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Herr Tog posted:Thanks for answering. I usually don't like gin that much but I want some decent gin for a proper Martini (dry). I heard Plymouth is good but I really don't know much than what I see or here on British TV. I always reach for Gordon's for things like G&T or Tom Collins and Beefeater or Sapphire for Martinis/Gibsons/anything that really needs the Gin to shine. Well, I used to go for Gordon's until Beefeater actually became cheaper than it. So, Beefeater is what I'd go for.
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Mar 18, 2013 10:56
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Herr Tog posted:Thanks for answering. I usually don't like gin that much but I want some decent gin for a proper Martini (dry). I heard Plymouth is good but I really don't know much than what I see or here on British TV. I'm really into Bluecoat right now. So good.
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Mar 18, 2013 15:17
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Herr Tog posted:Thanks for answering. I usually don't like gin that much but I want some decent gin for a proper Martini (dry). I heard Plymouth is good but I really don't know much than what I see or here on British TV. I definitely prefer Bombay Dry to Bombay Sapphire, and I am also quite fond of Boodles. Also make sure you're using at least Noilly-Prat for your vermouth, and try to find Vya Extra Dry or Dolin Blanc if possible. Don't make it too dry – I wouldn't go much drier than 4:1 gin:vermouth – give it a dash of orange bitters, and finish with a twist of lemon peel. Oh, and stir.
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Mar 18, 2013 20:48
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While gin is being discussed, what is some good, high quality gin that I can order online? Its the only spirit I really like and I'm thinking of getting a good bottle soon. Hendricks I can get at a supermarket and is easily the best gin I've bought out of everything I've been able to try. Other than the regular supermarket available stuff I tried a few others I bought at an airport.
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Mar 18, 2013 21:25
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Plymouth really is the best gin I've had. Much better than some of the $45+ offerings I've tried. They even changed the bottle to a fancypants design recently to show off how great it is.
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Mar 18, 2013 21:35
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If you like Hendrick's then try and see if you can get your hands on some Nolet's gin. It's amazing if you're after that floral botanical style like Hendrick's.
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Mar 18, 2013 21:46
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Smokewagon posted:My apologies, I forgot about the fizz My most shameful moment as a bartender involves a soda top up, I was at rum club, a small casual session where each month or so a brand rep comes in and talks about their rum and holds a fairly laid back cocktail comp on their product. I'd spent the entire day at a wine tasting, and not being a wine guy, was completely out of my depth, and for no particularly good reason, I felt weird about spitting in front of all these people, so I found the Armagnac table and stayed there for long enough that people mistook me for the rep. So anyway after about 2 hours sitting in a corner getting pissed as a fart on the finest brandy, I roll into rum club, and despite not being a hugely experienced or confident bartender, I've got enough liquid courage to enter this session's comp because hey, how could I gently caress up a piña colada? Well, with 10 seconds to go I strain out my drink and its short, woefully short, it looks like an absolute mess and I silently curse myself for not measuring the volume of the glass before the comp. I add some ice and that does gently caress all, so I decide to bite the bullet and lengthen it out, the balance of the drink be damned, but I'm in an unfamiliar bar, wretchedly drunk, and can't find any of the ingredients I've been using. All I can see are the splits on top of the bar and I make some primal animal decision that the drinks appearance is more important than the taste and I topped that loving piña colada with soda water, in front of about 25 of the cities finest bartenders. It took about a month for smart arses to stop asking me for 'a piña colada, hold the soda' drowned in pussy juice fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 19, 2013 01:00
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. However, I swear to god every other person behind the rail thinks it appropriate to "top off" every drat thing with soda, and it's blowing my mind.
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nrr posted:If you like Hendrick's then try and see if you can get your hands on some Nolet's gin. It's amazing if you're after that floral botanical style like Hendrick's. Sooo good, but sooo expensive. Plymouth is some of the best traditional dry gin I've had, but I prefer their old art deco bottle to their new generic looking thing.
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Mar 19, 2013 01:32
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nrr posted:Couldn't agree more, Smokewagon. I got a mint julep a coulple of weeks ago that was a sloppy, soda drowned mess, and it made me want to hurt people. I'm not sure what I would do to pay that douche back, but it would involve a sweaty sack for sure. And that has nothing to do with the abomination of a Julep he served. The gently caress is wrong with people?
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Mar 19, 2013 01:53
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Can I Phaser You posted:Is it typical for bars to use store-bought sour mix? I ordered a gin sour on Friday at a fairly nice bar here in Charlotte, and was very disappointed to see the bartender pull out a bottle of "Finest Call Sour Mix". The drink was pretty bad. For some reason it is more typical than it ought to be. If i'm going to order something that has sour mix, I straight up ask "What brand of sour mix do you use?" If they reply with any version of "our own" or "we make it" they get "Good answer" from me and my order. Any other answer, and i'm changing my order. There maybe a decent store-bought mix out there, but I haven't run across it yet. I've never worked in a bar, but aren't barbaacks hired for such things as squeezing fruit and various other "the bartender doesn't have time to do" tasks? Love the name of the mix though, go big or go home if you are trying to sell poo poo.
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Mar 19, 2013 01:59
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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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Is it possible to buy violet water? I googled it and saw a couple recipes, but one was from victorian times and the other was to be used as a perfume, so... Anyway, I have rose water, orange blossom water, and lavender water, so violet water would be a great addition.
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Mar 19, 2013 03:46
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Smokewagon posted:There maybe a decent store-bought mix out there, but I haven't run across it yet. There isn't. There's no substitute for fresh, natural ingredients and nothing anyone can put on a shelf is going to come close to matching freshly squeezed citrus. It's also really easy to do yourself and there's no real excuse for trying to take a shortcut, so I'm going to be a douche and say that anywhere that uses a store bought sour mix doesn't give a poo poo about their drinks.
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Mar 19, 2013 09:06
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Easy but maybe not cheap. A single lime costs 2 bucks where I live. Just to be clear I think it's bad at a professional money-making bar. But for someone's mancave, it can be quite costly to keep fresh citrus/citrus juices on hand. Even for a party it can be really hard to judge, I can't count how many caipirinhas I've made just to blow through leftover limes. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 10:02 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 19, 2013 09:51
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Yeah, I'll give you that it can get pricey depending on region/season in some places. Also, I work in a bar so my comparisons are usually about other bars, not doing stuff at home. I would say for your mancave, focus on drinks that don't require citrus for the most part and if you're going to have a party, tell a couple of people you'll supply the booze but they need to bring some limes.
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Mar 19, 2013 10:46
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Interesting timing on the Sour Mix talk.. I randomly made my own last weekend. My mother in law brought over a ton of oranges and lemons from their trees awhile ago. much more than I could ever get through, and they were on the verge of going bad. So I juiced all of them, like 8 oranges, 6 lemons, and all the limes I had in my house, something like 6 of 'em. All added up to 34 oz of citrus juice. Added to a giant pot of water and sugar, and reduced. I also spilled in a few tbsp of vodka after it cooled, to hopefully help maintain its stability in the fridge for a little while longer, cause it made a ton. It may not be exactly tradition.. it's a little heavy on the orange and light on the lime, but mixed with some Woodford Reserve, it made the best whiskey sour I've ever had. I added a couple dashes of angostura to cut the sweetness just a touch, and it was magnificent.
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Mar 19, 2013 15:56
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What is the consensus on Sidecar liquors and portions? I've been using a cheap VSOP and Cointreau and fresh lemon juice in a 2-1-1 ratio and it just doesn't taste right. One of the best bartenders in town suggested Mathilde Orange XO instead of cointreau or even Orange Curacao. I've seen videos online using different ratios also (2-1/2-1/2). I'm just trying to find the best recipe that I can make at home. Also does the brandy brand matter too much?
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Mar 19, 2013 16:47
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LTBS posted:I'm just trying to find the best recipe that I can make at home. Also does the brandy brand matter too much? Also I'm a novice but the books I have (Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan) emphasize that fruitier cognacs like Courvoisier have much different flavors than drier bottles like Hennessy. I am not baller enough to have several bottles of nice cognac so I can't give a personal opinion on that. What are you using now? Perhaps someone can chime in.
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Mar 19, 2013 17:09
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Hollis Brown posted:Can you elaborate on what doesn't taste right? Do you do a sugar rim? I think I was using E&J's VSOP along with the Cointreau and lemon juice. It was just way too bitter/sour for my liking. The bar I go to to get them don't need a sugared rim (and I'd like to avoid it also) so I'm thinking my choice in liquor isn't that great.
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Mar 19, 2013 17:15
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Invalid Octopus posted:Is it possible to buy violet water? I googled it and saw a couple recipes, but one was from victorian times and the other was to be used as a perfume, so... Anyway, I have rose water, orange blossom water, and lavender water, so violet water would be a great addition. You can get some creme de violette!
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Mar 19, 2013 18:02
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LTBS posted:I think I was using E&J's VSOP along with the Cointreau and lemon juice. It was just way too bitter/sour for my liking. The bar I go to to get them don't need a sugared rim (and I'd like to avoid it also) so I'm thinking my choice in liquor isn't that great. I've enjoyed this recipe from PDT. 2 oz cognac 0.75 oz cointreau 0.75 oz lemon juice 0.25 oz simple syrup shaken on ice, serve in half sugar-rimmed glass.
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Mar 19, 2013 18:54
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Kenning posted:I definitely prefer Bombay Dry to Bombay Sapphire, and I am also quite fond of Boodles. Also make sure you're using at least Noilly-Prat for your vermouth, and try to find Vya Extra Dry or Dolin Blanc if possible. Don't make it too dry – I wouldn't go much drier than 4:1 gin:vermouth – give it a dash of orange bitters, and finish with a twist of lemon peel. Oh, and stir. Thank you very much! Notes have been taken and search engines used. Hopefully sometime this spring or summer I will be sipping proper dry martinis.
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Mar 19, 2013 22:35
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nrr posted:It's also really easy to do yourself and there's no real excuse for trying to take a shortcut, so I'm going to be a douche and say that anywhere that uses a store bought sour mix doesn't give a poo poo about their drinks. That's my opinion as well. Hell, I'm a lazy rear end and a half, and I squeeze my own, and make my own simple syrups and whatnot. There really is no excuse.
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Mar 19, 2013 22:42
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Capt. Awesome posted:Interesting timing on the Sour Mix talk.. I randomly made my own last weekend. My mother in law brought over a ton of oranges and lemons from their trees awhile ago. much more than I could ever get through, and they were on the verge of going bad. So I juiced all of them, like 8 oranges, 6 lemons, and all the limes I had in my house, something like 6 of 'em. All added up to 34 oz of citrus juice. Added to a giant pot of water and sugar, and reduced. I also spilled in a few tbsp of vodka after it cooled, to hopefully help maintain its stability in the fridge for a little while longer, cause it made a ton. I put a tablespoon of high proof home likker in my sour mix. It definitely makes it more stable for storing in the fridge. Not that I am one to keep sour mix in the fridge for ages, but i've yet to have any go bad with this method. Also sour mix feeezes just fine, and even frozen and then thawed tastes ten times better than anything store bought. Your version of a whisky sour is about what I do (I squeeze and orange into my sour mix), I also love a drop or two of Angostura or Fee Brothers Orange bitters in mine. I also like orange bitters with an orange twist in an Old Fashioned, something about orange and bourbon just goes very well together.
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Mar 19, 2013 22:51
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So psyched my shipment of Tanqueray Malacca came in. Also took the opportunity to order some genever and quality apricot brandy.
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Mar 20, 2013 00:27
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The Hebug posted:So psyched my shipment of Tanqueray Malacca came in. Also took the opportunity to order some genever and quality apricot brandy. Malacca is good juice. Where all are you that you're just getting your shipments?
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Mar 20, 2013 01:33
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Herr Tog posted:Thank you very much! Notes have been taken and search engines used. Hopefully sometime this spring or summer I will be sipping proper dry martinis. Junipero is also nice (although heavy on the juniper, obviously).
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Mar 20, 2013 02:18
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Oh man I hadn't heard that Malacca was being re-released. That's pretty awesome.
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Mar 20, 2013 02:24
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Kenning posted:Oh man I hadn't heard that Malacca was being re-released. That's pretty awesome. I hadn't heard either. This is pretty awesome for anyone interested in gin at all.
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Mar 20, 2013 02:33
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Vegetable Melange posted:Malacca is good juice. Where all are you that you're just getting your shipments? I spent a while calling all the places I knew in SF but nobody seemed to know anything about it. Ended up ordering it online from Astor Wines in NY, but last I checked http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?search=04175&searchtype=Contains&term=&p=2
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Mar 20, 2013 03:23
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Are you retail or business? I know it's been limited release mostly concentrated on bars (and then asking us not to stockpile what cases we do get...) but I know that most of the 100.000 bottles were released to NY/Metro, so I'm curious to see whether other retailers than Astor are putting it on the shelf as opposed to making sure they are appropriated to bars.
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Mar 20, 2013 03:44
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Vegetable Melange posted:Are you retail or business? I know it's been limited release mostly concentrated on bars (and then asking us not to stockpile what cases we do get...) but I know that most of the 100.000 bottles were released to NY/Metro, so I'm curious to see whether other retailers than Astor are putting it on the shelf as opposed to making sure they are appropriated to bars. No, but I'm glad that they are. It's the only place I was able to get my amateur hands on it.
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Mar 20, 2013 03:58
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What makes the Malacca special?
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Mar 20, 2013 04:38
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PatMarshall posted:Junipero is also nice (although heavy on the juniper, obviously). Sweet, also I already have some Gordons, would that work for a martini or G&T only? Also what is the proper thing to stir/dispense a martini in?
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Mar 20, 2013 06:24
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Glottis posted:What makes the Malacca special? Uh, at least half of the hype is that it's a contemporary-style gin with more complex botanicals and a restrained juniper profile that was released in 1997 and then pulled. There was a lot of "died before its time" talk all around cocktail circles about it, and now it's back! Hurrah.
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Mar 20, 2013 09:15
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Herr Tog posted:Sweet, also I already have some Gordons, would that work for a martini or G&T only? Also what is the proper thing to stir/dispense a martini in? Gordon's is fine. The key to a good martini is measuring your gin and vermouth, I like 1:4 or 1:3 vermouth:gin. Stir with ice, add a dash of lemon or orange bitters if you have them, serve up in a coupe or cocktail glass with a lemon twist. The alternate, "dry" martini style would use less vermouth, like 1:6 or 1:8, no bitters, and garnished with a couple of olives. Coupes are big now, probably because they are prettier and lend themselves to a more civilized drink size that you could actually finish before it got too warm, but a cocktail glass is also quite nice. Here are some links so you can see pictures, but any housewares/bb&b/pier one/k mart should have what you need. coupe: http://www.newyorkfirst.com/gifts/stork-club-champagne-coupe-11/ cocktail: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/viv-martini-glass/s240745 edit: I realize now you were asking about a shaker; here's a classic:http://www.crateandbarrel.com/boston-shaker/s294640. A water glass also works.
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Mar 21, 2013 01:54
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PatMarshall posted:Gordon's is fine. The key to a good martini is measuring your gin and vermouth, I like 1:4 or 1:3 vermouth:gin. Stir with ice, add a dash of lemon or orange bitters if you have them, serve up in a coupe or cocktail glass with a lemon twist. The alternate, "dry" martini style would use less vermouth, like 1:6 or 1:8, no bitters, and garnished with a couple of olives. Coupes are big now, probably because they are prettier and lend themselves to a more civilized drink size that you could actually finish before it got too warm, but a cocktail glass is also quite nice. Here are some links so you can see pictures, but any housewares/bb&b/pier one/k mart should have what you need. Holy gently caress $24 for 2 coupe glasses? Go to a thrift store, over a number of trips to different stores, I ended up getting close to 200 for my wedding and probably spent ~$100. If you just want a few for home use, I couldn't see you spending more than $10 for 4-6.
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Mar 21, 2013 05:56
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^^^ Hell yea thrift stores ^^^PatMarshall posted:Gordon's is fine. The key to a good martini is measuring your gin and vermouth, I like 1:4 or 1:3 vermouth:gin. Stir with ice, add a dash of lemon or orange bitters if you have them, serve up in a coupe or cocktail glass with a lemon twist. The alternate, "dry" martini style would use less vermouth, like 1:6 or 1:8, no bitters, and garnished with a couple of olives. Coupes are big now, probably because they are prettier and lend themselves to a more civilized drink size that you could actually finish before it got too warm, but a cocktail glass is also quite nice. Here are some links so you can see pictures, but any housewares/bb&b/pier one/k mart should have what you need. I appreciate the work you put into trying to get the right glasses for me and the shaker. Also good to know I can make an acceptable Dry Martini with what I have on hand. I guess I was looking not for a shaker as I have been advised against a shaker but more like a strainer to go onto a water glass but since it is just ice, gin, and vermouth that really isn't a concern either. Thanks again~!
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Mar 21, 2013 21:00
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I clicked on the thread on a whim yesterday, and today I have a fifth minus a couple ounces of WT101. Figured I'd start with something I always had trouble enjoying; I suppose it's mostly due to bad experiences with whisky cokes in my younger years. Made a bourbon sidecar ( ?), a whisky sour and an old-fashioned. Enjoyed all of them very much, though the sidecar was a little on the sweet side.Anyway, thanks GWCC cocktails thread! Here's to more fun, tasty cocktail experiments.
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Mar 22, 2013 08:35
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Herr Tog posted:^^^ Hell yea thrift stores ^^^ When I'm just making myself a drink and am feeling lazy enough to not want to have to rinse out my strainer (which is often), after stirring, I usually just fish out the ice and put it in my measuring glass/jigger and voila, no need for a strainer.
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Mar 22, 2013 09:02
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