Best of Rafa/DrunkLab

[mhdousa]

Everything I've tried by him has been spectacular. But let's face it: calling him "prolific" is putting it mildly (http://www.kindredcocktails.com/user/2721/recently-posted).  

 

What are the best drinks you've had that he's created or posted?

 

I'll start:
http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/the-man-comes-around

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/tango-til-theyre-sore

Edited July 26, 2014 by mhdousa (log)

[Craig E]

Not originals, but posted by DrunkLab on Kindred Cocktails:

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/dead-mans-mule

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/the-crippled-creek

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/french-maid

These are three of the best cocktails I've had in my life.

[ChrisTaylor]

I'm also a huge fan of The Man Comes Around. Johnny Cash and Fernet and Cynar and mezcal? Ticks numerous boxes.

 

/strokes Rafa's ego

[FrogPrincesse]

Another vote for The Man Comes Around. 

[Kerry Beal]

I wish to try The Man Comes Around.  Alas I have no mole bitters here with me up north.  That is about to be rectified - I have a batch underway using the Serious Eats DIY version.  It will be placed in the ultrasonic cleaner to take the place of the various aging periods - so I expect it to be done tomorrow.

[Rafa]

Thank you. It is very gratifying to have drinks I've made or posted connect with people generally and on this forum in particular. One of my favorite parts of my job is matching a guest to a drink, and while I have less control when it comes to people choosing to make a drink for themselves in Canada or New Zealand than at my own bar, it's great when a drink hits the spot for someone.

 

A lot of bartending is kind of a drag—unclogging sinks and scrubbing surfaces, breaking up fights or screwing couples, cutting off drug deals, pouring shots of amaretto—but getting to make drinks and talk to people for a living is just about the best day (well, night) job I could hope for.

[mhdousa]

Thank you. It is very gratifying to have drinks I've made or posted connect with people generally and on this forum in particular. One of my favorite parts of my job is matching a guest to a drink, and while I have less control when it comes to people choosing to make a drink for themselves in Canada or New Zealand than at my own bar, it's great when a drink hits the spot for someone.

 

A lot of bartending is kind of a drag—unclogging sinks and scrubbing surfaces, breaking up fights or screwing couples, cutting off drug deals, pouring shots of amaretto—but getting to make drinks and talk to people for a living is just about the best day (well, night) job I could hope for.

 

Well, since you waded into this thread, I'll ask: what are your favorites of your own creations?

[mkayahara]

...breaking up fights or screwing couples...

Um.

 

I'm thinking that, in my day job, that's what we would call a "non-parallel construction".

[FrogPrincesse]

To me it reads as a perfectly written parallel structure and you simply missed his point!

[Rafa]

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. 

 

(I noticed the ambiguity but left it as is. Let no one say I won't go the distance for my job.) 

[Rafa]

 

Well, since you waded into this thread, I'll ask: what are your favorites of your own creations?

 

Usually whatever I'm working on, which is a disappointing and evasive answer, I know, and hardly helpful, especially as lately I'm mostly working on versions that don't suck of disgusting things guests ask me for (sup, shot of Fireball). 

 

Here are some that I like to make for myself and others:

 

Refreshing: McCarren Park Swizzle (bison grass vodka, pear eau de vie, falernum, St. Germain, lemon, bitters, mint); Peter Buck/Blunderbuss (apple brandy, ginger, lemon, and bitters served long, with orgeat in one case and bourbon and peach in the other); Killing Moon (gin, Solbeso cacao spirit, jasmine green tea, Manzanilla or dry sake, lemon); In Blume (apricot eau de vie, Dolin Blanc, lemon/sugar/egg white/salt); Honeypot (Drambuie sour bolstered with Scotch and bittered); Dr. Fünke (absinthe Mai Tai that blue itself); Corpse Defiler #666 (rye, Bonal, Nonino, lemon); Infidel (gin, mint syrup, dry vermouth, lime); Tribe of the Horned Heart (kirsch, Islay, vanilla, falernum, lime, soda); Red Sky at Night (Dark 'n' Stormy with a bitters base, served up); 'Burn Notice (Smith & Cross, Laphroaig, yuzu preserves, ginger, lemon, Cynar).

 

Stirred/aromatic: good old Man Comes Around; Choke Me Like You Love Me (rye, PX, Cynar, absinthe) or Laughter in the Dark (Islay, PX, Cynar) or PPX; Hunting Rifle (Irish whiskey, El Dorado, creme de banane, bitters, Chartreuse rinse); Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (rye, Fernet, Benedictine); Émigré (rum, plum brandy, Unicum Plum, Bonal or Pineau); Genever? I Hardly Know 'Er! (genever, Drambuie, lavender, chamomile, Boker's); Into the Woods (gin/Doug Fir eau de vie, Campari, green Chartreuse, dry vermouth); Strange Mercy (genever, St. George Terroir gin, jasmine green tea syrup, bitters); Hearts of Oak (Redbreast, bourbon, Islay, maple, Rooibos, bitters); Durero (dry sherry, dry sake, bitters); Struttin' with Some BBQ (bourbon, mezcal, Nonino, Amontillado, maple). 

 

Oddballs: Jaguar Shark (coconut-y blended Mai Tai riff with boba), Milkshake 'n Honey (Scotch, sherry, apple brandy, ice cream, ginger-honey), Blown Umbrella (tiki drink with Campari and Becherovka),  Ultraísta (coffee, Fernet, kirsch).

 

Most fun to write was this one. 

 

A few of these are in Stew Ellington's forthcoming book, though I only know that the McCarren's in for sure, and I believe he picked one or two that I didn't list here.

 

I'm bad at picking favorites. Phew. Sorry.

 

The full list of drinks is here.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Rafa (log)

[Craig E]

Just had a Bombardier that I loved. 

[Czequershuus]

I had a Chelsea Manning the other night that was extremely enjoyable. I used Crosse & Blackwell for the Marmalade, but I have been considering trying to make my own sometime, and this drink just gives me one more reason to try. 

[mhdousa]

Hey Rafa - you're famous!

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2015/06/tango-til-theyre-sore.html

[Rafa]

I have no recollection of writing that.

[Hassouni]

Dr Fünke

[Frederic]

I have no recollection of writing that.

Cheers!