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Been working on this fall-themed sidecar variation, I think it's coming along quite well. Curious to see anyone else's thoughts. 2oz armagnac 1oz lemon juice 1oz Benedictine barspoon pimento dram Shake, strain, up, flamed orange peel garnish.
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Oct 6, 2011 18:04
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Klauser posted:You had me till pimento dram. I'm assuming this is essential, but is there anything I can use to substitute? It's fairly essential... you could try backing off on the lemon juice and adding a dash of Angostura and splashes of rum and syrup as a kind of fake, but I'm sure it won't be the same. I made my own using the method by Paul Clarke that Kenning linked above, and it's great--make some and put a shot in your eggnog at Christmas time.
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Oct 7, 2011 02:23
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Kenning posted:If you want to rethink rum you need to get your hands on some Smith and Cross. If I could only drink one spirit for the rest of my life, that would be it. Straight up. I drank my way through a bottle of Smith and Cross way faster than I thought I would, given that I always have a new spirit neat first and it obviously completely blasted out my tastebuds when I did that. It makes perfect painkillers and I really got to enjoying it as an old fashioned with xocolatl mole bitters. One of my favorite spirits; I need a new bottle.
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Nov 18, 2011 04:18
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Rainy night inspired me to riff on more scotch-based old fashioned-style drinks. This one turned out well: 2oz scotch (Black Bottle) 1oz Benedictine (yes, a whole ounce) 2 dashes Bittermens xocolatl mole bitters 2 dashes orange bitters (Regan's) Build in an old fashioned glass, stir with ice, no garnish. Really delicious. I'm okay with sweet drinks but this one is not as sweet as you would expect, thanks primarily to the Regan's I think. I was kind of surprised the mole bitters worked as well as it did, I only tried it with scotch because I know it works well with mezcal and thought "Why not?"
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Nov 23, 2011 04:27
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A hundred times yes to the rum old-fashioned with Smith & Cross. I like using Bittermens xocolatl mole bitters in mine. As for bourbon old-fashioneds, I like Old Grand-Dad bonded. Cheap, strong, and great.
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Jan 25, 2012 04:29
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Halloween Jack posted:I love a good aged tequila and a good margarita. Can anyone suggest tequila cocktails that aren't kiddie bullshit? Klauser posted:If you're just looking for inspiration, start here. Agreed. The Mayahuel menu is a really good place to look for new, interesting tequila drinks. I really enjoy their Slynx: reposado, applejack (bonded, so presumably Laird's BIB), pear and whiskey barrel (Fee's, I'd guess) bitters, with a mezcal rinse, served strained in a rocks glass.
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Apr 20, 2012 04:08
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royalejest posted:Is there a midpriced, non-well, general purpose bourbon I should be using in my cocktails other than Maker's? For general bourbon cocktails, I'm a big fan of Old Grand-Dad (the 100 proof Bottled In Bond version with orange cap, not the 80 proof). Cheap and great; however, it won't produce drinks like the ones with Maker's since it has rye (spicy) and Maker's has wheat (sweet). I find the sharper, peppery flavor works better in most drinks with other aggressive ingredients (vermouth, lemon, lots of bitters, etc). That said, since it's Derby Day, a wheat bourbon is actually best for simpler, cleaner drinks like a julep--try Weller Antique 107 for that (no guarantee it's cheaper than Maker's, but it might be).
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May 5, 2012 16:58
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Had an enjoyable martini variation tonight. 2oz "new american" gin (Greenhook) 2oz amontillado sherry (Lustau) 2 dashes orange bitters (Regan's) Stirred, up, olive garnish. I've had sherry-based "martinis" before and never liked them, but I think they were all with London Dry-style gins which I guess just don't work as well with sherry. This is the best thing I've found to use the weird Greenhook gin for yet (it has a significant chamomile note).
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Mar 19, 2013 02:28
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bakersfield chimp posted:Fair enough-- I had wanted to avoid Rose's because I'd read on some blog somewhere that they had been bought out and had changed Rose's Lime Juice into something that was much more processed than it used to be. In general, yes, because it's twice as sweet. That said, always taste the cocktail as you make it and adjust as necessary, because each lemon/lime will have a slightly different acidity and you might prefer your drinks a little bit sweeter or sourer than the recipe writer. Edit: Also, a fresh gimlet may or may not be a traditional gimlet, but I think it kicks the poo poo out of one with Rose's.
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Apr 5, 2013 00:50
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I got a bottle of Licor 43 in my stocking. What should I be doing with it?
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Dec 28, 2013 07:10
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Add some mint and that's a Gin-Gin Mule.
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May 20, 2014 04:03
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22 Eargesplitten posted:Butch Cassidy left me hanging in TFR, so I'm asking here. What whiskey does the goon hivemind recommend for Boulevardiers? You've already got a ton of good responses, and I'll never turn down a Wild Turkey 101-based drink in particular, but I wanted to recommend Weller Antique as well. It makes a great boulevardier. (I generally prefer wheated bourbons in bourbon cocktails, though; I find that if high-rye bourbons taste good, usually a rye tastes better to me. Maker's is definitely too sweet and weak to stand up to other ingredients, but overproof wheated is very nice.) While we're talking whiskey drinks, I bought a bottle of bonded Mellow Corn recently because I felt like I had to try it. Can I actually make any decent cocktails with it?
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Feb 13, 2015 02:40
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Mr. Wookums posted:Where are you at that you can even find weller? Well, now you're worrying me! I feel like I see it around here in NYC all the time, but Astor Wines is out which is never a good sign. I'll be sad if it's discontinued, it's my standard wheated. (Also, I just realized I was unclear; there's the "William Larue Weller" that's part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which is not what I'm talking about. You're right, that is super rare and I have never seen it. I was referring to the "Old Weller Antique" which, confusingly, is not part of the Antique Collection. It's not special release, just a solid mid-shelf whiskey. The "W.L. Weller Special Reserve" is also good and also not special release, but only 90 proof to the Antique's 107.)
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Feb 14, 2015 20:48
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Elderbean posted:What are some beginner friendly tiki drinks with a lot of coconut? Summer is making me thirsty for some coconut. Assuming you mean coconut cream, I think the easiest and best is a Painkiller. It's basically impossible to gently caress up as long as you use good ingredients in vaguely the right proportions and get it cold. I don't have a go-to recipe, I consult either DeGroff or Beachbum Berry depending on my mood, so here's both, together, make your own choices: 2-4oz pineapple juice 1oz orange juice 1oz coconut cream 2-3oz Jamaican rum (traditionally Pusser's, but gently caress it, any dark Jamaican, and I like it with Smith & Cross) Either shake with crushed ice and pour it right in the glass, or shake and strain over new ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg (and grated cinnamon if you want) and an orange slice/pineapple slice/cinnamon stick/whatever you want.
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Jul 14, 2015 02:34
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I just got a bottle of Green Chartreuse as a great late housewarming gift. It's been a few years since I had any Chartreuse around. Already made a Last Word, a Bijou, a Diamondback (2:1:1 rye, applejack, Chartreuse, up--it was great), and a "Perfect BQE" (described as halfway between a Greenpoint and a Red Hook, both of which I like, but thought this one was a miss). What else should I be making?
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Dec 5, 2016 18:34
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goferchan posted:I think I posted it earlier in here but this recipe for hot chocolate with green chartreuse and genever knocked my socks off Definitely going to make this--another excuse to finally get a bottle of genever. Thanks!
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Dec 6, 2016 06:38
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poop dood posted:I'm meeting with the bride and groom on Sunday to hammer out details (and present them with trial versions of the cocktails), after that I'll have better info with which to work this out. I'm happy to be corrected by a pro, but the advice I've seen cited is to have 2 drinks per drinker for the first hour, and one drink per person for each hour after that. So you'll need to figure out how many drinkers are in your 140, and what the split is between wine and cocktail drinkers, then go from there. As far as pre-batching cocktails (i.e. not punches) goes, you have to decide if you want to add a controlled amount of water directly to the batch (usually around 30% of the volume, but it depends on the drink and your taste, start low and taste and add) and then chill the watered batch as close to freezing as possible (so it doesn't dilute much more over ice in the glass), or batch without water and then use ice to chill as normal. The first is easier for service but requires freezers and time, vice versa for the second. I don't have it in front of me right now but if I remember right, Sasha Petraske's posthumous book has a section with his notes on catering cocktail parties; it might be worth picking up (and the book has lots of great M&H recipes anyway).
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Mar 25, 2017 06:13
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kaworu posted:I can't always afford the ~$50 that a 750ml bottle of Laphroaig 10 costs, and I have fairly high standards for good scotch... I suppose what I am wonder is, what more reasonably priced blended scotches have the general taste of an Islay malt? It's not single malt, but you want Black Bottle; it's a blended scotch that's mostly Islay as far as its malt component goes. (You are never going to get the thick mouthfeel of a single malt in a cheap blend, that comes mostly from pot still distillation, which blends skip in favor of continuous stills for their cheap components.)
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Apr 24, 2017 00:11
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Toast Museum posted:Also, since sherry is all over the place in cocktails right now, what are some good brands? Lustau's stuff is reliably good across sherry types and usually fairly affordable. I think their amontillado is a good "all purpose" sherry if you're only going to have one. (Probably more drinks call for finos or manzanillas but those really don't work if you ever do want an oloroso, whereas I think an amontillado still makes a reasonable Tuxedo, for example. Lustau's fino is also good if you want to just focus on that, as is Hidalgo's. La Gitana or La Cigarrera are both delicious but more expensive.) Edit: Valdespino Inocente is also great but more expensive still. Scythe fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Jun 16, 2017 |
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Jun 15, 2017 18:11
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Halloween Jack posted:...the real answer is that nations should take back control of their regional industries from conglomerates; failing that, we're just mitigating the worst effects. Seizing the means of production in the cocktails thread. 2017 is wild (and I'm here for it).
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Jun 16, 2017 19:21
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Not aware of any tiki-ish ones (but now I'm wondering what the hell something like a pilsner + half lime + shot of pimento dram would be like...maybe good? Or maybe with falernum?). I love a pilsner/kölsch/helles with a shot of Campari, I believe this thread calls it a "Camparty". Micheladas are also a standby for me this summer, almost too refreshing and really low alcohol (I use a half lime, two dashes Worcestershire or Maggi, two to four dashes Valentina Black, four grinds black pepper, two pinches celery seed, 2 oz tomato juice, fill glass halfway with cheap beer, add ice; salt + chile powder rim is nice but optional depending on your laziness imo).
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Jun 23, 2017 22:19
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No way Aperol wouldn't work. If you try the pimento dram, let me know if it works! I'm also thinking that Donn's Mix (grapefruit + cinnamon-infused simple) would go well in a beer, speaking of tiki ideas...
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Jun 24, 2017 22:11
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Does anyone have any recommended drinks or drink families which are both not sours and not manhattan/old-fashioned-type all-booze drinks? My girlfriend has historically been a sours drinker since she doesn't like super spirit-forward drinks, but lately she's not been too excited about sours either. Usually they're sweeter than she's in the mood for, even if they're well-balanced (she's also moving towards drier and drier wines). I can make up riffs on a basic sour or a spirit+sweetener+bitter all day, but they're not hitting the mark and I'm kind of at a loss for other drink families to look into (outside of tiki stuff which is usually way too sweet for her). She's mostly a gin drinker, but also likes tequila, rum, and brandy depending on the season. Pisco, singani, and cachaça all also good. I've got a pretty well-stocked home bar to work with, and am in NYC so have good access to most stuff (and don't mind picking up weird bottles if a drink is really great and/or there are a few interesting things I could do with it). Any ideas? Scythe fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Jun 27, 2017 |
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Jun 27, 2017 00:21
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The Maestro posted:... If she's not into sour, sweet, or spiritous, that leaves you...bitter, bubbly, savory/earthy, herbal. Probably a couple more. This is right on. I'm looking for savory/earthy/herbal drinks (bitter, not so much, that's more my thing). Thinking about seasonal produce is a good idea; maybe I'll just involve more fresh fruit and herbs in things like rickeys; maybe do some infusions as well. I'll definitely try a Gin Picnic as well, thanks. Also, everyone else, thanks for the rest of the ideas. Champagne cocktails and French 75s are always big hits (Seelbachs less so), because who doesn't like champagne? I guess I should keep some small bottles of champagne around and try an Airmail. Negronis are no good, but she does like lighter Spanish-style vermouth on the rocks with an orange slice, so maybe an Americano won't be too bitter/intense. Similarly, she enjoys a 2:1 martini a few times a year, but they're just too spirit-forward for frequent drinking; I should try the 1:1 and see how that works out. All the tiki stuff is great flavor-wise but again falls into the too-sweet category for most moods other than "dessert after a small dinner" (we're generally talking about a "prefers a rickey over a fizz" level of dryness preference here).
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Jun 29, 2017 14:30
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Sextro posted:Double edit: Laird's guy crazy fast on the email. They dropped the bonded because it's now a blend of different ages, but if their product says straight it's only apple brandy without any neutral grain. Too bad I live in PA and the straight labels are special order only in the state stores. They dropped the bonded? I gotta go buy several bottles in case the age-blended 100 proof isn't as good; the bonded is absolutely fantastic.
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Oct 12, 2017 02:59
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nwiniwn posted:What’s a good dry vermouth for martinis? Standard recs are Noilly Prat or Dolin. This thread will tell you to make a very wet martini (on the order of 2:1 gin to vermouth, or even 1:1 for a change of pace), dash some orange bitters in there (I like Angostura Orange but Regans and Fees are both also respectable), and garnish with a twist. I think this thread is generally right. I also think more people should drink Tuxedos (martinis with dry fino/manzanilla sherry replacing vermouth). Edit: Huh, apparently there's another Tuxedo that is a martini (with vermouth) with added maraschino and absinthe. I haven't had that one but don't see why it would be bad, that's effectively an "improved" martini... Scythe fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Dec 1, 2017 |
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Dec 1, 2017 04:36
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Origami Dali posted:What's everyone's favorite Martini ratio and ingredient brands? I've yet to find the perfect balance. Been doing 2:1, 1:1, .5:2, w Plymouth, Bluecoat, Beefeater, Hayman's and it's still not quite there. What's not quite there about it? Also, what vermouth are you using? I've made good martinis with Plymouth, Bluecoat, and Beefeater, so I don't think your gin is the problem. Try Noilly Prat or Dolin dry if you haven't yet, use a couple dashes of orange bitters if you haven't done that yet, and make sure it's cold. All cocktails need to be very cold to be good, but a martini really needs to be down at or near freezing. Stir for longer than you think you need to and see if that helps. Edit: But honestly, to answer your question, give me a martini with Plymouth and Dolin, or a Tuxedo cocktail with Greenhook and some fino sherry (I like Lustau and Valdespino). In all cases 2:1, with orange bitters, with a twist. Scythe fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Jan 22, 2018 |
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Jan 22, 2018 01:38
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It’s not as peaty as Peat Monster, but Black Bottle is still pretty peaty and is super cheap.
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Feb 1, 2018 04:41
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Comb Your Beard posted:use it (calvados) in a Vieux Carré instead of cognac. Yum. I don’t have calvados on hand but I do have Laird’s bonded and now I know what I’m drinking tonight. This is a tasty sounding idea!
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Feb 8, 2018 21:35
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Origami Dali posted:Maybe a dumb question, but you're stirring your drinks on ice for aprox 30 secs and straining over large block ice, yeah? This is what I was going to post. 90% of the issues with home cocktails are that they aren’t cold enough. Freeze your glassware, use more ice, stir more.
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Feb 17, 2018 04:33
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I discovered that even though I kind of don't like Lo-Fi's weird sweet vermouth in the things I normally use vermouth for (manhattans, negronis, boulevardiers), the cocoa note pairs super well with scotch. I've used it a couple of times for this Bobby Burns variation (ok, I just put Peychaud's in a Bobby Burns because Peychaud's is delicious with scotch and normally they're too sweet) and they're delightful: 2.5oz smoky blended scotch (Black Bottle; or do a regular blended with a little Islay) 1 oz sweet vermouth (Lo-Fi) .5 oz Benedictine 3 dashes Peychaud's Stir, up, traditionally no garnish but I bet a flamed orange would be nice (and annoy this thread). A good sweeter, after-dinner drink. Gotta try more stuff with this. Maybe a mezcal manhattan variant, since scotch works. Anyone have any other ideas?
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Mar 11, 2018 17:33
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Made a boulevardier tonight but with bonded applejack instead of the whiskey because somehow I have four different bottles of Irish/Scotch and no American whiskeys right now. I think I actually like it better than the original.
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Apr 25, 2018 02:57
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FirstAidKite posted:I was recommended to ask in this thread, my apologies if this isn't the best thread to ask this k ind of thing in. Not that the answers here are wrong (they're totally correct), but you want the rum thread.
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Apr 26, 2018 03:00
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Laocius posted:If you're making a gimlet, is it better to use sweetened like juice or fresh lime juice and simple syrup? You’re talking about a gimlet with Rose’s vs. a fresh juice gimlet? They’re different drinks, pretty much. Make them both and see which you prefer.
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May 20, 2018 02:52
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I don't really use a recipe when I make sangria. For each bottle of wine, throw in like 3 shots of brandy, the juice of an orange, and sugar to taste (start with a tablespoon or two). If you have orange liqueur, you can use that in place of some or all of the above. Add the spent orange and another couple of cut up fruits, chill (in the fridge in a bottle or pitcher until it's cold), and you have sangria. Serve over ice. (Type of fruit doesn't matter as long as it matches the wine [i.e. heavier/sweeter with red, lighter/crisper with white] and is the freshest you can get. Right now is stonefruit season so see what you can do with peaches/plums/apricots/etc! Or if that's a little later in summer where you are, investigate some berries...)
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Jul 26, 2018 02:34
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The stinger is one of the best of those mid century cheesy drinks. I also like a Good Night, Irene which is the modernized version by (I think) Audrey Saunders: instead of brandy and creme de menthe, use wheated overproof bourbon and branca menta.
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Dec 12, 2018 19:14
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Steve Yun posted:Anyone got a go-to bloody mary recipe Don't really think this deserves snark. For each drink I do 2oz vodka, 4oz tomato juice, half a lemon, two pinches each of celery seed and black pepper, two dashes each of worcestershire and hot sauce, and like half a tablespoon of prepared horseradish. Build it in one glass and pour it back and forth into another glass like 3 times. Garnish with whatever. Super basic but easy to modify with other citrus/liquors/hot sauces/spices.
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Feb 3, 2019 18:42
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Scythe posted:(Drink recipe I posted in 2018 using Lo-Fi's weird sweet vermouth) I accidentally bought this weird-rear end vermouth again because I was at the hipster liquor store (well, one of them, I live in Brooklyn) and thought "I'm out of sweet vermouth" and I didn't remember how it totally doesn't work in a Manhattan etc. until after I got home. At least I found a better drink this time: I've been drinking a bunch of mezcal this summer and the vermouth's weird rhubarb/cocoa/vanilla flavors totally work with that, even better than the scotch I was using last time. I'm particularly enjoying it in a mezcal negroni variant with Ramazzotti as the amaro. Traditional 1:1:1 ratio, stirred, rocks, orange peel if you've got it. It's pretty great, try it if you've got the ingredients!
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Aug 13, 2019 02:35
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Blended: in order from best to worst (imo) Black Bottle, Famous Grouse, Johnnie Black label, Dewar’s White label, or Teacher’s are all fine/good. I would also not turn my nose up at Johnnie Red label or J&B or Ballantine’s or even Cutty Sark in this context. Peated: This should be an Islay, and if you already have an Islay you like neat you should use that one, no point keeping another bottle around for floats. If not, get whichever Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, or Laphroaig is cheapest, or use this as an excuse to try a new one. (I really like Bunnahabhain as well, but it’s not as aggressively smoky as you need for this drink.)
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Oct 29, 2019 02:34
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Fart Car '97 posted:Glasgow blend is the peated version of Artist's blend, it's plenty peaty. They were both designed to be cost effective replacements for Compass Box Asyla & Peat Monster, which were the original scotches that Milk & Honey was using when Sam Ross made the drink. This is the kind of deep knowledge that I come to this thread for. Dope post.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:34
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