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Orange juice is what I've always heard. I've never found a good balance for the cocktail to my palate either. Maybe just using the wrong scotch though (I've always used a blend and not a peaty one) - it always seems too smooth and airy, no depth or body. I always attributed it to the commonality of the heering, sweet vermouth, and OJ though. All of those ingredients seem to be fighting for the same spot. Sweet and fruity, and no bittering agent period, and none of the acidity that would be in a citrus cocktail. Thinking about it...a bolder scotch would be nice. And maybe I would do it as a stirred variant. A bitter orange syrup/marmalade/shrub would probably fit my palate better than straight OJ. Maybe also mess with the citrus - grapefruit perhaps. Or punt e mes or another more bitter style sweet vermouth. I can't reconcile it in my head though. I've never been a fan of the drink and I'm not sure if I can make it work for me / it would be worth my effort to.
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Apr 2, 2017 10:12
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Relevant: http://punchdrink.com/articles/wtf-is-wrong-with-the-blood-and-sand-scotch-cocktail-recipe/ I agree with the part where they say use mellow scotch: made one with glengoyne once and it was a home run.
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Apr 4, 2017 20:00
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Lokee posted:Relevant: I'd give it a shot, but I don't know, the smoke is so central to the drink for me. It's not quite the same, but I tried it with bourbon and found the drink pretty flabby and disappointing. Personally, my favorite variation so far is equal parts mezcal, blood orange juice, sweet vermouth, and cherry Heering.
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Apr 5, 2017 01:11
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Lokee posted:.5oz Grapefruit oleo saccharum This sounds excellent, I got to make some myself. What kind of grapefruit do you use, Ruby Red? Pink?
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Apr 5, 2017 16:06
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I just made oleo saccharum for the first time yesterday, and it really is tasty stuff. I went with lime because that's what I had on hand, but I look forward to trying with other citrus. Do combinations of different citruses make a decent oleo, or does it just muddy the flavors?
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Apr 5, 2017 16:33
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Toast Museum posted:I just made oleo saccharum for the first time yesterday, and it really is tasty stuff. I went with lime because that's what I had on hand, but I look forward to trying with other citrus. How did you peel your limes? I find limes difficult to peel compared to a larger citrus and then the juice inside dries out much faster, kind of a waste. Using Kuhn Y-peelers. Zesting is a bitch too. I use lemon oleo in my Sazerac variant, it's dynamite. I would say don't use 2 different citrus's unless you have an application in mind that really calls for it.
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Apr 5, 2017 16:52
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Comb Your Beard posted:How did you peel your limes? I find limes difficult to peel compared to a larger citrus and then the juice inside dries out much faster, kind of a waste. Using Kuhn Y-peelers. Zesting is a bitch too. I just used a paring knife. I cut the nubs off each end to make the lime easier to hold in place, then peeled from end to end. On strips where I went too far into the pith, I pressed them flat with the knife, skin side down, and shaved away the excess pith. As for the juice, I was only making a little test batch with four limes, so I just went ahead and pressed them.
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Apr 5, 2017 17:04
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Toast Museum posted:So you cut the blood orange entirely? I guess it is kind of an odd pairing with scotch. *2:1:1:1. Blood orange if you got it, regular if you don't.
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Apr 6, 2017 00:54
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Comb Your Beard posted:This sounds excellent, I got to make some myself. What kind of grapefruit do you use, Ruby Red? Pink? Toast Museum posted:Do combinations of different citruses make a decent oleo, or does it just muddy the flavors? The GOP Delusion posted:*2:1:1:1. Blood orange if you got it, regular if you don't.
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Apr 6, 2017 20:02
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Article discussing trends in mixing. Enjoyed the read, gotta try me some fat washing soon. 
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Apr 8, 2017 01:51
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Lokee posted:I usually use ruby red, however I'd encourage you to try both! My grapefruit Oleo-Saccharum tastes remarkably like orange cough syrup. This is off putting on it's own, but I think used sparingly in appropriate applications it will be good. The rum build I had it in mind for worked out ok. I'll probably add a little bit to my sparkling water add-in blend of aperitifs and bitters.
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Apr 10, 2017 18:27
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Anyone have an opinion on Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao? I've already got Cointreau and Grand Marnier; is it different enough to be worth getting?
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Apr 12, 2017 20:33
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Comb Your Beard posted:My grapefruit Oleo-Saccharum tastes remarkably like orange cough syrup. This is off putting on it's own, but I think used sparingly in appropriate applications it will be good. The rum build I had it in mind for worked out ok. I'll probably add a little bit to my sparkling water add-in blend of aperitifs and bitters.
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Apr 13, 2017 23:13
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Toast Museum posted:Anyone have an opinion on Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao? I've already got Cointreau and Grand Marnier; is it different enough to be worth getting? I like it in Sidecars
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Apr 14, 2017 03:34
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So, uh... I really don't drink much, maybe a couple times a week with friends at gatherings at my apartment (I have a big apartment so we wind up using it) and just now and again to settle down. So most people just drink beer, and I had been on a hiatus so I was just drinking whatever people bought, When I used to drink, my favorite thing was good single-malt Islay Scotch, served neat or on the rocks, depending. Laphroaig on the rocks had been my perfect "ideal" drink for a long time, though I was still always partial to Old Fashioneds, cheap Whiskey and Colas is what I'd order at dive bars, and so on. I also liked the White Russian a huge amount but viewed the drink as a bit of a novelty. Anyway, I'm originally from Maine and my drinking phase was mostly in Colorado. But I *am* a native Mainer, and anyone who knows about Maine Cocktails would know that Allen's Coffee-Flavored Brandy - always served over ice with (preferably whole) milk - is THE Maine cocktail. Actually the first Alcoholic drink that I *ever* ordered when I was 16 and in Rome of all place was "Kahlua and milk" because I didn't know what else to order. And it was good. But nowhere near as good as the real thing - Allens and Oakhurst Milk. Has to be Oakhurst milk, because it has a particular sweetness or unique flavor that really affects the cocktail - it's not the same with a different brand of milk, oddly enough. And the coffee flavor of Allens itself has that slightly cloying Dunkin' Donuts sweetness and unique flavor profile to it, almost. The milk really balances it out perfectly though, and what you get is something that tastes like a really delicious iced coffee milk drink. There are so many names for this cocktail in Maine, Some of the more polite ones are.. "An Allens," "Milk Drink" "Sombrero" (thought I think this is off as it refers to Kahlua in my mind), "Gorilla Milk" (I like that one) "The champagne of Maine". Some other more vulgar local terms are... "Bitch Whiskey", "Fat rear end in a Glass" (referring to how many calories is in a drink made of whole milk and fortified sugary coffee brandy), "Liquid Panty Remover".... You get the idea. Though guys drink this stuff all the time too. The thing is, this coffee brandy crap is LOADED with caffeine, and they get past the regulations that banned all those drinks like Four by saying "Oh, well, we aren't really PURPOSELY putting any caffeine in, it's just alcohol flavored with coffee!  " So everybody in Maine (especially upstate) is generally wasted on this stuff ALL the time, and because there's so much goddamn caffeine they just start drinking first thing in the morning and pour the crap into their morning Dunkin Donuts or whatever.You know what the number 1 selling alcoholic beverage in Maine has been for most of the last 20 years? The 1.75 liter bottle of Allens. The number 2 selling liquor? The 1.5 liter bottle of Allens. The number 3 one was a cheap vodka with a name I forget, but guess what number 4 was? That's right, the 1-liter bottle of Allens. The 750ml bottle is in the top ten around 7 or 8 every year too, usually. And what I found a bit is amazing is that this stuff is *revolting* by itself, and almost everyone agrees. It is basically ALWAYS drunk with milk, over ice, unless you're a severe alcoholic or something. But most severe alcoholics in Maine still drink their Allens over ice with milk as long as they ain't homeless. But here is where I shamefully admit that I *love* this cocktail. I adore it. It is lifewater. As a native Mainer, I feel like it's in my blood. I really thought it would just taste like a weaker White Russian, but Allens Coffee Brandy/Whole Milk has a charm entirely unto itself. Yes, it is SO low-class and SO fattening, but I cannot help but freaking love it. I know it's going to turn me into a total fatass, even though I've always been skinny. I would actually recommend this cocktail to others, because it's something you only really see in New England, and it's too drat delicious to stay regional. Though I guess we never ever drink Mint Juleps here, for example, so maybe this is how it is. kaworu fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Apr 14, 2017 |
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Apr 14, 2017 17:36
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I'm going up to Maine soon. I'll have to try one! Any reasonable bar'll be able to? Or do I have to go searching?
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Apr 14, 2017 18:01
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LOLquote:Allen's Coffee Brandy can also be mixed with another Maine staple, Moxie, to make the "Burnt Trailer".[4]
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Apr 14, 2017 18:18
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That's all kinda fascinating. I love reading about weird regional drink trends . I grew up on liquor + Cheerwine but that's about the only NC specific thing I can think of (and it's kinda gross)
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Apr 14, 2017 21:04
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silvergoose posted:I'm going up to Maine soon. I'll have to try one! Any reasonable bar'll be able to? Or do I have to go searching? Haha - as a Mainer this question is just really funny. You would have to go searching through Maine to find a bar that DOESN'T make at least several dozen Allens's every day. You don't even have to describe the cocktail at any decent Maine bar, just say "An Allens", and they will automatically bring you Allens Coffee Brandy and Whole Milk over ice. Though I'd probably still describe it my first time anyway just to make sure, but I'm neurotic. The ice is really important and I can't stress that enough. It actually tastes more like the (non-alcoholic) drink that Rhode Island is somewhat known for - Coffee Milk. But the Maine version of course is a bit more adult. I should also add that if you want to make it at home, the technical recipe calls for approximately equal parts whole milk and coffee brandy, served in an old-fashioned glass over ice. Pour the Allens over the ice and then add whole milk (to taste, if you want, some people like it with less milk some with more). And yeah, I'm totally fascinated by regional cocktails like this that are really excessively popular in a particular geographic location. I just find it fascinating - especially with Maine and Coffee Brandy (this particular brand, even!). This is what the very first shelf of every liquor isle in every supermarket in Maine looks like, even in the "big city" of Portland where I live:  And I reiterate that I have never known anyone to drink this stuff without being combined with milk, except in extremely rare circumstances. That pic even fails to demonstrate the sheer overwhelming amount of coffee brandy - and that it's always in the first part of the liquor isle where one generally sees a mix of the more popular drinks of all types and price ranges, I think. But not in Maine - here that first part of the liquor isle is ALL COFFEE BRANDY! Oh, and you can barely see, but the bottom isle there? It's got a few Allen's knockoffs like Mr. Boston Coffee Brandy and Gold Crown. Again, I don't know anyone who bothers straying from the tried and true, especially when that other stuff is generally cheaper and probably even more caustic on its own. Oh, and the "Burnt Trailer" is basically a joke drink, I mean, it's just combining the two infamously MAINER beverages... It's a very funny idea but that drink really probably tastes worse than a hundred burnt trailers, if you've ever had the (pleasure?) of trying either drink in its unadulterated form than you would get the goddamn shivers thinking of them ever being combined... *shivers* kaworu fucked around with this message at 13:23 on Apr 15, 2017 |
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Apr 15, 2017 13:19
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kaworu posted:Haha - as a Mainer this question is just really funny. You would have to go searching through Maine to find a bar that DOESN'T make at least several dozen Allens's every day. You don't even have to describe the cocktail at any decent Maine bar, just say "An Allens", and they will automatically bring you Allens Coffee Brandy and Whole Milk over ice. Though I'd probably still describe it my first time anyway just to make sure, but I'm neurotic. The ice is really important and I can't stress that enough. It actually tastes more like the (non-alcoholic) drink that Rhode Island is somewhat known for - Coffee Milk. But the Maine version of course is a bit more adult. I mean I kinda felt that would be the answer but best to be sure. Allens and milk over ice is all I have to say, then. Having gone to college in Providence I am well acquainted with coffee milk, but the stuff they put in the dining hall wasn't alcoholic, sadly. 
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Apr 15, 2017 18:11
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My buddy's getting married this weekend, and I wanna pick up a nice bottle of Bourbon (maybe around a hundred bucks or a bit more?) for him. The only problems is I've gotta fly there, so I'll need to buy it locally. Any recommendations for a good bourbon that is pretty widely available? I know in Kenning's megapost he recommended Blantons, Michter's, George T. Stagg, and anything by Van Winkle, but I don't know how easy they are all to find on somewhat short notice in Southern California.
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Apr 19, 2017 20:34
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if it's like the east coast unless you can find it as it's distributed you'll need to find "a guy" go scotch?
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Apr 19, 2017 20:46
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I have a hard time believing you can't find whiskey hipster stores all over southern California.
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Apr 19, 2017 20:48
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Halloween Jack posted:I have a hard time believing you can't find whiskey hipster stores all over southern California. I'm sure there'll be plenty, but since it's pretty last-minute I won't really know for sure until I'm there.
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Apr 19, 2017 20:50
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if you can find a bottle of pappy out east for the MSRP of 90 you can immediately sell it for 200-500 depending on 12-15 year. stagg was like 70 and easily flipped for 200 last I checked
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Apr 19, 2017 20:50
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Gosh I just had a Final Ward and I'm not sure I can go back to last words. Any other great takes on the last word?
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Apr 22, 2017 00:37
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KingColliwog posted:Gosh I just had a Final Ward and I'm not sure I can go back to last words. Any other great takes on the last word? Last of the Oaxacans is pretty nice. Swaps out the gin for mezcal.
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Apr 22, 2017 00:39
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KingColliwog posted:Gosh I just had a Final Ward and I'm not sure I can go back to last words. Any other great takes on the last word? Not really a take on a last word, but I've always found the Champs-Élysées to be more appealing and well rounded than the last word. Probably just me though *shrugs*
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Apr 22, 2017 00:51
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CodfishCartographer posted:My buddy's getting married this weekend, and I wanna pick up a nice bottle of Bourbon (maybe around a hundred bucks or a bit more?) for him. The only problems is I've gotta fly there, so I'll need to buy it locally. Any recommendations for a good bourbon that is pretty widely available? I know in Kenning's megapost he recommended Blantons, Michter's, George T. Stagg, and anything by Van Winkle, but I don't know how easy they are all to find on somewhat short notice in Southern California. Pappy is practically impossible to find here unless you're willing to pay ransom money, as I imagine it is anywhere else. The good news is that California is otherwise an alcohol shopping utopia. You can buy beer wine and liquor almost anywhere, any day of the week, until late hours of the night. We have thousands of nice liquor stores which might change your definition of what a liquor store should be. The easiest to find is BevMo, which are the size of a small grocery and have huge selections at reasonable prices and relatively knowledgeable staff. I think every one of the recommended bourbons can be found there. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Apr 22, 2017 |
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Apr 22, 2017 02:13
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I just decided to get him a wide range of decent quality spirits so he has a decent home bar starter kit. Also made sure to get him some not lovely jiggers, strainers, etc.
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Apr 22, 2017 02:51
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2DCAT posted:Not really a take on a last word, but I've always found the Champs-Élysées to be more appealing and well rounded than the last word. Probably just me though *shrugs*
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Apr 23, 2017 00:28
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2DCAT posted:Not really a take on a last word, but I've always found the Champs-Élysées to be more appealing and well rounded than the last word. Probably just me though *shrugs* Er, wouldnt Champs-Élysées be, at the very least, a somewhat politically incorrect drink at the moment? Also, I know this isn't the Whiskey thread, but I'm curious about mid-shelf whisk(e)y to use in some basic cocktails potentially. What I can say about my whiskey tastes is that I love and adore/worship single-malt Islay scotches. I think they are utterly and totally delicious, my all-time favorite "cocktail" would actually just be Laphroaig 10 on the rocks. Unfortunately, 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? I know that Chivas Regal is definitely a blend of more smooth blend of mainland scotches. The one blended scotch I've tried that actually had the general taste of a decent Islay malt was Johnny Walker Black, which was also a bit too drat expensive at ~$33 or so, but certainly more reasonable than a single-malt. But then there are these cheaper mid-shelf scotches that claim to be single-malt but cost less than $30, and seem vaguely untrostworthy. I think it was Mclellands, or something - I have never bought it. I'd love it if there were Islay scotch that was reasonably decent for ~$25, but I have trouble trusting stuff that isn't the real thing like Laphroaig, where you can taste the ocean, the moss and peat, green smoke and wet rock.
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Apr 23, 2017 17:12
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Bowmore? Might be cheaper than Laphroaig, also an Islay.
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Apr 23, 2017 20:03
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I don't taste any peat in bowmore, just smoke which is okay by me, and great for people who think Laphroiag is too much of a punch in the mouth. I like it, especially for its price.
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Apr 24, 2017 00:02
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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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KingColliwog posted:Gosh I just had a Final Ward and I'm not sure I can go back to last words. Any other great takes on the last word? There is a month-long initiative going on over on Instagram, where a bunch of different people are posting Last Words and variations. Some really interesting stuff. We Have The Last Word
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Apr 24, 2017 00:45
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I find it odd to even think of the champs elysees when talking about a last word. It's like saying a martini is preferable to a manhattan. The only thing they have in common is chartreuse / vermouth but it's used so differently so as to be incomparable. Not to say cognac wouldn't make a fine last word variation. Or rather, final ward variation. Bartenders are nothing if not pedantically specific, except when they're not. All that to say: the champs elysees has a drastically different structure than the last word. I simply don't understand why it would be brought up in the conversation. However, should you omit the bitters, change the proportions, increasing the citrus to match a final ward, and sub luxardo for the simple, well then, you have a less exciting final ward. If you really want a cognac last word...hmm. How about an absinthe base? Now that is one I might actually go try tomorrow. I'll check back in, probably going to gently caress with the ratio, 1 absinthe : .5 green chartreuse : .75 each lime and luxardo. On a side note, I've been wanting to try the green chartreuse VEP in a last word. Anybody done that?
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Apr 24, 2017 09:38
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And to the guy saying the champs elysees, a classic cocktail, is all of a sudden politically incorrect: what do you call a watered down manhattan? a hurricane sandy Couple years late but you get it
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Apr 24, 2017 09:43
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What's the best triple sec for Margaritas? Looking for a price point between DeKuyper and Cointreau. Could just splurge for Cointreau if it's really worth it. I just like to add a splash.
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Apr 26, 2017 01:43
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| # ? May 17, 2024 02:02 |
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Comb Your Beard posted:What's the best triple sec for Margaritas? Looking for a price point between DeKuyper and Cointreau. Could just splurge for Cointreau if it's really worth it. I just like to add a splash.
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Apr 26, 2017 01:54
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