Drinks (2009–2011)

[bostonapothecary]

abridged gin mule

1 oz. gin (beefeater)

.5 oz. lime juice

4 oz. kegged sweet potato ginger beer*

over crushed ice

the juniper ginger combo is most excellent. a lot of gins really bother me with their lame juniper expressions. beefeater is not one of them. i found its aroma uplifting and purifying amidst this cold dreary allergy season.

*i averaged the sugar contents of a few commercial ginger beers by reading the disclosed amounts on the nutritional facts and settled on a 100g/l sugar model. the sugar was inverted to not degrade the ginger aroma, the ginger was juiced not steeped (one quart per three gallons), and the water was boiled with sweet potatoes to soak up a negligible amount of sugars but an awesome amount of aroma. gassed like a lager.

a really fast ginger beer recipe if you have the right equipment.

[Chris Amirault]

Made myself a Bennett Cocktail; made the missus a Daiquiri with a dash of pimento dram. For a nightcap, I made a Rough a Tumble with 2 oz Appleton V/X, 1/2 oz Branca Menta, and 1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb.

[KD1191]

Nearing the end of my lavender & seville orange peel infused honey syrup...decided a Pisco Old Fashioned was in order.

2 oz Pisco (Estirpe Peruana Quebranta Mosto Verde)

1/2 oz Honey Syrup

12 drops Bittercube Bolivar Bitters*

Stir, strain. Garnished with 3 more drops of Bolivar.

The pisco has some real funk from the must, almost a maraschino-like mid-palate and finish. A nice blending of various citrus elements, but the floral notes are mostly lost.

*Aromatic bitters with notes of cinnamon, dried fruits, & citrus. (Supposedly based on an old Angostura recipe.)

[EvergreenDan]

...a Rough a Tumble with 2 oz Appleton V/X, 1/2 oz Branca Menta, and 1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb.

Thank you, sir. I used Smith & Cross and, for my minty-wussy taste, the Menta dominated. I reduced it to 1 tsp and added 1/4 tsp lime and a dash of Angostura and like the result a lot. I renamed it "Gruff and Rumble". Maybe I'm not not ready for the full glorious vile-ostity of Branca Menta.

Edited April 19, 2010 by EvergreenDan (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

Much thought given lately to everyone's Fernet experiments as well as my desire to use up a languishing bottle of DeKuyper Creme de Menthe without burning out on Stingers (if that is possible--I don't want to find out). Needed a nightcap after a frustrating shift and came up with equal parts Fernet Branca, Creme de Menthe, and Old Grand-dad 114 over crushed ice with a twist. Pretty satisfying, though I predictably found myself wanting to increase the bourbon at the expense of the CdM, which sort of defeats the purpose. I'd probably try it next with double the whiskey. The sweetness started to wear on me a bit after a while though I did make this a bit bigger than I am accustomed to so that might have been part of the issue as well.

Worth trying though if you like that kind of thing (If I do say so myself). And yes I know this is a sort-of ripoff of the Good Night Irene but I can't seem to get Branca Menta anywhere around here

edit: typos

Edited April 20, 2010 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[EvergreenDan]

Make a round of Paper Airplanes (thank you eGullet), and boy-oh-boy-oh-boy is that a good drink. Even the non-bourbon lovers loved it.

3/4 oz Bourbon

3/4 oz Campari (Luxardo Bitter, but close to the same thing)

3/4 oz Amaro Nonino (Ramazzotti because that's what I have)

3/4 oz Lemon

Really deserved to be in the rotation.

[KD1191]

Enjoyed at Shadyside Fizz from Rogue Cocktails contributor Mike Ryan at his new bar Sable last night. Equal parts Herradura Blanco and Angostura, some lime juice and simple, shaken with egg white and topped with some ginger ale and a bit more Angostura (but of course). It was nicely tart with a bitter finish and pleasant smokiness.

One of my favorite things about using a large quantity of Angostura in a drink is the gorgeous chestnut color that often results. This drink was no exception.

Edited April 25, 2010 by KD1191 (log)

[KD1191]

A variation on the Search for Deliciousness:

2 oz Ramazzotti Amaro

1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters

15 Drops Bittercube Orange Bitters

Shake, strain over ice. Orange peel.

The original calls for Cynar, and the proportions are different. I imagine this works with a lot of different amaros. Maybe switch up the bitters a bit, depending...orange might be redundant with CioCiaro or Montenegro, for example.

[EvergreenDan]

Schwartwald

1 oz Gin

1 oz Black Balsams

1 oz Amaro Lucano

3/4 oz Lemon

Delicious, spicy, not excessively bitter, good sour balance. Complex and thought-provoking. A very good drink. I'm sure any of the spicy amari would work: Ramazzotti, Meletti, Averna, etc.

Had it after a Shiver, one of my all-time favorite cocktails. Excellent imbibing tonight.

[KatieLoeb]

Make a round of Paper Airplanes (thank you eGullet), and boy-oh-boy-oh-boy is that a good drink. Even the non-bourbon lovers loved it.

3/4 oz Bourbon

3/4 oz Campari (Luxardo Bitter, but close to the same thing)

3/4 oz Amaro Nonino (Ramazzotti because that's what I have)

3/4 oz Lemon

Really deserved to be in the rotation.

Made a short one of these tonight at work to try it (.5 oz. of each spirit) but unfortunately my only choices for an amaro are Averna and Fernet Branca. Went with the Averna and the drink was quite tasty (even to my overly bitter sensitive palate), however it was clear that the Campari and Averna were duking it out heavily in the glass. I can totally see how Nonino or Ramazotti would make this drink sublime. I added an unspoken orange twist garnish as well...

[Indirect Heat]

Wife had an Avalanche at the Chateau Lake Louise:

.

1 oz fresh brewed espresso

½ oz Baileys

½ oz Frangelico

½ oz white crème de cacao

2 oz cream

More at http://indirectheat.blogspot.com/2010/05/lazy-saturday-calls-for.html

[MikeInSacto]

Last night, it was a variation of Gary Regan's version of the Scofflaw:

2 oz. rye (Russell's Reserve)

1 oz. dry vermouth (I was out of this, so in went Lillet Blanc)

1/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. grenadine (homemade, just a touch shy of the 1/2 oz. mark)

2 dashes orange bitters

Liked it a lot.

[TexasCocktailGeek]

It's warming up here in Houston, so I thought a few summery cocktails would be appropriate.

(sorry about the blurriness)

On the left is my drink, the False Dichotomy (from Bobby Heugel at Anvil in Houston):

2 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry rum

1 oz lemon juice

3/4 oz Sonoma Syrup Co. Lavender Simple Syrup

egg white

lemon twist

Angostura bitters misted over half the drink

On the right is my wife's drink, a Pisco Sour (using Gary Regan's recipe):

2 oz ABA pisco

1 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz 1:1 simple syrup

egg white

Angostura bitters mist

Yum!

[bostonapothecary]

daiquiri

2 oz. joao a. monteiro aguardente velha (aged rum from santo antao)

1 oz. lime juice

spoonful of sugar (non aromatic type, stirred to dissolve)

shaken "commando" style with one large lump of ice (about 4 cubic inches) until i felt the shaker was stingingly cold.

the large lump of ice doesn't have a lot of surface area, relative to 4 one inch cubic peices, so i knew i could shake the drink for a long time without things diluting to death. i've seen the same technique done with egg drinks.

the result was serious froth akin to pictures i've seen of the hard shake. i strained the drink letting all the ice chips into the glass and they didn't seem to bother me or enhance the experience. i don't really like inhomogeneous textural elements in my drinks with the exception of egg foams. i think its symbolic value i place on "tidy-ness". the cleaned up drink, to me, is more calming than a chaotic mess of floating ice chips.

the perception of the drink was definitely augmented by the physical exertion i put into making it. i was so unrelaxed that any result would do as long as it was cold and tart. drinks are often like sandwiches and can easily be better when someone else makes them for you.

i still say the greatest contribution to perception and emotional content is the relationship between sugar and acid, at least in the daiquiri.

Edited May 8, 2010 by bostonapothecary (log)

[EvergreenDan]

Margara

1 1/2 oz Tequila Anejo

3/4 oz Creole Shrub

3/4 oz Lime juice

3/8 oz Cynar

2 dash Angostura Orange

Accessibly bitter, peppery from the tequila, but still recognizable as a Margarita. My wife and I gave it 5 stars. Sipping from the mixing glass, it seemed good without the Cynar for those wanting something more true to the inspiration.

[KD1191]

Chartreuse Cuvée Des Meilleurs Ouvriers De France Sommeliers and one large ice cube.

It survived in the checked baggage, and we made it through the Icelandic volcano cloud...seems like enough reason to crack the bottle. It's like a refined Yellow VEP, but flavors are brighter due to what I would imagine is significantly less aging. Released in November 2008, this is a special bottling of Yellow Chartreuse that was a collaboration between the monks and several master sommeliers. After tasting it at the distillery in Voiron, I couldn't leave without some.

[Dan Perrigan]

Make a round of Paper Airplanes (thank you eGullet), and boy-oh-boy-oh-boy is that a good drink. Even the non-bourbon lovers loved it.

3/4 oz Bourbon

3/4 oz Campari (Luxardo Bitter, but close to the same thing)

3/4 oz Amaro Nonino (Ramazzotti because that's what I have)

3/4 oz Lemon

Really deserved to be in the rotation.

I wanted to try this last week. I didn't have Nonino or Ramazzotti, but I DID have Amaro CioCiaro so I gave it a try. Yes -- very yummy. But then I started tinkering. I wanted a bolder whiskey flavor so I halved the lemon and subbed Rye for the Bourbon. Bullseye! Since it's a bit stronger than the Paper Airplanes (at least in flavor -- CioCiaro is 80 Proof but I don't know about Nonino), I give you...

The Balsa Flyer

1 oz Rittenhouse Bonded

1 oz Campari

1 oz Amaro CioCiaro

1/2 oz Lemon Juice

This is a Fabulous drink. I actually waited a week to post this so that I could make it again to make sure it was as good as I thought it was. Actually, I think it's better than I remembered.

Cheers,

Dan

[bostonapothecary]

bees knees

1.5 oz. montanha genibera superior aromatica (portuguese gin)

.75 oz. cristinalda "brandymel" (54 proof)

.75 oz. lemon juice

this was an interesting riff on a bees knees with some portuguese products. the structure of the drink seemed tarter than what i make at the restaurant due to the difference in sugar ethic of the honey syrup/liqueurs.

a cardamom-like aroma was brought into focus some how, and was an interesting contrast to the honey. revisiting the gin alone, there seems to be an aroma like cardamom that rivals its juniper aroma. the tonal effect of the honey is pretty spectacular for a $14/750ml liqueur.

brandymel is something i've overlooked for quite a few years now. apparently its been produced for the last 55 years in the algarve region of portugal and is based on traditional folk rememdies for sore throats that use honey. the liqueur is essentially honey (maybe local?) preserved and aromatically contrasted by "medronho", which is a fruit brandy from the arbutus or "strawberry tree".

medronho is crazy stuff, though i've never had it by itself. the artisan tradition of its often illicit production detailed by joao mariano's photo book "alembics and alchemy" (i've only seen the photo exhibition published on the web) is the most interesting culinary tradtion i've seen in quite a while. simply wow. as far as romantic appeal, medronho completely surpasses american moonshine.

i'm familiar with the arbutus because i've been buying strawberry tree honey for a quite a few years now, but from a corsican source via formaggio kitchen. my limited understanding of the fruit was that it barely had a sugar content, was oppressively bitter and strangely only fit for one of the greatest honeys of the world (a pungent and slightly bitter honey)

being related to the strawberry tree makes brandymel interesting stuff. the fortifier has some serious pedigree, but where the hell does the honey come from? it smells wonderful and is definitely not bulk clover. based on my experience with the arbutus honey aroma, its likely not single varietal or something else, but who knows. the area is supposedly crawling with the trees, and no accounts of medronho production i've read describe the fruit as being barely sweet or even bitter so arbutus might be a component in the honey and its just reflective of their unique terroir.

i just don't understand how a country can make products of such high quality for so little money. portugal is a gold mine of culinary treasures.

[KD1191]

Another product I had never seen before visiting the Chartreuse distillery in Voiron (an absolutely wonderful tour and tasting, organized by their export director Philippe Rochez) was their Gentiane (Apéritif des Pères Chartreux). It is exceptionally bitter without the cloying sweetness and syrupy mouth feel that I have come to dislike in many other products. As such, I thought I'd take it for a test drive as a substitute for Campari in a Negroni.

1 1/2 oz Tanqueray

1 oz Cinzano Bianco

1 oz Gentiane de Chartreuse

I started with equal parts, but the gin was lost behind the powerful flavor of the Gentiane. With the juniper restored, besides looking like Ecto Cooler, the drink is marvelous. I don't want to badmouth the Negroni, it's one of my favorite cocktails, but where once there was just a lingering note of orange, now the herbs of the mountains and forest dance in the background.

Edited May 22, 2010 by KD1191 (log)

[bostonapothecary]

1.5 oz. vale d'paul aguardente "nova" cape verdean rum

.75 oz. sour orange juice

.75 oz. unheated "fresh" sugar cane juice freeze concentrated to maybe 300g/l

this was an interesting drink. i was hoping that i could abstract some cool aromas out of fresh sugar cane juice by concentrating it in the absence of heat. eh, its not that cool. there are some fun exotic green aromas pre-concentration but they get largely overshadowed by the caramel aromas. overall on its own, the syrup doesn't seem too different than lyle's golden. sugar cane juice can also be tricky in that its so high in potassium it can be laxative, sticking to .75 ounce of this syrup easily keeps you in the safe zone.

the cocktail however, surpassed my expectations. i really expected the "stuck" and overshadowing caramel aroma to dominate but it didn't. somehow if i tasted this drink blind, i'd think it was made with a slightly aged martinique rum like st. james, but i bet i could get the same results with a spoonful of turbinado...

[TexasCocktailGeek]

The other night I had (what I thought was) a really excellent bourbon cocktail:

The Undertaker (from Misty Kalkofen of Drink, Boston)

1/4 oz Cynar

1 1/2 oz Eagle Rare 10 Year

1/2 oz grapefruit juice

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

orange twist garnish

Mellow, bourbon sweetness elevated just a bit by the grapefruit and just a pleasant hint of bitter. A new favorite for me.

[KatieLoeb]

Trying to clean out the liquor cabinet. So many sample bottles with just a bit left over in them. Tonight I decided to rid myself of some of the vodkas. Best effort was thus:

2.5 oz Pearl Plum vodka

.75 oz Sour cherry juice (can't remember the brand - will check later)

juice of a wedge of fresh lime

dash of Fee Brothers Aromatic bitters

Tastes like cherry pie. The Fee bitters definitely added that clove-like spice that made the drink what it was. The cosmo swilling chicks would be all over this...

[deensiebat]

Celebrating a sunny afternoon with a pineapple mojito:

[lancastermike]

A hot Memorial Day had me into several Dark and Stormy's. One of my all time favorite hot weather drinks

[KD1191]

Tonight, something a little different courtesy of my friends at North Shore Distillery. A few weeks ago they ran a contest to announce their limited release for 2010, which I happened to win. The prize was the #2 bottle of their new ready to serve cocktail CR², a "spirit distilled with herbs, spices and citrus, and blended with wine," inspired by the Corpse Reviver #2. All I did was shake a few ounces with ice and drop in a cherry. For the amount of effort required, the result was quite impressive. There's a nice absinthe aroma and the orange and lemon notes are significantly brighter than I would have expected. North Shore's gin and absinthe are quality products, so the Corpse Reviver #2 should be in their wheelhouse. Is it the equal of a CR #2 prepared à la minute by a highly skilled bartender with premium ingredients? Probably not...but it is unbelievably better than any bottled cocktail I've ever had.