Drinks! 2014 (Part 2)

[FrogPrincesse]

No, just a large (white) grapefruit peel. 

[lesliec]

I strongly approve, FP.  In summer we've been known to mix up a batch of G&T in a vacuum flask and take it to the beach to enjoy with fish and chips.  One of the great food/drink pairings on a summer evening, that one.

[janeer]

The Bee's Knees (and it was) from the PDT. Very refreshing in our 104F heat. For some reason I can't insert the pic.             

[FrogPrincesse]

I strongly approve, FP.  In summer we've been known to mix up a batch of G&T in a vacuum flask and take it to the beach to enjoy with fish and chips.  One of the great food/drink pairings on a summer evening, that one.

 

I'm with you, Leslie. In the same vein, my G&T was enjoyed with homemade fried chicken. Here is the drink at the park, enjoying the fresh air. There was coconut water from a freshly cracked coconut in the tiki cup, which I ended up adding to the G&T at some point, because why not.

 

 

 

 

This morning I had a Benton's Old Fashioned. Instead of bacon-infused bourbon, I used a few drops of Gangsta Lee'n bitters, which taste like smoked almonds with bacon. A fantastic brunch drink because it's breakfast in a glass, with maple syrup, orange, and bacon. 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[lesliec]

It's good to add things to a G&T. I like a drop of lemon cordial and/or St Germaine; coconut would be interesting to try.

As we speak I'm enjoying your Choke Artist. Lovely stuff.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Today and yesterday have been uncharacteristically warm in New Jersey after such a cool summer (but not warm enough in time to save the tomato crop).  So I warmed up with...I mean I cooled off with a Cana Brava daiquiri, a pineapple Cana Brava daiquiri.  Just because I could.  I used Small Hand pineapple gum in place of regular gum -- 8:2:1 of course.

 

In these proportions the pineapple was detectable but not exactly hard to miss.  Not a big success.

 

...Then this white mai tai called to me.  It's nice having a goto beverage I can't seem to tire of.  Particularly as long as the mint is holding out.

[FrogPrincesse]

(also, who makes pousse-cafés?)

 

I saw this beauty by Charles Joly of the Aviary and immediately thought about you, Hassouni.

A Jungle Bird, pousse-café style. Description here. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[Hassouni]

I saw this beauty by Charles Joly of the Aviary and immediately thought about you, Hassouni.

A Jungle Bird, pousse-café style. Description here. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

OK, that is quite beautiful. Also, my chief complaint with the Jbird is that it's got blackstrap in it, I see this does not, so I might like it!

 

 

Tonight after a bunch of beers I made myself a Palo Viejo Cocktail, which is like a Batshitcardi Cocktail, but using a rum that doesn't suck. Testing out a new batch of grenadine. The syrup was good, but not as bright red or as tart as previous versions, which is puzzling, given more or less the same technique and ingredients.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

OK, that is quite beautiful..

 

$28

[FrogPrincesse]

Lots and lots of prep time I am sure.

[FrogPrincesse]

OK, that is quite beautiful. Also, my chief complaint with the Jbird is that it's got blackstrap in it, I see this does not, so I might like it!

I was being a bit facetious. Layered drinks don't particularly appeal to me. But apparently this one is good (and horribly expensive). I was reading an interview of Jeff Bell earlier where he was raving about it.

Tonight after a bunch of beers I made myself a Palo Viejo Cocktail, which is like a Batshitcardi Cocktail, but using a rum that doesn't suck. Testing out a new batch of grenadine. The syrup was good, but not as bright red or as tart as previous versions, which is puzzling, given more or less the same technique and ingredients.

What's your go-to recipe for grenadine? Morgenthaler?

[Hassouni]

I can't even remember whose it is at this point, but it's pomegranate concentrate diluted with fresh juice, then mixed with sugar

[Rafa]

I like boston apothecary's technique of freeze-concentrating the pomegranate juice for extra pop.

[Hassouni]

My last batch had hella pop but it wasn't so much a grenadine as an absurdly thick pomegranate syrup. I think next time I use less concentrate and more fresh juice.

 

The concentrate I have requires 8:1 dilution to be the consistency of fresh juice...this time I did 1 part concentrate to 2 parts juice...after refrigeration overnight it's also quite thick, but not like the last batch.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

You can probably guess this already but I get feste to make my grenadine.  Good stuff.

[bostonapothecary]

I haven't made a drink in a long time.

 

1.5 oz. tanqueray old tom gin

.5 oz. sap house meadery vanilla bean mead (co-fermented with vanilla beans)

1 oz. punt y mes

barspoon yellow chartreuse

 

the tanqueray old tom wasn't anything too remarkable, but it will be easy enough to make disappear. the mead is something very special and I've really fallen in love with the eccentric offerings from sap house. sometimes I'm vanilla averse but here it adds just the right inflection and depth. the yellow chartreuse echos and alliterates qualities in the mead or vice versa depending on which direction you read the poem.

[Rafa]

Jess Gonzalez' "Howl on the Hill" with Fernet Branca, yellow Chartreuse, absinthe, Antica, and El Dorado 15 and Santa Teresa 1796 rums.

 

I got an unmistakable flavor of mint chocolate chip ice cream from this, and when I handed it to Jess she concurred and said it must have appeared because I left the drink on ice for too long before straining. I think she made the drink taste this way on purpose because she loves Baskin-Robbins' mint chocolate chip and I won't be persuaded otherwise.

[FrogPrincesse]

Negroni with St George dry rye gin, Campari, Margerum amaro. I prefer the version with Dolin vermouth (or Punt e Mes), it's more vibrant.

 

 

 

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

I made a coconut orgeat last weekend and used it in a Daiquiri variation. It needs some tweaking but it has potential. 

 

The orgeat is fabulous in water - instant coconut water. I am enjoying some right now.

 

 

 

 

[Hassouni]

le yum

[FrogPrincesse]

le yum

 

Also know as Miam. 

 

How is that punch coming along?

[Hassouni]

ouais, miam, j'ai oublié.

 

c'est fini le punch

[tanstaafl2]

Been a bit of a marathon for me the last couple of days which is unusual for me in the middle of the week. Wednesday featured another of our series of "Wednesday Tastings" (clever name, eh?) which was highlighted by the recent acquisition of a bottle of the High West Midwinter Night's Dram as well as rum and poitin of all things (The Teeling Poitin was good but the Glendalough's alas were not).

 

 

One of the Rendezvous was a standard bottle and the other was a store pick that had been finished for 29 months in refill bourbon casks.

 

 

The finished Rendezvous was even better than the regular but the MWND was the best of all. Well worth tracking down if you get the opportunity. Currently at the distillery but supposed to be released in the fall.

 

Then last night on the spur of the moment we were off to Paper Plane, a local cocktail bar of some repute here in town.

 

Started on the menu with a "One & Done" which included bourbon, cognac, gran classico, punt e mes and both peychaud's and angostura bitters (didn't get proportions). Next it was a Manhattan Beach with rye, aged rum (ED12 I believe), Cocchi di torino, orange curacao and a bit of cinnamon. Very interesting.

 

Then we drifted off book to include something the bartender called the End of the Road (which bears no similarity to the one in Kindred Cocktails).

 

.75 Amontillado Sherry

.75 Zucca amaro

.75 Cynar

.75 Vida mescal

2 dashes lemon bitters

 

And one that never got a name that I can remember.

 

1 Linie Aquavit

.75 Cynar

.75 Punt e Mes

,25 Luxardo Maraschino

2 dashes Bitter Truth Celery Bitters

 

I liked both of these!

 

At some point we ended up with a flip of some sort with a float of Laphroaig 10yo which was the only one I remembered to get a picture of!

 

 

We then drifted back into mezcal drinks and my memory of what followed after that gets a bit fuzzy. Pretty sure we got Naked and Famous at some point!

 

Just not sure if it was a cocktail...

 

 

Edited September 5, 2014 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[Craig E]

Just acquired my first bottle of Cherry Heering. Inaugurated it with a Gilroy.

 

1 1/2 oz gin (Tanqueray Old Tom)

3/4 oz Cherry Heering

1/2 oz dry vermouth (Noilly Prat)

1/2 oz lemon juice

1 dash orange bitters (Fee Bros.)

 

This was terrific. Where was this wonderful, almost savory/spicy flavor coming from? The other ingredients pulling it out of the gin, I guess. The pleasant cherry/spicy tones reminded me of Angostura-bitters-heavy drinks I've enjoyed.

 

This old Savoy recipe didn't look like anything special when browsing, but I'm very glad I made it. It's a keeper for sure.

[ChrisTaylor]

I like your idea of a picnic, Froggy.