cocktail ingredients being syrup instead of liquor

[Dany Moussalli]

I wanted to start mixing drinks as a hobby , i started purchasing famous
ingredients (irish cream , blue curacao etc..) but then i realized, that these
ingredients were labeled as "syrups" and not as "liquor" , and it is in my
knowledge that irish cream and blue curacao are alcoholic drinks though the
ones I purchased are just non alcoholic syrups , can it badly affect the
quality of the drinks that i want to mix ?

[ChrisTaylor]

Can you post a photo of these 'syrups'?

[KD1191]

I would guess they are Monin...or, similar.

 

While we're on the topic of hunches, I'm also starting to think this forum is being punked.

Edited November 9, 2014 by KD1191 (log)

[Dany Moussalli]

Can you post a photo of these 'syrups'?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz4t0__L2NS7T05rTW16ZFg4eWc/view?usp=sharing

 

here you go , the label is in polish and it translates to "barman syrup .made specially for good cocktails" 

[ChrisTaylor]

It's specially made for something but I don't know if that something is a 'good cocktail'. Before loading up on more syrups--or even real blue curacao--maybe ask yourself what kind of cocktails you like to drink. If your idea of a good time is something like a Pousse-Cafe or one of the thrillingly raunchy orgasm-themed cocktails then, yeah, Bailey's and blue curacao will do it. If you've never tried many cocktails then you might be better off spending your money on some respectable but affordable gin (I'd argue for Tanq but others would steer you in the direction of Sapphire or Beefeater), some rye (Rittenhouse 100), a dry white rum (Flor de Cana) and a few basic modifiers: a each of sweet and dry vermouth, Angostura bitters, maybe some Campari. With that selection you'll be able to try a few big classics and start to learn your palate. How sweet/bitter do you like things? You boozy?

 

I mean, with that collection you could hit ...

• Mojito
• Manhattan
• Martini
• Negroni
• Old-Fashioned
• Daiquiri
• About the only kind of Collins you'd want to bother with
• Americano
• Boulevardier (well, if you sub in rye for the bourbon--I doubt anyone would be too offended by that)

And a few lesser known drinks, too. From there it's relatively easy to figure out what you like and you can start to spiral out in different reactions. This beats buying a lot of random shite.

 

There are a few threads dedicated to getting started in cocktails. Here are some I remember:

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149558-4-bottles-to-make-manly-cocktails/

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/139736-help-for-a-couple-of-cocktail-novices-part-1/

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/95811-the-ten-bottle-start-up-home-cocktail-bar/

 

The ongoing Drinks discussion is always worth a look, too. Here's the latest topic:

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148631-drinks-2014-part-2/

[Tri2Cook]

While we're on the topic of hunches, I'm also starting to think this forum is being punked.

I don't think so. I think we just sometimes forget within the safe confines of the eGullet forums that the vast majority of people are going to bars and drinking Sex On The Beach and Porn Stars, not going to craft establishments and drinking a whiskey sour with organic lemons that only grow on a small patch of soil in a secret location next to a Guatemalan insane asylum while being nurtured by a lactating fruit bat. Their loss of course...  

 

[cdh]

Some classic cocktails explicitly ask for fruit syrups... Grenadine, raspberry syrup and other such turn up in old school recipes.  Some cocktail ingredients are alcoholic as much as a preservative as a necessity...  Curacao and triple sec and other sweet syrupy additions are there more for the sugar and flavor than the booze, so a well made non-alcoholic substitution could certainly do the job they're called to do.  You've got to experiment and see if these syrups bring flavors that you like to the drinks that you make. 

[haresfur]

I use black-currant syrup instead of Cassis when making Kir because, well, I'm cheap.  You might have to change the ratios for some things but the best thing to do is to try it and see.