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I'm mostly a drink liquor neat sort of guy, so I haven't really messed around with cocktails too much. However I'd like to expand my knowledge base beyond my beloved gin and tonic. So I have a couple of questions: 1: I like mojitos, every time I've gone out to a nice bar and ordered one they've been fantastic. What's the preferred recipe for them here? 2: I have two bottles of bourbon right now, Evan Williams Black Label which is sweet, and Bulleit which I wouldn't call spicy but it is drier/less sweet than EW. What's a good bourbon cocktail? 3: I like G&T and Mojitors, so what would another good summer cocktail be? To me, neither cocktail is too sweet or too heavy, they are both light and refreshing. And very easy to drink in Maryland's god awful humid summers.
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Jun 22, 2013 09:48
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| # ? May 17, 2024 05:26 |
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Moscow Mule is a good summer drink. Just made some for my wife and I. http://www.esquire.com/drinks/moscow-mule-drink-recipe
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Jun 22, 2013 21:06
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dema posted:Moscow Mule is a good summer drink. Just made some for my wife and I. I love Moscow Mules. That recipe doesn't have the bitters in it though which I think really kick it up a notch.
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Jun 22, 2013 21:49
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rxcowboy posted:I'm mostly a drink liquor neat sort of guy, so I haven't really messed around with cocktails too much. However I'd like to expand my knowledge base beyond my beloved gin and tonic. So I have a couple of questions: The Mojito recipe I use and love: 1.5oz rum 1oz simple syrup .75oz lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters Muddle a handful of mint with the simple syrup, add rest and shake. Double strain into an ice filled highball, top with soda, mint sprig garnish. rxcowboy posted:2: I have two bottles of bourbon right now, Evan Williams Black Label which is sweet, and Bulleit which I wouldn't call spicy but it is drier/less sweet than EW. What's a good bourbon cocktail? Bourbon? Make a Left Hand 1.5oz bourbon .75oz Campari .75oz sweet vermouth 2 dashes mole bitters Stir/Coupe/Cherry rxcowboy posted:3: I like G&T and Mojitors, so what would another good summer cocktail be? To me, neither cocktail is too sweet or too heavy, they are both light and refreshing. And very easy to drink in Maryland's god awful humid summers. I am very high on Rome with a View right now 1oz Campari 1oz dry vermouth 1oz lime juice .75oz simple syrup Shake/iced highball/top with soda/orange slice. Tight, crisp, refreshing, you can crush them in the heat. Klauser fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Jun 22, 2013 |
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Jun 22, 2013 22:20
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Quick question regarding ice, or at any rate the fragmentation thereof. If I'm making a cocktail which calls for chipped/crushed ice, what's the best way to go about making my ice cubes smaller via application of force? My go-to method is to smash the hell out of a bunch of ice cubes wrapped in a clean towel with a rolling pin, which leaves a lot of ice stuck to the towel, but leaves more usable ice than smashing them in a plastic bag, which tears gaping holes in the bag and sends ice flying all over. Is an ice pick worth investing in, or are there other, better makeshift methods of crushing ice?
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Jun 23, 2013 04:02
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Get a Lewis bag. It's better than a towel because the ice doesn't stick. I got mine from Boston Shaker.
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Jun 23, 2013 04:42
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Thanks for the advice guys, when I hit up the liquor store next week I'll be picking up ginger beer, bitters and Campari if they have it. Considering this store is the size of a regular supermarket like Giant, I don't think I'll have a problem.
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Jun 23, 2013 07:34
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A bar that I frequent makes a variant of the moscow mule with a slice of ginger coated in some sort of sugar and ginger syrup. It is delicious.
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Jun 23, 2013 07:44
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Klauser posted:
This sounds good, I absolutely love citrus. Right now my goto summer drinks are either Pisco Sours or Izze + Gin if I'm feeling lazy.
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Jun 23, 2013 22:34
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Loving the Blackberry Smash right now. 2oz blanco tequila (I'm using Siembra Azul, and you should too.) 1oz lime juice 1oz simple syrup or agave nectar 2 big blackberries 4-6 mint leaves, plus garnish soda Muddle the blackberries and mint, add non-soda ingredients, shake, double strain into a Collins glass, add ice and splash of soda. Garnish with additional mint. I think this is going to be the Summer of Smashes. So many possibilities.
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Jun 24, 2013 03:50
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I'm thinking of mixing up some Adios Amigos cocktails for friends next week. http://cocktailquest.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/adios-amigos.html How essential would a VSOP cognac be for this drink? Could I get by with a VS brandy or cognac instead? They seem to be comparatively expensive spirits in the UK.
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Jun 25, 2013 15:41
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Slimchandi posted:I'm thinking of mixing up some Adios Amigos cocktails for friends next week. In the U.S., the cheaper brandy is almost always sweeter -much sweeter. It will be fine, I'm sure, but you might want to reserve out some of your simple syrup until you've tasted the drink. The author's "improvement" on that drink sounded way too sweet to me in the first place. I'd start with none of the simple syrup and then maybe add some in to taste. dema posted:Moscow Mule is a good summer drink. Just made some for my wife and I. Where did you get those awesome cups? Very Strange Things fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Jun 25, 2013 |
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Jun 25, 2013 18:02
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Thanks for the brandy tips. Looks like The Boston Shaker have those copper cups. http://www.thebostonshaker.com/shop/drinkware-glassware-other
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Jun 27, 2013 17:00
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Why wouldn't you wash a muddler? Seems unsanitary after muddling, say, kumquats, or strawberries.
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Jun 27, 2013 21:18
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Slimchandi posted:I'm thinking of mixing up some Adios Amigos cocktails for friends next week. Honestly, even the re-worked version of the drink doesn't look that hot on the page. It looks sort of like a Fogcutter or a Scorpion Bowl, but with dry vermouth instead of orange juice, which is silly. Generally I don't care for mixing base spirits in non-Tiki contexts, the flavors get muddled unless you're really trying for the whole symphony of tastes thing that happens with Tiki.
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Jun 28, 2013 00:49
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I made it last night. It was ok...far from great. It was all over the place flavor-wise, the best cognac in the world wouldn't have made a difference.
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Jun 28, 2013 13:13
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Klauser posted:I made it last night. It was ok...far from great. It was all over the place flavor-wise, the best cognac in the world wouldn't have made a difference. I'll try it myself a little later this evening and report back. By the way, your blog is awesome (and so is your cat). Edit: Yeah, this drink is really confused. Nothing really comes through at all. It wasn't too sweet, just rather...empty Slimchandi fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jun 29, 2013 |
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Jun 28, 2013 19:35
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Tiki drink check in. Do far I'm so so on most of them. Hell in the pacific is one of my favorites but the maraschino pretty much drowns out the 151 flavor. I do lack a 1/4 oz measurement so I've been ballpark in it on a half ounce which may be the problem. Holy hell are zombies a poo poo ton of work. My fridge is now full of assorted alchemical concoctions. But drat are they worth it.
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Jun 29, 2013 00:58
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Sometimes Beach Bum Berry is a bit on the sweet side. And yes, Tiki is a loving *lot* of work for a private individual. I can only do it for a few months at a time and then I spend a season just drinking beer and wine and neat spirits.
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Jun 29, 2013 09:50
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I thought I'd run my personal Old Fashioned recipe by the thread and ask for any pointers. Slightly unorthodox, but I think close enough to the original. 2 part Rittenhouse BiB 100 proof Rye Whiskey 1 part Paul Masson VSOP Brandy .5 part Maraschino Cherry Jar Liquid .25 part real Maple Syrup 5 dashes Angostura Bitters 5 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters 2 Maraschino Cherries Dimensions are approximate I just make sure 1:2 Brandy:Rye ratio. I keep the Rye in the freezer to ensure less cooling need. Use the big ice cubes thanks to the tray recommendation from this thread. Crystal sugar never dissolves well for me, I stick to sweet liquids. I found liquor store Grenadine to be gross red sugar water, the Maraschino liquid, if pedestrian, really does the trick. The maple syrup I bought mainly for food, but it adds a nice dimension. I was intrigued by Maraschino liqeur in this thread, think it's worth checking out? Potomac Wine and Spirits in Georgetown Washington DC has everything, they are great.
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Jun 29, 2013 21:41
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That seems like way too many elements. Also maraschino cherry liquid is nasty. I just muddle a sugar cube with 3-4 dashes angostura, and 1.5 - 2 ounces of rye or bourbon and ice. I usually garnish with an twist of orange peel. I like your rye/brandy blend, but I wouldn't keep liquor in the freezer, it gives it a weird texture in my opinion.
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Jun 29, 2013 23:01
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Maraschino cherry liquid is a mixture of high fructose corn syrup, artificial colouring, and Christ knows what else. Maraschino liqueur, fortunately, tastes nothing like it. My "pointer" for your Old Fashioned is to make an actual loving Old Fashioned. Pour candy cherry liquid on your cocktails if you want to, but it's a step below using store-bought mix or Kool-Aid. You're wasting your money if you use any pricey liquor as the base.
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Jun 30, 2013 02:30
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Ha well I expected some hate. I wanted to say the Grenadine I bought practically ruined the drink, while the Maraschino juice (Giant brand) was enjoyable in a nostalgic way. Although ostensibly they shouldn't be that different. I just have poor results with dissolving sugar even when I try to start with non-chilled liquids and I'm too lazy to make simple syrup. Better than resorting to the splenda concentrate drops I have. I realize the liqueur is completely different, just wanted to see if anyone thought it was appropriate to this.
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Jun 30, 2013 03:30
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Did you try making an Old Fashioned with grenadine? Because even if you had made your own, real grenadine, that would be the exact opposite of a good idea.
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Jun 30, 2013 03:46
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Eh, I don't think an Old Fashioned sweetened with real grenadine would be some big heresy, assuming it was the usual amount of sweetener (just a touch) and the bitters and booze were all there. The grenadine would be acting in a capacity similar to that of the bitters – adding a new dimension to the drink – and if they were used judiciously I think it could be quite nice. Not a classic Old Fashioned, but we all must bow to taste. Comb Your Beard, I do agree that your drink is a bit overdone. In a classic-style cocktail I usually don't care for more than 5 ingredients. And even then, I can only really think of one of two that has that many. Truly classic mixology is about taking a few very distinctly-flavored ingredients and finding exciting interplays between them. An Old Fashioned, frankly, is just a way to make straight booze a bit more palatable. The sugar enhances the pleasant flavors of the spirit, the ice dulls the harsher elements, and the bitters provide a sort of structure to elevate the whole thing higher. In making a new drink (or significantly modifying a classic) it's also important to have a sort of theme running through. That's why so many "contemporary cocktails" are just isomorphisms of classics ("This is just a Manhattan with X instead of Y. This is a Negroni, but with C and D instead of A and B"). When I was tinkering with my Mint Soap, for example, I knew that the things I wanted to feature were the pineapple and the mint. All of my other decisions were about how to complement and/or temper those ingredients (and it turned out really well, if I do say so myself). An ingredient like maple syrup is so distinctive it should either be the feature of a drink, or the primary counterpoint to whatever the feature in fact is. For example, in the Applejack Old Fashioned, the combination of maple syrup and apple brandy makes perfect sense. The Red Maple creates a tension between the maple syrup and the grapefruit juice – both very distinctive flavors – in order to create a structure for the intense flavor of Smith and Cross to be conveyed without getting overwhelming. Look, I could go on like this (especially because I've got a fairly large glass of gin in front of me), but basically it's important that your choices when developing a distinctive drink are deliberate – what does this ingredient do, why am I using this instead of something else, what sort of drink am I trying to create. The rye-brandy combination you're employing is a fantastic starting place. Keep posting – there's a lot more boozing to be had.
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Jun 30, 2013 04:52
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Kenning posted:Sometimes Beach Bum Berry is a bit on the sweet side. And yes, Tiki is a loving *lot* of work for a private individual. I can only do it for a few months at a time and then I spend a season just drinking beer and wine and neat spirits. And to make things worse I was making tiki drinks for all the friends that helped me move. It was a busy night. Overall I don't know if the effort to reward ratio is right for me and I will probably be done with tiki once the rum runs out. Not sure if I want to make some orgeat to try all those other drinks out or not. Except for the 151, I quite like that, with the hell in the pacific is being one of my favorites so far. What are some other, preferably simpler recipes that use it? Are there any other good uses for Wray and nephew other then falernum? I still have most of a bottle of that left.
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Jun 30, 2013 07:12
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Is getting loaded on some stanky daiquiris not a prime option? Also, Mai Tais.
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Jul 1, 2013 16:25
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Kenning posted:Eh, I don't think an Old Fashioned sweetened with real grenadine would be some big heresy, assuming it was the usual amount of sweetener (just a touch) and the bitters and booze were all there. The grenadine would be acting in a capacity similar to that of the bitters – adding a new dimension to the drink – and if they were used judiciously I think it could be quite nice. Not a classic Old Fashioned, but we all must bow to taste.
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Jul 1, 2013 18:22
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Comb Your Beard posted:Ha well I expected some hate. I wanted to say the Grenadine I bought practically ruined the drink, while the Maraschino juice (Giant brand) was enjoyable in a nostalgic way. Although ostensibly they shouldn't be that different. I just have poor results with dissolving sugar even when I try to start with non-chilled liquids and I'm too lazy to make simple syrup. Better than resorting to the splenda concentrate drops I have. I realize the liqueur is completely different, just wanted to see if anyone thought it was appropriate to this. I think rather than starting with an old fashioned to make your "old fashioned", you should start with something else. The following recipe is from Bitters which is a fantastic book. quote:The Autumn Sweater
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Jul 1, 2013 23:23
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Thanks for all the feedback. I will start making my own simple syrup following a recipe calling for 2:1 sugar: water with a dash of vodka to make it not spoil, sound right? Not sure how much I'll change up my recipe, it's served me well and gotten me mad drunk. I think having simple syrup on hand would really mix up my mojito! I make mine with half Marti Mojito Rum (kind of a like a full strength Liqueur) and half 51 Cachaça. Just love that Brazilian rum, so crisp. Also fresh club soda from newly purchased sodastream. And of course muddled mint and lime. Sound legit? Also for content, something I sort of created, which is amazing: Reformed Thug Passion Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Sparkling Wine Splash of Gold Passion Alizé 1 or 2 drops of Peychaud's bitters Serve in a regular wine glass.
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Jul 2, 2013 00:09
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I made ghetto don't give a gently caress punch today and it lived up to it's name beautifully. 40 of Beefeater Gin 6 pack of Pineapple/Mandarin Palm Bay 2 litres of fresh orange juice wish I was 16 again, I would be the fuckin man at parties.
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Jul 2, 2013 05:04
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Jul 2, 2013 09:33
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I've never understood the appeal of gin and orange juice. Gin and grapefruit, yes.
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Jul 2, 2013 13:40
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I like the complete absence of bitters or shame. Well played.
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Jul 2, 2013 19:28
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the best part is that it was for a bbq that was basically all bartenders. we were solidly in do not give a poo poo mode and went for the least effort possible. its like when my chef who's won the golden plate award (basically Canada's best chef award) goes home and makes frozen pizza. shame is only for nights you remember
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Jul 3, 2013 07:12
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Anyone have suggestions for drinks that use laphroaig and green chartreuse? I really want to try combining the flavors but I have no idea where to start. The laphroaig project looks cool but it's probably a bit more long term as I don't want to have to buy maraschino and yellow chartreuse right now.
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Jul 3, 2013 19:48
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You have two choices when using Laphroig. Either you can use it as an accent flavor (measured in dashes or maybe 1/4 oz), or you can use a heftier pour and then deploy vodka in its only legitimate place in classic mixology – to mellow out strong flavors without diluting a drink. As for particulars, I can't offer anything right now, except to observe that you'll probably also want to look at sweet vermouth, perhaps Dubonnet Rouge, and lemon. And consider making a fizz – the soda water adds interest while smoothing out flavors, such as in the Morning Glory Fizz (which is Scotch, lemon, sugar, absinthe, and bitters, plus an egg and some soda).
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Jul 4, 2013 02:37
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I have to strongly disagree that you should pour vodka into scotch, just use a splash of water or a couple of ice cubes.
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Jul 4, 2013 02:40
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Not neat scotch, obviously, just in a cocktail which wants to use some of the smoky quality of scotch without totally overwhelming the flavor profile.
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Jul 4, 2013 05:38
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| # ? May 17, 2024 05:26 |
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Give this a shot: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/02/06/green-csm/ 1 3/4 ounces green Chartreuse 3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc 1/4 ounce single-malt Scotch, preferably one with a peaty, smoky flavor 2 or 3 seedless green grapes, for garnish It was alright. My liver doesn't care about presentation, so I skipped the grapes. I've been a bit fond of Barefoot in the Dark lately: 1oz Pig's Nose, some decent blended scotch 0.75oz Campari 0.75oz Swedish Punsch 0.5oz Oban 15yr, Laphroaig 10yr, whatever has some smoke 0.5oz Cynar You can also swap a smokey mezcal like the Del Maguey San Luis in place of the scotch with a milder anejo tequila in place of the blended, which also barrel ages nicely.
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Jul 4, 2013 06:07
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