Drinks! 2014 (Part 1)

[Hassouni]

I suggest you make Papa Dobles, something that'll really go through 8 large limes before the juice goes off

 

Or perhaps a scorpion bowl...or three

Edited April 16, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[Hassouni]

Had 2/3 of a large lemon hanging around after my Sidecar experiment, so...

 

HURRICANE SWIZZLE!

 

Exactly what it sounds like, with an ounce or so lemon juice, and ounce or so of passion fruit syrup, and 2 oz Lemon Hart 80.

[FrogPrincesse]

A superlative Manhattan from this weekend. Breaking & Entering bourbon, amaro from Margerum, Boker's bitters, French brandied griotte from Perigord.

 

 

[Rafa]

I am long overdue to showcase the très haut, très puissant grenouille's très generous gift of passion fruit bitters from boydrinksworld. Passion fruit happens to be one of my favorite flavors, and fresh, plentiful passion fruit is one of the things I miss most from my days in the tropics (along with readily accessible beaches that don't give me frostbite).

 

My first use of these bitters was in a Mai Tai.

Inspired by The Dead Rabbit's Jamaican rum mix, I used 1 oz El Dorado 15 to 1/2 oz each Smith & Cross and Cruzan Blackstrap. I don't recommend the ED15 in this mix; it gets buried. Nevertheless, it produced a very good, rather dry Mai Tai, with the accord from the passion fruit bitters and Creole Shrubb suggesting an exotic aromatic citrus fruit...calamondin maybe, or yuzu. 

 

1 oz ED15

1/2 oz S&C

1/2 oz Blackstrap

1 oz lime juice (RIP affordable lime juice)

1/2 oz Creole Shrubb

3/4 oz orgeat (homemade, not very sweet or assertive)

1/2 dropper BDW passion fruit bitters (not yet commercially available; thanks, Obama)

 

A very good Mai Tai, though rumwise I think I'll return to my preferred 1 oz S&C / 1 oz Barbancourt 8 Year combo. (Take note, JoNorvelle). 

 

I've since used the bitters in rum Old Fashioneds and other aromatic cocktails, always to good effect. 

 

Thank you, Frog, for the marvelous bitters, and sorry for the delay in getting back to you with what I've used them for. My sorry excuse is that I've been working on a very long, very involved project for work that has eaten up most of my time, and I have barely posted except to add some info or correct something, because my persnickety impulse is strong (thanks, male privilege). 

Edited April 18, 2014 by Rafa (log)

[Rafa]

@Frog How'd you like the Dorothy Parker? 

[FrogPrincesse]

That looks fabulous, Rafa. Thanks for the nice words, full report and photo (cool glass btw); I am glad that you are enjoying the bitters.

I am so sad I don't have any orgeat at the moment, otherwise I would have a passion fruit accented Mai Tai tonight. We all need plentiful passion (fruit) in our lives.

[Hassouni]

1. Rafa and Elise: Passion fruit bitters are a thing? Yes please!

 

2. Rafa: S&C + Barbancourt 8 was going to be my next mix for my next Mai Tai, glad that you of persnickety tastes approve.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Barbancourt 8 year just does not do it for me.  I did not replace the bottle of Barbancourt I had.  My current favorite mai tai rums are one ounce each of S&C, Pusser's, and W&N.  Had one last night, in fact.

[FrogPrincesse]

@Frog How'd you like the Dorothy Parker? 

 

Tasting it neat, it's pretty great, but I think most of the interesting flavors get lost in a Martini. (On the other hand, Perry's Tot makes a memorable Martini.)

 

What is your favorite thing to do with it?

[FrogPrincesse]

I just made myself an Aviation with the Dorothy Parker. You get a flower bomb effect, and the hibiscus/cranberry flavors nicely complement the violet. I am not sure if I am completely into this, but at least the flavors of the gin are not buried in there. I am thinking a Gin Fix is next.

 

 

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight I tried a riff on Autumn in Jersey, adding some pimento dram:

 

3 oz Laird's Bottled in Bond

1/2 oz orgeat

1 teaspoon pimento dram

1 oz lemon juice

2 dashes Angostura

 

 

Garnished with spent half lemon.  The flavors blend well, but the bright apple taste of the Laird's is gone.  I think it is much the bitters as the pimento dram that kills it.  I added some more Laird's and orgeat (since I just put in an order of another three large bottles of orgeat plus some other things with feste's company) when the drink was almost gone (so as not to waste the ice) but that really didn't help.

 

The Laird's Bottled in Bond captures the bright taste of apples very well but it is also rather rough.  Perhaps after dinner (if I can still stand) I'll enjoy a glass of Laird's 12 year before bed.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Well, no, I can still stand, but rather than Jersey Jack I chose to dance with the green fairy.  None of this messy, decadent louche stuff.  A nice nineteenth century Baccarat crystal goblet of pure, clear aromatic Jade 1901.

[ChrisTaylor]

I introduced a friend to Daiquiris--the real kind, not the real fake strawberry slushie kind--with a Banks 5-based classic model. No Hemingway or other valid variation: just a 2:1:0.5. 

 

And, now, inspired by haresfur, a lemon, lime and bitters using Angostura and Basement.

[FrogPrincesse]

1. Rafa and Elise: Passion fruit bitters are a thing? Yes please!

 

 

Yes indeed.

 

If you stop making fun of my Daiquiri preferences, I will check if I can get more lab samples...  

[Hassouni]

In the name of bitters de parcha, I respect all daiquiris made with real lime juice and real rum!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight I am sipping the Laird's 12 year old that I didn't have last night.  Lovely stuff.

 

Before dinner I enjoyed another S&C, Pusser's, W&N mai tai.  I love this combination so.  There is a certain funk.  Only complaint is that my mint is wilting.  (That and of course the price of limes.)

 

Just for fun I put a couple of drops of my tincture of cinnamon in the last of my glass of Laird's.  It smells so good, but what it smells like is the solvent for the tincture, no apples or cinnamon.  Not bad at all however.  I am surprised though that I cannot taste or smell the cinnamon.

[haresfur]

A dog's breakfast of an Old fashioned:  WT 101 rye, cane syrup, Jerry Thomas bitters, Chris Taylor chocolate bitters.  Nice.

[ChrisTaylor]

A half-arsed Corn and Oil made with homemade, Inner Circle-based Falernum and Mount Gay standard. Lemon instead of lime.

 

EDIT

 

Even for a half-arsed version, it's pretty good.

 

I also made some Manhattans earlier with Punt e Mes, Basement bitters and Bulleit rye. Introducing a friend to the Manhattan.

[Hassouni]

 

Shi Salbeh/شي سلبة, the Lebanese Bee's Knees - with newly acquired Dorothy Parker. Vast improvement over Beefeater!

[KD1191]

The other night, an ABC³ Old Fashioned.

 

 

Tonight, that 'Bijou Riff' recently referenced in the Chartreuse thread, which is really excellent. With several strong flavors taking turns coming to the fore, the strength of the Mozart bitters is really showcased.

 

[Rafa]

Tasting it neat, it's pretty great, but I think most of the interesting flavors get lost in a Martini. (On the other hand, Perry's Tot makes a memorable Martini.)

 

What is your favorite thing to do with it?

 

Shi Salbeh/شي سلبة, the Lebanese Bee's Knees - with newly acquired Dorothy Parker. Vast improvement over Beefeater!

 

I like it in fancy sours (St. Germain is an obvious and excellent pairig) and paired with some of the lighter kinas and vermouths (Dolin Blanc, Cocchi Americano Bianco, Lillet Blanc). It's also good complementing eaux de vie. Pouring RIbbons' Death & Taxes, named for one of Ms. Parker's books, is a great example of all of the above. For dry Martinis, I prefer the backbone of Perry's Tot, although Pouring Ribbons' current house Martini is a sweet one with Dorothy Parker, Dolin Blanc, and grapefruit bitters. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've been alternating mai tais and zombies, throwing in a bowl of Mississippi punch here and there to good effect.  Last time I was at the store they were entirely out of US mint (not the place where they print dollar bills) and had only small parcels of Columbian mint at 99 cents for three or four small sprigs.  I first balked at paying this, but I realized I was paying $6.00 for four limes.

 

Tonight I reflected on the fact that there are only two ingredients my mai tais and zombies share in common:  mint and limes.  In high school I was asked to name an example of an inelastic commodity.  I suggested blood.  I never thought I should live to see the day.

[EvergreenDan]

I first balked at paying this, but I realized I was paying $6.00 for four limes.

Maybe time to direct your enthusiasm for experimentation and permutations of a drink to sometime brown and stirred? I only make mint drinks when I pull the stuff from the garden to prevent it from raising the Mintopolis flag.

[ChrisTaylor]

Because it seems like the thing to do when you have your first batch of homemade falernum waiting to be used I made a Zombie. I used the last of my Mt Gay Eclipse in place of the golden Puerto Rican rum that Kindred calls for.

 

EDIT

The Zombie is aptly-named. A slow-moving, shambling beast of a beverage. Best served in more-than-one quantities. Makes you want another, even though that still-human part of your brain insists that's a bad fucking idea.

[Czequershuus]

Playing around with the bottle of Bols Yogurt liqueur I recently picked up. The idea of some sort of a blend between a Ramos Gin Fizz and a Lassi kept running around in my mind. This drink is sort of loosely based on that notion. Still a work in progress

 

1.5 Oz Gin

0.75 Oz Yogurt Liqueur

0.75 Oz Lemon Juice

0.5 Oz Honey Syrup

0.25 Oz Allspice Dram

2 Oz Soda Water

Shake all but soda, strain over ice in tall glass, top with soda.

 

I had originally left out the honey syrup, fearing it would be too sweet, but the Yogurt liqueur is less sweet in the drink than straight, or at least the lemon cuts through it very well. Really very nice with the curry I was having. 

 

I may be trying more experiments with this later - possibly a different base spirit.