Orgeat

[slkinsey]

I have a small colloid mill at my disposal. I stopped playing with it because the experiments got too expensive. I was generating all sort of stuff with no place to sell it. If you come up with an idea I'd love to give it a try.

I think the thing to try would be to make some assumptions as to how much nut solids you want in your orgeat. I think you could arrive at a reasonable ballpark assumption by making a regular batch of almond milk for orgeat and weighing the liquid yield and the spent almonds. Once you have your assumption as to how many grams of almonds go with however many grams of sugar syrup, you would just mill almonds together with the syrup until you got a colloidal suspension. Potentially you might want to dose it with a little bitter almond oil, etc. And then see how it tastes and how it behaves.

[Hassouni]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

[Tri2Cook]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

How did you get homemade orgeat to last 1 1/2 years?

[FrogPrincesse]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

Glad you liked it! It's one of my favorite drinks as well. It's excellent with a juniper-forward gin. I am craving one but I just finished my orgeat last night.

When orgeat gets bad you can tell right away by the smell (and the mold) so you should be ok.

Edited April 11, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Hassouni]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

How did you get homemade orgeat to last 1 1/2 years?

i made 750ml of it and didn't use much of it...

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

Glad you liked it! It's one of my favorite drinks as well. It's excellent with a juniper-forward gin. I am craving one but I just finished my orgeat last night.

When orgeat gets bad you can tell right away by the smell (and the mold) so you should be ok.

Great drink for sure. And I'm still alive! Score!

[Tri2Cook]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

How did you get homemade orgeat to last 1 1/2 years?

i made 750ml of it and didn't use much of it...

I should have seen that answer coming. Nice! But what I meant was, even if I do a 2:1 sugar : base orgeat (which I don't, but I tried it just to see how much it helped shelf life) and keep it in a very cold fridge, I've never got anywhere close to that shelf life. Now you have me thinking maybe I'm being over-cautious and tossing it too soon. I have a batch in the fridge that's been in there for 3 months or so that I was planning to dump. I just went and checked it and there's no funky smell or mold, just a layer of fat that's separated out at the top. Now I'm almost tempted to give it a good shake and try it. Maybe I'll wait until Saturday night though. That way, if I have to spend the next day with the porcelain lay-z-boy, at least I won't be at work.

[Kevin Liu]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

How did you get homemade orgeat to last 1 1/2 years?

i made 750ml of it and didn't use much of it...

I should have seen that answer coming. Nice! But what I meant was, even if I do a 2:1 sugar : base orgeat (which I don't, but I tried it just to see how much it helped shelf life) and keep it in a very cold fridge, I've never got anywhere close to that shelf life. Now you have me thinking maybe I'm being over-cautious and tossing it too soon. I have a batch in the fridge that's been in there for 3 months or so that I was planning to dump. I just went and checked it and there's no funky smell or mold, just a layer of fat that's separated out at the top. Now I'm almost tempted to give it a good shake and try it. Maybe I'll wait until Saturday night though. That way, if I have to spend the next day with the porcelain lay-z-boy, at least I won't be at work.

I'd be seriously wary of doing that! I've kept orgeat in the fridge for just over a month and it already started growing mold. In the future, if you're looking to keep your orgeat or any syrup for longer, consider dosing it with a little sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) preservatives.

Also, the curdling problem upthread I think has to do with the fat vs. carbohydrate ratio. Commercial milks usually add a few hydrocolloids to keep everything dispersed nicely, which is another reason I vouch for simply using commercial almond milk as a base rather than making my own orgeat.

[Hassouni]

Just made an Army & Navy, from Bartender's Choice, thanks to FrogPrincesse's post. I'm using the Orgeat I made back in October 2011 (see page 7). It smells like it might have refermented, but it hasn't gone black or fuzzy or anything. I'll be OK, right?

In any case, the cocktail is TIP TOP! (And also, probably time to make new orgeat)

How did you get homemade orgeat to last 1 1/2 years?

i made 750ml of it and didn't use much of it...

I should have seen that answer coming. Nice! But what I meant was, even if I do a 2:1 sugar : base orgeat (which I don't, but I tried it just to see how much it helped shelf life) and keep it in a very cold fridge, I've never got anywhere close to that shelf life. Now you have me thinking maybe I'm being over-cautious and tossing it too soon. I have a batch in the fridge that's been in there for 3 months or so that I was planning to dump. I just went and checked it and there's no funky smell or mold, just a layer of fat that's separated out at the top. Now I'm almost tempted to give it a good shake and try it. Maybe I'll wait until Saturday night though. That way, if I have to spend the next day with the porcelain lay-z-boy, at least I won't be at work.

3 months? Bah! Go for it!

[Rafa]

Also, the curdling problem upthread I think has to do with the fat vs. carbohydrate ratio. Commercial milks usually add a few hydrocolloids to keep everything dispersed nicely, which is another reason I vouch for simply using commercial almond milk as a base rather than making my own orgeat.

This method is so quick and simple that I now just make small batches of orgeat as needed rather than keep a supply in the fridge. Seriously, it can take less than a minute.

Edited April 11, 2013 by Rafa (log)

[Moto]

I've never had problems storing orgeat in the fridge for several months at a time. The longest I usually use them is for about 4 months. I make fairly small batches because I do see a quality fall off around 6 to 8 months. I have never seen any evidence of mold growth

[Hassouni]

A shop by me has the 1883 orgeat, is anyone still using that? I got their passion fruit syrup and it's AWESOME

[Czequershuus]

So my bottle of B.G. Reynolds Orgeat has arrived! Up until now must admit I have been using Fee's Orgeat(heresy, I know). I tried making my own, which alone among my syrup adventures was a spectacular failure. I finally decided to splurge the 15 bucks to order the good stuf from Amazon, and today the package arrived at my door.

My first experiment was a Mai Tai according to this recipe:

1 Oz Rhum Agricole (Depaz Blue Canne - the last of my bottle I'm afraid)

1 Oz Applecton V/X

0.5 Oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat

0.5 Oz Cointreau

0.75 Oz Lime Juice

0.25 Oz Simple Syrup

Perfect. An utter delight. I am glad I was not to used to the very sweet Fee's Orgeat.

Next up was a Japanese Cocktail, using this recipe

2 Oz Cognac (De Marsy is what I have)

0.5 Oz Orgeat

2 ds Angostura

Wow, this syrup is much less sweet than what I have used before. I must admit I needed a dash of simple to balance out. I never have this problem, but at least it is a good problem to have. It is so much easier to make a cocktail sweeter than to reduce sweetness.

More experimentation is called for.

[EvergreenDan]

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.

[Czequershuus]

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross

[mkayahara]

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross

You can always try it with J Wray white overproof!

[Czequershuus]

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross

You can always try it with J Wray white overproof!

Now that is a fantastic idea. I must try this soonish.

[EvergreenDan]

Insert "Bitter" before Mai Tai. You will thank me.

Oh, I have tried this before. Even with cheaper ingredients it is a lovely cocktail. Problem is I still don't have access to Smith and Cross

You can always try it with J Wray white overproof!

Now that is a fantastic idea. I must try this soonish.

Shake in old hiking boot to complete the JWray -> S&C substitution.

[campus five]

My wife doesn't really dig aged rum, so I made a Bitter Mai Tai with Plymouth Navy Strength instead.

It was delicious.

[FrogPrincesse]

Last night I was looking for something with orgeat and a dark spirit, but not a Mai Tai. And I was not after something like the Japanese or its bourbon cousin, the Attorney Privilege, both very good cocktails when I am in the mood for a sweeter flavor profile.

After trying one of Chris McMillians' creation with the End of the Road recently, I tried a cocktail that was named after him, the McMillian which incorporates some of his favorite ingredients: rye, orgeat, curacao, Benedictine, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, and mint.

After a mint aroma, the first impression is that this is a strong rye-forward cocktail. It tastes sharp even though there is only a small amount of lemon (I used a Meyer lemon as I was out of regular lemons). It has a strong spice and orange oil finish. Interestingly, the mint blended with the other ingredients to add another layer of flavor, but there was no mint flavor per se.

It was perfect for the first day of fall weather in San Diego (rain for the first time in months and 65F today... brrr).

[Tri2Cook]

It was perfect for the first day of fall weather in San Diego (rain for the first time in months and 65F today... brrr).

That drink sounds tasty. I can't get Rittenhouse but I suppose I could try a less potent version with the Sazerac 6 I have. It actually warmed up to 67F here today after a couple weeks of hovering in the 35F - 45F range. Feels like summer again.

[Hassouni]

Last night I was looking for something with orgeat and a dark spirit, but not a Mai Tai. And I was not after something like the Japanese or its bourbon cousin, the Attorney Privilege, both very good cocktails when I am in the mood for a sweeter flavor profile.

After trying one of Chris McMillians' creation with the End of the Road recently, I tried a cocktail that was named after him, the McMillian which incorporates some of his favorite ingredients: rye, orgeat, curacao, Benedictine, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, and mint.

After a mint aroma, the first impression is that this is a strong rye-forward cocktail. It tastes sharp even though there is only a small amount of lemon (I used a Meyer lemon as I was out of regular lemons). It has a strong spice and orange oil finish. Interestingly, the mint blended with the other ingredients to add another layer of flavor, but there was no mint flavor per se.

It was perfect for the first day of fall weather in San Diego (rain for the first time in months and 65F today... brrr).

Hey, I have all these ingredients, I may have to make this, thanks again Princesse!

[FrogPrincesse]

Hey, I have all these ingredients, I may have to make this, thanks again Princesse!

Hassouni - You are very welcome.

It was perfect for the first day of fall weather in San Diego (rain for the first time in months and 65F today... brrr).

That drink sounds tasty. I can't get Rittenhouse but I suppose I could try a less potent version with the Sazerac 6 I have. It actually warmed up to 67F here today after a couple weeks of hovering in the 35F - 45F range. Feels like summer again.

You are located in Canada, right?

The Sazerac should make an excellent version too. I like that rye; I just think that it's a little pricey for what it is (at least in the US where it is significantly more expensive than Rittenhouse).

[Tri2Cook]

You are located in Canada, right?

The Sazerac should make an excellent version too. I like that rye; I just think that it's a little pricey for what it is (at least in the US where it is significantly more expensive than Rittenhouse).

Yep, in Canada. Rittenhouse is available through the LCBO and, even here, is cheaper than the Saz but no stores within a few hundred km of where I live stock it. I had a bottle at one time but it and one of the 2 bottles of Sazerac I grabbed when it was available have already went to a better place. I'm being really stingy with the remaining bottle. I use it but I don't often offer it to anyone else.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Good timing for this thread to come up again! I just ordered orgeat and gum syrup from feste's website.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A riff on Anthony Schmidt's Autumn in Jersey (the original uses applejack which I replaced with calvados): 2 oz calvados, 3/4 oz each homemade orgeat and lemon juice, 2 dashes angostura. It's essential an Army & Navy with a different base liquor. I really like these flavors.

I'm enjoying one of these while dinner cooks. Very nice balance. Let me put in another plug for Small Hand orgeat. I had been afraid 3/4 oz would be too much lemon, but just right. For the spirit I used Laird's 7 1/2 year old. I can't see why anyone would want to use applejack in this. My garnish is a cinnamon stick. Nice gesture, but in the big glass it looks a little lost.

Very pleased with this recipe! I wanted to repost FrogPrincesse' pretty picture of it but the system wouldn't let me.