Drinks! 2015 - 2016

[Craig E]

Marquee Cocktail

Martin Miller's gin (Far North Solveig gin), Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, salt, sage.

The salt and sage add a pleasant savory twist to a familiar sweet, sour, and fruity combination.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2016 by Craig E
fixed the pic (log)

[lesliec]

Beautiful colour, Craig.  Is the salt on the sage, or a couple of drops of salt solution in the drink?

[Craig E]

A few drops of saline in the shaker. (A couple of sage leaves go in too, then get strained out.)

Edited January 16, 2016 by Craig E (log)

[Czequershuus]

2 hours ago, Craig E said:

Marquee Cocktail

Martin Miller's gin (Far North Solveig gin), Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, salt, sage.

The salt and sage add a pleasant savory twist to a familiar sweet, sour, and fruity combination.

 

What do you think of the Solveig? There are so many new Minnesota gins that have come out in the past few years, and this is one I have not gotten round to.

[Craig E]

Just now, Czequershuus said:

 

What do you think of the Solveig? There are so many new Minnesota gins that have come out in the past few years, and this is one I have not gotten round to.

I received it as a gift a while back. It worked well in this but I'm not a big fan actually. It has an intriguing but not very gin-like vanilla/hogo aroma, and a pretty unremarkable, almost vodka-ish flavor. I wouldn't buy it again. I think the bottle is gorgeous though!

Have you had Tattersall? They're making fantastic stuff IMO. 

[nakji]

Do you eat the sage garnish, or is it just there for aroma?

 

 this is a reverse-ratio Manhattan made with Cocchi Vermouth and Knob Creek Rye. House-made cherry. I usually use Bulleit, but the Knob Creek was new, so I thought I'd give it a try. I can't say I noticed a difference. 

[Craig E]

I didn't eat the sage but I guess that's up to the drinker. I was once dumbstruck when I served a drink to a guest and she ate the lemon twist. Would never occur to me to consider that edible. 

[EvergreenDan]

4 minutes ago, Craig E said:

I didn't eat the sage but I guess that's up to the drinker. I was once dumbstruck when I served a drink to a guest and she ate the lemon twist. Would never occur to me to consider that edible. 

I'm a zesty nibbler too.

[ananth]

Menthe Religieuse by Julien Escot

 

an interesting twist on the Grasshopper

equal parts Absinthe, Green Creme de Menthe, White Creme de Cacao and cream

Shaken and served on crushed ice

It is supposed to be garnished with mint but I didn't have any. 

 

Mante religieuse is french for praying mantis. For the name, the author switched "Mante" for "Menthe" which is french for mint (pronounced the same).

[Tri2Cook]

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 1:16 AM, Rafa said:

And some Spiders from Mars. RIP.

RIP indeed. I tried creating my own drink using that name after I heard the news... but I suck a creating drinks and gave up on it. Is that your creation?

Edited January 16, 2016 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Rafa]

It's my colleague Jimmy Palumbo's. If I recall correctly it was Old Tom Gin with pistachio orgeat, some kind of sherry, various modifiers, and a bitters float for the Mars. The spiders are star anise.

[lesliec]

3 hours ago, Rafa said:

It's my colleague Jimmy Palumbo's. If I recall correctly it was Old Tom Gin with pistachio orgeat, some kind of sherry, various modifiers, and a bitters float for the Mars. The spiders are star anise.

 

I'd like to try that, Rafa.  Can you confirm the recipe and get it into Kindred?  Thanks.

[Rafa]

On 1/17/2016 at 11:45 PM, lesliec said:

 

I'd like to try that, Rafa.  Can you confirm the recipe and get it into Kindred?  Thanks.

 

He shared it on Instagram, so I doubt he'll mind if I share it here:

 

Spiders from Mars:

 

Quote

1oz martin miller
.5 amaro montenegro 
.5 Drambuie 
.5 Lustau oloroso sherry 
.5 CuttySark Prohibition 
.25 allspice dram
.25 pistachio orgeat

 

Stir, double rocks glass, garnish with float of Peychaud’s and anise Spiders.

 

I believe he stirred in a kitchen sink as well.

[lesliec]

Quote

I believe he stirred in a kitchen sink as well.

 

I think he may have done.  Is the lad insane?

 

Thanks for that.  Damn - now I need to get some Drambuie ...

[Craig E]

Quin Quina Crusta

Lovely and excellent. Joins Tango Til They're Sore as a fave Peychaud's-heavy tipple. 

[ChrisTaylor]

Finishing off the last of the pecan-infused Buffalo Trace I made a while back (Death & Co). I much prefer it on its own. Maybe its just my aversion to sweet things, but the cocktail that essentially showcases the stuff--Buffalo Soldier (2 oz pecan-infused BT, .25 or .5 oz or so of Dem syrup)--is just too fucking sweet. Less than the sum of its parts or something. Maybe.

[lesliec]

The Fall of Man, using some of my just-acquired Zwack Unicum.

 

I rather like this.  Bourbon, Zwack, Punt e Mes, Cherry Heering and Cointreau, over ice 'seasoned' with the oil from five (yes!) strips of orange zest.  Unquestionably boozy, and a tad medicinal in a good way (that's the Zwack).

 

Not in the top 10 (with the other 100 or so by now) but definitely one I'd do again.

[Rafa]

Inspired by bostonapothecary's recent discussion of prune juice as a traditional rum additive, I started thinking about the felicitous combination of Bonal with Smith & Cross, and, with sacrilegious disregard for spirit categories, began using an equal parts mix of the two as my go-to "rum" in recipes that call for the Jamaican stuff. 

 

A Mai Tai with an ounce and a half of Bonal to one and a half of Smith & Cross is a thing of beauty.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2016 by Rafa (log)

[Craig E]

My entry for January's Mixology Monday challenge, Brace Yourself.

The idea of this month's theme is a cocktail that helps brace yourself to face the wintry weather. One of my first reactions to my recently acquired bottle of Bonal Gentiane Quina was that it reminded me, in its acidic sweetness, a bit of a nice apple cider, so this seemed like a good foundation for a wintry cocktail. If I wasn't going to do a hot, toddy-like cocktail, I knew I'd need the warming effects of something high-proof, so I pulled out my bottle of Hamilton 151 rum to pair with it. After a few trials I found its alcohol and molasses flavors overrode my yummy Bonal, so I needed something a little more neutral to rebalance the drink, and since apple cider was my starting point, calvados seemed like a natural fit. The cinnamon notes of Berechkova seemed like an obvious complement to the apple idea, so I added that as a rinse. After a few rounds of rebalancing, I wound up with:

 

WINTER CAP

2 oz. Bonal

1 oz. calvados

1/2 oz. Hamilton 151 rum

Becherovka rinse

orange twist

 

Edited January 24, 2016 by Craig E (log)

[Rafa]

Sounds great!

 

Tonight, an impromptu and à la minute mulled wine with which to ride out the snowstorm, with Bonal as the base and accents of blackstrap rum, lime, and allspice.

 

Edit: Discovery of the night: an equal-parts blend of Cruzan Blackstrap and Donn's Spices #2 used in minute amounts is an instant-aging serum for already aged spirits (rhum agricole, brandy, bourbon). 

[lesliec]

I'm sorry to do this to those of you with blizzards, but here it's very nice summer weather and a public holiday to boot.

 

Out on the deck for cocktail hour, we had (not for the first time) Diamonds on my Windshield - aquavit, St Germain, dry vermouth, orange bitters.

 

 

Really nice.  One Kindred user has already commented that it seems lighter than it actually is, and I'd agree.  But it's also one of the finer uses of aquavit known to man.

[ChrisTaylor]

3 hours ago, lesliec said:

I'm sorry to do this to those of you with blizzards, but here it's very nice summer weather and a public holiday to boot.

 

Out on the deck for cocktail hour, we had (not for the first time) Diamonds on my Windshield - aquavit, St Germain, dry vermouth, orange bitters.

 

 

Really nice.  One Kindred user has already commented that it seems lighter than it actually is, and I'd agree.  But it's also one of the finer uses of aquavit known to man.

 

 

This is pretty banging. The Tom ref adds to the flavour.

[Rafa]

Mai Tai. One day I'll remember to photograph my shift drink before I start drinking it (though it's hard with a Mai Tai). The mint couldn't be helped, which is why it ended up in my drink and not a guest's.

 

[1.5 oz Smith & Cross

1.5 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina]*

1/2 oz PF curaçao

1 oz lime

3/4 oz orgeat

 

*=my heretical Jamaican "rum" blend. I might reduce the Bonal going forward.

 

This was a good Mai Tai. The flavor was excellent but the balance needs work; it tastes right at the sip, but it falls apart as it makes its way down the irlGullet, with the orgeat becoming too prominent. Still. A very nice consolation to myself considering I probably won't make Pouring Ribbons' Tiki Monday tonight.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

51 minutes ago, Rafa said:

Mai Tai. One day I'll remember to photograph my shift drink before I start drinking it (though it's hard with a Mai Tai). The mint couldn't be helped, which is why it ended up in my drink and not a guest's.

 

Three quarter ounce orgeat is too much says she, as she finishes her second mai tai.  The first mai tai was a failure with somehow only one quarter ounce orgeat.

 

Fortunately there was M.R. to take up the rear.

[haresfur]

Death of the Fridge

 

Campari over very soft lemon gellato.