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Duey posted:Anyone ever worked with Scrappy's Lavender or Cardamom Bitters? I'm trying to work with them in some drinks and I have one that doesn't want to work out. I've been making a drink lately that is heavy on the Regans #6 orange bitters, which have a really strong cardamom flavor, and the cardamom blends really well with the St. Germain. I bet that the cardamom bitters would also work well with your recipe, maybe even more so than the lavender.
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Dec 13, 2013 04:05
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| # ? May 15, 2024 19:36 |
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@Duey You don't mean that it still tastes like liquor with the OJ, do you? St Germain is so sweet and light that I am always super cautious about using it as a modifier. We use Hum (which has cardamom in it), Campari, Luxardo Bitters, or something else more flavorful with St Germain to kick it up. Or to tone down the modifier, however which way you want to look at it. Unless your bitters are really strong, using 1 dash won't do much than put some nose on it. Since you're using vodka you pretty much have free reign of flavors for a modifier. Experiment with stuff that compliments orange. I wouldn't do anything too orange heavy because you'll be one dimensional. Since you have the cardamom, I'd keep going with that and maybe go vanilla or allspice dram? That allspice might be because it's cold as gently caress here in Wisco and all I want is allspice.
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Dec 13, 2013 16:44
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I was cooking and making a Bloody Mary the other day and had the idea of adding a splash of sesame oil. I don't know how to explain it, but the tiny little oil droplets that float on the top and get a tiny bit into every drink just match perfectly with every other ingredient. Here's what I put into it, of course everything is to taste: V8 or Clamato or Camaronazo. Tabasco or other hot sauce. Black pepper Tajin(or salt if you cant find that) Maggi or Worcestershire Horseradish Lime Splash of rice vinegar Drizzle of sesame oil.
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Dec 13, 2013 18:29
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I've discovered that the perfect hot toddy contains not whiskey and water, but apple cider and its good friend Applejack. Make sure you heat the cider up with some cloves, cinnamon and lemon like a proper warm cider, then just add to a glass (or mason jar, for that down home feel) with a coating of honey on the bottom topped by a couple oz of the Applejack. I'm gonna become an alcoholic this winter at this rate. Apple is the best flavor.
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Dec 14, 2013 05:25
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Leave that cold and shake with an egg white for a nice change of pace. E: http://www.cocktaildb.com/recipe_detail?id=2636 Butch Cassidy fucked around with this message at 06:54 on Dec 14, 2013 |
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Dec 14, 2013 06:43
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How bad of an idea would it be to make some applejack myself, the old fashioned way?
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Dec 14, 2013 06:56
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It won't be remotely the same as distilled applejack, but it will be fine if you use good cider. It will also be belligerent North Country as hell, so do it.
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Dec 14, 2013 09:21
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If you actually jack your cider it'll be rough and heavy, with none of the nice barrel flavors and lots of particulates. It'll also be weaker than a properly distilled apple brandy, and with both the heads and the tails it could be sort of oily and bitter. Basically what I'm saying is you should just support the good people at Laird's and go buy some proper apple brandy.
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Dec 14, 2013 11:20
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We only have Laird's blended in NH. A decent selection of calvados, though.
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Dec 14, 2013 15:32
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Well to my understanding applejack, as opposed to apple brandy, was originally freeze-distilled. But in the end, I'd be trying it more for sheer North Country belligerence as Butch puts it. And I'll hopefully be getting some calvados for Christmas, so I'll be all set as far as actually, tasty apple-derived booze goes. Though there is a Distillery in Lee, NH that makes apple brandy, they named it after Josiah Bartlett. They also make an apple vodka, that's intriguing...
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Dec 14, 2013 15:59
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Had a Blood and Sand made with Mezcal last night. (Vida, if anyone cares.) The Mezcal transforms the drink, it's pretty awesome. I thought I was so clever for coming up with that, but Google says the drink (invented to promote the eponymous 1941 movie about bullfighting) originally featured Mezcal, but they switched to scotch because no one could get hold of Mezcal much outside Mexico. Oh well, better (seven decades) late than never. 
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Dec 14, 2013 17:46
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Yoshifan823 posted:I've discovered that the perfect hot toddy contains not whiskey and water, but apple cider and its good friend Applejack. Make sure you heat the cider up with some cloves, cinnamon and lemon like a proper warm cider, then just add to a glass (or mason jar, for that down home feel) with a coating of honey on the bottom topped by a couple oz of the Applejack. I prefer the tea-based toddies (English style?) instead of just hot water but I agree with you on the apple booze. An ex and I used to put away a lot of toddy made of Earl Gray, a little honey, and then Calvados. I haven't Pepsi Challenge'd it against Laird's, but since Laird's is notably cheaper than Calvados in DC I'll have to try it for a change. quote:How bad of an idea would it be to make some applejack myself, the old fashioned way? Unlike a lot of folks in this forum I'm not a brewing expert, but in the past I've read up on just what you're pondering, and there are a lot of cautions online about how amateur jacking can leave you some nasty stuff in the distillate, whether methyl alcohol or just other things that'll make you feel lovely in high concentration. So I'd read really carefully on the issue before proceeding.
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Dec 14, 2013 21:40
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Unlike a lot of folks in this forum I'm not a brewing expert, but in the past I've read up on just what you're pondering, and there are a lot of cautions online about how amateur jacking can leave you some nasty stuff in the distillate, whether methyl alcohol or just other things that'll make you feel lovely in high concentration. So I'd read really carefully on the issue before proceeding. yeah, that's the main thing that's keeping me from dumping a bunch of Woodchuck into a jug and letting it freeze. Apparently there's some way of filtering some of the nastier compounds out, but I haven't found anything concrete.
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Dec 15, 2013 01:46
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After all this talk about Blood and Sand, I made a really cheapo version today that's drat tasty. It was; - 1 shot Red Breast 12 - 1 shot Martini Sweet Vermouth - 1 shot Simply OJ (not Blood, so uh...) - 1 shot Vodka with a serious splash a grenadine My liquor cabinet is currently in a poor state, but this is pretty tasty anyway (I'm thinking the RB12 is probably doing a hero's work). Can someone recommend a good set of "sides" for my bar? I have bottles of rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, scotch, etc., but beyond two bottles of bitters, some Grand Marnier, and some Cointreau, I'm not sure what I should seek out / purchase to set up a bar that I can comfortably mix out of.
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Dec 15, 2013 02:03
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Keep some of this handy and you will be set for a bunch of drinks: - sweet and dry vermouth - Campari. Fernet Branca later when you decide to expand your bitter options. - a couple fresh lemons/limes/oranges/a grapefruit - a few cans of pineapple juice - ginger ale and/or beer, good stuff - Luxardo maraschino liqueur - an orange liqueur like Cointreau or DeKuyper O3 - Absinthe (Absente is a decent 110-I-think proof absinthe for less than $40 a bottle) - a few eggs - cream, heavy or light, but heavy will make better whipped cream - milk - nutmeg - Demerera sugar (most grocery baking sections) - simple 1:1 and/or strong 2:1 syrup - creams de menthe, from the liquor store, make your own, whatever - can of decent coconut milk - milk - a few of the little cans/bottles of cola, tonic, and soda water - orange flower water, you can cut this if your are broken and hate a good Ramos gin fizz. But have it, it makes tasty lokum and is only a few bucks for a bottle that will last a while: yum: Those things will cover the majority of drinks you can think of with the appropriate spirit and most of them are great to have on hand in he kitchen, anyway. They are all also cheap to keep handy and store pretty well. Keeping some decent coffee and tea can help, as well. Honey adds a nice touch to quite a few drinks, as well. Most drinks are based on sours and just having fresh citrus is the biggest favor you can do yourself. This assumes you already keep mulling spices handy  mulling spices rock my world.E: Bitters and ice should go without saying, but have at least Angostura bitters and a tray of ice around. Peychaud's and then orange bitters from there. E2: If you need a mixer, the classic Boston shaker is fine and reliable, but a tin to a two piece shaker with a thick pint glass and Hawthorne strainer is more versatile. A jigger and bar spoon will keep you making anything. Muddlers can be improvised. And I have a regular spoon bent to a 90 degree at the neck that I swear by. E3: Fresh mint leaves if you can manage it and drink tea. Mint juleps are awesome, it is used in some other cocktails, and mint tea like the Moroccans guzzle is a loving mazing. Butch Cassidy fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Dec 15, 2013 |
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Dec 15, 2013 02:28
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Unlike a lot of folks in this forum I'm not a brewing expert, but in the past I've read up on just what you're pondering, and there are a lot of cautions online about how amateur jacking can leave you some nasty stuff in the distillate, whether methyl alcohol or just other things that'll make you feel lovely in high concentration. So I'd read really carefully on the issue before proceeding. This has never made sense to me. Why would there be more nasty chemicals in the end product when you're not adding anything in, all you're doing is removing liquid. Wouldn't a standard sized drink of either the cider or the applejack have the same amount of whatever people are worrying about?
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Dec 15, 2013 10:28
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With modern cider brewing there probably wouldn't be much in the way of wood alcohols to worry about, it's true. That said, "applejack," i.e. cider that has been freeze-distilled, was a pejorative term for like a couple centuries. People didn't jack their cider because it made for a great drink. They did it cause they lived in bumfuck New England and were poor but wanted some liquor.
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Dec 15, 2013 10:53
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Sevillan orange punch report: spectacular. I triple batched the recipe this weekend for a holiday party and everybody loved it. Half this crowd had had the Admiral Russell’s punch I mixed up last year and so they knew what to expect when I said “punch party,” but for a lot of folks this was their first introduction to the good stuff. I think this is going to have to be a seasonal tradition. If any of you have access to Sevillan bitter oranges, you owe it to yourself to make a batch of this. Based on the recipe I was worried at first that this was going to be too sweet and simple given the orange/sugar/cognac combo, but once I tasted the bitter orange juice and the macerating peels I knew we were in for something way more complex/delicious. It turned out perfectly balanced! I’m already looking forward to punch ideas for our late-summer midwestern wedding. I’ll pick up Wondrich’s book—I’m not sure why I haven’t already—for some ideas. Thanks Kenning!  Party guests assisted in the assembly. The ~1.5 qt ice cube outlasted the liquid punch! 
marmot25 fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Dec 17, 2013 |
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Dec 17, 2013 05:14
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Dangit, that's almost a reply to what I was going to ask, since Admiral Russel punch is: 6 lemons 1 cup raw sugar 1 750-ml bottle VSOP-grade Cognac 1 cup lightly sweet oloroso or amontillado Sherry (such as Dry Sack 15-year-old or Sandeman Character) Freshly grated nutmeg I was going to ask "what's a good brandy-based punch?" since I've made United Service Punch too many times in a row, plus not enough of my friends appreciate Batavia arrack. The most interesting brandy punches I see have the basic lemons turned into oleosaccharum, and then either some wine product, some sherry product, or both. I'm torn between: - Admiral Russel (above) any of several punches at http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/punch-happy-m03hf18-136236738.html - Hi-Hat Alfonso Punch: Dubonnet Rouge (an apertif wine), brandy, Angostura bitters, lemons/sugar, and cava to give it sparkle - Regents Punch: green tea, sherry, brandy, champagne, sugar with less lemon As much as I like exposing more people to sherry, the chance to force people to drink Dubonnet has me inclined to the Hi-Hat, plus I love cava. Anyone got any swaying vote?  Whichever one I make, I'm doing a double-batch since on Thursday I have a work party at noon, and a friend's party in the evening, and I'm lazy.
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Dec 17, 2013 07:33
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I'd go for the Hi-Hat. It looks like it will taste great and be odd enough to be memorable. But Regent pun his awesome and would do well.
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Dec 17, 2013 14:54
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I bubble like trouble, sonn. Plus getting people to drink Dubonnet rules.
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Dec 17, 2013 18:13
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marmot25 posted:Orange punch That's looks awesome man, well done. Orange punch is the best.
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Dec 17, 2013 20:27
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Some people might enjoy this. Professor Cocktail's (David Montgomery) Holiday Drinks: Recipes for Mixed Drinks and More is free for a few days for the Kindle Edition. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00H1YS6EA/ Not bad for a free cocktail book.
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Dec 18, 2013 22:35
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Probably a fucktardedly simple question, but I'll ask for me and all the duffers: Is there a significant difference between: a) Solution X, cold, and I dump sugar and cold water into it b) Solution X, and I take the separate sugar and water, boil the water and melt the sugar into it, let it totally cool into "simple syrup" and after its cool pour it into the solution I'm a dumbass, and so tended to just dump sugar into mixes to sweeten them, but then I just get it somewhat sweeter and a sludge of granular sugar congealed at the bottom of the jug. If I do the whole "simple syrup" process prior to mixing, is it less likely to precipitate into solid sugar and sludge out at the bottom of my jug rather than mixing in?
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Dec 19, 2013 08:29
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Probably a fucktardedly simple question, but I'll ask for me and all the duffers: The point of simple syrup is that the sugar is already dissolved, precisely to eliminate the problems you're having. I've never seen simple syrup revert to sugar sludge. Edit: Simple syrups become even more awesome once you realize how easy it is to infuse any flavor you want into them. Cinnamon, vanilla, clove, almond, ginger, habanero...usually just soaking whatever ingredient in the syrup will impart enough flavor. The Maestro fucked around with this message at 08:54 on Dec 19, 2013 |
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Dec 19, 2013 08:49
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Duey posted:Anyone ever worked with Scrappy's Lavender or Cardamom Bitters? I'm trying to work with them in some drinks and I have one that doesn't want to work out. I haven't tried their lavender bitters, but I absolutely love the cardamom bitters and definitely recommend them despite the steep price point ($23 for me at BevMo). Everybody should try a dash or two in a Negroni - I'm sipping on one made with Anchor Junipero and Noily and it's fantastic. For what it's worth, Junipero is my favorite gin right now. Wish I had Dolin sweet or Carpano of course. I also had success adding the bitters to mulled wine. This one requires a bit more set up. Muddle 2 slices persimmon with 2 dashes cardamom bitters. Add 1.5 oz Rye, .5 oz each of sweet vermouth, apple jack, and chartreuse (I only had yellow then, but I'm sure green would be fine), stir hard, fine strain and serve up, sink 1/4 oz. Lillet Rouge. Like a Manhattan in Autumn. One of my new favorites.
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Dec 19, 2013 09:07
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The Maestro posted:The point of simple syrup is that the sugar is already dissolved, precisely to eliminate the problems you're having. I've never seen simple syrup revert to sugar sludge. Cool, now I feel dumb for the several years I made mixes but didn't bother making simple syrups. For two Christmases in a row for office and social parties I've laid lemon zest down on a bed of jaggery/panela for hours to "sweat" out the citrus oil and then just dumped said oleo saccharum into cold punch and stirred it in. This time I made the "Hi-Hat Alfonso" punch mentioned above, but sweated the lemon peels into panela and then dissolved the results into boiling water. I'll find out in the morning if I have a huge sludge of sugar at the bottom as per usual, or whether the magic of boiling has properly suspended both the sugar and the citrus oils in my solution. My initial taste-sampling at 3am indicates it's totally boss, in either case.
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Dec 19, 2013 09:30
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Another nice thing about simple syrup is that it lasts longer in the fridge than it will take you to use it. Also awesome for lemonade and iced tea.
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Dec 19, 2013 16:54
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Our province-run liquor store had Sierra Milenario Extra Anejo for $22 off this week (normal price: $77.75), where I just finished reading Boozehound, and I'm looking to expand my horizons through tequila and maybe rum. It's the most expensive liquor I've ever purchased, even at the sale price. It smells great.  Any good cocktails for aged tequila/spirits? I'm not much for sipping liquor straight or on the rocks, so I'd like a backup or two. The only thing I plan on trying for sure is a Paloma; my go-to cocktail for silver tequila. Mister Facetious fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 20, 2013 07:49
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Took the dog for a couple hundred yard dashes in six inches of snow and freezing rain, the wife and kids have been baking cookies all day, the house is hot as hell from the constant gingery oven blasts. A good night for a Jungle Bird. With one of the kids' flower-shaped crazy straws. I am now listening to Bonobo while drinking Tiki and playing with the strobe on a Fenix PD20. My kids are going to be the biggest dorks in the Northcountry growing up with a father like me. TL/DR: Get some Campari and thank me later.
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Dec 22, 2013 02:11
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Mister Macys posted:Any good cocktails for aged tequila/spirits? I'm not much for sipping liquor straight or on the rocks, so I'd like a backup or two. Get some turbinado/demerara sugar, a fresh lemon/lime, some Cointreau/Gran Mariner, and make a High Class Margarita
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Dec 22, 2013 02:42
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I was looking for less expensive presents so this year, I'm giving the gift of cocktails to my folks. Then I sat down and worked out the liqour cost. 
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Dec 22, 2013 20:14
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That's cool.
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Dec 22, 2013 21:05
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Slimchandi posted:I was looking for less expensive presents so this year, I'm giving the gift of cocktails to my folks. I've priced out cocktails in the past, they mostly run between $2-3 per serving using midrange stuff. Maybe I have no sense of scale and those bottles aren't only 2-3 servings, but I don't see how it can be that expensive.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:45
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They're 3 or 4, and all purchased in the UK which doesn't help. I guess I didn't consider the cost until I was done.
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Dec 23, 2013 10:17
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Mister Macys posted:Any good cocktails for aged tequila/spirits? I'm not much for sipping liquor straight or on the rocks, so I'd like a backup or two. Hey, do we have a thread for infusions? I want to start doing that soon, as many liqueurs are only available in my state in a narrow range of brands at inflated prices.
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Dec 23, 2013 18:50
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Yup: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3440248&perpage=40&pagenumber=10 E: Links to page 10, but hey 
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Dec 23, 2013 19:00
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So I tried something new and it worked out well. Took some Don Julio Anejo tequila, infused it with red chili peppers for five hours,then made a tequila gimlet with it. I was impressed, tequila makes a gimlet thats just as good as gin and the sweet heat from the peppers matched perfectly. Next time I'm going to use a blanco and let it go longer, but all in all I like it a lot.
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Dec 23, 2013 21:54
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It's not even noon where I'm at but I'm off today so I made a last word. But I tried it with my much despised Balvinie Doublewood scotch. It's delicious! The chartreuse and marachino take center stage, but now I'm getting a little but of flavor out of the scotch and it's fantastic. There's a little bit of a malty afterburn from the scotch that is nice and warming.The last word might be the most versatile cocktail out there, at the very least it's up there with the Manhattan in that with a little tweaking it can work with almost any liquor. Going to use Highland Park in my next one, hopefully the smoke comes through!
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Dec 24, 2013 17:57
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Sounds like you're about to enjoy a Pete's Word.
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Dec 24, 2013 18:01
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