Drinks! (2004–2007)

[plattetude]

Threw a couple somethings together Saturday night to showcase my freshly purchased M&R bianco vermouth. No names as yet, but they were, roughly:

1 oz Beefeaters gin

1/2 oz Campari

1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino

1/2 oz M&R bianco vermouth

Liked this a lot. Kissing cousin to the Lucien Gaudin, as it were.

Later on, I composed something that featured the bianco more prominently (i.e. it wasn't forced to go toe-to-toe with Campari):

1 1/2 oz Plymouth gin

3/4 oz M&R bianco vermouth

1 tsp Luxardo Maraschino

2 dashes Regan's Orange bitters

lemon twist

Definitely on the sweeter side, but not cloying. I'd do this again.

Christopher

[bostonapothecary]

i've conceptualized this drink for a while now....i wanted to serve it as an aperatif in a very tiny portion but i actually liked it alot and would drink a normal sized one....

the drink is steeped in mythology, flavor chemistry, apothecary science, and of course frivelous novelty = )

"apple of eden".... the first fermented fruit which lead to the knowlege of good and evil.....

1/1/2 oz. apple jack infused with chamomile....to add that earth apple flavor depth.....

1/2 oz. manzanilla.... a light sherry supposedly adulterated with chamomile hence the spanish name "manzanilla" which also used to mean "chamomile"

1/2 oz. cynar.... artichokes are a classic pairing with manzanilla because the cynarin chemical creates a perceived sweetness which livens the sherry and to the drink, the liqueur provides a nice, slightely bitter edge.

not super high in alcohol but complex enought to make up for it.....

my proportions probably suck so consider those the aperatif edition. i'd probably need mine boosier.....

[KatieLoeb]

Not having any cherry brandy at the bar didn't stop me from riffing on a Blood and Sand. I subbed bourbon for the scotch and apricot brandy for the cherry. End result was very tasty.

1 oz. Bourbon (Knob Creek in this case)

1 oz. Apricot Brandy

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1 oz. Orange juice

Shaken and strained and garnished with a lemon twist. Next time, a flamed orange twist to see if that does what I hope it will.

Can't think of a good name for this drink. Any suggestions?

[bostonapothecary]

Not having any cherry brandy at the bar didn't stop me from riffing on a Blood and Sand.  I subbed bourbon for the scotch and apricot brandy for the cherry.  End result was very tasty.

1 oz. Bourbon (Knob Creek in this case)

1 oz. Apricot Brandy

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1 oz. Orange juice

Shaken and strained and garnished with a lemon twist.  Next time, a flamed orange twist to see if that does what I hope it will.

Can't think of a good name for this drink.  Any suggestions?

←

does the blood and sand work because the cherry interacts well with the sweet vermouth..... cherry being often a component of red wines. and fitting in with the flavor profile..... apricot fits in with the rich whites and dessert wines and may not compliment the sweet vermouth. i don't know what bianco vermouth is all about (and i should probably pick up a bottle tonight....) but you might want to flip the majority of the components and you would still be within your theme..... flip the bourbon into rhum agricole..... clement VSOP.... APRY.... M&R bianco..... OJ still or perhaps another carribean juice??? real pineapple juice with out added sugars....

maybe lillet or the white dubbonet's would fit in....

"sang et sable"

"sangre y arena"

cheers.

[KatieLoeb]

I don't disagree with any of your very valid points. But it still worked. The sweet vermouth was delicious with the brandy element as well as echoing the sweetness of the bourbon. I think a dry vermouth (or even the M&R Bianco which I consider a "perfect" vermouth) might have been too dry for the final end result.

Tonight I tweaked this out a bit further at home, with what I had on hand which was considerably less than my small but reasonably well stocked bar at work.

1.5 oz bourbon (Heaven Hill - my at home mixing bourbon)

.5 oz. Chalfonte Cognac (no apricot brandy at home)

.75 oz. sweet vermouth

1.5 oz Nantucket Nectar Orange-Peach juice (reproduceable with peach nectar and OJ in equal proportions)

juice of 1/4 lemon

2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Now this is what I'm talkin' about! The bitters and lemon juice dialed back the sweetness perfectly. I think this is the final recipe for this. I just shook it and served it on the rocks. Quite refreshing in a well balanced way. I'll be drinking these until I finish the OJ-Peach juice.

[KatieLoeb]

Tonight I made a Bella Donna from a recipe in one of my newer cocktail books.

1.5 oz. Gosling's Rum

1.5 oz. Amaretto di Saronno

.5 oz. sour mix

Shaken and strained into a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass. A nice dessert drink. Not too sweet. I think a dash of my Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters would have made this absolutely perfect, but they were at home and I was at work.

[birder53]

Tonight I made a Bella Donna from a recipe in one of my newer cocktail books.

1.5 oz. Gosling's Rum

1.5 oz. Amaretto di Saronno

.5 oz. sour mix

Shaken and strained into a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass.  A nice dessert drink.  Not too sweet.  I think a dash of my Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters would have made this absolutely perfect, but they were at home and I was at work.

←

This drink was featured in the Sunday New York Times several years ago and is a favorite of ours.

Bella Donna

1 oz Gosling’s Black Seal rum

1 oz Amaretto

2 tablespoons fresh sour mix (1 tablespoon each of lemon, lime juices, water, sugar)

Rim martini glass w/Cinnamon Sugar

My math is bad so I'm not sure if the amount of sour mix is the same as your recipe. The cinnamon sugar is addictive. This usually gets a lot of play in the cooler months for us.

[KatieLoeb]

Tonight I made a Bella Donna from a recipe in one of my newer cocktail books.

1.5 oz. Gosling's Rum

1.5 oz. Amaretto di Saronno

.5 oz. sour mix

Shaken and strained into a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass.  A nice dessert drink.  Not too sweet.  I think a dash of my Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters would have made this absolutely perfect, but they were at home and I was at work.

←

This drink was featured in the Sunday New York Times several years ago and is a favorite of ours.

Bella Donna

1 oz Gosling’s Black Seal rum

1 oz Amaretto

2 tablespoons fresh sour mix (1 tablespoon each of lemon, lime juices, water, sugar)

Rim martini glass w/Cinnamon Sugar

My math is bad so I'm not sure if the amount of sour mix is the same as your recipe. The cinnamon sugar is addictive. This usually gets a lot of play in the cooler months for us.

←

The cocktail book it's from is Shaken and Stirred by William L. Hamilton, a collection of his cocktail columns from the NY Times. It's a great little book and has some interesting signature cocktail recipes in it from restaurants in New York and beyond.

The amount of sour mix is an approximation. I just gave it a short spill of it from the container at my bar. This is a very tasty drink and I will definitely be recommending to customers looking for a dessert drink, after dinner beverage or a sweet nightcap. I suspect it might be just as good with Frangelico or Nocello rather than Amaretto if folks like those flavors better. I'll try this again with the dash of bitters and I think it will be just about perfect.

[thirtyoneknots]

I haven't gotten to try many new things at home lately, aside from a few experiments with my newly acquired Jade Eduoard Absinthe (the roommate got the PF 1901 and a friend from work got the Nouvelle Orleans, all delicious) I haven't really tried anything new in a couple of weeks. It's been hard to even find the energy for an Old Fashioned after the long nights at work, but tonight I celebrated the end of a long couple of weeks and the beginning of 4 days off due to a scheduling quirk.

Started with the Nightwatch from Drinkboy.com. It looked intriguing to me from the moment I saw it and I was curious, although the odd combination of flavors had me ready to dump it at a moment's notice.

1 oz gin (Boodles)

1 oz coffee liqueur (Starbucks)

1/4 oz pastis (Henri Bourdain)

stir/strain/up

Such a precarious balance, the flavors wash over the palate in waves. The flavor was unusual as I suspected, but pleasant, and not nearly as sweet as might be expected. Not one I'll be having on a weekly basis, but a very nice changeup.

Second came one I've been meaning to try for quite some time, the Police Gazette Cocktail as documented by the Cocktail Chronicles. So high was the praise heaped upon this that I had high hopes indeed.

2 oz whiskey (Wild Turkey Rye)

3 dashes french vermouth (barspoon Noilly Prat)

2 dashes bitters (Angostura)

2 dashes simple syrup (rich Demerara)

2 dashes curacao (1/2 tsp Brizzard)

2 dashes maraschino (1/2 tsp Luxardo)

stir/strain/up (lemon twist)

Definitely a complex drink, and worth making again, though I think it might have worked better with a softer rye like the baby Saz, or even bourbon. It seemed a bit austere, although this may have been due to drinking it after eating. Still, a keeper overall.

Finally, another experiment with the new absinthe, the Third Degree:

3.5 oz gin (Plymouth)

.5 oz vermouth (Noilly Prat dry)

3 dashes absinthe (Jade Edouard)

stir/strain/up, garnish with lemon twist. This made two drinks in my small glasses.

Very nice Martini variation, though I'd scale back the absinthe slightly next time, maybe to 2 dashes or so. The Edouard has an extremely powerful and distinctive flavor and it is somewhat destracting, though still delicious. I can't wait to revisit the Corpse Reviver Monkey Gland, and others with the real deal, and the McKinley's Delight is among the most anticipated new ones to try. Stay tuned.

-Andy

[thirtyoneknots]

Oh dear. Long, boring night at work so I soothed myself with The Ultimate Sazerac:

The Ultimate Saz

2 oz Thomas Handy Sazerac Rye

1 tsp Muscovado sugar

4 dashes Peychauds Bitters

Muddle sugar in water to dissolve, stir with ice and strain into chilled glass rinsed with Jade Edouard Absinthe. Garnish with twist of lemon.

Wow. There's about half of this bottle of Handy left. I think I know what to do with it. (Though I may scale back slightly on the sugar next time, maybe 1/8 oz). The experience was amazing, much different with other Sazeracs I've had due to the character of the whiskey. Even at 67% alcohol, this was one of the richest, silkiest, smoothest whiskey cocktails I've ever had.

-Andy

[ThinkingBartender]

Started with the Nightwatch from Drinkboy.com. It looked intriguing to me from the moment I saw it and I was curious, although the odd combination of flavors had me ready to dump it at a moment's notice.

1 oz gin (Boodles)

1 oz coffee liqueur (Starbucks)

1/4 oz pastis (Henri Bourdain)

stir/strain/up

Such a precarious balance, the flavors wash over the palate in waves. The flavor was unusual as I suspected, but pleasant, and not nearly as sweet as might be expected. Not one I'll be having on a weekly basis, but a very nice changeup.

←

This Nightwatch cocktail reminds me of a similar drink from a 2002 book called "66 venner i baren"; In the book is a drink called "Kongen av Danmark", which is named after a popular brand of sweets, which taste of coffee and liquorice.

1 1/2 shots Vodka,

3/4 shot Kahlua,

dash of Pernod.

Stir with ice, and then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

I think we can safely assume that Drinkboy doesn't have this Norwegian Publication!-)

Cheers!

George

Edited May 21, 2007 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

Started with the Nightwatch from Drinkboy.com. It looked intriguing to me from the moment I saw it and I was curious, although the odd combination of flavors had me ready to dump it at a moment's notice.

1 oz gin (Boodles)

1 oz coffee liqueur (Starbucks)

1/4 oz pastis (Henri Bourdain)

stir/strain/up

Such a precarious balance, the flavors wash over the palate in waves. The flavor was unusual as I suspected, but pleasant, and not nearly as sweet as might be expected. Not one I'll be having on a weekly basis, but a very nice changeup.

←

This Nightwatch cocktail reminds me of a similar drink from a 2002 book called "66 venner i baren"; In the book is a drink called "Kongen av Danmark", which is named after a popular brand of sweets, which taste of coffee and liquorice.

1 1/2 shots Vodka,

3/4 shot Kahlua,

dash of Pernod.

Stir with ice, and then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

I think we can safely assume that Drinkboy doesn't have this Norwegian Publication!-)

Cheers!

George

←

Interesting find, though I think the juniper from the gin makes the drink more interesting as well as making it not seem as sweet as it might otherwise. I was thinking about trying it with a slightly drier preportion, though I think the pastis should probably be scaled back as well in that case.

-Andy

[jmfangio]

Just a quick public service announcement: tomorrow, May 31st, is a Blue Moon, so I think it's only proper that that's what we should all be drinking. I've seen several recipes, but the one that appeals to me the most is the Blue Moon Variation from CocktailDB, if for no other reason than that it gives me an excuse to use both my Hermes Violet and Hermes Orange Bitters in the same drink. I'll report back after tomorrow with my impressions, but I'd love to see others try some of the different recipes out there and report back with theirs.

[jmfangio]

Sitting here with my Blue Moon (from the CocktailDB recipe posted above), and it's nice, but less than I was hoping for. It's essentially the same recipe as the Atty, with Orange Bitters in place of the Absinthe, but I definitely prefer the Atty for the way the more pronounced herbal notes play off the sweetness of the violet liqueur. Next time there's a blue moon I'll try the standard gin/lemon juice/violet recipe.

[thirtyoneknots]

I finally got around to trying the ATTY tonight:

1.5 oz Plymouth

.5 oz Noilly Prat Dry

3 generous dashes Absinthe (Jade Edouard)

3 generous dashes Liqueur de Violette (Deniset

Stir/strain/up, garnish with lemon twist.

Wow what a weird drink. I've only played with the Violette a couple of times and I can't quite decide what to make of it. I haven't had any other brand so I can't really say anything useful about this stuff. I kind of want to get a bottle of Hermes as well and compare but since I'm about to move it would be silly to spend money on a second bottle of a liqueur that I'm relatively ambivalent about. It would be sort of like having a second brand of Kummel :-P

Anyways, the drink. Absinthe does strange things to Martinis, makes them seem almost harsh and austere, though not in an unpleasant way. It really enhances the herbal qualities already present, and the Violette contributes a bizarre ethereal floral character to the finish. It's not one I like enough to have frequently, but it's a nice once-in-a-while alternative to your standard Martini. I would however be interested to try it again with Boodles, which already has both an assertive juniper presence and a fairly floral finish. Stay tuned.

-Andy

[Ktepi]

A friend sent me TWO BOTTLES of Luxardo Maraschino for my birthday. I live in New Hampshire, where it isn't sold in the state-controlled liquor stores and I never see it for sale from the few online vendors who have licenses to ship here. So I've been missing this since I moved here a year ago. Two bottles! I may even make some maraschino cherries, though I wonder if they'd be as good with Bings or Rainiers as they are with Montmorencies.

Right now: A Last Word, with Tanq Rangpur. Even aside from the taste, I could just sit here smelling this all night.

[jsmeeker]

right now, a margartia

[thirtyoneknots]

A wee dram of the Eagle Rare the roommate left when he moved out

So wonderful.

[KatieLoeb]

A wee dram of the Eagle Rare the roommate left when he moved out 

So wonderful.

←

Oh yeah. The Eagle Rare 10 yr. old is just delicious. And relatively cheap here in PA (a rarity since everything is more expensive here) at $22.99/bottle. Definitely high on my list of favorite sippin' bourbons. The 17 year old Eagle Rare is also available here in limited distibution, but I haven't had the pleasure of making acquaintance with a bottle yet. At $49.99 I'd love some feedback on it before hunting down a bottle and forking over the cash.

My hit the spot drink tonight was a very tasty margarita variation my former coworker invented at his new bar. An Orange Blossom Margarita made with honey, triple sec and muddled oranges and then a splash of fresh lime juice and tequila. Absolutely delicious.

[thirtyoneknots]

A wee dram of the Eagle Rare the roommate left when he moved out 

So wonderful.

←

Oh yeah. The Eagle Rare 10 yr. old is just delicious. And relatively cheap here in PA (a rarity since everything is more expensive here) at $22.99/bottle. Definitely high on my list of favorite sippin' bourbons. The 17 year old Eagle Rare is also available here in limited distibution, but I haven't had the pleasure of making acquaintance with a bottle yet. At $49.99 I'd love some feedback on it before hunting down a bottle and forking over the cash.

My hit the spot drink tonight was a very tasty margarita variation my former coworker invented at his new bar. An Orange Blossom Margarita made with honey, triple sec and muddled oranges and then a splash of fresh lime juice and tequila. Absolutely delicious.

←

Only thing I've really read about the 17 yr Eagle Rare is that it has a completely different character than the 10 yr. Of course I don't think you can go too wrong with anything from the antique collection, from what I've read and experienced. Also, $23?! I thought I was getting a good deal for $25. Surely one of the best value bourbons on the market either way.

[TBoner]

A wee dram of the Eagle Rare the roommate left when he moved out 

So wonderful.

←

Oh yeah. The Eagle Rare 10 yr. old is just delicious. And relatively cheap here in PA (a rarity since everything is more expensive here) at $22.99/bottle. Definitely high on my list of favorite sippin' bourbons. The 17 year old Eagle Rare is also available here in limited distibution, but I haven't had the pleasure of making acquaintance with a bottle yet. At $49.99 I'd love some feedback on it before hunting down a bottle and forking over the cash.

←

My understanding from other bourbon aficionados and a person who works at Buffalo Trace is that the recent bottlings of Eagle Rare 10 have averaged closer to 14 years, and that the flavor profile has been close to that of 17 as a result. Additionally, recent vintages of the 17-year (2005 and 2006) are closer to that 17 year minimum than earlier batches, and are considered subpar vs. the earlier bottlings. All that said, it's fine bourbon, and my personal tastes tend toward the 17 (I don't like the 10-yr, actually, but I find the 17-yr a revelation). YMMV.

I'm enjoying Wild Turkey Rye with my long-awaited GUS (Grown-Up Soda) ginger ale right now. It just showed up at the grocery store today. Drier than other ginger ales, though not as spicy as Sprecher. A nice complement to the rye.

Edited June 25, 2007 by TBoner (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Tim, thank you for getting the details for me. I think I'll wait to see if I can find a bottle of the 17 year old at a bar or restaurant and try it that way and see if my personal taste agrees with yours.

For now the 10 year old works fine for me. Especially at its current price point.

[Synergy]

I had a strawberry mohito today. It was blended rather than muddled, and it was fantastic. I don't think I had experienced mint and strawberry together before, but I will make sure to combine them again.

Yesterday, I had a martini we are calling the propmaster (I work at a dinner theatre), but I think it's usually called a Matty Manhattan.

It had a 1/2 oz. each of Amaretto, Southern Comfort, Port and Cinnzeo.

It had a beautiful balance of flavors.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Synergy (log)

[TBoner]

Yesterday, I went out hunting for dusty bottles of out-of-production bourbon and Scotch. Instead, in a small store with a huge selection, I found some dusty (late-70s, I think) bottles of Carpano Punt e Mes. This product is not distributed in TX, and I have been trying to get my hands on some for months. The store where I found them had many old liqueur bottles (notably Campari Cordial and yellow Chartreuse) with NY tax strips, so I tend to think these bottles of Carpano were from the same lot, probably purchased on closeout from the distributor.

At any rate, I opened a bottle last night, and...wow. Just wow. A very nice cola and nut sweetness up front followed by a wallop of bitterness, somewhat citrusy bitterness in the vein of Campari. Following a sip of the vermouth on its own, my bourbon-hunting buddy and I mixed up Red Hooks. These were spectacular, but even better was the variation on a Manhattan we did next: Laird's bonded apple brandy in place of rye, and Punt e Mes for the vermouth. No need for additional bitters. The apple character of the Laird's came through in the drink more than it does in the brandy on its own, with the spice that normally dominates taking a back seat. The fruity bitter character of the Carpano came to the forefront and kept this from being cloyingly sweet. Terrific.

I look forward to playing with the Carpano, and I found enough to keep me busy for a while.

Edited June 26, 2007 by TBoner (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

Yesterday, I went out hunting for dusty bottles of out-of-production bourbon and Scotch. Instead, in a small store with a huge selection, I found some dusty (late-70s, I think) bottles of Carpano Punt e Mes. This product is not distributed in TX, and I have been trying to get my hands on some for months. The store where I found them had many old liqueur bottles (notably Campari Cordial and yellow Chartreuse) with NY tax strips, so I tend to think these bottles of Carpano were from the same lot, probably purchased on closeout from the distributor.

At any rate, I opened a bottle last night, and...wow. Just wow. A very nice cola and nut sweetness up front followed by a wallop of bitterness, somewhat citrusy bitterness in the vein of Campari. Following a sip of the vermouth on its own, my bourbon-hunting buddy and I mixed up Red Hooks. These were spectacular, but even better was the variation on a Manhattan we did next: Laird's bonded apple brandy in place of rye, and Punt e Mes for the vermouth. No need for additional bitters. The apple character of the Laird's came through in the drink more than it does in the brandy on its own, with the spice that normally dominates taking a back seat. The fruity bitter character of the Carpano came to the forefront and kept this from being cloyingly sweet. Terrific.

I look forward to playing with the Carpano, and I found enough to keep me busy for a while.

←

Not sure what part of Texas you're from, but Spec's, based in Houston, carries it and they ship statewide. Always more fun to find it like you did though.

-Andy