Drinks! (2011–2012)

[tanstaafl2]

Smith & Cross is distinctive, yes, but it is made for this type of application. You could cut it with a somewhat milder rum if you desire, but there should be significant spiritous character in the punch--the Cognac will do a good job of rounding out rough edges. I didn't catch the brand of Cognac you used but any tolerable VS bottling should work fine. The use of VSOP will yield dividends but is not, in my experience, crucial to the production of good FHP.

As for the other brands, I don't have firsthand experience with Plantation 20th Anny, but Scarlet Ibis would work fine. A 50/50 mix of Appleton V/X and Lemonheart 151 would be lovely as well. Rum blending is fun!

Oh and +1 to Dan's applejack rec. 1/2 cognac, 1/4 rum, and 1/4 bonded Laird's with no peach makes lovely punch.

The cognac was the Chalfonte VSOP. Not a big cognac drinker so that is my usual mixing cognac. But it tastes pretty good to me and seems to get decent reviews.

I will begin to make a few individual portions to try starting with the Appleton Extra 12yo I got yesterday and then experiment from there with S&C and a few others as suggested as time permits. The Apple brandy idea also sounds interesting but I don't think the Laird's bonded is readily available here. I have Applejack and the 12 yo apple brandy which could probably fill in well for cognac as it is far more brandy-ish than it is Applejack.

Had a bit of punch left over and have been drinking it with a healthy splash of pomegranate juice. Probably heretical but I think it is quite tasty!

The punch also seems to be gaining a bit of character each day as it sits in the fridge.

[Yajna Patni]

So , looking for a suggestion. Last night I made a souffle, and I have two egg yolks left over. I probably should have thrown them into the roux, but I didn't. Is there a cocktail that is delicious, and uses only the yolk of an egg, not the white?

[tanstaafl2]

So , looking for a suggestion. Last night I made a souffle, and I have two egg yolks left over. I probably should have thrown them into the roux, but I didn't. Is there a cocktail that is delicious, and uses only the yolk of an egg, not the white?

CocktailDB notes 56 of 'em! The Knickerbein Cocktail #2 sounds interesting among several others.

The Cuban Egg Nog I made for New Years used egg yolks only but don't know if that is the sort of thing you are looking for and probably hard to scale down.

[thirtyoneknots]

So , looking for a suggestion. Last night I made a souffle, and I have two egg yolks left over. I probably should have thrown them into the roux, but I didn't. Is there a cocktail that is delicious, and uses only the yolk of an egg, not the white?

In the way that "silver" in a drink name used to indicate use of egg white, the much less common "golden" would belie a yolk. Gin fizzes, whiskey sours, and others can be done with an egg yolk. It will of course add a richness to the drink, and is really sort of more of a novelty in my mind. But I've played around with Golden Arrack Fizzes before and that was fun.

[Tri2Cook]

So , looking for a suggestion. Last night I made a souffle, and I have two egg yolks left over. I probably should have thrown them into the roux, but I didn't. Is there a cocktail that is delicious, and uses only the yolk of an egg, not the white?

On the sweet side and it didn't make my regular rotation list but I don't regret giving it a try...

Bosom Caresser

2 oz. cognac

1 oz. cointreau

1/2 oz. grenadine

1 egg yolk

Shake with ice, strain.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Yajna Patni]

I made the golden gin fizz. I like making the old classic drinks. I almost made the bosom caresser, but i think that is a drink I might make for some one else, it would make for a laugh. I liked the golden fizz. Probably not enough to drink it every night, but the yolk gave it a nice smooth unctuous texture. I used:

2 oz of gin (tanquerey)

1/2 the juice of a lemon

1/2 the juice of a lime

egg yolk

selzer

about a tsp of sugar.

I got the idea for the half lime and lemon from the savoystomp web site, and I liked it as a change from the many single citrus drinks.

I will admit to being very curious about a few of the drinks i read about, one was called the golden slipper, that just have the whole yolk floating in a cup of booze. I am caught between really repulsed and I wanna drink it now to see what it tastes like. Has any one made one of these? is the yolk gross and slippery when you swallow?

[bostonapothecary]

I made the golden gin fizz. I like making the old classic drinks. I almost made the bosom caresser, but i think that is a drink I might make for some one else, it would make for a laugh. I liked the golden fizz. Probably not enough to drink it every night, but the yolk gave it a nice smooth unctuous texture. I used:

2 oz of gin (tanquerey)

1/2 the juice of a lemon

1/2 the juice of a lime

egg yolk

selzer

about a tsp of sugar.

I got the idea for the half lime and lemon from the savoystomp web site, and I liked it as a change from the many single citrus drinks.

I will admit to being very curious about a few of the drinks i read about, one was called the golden slipper, that just have the whole yolk floating in a cup of booze. I am caught between really repulsed and I wanna drink it now to see what it tastes like. Has any one made one of these? is the yolk gross and slippery when you swallow?

i've had a lot of fun putting only the yolks in espresso martinis and flips. i like to make the boston flip.

boston flip:

1.5 oz. whiskey (usually a single malt)

1 oz. madeira

.5 oz. simple syrup

egg yolk (or even the whole egg)

the golden slipper sounds similar to the finish on the knickebein. in the layers of the knickebein you are tormented by the warm whiskey then enjoy the chilled maraschino and are further relieved by the silky creaminess of the of the yolk. good times.

Edited January 6, 2012 by bostonapothecary (log)

[mkayahara]

i've had a lot of fun putting only the yolks in espresso martinis and flips. i like to make the boston flip.

boston flip:

1.5 oz. whiskey (usually a single malt)

1 oz. madeira

.5 oz. simple syrup

egg yolk (or even the whole egg)

With that much syrup, I assume you're working with a medium or dry Madeira?

[bostonapothecary]

jaggery sour

1.5 oz. cachaca (diva for $12.99! this is not the normal bottom shelf stuff..)

.75 oz. lime juice

.75 oz. jaggery syrup (1:1)

i am always in search of affordable aroma sources. jaggery sugar (or at least the one i ended up with) is high up on my list of new discoveries. the aroma is the best coconut expression i've ever come across. i think i enjoy it even more than coconut cream and it doesn't seem to have anything that gets "cooked" by the lime juice (coconut cream is admittedly slightly more intense).

i think my new pina coladas are just going to be made with jaggery. i'll sweeten the pineapple syrup with the jaggery to 400g/l using the usual refractometer method.

i can even preserve the jaggery in an alcoholic syrup like i do the single varietal honeys so it doesn't spoil on me. maybe even vaccuum seal it in a canning jar in between uses.

making great cocktails with awesome aroma is starting to get really cheap. i could probably run a bar serving amazing cocktails for $5.99 and stay in business.

[bostonapothecary]

i've had a lot of fun putting only the yolks in espresso martinis and flips. i like to make the boston flip.

boston flip:

1.5 oz. whiskey (usually a single malt)

1 oz. madeira

.5 oz. simple syrup

egg yolk (or even the whole egg)

With that much syrup, I assume you're working with a medium or dry Madeira?

i've never use many besides the rare wine co.'s "boston" bual and "new york" malmsey. i think they have about the same sugar content has port. and besides aroma, might only vary slightly in acidity.

you need a sweet drink to emphasize the aroma, but it shouldn't feel much sweeter than something like a 2:1 manhattan.

[Yajna Patni]

thank you! the Boston flip sounds really good. Maybe next liquor store trip I will find some madeira. Maybe I will gather up courage to try a golden slipper.

I will try an espresso flip too. I work in a coffee and ice cream shop, so i am drowning in coffee.

Boston Apothecary, jaggery and gur are both wonderful. I keep them around in my kitchen most of the time, but it never occurred to me to use them in drinks. Now I will!

[bostonapothecary]

i've had a lot of fun putting only the yolks in espresso martinis and flips. i like to make the boston flip.

boston flip:

1.5 oz. whiskey (usually a single malt)

1 oz. madeira

.5 oz. simple syrup

egg yolk (or even the whole egg)

With that much syrup, I assume you're working with a medium or dry Madeira?

i've never use many besides the rare wine co.'s "boston" bual and "new york" malmsey. i think they have about the same sugar content has port. and besides aroma, might only vary slightly in acidity.

you need a sweet drink to emphasize the aroma, but it shouldn't feel much sweeter than something like a 2:1 manhattan.

i was due for some madeira so i stopped into the liquor store at porter square next to the super market. they had two 10 year old "d' oliveiras" which is imported by grape moments whom specializes in portugeuse stuff. the two were a doux (sweet) and a demi doux for $27. the rare wine co's "boston bual" was either $40 or $50. there were no options for a dry madeira.

the demi doux has a specific gravity of 1.021 while the doux had a specific gravity of 1.036. i'll do the math and convert it to g/l of sugar when i get a little more time, but suze which has %20 alc. has a gravity of 1.031 which translates to approx. 143g/l of sugar.

specific gravity to g/l

differing by .015 in gravity means they differ by about 44 g/l of sugar.

i bet you could make a flip with either and be within most people's harmonic bounds. i did prefer the demi doux on its own.

Edited January 9, 2012 by bostonapothecary (log)

[bostonapothecary]

i didn't have lunch today and i just bought some madeira so i thought if i was going to have a drink before work i should probably make it a flip...

1 oz. d'oliveiras 10 year madeira (doux)

.5 oz. pistachio milk syrup (400g/l)

1.5 oz. scarlet ibis rum

egg

a strange alluring aromatic overtone, appropriate sweetness, comforting richness. yet it could still be further optimized with a single malt. next time.

[Yajna Patni]

I had a fort washington flip last night.

1 1/2 oz Laird's Apple Brandy

3/4 oz Benedictine

1/2 oz Vermont Syrup

1 Egg

really good.

[mkayahara]

Bronx tonight, made with the Citadelle Reserve barrel-aged gin I recently bought. Such a great, classic cocktail, but I can't remember the last time I had one. I rarely seem to have both sweet and dry vermouth open at the same time!

[bostonapothecary]

1 oz. sour orange juice

1 oz. green chartreuse

1 oz. d' oliveira's 10 year madeira demi doux

1 oz. hispaniola mamajuana

another drink in the collage series.

the madeira and sour orange juice combine to create a stunning overtone. all the sugar contents average out quite well against the acidity of the sour orange juice.

[tanstaafl2]

The Blonde Wood (I know, it sounds like a joke is to follow...)

1.5 Rye (Used Bulleit)

1.0 Dupont Pommeau de Normandie

0.5 Lillet "Blonde" (Blanc)

Apparently Lillet is describe either way depending on where you are located. Here the bottles say Blanc but "The Blanc Wood" doesn't have quite the same ring I suppose.

I think this is the correct formula. Will have to check when I get home this evening.

Perhaps a bit sweet with a touch of bitterness on the back end from the Lillet. But interesting and worth trying again. Cocchi Americano might also be worth a try.

Have had a small glass of the Prunier Pineau des Charentes most evenings for the last few days as well. My, my is that addictive...

Only brand I have tried and only one available locally that I have seen so far. Are there others people recommend that I should try to push for? Several noted at K&L and Beltramos and Astor has Jean-Luc Pasquet but I know nothing about them.

[bostonapothecary]

The Blonde Wood (I know, it sounds like a joke is to follow...)

1.5 Rye (Used Bulleit)

1.0 Dupont Pommeau de Normandie

0.5 Lillet "Blonde" (Blanc)

Apparently Lillet is describe either way depending on where you are located. Here the bottles say Blanc but "The Blanc Wood" doesn't have quite the same ring I suppose.

I think this is the correct formula. Will have to check when I get home this evening.

Perhaps a bit sweet with a touch of bitterness on the back end from the Lillet. But interesting and worth trying again. Cocchi Americano might also be worth a try.

Have had a small glass of the Prunier Pineau des Charentes most evenings for the last few days as well. My, my is that addictive...

Only brand I have tried and only one available locally that I have seen so far. Are there others people recommend that I should try to push for? Several noted at K&L and Beltramos and Astor has Jean-Luc Pasquet but I know nothing about them.

these product categories are a lot of shooting in the dark. but they are very rewarding. i used to see the ferrand pineau des charentes around here but have never bought it.

one thing about the category is that they can become too old and start to get frail and card board-y like many too old white wines. the floc de gascomes age really fast and some have a tiny hidden born on date. the last time i bought one it was too old and went down the drain. the aroma of bottlings that are not too old basically get summed up as either ordinary or extraordinary.

i should point out that too old is not that common, so don't get paranoid when you select one. i'd just recommend avoiding floc de gascomes unless they let you return it if you think it is too old.

randall grahm from bonny doon makes a california pommeau that is worth looking out for. aesthetically detached it was not as extraordinary as others i've had from normandie, but it is fun to explore what randall is coming up with. he was making peach brandy before anyone was even looking for it...

the greatest book ever written on spirits is brandies and liqueurs of the world. i think i remember them covering this category well.

Edited January 12, 2012 by bostonapothecary (log)

[tanstaafl2]

these product categories are a lot of shooting in the dark. but they are very rewarding. i used to see the ferrand pineau des charentes around here but have never bought it.

one thing about the category is that they can become too old and start to get frail and card board-y like many too old white wines. the floc de gascomes age really fast and some have a tiny hidden born on date. the last time i bought one it was too old and went down the drain. the aroma of bottlings that are not too old basically get summed up as either ordinary or extraordinary.

i should point out that too old is not that common, so don't get paranoid when you select one. i'd just recommend avoiding floc de gascomes unless they let you return it if you think it is too old.

randall grahm from bonny doon makes a california pommeau that is worth looking out for. aesthetically detached it was not as extraordinary as others i've had from normandie, but it is fun to explore what randall is coming up with. he was making peach brandy before anyone was even looking for it...

the greatest book ever written on spirits is brandies and liqueurs of the world. i think i remember them covering this category well.

Brillet is one name that has shown up here in a few searches. Would certainly try the Ferrand pineau if I can find it and it is not super expensive.

Belle de Brillet also sounds like it might be interesting.

Haven't seen any Floc but haven't looked closely. My favorite store does have a couple of Armagnacs so I suppose it is possible. Given the concern about its frailty I might pass though.

The Dupont pommeau is the first and only brand of pommeau I have seen as well. I guess while I don't have a lot of choices within these more obscure categories at least I have an option or two now and again and that is a start.

[bostonapothecary]

Belle de Brillet also sounds like it might be interesting.

belle de brillet is just a common pear liqueur dressed up with marketing. so many reputable bars put it on their menus under the cognac and eau de vie section. a strange phenomenon because it is definitely the odd man out with all that sugar.

the ferrand guys make an awesome version sold under their matilde label. these are built under the same concept as a pommeau or pineau des charentes which is a distillate diluted by the origional fruit juice source, but they differ because there sugar contents are not in the same range. pineau des charentes should have well under 200 g/l of sugar but the pear versions are over 300g/l and are meant to constrast an equal volume of lemon or lime juice.

the ferrand guys are really proud of the matilde product and have told me it is basically non profit because it is so expensive and difficult to make. pear eau de vies aren't cheap...

in cape verde they make a product using a similar pattern called "punch" where their rum is cut and sweetened with fresh cane juice. i have one bottling from vale d'paul but have never really gotten into it. the aroma seems very ordinary to me.

[thirtyoneknots]

The Blonde Wood (I know, it sounds like a joke is to follow...)

Perhaps you might prefer to take the whole thing French: Le Bois Blanc (or Blonde).

That's close anyways, someone will surely make it more correct.

[Moderator note: This topic continues in Drinks! (2012, part 2)]

Edited April 8, 2013 by Mjx (log)