Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)

[Fernet-Bronco]

Hmm... can't see how to edit. Here's a bit more on the Angostura Sour from Reddit if anyone's interested:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/comments/1h41yg/not_cocktail_of_the_week_25_angostura_sour/

[FrogPrincesse]

Hmm... can't see how to edit. Here's a bit more on the Angostura Sour from Reddit if anyone's interested:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/comments/1h41yg/not_cocktail_of_the_week_25_angostura_sour/

 

And here it is in the rogue beta cocktail thread (your photo looks much better than mine though!).

 

If you are into this kind of cocktail, check out the discussion on Bitters as the Base for more ideas...

[Fernet-Bronco]

Thanks for the link. There's a couple in there I'd like to try. I've been thinking Angostura and pineapple juice are probably meant for each other--the Daywalker seems to capitalize on that:

 

1 oz Angostura bitters
1 oz Rye
1 oz Pineapple juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon syrup

[Rafa]

This sounds really good to me -- if I could source the eau de vie.  If I may ask, why the switch from Noyaux to Amaretto?  I haven't had Amaretto in years but I seem to recall Amaretto was not among my favorites.

 

For myself, on this snowy night, a zombie.

 

 

Edit:  that's an awful, awful lot of orgeat for a small amount of not so strong spirits!  I think I'd start with 1/4 ounce.

The amaretto was just what I had on hand, and close enough in spirit to crème de noyaux (an apricot pit-flavored liqueur) to work in a pinch.

The Small Hand orgeat is indeed powerful. But the eau de vie is intense, and the liqueur is no slouch, and together they create a layered flavor in which the orgeat is just one component. To my taste, anyway. You're welcome to experiment. Blume Marillen should be available from any retailer that carries other Haus Alpenz products (e.g. Smith & Cross, van Oosten arrack, Cocchi Americano, etc).

[tanstaafl2]

The amaretto was just what I had on hand, and close enough in spirit to crème de noyaux (an apricot pit-flavored liqueur) to work in a pinch.

The Small Hand orgeat is indeed powerful. But the eau de vie is intense, and the liqueur is no slouch, and together they create a layered flavor in which the orgeat is just one component. To my taste, anyway. You're welcome to experiment. Blume Marillen should be available from any retailer that carries other Haus Alpenz products (e.g. Smith & Cross, van Oosten arrack, Cocchi Americano, etc).

 

Almost bought a bottle of the Blume Marillien on an impulse today but ended up going with a case of Blushing Monk and a Chairmen's Reserve "Forgotten Cask" edition rum instead. Now I am kind of regretting it!

 

So is there a crème de noyaux manufacturer you like? I see it from the usual suspects amongst liqueur manufacturers but always tend to shy away from those (Hiram Walker, DeKuyper, Bols, etc). Don't recall seeing a Brizzard version which is a brand I tend to default to but maybe they make one as well.  

[Rafa]

Tempus Fugit, as with their decadent crème de cacao, is the category leader as far as I'm concerned. (I'm not a huge fan of their menthe, but I'm not big into menthes in general. Theirs is certainly lovingly made.) i don't know that noyaux is an essential cocktail ingredient but it is a fun one, and I'm sure you can find room for it somewhere in your liquor annex. ;-)

The Blume Marillen is gorgeous and well worth getting, one of the most aromatic and balanced eaux de vie I've tried. It makes an excellent mixer but, alas, the price.

How's the Chairman's Reserve?

Edited March 6, 2015 by Rafa (log)

[tanstaafl2]

Tempus Fugit, as with their decadent crème de cacao, is the category leader as far as I'm concerned. (I'm not a huge fan of their menthe, but I'm not big into menthes in general. Theirs is certainly lovingly made.) i don't know that noyaux is an essential cocktail ingredient but it is a fun one, and I'm sure you can find room for it somewhere in your liquor annex. ;-)

The Blume Marillen is gorgeous and well worth getting, one of the most aromatic and balanced eaux de vie I've tried. It makes an excellent mixer but, alas, the price.

How's the Chairman's Reserve?

 

Ah, forgot about Tempus Fugit. Have the lovely Crème de Cacao but not sure if the Crème de Noyaux is readily available here. Will have to look. And pick up the Blume Marillen too of course!

 

Just got the Chairmen rum this afternoon at lunch time (a true impulse buy is it is not like I need more rum!) and they would probably frown on me drinking it in the office.  

 

But I may just have to take it with me tonight to try and save myself from the vodka crowd at the party I am going to.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The amaretto was just what I had on hand, and close enough in spirit to crème de noyaux (an apricot pit-flavored liqueur) to work in a pinch.

The Small Hand orgeat is indeed powerful. But the eau de vie is intense, and the liqueur is no slouch, and together they create a layered flavor in which the orgeat is just one component. To my taste, anyway. You're welcome to experiment. Blume Marillen should be available from any retailer that carries other Haus Alpenz products (e.g. Smith & Cross, van Oosten arrack, Cocchi Americano, etc).

 

Astor has the eau de vie, and they seem willing to ship to here.  I have never dealt with Astor but this may be the time.  I'd also hold out for noyaux over amaretto (not that I have ever had noyaux).

 

Small Hand orgeat I go though by the case...consuming it most nights (when, for some reason, I don't have a zombie or Mississippi punch).  As everyone probably knows Small Hand is made with apricot pits.  Enjoying some right now in fact.

[Hassouni]

What about feste's?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

What about feste's?

 

Feste's syrup company is called Small Hand Foods.

[Rafa]

As everyone probably knows Small Hand is made with apricot pits.  Enjoying some right now in fact.

[Czequershuus]

Deeply enjoyed the Corpse Reviver riff The Mourning Cadáver. I subbed Ouzo for the Pastis rinse. My other option was an Absinthe sub, but since I am very low I used the Ouzo. Fun drink, bright and refreshing. The Cocchi tames the rough edges of the Mezcal, but keeps the overall effect.

 

I also recently tried the Hazy Asset. Way to sweet as written, I upped the lemon juice to 3/4 ounce, which was still to sweet once made. If I made it again I would cut all all the liqueurs to 1/3 ounce and go with 1 ounce of lemon juice. The flavor is nice though, it makes me think of an English  Christmas Pudding.

[tanstaafl2]

Tempus Fugit, as with their decadent crème de cacao, is the category leader as far as I'm concerned. (I'm not a huge fan of their menthe, but I'm not big into menthes in general. Theirs is certainly lovingly made.) i don't know that noyaux is an essential cocktail ingredient but it is a fun one, and I'm sure you can find room for it somewhere in your liquor annex. ;-)

The Blume Marillen is gorgeous and well worth getting, one of the most aromatic and balanced eaux de vie I've tried. It makes an excellent mixer but, alas, the price.

How's the Chairman's Reserve?

Tried the Chairman's Reserve Forgotten Casks last night and again this evening just to be sure.

Not bad but not really particularly noteworthy either. It claims to be a blend of 5 to 11 year old rums and there is a bit of barrel in it but I don't get much of the plum/raisin character some reviews describe. A bit more coffee and slight bitterness for me. It is non chill filtered which may have added a bit to the mouthfeel but at 80 proof, like most rums, it seems a bit thin. Definitely on the dryer side to me. Will likely end up being a cocktail mixer. Just not enough uniqueness to make me want to use it as a sipping rum.

Edited March 8, 2015 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As everyone probably knows Small Hand is made with apricot pits.  Enjoying some right now in fact.

Yes, the theme of my eau de vie/Cognac/orgeat/noyeaux was indeed layering different kinds of apricot flavor.

Last night my coworker made me this:

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100

1 oz Lime juice

1 oz Velvet Falernum

Which I include mainly because it stumped my palate: I swore I tasted pomegranate, and I was certain it had a rum base. I responded with an Angel's Envy rye Gold Rush, which proved similarly perplexing (and delicious).

Edited March 8, 2015 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[lesliec]

And here it is in the rogue beta cocktail thread (your photo looks much better than mine though!).

 

If you are into this kind of cocktail, check out the discussion on Bitters as the Base for more ideas...

 

And from that topic, I highly recommend the Tres Sangres.  You probably wouldn't want it every day - hell, most of us probably couldn't afford it every day - but it is amazing.

[GarethLangston]

Yesterday was a little trip around East London. peg + patriot for a "tunnocks tea cake" Martini. If you haven't eaten a tea cake, it's got a biscuit base, marshmallow top and is coated in chocolate. This managed to taste like a Martini and a teacake.

Next up was whistling shop, where I had a firebreather, which was kind of a grapefruit margharita with a side serving of scotch bonnet "beer" which I could have drank all by itself. This is something I need to try and replicate at home.

We finished off at white lyan, where we enjoyed everything served but my memories of the details are a little hazy.

.

[ChrisTaylor]

I've been putting away Millstone 100-powered Old Fashioneds while watching coverage of the Sydney Mardi Gras. 

[tanstaafl2]

Which I include mainly because it stumped my palate: I swore I tasted pomegranate, and I was certain it had a rum base. I responded with an Angel's Envy rye Gold Rush, which proved similarly perplexing (and delicious).

So is Gold Rush the new name for this?

1 oz Rye, Angel's Envy

3/4 oz Jamaican rum, Appleton V/X

1/4 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross

3/4 oz Lemon juice

3/4 oz Honey Ginger Syrup

And is there a specific recipe for honey ginger syrup or do you just add ginger to a basic 1:1 honey syrup?

Edited March 8, 2015 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[tanstaafl2]

Like Jo said, the rum is likely Cana Brava. I like CB, but I find Caliche and Palo Viejo, both distilled by the same people that make Don Q, to be closer in flavor to Havana Club than it is--but full disclosure, I'm a paid representative of the Puerto Rican rum industry, so make of that what you will. (Though I believe Hassouni agrees with me.)

 

Regarding that drink, it's rare to see an egg white drink without some citrus (or vermouth) to help with the emulsion--maybe consider some lemon/lime and simple?

 

 

 

I just combine premade honey syrup and ginger syrup in equal parts, but that method should work fine as well, as long as the ginger gives enough flavor/bite. I'm considering changing our house ginger syrup recipe to use honey as the sweetener and spare us a step.

Ah, it appears my initial search was not robust enough.

[Rafa]

No, a Gold Rush is a sour of bourbon (or rye in this case), lemon, and honey. The drink you link above is an update of my drink the Bear Trap that probably doesn't need a new name.

[Rafa]

Nice Daiquiri+ tonight:

1 1/2 oz Clément VSOP

3/4 oz Lime juice

scant 1/2 oz Petite Canne Martinique cane syrup

1-2 drops orange flower water

A floral, flavorful take on the king of drinks.

[Hassouni]

¡El Rey de los Cocteles!

 

Ok, how does the bottled cane syrup really differ than something like Florida Crystals or Sucanat turned into a syrup?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

For cane syrup I use Lyle's Golden...since the only ingredient is cane sugar syrup.  Can one truly appreciate the terroir of the cane?

[FrogPrincesse]

The taste is different from simple syrup made from sugar crystals (or golden syrup). You have to try it and then it will be obvious how different it is. More of a vegetal fresh sugar cane taste.

Edited March 9, 2015 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Rafa]

Imagine the flavor of a young agricole without the funk but with all that caney depth and you have Petite Canne—a rich, complex flavor comparable in depth to varietal honey or another sweetener. I make almost all my own syrups (excepting orgeat, which I leave to feste), and I still make a point of purchasing Petite Canne. Great on pancakes too.