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Generalisimo Halal posted:Hey Veggie Melange, I really loved that cocktail you made for me that was champagne, cognac, and absinthe. I tried having the bartender at my hotel make me a good one, but bless her heart they all came out tasting like straight absinthe. I think the proportions were straight hosed. I was pretty slammed at the time with the pub crawl, but I'm guessing it was half an ounce each absinthe and cognac, topped with Bubbly. Maybe a dash of ango.#freericola.
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Oct 22, 2011 06:37
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I like turtles posted:I've been requested to make a halloween-ish themed alcoholic punch for, well, halloween. At this point, kinda thinking a handle of vodka, a bottle or two of wine, fruit juice of some sort (berry? mango?), cut with sprite or 7up or something. Toss some food safe glowsticks in there before the party to get it glowing. Maybe food dye? Possibly toss some dry ice in there every now and then? Why not use an orange fruit juice, and then do a float of something like Midori melon (basically something green), or dye some alcohol you already have green and do a float of that, so it's something like an enormous pumpkin in a bottle? You could add white wine, sparkling or flat, and perhaps a mix of orange and pineapple juice, or mango, or peach, or all four or something. Also, as an above poster said, tonic water glows under black light, so you could add that in, although it might not sit well with guests who would be seeking out a very sweet punch. Maybe tonic ice cubes?
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Oct 22, 2011 14:05
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That sounds really cool - though it would probably only look good before we started drinking it and disturbed the float, right? Might set up a gin and tonic station separate from the punch and hit that with black light, while many of us love gin and tonics, it might kinda throw the punch off in the quantity needed to get a decent glow out of it
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Oct 22, 2011 17:32
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Going to a friend's house for dinner tonight, told them I'd bring the cocktail stuff and mix some drinks. They said they had fresh mint. Can anyone recommend a simple drink I can make that incorporates mint? I used to make the Southside (Gin, Lemon or lime, Simple Syrup, Mint) - but that drink has fallen out of favour with me. Any suggestions?
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Oct 22, 2011 18:43
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Madison Avenue 1.5oz rum .75oz Cointreau .5oz lime juice ~4 mint leaves Muddle mint, add rest, shake/strain into iced rocks, garnish with lime wheel, mint sprig, or both. Kenning posted:What kind of rum? Whatever you like, I use light. Klauser fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Oct 22, 2011 |
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Oct 22, 2011 20:46
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What kind of rum?
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Oct 22, 2011 21:05
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I like turtles posted:That sounds really cool - though it would probably only look good before we started drinking it and disturbed the float, right? You could buy some quinine extract, as it's what fluoresces - it'll do it under natural daylight. It will make the punch taste intense though.
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Oct 23, 2011 03:27
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I was wondering if someone here had done experimenting with Aviations or other cocktails that require Creme de Violette/CReme Yvette? I am in Ontario and travelling soon, so debating which bottle would be worth more to acquire and bring back home.
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Oct 23, 2011 05:34
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betamax posted:I was wondering if someone here had done experimenting with Aviations or other cocktails that require Creme de Violette/CReme Yvette? Edit: Wait. That doesn't answer the question your question about violette.
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Oct 23, 2011 21:12
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betamax posted:I was wondering if someone here had done experimenting with Aviations or other cocktails that require Creme de Violette/CReme Yvette? Both of those should be easy to source in Canada, why not aim for the strange, local liquors that don't get international distribution? Like that white French bitter whose name escapes me but makes a killer white negroni?
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Oct 24, 2011 01:41
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Vegetable Melange posted:Both of those should be easy to source in Canada, why not aim for the strange, local liquors that don't get international distribution? Like that white French bitter whose name escapes me but makes a killer white negroni? Thing is, alcohol here is controlled by one government company, and to source something they usually don't carry you need to get a full crate, and end up paying 2 to 3 times the price per bottle. It is insane... even bringing something from Quebec is a pain. That white french bitter you mentioned, is it from Quebec? I most definitively want to look into it now. It was in Quebec where I found a few producers of Creme de Cassis which were a lot better than the stuff we usually get here.
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Oct 24, 2011 02:57
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betamax posted:Thing is, alcohol here is controlled by one government company, and to source something they usually don't carry you need to get a full crate, and end up paying 2 to 3 times the price per bottle. It is insane... even bringing something from Quebec is a pain. Fellow Ontario goon here and I feel your pain... sourcing obscure ingredients is a pain in the rear end and we're pretty much at the mercy of the LCBO. There are so many cocktails I've had to overlook because the ingredients just aren't available here.
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Oct 24, 2011 03:41
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Ernest Hemingway posted:Fellow Ontario goon here and I feel your pain... sourcing obscure ingredients is a pain in the rear end and we're pretty much at the mercy of the LCBO. There are so many cocktails I've had to overlook because the ingredients just aren't available here. Yeah. I guess it is kinda sad when I become giddy over seeing something finally make it here when it is more widely available south of the border, and usually 50-70% more expensive.
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Oct 24, 2011 05:32
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Speaking of weird regional liqueurs, anyone have an idea for how I can get Malort in North Carolina? I have a sad fascination with the stuff and am tired of having the in-laws smuggle it from Chicago in airplane shampoo bottles.
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Oct 25, 2011 04:17
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Vegetable Melange posted:Both of those should be easy to source in Canada, why not aim for the strange, local liquors that don't get international distribution? Like that white French bitter whose name escapes me but makes a killer white negroni? So I think now that you were talking about lillet blanc, is that right? Apparently it used to be available here but no more. It is still widely available in Quebec though.
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Oct 25, 2011 06:13
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What? No. Lillet is an easily available quinquina that any specialty liquor store should carry, or failing that a decent wine merchant.
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Oct 25, 2011 10:08
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I find Lillet very sweet, for a more authentic quinquina I rock the cocchi americano, if I can meet the order minimum. The white liquor I was thinking of was Sueze. And seriously, you can't get Lillet in Canada?
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Oct 25, 2011 12:04
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In Canada each province has its own Liquor Control Board. Ontario's is pretty lovely as they are for the most part the only organization that can sell liquor, or decide what gets sold in the province. Lillet Blanc usually goes off sale for long periods of time, and it is not available right now (see this). Or see this website with people asking for some very basic stuff. Before May it was impossible to find Maraschino Liquor here (since then we got Luxardo, and seems to be going out of stock as well). I found an agency that imports Carpano Antica, but since they too have to go through all the requirements from LCBO they have to sell it at 60 bucks a bottle with a minimum purchase of a case of 6 bottles. This whole situation is specially infuriating given that the LCBO is supposedly one of the (if not the) biggest alcohol purchasers in the world. Anyway, sorry about the rant but this is something that touches a nerve of most people around here.
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Oct 26, 2011 02:54
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betamax posted:
I got my bottle. Found it at the Queen's Quay location in Toronto. Had to have the guy scrounge it out of the back for me. I'm glad I picked it up. I've already mentioned the La Floridita Daiquiri in this thread, but another excellent cocktail with Maraschino is The Last Word. Someone mentioned it in the last thread: 3/4 oz. Lime 3/4 oz. Gin 3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse 3/4 oz. Maraschino An intense and wonderful drink. It's a depression era cocktail that fell out of use until it's recent revival by the Zig Zag Café in Seattle. And for Ontario/Toronto goons - Apparently the newly refurbished Melody Bar at the Gladstone Hotel has The Last Word on the menu as one of it's signature cocktails: http://www.toronto.com/article/700902--buzz-on-bars-melody-bar Can't wait to get out there to try one and compare it to my home version.
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Oct 26, 2011 04:51
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The Last Word goes in and out of being my favorite cocktail. I think right now it's out, but that doesn't mean I'm any less keen to drink one if it should present itself.
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Oct 26, 2011 10:21
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 I love this stuff.I'll share two: My margarita 1.5oz Repasado Tequila (100% agave) .5oz Triple sec .5oz Fresh lime juice .5oz Orange juice Shake unstrained in a new glass and top with 7 up ------- Mai Tai 1 oz Dark Rum (Gosslings) 1 oz Light Rum (I use 50/50 Light rum and spiced rum) 1/2 oz DeKyupper Orange Curacao 1/4 oz Orgeat Syrup 1/4 oz Simple Syrup Juice of one lime (About 2/3 an oz) Add to glass with a handfull of crushed ice and swizzle until the glass frosts. Top with 7-up for fizz Garnish with a cherry
Candleshire fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Oct 27, 2011 |
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Oct 27, 2011 00:16
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So for my Halloween punch I'm gonna do white rum, midori, blue curacao, possibly some amaretto, and soda of some sort, either soda water or sprite or something. Maybe get some sort of juice in there. v  v It should be pretty and not taste too bad... I'm just concerned about going over-sweet.
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Oct 27, 2011 00:34
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^^^ That does sound really sweet. Get some citrus, or maybe some kind of bitter (Campari?) to balance it out. -- So on a recent trip to the store I bought a mason jar of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine on a whim. It is really surprising me with how much I like it and how versatile it is. While it definitely has 'rocket fuel' qualities, if you can get past it, there is some really good flavor there. It's not something you would sip on its own, but it brings a lot to the table in the right cocktail. I've really been having fun finding stuff to put it in. Mount 'N Rita 1.5oz unaged corn whiskey 1oz triple sec 1oz lime juice .25oz simple syrup Stir/strain. Lime wedge garnish.
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Oct 27, 2011 00:49
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The last giant batch of punch I made for a Halloween party got people hammered and nobody complained about it being too sweet. That's not to say it wasn't sweet, however! 1-2 bottles Hawaiian Punch or whatever fruit punch 2-4 bottles of some Boone's Farm (I tended toward the orange, blue and pink ones) Half a bottle or Malibu or so Vodka to taste 1 bottle Sprite or clear soda of choice There were a lot of drunk people that night.
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Oct 27, 2011 01:20
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^^  ^^I like turtles posted:So for my Halloween punch I'm gonna do white rum, midori, blue curacao, possibly some amaretto, and soda of some sort, either soda water or sprite or something. Maybe get some sort of juice in there. Nooooo there are so many horribly clashing flavors in there. The only things to recommend it will be the sugar and the drunk. Punch isn't just a random assortment of booze that happens to be served in a bowl. Punch should be light enough to be quaffable (somewhere between 10% and 16% ABV), sweet enough to be appetizing, sour enough to be refreshing, and strong enough to be fun. The most basic stripped-down punch recipe will contain sugar, water, booze, and lemon juice. Here, make this instead: 2 bottles VS cognac (i.e. from France) 18 oz. oloroso sherry 2 1/3 cups sugar (some sort of raw/unrefined sugar is best) 18 oz. lemon juice 4 oz. lime juice 1 1/2 qt. + 1 cup water Dissolve the sugar in the cup of water, which should be boiling. A better way might be to make a syrup of it on the stove and then let it cool. In any case, to your sugar/water mixture, add the brandy, the sherry, and the citrus juice. Stir well, then at the moment of service pour in the water. Pour slowly and taste – you don't want it to get too dilute, but you should probably end up using all of it. Slip in a block of ice and grate fresh (fresh!) nutmeg over the top. You can prepare a block of ice by filling a 1 or 1 1/2 qt. metal or plastic bowl with water and letting it freeze overnight. Run hot water over the bottom of the bowl to remove the block. This is called Admiral Russel's Punch, and is, for my money, one of the most perfectly balanced punches I've made/tasted (and in the last year I've made 15-20 different punches, for a total volume of more than 100 gallons). This really hits its stride after it's been on ice for about 20 minutes.
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Oct 27, 2011 04:30
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I like turtles posted:So for my Halloween punch I'm gonna do white rum, midori, blue curacao, possibly some amaretto, and soda of some sort, either soda water or sprite or something. Maybe get some sort of juice in there. First, what kind of event are we talking? Grown up sodas for the kiddies' monster mash, greek mixer, post-college house party? My major recommendation would be to try a smaller scale version before you go dumping bottles into a huge batch. First thing would be flavor profile: rum, melon, bitter orange, and almond/stone fruit might be a bit confusing as a pairing, and the oiliness of the liqueurs may make the mouthfeel cloying, even with a healthy dose of soda water or sparkling wine. If you're looking for a vibrant color, food dye will give you your halloween kicks without having to add unusual flavors. You could make essentially a giant daquri, just rum, lime juice, and something sweet (you can make or purchase a simple 1:1 sugar syrup very easily), and then add green and blue coloring to your bitch's brew. The only concern with up-sizing a regular cocktail is that a good punch should lower the ABV% from the 30's down to the 10's or low 20's, so that it drinks more like wine than liquor. With the above suggested daquri, I would add a dry sparkling wine like Chandon or the like to give it bubbles and add dilution. Kenning, you're right in that there is a rich vein of punches going back hundreds of years that are deliciously balanced, but brother, recommending a cognac and sherry punch to someone who suggested blue curacao is a bit wide of the mark. Walk before you run and all.
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Oct 27, 2011 14:41
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I have been in a cocktail slump for a year or two now. As a young(er) man I had a bar of around 75-100 bottles and was constantly messing around with drinks. As I and my friends got older and lamer we stopped having as much time for boozing and now I am down to a sad little sideboard with maybe 5-8 bottles. I have however, resolved to turn this around and rediscover my love of drinks. This thread has been a big help so far. I do have a question, my beloved shaker, which has served me for 10 years now, has started to leak a bit. I suspect the woman of dropping it and not telling me. Fortuitousness she possesses the metalworking skill to get it working again, but in the mean time my eye has been wandering. I am looking for a recommendation for both a good "standard" shaker and a Boston shaker. Bonus points if the Boston can mate with normal pint glasses. To contribute, here is a Margarita variation that I really enjoy. It comes from Skeeter Skelton, who was a lawman/customs agent in southwest in the 50-70'. He was also a writer for gun magazines in that period and his stories and articles were filled with tales of drinking and liquor. He was a strong proponent of tequila and published his personal margarita recipe: "Skeeter Skelton" posted:2 shots tequila Clearly, it is strong as hell and very tart. I like to have one of them late in a session, when I am done with sweeter drinks and want something to sip at for a while. Conversely, they also make a decent breakfast drink, the tartness and citrus going well with a normal salty, hammy breakfast.
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Oct 27, 2011 16:06
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Klauser posted:^^^ That does sound really sweet. Get some citrus, or maybe some kind of bitter (Campari?) to balance it out. Where were you a few months ago when I was trying to get rid of a bottle (jar!) of Georgia Moon? I ended up making a lot of white whiskey rickeys, though. A nice drink on a hot day: 1.5 oz. white whiskey 1.0 oz. lime juice 5.0 oz. club soda Build as a highball over ice. For a stronger taste, try Dale Degroff's alternate proportions: 1.5 oz. spirit (gin, bourbon, rye, what have you) 0.75 oz. lime juice 1.75 oz. soda But there's no wrong way to make a rickey, really. Substitute spirits. Mix to taste. A wonderful, simple drink.
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Oct 27, 2011 16:28
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Ended up going with a 750ml bottle of white rum, 750ml bottle of midori, 2oz of Campari, 4 oz of Blue curacao. Will hit it with some lime juice and soda to bring the volume up/abv down. Is fairly decent right now. Good color too. Sweet side is fine, painfully sweet drinks are popular with most of the expected attendees. It's primarily a low key geek (not greek) post college party. There was talk of having a Doctor Who marathon. I like turtles fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Oct 27, 2011 |
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Oct 27, 2011 17:15
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Remember that the ice you chick with will add to the dilution over time.
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Oct 27, 2011 19:14
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bunnielab posted:...working again, but in the mean time my eye has been wandering. I am looking for a recommendation for both a good "standard" shaker and a Boston shaker. Bonus points if the Boston can mate with normal pint glasses. Here is the shaker we've used for the last 6 months or so. When I got it it was only $13; it is $20 now but eligible for one of those 4-for-3 promotions Amazon does. It feels great, and has 26 oz. capacity. It's probably not professional level, but you might like it for 20 bucks. Oggi Marilyn Tall and Slim Cocktail Shaker
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Oct 27, 2011 20:02
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Kenning posted:^^ You can frown all you want but that punch bowl got drained, son. Drunk people aren't going to notice the nuances of your Classy Punch.
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Oct 27, 2011 20:26
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I'm looking to make some Old Fashioned's this weekend. What should I get in terms of liquor? Bourbon, rye or...?
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Oct 27, 2011 20:27
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Very Strange Things posted:Here is the shaker we've used for the last 6 months or so. When I got it it was only $13; it is $20 now but eligible for one of those 4-for-3 promotions Amazon does. It feels great, and has 26 oz. capacity. This is the shaker I bought for myself. It's handsome, doesn't leak. It gets the job done, and I totally recommend it. Doh004 posted:I'm looking to make some Old Fashioned's this weekend. What should I get in terms of liquor? Bourbon, rye or...? I think bourbon is the traditional spirit in an old fashioned. Rye will do, though, if you want a drier flavor. I think any brand of these will do -- it depends on what you're willing to spend. Just look for "straight bourbon" or "straight rye" as it indicates a certain quality. Though I read they drink brandy old fashioneds in the Midwest...? 
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Oct 27, 2011 20:49
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Vegetable Melange posted:Kenning, you're right in that there is a rich vein of punches going back hundreds of years that are deliciously balanced, but brother, recommending a cognac and sherry punch to someone who suggested blue curacao is a bit wide of the mark. Walk before you run and all. Captain Stinkybutt posted:You can frown all you want but that punch bowl got drained, son. Drunk people aren't going to notice the nuances of your Classy Punch. I've served this punch to a party full of girls who ask me for cocktails "that are sweet where you can't taste the alcohol." People have taste, man, everybody has taste.
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Oct 27, 2011 21:19
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Kenning posted:I've served this punch to a party full of girls who ask me for cocktails "that are sweet where you can't taste the alcohol." People have taste, man, everybody has taste.  This thing was a huge hit. You had to keep in on "mist" as the "stream" setting will make some (many) people gag. I usually kept it loaded with 50/50 Old Crow and cranberry juice. I tried to fancy it up a few times but always went back to the standard. Honestly, bourbon and cran is a pretty decent "real" drink. It has the proper mix of sweet and sour and if you buy decent ingreadents it can have some depth to it.
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Oct 27, 2011 22:24
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bunnielab posted:
... and to think I've been painstakingly chilling every glass before serving my guests when all the while I could have been shooting the drink in their faces. On the subject of cranberry juice: I'm at a bit of a loss on this one because there's a wide variety of cranberry juice products out there (cranberry cocktail, etc.) with wildly varying properties. With a carefully balanced drink like a Cosmopolitan, I'm at a loss as to what I should be using. The instructions only ever say 'Cranberry Juice'. Lemon and lime juice is so easy because since you're fresh squeezing them you can't really gently caress it up. With cranberry juice, where you're forced to buy a store bought concoction, I've been reluctant to use it in anything other than mixed-down highballs. Does anyone have any advice in what to look for in a good cranberry juice?
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Oct 27, 2011 22:54
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DasNeonLicht posted:Though I read they drink brandy old fashioneds in the Midwest...? A brandy old fashioned is a delightful thing. If you make it with a VSOP cognac it's incomparably smooth. And if you add in a little dollop of Cointreau or Gran Marnier, stir, serve up in a glass with a lemon peel-rubbed rim, and finish it with a snap of champagne you have a Chicago cocktail, which is one of the most dangerous potations I've ever tasted.
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Oct 27, 2011 23:24
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bunnielab posted:
... Goddamnit, I remember you posting this before. I might have to go buy a dedicated food sprayer.
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Oct 28, 2011 00:22
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Ernest Hemingway posted:... and to think I've been painstakingly chilling every glass before serving my guests when all the while I could have been shooting the drink in their faces. Dude, I was 21 and all hopped up on the LSD, it was a magical time. As for the cran, there are two schools of though. One is to by the best (and by best I mean the most cran and least added sugar) cocktail you can and use it as is or buy 100% cran and have to doctor it up with simple syrup to make it drinkable. I go either way, depending on what I am making and how lazy I am feeling. Straight cran is good but most cocktail recipes assume you are not using it and need to be altered accordingly.
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Oct 28, 2011 01:34
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