The "new drink"

[Cook456]

Once it was the Cosmopolitan..then it was Mojitos. What is it now?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Webtender says these are tops this week

[Nathan]

Rye based cocktails are the trend.

oh, you mean what is the herd drinking? Rum juleps and the usual over-sweetened hangover-inducing vodka drinks.

[thirtyoneknots]

Yeah, unfortunately, unless you live in places like London or New York, Vodka is still the new vodka. We go through at least a bottle of vodka per bottle of anything else behind the bar (excepting beer and wine, or course). Although in just 3-4 weeks the solitary bottle of Wild Turkey Rye that I petitioned for is almost half gone, which I find encouraging.

-Andy

[Cook456]

Rye based cocktails are the trend.

oh, you mean what is the herd drinking?  Rum juleps and the usual over-sweetened hangover-inducing vodka drinks.

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A Rye based cocktail sounds interesting...care to expand on some of them.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Cook456 (log)

[Nathan]

where to begin?

Manhattan, the post 1880 Sazerac, the Delmarva, and countless hundreds of others.

just peruse this board. it's filled with them.

go to cocktail DB.

Rye is more of a trend among cocktail aficionados now because so many decent ryes are now on the market.

[thirtyoneknots]

where to begin?

Manhattan...

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That's exactly where I'd begin.

Sample recipe:

1.5 oz Wild Turkey 101 proof Rye (for both its excellence and ubiquity)

.75 oz Italian (red) Vermouth (Martini & Rossi is acceptable, or your favorite)

1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir and strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with fat twist of lemon peel.

You really haven't had a Manhattan til you've had one with Rye.

[Vesper Lynd]

Have you tried substituting the Italian Vermouth and bitters with a splash of Punt E Mes? I've seen this refered to as a Top Shelf Manhattan. It's one of my favorite variations on the theme.

Recently I've been experimenting with Orange Bitters instead of Angostura. This is something I hit upon after being served a Manhattan that had orange zest flamed on it's surface; very spectacular

[thirtyoneknots]

Have you tried substituting the Italian Vermouth and bitters with a splash of Punt E Mes? I've seen this refered to as a Top Shelf Manhattan. It's one of my favorite variations on the theme.

Recently I've been experimenting with Orange Bitters instead of Angostura. This is something I hit upon after being served a Manhattan that had orange zest flamed on it's surface; very spectacular 

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I've yet to try Punt e Mes but it's high on my to-get list. Personally I don't typically care much for orange bitters in my Manhattans, though I very occasionally use them in Bourbon Old Fashioneds. To me, Angostura is everything I could want in my Manhattan, with two caveats: 1) The bottle of Abbott's has yet to be cracked, and 2) I sometimes add a dash of Fee's in addition to the Ango when I'm feeling frisky.

2b) Still planning on a further exploration of The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters.

-Andy

[Bricktop]

Have you tried substituting the Italian Vermouth and bitters with a splash of Punt E Mes? I've seen this refered to as a Top Shelf Manhattan. It's one of my favorite variations on the theme.

Recently I've been experimenting with Orange Bitters instead of Angostura. This is something I hit upon after being served a Manhattan that had orange zest flamed on it's surface; very spectacular 

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I haven't used Punt E Mes itself in my Manhattans, but have used Carpano Antica. I used Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters, but I am not sure it was needed with that CA. Oh, and it was fabulous. When I go all out, I make my Upper East Side Manhattan with Sazerac 18YO Rye and CA. Simply decadent.

[Nathan]

I use Carpano Antica as well....although Punt E Mes would be great if you wanted something drier.

of course, Punt E Mes is an Italian vermouth, albeit a dry one.

[Chris Amirault]

If you're going to fiddle with rye and Punt e Mes, make a Red Hook.

[Nathan]

indeed. or a Greenpoint (sub chartreuse for the maraschino in the Red Hook (lower the quantity to taste as well)

[Vesper Lynd]

I use Carpano Antica as well....although Punt E Mes would be great if you wanted something drier.

of course, Punt E Mes is an Italian vermouth, albeit a dry one.

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It also has a bitters component built in. My under standing is that the name derives from a stock broking term, meaning a point and a half. In reference, I believe, to its composition, one part vermouth to half of bitters. I may well stand to be correct, as I'm currently working very much from memory.

I've not tasted Carpano Antica, but you've peeked my curiosity, so I might grab a bottle and give it a whirl

[Vesper Lynd]

If you're going to fiddle with rye and Punt e Mes, make a Red Hook.

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indeed.  or a Greenpoint (sub chartreuse for the maraschino in the Red Hook (lower the quantity to taste as well)

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A couple of drinks I'll look forward to testing

We have a friend who is very keen on chartreuse, so the Greenpoint could be an interesting alternative to her usual Alaskan.

[Vesper Lynd]

Punt e Mes may well be the only example of a stockbroker having accidentally created and named an aperitivo. It happened one evening in 1870 in the Carpano bar in Turin, and illustrates the old practice of mixing another bitter or sweet drink with vermouth to suit one's own taste. When the man, deep in conversation about the fluctuations of the Turin stock exchange, ordered his drink, instead of saying "one measure of vermouth with half bitters," in stock-market jargon, he showed one and a half fingers and said "punt e mes," which is the Piedmontese dialect for "one and a half points"

Edited February 8, 2007 by Vesper Lynd (log)

[Nathan]

I've not tasted Carpano Antica, but you've peeked my curiosity, so I might grab a bottle and give it a whirl 

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The best sweet vermouth on the planet. You will never use anything else in a Negroni again.

[Vesper Lynd]

I've not tasted Carpano Antica, but you've peeked my curiosity, so I might grab a bottle and give it a whirl 

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The best sweet vermouth on the planet. You will never use anything else in a Negroni again.

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I thought I'd seen Carpano Antica in the shops but what I had actually seen was Rosso Antico I'll have to look a little harder. I did however get a bottle anyway just to try

[alacarte]

I've run into the Presbyterian (bourbon, ginger beer, club soda) in 3 unrelated occasions over the past two weeks. So I'm going to be bold and call it a trend.

winter's a good time for bourbon & ginger, nice warm flavors.