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virinvictus posted:I was looking at cognac, and the price point is a heavy start. For blending, what should I be going with? VSOP? And is there a particular favourite for blend? Where are you at, those prices are nuts. Courvoisier VSOP goes for 25 € here, Remy under 40. For mixing I like the Pierre Ferrard 1840, which has explicitly been designed for use in cocktails.
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Feb 7, 2019 21:53
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Of course Cognac is going to cost more in America than the Euro zone. PF1840 is good but it's not that cheap. If you can find it Gilles Bresson VS is seriously good for the price.
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Feb 7, 2019 21:55
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virinvictus posted:I was looking at cognac, and the price point is a heavy start. For blending, what should I be going with? VSOP? And is there a particular favourite for blend? Are these $US for 750mL? Because yeah I'm in FL and those prices are way too high. Just bought Remy Martin for ~$38 iirc. It's great, but you can get by with an XO instead if you like. When I get home I'll check the price tag and brand I last got, it works very well for mixing.
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Feb 7, 2019 22:09
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Fart Car '97 posted:Of course Cognac is going to cost more in America than the Euro zone. Yeah, but more than three times as much is hefty. Especially since it doesn't seem to be like that the other way around, I can get all kinds of Bourbon for very reasonable prices in Europe.
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Feb 7, 2019 22:18
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This'll do ya for mixing, to my rough tastes. I misremembered it as XO. 
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Feb 8, 2019 00:07
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I use Maison Rouge VSOP for mixing. It’s rich and fruity with a nice oaky backbone. Around $20/750ml. I think it was mentioned here a few pages ago. Bourbons $50-100 is an odd category. I’ll take Bookers over most everything. Evan Williams Single Barrel is an absolute steal at about $25 and frankly so is Four Roses Small Batch at $30. I’d rather have two of those.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:14
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Barbelith posted:Yeah, but more than three times as much is hefty. Especially since it doesn't seem to be like that the other way around, I can get all kinds of Bourbon for very reasonable prices in Europe. I didn't realize the LCBO was canadian, so I have no idea what pricing is like up there.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:36
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Sandwich Anarchist posted:Yeah, even something like Elijah Craig 12 year is only around $75. The 12yr hasn't been made in years, it moved to a NAS bottling so there's now small batch and then barrel proof. Also, I buy it wholesale here in SF for $22.75 a bottle so if you're paying $70 that's pretty wild.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:54
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MAKE NO BABBYS posted:The 12yr hasn't been made in years, it moved to a NAS bottling so there's now small batch and then barrel proof. Also, I buy it wholesale here in SF for $22.75 a bottle so if you're paying $70 that's pretty wild. I'm not buying it, I was just going off what I could find online.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:56
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If you're a Costco member the Kirkland XO Cognac is pretty decent for ~$45/750mL.
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Feb 8, 2019 01:18
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https://twitter.com/alcademics/status/1093878739828535296 I think this is a pretty useful tool that we should be using more. Like, I did not realize the botulism risk from fat washing.
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Feb 9, 2019 16:59
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I'm all for walnut bitters and such, but please let the bacon cocktail trend gently caress off into a void from which it can never return.
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Feb 11, 2019 15:28
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Barbelith posted:Where are you at, those prices are nuts. Courvoisier VSOP goes for 25 € here, Remy under 40. Canada. Ontario, specifically.
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Feb 11, 2019 18:26
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Pierre Ferrand 1840 is my #1 go-to, last time I was in New York everyone was all about the Paul Beau, its great but may be hard to acquire depending on where you are. Made it to the Top 100 for World Class this year, wanted to drop the training resources here as they were very well put together this year (and they're freeeee) https://worldclass.usbg.org/ e- I forgot I wanted to ask about fire tricks: I saw someone dust something dry into a flaming drink and it crackled up and made for the quite the show; not sure if it was nutmeg, cinnamon, or dried orange peel. Would all three yield the same result? as I recall shaved nutmeg has a pretty big reaction Lokee fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Feb 13, 2019 |
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Feb 13, 2019 04:44
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Typically when people toss a powdered spice into a flaming drink it's cinnamon. The powder is very fine, and the burnt cinnamon smell is incredible. That said, anything that is sufficiently finely-ground should spark up pretty well.
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Feb 13, 2019 06:08
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Lokee posted:
Congratulations! That's awesome!
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Feb 13, 2019 21:22
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Lokee posted:Pierre Ferrand 1840 is my #1 go-to, last time I was in New York everyone was all about the Paul Beau, its great but may be hard to acquire depending on where you are. That's fuckin rad dude. To be honest the cinnamon fire trick has been underwhelming every time I've seen it done live.
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Feb 14, 2019 05:33
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Fart Car '97 posted:That's fuckin rad dude. It's gotta be fresh grated cinnamon for it to work well. I think the powder holds too much moisture.
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Feb 14, 2019 05:37
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Thinking about working with my bar manager to do a clarified milk punch for the restaurant. Any of you guys have any insight into making it in large batches? (I mean LARGE batches; we do like $12mil a year in sales)
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Feb 14, 2019 14:38
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They're excellent for large batches. Sitting overnight is best because you can rack much of the solids off that way. Invest in some super bags: https://www.modernistpantry.com/superbags.html You don't have to get them from MP, they can be found through other suppliers but they are worth every penny.
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Feb 14, 2019 16:08
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Fart Car '97 posted:They're excellent for large batches. Sitting overnight is best because you can rack much of the solids off that way. Ok, so we would place those bags in a container and pour the mix through the bag, so we can just lift the bag up later?
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Feb 14, 2019 16:25
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Yep. It helps if you can suspend the bag over something large, like a 22-quart cambro, so it isn't resting inside the strained liquid. It's not shown but they have a strap for hanging. Just think of them a massive, very effective coffee filters that don't jam as easily. When you're done flip them inside out, rinse them, run them through dish and hang them to dry.
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Feb 14, 2019 16:48
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I've got a lot of brandy, whiskey, rum, and grenadine. What can I make with a shitload of grenadine so I don't taste the alcohol and still get black out drunk?
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Feb 16, 2019 05:59
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Grem posted:I've got a lot of brandy, whiskey, rum, and grenadine. You're basically quoting the recipe for the twelve mile limit, which is basically Prohibition era Long island iced tea. All you need is lemons.
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Feb 16, 2019 06:04
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The Hebug posted:You're basically quoting the recipe for the twelve mile limit, which is basically Prohibition era Long island iced tea. All you need is lemons. The brain cells I'm sending to the grave thank you.
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Feb 16, 2019 06:07
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My go-to easy drink with grenadine is a Ward Eight. Just get some simple syrup and lemon juice and add a little more grenadine than the below recipe calls for. https://www.thespruceeats.com/ward-eight-cocktail-recipe-760755
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Feb 16, 2019 18:33
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Dunno if I'm just flawed but I think I like my 11 y/o unrefrigerated dry vermouth as much as my brand new bottle, which I planned on coddling. The former was Boissiere Extra Dry and the latter is Dolin de Chambery. Today I just did ~1.5 oz of each on ice for as pure a sample as I could do, but maybe I'll have an opinion tomorrow when I do two martinis 
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Feb 17, 2019 03:46
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BrianBoitano posted:Dunno if I'm just flawed but I think I like my 11 y/o unrefrigerated dry vermouth as much as my brand new bottle, which I planned on coddling. The former was Boissiere Extra Dry and the latter is Dolin de Chambery. Nah I'm the same. I have no problem with my unrefrigerated vermouth
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Feb 17, 2019 04:32
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Grem posted:I've got a lot of brandy, whiskey, rum, and grenadine. Got any lime juice? That, rum, and grenadine make a Bacardi.
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Feb 17, 2019 04:46
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The Hebug posted:You're basically quoting the recipe for the twelve mile limit, which is basically Prohibition era Long island iced tea. All you need is lemons. By serendipity, a friend just brought over a "Cocktail Artist" brand grenadine, as we usually do drinks Tuesday. We tried it side-by-side with my Rose's with the Twelve Mile Limit. Great cocktail, thank you for the recipe! She and Mrs. BB preferred the Cocktail Artist one, I preferred Rose's fwiw
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Feb 21, 2019 02:32
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So I have a smoking rig for cocktails (Essentially a bell jar and a smoking gun). What is the best smoked cocktail in your opinion?
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Feb 21, 2019 02:48
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I've never had a smoked cocktail that wasn't a gimmick in a strip-mall bar. That being said, since you have one you can do whatever with, experiment! Make smoked marshmallows for authentic-tasting homemade s'mores! Smoke some nuts for snacking! ...It's probably not a good thing that the two best ideas I could come up with for using your gadget weren't cocktails at all. A smoky julep might be cool, now that I'm thinking about it.
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Feb 21, 2019 10:21
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I think there’s a dual problem here: It’s kind of complicated to adequately smoke the spirits/finished drinks themselves; for one thing, the surface area exposed to the smoke is annoyingly small. At the same time, spirits (mostly scotch, some mezcal) already have a tradition of containing smoky flavors from the process of their distillation (where surface area is pleasantly abundant). So people have an idea of what “smoke” means in a spirit that you’d have trouble competing with, without redistilling. You could try smoking non-alcoholic parts of a cocktail. Smoke some pineapple and juice it, then make Jungle Birds? (I feel like smoked pineapple syrup would go well with bourbon, too.) Smoked, brandied cherries for Old Fashioneds? Would orange peels take smoke? There are probably one or two (or nothing but!) terrible ideas there, but that’s the sort of thing going through my head right now.
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Feb 21, 2019 13:26
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When I do smoke them, I use a coupe glass for it, which gives at least some surface area. That being said, I'm thinking it's just for spectacle when I want to impress. Giving someone a smoky jar cocktail, and pulling it off is a crowd pleaser. Might as well use a smokey spirit so people think I smoked their drink then.
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Feb 21, 2019 16:37
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poop dood posted:I've never had a smoked cocktail that wasn't a gimmick in a strip-mall bar. That being said, since you have one you can do whatever with, experiment! Make smoked marshmallows for authentic-tasting homemade s'mores! Smoke some nuts for snacking! It can be done, I use it as a garnish essentially. But I also don’t use a smoking gun, haven’t been happy with the results and flavors for cocktails. Cinnamon smoke can add a nice aromatic element to a glass. Burn cinnamon on a slate, put glass over it. Build your drink, strain into said glass. A guy I used to work with was obsessed with doing smoked old fashioneds. He would use the gun to fill a liter bottle with smoke, pour stirred cocktail into the bottle and swirl. It definitely made things smoky but not always in a pleasant way.
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Feb 21, 2019 16:39
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You can make or get smoked bitters, and flaming an orange peel adds a smoky punch to anything.
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Feb 21, 2019 16:53
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poop dood posted:I've never had a smoked cocktail that wasn't a gimmick in a strip-mall bar. That being said, since you have one you can do whatever with, experiment! Make smoked marshmallows for authentic-tasting homemade s'mores! Smoke some nuts for snacking! Plenty of excellent bars have used smoking as a technique. It's a little dated at this point, but it's easy to forget how many world class bars utilized it when it was fresh, and plenty still use it. Calling it a strip mall gimmick is unfair. Putting the smoke Into a decanter along with the spirit seemed to be a better way of doing it than putting the whole drink into a cloche. We have an off menu house drink we serve in a chilled rocks glass that we smoke with bisongrass and star anise and it's great, so you could try that.
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Feb 21, 2019 17:10
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Fart Car '97 posted:Plenty of excellent bars have used smoking as a technique. It's a little dated at this point, but it's easy to forget how many world class bars utilized it when it was fresh, and plenty still use it. Calling it a strip mall gimmick is unfair. That's how a bar I went to in NYC does it. They put the Old Fashioned into a decanter, fill it with smoke, and then seal it. You let it infuse as much as you want into the drink, then uncork it and pour it into the glass.
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Feb 21, 2019 17:12
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That's fair Fart Car. I wasn't exposed to it by anyone doing anything particularly interesting with it, and by the time it made it to where I was it was pretty played out already. Using different sources of smoke -- like the bisongrass and star anise you mentioned -- would be a great way to get away from the predictable hickory/mesquite bourbon cocktail archetype.
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Feb 21, 2019 19:02
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I consider smoking similar to fat washing. There was a time when bacon fat washing was very cool, but now it's a bit tired. The Benton's Old Fashioned at PDT was ten years ago. By now everyone has had a bacon cocktail and everyone has had Smoked cocktail of some kind. If you want to get past the tiredness you need to alter or evolve the way it's used: We have a martini variant that was coconut oil washed just enough such that you can't taste it, but enough so that it makes the texture of the drink more velvety. The days when you can throw a cocktail under a cloche and call it a day and have it be new and cool are long gone.
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Feb 21, 2019 19:14
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