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Dukes Seafood in the Seattle area has this cocktail on the menu and it’s nice: The Duke & The King Hendrick's Botanical gin with Giffard Wild Elderflower liqueur, homemade sour and fresh basil, vigorously shaken and served "up"
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Aug 30, 2023 06:29
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| # ? Jun 6, 2024 13:49 |
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The First Lady only uses 2 basil leaves, but it's also nice, if you have matcha powder. Stolen from How To Drink: https://youtu.be/chC-4DxroMo?si=FWDH38kb_iUFCG3p quote:Build in in Shaker
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Aug 30, 2023 11:18
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Gin Basil Smash is simple and easy. I play the herbal nature up with a tiny splash of Green Chartreuse.
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Aug 30, 2023 14:33
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Last year I swore not to buy calvados again because I have done it the past few autumns and it just never really wowed me. Would a bottle of Laird’s bonded be different enough to justify checking out?
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Aug 30, 2023 14:41
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IMO yes, it's got much more prominent apple/cider notes than calvados. I don't know enough to comment on the different production methods, but there's definitely a difference. The Bottled In Bond is the good stuff and 100 proof, but the 86 Straight Apple Brandy is top-notch too, just avoid the one labeled as Applejack because it's a blend and the apple is pretty muted.
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Aug 30, 2023 14:53
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Yeah the Lairds BIB is fantastic and no bar should be without even if only to make American Trilogy, one of the best stirred cocktails during cooler months. I also recently grabbed a bottle of their Jersey Lightning which is excellent and fun to sub into Cosmos and poo poo where you wanna leave the barrel out of it.
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Aug 30, 2023 15:00
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That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear, a stronger, more apple-forward flavor.
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Aug 30, 2023 15:09
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Snow Cone Capone posted:just avoid the one labeled as Applejack because it's a blend and the apple is pretty muted.
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Aug 30, 2023 15:22
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I have a friend going to Paris at the end of next month, are there any France-only spirits I should have him be on the lookout for that we can't normally get in the US? I'd even be willing to spend a little more (~$200) on something extra special. Love Chartreuse, Benedictine, Rums, Agricoles, Brandys, slowly getting into Natural Wines, Sherrys, and Ports. Any ideas?
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Aug 30, 2023 15:38
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Lairds has two products, Applejack and Applejack 86. Applejack 86 was a direct response to the critiques of the Applejack that you're reading here. It's just straight lower proof apple brandy.
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Aug 30, 2023 15:51
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The regular Applejack is a blend though and the Applejack 86 is straight apple brandy. It's kind of a confusing nomenclature considering the BIB is labeled as apple brandy and not Applejack. The labels do specify though, the regular Applejack says Blend on the subtitle and the 86 says Straight Apple Brandy right next to the Applejack name Snow Cone Capone fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Aug 30, 2023 |
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Aug 30, 2023 16:12
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It is kind of funny though how deeply associated Laird's is with NJ considering they haven't used NJ apples or distilled in NJ in over 50 years I'm actually a bit surprised that nobody around here has started doing it locally again, there are a bunch of regular distilleries around here and you could really milk that local history angle.
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Aug 30, 2023 16:18
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Corb3t posted:I have a friend going to Paris at the end of next month, are there any France-only spirits I should have him be on the lookout for that we can't normally get in the US? I'd even be willing to spend a little more (~$200) on something extra special. Cognacs, Armagnacs, Calvados, and Eau de Vies are what spring to mind when I think of French spirits. Rochelt makes some pretty amazing Eau de Vie that are hard to find and cost a few hundred bucks in the states. Maybe see if you can snag one for cheaper from the source.
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Aug 30, 2023 16:46
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Corb3t posted:I have a friend going to Paris at the end of next month, are there any France-only spirits I should have him be on the lookout for that we can't normally get in the US? I'd even be willing to spend a little more (~$200) on something extra special. As much Amer Picon as will fit in a suitcase.
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Aug 30, 2023 16:53
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prayer group posted:As much Amer Picon as will fit in a suitcase. As much Amer Picon as will fit in a suitcase after you ship me a pallet.
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Aug 30, 2023 17:09
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Snow Cone Capone posted:The regular Applejack is a blend though and the Applejack 86 is straight apple brandy. It's kind of a confusing nomenclature considering the BIB is labeled as apple brandy and not Applejack. That is because in the U.S. any apple brandy that meets the standard requirements to be called a "Brandy" may also be called "Applejack" interchangeably. "Blended applejack" only needs to be 20% apple brandy. If they wanted to call the BIB 100 Applejack they could, but they don't because they wanted to slot the BIB100 into a category closer to the 12 year they make. "Straight" in this sense has no legal meaning. In the U.S. "straight" is only legally defined in the context of whiskey, so Laird's is just using it to indicate that it's a higher quality product than the regular Applejack.
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Aug 30, 2023 17:25
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That's good info, appreciated. I interpret the "straight" part as indicating that the Applejack 86 is 100% apple brandy and not a blend like the regular Applejack. Omitting the term Applejack entirely from the BIB stuff definitely makes sense in the context of what you said, though
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Aug 30, 2023 18:34
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There has to be a local distillery of apple brandy in the PNW. Anyone have recommendations? I have some Lairds Applejack and it’s fine but kinda underwhelming. If there aren’t any good options in the Upper Left, U.S.A. I’ll just track down some Bottled in Bond Lairds.
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Aug 31, 2023 01:44
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JUST MAKING CHILI posted:There has to be a local distillery of apple brandy in the PNW. Anyone have recommendations? I have some Lairds Applejack and it’s fine but kinda underwhelming. If there aren’t any good options in the Upper Left, U.S.A. I’ll just track down some Bottled in Bond Lairds. Clear creeks' stuff is nice but it ain't cheap
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Aug 31, 2023 03:10
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Fart Car '97 posted:Clear creeks' stuff is nice but it ain't cheap Their pear brandy is magnificent but uh yeah it's like $120 or so iirc.
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Aug 31, 2023 04:10
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Pander posted:Their pear brandy is magnificent but uh yeah it's like $120 or so iirc. The 2 years apple brandy is fine and affordable, the reserve 8 year is pushing it. They are just a weeird distillery. Some things are approachable and some things are wildly expensive. It's a fascinating place because the distillery predates a lot of Oregon's modern distilling laws and is allowed to continue on under a grandfathering agreement but that also means they can't change much about how they do things. E: I think lairds is a better product than clear creeks' generally. They make some really dope stuff but I find their apple brandy to be just OK. Laird's apple choices are much more what you would expect from someone choosing apples to ferment and distill. Clear Creek used 100% golden delicious but the general rule of fruit brandies still applies here: fruits good for eating are most often not ideal for fermenting, distilling, and aging. It's good marketing, but does it make great brandy? Ehh Fart Car '97 fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Aug 31, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2023 14:11
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Jack as in Applejack traditionally meant freeze distillation too which adds to the confusion. It's not made that way. I think Calvados is usually just straight up better than Lairds and often cheaper. One time I had both on hand and blended them 1:1. Different enough to really complement. Lairds has more whiskey barrel like character. Last time I was at MacArthur Beverages in DC I just cleaned out the shelf of their most basic VS Calvados and was quite happy. Morin. The VA ABC does not have great options for cheap.
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Aug 31, 2023 14:39
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It's crazy to me that Bold Rock has a distillery now but they don't make applejack.
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Aug 31, 2023 15:01
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Halloween Jack posted:It's crazy to me that Bold Rock has a distillery now but they don't make applejack. We barely grow enough of the right apples to sustain the current distilleries. Sourcing enough of the things to distill vis a real issue
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Aug 31, 2023 15:37
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That makes sense. Last time I talked to people there, they were in a real good-problem-to-have phase of looking for more apples to meet demand.
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Aug 31, 2023 15:52
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Corb3t posted:I have a friend going to Paris at the end of next month, are there any France-only spirits I should have him be on the lookout for that we can't normally get in the US? I'd even be willing to spend a little more (~$200) on something extra special. What they’ve said isn’t wrong. If you really love Chartreuse, maybe a bottle of the MOF edition, or of the extract? And if you’re exploring port, there’s a southern French equivalent called Banyuls which does similar things.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:55
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I kinda want to try more Clairins. Anyone have knowledge of their stuff?
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Sep 2, 2023 18:22
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Picked up a bottle of Etter Apricot liqueur to try and make Pendennis Clubs, since they were my wife’s favourite drink at Long Island Bar before I hauled her away from New York. Followed a tip online to add one dash of saline solution to balance the drink out. Man it really helped, and besides the PDC being a very nice drink, I now want to see what else works better salted.
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Sep 3, 2023 14:50
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Jean-Paul Shartre posted:Picked up a bottle of Etter Apricot liqueur to try and make Pendennis Clubs, since they were my wife’s favourite drink at Long Island Bar before I hauled her away from New York. Followed a tip online to add one dash of saline solution to balance the drink out. Man it really helped, and besides the PDC being a very nice drink, I now want to see what else works better salted. A dash of 10% saline goes a long way for a lot of drinks, particularly ones with savory and bitter ingredients. I’m teaching a cocktail class right now that adds a dash to cantaloupe syrup and it’s an eye opener for a lot of folks- we can use it to tamp down particularly bold flavors as well. Make an Amor y Amargo spec Negroni, add a dash of saline, and have an old favorite for the first time again.
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Sep 3, 2023 15:31
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I pretty much put five drops of saline solution into any drink I make that contains citrus juice.
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Sep 3, 2023 16:16
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JUST MAKING CHILI posted:Tonight I made a Chrysanthemum: Last night I made a Chrysanthemum No. 2 2 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth .5 oz Benedictine .5 oz Green Chartreuse 1 dash of bitters Absente rinse in a martini glass I like it more than the original.
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Sep 3, 2023 17:05
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bloody ghost titty posted:A dash of 10% saline goes a long way for a lot of drinks, particularly ones with savory and bitter ingredients. I’m teaching a cocktail class right now that adds a dash to cantaloupe syrup and it’s an eye opener for a lot of folks- we can use it to tamp down particularly bold flavors as well. Make an Amor y Amargo spec Negroni, add a dash of saline, and have an old favorite for the first time again. Had myself a saline Negroni last night. Don’t think I have the right vermouth at the moment because it’s super vegetal and the salt amped that up even more, but definitely gonna keep playing with it.
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Sep 5, 2023 11:22
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Was in New Orleans this weekend and sadly only had about 30 minutes to visit Latitude 29 before they closed but it was great! Had a Paul of the Jungle (their take on a Jungle Bird) and a Hell in the Pacific. Both were great!
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Sep 5, 2023 22:04
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Waltzing Along posted:I kinda want to try more Clairins. Anyone have knowledge of their stuff? They all taste widely different, tons of funky notes and esters from pot distillation + long wild fermentation, along with some grassy terroir from the fresh cane sugar. They remind me of a cross between a grassy rhum agricole and a funky Jamaican rum. I've only gotten my hands on a Sajous 2018 and Casimir locally, which I really enjoyed, and I've also seen and heard good things about Communal, Le Rocher, Sonson, and Vaval for ~$40-50 a bottle. Velier also sells a Papalin Haiti blend, which is a little pricy at $60, but is barrel aged and includes a blend of a few mentioned above. You can read more about it here. Corb3t fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Sep 5, 2023 |
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Sep 5, 2023 22:14
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my kinda ape posted:Was in New Orleans this weekend and sadly only had about 30 minutes to visit Latitude 29 before they closed but it was great! Had a Paul of the Jungle (their take on a Jungle Bird) and a Hell in the Pacific. Both were great! It's always so good. I stopped in late afternoon once I think right around when they were opening. It was pretty empty except for couple, got to chatting with them and they were also huge cocktail fans who were finessing the schedule to get another quick visit. The cocktails are just amazing, it's one of the reasons why I'm always disappointed with any other Saturn I've ordered.
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Sep 6, 2023 05:30
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Hi Cocktail thread I've decided to drink down my liquor cabinet and replace everything with a clean slate because most of it has sat there for years as new bottles of bourbon and scotch get switched in because most of my drinking has moved to manhattans and scotch and water. This is happening slowly because the closer I get to 50 the less I drink, but I'm very soon going to have to find some obscure drinks to use it all. I may have to cheat and buy more gin because I have 3/4 full bottles of both maraschino and creme de violet, and I'm not sure what to make other than aviations. And the vodka may all end up in harvey wallbangers because goddamn does a bottle of galliano go a long way. I think the one I've got is more than a decade old. Any good uses for maraschino and creme de violet and/or galliano out there? None of them seem like they can be a main ingredient. . .
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Sep 6, 2023 13:55
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Maraschino is in tons of stuff. Try a thread-favorite Last Word or many of its variations. Since you like Manhattans, try a Red Hook and/or several other Manhattan variations that feature maraschino. There are a bunch of tiki drinks. Hemingway daiquiris, if you have grapefruit. Galliano is not going to be called for as often but would make a fine swap for other liqueurs in lots of recipes. Try swapping it in for Benedictine or orange liqueur or whatever in a recipe and see what happens. You may have to adjust bitterness or acid accordingly so taste as you go. Violette is going to be hard. It makes everything taste like violette. And yeah, this problem plus not drinking as much as I get older is why over time my liquor cabinet is getting smaller and focusing more on base spirits and less on weird liqueurs.
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Sep 6, 2023 14:04
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Scythe posted:Galliano is not going to be called for as often but would make a fine swap for other liqueurs in lots of recipes. Try swapping it in for Benedictine or orange liqueur or whatever in a recipe and see what happens. You may have to adjust bitterness or acid accordingly so taste as you go. Also, fantastic advice for the maraschino. Everything you recommended looks good.
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Sep 6, 2023 14:16
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stealie72 posted:I may have to cheat and buy more gin because I have 3/4 full bottles of both maraschino and creme de violet, and I'm not sure what to make other than aviations. And the vodka may all end up in harvey wallbangers because goddamn does a bottle of galliano go a long way. I think the one I've got is more than a decade old. You will indeed need more gin for these (plus absinthe and/or cointreau), but Arsenic & Old Lace and Water Lily are 2 other very nice drinks that use violette.  
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Sep 6, 2023 15:48
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Improved Whiskey Cocktails are a good way to use up maraschino.
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Sep 6, 2023 15:51
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