Drinks! (2013 Part 2)

[ChrisTaylor]

The Black Rider

by Rhett Williams, Pourhouse, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

1 oz Brandy, Torres 5 Year Old

1 oz Mezcal, Fidencio

3/4 oz Cynar

Combine ingredients with ice, stir. Strain into a cocktail glass.

--

Kindred Cocktails | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

Personally I prefer these ingredients with the balance skewed heavily toward the Cynar, but ymmv.

I'm not sure if this is at its best with cheap Monte Alban mezcal. Reckon cutting it with some silver or reposado tequila would work?

[bostonapothecary]

1.5 Portuguese grappa

.5 oz. campari

.5 oz. maracuja do ezekiel (azorian passion fruit liqueur)

.5 oz. "free run" dry vermouth**

** "free run" dry vermouth has one round of freeze concentration performed on it. the bottle sits in the freezer until frozen solid and then the first 1/3 is collected which is higher in alcohol, sugars, acids, and aromas. I borrowed the term free run from wine making where the free run juice is the best and as the grapes get the squeeze of the press put on them the juice goes down in quality.

this drink is an homage to both, bountiful but neglected Portugal and the Lucien Gaudin cocktail. really delicious and I remember making an LG years ago when I first came across maracuja. for some reason there is no gin in the house so I went grappa. it is hard to say how much the uniquely abused vermouth effects this drink. I need to dream up a drink to show it off better.

[Rafa]

The Black Rider

by Rhett Williams, Pourhouse, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

1 oz Brandy, Torres 5 Year Old

1 oz Mezcal, Fidencio

3/4 oz Cynar

Combine ingredients with ice, stir. Strain into a cocktail glass.

--

Kindred Cocktails | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

Personally I prefer these ingredients with the balance skewed heavily toward the Cynar, but ymmv.

I'm not sure if this is at its best with cheap Monte Alban mezcal. Reckon cutting it with some silver or reposado tequila would work?

The mezcal makes its presence known in this drink, so if you don't like the taste of that brand, yes, go with a good tequila. Either blanco or repo should work.

[ChrisTaylor]

Made another Black Rider, this time with Patron Reposado. The agave flavour still dominates and I don't think Patron is brilliant either but this was a superior drink to last night's version.

Now it's a Red Light from beta cocktails. 1 1/3 oz each of Grand Marnier and Bols Genever stirred/strained with 1/3 oz Underberg. I don't know what to think of this one.

[FrogPrincesse]

Some London eGulleteers had the very happy opportunity to meet a gracious and tolerant member from far away the other night and to drag them an unreasonable distance around Soho in quest of drinks. I forgot to ask the other participants whether they cared to have their movements and identities revealed online so I leave it to them to come forward, which I hope they will do because I did not have my camera and can only provide bald words without their help.

The Savoy

Where else could we go?

Ruby Bullet

Akvavit, lemon juice, simple and bitters.

I am a fool. I confess to ordering this drink; my excuse is that I had never tried Akvavit and was curious.... I should have consulted eje's Savoy Stomp before chancing my arm. Anyway, other than displaying an impressive liberality with the Angostura, it was uninteresting and we sent it back, explaining to our waiter that this was no Rafa drink.

White Lady

Harry Craddock

Gordon's, Cointreau, egg white, lemon juice

Forgive us, Harry; we marked this drink down too. The spirits leant off-piste and we got a somewhat slimy shake as well. Scroll down for a picture.

Norman Conquest

Erik Lorincz

Woodford Reserve, calvados, Martin Rosso, Angostura, sugar, orange peel twist

This was our preferred drink in terms of execution, although it would be worth trying with it some different bourbons. Heavy on the Woodford; scant on the vermouth. The prominent orange plus extra fruit from the calvados made this a lot more Christmassy than a standard Manhattan and a nice choice for winter.

The saddest news from this trip is that we sat by the piano. Refined, discerning and apt this playing was not. What it was was loud and harsh. Bummer.

This being a pilgrimage, we had to give homage to the saint. Luckily He was working that night... one of us upheld a dignified restraint while we others pinioned Erik Lorincz at the bar and forced him to receive our veneration. He took this like a gent. What a nice man.

Coming next... another bar.

Plantes Vertes already did a fantastic job of narrating an evening I had a chance to share with her and another illustrious eG member. I would just like to add my impressions to hers.

After a long flight from San Diego to London, I dropped off my things at the Zetter Hotel and had just enough time to enjoy a quick and restorative meal at a neighboring restaurant (St John) before meeting my fellow eG cocktailians. I suggested starting our cocktail adventures at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel and they were kind enough to agree. Going to the Savoy felt surreal in many ways. I had read so much about it, and of course when you are there you cannot help but think about all of the history. Recently, I had followed with great interest the events around the 50th anniversary of Harry Craddock's death that were chronicled by Erik Ellestad on his blog. Being able to finally go there was a little overwhelming.

The space has an interesting layout. The main room, which could have used a little more charm or character, has a piano in the middle. The bar itself is quite small and breathtakingly beautiful, but sadly it's not well visible from most of the space. When we got there, the piano was silent which I lamented about, but regretted as soon as the piano player started what was without a doubt a nod to my visit with a rendition of the Beach Boys' California Girls, and Hotel California (not the Eagles, man, anything but the Eagles...). I would have thought that jazz music from 20s or 30s would have been more appropriate, but what do I know...

We got our drinks which were large. There was something not quite right with my White Lady. Interestingly it seemed to contain a touch of absinthe (hopefully this was intentional and not the result of a dirty shaker...) which was actually nice. The gin used was Sapphire, which would not have been my first choice. The egg white foam was a little bit thin, not a thick lucious foam. It looks like I am nitpicking but we all agreed that there was something wrong in the overall taste and balance, and the cocktail did not feel crisp and bright as it should have.

The Ruby Bullet was an interesting and adventurous choice from Plantes Vertes. To me it tasted like Champagne with bitters in it. Not offensive but completely forgettable. The caraway from the aquavit was barely noticeable. It was diluted down with soda.

The Norman Conquest with its Calvados & Bourbon combo was the best drink of the group, although it would have benefited from a more distinctive sweet vermouth than Martini Rosso, and also more of it. I would not mind having one again in the future; with minor tweaks it would have been great. It reminds me of a practically identical cocktail by Sam Ross called the Grandfather that I mentioned a while back in the Manhattan thread. After doing some reading about the Norman Conquest I found out that this was the drink that Erik Loricz had decided to seal into a flask and bury in a wall at the Savoy during a recent renovation, following a long tradition started by Harry Craddock. Apparently he does a version of that cocktail with Scotch, which sounds really nice too.

Norman Conquest on the left, White Lady on the right, and Ruby Bullet on the back. Semi-stale nuts & things in the middle.

Who eats those things anyway?

Midway through my drink I worked up the courage to go to the bar and introduce myself to Erik Lorincz, whom we had seen making his entrance earlier, and dragged Plantes Vertes along with me in the process (I did not have to ask her twice). We saw him prepare a couple of drinks including one with a spray of violet liqueur (I think it was a Purple Bird), and got to observe his shaking technique first hand. He listening politely to my babbling; we realized in the process that we had not just one but several common friends named Erik, and at the end of our discussion he very nicely agreed to sign my copy of the Savoy Cocktail Book.

Then we went back to our table and, after finishing our drinks, decided to cut our losses and move to a place with cocktails that would be more to our liking. (No offense, Erik. In his defense I should make it clear that he was not the one preparing our drinks.)

Before leaving, we paid a visit to the museum and admired their collection of vintage bottles.

Edited November 1, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Rafa]

(not the Eagles, man, anything but the Eagles...).

I would have enjoyed this post anyway, but you just had to throw in a gratuitous (and sanitized) Lebowski quote.

Also, Plantes, I just noticed your gratuitous me reference. Thanks for that one.

I've got to get myself to London.

[Plantes Vertes]

Hardly gratuitous; indeed highly germane I felt. One has to have standards.

Anyway, come on over. You can crash at mine

[FrogPrincesse]

(not the Eagles, man, anything but the Eagles...).

I would have enjoyed this post anyway, but you just had to throw in a gratuitous (and sanitized) Lebowski quote.

I find that life is more fun when enjoyed through the prism of The Dude's sunglasses.

I've got to get myself to London.

You really should. I had a blast. And you live much closer than me so you have no excuse.

[Adam George]

In an awkward moment at a trade show on Tuesday I met the bartender working behind the dispense bar that night.

I change the subject quickly.

[Plantes Vertes]

Could at the very least have challenged him to a duel.

[FrogPrincesse]

In an awkward moment at a trade show on Tuesday I met the bartender working behind the dispense bar that night.

I change the subject quickly.

Oops. Good thing I was not there; I could not have resisted saying something. Is he still in training perhaps?

Could at the very least have challenged him to a duel.

OMG. I love how you think.

[Plantes Vertes]

Could at the very least have challenged him to a duel.

OMG. I love how you think.

PM me for more on my approach to combat.

[ChrisTaylor]

I don't really like Bloody Marys. Something about the tomato juice.Reminds me, I guess, of heavily processed tomato soup. So, naturally, when some celery bitters arrived on my doorstep I just had to make a Bloody Mary.

I used Scrappy's celery bitters, Habanero Shrub, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of horseradish sauce, a little bit of lemon juice, some ground pepper, Tanqueray and V8. It's okay ... I guess. Any suggestions on making a better one or is this beverage doomed to failure by its very nature?

[haresfur]

I don't really like Bloody Marys. Something about the tomato juice.Reminds me, I guess, of heavily processed tomato soup. So, naturally, when some celery bitters arrived on my doorstep I just had to make a Bloody Mary.

I used Scrappy's celery bitters, Habanero Shrub, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of horseradish sauce, a little bit of lemon juice, some ground pepper, Tanqueray and V8. It's okay ... I guess. Any suggestions on making a better one or is this beverage doomed to failure by its very nature?

Can you get Clamato juice here? Or add some clam broth to make a Bloody Caesar. Might appeal to a carnivore like yourself.

[mkayahara]

Any suggestions on making a better one or is this beverage doomed to failure by its very nature?

Doomed to failure. Next question?

[Czequershuus]

Any suggestions on making a better one or is this beverage doomed to failure by its very nature?

Doomed to failure. Next question?

Agreed. I have previously embarked on the same fools errand, and if like me you just don't like tomato juice, nothing will make it work.

[Tri2Cook]

Doomed to failure. Next question?

Agreed. I have previously embarked on the same fools errand, and if like me you just don't like tomato juice, nothing will make it work.

Agree as well and, for me, using clamato instead is like trying to get a bad smell out of your house by tossing in a skunk.

[Hassouni]

Could at the very least have challenged him to a duel.

OMG. I love how you think.

PM me for more on my approach to combat.

It's official, this is my favorite/the best thread on eG. :-D

Soooo last night I ran my pop up bar to great success. No pictures yet. There were 11 or 12 guests, almost all of them had their full 4-drink allotment of Champs Elysées, Scofflaw, Brooklynite, and Lion's Tail. No pics yet, but my friends took a few so I'll post when I get them. A few thoughts, never having made drinks for more than 2 or 3 people before:

1. Quickly free pouring into jiggers gets messy. I can see the appeal of pour spouts (for use with jiggers, not for free pouring right into the mixing tin)

2. The Koriko tins are freakin' sweet, but what's this about being easy to separate? Not from what I discovered

3. 1 bartender for 12 people is pushing it. My cousin was acting as my barback, and that was absolutely necessary to ensure speedy service

4. Store bought ice SUCKS! The ice from my freezer's icemaker is vastly superior by comparison. All the guests' drinks were made with the store bought ice, and dilution was a real problem, despite keeping the ice in a huge igloo cooler. 3-3.25 oz input came very nearly to 5+ oz in my 5.5 oz coupes. Thank god I wasn't using my martini glasses, there wasn't much spillage. When there was a lull, I made myself a Trinidad sour (about 3 oz of inputs), using my freezer's ice, and in the glass it didn't approach the lip.

5. The Champs Elysées was the most popular, followed by the scofflaw and then the lion's tail. The Brooklynite, which I think is a great drink, got the least acclaim.

6. Citrus reamers suck. I'm getting a lemon sized steel press.

7. Lemon and lime juices look damn near identical once squeezed and bottled.

[EvergreenDan]

I tried the Turkish Song of the Damned by Rafa. I'm not a coffee drink guy, and I appreciated the drink without loving it. It might be nice with a dessert. I then made it again using more Cynar in lieu of the coffee and liked that a bit better. I then added 1/2 oz dry vermouth and liked it even more. However at that point, it was rather a different drink.

But then I much rather my Irish Coffee deconstructed.

[FrogPrincesse]

2. The Koriko tins are freakin' sweet, but what's this about being easy to separate? Not from what I discovered

Really? Never had an issue with mine.

[ChrisTaylor]

The Black Daiquiri detailed on the packaging of a multipack of Scrappy's bitters, albeit with Appleton 12 instead of blackstrap rum. The drink: 1 oz each of blackstrap and white rums (I used Banks 5), 0.5 oz each simple and lime juice, .25 oz Fernet and 3 dashes of lime bitters. I might make a second one with Smith & Cross or Inner Circle in place of the Appleton.

EDIT

I think it was good with the Appleton but it's an excellent drink when made with Smith & Cross. You don't encounter too many drinks in which Fernet Branca is truly a background flavour unless you're messing around with things like Cynar.

Edited November 3, 2013 by ChrisTaylor (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

White Lady last night with Beefeater gin, Cointreau, lemon juice + egg white in a 3:2:1 ratio. Really good, although I need to work on my egg foam technique. The texture was thick throughout but it was missing a nice thick layer of foam on top, despite my best efforts.

Next time I will just go for the stick blender, especially with older eggs.

[Hassouni]

White Lady last night with Beefeater gin, Cointreau, lemon juice + egg white in a 3:2:1 ratio. Really good, although I need to work on my egg foam technique. The texture was thick throughout but it was missing a nice thick layer of foam on top, despite my best efforts.

Next time I will just go for the stick blender, especially with older eggs.

I assume you do a dry shake first?

[FrogPrincesse]

I assume you do a dry shake first?

Yep, and a prolonged/energetic one too. I really tried my best, but with older eggs I think this is bound to happen.

My Koriko tins separate by themselves almost every single time; occasionally I have to wait a few seconds. In the rare case they don't, a gentle tap at the spot where they start to separate takes care of it.

[Plantes Vertes]

Amusing strategy. Not for animal lovers.