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This is probably gonna be some basic stuff, but I come from a pretty basic family. I've been appointed the Drink Guy (and Grill Guy) for my family's 4th of July weekend. Specifically because my mother-in-law has been informed that a visiting family member prefers these 3 cocktails:
From my googling it looks like these are all pretty simple and they boil down to:
Any other suggestions that might be helpful? I definitely don't need to do anything too fancy. As far as expense I plan to spend the most on the whiskey, but I should still keep it modest, since mixing it with ginger ale will obviously blow past anything subtle. If someone without super picky tastes asked for a Mudslide, would you assume they want it with crushed ice or something like that?
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May 20, 2019 14:50
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 23:28 |
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Thanks. They probably did not think this through too hard as far as weather and whatnot. I'll have vodka and Kahlua on hand since those aren't expensive or anything (and my in-laws always have Bailey's or an off-brand), but I'll try to steer things towards the Rye & Ginger. (Coincidentally I'm also in the process of making homemade ginger ale which should be ready right around that time, but obviously if it doesn't turn out well I'll just buy some.)
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May 21, 2019 13:25
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Carillon posted:I know the name of plantation rum has come up before in this thread, so good to note that they're going to be changing it. quote:“As the dialogue on racial equality continues globally, we understand the hurtful connotation the word plantation can evoke to some people, especially in its association with much graver images and dark realities of the past,” said Plantation owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel in a statement. Phrasing.
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Jul 10, 2020 13:04
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What do I need to know about Ouzo? We've arbitrarily settled on Greek as a party theme and I was thinking of doing some kind of cocktails using that. And/or just offering a shot to anyone who wants it. I've already googled a few cocktail ideas that look pretty solid, but are there recommended brands/varieties? (I'm fairly certain I've never had it before in any form.)
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Jul 28, 2020 21:14
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The words "party" and "Greek" might be giving the wrong impression here, it's more of a glorified family gathering. But maybe ouzo is not the right direction to go in, then.
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Jul 29, 2020 02:13
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I'm back on my Ouzo cocktail thing, since I tried one yesterday that I liked. It's called Ouzo Lemonade and it's 2oz Ouzo, 1+oz lemon juice, 1tsp honey, plus water, mint, ice and all that. My first attempt sucked because I added the honey after ice, which obviously kept it from incorporating. But when I stirred it in before the ice, it went fine. My question is, if I wanted to make a big batch of this and keep it in the fridge, do I have to worry about the honey separating? Or would it probably all stay together as long as I got it right initially?
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Aug 7, 2020 14:04
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Yeah I thought about honey syrup, but I like the bougie local stuff and would feel bad making any significant amount using that. I don't really have any other plans for honey-based cocktails and I'm only gonna need 6 tsp here. But a little microwave action might not be a bad idea.
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Aug 7, 2020 16:58
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Just start making your own hummus. If you already have a food processor, you basically just have to buy some tahini and garlic and you're set. (If you're posting in this thread you surely also have access to lemon juice.) Just add a little more salt than recommended and it should come out the same.
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Jan 27, 2021 15:54
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What have y'all found is the best way to incorporate club soda, tonic water, etc. into a cocktail? Often I read "top with club soda" or something similar, but I find that it tends to sit on top of the drink. So it tastes extremely watered down at first, then too blunt at the end; rather than bubbly and boozy throughout. Should I just stir it all, in the drinking glass, at the very end? I feel like there must be a reason not to. (Specifically asking because last night I made a Ginger Collins, a Tom Collins variant with Domaine de Canton, and it had this issue. Gin & Tonics have done this to me as well.)
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Feb 24, 2021 12:13
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Thanks for the tips, I guess I mostly wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I like the vertical stir idea, that seems like it would be able to bring the spirits up without too much extra agitation. They never seem to mention stirring the soda in recipes, but it seems like everyone secretly has a way of dealing with it. Or maybe it's just because those spray guns handle it automatically. (I also checked back on a few How To Drink episodes and there's always at least a brief hint of an extra stir at the end.)
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Feb 25, 2021 02:32
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I recently got myself some green Chartreuse and Luxardo Maraschino, and I've been trying my hand at making the Last Word. (I always have gin.) So far, I'm feeling like it's just a little too limey? I've sampled Chartreuse alone and I really like it, though I'm also very much interested in mixing it since it's so powerful (both in flavor and ABV). But that lime, I dunno. It feels like a lot. Anyone else had that experience? I don't have any brandied cherries lying around for garnish, maybe that's the issue. And I am freshly squeezing the lime juice, if you were wondering. I can't guarantee that they're the most perfect limes ever, but there's only so much I can do. I'm looking at trying some vermouth-based cocktails with it instead (Bijou, Chartreuse Martini) since I feel like that might be a better vehicle for it to show off the flavors. That's probably what I'll be doing next regardless. But I still like the idea of the Last Word... Maybe I just need to use less lime juice, or more of everything else. (Each lime seems to spit out a perfect ¾ oz so I could just bump everything else to 1oz, though that will probably knock me silly, so maybe I can just toss some of the juice)
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Mar 11, 2021 16:05
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Anonymous Robot posted:If you’d like to ease back on the lime’s perceived acidity, you could try keeping the quantity the same, but juicing your limes about six hours ahead of time. Oh right, I've heard of that before I think. I should definitely give it a shot. Do I need to cover and refrigerate it, or just cover, or neither? Anonymous Robot posted:I love a good aviation, but that’s a drink I’ll order from a bar with a strong cocktail program. I’m not going to bother buying creme de violette or fiddle with the spec just for that, though. I was going to buy creme de violette but they didn't have any 😞
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Mar 11, 2021 19:04
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I love gin cocktails in general and so I've really been wanting to try an Aviation (the cocktail, not the gin), but I've had zero luck finding creme de violette anywhere in NC. Unfortunately I have to rely on ABC stores and every one I've been to has not had it. I'll be checking again today, but if I still can't find it, are there any other options? I always prefer to try the real deal before doing substitutions, but it just doesn't seem like that's going to be possible.
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Apr 1, 2021 11:07
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Ha, okay, I guess I'll just explore other things for now. I should probably at least try an Aviation at a bar or something first before I kill myself looking for it. Just seemed strange that it's the one thing I can't find. But in my googling I found other NC people asking the same question, so I guess it's a common problem. I actually do drive to Delaware somewhat often, so I may end up doing exactly that.
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Apr 1, 2021 17:29
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I may be misinterpreting things but it seems like if I go the "special order" route I'll probably be committing to a full crate. So I think I'm reaching the limit of my curiosity on this one.
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Apr 1, 2021 18:29
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Mmmmm yeah, I am on board the Chartreuse Caipirinha train. Very nice. I greatly prefer this to The Last Word even though I thought what I didn't like about that one was the lime juice. I've been looking for good vehicles for Chartreuse since I really love the flavor (and yet drinking it neat just feels like some of the flavors are "locked away" somehow) so thanks. Now I just need other vehicles for Maraschino. But not Aviation... Edit: Although I am reminded again of what a lightweight I am, wow Chartreuse is strong Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Apr 12, 2021 |
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Apr 12, 2021 03:14
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After being blown away by a cocktail called Grapefruit Smash at a restaurant in Raleigh called Brewery Bhavana, I finally got off my lazy butt and made some honey syrup (and bought some grapefruit). Their menu lists the ingredients as "gin, aperol, grapefruit, honey, lime" and I think I managed to get the proportions right on the 2nd try. 1½ oz gin (I always have London dry, haven't tried a different one) 1 oz Aperol (tried 1½, was too bitter) 2 tsp honey syrup (1:1) 1 small lime (cut into 8 chunks) About ⅛ of a grapefruit (cut into 6-8 chunks) Ice I did what I think is the usual "smash" thing where you muddle the fruit and syrup in a rocks glass, then add the gin & aperol & cracked ice, then stir. It's fruity as hell, but also really herbal and dry. Highly recommended. Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Apr 28, 2021 |
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Apr 28, 2021 12:42
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Coincidentally (?) this drink just came up in my news feed and it uses dry vermouth, in a way that's similar to what's been mentioned above. I've never tried it of course. Probably will when my vaccine side effects are over. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/dizzy-blonde-negroni/ They make it for like 100 people and do some weird soda stream thing but I assume it would translate to... 1 oz gin 1 oz aperol 1 oz dry vermouth ½ oz cointreau ½ oz water (not sure this is needed without the soda stream thing) Ice, grapefruit twist, cinnamon stick, anise Top with club soda (?) I'm in a similar boat where I always keep dry on hand for martinis, but could definitely use some other options. I do keep the bottles around way too long.
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Apr 30, 2021 08:55
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I am having way too much fun right now mixing mezcal with a chocolate liqueur I have (Lonerider Choklat, made in Raleigh). I'm still not sure if this is a thing or if it would make more sense with just bourbon or something. Will have to keep experimenting. Currently it's really just ⅓ chocolate liqueur to ⅔ mezcal, possibly over ice. It's possible I've simply re-invented the Old Fashioned but with pointlessly complicated ingredients...
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May 12, 2021 03:09
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Based solely on perusing the Mixel app, I've become a fan of this cocktail called "Dr. Funk". Well, sort of. Because I don't have Pernod, I've been substituting Green Chartreuse because it sounds like the closest thing I have. For quick reference, the recipe is: ¾ oz lime juice ½ oz grenadine 1 tsp Pernod 1½ oz light rum 1 oz club soda (Plus ice, and I tend to add a little more club soda) So, I'm interested in buying some Pernod so I can try the "real" version of this. However, it looks like the NC ABC is trying to move absinthe this month and pricing it about the same as Pernod -- which, unless I'm remembering incorrectly, is unusual. And my understanding is that they're similar in flavor profile, though the ABV and sugar content is different. Given the relative lack of price difference, it looks to me like absinthe is more versatile and may be the better choice to open up a wider variety of cocktails. But would I be missing out on much by not getting Pernod instead?
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Jun 8, 2021 19:55
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Yeah same, I've been extremely happy with Mixel and didn't hesitate to go for the "subscription" ($1 a month, really a very meager price for something I use multiple times a week). The interface could use some improvement, since (clearly) it's not always extremely obvious how to filter/sort the cocktail lists. But once I figured it out, it was exactly what I wanted.
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Jun 23, 2021 12:17
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So this was a pretty nice little cocktail I found last night because I'm really struggling to use up all my white vermouth, especially since I just ran out of gin. It's called Django Reinhardt. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/django-reinhardt-dry-vermouth-cocktail-kat-odell?intcid=inline_amp 3 oz. dry white vermouth ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice ¾ oz. simple syrup 3 orange slices Combine all ingredients (except the 1 slice of orange for garnish) in shaker. Muddle the 2 slices of orange. Add ice and shake. Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with orange slice. This is nice when you want something low-key and fruity. I might try throwing in some Montenegro or something to make it just a tad more complex. But the simplicity is part of its charm of course.
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Jun 25, 2021 14:25
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So I decided to buy a bottle of cachaça on a whim because I feel like I've heard about it a lot lately. And uh, I kinda think I don't really like it. It's not revolting or anything, but I feel like I'd rather be drinking pretty much anything else. (And obviously, I first tried it in a caipirinha.) If you're curious, the band is Leblon, and it was basically the only one at the store. (I know Novo Fogo is the go-to brand, but couldn't get it.) So I guess now what I'm looking for is basically "cachaça cocktails for people who don't like cachaça". I should mention that I haven't yet tried it in anything carbonated. I feel like that would work. The recommendations in Mixel haven't really steered me right so far, but maybe I'm just missing too many other key ingredients.
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Jul 19, 2021 04:11
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Trip report: cachaça with ginger beer is a good combo. I can rock with this. Just did a basic 2oz + one of those little Q cans (≈6oz), some ice, lime wedge.Grand Fromage posted:I bought creme de banane on a whim after having an excellent banana-based cocktail at a bar. What can I do with this poo poo now that I have it? Lol I always see that but I've never dared buy it, good luck and God bless
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Jul 24, 2021 03:22
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So I've been on a quest to gather everything I need to make a Ramos Gin Fizz. The thing that has been eluding me was orange blossom water. So today I finally went to an Indian grocery to pick some up. And that's when I also found almond syrup. Orgeat has been another elusive ingredient on my list. What I'm trying to figure out is, is this a close substitute? I've read that orgeat needs to have actual almond extract instead of just "flavor", so this ingredient list doesn't necessarily bode well... "Sugar, water, almond flavor, citric acid, sodium benzoate" I'm thinking it might still be a good substitute regardless, but I figured I'd ask and find out if I'm way off base.  Ingredient list photo: https://i.imgur.com/7LR2kcb.jpg
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Aug 3, 2021 21:20
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Yeah, "cream of coconut" is very different from "coconut cream" unless you're looking at a recipe written by someone who doesn't know the difference.
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Aug 7, 2021 18:50
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I'd imagine it's also nicer to sip, for example, a martini from a martini glass as opposed to tipping a big ol' cup to get some in your mouth. But yeah, if we're talking like coupe vs. martini glass shape, I'd imagine there's not much practical difference, aside from maybe how it will hold the garnish -- depending on your choice of garnish, naturally. I feel a martini glass is particularly well suited to the whole olive & toothpick thing, but that's really not essential to the drink anyway. I definitely need to get myself some highball glasses though, since tequila sunrises and mojitos just always feel a little lacking when there's so much room in the glass. You really need something taller and higher volume than a martini glass, but thinner than a wine glass.
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Aug 10, 2021 12:41
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Booties posted:M&M (mezcal & montenegro) Oh snap I need to try this. I've been keeping Montenegro around to make Paper Planes for my wife (I can't find Nonino anywhere), and she hates mezcal but I sure don't.
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Oct 19, 2021 13:20
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Have you tried a Monkey Gland yet, because that's a pretty good intro to absinthe IMO. It has a lot of other flavors to enjoy, but it would also definitely be missing something without the absinthe.
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Oct 22, 2021 15:09
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Finally made it to my local ABC store in NC after a few months, and I was amazed to find they finally have Creme de Violette now! Still more empty shelves then usual, but I still approve of the new management.
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Dec 30, 2021 03:34
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drat I finally pulled a "quote is not edit"
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Dec 30, 2021 03:35
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Man, Death In The Afternoon would probably be my favorite "easy" cocktail if it weren't so drat strong. Like a G&T on steroids
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Jan 1, 2022 07:19
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So I made my second Aviation today and I decided to try something that would seem to be a bad idea with a citrus juice based cocktail -- stirred instead of shaken. And honestly I feel like it fixed it for me. There's this certain thing about citrus cocktails that I don't like sometimes -- this sort of extreme tartness and gritty mouth feel that overpowers the drink. I felt the same way about The Last Word. But now I might try that stirred too. I got the idea from this Anders Erickson video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmw5D32W8sM
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Jan 7, 2022 23:54
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The Maestro posted:Ah yes that beautiful purple sky we all know and love. To be clear I was only talking about the shaking vs. stirring -- I didn't really pull anything else from the video. I mentioned The Last Word because I had a similar reaction to that one -- I felt I loved all the flavors in it but something texturally just hasn't clicked for me. I'm going to try a stirred version when I can and see if it hits the spot.
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Jan 8, 2022 13:13
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I think we just talked in a circle, but stirred Aviation is definitely more purple. Citrus juice is much cloudier when shaken, and gives more of that gray color. I suppose generally speaking you might end up with a little more dilution as well, though that depends on a few other factors.
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Jan 14, 2022 20:00
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Luxardo maraschino cherries are soaked in some kind of syrup that definitely isn't actual Maraschino (just made from the same kind of cherries I think) but it's not quite as radioactive as the bright red stuff you've seen in ice cream parlors either. Still pretty sweet though, so probably not what OP was looking for.
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Feb 13, 2022 21:58
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teen witch posted:Worth it making my own maraschinos or suck it up and buy the Luxardos? My other option is to stick with the weird Dr. Oetker’s. I feel like we're stuck in a Maraschino time loop of some sort, but to review: Marasca is the type of cherry from which both Maraschino liqueur and "Maraschino cherries" are made. I'm not sure if the cherries ever used to be soaked in the liqueur, but these days that would be highly unusual. It's usually just some kind of preservative sugary syrup, possibly including a much cheaper liquor. So in conclusion: buy Maraschino liqueur anyway because it's delicious, but don't bother using it for Maraschino cherries.
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Mar 3, 2022 14:04
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Sounds like you know what you're doing then, sorry if I was overstating the obvious. It just seems to be a common, and completely understandable, misconception.
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Mar 3, 2022 15:34
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I definitely had to seek out a specifically eastern market where I live. But once I found it, it was orange/rose water heaven.
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Apr 11, 2022 03:00
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 23:28 |
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Yeah as much as I love being all creative 'n junk, some liqueurs really are just best enjoyed as-is. No need to reinvent the wheel. ALTHOUGH I'm now wondering what it would taste like with some absinthe. drat you.
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May 17, 2022 16:32
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