Drinks! 2014 (Part 1)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I confess I did not feel like spending a few hundred dollars on a proper absinthe fountain.  So I rigged up some lab equipment with a wine funnel which I filled with ice.  I then waited till all the dose had louched.  I suppose I could apply heat to the ice or let the ice sit out a while first.  That or use a smaller dose.

[Hassouni]

Boudreau isn't using anything fancy (and neither do I). Just pour the water in, instant louche! It makes no difference to the final drink.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Indeed it's a pretty straightforward process. When it's warm I like absinthe with crushed ice, frappe-style.

[FrogPrincesse]

Speaking of heat and crushed ice, it was summer in San Diego this weekend, so I decided to make a Queen's Park Swizzle. I used J.M rhum agricole (it's the 40%) which works great in a daiquiri but got lost a little in the swizzle. I want to try it with an aged agricole next.

 

 

[lesliec]

Absinthe is great as a rinse in, for example, a Rapscallion or a Sazerac.

[Hassouni]

Speaking of heat and crushed ice, it was summer in San Diego this weekend, so I decided to make a Queen's Park Swizzle. I used J.M rhum agricole (it's the 40%) which works great in a daiquiri but got lost a little in the swizzle. I want to try it with an aged agricole next.

 

 

 

 

Bloody weather. 70º two days ago and 8 inches of snow on the ground today. That 70º had me hankering for a Mai Tai, Test Pilot, or some swizzle, but it didn't happen, and now all I want is hot chocolate!

 

I see you used a mix of bitters, too, how did that work out?

Edited March 18, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[EvergreenDan]

Inspirted by Campus Five's Fern et / Campari mix, I tried equal parts Campari, Aperol, Apricot liqueur, and Malacca  plus 1/4 tsp citric acid per 4 oz.

 

The Apricot was a mistake. I thought I had Giffard Pamplemousse in hand (which might have been less complex but better).

 

It was promising enough to invite further exploration. I'd like to try something high in alcohol and very flavorful in lieu of the gin which gets lost. Fernet obviously works, but I'm looking for something without the menthol. Maybe Sibilia or Nonino.

 

I might up the citric acid too, but there is a fine line beyond which it tastes like your kid's sour candy.

[campus five]

I went looking through Kindred Cocktails looking for something Irish-Whiskey based to make tonight.

Ended up with a Wilde Heart (Brandon Josie, 15 Romolo, San Francisco, CA)

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/wilde-heart

 

1.5 Irish (calls for Black Bush)

.75 Cio Ciaro

.25 Cherry Heering

 

stir, strain, up, orange peel. 

 

I was using Redbreast, and even then, it was way too sweet. 

I ended up adding .25 oz of some George T. Stagg to up the proof. 

 

Next time, I'll definitely up it to 2 oz Redbreast, and even then, I don't know if the whiskey can stand up. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I am a failure.  It's been a very stressful day, culinarily speaking.  But as of tonight my Appleton is now restocked and I set out to make the following mai tai:

 

1 oz Appleton 12

1 oz Atlantico

1 oz S&C

3/4 oz Grand Marnier

1 1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

However, by mistake I measured out 1 oz orgeat.  "Fine," I thought, I'll save half of the orgeat for another mai tai.  But after the drink was built, I saw that the measure was empty and I couldn't find the orgeat anywhere.  Needless to say what happened.  The mai tai was far too sweet, like something from a tiki bar.  I could hardly taste the spirits.

 

After I drank the level down by half I shook up and added some lime juice, an ounce of Pusser's and an ounce of W&N, with a quarter ounce of Cointreau.  The result was still too sweet so I topped the tumbler with a generous float of Lemon Hart.

 

I can't say it's good, but it's not half bad, and I've managed to use six rums in one mai tai while waiting for my sous vide to finish.  Not that I'm hungry as I've been filling up on peanuts.

[ChrisTaylor]

Inspired by this, I stirred an ounce each of El Dorado 15 and Redbreast 12 (two simpatico spirits) with a couple of dashes of Bittermens Xocolatl bitters. Lovely.

 

I just made this with Bushmills in place of the Redbreast. I figured Bushmills might be a little closer than the almost syrupy Jamie 18. I don't doubt it's a different beast to what you made but it's lovely all the same.

[FrogPrincesse]

I see you used a mix of bitters, too, how did that work out?

The mix of bitters is good in this drink, especially with a dark rum like a Demerara or Appleton. You cannot really taste the Peychaud's by itself, but it gives another layer of spices to the drink.

[tanstaafl2]

I went looking through Kindred Cocktails looking for something Irish-Whiskey based to make tonight.

Ended up with a Wilde Heart (Brandon Josie, 15 Romolo, San Francisco, CA)

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/wilde-heart

 

1.5 Irish (calls for Black Bush)

.75 Cio Ciaro

.25 Cherry Heering

 

stir, strain, up, orange peel. 

 

I was using Redbreast, and even then, it was way too sweet. 

I ended up adding .25 oz of some George T. Stagg to up the proof. 

 

Next time, I'll definitely up it to 2 oz Redbreast, and even then, I don't know if the whiskey can stand up. 

 

A favorite post prandial cocktail for me and I like it with the sweet Black Bush. Then again I rarely find anything to be too sweet for my sweet tooth!

[FrogPrincesse]

Nightcap from a few nights ago. Bourbon ice cream (I think I can do much better than this commercial ice cream; the bourbon flavor is very very light) with St. George Breaking & Entering bourbon on the side.

 

I love this bourbon; it's not too sweet and has a ton of personality.

 

 

[Hassouni]

Work till midnight or so.....

 

So, to celebrate being done for the night, and scoring a below-face value ticket for Cut Copy tomorrow night:

 

Mai Tai

(2 oz Scarlet Ibis, 1 oz lime, half or so homemade orgeat, ditto Senior Curaçao, quarter or so rich damn simple syrup)

 

Gone in record time. Used up all my ice.

 

So, with remaining crushed ice in glass (quite a lot since I gulped that damn mai tai down), my signature Lion's Tail Swizzle, which is a normal Lion's Tail, but swizzled, obviously. In unusually strong proportions (a whole large lime, an ounce or so of my homemade pimento dram, a very generous glug of Bulleit bourbon, and a Herculean quantity of Angostura bitters. Oh, and per my notes a "tiny squirt of SS," because my pimento dram is spicy, funky, and dry)

 

I think this one will take longer to finish...

 

ETA - the Bulleit REALLY stands out in this LT swizzle. My default bourbon is WT101, and that blends in better. 

Edited March 20, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I just finished important work I had to do.  The last three nights I botched my drinks in one way or another, so I made my standard mai tai of two ounces of Pusser's and one of W&N.  I could not face another failed drink, and this way I knew there should be no surprise.

 

I was rewarded.  So I made another.  Now, alas, I, too, am out of ice.

 

What's the recipe for your Lion's Tail??  No rush, once you sober up.

[Hassouni]

usual is

 

2 bourbon 

.5 lime

.5 pimento dram

1 dash Angostura

"tiny squirt SS" (given my ultra dry pimento dram)

Shaken, served up

[JoNorvelleWalker]

If only I had ice...

 

Oh, and I suppose one could substitute rye for bourbon?

[ChrisTaylor]

You could.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Thanks!  I will in the morning...I mean tomorrow night.

[ChrisTaylor]

A Manhattan. Punt e Mes/High West Double Rye/homemade Boer bitters. Turns out allspice gets along with all of that. Lekker. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A long, cold draught of Gerolsteiner, served in a crystal Collins glass.  No garnish.  Beautiful refraction of the light, and refreshing just to listen to.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

usual is

 

2 bourbon 

.5 lime

.5 pimento dram

1 dash Angostura

"tiny squirt SS" (given my ultra dry pimento dram)

Shaken, served up

 

Thanks!  I would make this again.  My lime was closer to three quarters, and I think next time I would go with the small touch of syrup.  The flavor profile almost demands to be a little sweeter:  basically marshmallow and pumpkin pie.

 

Speaking of limes, at the store today the limes were a dollar each.  I had no choice, but I almost wept.

[Hassouni]

If my lime (or half) is over what I need, I just drink the surplus. Yeah, I like lemon and lime juice neat.

 

My current batch of pimento dram is seriously seriously dry, to the point of being almost bitter. Commercial stuff is sweeter and it doesn't need the extra bit of syrup.

[Plantes Vertes]

For those who have run out of ice, in order to avoid this direful fate I find it a good discipline to empty out the ice-cube trays into a Tupperware and refill the trays every time the ice in the Tupperware runs out. Of course you have to sacrifice some extra space in your freezer, but I've never regretted that call.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

For those who have run out of ice, in order to avoid this direful fate I find it a good discipline to empty out the ice-cube trays into a Tupperware and refill the trays every time the ice in the Tupperware runs out. Of course you have to sacrifice some extra space in your freezer, but I've never regretted that call.

 

Not Tupperware in my case but otherwise that is exactly what I do.  I empty and refill the ice trays daily.