 oz Noily Prat Red, plus a dash of Campari barspoon full of Clear Creek Doug Fir Eau de vie a few drops of honey syrup. This is a damn good drink. It's days like this that I really enjoy retirement - it's after noon and I don't have anyplace I've got to be, so stir up a drink! Thanks for the recipe. Edit to add: The Aquavit is really well integrated in this drink. It's in the background and part of the whole as opposed to being the in the forefront as in the 866.

[ChrisTaylor]

Most recently--a Vieux Carre. Sort of becoming a favourite.

[ChrisTaylor]

http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/bars/features/10100/world-class-cocktails-nobunaga

Some differences:

- I used Tanqueray instead of any kind of vodka. Purely because where I first saw the cocktail, on a menu for a restaurant, it mentioned Tanqueray and not vodka. I haven't tried the vodka version (there's an unloved bottle of Absolut loitering around somewhere, waiting for something to do that doesn't involve Kahlua for my girlfriend's Black Russians) but I suspect this version is superior--the juniper shines through.

- Possibly slightly generous pour of the Amaro. Would pour carefully next time.

- Lemon juice instead of yuzu.

I like it. I think I'd up the Campari more than I did--I added maybe two 'barspoons', given I know I prefer things on the bitter side--but, too, yeah. If you enjoy the flavour of Montengro, this is fun.

[bostonapothecary]

i finally cracked open a bottle of byrrh i acquired a while ago. its kind of boring stuff. sort of like a less bitter version of vergano's americano.

it is labeled as a "grand quinquina" and features a pleasant divergence from the aroma of quinine and the gustatory evidence of quinine (bitterness!). so it smells like quinine but it not as bitter as the aroma eludes it would be. this could be attributed to sourcing of gorgeously aromatic quinine or special effects trickery (separation of aroma from alkaloids by distillation). the sugar content rings in at about 175 g/l which is far lower than truly bitter things out there like campari, cynar, punt y mes, or vergano's americano. analytical measurements of byrrh from the 70's which compare it to dubonnet show that dubonnet was significantly higher in bitter alkaloids. so where exactly are they going for with this strange genre? i can only see this subtle style of aromatized wine being important if other more "natural" styles such as port wine were significantly more expensive and therefore less accessible to the masses.

byrrh cocktail adapted from the Washington Post recipe finder

1.5 oz. byrrh

.25 oz. kirschwasser (hiram walker)

1.25 oz. cognac (gaston de lagrange VS)

this drink is cute, but it needs more points of tension to appeal to my manic 21st century self.

[Keith Orr]

byrrh cocktail adapted from the Washington Post recipe finder

1.5 oz. byrrh

.25 oz. kirschwasser (hiram walker)

1.25 oz. cognac (gaston de lagrange VS)

this drink is cute, but it needs more points of tension to appeal to my manic 21st century self.

This is actually one of my favorite drinks right now using just 1 oz of cognac. Counter to the shake if it's got fresh juice, stir if it doesn't axiom, I find this drink best when it's heavily shaken. It seems to bring out the kirschwasser element. I used the local Clear Creek Kirschwasser.

Perhaps I got over my mania last century

[bostonapothecary]

1 oz. ransom old tom gin

1 oz. byrrh

1 oz. intorcia marsala "dry dessert wine"

bar spoonful of maracuja do ezekial (azorean passion fruit liqueur!)

extraordinary stuff. i will readily make this again. the drink is somewhat inspired by the sanru with byrrh taking place of dubonnet, dry marsala for dry sherry, and passion fruit liqueur for cherry heering. i almost grabbed sloe gin, but i didn't want to risk overshadowing the byrrh. i will have to award to points to byrrh in this round. even with a dry marsala handicap deliciousness was found.

[Chris Amirault]

Made a substantial variation of the PDT variation of the Prince Edward:

2 oz Bruichladdich Port Charlotte An Turas Mor scotch

1 oz Cocchi Aperitivo Americano

1/2 oz Benedictine

dash Jerry Thomas Decanter bitters

dash Gary Regan orange bitters

Stir, strain, lemon twist.

Tasty, though I'd bump up the scotch to, say, a Talisker-level of richness next time.

[Chris Amirault]

Bijou.

[bostonapothecary]

1 oz. pizoes aguardente de medronhos

1 oz. d'oliveiras 10 year madeira "doux"

1 oz. intorcia marsala "dry dessert wine"

barspoon of maracuja do ezequiel

this is so gloriously weird while enjoying a common sense of harmony.

if anybody needs some medronho background this spectacular

really sums it up. i see medronho as the next mezcal.

[bostonapothecary]

"passing the torch"

1 oz. pizoes aguardente de medronhos

1 oz. byrrh

1 oz. sap house meadery hopped blueberry maple mead

float of del maguey mezcal "vida"

the dark and seductive overtone produced by the combination of byrrh and the eccentric mead makes the two monstrous spirits, medronhos and mezcal, come across as less of an acquired taste.

[tanstaafl2]

Tried out the Ceylon Arrack this weekend. Pours out a light golden color without much aroma to speak of. Not sure what I was expecting. No doubt something a bit coconut-ish I suppose but it was not there. A distilled beverage so that was probably unrealistic to think it would be like a coconut liqueur I suppose.

I suppose it was closest to a rum with a bit of a vegetal quality. But not a whole lot going on here which was a little disappointing.

[FrogPrincesse]

A couple of rum-based drinks this weekend, which seems appropriate with the heat wave in San Diego.

A Trader Vic's Mai Tai with homemade orgeat.

Ti Punch with rhum agricole Damoiseau from Guadeloupe. The Damoiseau is nice but I still prefer La Favorite Blanc for its stronger sugarcane flavor (and its grassy, pear and tropical notes).

[haresfur]

Averna on the rocks with a thin slice of lemon is very nice.

[ChrisTaylor]

Averna on the rocks with a thin slice of lemon is very nice.

You think Averna's nice? Wait until you try Nonino.

[sbumgarner]

Speaking of Averna, did this a few nights ago, a little riff on Paul Clarke's Theobroma - http://www.cocktailchronicles.com/2009/05/03/3030-17-theobroma/

2 oz reposado tequila (I had Espolon on hand)

.5 oz Averna

.25 oz Cherry Heering

3 big droppers of Bittermens Mole Bitters (a scant 1/4 oz)

5 drops of Bittermens Habanero Shrub

Stir, strain over a big ice cube in an old-fashioned glass, no garnish. The Habanero added a nice kick on the back end to an otherwise rich but potent drink. I'd definitely make this again.