22 Eargesplitten posted:

What brand grenadine should I get? I'll look at maybe getting a cheap shaker set and a juicer. Not one of those juice machines, just the thing you push the citrus down onto to squeeze it out.

22 Eargesplitten posted:

Is there a cheaper liqueur similar to cointreau? Thinking about this reminded me that I have most of a bottle of Remy Martin VS that I bought about half a year ago. It turns out, I don't really like brandy by itself. It's not bad, it's just too similar to whiskey, and I prefer whiskey. I do like sidecars, but I don't like spending another $40 on a bottle of cointreau, since the recipe I saw for a sidecar is 1/1/1 brandy, lemon, and cointreau.

Devoz posted:

I recently got the Mastrad Purefizz, for making soda and playing around with carbonating my own cocktails.

Bubz posted:

Are you able to elaborate? Why is it dumb and why does it make more sense in reverse order?

angor posted:

This post made me realize that there's a million juice places around me that all have commercial juicers. I can probably walk into any one of them with a kilo of ginger and a couple bucks and they'll juice it for me. Thanks!

22 Eargesplitten posted:

I need to make a carbonation rig. Does anyone have a DIY one that doesn't involve shaking the bottle or buying a sodastream? I want to try making stevia-sweetened ginger beer, but you can't naturally ferment/carbonate with stevia.

I have a juicer. I'm not sure how strong it is, but it should do.

bunnyofdoom posted:

So, after reading this thread, I have an insatiable lust for a negroni. However, I don't want to drop $20 on a bottle of campari if I am never going to drink it again. Thoughts? (Never had a negroni)

Kenning posted:

Why would you put simple in an AmSour? Just use 1.5 oz amaretto, .75 oz lemon juice, and .5 oz bonded apple brandy. And maybe a dash of orange juice if you've just got it laying around. That's how I make mine.

tynam posted:

Well, the theory is that the sugar grains abrasion aids in bringing out the oils in whatever you're muddling (mint/orange peels etc), so larger, coarser sugar grains might actually work better but dissolve slower.

bloody ghost titty posted:

Nice science, NERDS, but the practical result is the same, thanks for playing.

Herr Tog posted:

what brand of bubbly water is goon approved for making Italian sodas and cocktails that may call for bubbles?

Herr Tog posted:

please tell me more

bunnyofdoom posted:

Any good reciepes with disarono? Found an almost full bottle in my liquorvcabinet

pgroce posted:

I have no good recipe for you, but I was just thinking about this thread earlier today and wondered if the guy with the CO2 rig (or anyone, really) had carbonated cold-brewed coffee yet. Add a little honey, and that could get awfully tasty.

....oh, yeah, cocktail thread. Uh, add some bourbon? Or maybe an amaro.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

22 Eargesplitten posted:

Should I be using powdered sugar for simple? This syrup just turned into sludge and the sugar never completely dissolved.

DontAskKant posted:

Working out some ideas for blended scotch cocktails. Stumped.

22 Eargesplitten posted:

Wait, are you supposed to put it in the shaker, taste it, and then put ice in? I put ice in, then the ingredients, then shake the poo poo out of it. And hope like hell it comes out decently. This one I did 4.25 scotch, 1.5 vermouth, and 5 dashes of bitters. I liked it, at least.

The cold muting the sweetness is kind of what I meant. Like how alcohol is smoother cold, and macrobrews are best cold because that way you can't taste them as much.

MC Eating Disorder posted:

oh this was at the bottom of the last page and I forgot to mention it, I don't really truck with fancy gadgets fixing up my hot buttered rum, but I remember last time I had access to a kitchen at work the chef made a butter/spices/vanilla icecream mix for our hot buttered rums and it was frickin amazing, not sure how she did it exactly but it was not a fancy or large kitchen so I imagine it would be doable at home if your kitchen isn't just a firepit and a garden hose over a drain

this looks like what I'm talking about

Zig Zag Café posted:

BATTER:
1 quart quality vanilla ice cream at room temp
1 lb unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Nutmeg
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 lb. brown sugar

Mix until smooth
Keep frozen

TO SERVE:
2-3 Tbsp. batter
2oz dark rum
4oz hot water

Pre-warm glass
Add rum and batter, stir to combine
Add hot water, stir to combine
Top with whipped cream and fresh grated nutmeg

Halloween Jack posted:

Anybody ever try the Benny'n'Hot? (Benedictine and hot water.)

Crusty Nutsack posted:

I like doing hot buttered cider, with or without rum or booze of your choice. Plus once you make a batch of spiced butter it lasts forever in the fridge.

gwrtheyrn posted:

Canister + regulator + ball lock disconnect gas line. I would probably get a metal one since it's cheaper to replace the bottles than the cap. If you're not going to do a ton, there might be a way to hook up co2 cartridges which likely be cheaper in the short term

Ralith posted:

Shaking the bottle is a necessary step--you have to literally mix the CO2 in, or else it won't dissolve in any reasonable amount of time. Why do you want to avoid that? You don't even need to shake any more than you do a good cocktail. Less, really.

Assuming you're willing to see the light and do a little light shaking, here's your shopping list. Unless otherwise noted, I strongly recommend the specific item linked over alternatives.

• Steel-sheathed teflon hose with brass 1/4" JIC 37° female fittings (yes, this is overkill, but it's sturdy, looks good, simplifies (dis)assembly, and cheap despite all that)
  
• CMB gas outlet in 1/4" JIC 37°
  
• Regulator output fitting/check valve/cutoff (1/4" NPT to 1/4" JIC 37° aka 1/4" MFL)
  
• Teflon tape (any kind should do, link is just for convenience)
  
• "The Carbonator" soda bottle to gas outlet adapter
  
• Taprite adjustable CO2 regulator
  
• A 5, 10, or 20 pound secondhand CO2 tank purchased pre-filled from your local welding supply shop (double-check that you're getting beverage-quality CO2; that's the normal kind but it doesn't hurt to be sure)
  
• A really big wrench to (gently) attach the last two items to eachother
  
• A smaller wrench to help remove the hose barb fitting from the regulator
  

This should run you a bit under $200 in total. My 20lb CO2 tank has lasted me more than a year and a half on its first fill, so don't be afraid to go smaller, but it only costs $15 to fill a 20lb tank, so don't be afraid to go big either.

Assembly:

1. Remove the hose barb outlet fitting/cutoff/check valve assembly from the regulator
   
2. Wrap a couple layers of teflon tape around the NPT threads (those are the ones that don't have a smooth tapered bit at the end) of the new JIC 37° output fitting, being careful to wind in the same direction as the threads so it doesn't bunch up when you screw it in
   
3. Securely wrench the new fitting in place of the old one. You can use a fair amount of force here (NPT makes a seal by the threads squishing against eachother) but be careful that the shutoff valve ends up at a convenient angle when you're done wrenching, and don't strip anything.
   
4. Screw the hose onto the output fitting on the regulator and onto the CMB gas outlet. Do not use a wrench--this only needs to be finger-tight.
   
5. Screw the regulator onto the CO2 tank, using only moderate force. The seal here is made by an O-ring, so you only need to use enough force to be sure it's securely squished up against the tank opening
   

Use:

1. Fill a soda bottle with something you want to be fizzy. Be sure it's very cold--CO2 dissolves much better in cold liquid. Leave 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottle empty. If you can, shove some ice cubes in there with it to cool it down even more.
   
2. Squish all the remaining air out of the bottle and screw "The Carbonator" onto it. You don't need to use too much force here, again, there's an O-ring.
   
3. Set the regulator to the desired pressure as per its instructoins (I use 50PSI)
   
4. Open the tank valve
   
5. Open the cutoff valve
   
6. Pull back on the ring of the CMB gas outlet and shove it down on the peg of "The Carbonator" for a second, then remove it. The bottle should pressurize dramatically.
   
7. Shake vigorously. If what you're carbonating is mostly water and/or alcohol, the pressure should disappear from the bottle as the CO2 dissolves.
   
8. Repeat previous two steps until shaking no longer results in a noticable pressure drop. Do not leave the gas outlet attached while shaking, or you'll get liquid into the hose, which will have to be cleaned out if you don't want crap growing in there.
   
9. Close valves
   
10. Leave the bottle to sit and settle for a little while to reduce foaming
    
11. Open very carefully, watching for excessive foaming. If there's milk or cream in whatever you just carbonated, god help you.
    

If your system is perfectly assembled, you can in theory leave all the valves open and nothing will leak.

When considering drinks for carbonation, remember that dissolved CO2 in water forms carbonic acid, which means it'll make things somewhat more tart.