Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

You're decreasing the ratio of Cognac to apricot vs. my original (2:1 vs my 3:1), so if decreasing the floral flavor while upping the proof was your goal I would recommend something like 2.5 oz Cognac to .5 apricot. As far as decreasing the sweetness of the orgeat/noyaux, I put it on crushed ice and added Ango for a reason, and I welcome reading the results of your experiments with ratios.

 

Tonight I went back to your original recipe (post #481):

 

1 oz PF 1840

1 oz Blume Marillen

1/4 oz noyaux

3/4 oz orgeat

3/4 oz lemon juice (slightly generous)

1 dash Angostura

 

 

Still a tad too sweet, but better than any of my variations.  Thanks again!

[mkayahara]

Tonight I made a variation on Chris's Lindberg's Baby, using:

1.5 oz. 66 Gilead Loyalist Gin

1 oz. Lillet blanc

0.5 oz. R&W apricot

dash grapefruit bitters

dash St. George absinthe

 

This gin has huge body, and some sweetness, so the result was a tad syrupy, but the flavours all meshed quite nicely, especially after it sat in the glass for a few moments. (Why does that happen, anyway? Is it just a temperature thing?)  It would probably be worthwhile to explore splitting the spirituous component between gin and apricot eau-de-vie.

[FrogPrincesse]

For the Mad Men premiere last night - an Old Fashioned with Willet 2-year rye & Miracle Mile Forbidden bitters, and a Martini with Sipsmith gin, Dolin dry vermouth, Regan & Fee Brothers bitters.

 

 

[Okanagancook]

Having a timely "Income Tax Cocktail" today.  Sweet and dry vermouth, A. bitters, gin and orange juice.

[Hassouni]

For the Mad Men premiere last night - an Old Fashioned with Willet 2-year rye & Miracle Mile Forbidden bitters, and a Martini with Sipsmith gin, Dolin dry vermouth, Regan & Fee Brothers bitters.

 

 

God I love that rye!

[FrogPrincesse]

God I love that rye!

It's a good one for sure. It makes a butt-kicking OF (I had to increase the simple syrup from 1 to 2 barspoons) that made the Martini taste like water in comparison :-)

[lesliec]

It's a good one for sure. It makes a butt-kicking OF (I had to increase the simple syrup from 1 to 2 barspoons) that made the Martini taste like water in comparison :-)

 

I may have to splurge at some stage.  It's over $100 here - vs. Rittenhouse 100 at (I think) $50ish.

[FrogPrincesse]

Get the 4-year if you can find it. It's amazing.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Get the 4-year if you can find it. It's amazing.

 

How do you think it compares to Whistlepig or Taylor?

[FrogPrincesse]

How do you think it compares to Whistlepig or Taylor?

If you send me samples, I promise to provide a full report

[Hassouni]

Get the 4-year if you can find it. It's amazing.

 

I don't doubt that, but the 4 year is not their own distillate - the 2 is the first of their ryes they've distilled themselves.

[FrogPrincesse]

I don't doubt that, but the 4 year is not their own distillate - the 2 is the first of their ryes they've distilled themselves.

You are correct. The 4-year is very hard to find in any case, probably sold out.

[bostonapothecary]

Lately I've been exploring Aronia berries which were given to me by a boutique grower in Maine.

 

1.5 oz. sugared Aronia berry juice (250 g/L)

1.5 oz. water

1 oz. Tabasco aromatized gin

.5 oz. lime juice

carbonated to 7 g/L

 

Aronia is a really fun but seldom seen fruit. It has pleasant amounts of tannin, refreshing acidity, and just the right density so as not to overshadow. It has a foot in the door with Concord grapes but I don't think its fair to call it foxy. This comparison probably won't mean much to people, but it reminds me very much of the Brazilian Jabuticaba which comes into my neighborhood as a liqueur and is something I've explored over the years.

 

This sparkling drinks features the awesome tension of the Aronia with the penetrating aroma of the distilled Tabasco. Carbonation just lifts all the aromas in a great way and make it very perfumey. You wouldn't immediately think so but tannin lends itself to carbonation well. No wonder dry Lambruscos are making a comeback.

 

.75 oz. Aronia as liqueur (20% alc. 300 g/L sugar)

.75 oz. Chestnut flower mead (Die Hockland Inkvar)

.75 oz. lime juice

.75 oz. Gin

2 dashes Peychauds 

 

This is pretty exquisite and the intersection of chestnut flower and aronia is rather stunning. supposedly in colonial times New England was covered in chestnut trees and it likely would have made up much of local honeys. At some point in time tree diseases killed off most of them and mostly erased them from our history and local traditions. Aronia here was just a simple liqueur but it needs some refinement. Aronia is very high in pectin which starts to precipitate with alcohol. I de-scummed some of the pectin but next time I'd use more elaborate techniques to limit pectin starting with juicing differently.

 

If any of you have enjoyed my writing I'm pursuing nominations for Best cocktail & spirits writer at the 2015 TOTC. I typically don't pursue these kinds of things but I've been told that recognition might open doors to larger projects (and I definitely have larger ideas just hanging around!). Many people think of spirits writers as legitimized by columns in newspapers but this thread and my blog are most certainly legitimate spirits writing and have been a fountain of ideas for the last eight years. Some claim not much new has happened in the cocktail scene in a while, but believe me, we haven't even scratch the surface. eGullet isn't as vibrant as it used to be but this is where everything happened first. Vermouth making, extreme keg batching, champagne bottle manifolds, cocktail centric distillation, Cape Verdean rum, and all things Portuguese all appeared here first on the Drinks thread on eGullet.

 

cheers!

Edited April 7, 2015 by bostonapothecary (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I just finished a white mai tai (and looking forward to a drop or two of M.R. with dinner).  I could happily drink white mai tais every night.  I never seem to tire of them.

 

Even if limes are 3 for $1.99 at the moment.  I hope we are not shaping up for a repeat of last spring.

[bostonapothecary]

2 oz. Hiram Walker Five O'Clock gin from 1941

1 oz. Noilly Prat dry vermouth

garlic stuffed olive

 

This was a test drive of a newly acquired vintage bottle distilled by Seagrams under Herman Willkie who was probably the most significant distiller of the 20th century. Herman Willkie also pioneered the large scale vacuum distilling of spirits, particularly gin though he also explored brandy. The current Seagrams gin is distilled under partial vacuum so even though Willkie isn't a household name we drink his legacy all the time. Willkie developed most of the significant methods of standardzing botanical charges to keep products more consistent so they could be elaborated with confidence. And he shared this information under a unique spirit of openness that existed in distilling at the time though less so now. Willkie held many patents but he gave them all away and eleven gigantic ethanol plants were built around the world using patent processes he shared freely. Herman was the younger brother Wendell Willkie who was the dark horse internationalist Republican presidential nominee challenging FDR in 1940. Wendell helped push the U.S. into helping the Allies defeat the Nazi's. FDR appointed Wendell Willkie as general ambassador and he traveled extensively ultimately writing a book called One World about internationalism and U.S. responsibilities as a super power. Herman Willkie ultimately wrote a book called A Rebel's Yell about corporate responsibility and management technique from his experiences at Seagrams (I just ordered a copy). There is a lot more to their story and they are definitely among the greatest American's of their generation.

 

The gin is definitely intact and the fill level on the bottle was excellent. Spirits definitely age in the bottle so this is probably more of a symbolic thing to drink than any kind of extraordinary sensory experience. The only note besides juniper detectable is a sort of light menthe character that lifts up here and there.

 

With all the spirits geekery out there, Herman Willkie should be better known. What he did back then was astoundingly modern and boundary pushing and besides technical achievements, he was quite the thinker in general.

[FrogPrincesse]

From last night - Manhattan with High West Son of Bourye, Margerum amaro, Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters, brandied cherry. Very spicy/lively.

 

 

And from a few nights ago, another Manhattan with High West Double Rye!, Margerum amaro, Miracle Mile toasted pecan bitters, Angostura bitters. (Margerum amaro on the rocks in the back)

I tried it first with the pecan bitters only, but it needed the angostura to anchor the flavors.

 

Edited April 10, 2015 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Craig E]

After three nights of experiments I think I have found the right proportions for this drink, an original inspired by this month's Mixology Monday challenge:

 

Fourteen

 

2 oz Rye, Rittenhouse

1 oz Falernum

3/4 oz Lemon juice

2 ds Bitters, Angostura

1 oz Club soda

1 twst Lemon zest (as garnish)

1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish)

 

Shake whiskey, falernum, juice, and bitters. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Top with soda and briefly stir. Garnish.

The theme this month is "Drink of Shame." The idea is to revisit, and maybe rehabilitate, one of those horrible drinks from our younger and less sophisticated days. 

I chose the first mixed drink I can remember learning about from my first year of college: The Seven and Seven--a generous pour of Seagram's Seven (unremarkable blended whiskey) topped with 7-Up (lemon-lime soda). What would a craft version of that sweet, citrusy, poundable drink be?

I'd need whiskey, lemon, lime, sweetness, and bubbles. So I reached first for some homemade falernum, which could provide syrupy sweetness as well as a lime component (albeit more zest than juice). Added lemon juice to complete the lemon-lime requirement, and to provide sourness. Since the falernum introduced spiciness I thought I'd push further in that direction by using a rye, and I liked the high proof of Rittenhouse to stand up to the other ingredients. Bitters to hold it together, a little soda to give some bubbles, lemon oil and cherry lend a nice nose.

In the end I've produced something that's really not too far from a regular whiskey sour. A more intentional inspiration was Lliam Dominic's Revelator. It's not a jaw-dropping invention, but I think the 18-year-old me would be impressed with this sweet, sour, and deceptively strong concoction. 

Edited April 11, 2015 by Craig E (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

There are so many wonderful drinks to make.  But why bother when there is a white mai tai.  Old picture but it looks the same:

 

 

 

 

OK, maybe the mint is not as pretty.

[EvergreenDan]

Mmmm. Retro high end audio. Threshold FET 10 preamp and a Crown amp.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Indeed, goes well with old rum.  Of which I guess the white mai tai is not.

 

I was going to fix something with Chartreuse but I think I've reached my limit for tonight.

[ChrisTaylor]

Inspired by Craig, here's my first ever Mixology Monday entry. This month's theme is 'Drink of Shame'.

 

Temporary name: Entering a World of Pain

 

My 'drink of shame' was the Black Russian. Normal times, in Australia, a Black Russian is topped up with Coke. Because it's not like a Black Russian is overly sweet at all. The Black Russian was my first cocktail. In sexing it up, I wanted to retain its basic attributes: the sweet kind-of-fake coffee liqueur flavour, a bit of that Coke taste without the additional of actual cola and that boozy kick. I wanted something more complex than the classic but still recognisable and, dare I say it, appealing to someone that likes a Black Russian (with Coke).

 

The split base came about when I did my first experiment. Rye by itself just tasted a little odd: the spiciness and bite of the 100 proof spirit pushed the drink off centre, like a Manhattan variation gone wrong. A split base of rye and cognac worked a lot better. I considered rum and genever as a base but figured the ... spiciness of rye and the vanilla-y, oak-y kick of some kind of brandy might work better.

 

0.75 oz rye, Rittenhouse

0.75 oz cognac

0.5 oz coffee liqueur, Ristretto

0.5 oz Ramazzotti

1 dash Xocolatl Mole bitters

 

Stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass over a large rock. Accept that this is still a sweet 'dessert' drink.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Since today was the first day that it's felt at all like spring, I made an aviation:

 

2 oz Magellan

1 oz lemon juice

2 teaspoons maraschino

1 teaspoon liqueur de violettes

 

 

Everything is right except the color.  There was a beautiful blue sky this afternoon, but this aviation ain't it.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

First up, Mississippi punch:

 

2 oz PF 1840

1 oz S&C

1/2 oz arrack

2 teaspoons sugar

1 oz somewhat less than fresh squeezed lemon juice

 

 

As always a delight...but then I remembered I needed citrus for tonight's Hollandaise.  Duh.  So I sacrificed a lime (at three for a dollar) and prepared a new beverage, at least for me:

 

The Grande Bretagne Cocktail No 1, via Charles H. Baker.  I followed Baker's suggested modification to use lime instead of the original lemon juice.  To quote Baker:  "Being to our Ungoverned Mind One of the Five or Six Chief Cocktails of the Whole Wide World."*

 

"Using lime juice we found later is far better than lemon, although lemon is plenty good enough."  Indeed.

 

 

 

I used Bombay Dry, Blume Marillen, and Angostura orange bitters.

 

OK, if it's not in violation, here's my recipe:

 

 

1 1/2 oz Bombay Dry

1/2 oz Blume Marillen

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (generous)

dash Angostura orange.

1 teaspoon pasteurized egg white (more or less)

 

 

Not bad at all.

 

 

 

*Note:  Baker probably wrote this prior to the invention of the mai tai.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

After a superb wine and dinner I assayed to concoct a fantastical libation to follow.  I was not up to the task.  I'm having a generous digestive of Chartreuse yellow V.E.P.  It doesn't get much better.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Because I had to:

 

 

 

Life is hard.