Cocktails, Spirits and Mixology Thread

Also bought a bottle of Rye tonight. Went with a local distiller, Koval, and got their Lion's Pride Dark Rye:

http://www.binnys.com/spirits/Lions_Pride_Dark_Rye_Whiskey_by_Koval_Distillery_194523.html

They do several different whiskeys, and all use 100% of a single grain.



Depending on the "char" of the barrel, you can but a light or a dark. Because the barrels they use are smaller than the big commercial distillers (which increases the surface area in touch with the whiskey), they don't age their whiskeys as long as other distillers.

http://www.lionspridewhiskey.com/dark-whiskey

 

Are Elitist Cocktails Wrecking Our Bars?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zester-daily/cocktail-bars-elitism_b_1550856.html

 

Southern comfort on the rocks, thanks.

 

The writer overstates the point. For every craft cocktail bar that exists, there must be at least 100 shot-and-a-beer joints. They might normalize some previously-unheard of drink ideas at the local Applebee's, but the trickle down is probably going to be limited. Savory spirits, perhaps. Introduction of unexpected spices as a flavoring agent or rim presence, yes. Caipirhinas? Unless you're at a craft place or a Latin-themed bar, it's more likely that it'll be made with Bacardi Silver instead of Novo Fogo Cachaca.

It carves a new niche, but its impact on the bar scene at large probably will be minimal.

 

Basil Gimlet:



At Spoonbar, Scott Beattie uses herbs from a farm a half-mile down the road and keeps them alive until the moment they hit the cocktail shaker. To replicate this freshness at home, snip leaves from your garden just before mixing or buy hyrdroponic basil at the supermarket and store in a glass of water.

Ingredients

5 large basil leaves

1 1/2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup.

Preparation

Put 4 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker and press them gently with a muddler or a wooden spoon. Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe or other small glass. Garnish with the remaining basil leaf.

Yield: 1 drink.

 

Take 3



http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/06/22/dining/20110622-summer-drink-recipes.html?ref=dining#Take_3

“I think I’ve come to the place where less is more,” said Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin, creator of this unlikely combination of artichoke-infused Cynar amaro and elderflower-laced St. Germain liqueur, which he fuses with lemon juice and tops with seltzer. “It’s best to work from three ingredients.”

Ingredients

2 ounces Cynar

3/4 ounce St. Germain liqueur

3/4 ounce lemon juice

Chilled seltzer

1 orange wedge, for garnish.

Preparation

Combine the Cynar, St. Germain and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with seltzer and garnish with the orange wedge.

Yield: 1 drink.

 

That last one, I wouldn't make again.

Might be good for folks who like Campari and other bitter drinks.

 

Nice flavoring. Smells like a million bucks.

 

More on seasonal cocktails:

 

And, a couple of cocktails from last night:



A Brown Derby, and an Espresso Martini.

 

I have a reputation among people who know me as the fat unemployed fucker who should have jumped in front of a speeding train years ago the guy who brings fucked up vodka to the party. Whipped cream, cake, marshmallow, pickle, gummy bear, jalapeno, purple, Mountain Dew, honey -- if some subpar vodka maker wants to put a weird ass flavor* in their vodka, chances are I'll buy a 750 and bring it to the next hootenanny.

So if you want to pick up that role in YOUR social circle, I give you two of the newest contenders:



* -- WEIRD ASS flavor, not weird ASS FLAVOR. Though Burnett's might be developing that one now.

EDIT: Turns out they put that on the back burner to unveil this:

 

I'll have a Dewars on the rocks, please.