Drinks! 2018

[lindag]

On 2/5/2018 at 9:27 AM, damaaster said:

^^ Looks great!

Just curious where did you find those Swizzle Sticks/cocktail picks?  I've been looking for something similar for a while now - but can only ever find the bamboo ones, or the tacky plastic colorful ones.

 

 

I bought a set of atractive set of stainless picks from Amazon recently.  They look nice but the olives aren't real secure on them.  The plastic spears have the barbson the end that hold the fruit better.

[Smokeydoke]

16 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

A Traveling Scotsman?

 

Because it's all over the place?

 

Just kidding, it sounds awesome.

[lesliec]

On 2/4/2018 at 4:03 PM, Craig E said:

Invented something new tonight; I'm calling it the Vit Bit.

 

Thanks, @Craig E.  I thought it looked tasty when I saw it pop up on Kindred a couple of days ago, and I can now attest that it definitely is!

 

There are a couple (I think) of aquavit + other spirit drinks in the Death & Co book - I recall the May Fair is one - which we've also greatly enjoyed.

[Craig E]

2 minutes ago, lesliec said:

 

Thanks, @Craig E.  I thought it looked tasty when I saw it pop up on Kindred a couple of days ago, and I can now attest that it definitely is!

 

Glad you tried it and glad you liked it! Any further feedback welcome!

[EvergreenDan]

1 hour ago, Smokeydoke said:

Because it's all over the place?

All the ingredients come from the EU. Wait. Snap. All the ingredients used to come from the EU.

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by EvergreenDan (log)

[Kerry Beal]

3 minutes ago, EvergreenDan said:

All the ingredients come from the EU. Wait. Snap. All the ingredients used to come from the EU.

 

 

My logic was scotmans traveling to italy then france.

[lesliec]

EU-thanasia?

[EvergreenDan]

2 minutes ago, lesliec said:

EU-thanasia?

When made with Nikka and Laphroaig, EU-then-Asia?

 

https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/traveling-scotsman

[lesliec]

4 minutes ago, EvergreenDan said:

When made with Nikka and Laphroaig, EU-then-Asia?

 

I can go with that.  The world possibly also needs a cocktail called the Brexit.

[Smokeydoke]

14 minutes ago, EvergreenDan said:

When made with Nikka and Laphroaig, EU-then-Asia?

 

https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/traveling-scotsman

 

That's very clever, I'd make it quick before someone steals it.

[Craig E]

Oui Sì Aye 2 Aye

[Craig E]

@Rafa's Good Country People, just posted to Kindred Cocktails.

• 1 oz Gin, Beefeater
• 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur, Luxardo
• 1/2 oz Grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz Lime juice
• 1/4 oz Simple syrup
• 2 ds Peychaud's Bitters 

Shake, fine strain, up.

 

I used Tanqueray, and red grapefruit juice (I assume white was intended). 

 

This is a superb drink; maraschino complemented wonderfully by the other ingredients. Five stars!

[sbumgarner]

I've been focusing on making simpler drinks. And then last night happened:

 

.5 oz Sotol

.5 oz St George Raspberry Brandy

.5 oz Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black

.5 oz Lustau Amontillado

.75 oz lime

.5 oz orgeat

1/2 tsp Luxardo maraschino

Dash Boker's bitters

Dash Angostura

 

Shake, strain, coupe. I think I wanted to see how many funky ingredients in my current inventory I could cram into a drink before it broke. It was like drinking a slightly sweet, creamy green banana or plantain. I liked it.

 

[Smokeydoke]

Lastly got to the Last Word.

3/4 oz Tanqueray Rangpur Gin

3/4 Marachino

3/4 Lime Juice

3/4 Chartreuse

 

Strong! Spirit-forward, no place for the liquor to hide here. I don't know why, but it reminds me of Juliet and Romeo, definitely a vegetal note coming through.

I'm undecided if I like it or not. At least now I can say I tried it.

 

[lindag]

I've been messing with my own variation of a pomegranate monitor. (Spellcheck changed this from mojito!)

Vodka, pomegranatejuice, cranberry juice, Cointreau and lime juice.  I just eyeball the amounts based on previous testing.

I like my version which I mix in a tall glass with ice,  Again, not authentic but I like it.

Edited February 10, 2018 by lindag (log)

[Smokeydoke]

This was a Maple Orange-Fashioned at the local "Craft Cocktail" bar in Clovis, CA. $12.50. Is it just me or is this the way they pour nowadays? It sure seems short. That was a big-ass, ugly piece of ice. 

 

This is why I drink at home.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Smokeydoke said:

This was a Maple Orange-Fashioned at the local "Craft Cocktail" bar in Clovis, CA. $12.50. Is it just me or is this the way they pour nowadays? It sure seems short. That was a big-ass, ugly piece of ice. 

 

This is why I drink at home.

 

 

I only drink at home.  My pours are seldom short.

 

[sbumgarner]

Two drinks from recent posts in this thread last night, first up:

On 2/8/2018 at 7:52 PM, Craig E said:

@Rafa's Good Country People, just posted to Kindred Cocktails.

• 1 oz Gin, Beefeater
• 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur, Luxardo
• 1/2 oz Grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz Lime juice
• 1/4 oz Simple syrup
• 2 ds Peychaud's Bitters 

Shake, fine strain, up.

 

I used Tanqueray, and red grapefruit juice (I assume white was intended). 

 

This is a superb drink; maraschino complemented wonderfully by the other ingredients. Five stars!

 

 

I liked this as well, but I was glad I happened to have both Beefeater and a white grapefruit on hand, it might have crossed the threshold into too sweet for my tastes otherwise. But the play between the grapefruit and maraschino is really nice.

 

Next up was Dan's Traveling Scotsman:

On 2/6/2018 at 8:49 PM, EvergreenDan said:

When made with Nikka and Laphroaig, EU-then-Asia?

 

https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/traveling-scotsman

 

This is excellent. I used Black Bottle Blended in place of the single-malt non-peaty Scotch, but the aggressiveness of the other ingredients kept each other in check. A really good nightcap.

[lindag]

7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I only drink at home.  My pours are seldom short.

 

Once I was entertaining a friend at a vacation home where all the glasses were quite small (about 6 to 8 ozs. I'd guess).

We made drinks in the kitchen then walked over to the indoor pool.  We'd barely sat down when our glasses were empty.

I said, "Well, this isn't gonna work" and we left to go buy some way bigger glasses.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight I have a cold.  I cannot taste my mai tai.  I believe I may be beginning to feel it though.

 

Need more vitamin C.

 

[Tri2Cook]

7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Tonight I have a cold.  I cannot taste my mai tai.  I believe I may be beginning to feel it though.

 

Need more vitamin C.

 

The lime juice in the Mai Tai should help with the vitamin C... so have another! 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

The lime juice in the Mai Tai should help with the vitamin C... so have another! 

 

My point exactly.  Thing is I have only a lime and a half left and the grocery store is so very far away.  Come to think of it the Wray and Nephew is a little low as well.

 

[Craig E]

I posted this to Kindred a few months ago but only now got around to making it:

 

Nassau Street Cocktail

• 1 oz Apple brandy
• 1 oz Carpano Punt e Mes
• 1 oz Cynar
• 2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
• 1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish)

I'm sure the cherry garnish (which I indulgently tripled) contributed to this, but I got a strong cherry flavor from this though no cherry liqueur was involved. Dark cherry and chocolate. It actually brought to mind Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, which is one of my favorites. 

[paulraphael]

This is the first cocktail I invented from scratch, for my birthday party last month. Like most things it started simple and then took over.

 

Ginger Panther

 

1-1/2 oz ginger liqueur (see below. if using store-bought pick a sweet one)
1 oz bourbon
3/4 oz lapsang souchong emulsion (see below)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pedro ximinez sherry vinegar 
(total 3.5 oz)
-shake with ice. serve neat. garnish with ginger
-for a longer, weaker drink mix over rocks. or split the difference and strain over rocks.

(all the sweetness comes from the ginger liqueur. if the finished cocktail is too bitter / medicinal, then the liqueur is too dry. add some honey to the liqueur)

 

 

Lapsang Souchong Emulsion
-make tea: 1 rounded teaspoon lapsang souchong tea leaves per 8oz boiling water.
 steep 5 minutes, strain.
-measure 0.5% xanthan gum by weight (1.13g per 8 oz water)
-blend into tea with immersion blender. 
-cover and refrigerate a couple of hours before using, to chill and let gum hydrate.
-store in sealed container in fridge up to a few days.
 

Ginger Liqueur 
(about 750ml)

120g / 4 oz ginger root* (divided in half)
50g / 1/4 cup sugar
50g / 2TB + 2-1/2tsp  honey (orange blossom, clover or other light variety)
375ml / 1-1/2+ cups water
5g / 1tsp lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean (about 3”)
1/2 orange for zest (ideally organic)
375ml / 1-1/2+ cups 80 proof brandy (cheap)
200ml whole milk (for clarification)

 

*ginger should be very fresh. No brown or soft spots. Skin should be thin. 

-clean the ginger. remove dirt and any dark or woody patches.
-roast one portion of the ginger, unpeeled, in 400°F oven / toaster oven for 1 hour.
-disolve sugar and honey into water on stove or in microwave. bring to a boil.
-cut both portions of ginger into coarse pieces. no need to peel.
-combine ginger and hot sugar syrup in a blender. cover lid with towel. pulverize.
-pour into a jar. add brandy.
-zest 1/2 orange. split vanilla pod. add zest and vanilla pod to jar
-seal and hold at room temperature for 2 days

 

Clarify:
-remove vanilla pieces and rinse (should have enough flavor for other projects)
-pour 100g whole milk into a jar
-slowly stir liqueur into the milk. milk should curdle** 
-refrigerate overnight
-very gently strain, using a strainer and cloth, or a fine superbag. agitate the curds as little as possible. let gravity and time strain the liqueur; if you squeeze the curds you’ll sacrifice clarity for yield (clarity is about esthetics but may also improve longevity).

**if milk does not curdle, separate 100ml of the ginger/milk solution and add 2.5g / 1/2tsp more lemon juice. slowly stir this into the remaining liquid.

Edited February 21, 2018 by paulraphael (log)

[Craig E]

Midnight Snack (Angostura)

• 1 oz Old Overholt (Rittenhouse)
• 1 oz Snap ginger liqueur (Stirrings)
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz demerara syrup
• 3 ds Angostura
• 1 egg white (aquafaba)

Dry shake, shake, strain, up, garnish with grated nutmeg.

 

Super tasty. I feared it might be too sweet but the spice of rye/ginger/Ango kept it balanced. If you're a fan of whiskey sours, this is next-level.