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If you're in Portland right now it's cocktail week so go get some. Me, I'm a NYC cocktail bartender at a second-tier cocktail bar, but I've worked in places with hand-cut ice, homemade gastriques for sour ingredients, and all the infusions a boy could want. I'm happy to contribute, but something worth keeping in mind is that there exist many variations of any given "classic", and none of them are right, wrong, or more hardcore than any other, though you can generally go to the Savoy if you want to have a pretty authoritative resource. A few thoughts for the last few pages: - My favorite Manhattan spec is the Milk&Honey one, which is 2 1/4oz Rye (Rittenhouse where possible, see below), 3/4 Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Ango. Stir, serve up with a lemon twist. When deploying the twist, gently twist on top, and then give the bottom of the glass a squirt or two. That's a real protip, as your guest's fingers will smell like lemon oil well after the drink is over. - Rittenhouse Bonded (or RittyBo, if you're an idiot like me) goes out of stock periodically around August, and may not come back until November. I think Kenning's right; the rye spends at least years in bond, which is the source of the problem. Bonded warehouses are government-approved, and to expand their aging warehoues (to say nothing of the still operation), they have to get Government approval and supervision of their warehouse. I used to work at a place a little more A-list than I do now, and they had the resources to buy a pallet of Ritty at a time and stash it around the city to weather the drought, which certainly adds to the supply problem. That's all for now, happy to answer various history, material, or technique questions that may arise.
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Oct 13, 2011 17:51
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 20:51 |
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The easy way out is make your own ginger syrup, starting at 1:1:1/2 water/shredded or juiced ginger/sugar, then add lemon, lime, and simple. Throw a stick of white rum in and a few dashes ango with a dark rum float, and voila. It's complex in terms of ingredients, but very customizable to your palate. Either that, or brew your own.
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Oct 14, 2011 17:33
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I prefer mixing strange bedfellows to cancel one another out, but that's a different story. Yellow Chartreuse, scotch, and Dutch gin being an excellent example. Properly stirred, you get a big, mellow tasting thing and next thing you know, you've had three and your legs don't work so good. But that's a very different kind of thing than you're talking, Dirnok. That's where you bust out the cranberry juice and say "gently caress it". That's olive juice in cold vodka. That is the taste of getting lovely just because you're in college and don't know any better or care to find out. That's when you pre-batch your Redheaded Sluts and sling them for a dollar. Those were dark times, my friend. There is light. There is hope.
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Oct 17, 2011 16:09
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That is a great drink and an excellent bridge for people who think maraschino is classy pucker sour cherry. In turn, I give you Audrey Sanders old Cuban: 2oz white rum (I like the flor de caņa, if you can get the Havana club three year, by all means) 3/4 fresh lime juice, or half a medium lime, depending 1/2 sweetner, I usually reach for cane syrup when using rum, for obvious reasons, but you should dilute the stuff you find in bottles to a similar consistency and sweetness as simple syrup, because more viscous stuff sticks to the walls of the shakers 2 dashes ango or similar 2 leaves mint Combine in tin, shake, strain into coupes. Top with sparkling wine to fill and a gently beaten mint leaf. Modern classic, don't know if its been published. I like to use a funky white rum like banks for a little extra verve.
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Oct 17, 2011 22:01
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My bar book calls for simple, but I've always found cane syrup to be more complimentary with cane based liquor and lime. And what do you mean, "tries"?
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Oct 18, 2011 01:12
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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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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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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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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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v It should be pretty and not taste too bad... I'm just concerned about going over-sweet.
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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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Don't drink it straight, I only do that to gently caress with cocktail geek customers Jesus Christ. It's a fantastic mixer, though. Great blend of spice and sweet, pair it with bitter and or astringent like aperol and lime, little soda and an aromatic float, drat. I miss summer.
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Oct 28, 2011 06:46
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Pantsmaster Bill posted:I went the other night to Hyde & Co, a brilliant speakeasy-type bar where you have to sit down and be well-dressed to get in (they look through the spyhole and check you out before opening the door). I had a couple of amazing drinks (you can check out the menu on there - I had a rhum conference, a norwegian wood, a Princeton no2 and an old fashioned). What else would you guys check out for the next time I go there? This was quite the trend in NYC in the '00s. Milk & Honey, Please Don't Tell, Death & Co., etc. It's actually gotten a little out of hand. Thing is, they proliferate because the latest generation of cocktail makers and drinkers either started in those places or hit their stride in them. I think the aesthetic arises because cocktail drinkers and nerds and such are generally adventurous people; you'd have to be, to look at a bright green liquor that smells like trees and not run screaming back to a vodka soda. That's one of the things I love about my current job; big picture window, nice lamps, artful wainscotting, great liquor and beer selection, and the staff just happens to know and make all the classics and a few house drinks. Only thing that gives us away is the waistcoat.
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Oct 31, 2011 17:34
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Very Strange Things posted:We make Manhattans at home a lot and my girlfriend always used Makers. Thanks to one of these whisky threads of the past we tried the often overlooked bottom-shelf Bourbon Evan Williams. Our first take was that it was almost as good, and, since then, I sometimes think I actually prefer it. Evan Williams is Kentucky sour mash, like jack daniels, not bourbon. That said, it is also delicious. For your old fashioneds and Manhattans, try going old school and use a rye whiskey.
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Nov 2, 2011 21:14
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Better still, lighten up honey with water to the consistency for simple syrup and nic that in; all the honey whisky liquors I've tried are suckingly sweet and under proof. As for abc regulations in north Carolina, when I lived in Pennsylvania, the state was bound by law to order bottles by request; check whether that applies to you as well.
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Nov 5, 2011 01:25
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I've had good luck with the landy vs if you're looking for a handle of brandy to cook with. At home, I roll vsop and up.
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Nov 5, 2011 17:26
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Simpo posted:That sounds pretty nice. One of these days I'm going to make up a batch of orgeat, one of these days... Be careful making your own orgeat, because without adding artificial stabilizers, it won't be shelf stable. My bar made its own orgeat this summer for a Rye Tai (heh), and besides being needlessly complicated, once it breaks it can make you really sick (nut oils go rancid very quickly). Besides, there are some very decent commercial orgeats. One very swank place I worked stocked only trader tiki's orgeat, and it was good stuff (plus it had a very sweet, deep brown color).
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Nov 9, 2011 15:29
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Wompa164 posted:I managed to convince one of the bartenders at Anvil of Houston, TX to provide me with their recipe for the Golden Gate Swizzle which is one of my favorite drinks: Totally making this as a hangover remedy once I get to work. Also, Canadian whiskey, specifically Canadian Club, has a high proportion of rye in the mash bill because it grows well in the frigid north. It was also very popular midcentury owing to the fact that it was in production during prohibition.
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Nov 12, 2011 14:29
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Did you use dutch gin in that punch? Because if not, vaya con dios.
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Nov 24, 2011 15:24
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No, the old recipes all call for dutch gin, which is maltier, like a white whisky. London dry is closer to vodka, and I've had hot dry gin, and it is an...acquired taste.
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Nov 24, 2011 17:24
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No, the old recipes all call for dutch gin, which is maltier, like a white whisky. London dry is closer to vodka, and I've had hot dry gin, and it is an...acquired taste.
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Nov 24, 2011 17:25
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Or, and I suggest this highly, you can pound the poo poo out of it and take cell phone pictures of everyone's reactions. It's like drinking Orgeat, only no one pukes after three hits.
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Nov 28, 2011 03:52
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KWC posted:I'm doing my annual holiday cocktail party and this year we decided to do some premixed cocktails: Sidecar, Manhattan, and Martini. The plan now is to mix about 30oz or so and put them in carafes that are left in an ice bucket (like chilling champagne). People can pour their own mini cocktail (these little 3oz glasses) or a proper full drink. 3oz is a full drink, you lush. So far so good, though. quote:My question is ... am I missing some major pitfall about doing these premixed? Don't store them in the freezer, or you won't get the right amount of dilution without stirring/shaking the poo poo out of them. Dilution happens faster when there's a temperature differential between the ice and room temp liquor. Put the glasses in the freezer, instead, and if you want the batches to stay cold, the fridge is fine (so is a regular old clean wine bottle at room temp, mind). quote:* The quantities aren't so high that I fear "settling out" or separation of any of the cocktails. quote:It sounds like it should work out OK. Obviously it would be ideal to mix each drink individually as someone orders it, but I've spent the last few parties behind the bar all night as we have 30+ people, and this year my wife says I need to enjoy the party more (and I agree). These three pre-mixed "classic cocktails" are along with a "champagne cocktail" station where I'll have a carafe of St. Germain and lemon, a small bottle of creme de cassis, and a carafe of peach nectar so people can pour into a flute and top with champagne. Also a "holiday cocktail" station with dark rum to mix with heavily clove spiced cider, a cranberry/orange/spice infusion to top with soda, and some peppermint chocolate cream concoction my wife loves. Little oxo 2oz measuring cups for each item and a small notecard with instructions for each drink. There is also a full bar and people can mix their own x+tonic/soda or other highballs. Plus beer and wine. You'll need to be more specific about the details of this party, like an address, date, and time. quote:Also, any recommendations for the brandy component in the sidecar? Don't want to go as high end as I usually make for myself.
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Nov 30, 2011 17:29
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Wow, great answer, and that does look quite classic. A couple quick questions: Jaggery or demarara, stick to lemon, and try oolong.
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Dec 6, 2011 21:19
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You can make your own gomme very easily if you can get a hold of gum Arabic. If not, a 2:1 simple makes a decent substitute. For the cacao or cassis, Marie brizard makes a good version of each, but I don't know how easy they are to find outside of major markets.
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Dec 12, 2011 19:43
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MullardEL34 posted:I've been loving my sidecars lately. This is my recipe, but I smoke filters and don't mix XO cognac.
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Dec 16, 2011 18:35
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There's a st remy now? I mean, I'd be the first man to suggest the beatification of Mr. Martin, but wow, that went fast.
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Dec 17, 2011 15:23
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Xandu posted:You can make ramos gin fizzes with the orange blossom water. And how are your shoulders holding up?
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Dec 19, 2011 03:42
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Surprisingly easy, despite the fact that you have to whip the cream. Use old tom gin or Plymouth.
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Dec 19, 2011 16:52
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The cherrybark bitters are really quite rad, we used them at one job in a sour variation with applejack and pear brandy. It's surprisingly subtle. Me, I got a hold of some wormwood bitters from cocktail kingdom yesterday (their showroom is total geek heaven, the nice man talked me into this completely sensible purchase with no resistance on my part). The wormwood bitters I used in a KSBW old fashioned in a demo at Astor Wines, it went over well and sold almost a case of bourbon.
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Dec 20, 2011 16:55
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My new job has the longest spec for a blood and sand I've ever seen, and it is DELICIOUS.1.5 black grouse, 3/4 each sweet vermouth, oj, and cherry heering.
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Dec 28, 2011 03:20
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Make sure that glass is tempered. Also I prefer a dedicated mixing glass and two tins, but if you don't have a well to burn, rock what you please.
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Dec 29, 2011 06:52
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That's the one, though I'm very fond of the wares at Cocktail Kingdom, the Koriko shakers make all the difference.
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Dec 30, 2011 16:27
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Kaldas, the spoons are a matter of opinion, but I love the weight, they're drop forged (so you'll never break off the bowl), the tridents are useful, and the bowls of the spoon are exactly 1/8oz. Your mileage will vary, but I got used to using them and won't go back (I bring mine to work if work doesn't supply them). Bored, no, I'm NYC. I like to flame the twist, but that's a volume thing. IE if I have a lot of volume, flamed twists go by the wayside. Doesn't make or break the drink, but it's a really nice touch in certain instances.
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Dec 30, 2011 17:36
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Cocktail Kingdom looks pretty great. I ordered the small and large Koriko shakers, and they had a nice pair of jiggers I couldn't say no to either. G'bye money I went into the showroom a few weeks ago and bought the koriko, a teardrop spoon, two point hawthorne, jiggers and an enormous mixing glass shaped like the biggest glass of brandy you ever saw, and I did it all to defray taxes on my I-9s this year. Feels good, you know? Good gear makes my job easier, but it's not by any means necessary.
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Dec 30, 2011 22:32
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I'll shake this up when I'm at work next, looks good on paper. Why the bias against thyme?
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Jan 12, 2012 20:54
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I remember the time I first had that cocktail at Angel's Share with the quick-toasted thyme. The smell is unbelievable, not that you have a torch behind your bar (and if you do, I love you). Maybe just a few leaves, flecked around the top? In a way, that's almost the worse solution, because it's impossible to marry the texture of an herb leaf with a shaken drink, but I've had good results using sprigs of lavender as garnish.
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Jan 13, 2012 00:09
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Man, that makes me want to sell my vests. Almost.
bloody ghost titty fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jan 20, 2012 |
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Jan 20, 2012 00:54
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PS I am barrel aging a white rye/white vermouth/orange bitter cocktail right now, y'all can straight up blow me.
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Jan 20, 2012 01:01
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Pm me when you come through town, I know a spot or three.
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Jan 20, 2012 05:33
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 20:51 |
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I'd start with Buffalo Trace. Versatile, inexpensive.
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Jan 24, 2012 16:50
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