Drinking like a King. Don't hate.
 

I'm starting a cocktails thread.

Not beer.
Not food.

Just mixed drinks or outstanding adult beverages.

Braineack, keep your Bartles & Jaymes girlie drinks out of this thread.

Also worthless are "I chugged a fifth of shitty SoCo" posts, but I suspect those will come anyway.

Let's see what you got [sauced on]!

This will require me posting when I am out and about. Probably not going to happen :(

So as my first contribution:

I like Martinis. But I hate bad martinis. And most martinis are bad. They are bad because most vermouth is shitty, 2 years old, rancid, and cheap.

Martinis also should only be made with Gin. Vodkatinis are a different drink for someone elses entry.

glasses of gin are also not Martinis. I don't care what famous alcoholics once said about the lack of vermouth in a martini. I've known alcoholics. they can't be trusted.

Now then!

I had come across a few articles on high-end vermouths that have been coming up out of the woodwork (Dolin, Carpano Antica, Vya) and I was intrigued. Mostly because Gin by itself is pretty harsh.

So I searched for ages for some local sources for Vya and found bupkis. Then I was in California on vacation and saw it at a BevMo. I didn't buy it because of luggage space and figured I'd find it later.

I went back to California for xmas this year and could NOT find it, though I had luggage space. What a pain!

I ended up ordering some from NY this week and got it yesterday.

It looks like this:

http://www.vya.com/images/VyaBottles.jpg

So I popped it in the fridge and later, whipped out the Hendricks Gin and the Dry Vya. I dropped two oz of gin into the glass and a half oz of Vya on top of it (that's 4 to 1 my friends! dangerous territory for the doubters!), STIRRED it up with a swizzle and took a sip. I did not include an olive. I didn't have any (they go bad before I get to them all).

It was not what I expected.

I expected oily old-wine and juniper explosion harshness in my throat. It wasn't.

It WAS however very smooth, very herbal, and quite delightful. The high quality fortified wine and herbs in the vermouth totally transformed the drink into something sublime instead of something offensive in an inverted cone.

I plopped a single ice cube in to make it cold (maybe unnecessary... it was delicious with just a slight chill) and sipped it with my butternut squash soup.

Maybe the best martini I've ever had.



I should also note that I got a bottle of their sweet/red vermouth for trying in a Manhattan/Rob Roy.

y8s=Don Draper?

The thread title should be "Drinking like a Queen, Don't hate."

Not exactly a cocktail, but I love me some jalapeno-stuffed olives. To make them even better, I dump out some of the olive juice and replace it with... gin. Try it some time and thank me later.

I prefer Beefeater to all other gins. And all gins are wildly different.

If you ever are in a bar where it is very slow and you have a friendly bartender do an experiment. Set up a shot glass for every different gin they have and just put a tiny amount in each glass. Then take one of the little stirrer straws and put your finger over the end of it and use it to pick up just a little from the shot glass and drop it on your tongue. Try each one that way individually and really learn about them. It doesn't take much and is more likely to give you an accurate flavor/aroma reading with a smaller amount and at room temperature like that.

I like where this could be going. When I get home, I will include some photos that may or may not cause some people to want to occupy my bar(s). This will include my custom-made, floor-to-ceiling dry bar and my upstairs home office globe bar. You want Don Draper, we can talk about my 50s-era vintage travel bar (leather bound, of course). ;)

For drinks, at home, I tend to be lazy and like no more than 2 liquid ingredients. My evening drink of choice tends to be bourbon: value stuff (Ezra Brooks, Evan Williams) mixed with Sprite or Coke and better stuff sipped with a couple of ice cubes. Woodford Reserve is always great and I recently got to sample some Blanton's. My current kick is Buck which is not outrageous in price (~$24 for a 750mL bottle).

When I am out and have someone else making me drinks, I enjoy a good Old Fashion. I'll write up the "Bold Fashion" I had at the Woodward in Boston last month.

That is awesome. I see you live in Central Florida....sounds like a party right around the corner.

Can I play?

I heart me some Woodford Reserve...

Martinis are for weenies. :td:

Its either got to be budweiser 30 packs, a bottle of jack, or a nice red wine. Otherwise, I'm just going to bed early.

I've gone old-man, and don't go much for real mixed cocktails. My usual favorites are Black Bush on rocks or Tito's straight from the freezer. Pyrat XO or Anniversario rum are in there, too.

Bad head cold this week has pushed me to the snifter of cognac. Remy Martin VSOP is great, but in a taste(and sniff)-off last night Hine Rare and Delicate was the winner.

so my case of sparkling pinot gris doesnt count?

It does if you mix it with vodka.

No!

I used to always have the high dollar liquors when I was younger. I swear when we were younger, we would see if we could out do each other on our knowledge on fine spirits.

Now when I go to the bar and ask for a cocktail, I always go for the cheap stuff. Damn it! I have turned into my Father. :facepalm:

I still really enjoy a nice quality whiskey however.

So y8s, does that mean Hendricks is your gin of choice? I nearly murdered the person who suggested Bombay sapphire to me, i like Hendricks and...shoot. Some other high dollar gin, forget the name. I usually find a fifth of tanqueray in my freezer though.

This is for gin and tonics btw, only cocktail I drink probably. With a healthy squirt of lime juice.

In other news, I'm going to destroy this thread with brewery pictures tomorrow. Aka nazi propaganda.

Ron Zacapa is the only rum I've ever had that was smooth enough and flavourful enough to drink straight just like a good whiskey. Sometimes with an ice cube.


http://www.shanghai9.net/media/catal...a_23_rum_3.jpg


And Evan Williams Single Barrel is dead smooth and very reasonable.
http://www.drinkhacker.com/wp-conten...urbon-2000.jpg

Have you tried Beefeater Gin?

Tanqueray is pretty lousy. It's about like "old knotty head" (what the brothers used to call Seagram's Gin in south Georgia because the outside of the bottle was "knotty") Hendricks is better and has a more uppity bottle but is not as good as Beefeater.

This is me:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k...-465441152.jpg

Justify your existence.

come on vash, budweiser? was it a good vintage?

I've tried the standard gins (bombay, tanqeray, beefeater). They're ok I guess. I tried Bluecoat. It was ok I guess. I think the problem is that they were all in shitty vermouth so I can't judge. The hendricks was good in this martini. That's all I can surely say.

Finally a thread in which I can bring something to the table. Have you guys tried bluecoat? I want to say it\'s a Philly distillery but depending on how awesome your distributors are you may have it in your area. It is pretty good stuff. But if you are looking for the best gin and tonic of your life you need liquid nitrogen and a centrifuge, agar, or pectin-ex (can\'t remember the spelling off the top of my head). Search through the cooking issues blog (the mt.net of culinary blogs run by mad scientists from the French Culinary Institute in NY). Your life will never be the same again.

edit: found the links

http://www.cookingissues.com/primers...trogen-primer/
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/09...l-part-1-of-2/
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/09...alpart-2-of-2/
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/07...on-techniques/

I really like gin Gimlets.

And Whiskey Sours - with Maker's Mark bourbon.

I much prefer Gimlets and Whiskey Sours using Calamansi instead of lemons. Nicer flavor.

Favorite spirits.

Bourbon: Black Maple Hill (favorite!), EJ 18 year, Bulleit, Woodford Reserve, 4 Roses small batch
Gin: drank New Amsterdam for a while, just switched to Gordon's. Stronger flavor. Wouldn't use it in martinis, but it's great in gin and tonics.
Vermouth, aperitif wines: Noilly Prat, Lillet
Rum: Appleton Special, Cruzan Estate
Vodka: Sobieski, Svedka, Tito's
Herbals, Bitters, etc: Cynar, Fernet Branca, Unicum, St. Germain, Angostura, Underberg, Campari
Brandies, other liqueurs: Belle de Brillet, Pernod, any armagnac
Cream liqueurs: Carolans

Favorite cocktails.

Gin and tonic, screwdriver, Harvey Wallbanger (try it if you haven't had one), martini, Manhattan, Old-Fashioned, Bloody Mary, mojito, Tom Collins, Negroni.

At home, I'm typically drinking a gin and tonic or a screwdriver. Classic, dead simple to mix, and doesn't give me a headache the next morning.

Random thoughts.

y8s is correct, a martini is made with gin and vermouth. If you use vodka, it's now properly a Bradford, not a martini, not a vodka-tini, or whatever is hip these days.

Yesterday I finally accomplished a drinking goal I've had for a few months -- I got on the Pappy Van Winkle list at a local liquor store. I've tried several times, only to get the typical, "Well, we get it occasionally but it goes fast. Check back." response. I was in my favorite liquor store, and made a point to avoid the regular employees and engage the owner in a conversation. We talked for a few minutes and then I casually asked, "So, any idea when the next allocation of Pappy's is due?" He said, "Nope, not sure, but you're on our Pappy list, right?" Boo-yah. It's still first-come, first-serve, but now I'll be notified of the next shipment, and I live 3 minutes from the store.

Yeah, my standard drink when I'm out is a Beefeater and tonic.

Mount Gay Rum and tonic with four squeezed lime wedges is really good in the summer. It doesn't seem to be nearly as good with other rums. Mount Gay is good.

And I went to the Pyrat rum bottling facility on the island of Anguilla and wouldn't buy it now.

Another vote that Tito's is smoother vodka than most. Texas knows how to make vodka better. Who knew?

Very cool to see some drinking enthusiasts in the house. Eric Felten used to do a great column in the WSJ with great background tidbits and good drink recipes that I think some people would enjoy.

Alright, Y8s has me beat in terms of appearance. I may have a more rugged jawline, but I don't have any hair. ;)

Hopefully these images work:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G...0/DSCN0279.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-N...2/DSCN0282.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...0/DSCN0275.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--...0/DSCN0278.JPG

Sorry for the poor quality. I'm above average at a few things, but photography and editing photos are not among them. ;)

So I had actually made something very similar to this a while back, what I pretentiously referred to as a "deconstructed Old Fashioned." I used bourbon, Maraschino liqueur (not the stuff the cherries come in) and blood orange bitters. It was good, but the Maraschino liqueur takes some getting used to.

The Woodward took it a step further and used a white whiskey and traditional orange bitters so that the entire drink was clear. Definitely different, but good.


It looks like I've got a few new drinks to check out as well. I am definitely a rum fan, including mojitos. In fact, for parties and summertime sipping, I make a drink I call "Jack's Floribbean Limeade" that always goes over pretty well.

Mojito glasses work well for this and it's similar. You can muddle some mint in the bottom, then add a few cubes of ice. Next up, 1.5 oz of white rum and 0.5 oz of coconut rum (generally Cruzan for both). Top off with either a limeade of fresh squeezed lime juice and simple syrup or cheat and buy Simply Limeade. :)

I like VO gold, either room temp shots or mixed with coke zero.

Pretty much the only nice stuff I drink is
Crown (straight or with 7up)
http://withfriendship.com/images/i/4...al-picture.jpg
Patron
http://whiskeygoldmine.com/wp-conten...silver-pic.jpg

Normally Im drinkin at parties where I take the cheap so I dont mind if people bum off me. Jager, Johnny Walker, Sailor Jerry, Jack, mcormicks, and Ive been known to tear up some sangria

anyone see the drink called Pickle Back on Jimmy Fallon?

its a shot of whiskey in the mouth followed by a shot of pickle juice.

^^^ That sounds really terrible.

Old Fashioned...yes. My favorite mixed whiskey drink. The best one I've had locally also makes them with rye whiskey by request, and eschews the Maraschino for a black cherry. Delish.

Was at a Christmas party last month where the matriarch (80+ yrs) got a bottle of Woodford Reserve as a gift :) It was yummy for sure, never had it before.

Going back to my Southern roots tonight...Jack and Ginger

Attachment 186167

A southern twist on a highball. Nice!

I'm sipping some Elijah Craig 18 year right now.

I just bought 5 bottles of george t stagg, two bottles of antique collection sazerac, two bottles of george handy sazerac.

As for cocktails i drink the handy and stagg straight.

I make cocktails with fresh fruit.

Wild Turkey 101 and Cherry Coke...end of thread.

Good lord todd. Next time i give you a ride i will give you some real whiskey.

If you think "old grand-dad" is real whiskey, you're smoking "dancing monkey K2".
Wild Turkey is good stuff. Ever try the Wild Turkey American Honey? That is the best.

Guinness-Jameson-Carolans. Bling!

While we're talking about Whiskeys, is anyone here a Ten High fan? Ancient Age? Kentucky Gentleman?

now we're getting the dark room boys out of the woodwork!

Thegrapist: I meant bluecoat, not bluemont. The blue bottle one. in Virginia there is a serious lack of selection at the ABC store, so I either have to bootleg from DC, order online, or get lucky that they have something interesting at the store.

I've also run across a local distillery called Catoctin Creek that makes a great classic Rye and also a Gin. I did what was earlier suggested and had a bartender pour me one each of their three offerings that they had (rye, gin, neutral grain spirit) and tasted them. This is a brew pub that also uses their rye barrels to age beer which is like a double win.

After discovering the Rye (the pic of me earlier was from a birthday party with a mad men theme and I did some drink research prior that required a reasonable liquor budget), I realized that while I don't prefer whisky so much, I enjoy the rye a lot. I haven't tried others yet but I am curious to get my hands on these two:

Russel's Reserve (by wild turkey people)
http://www.drinkhacker.com/wp-conten...ve-bourbon.jpg

and from the Anchor Steam people:
Old Potrero Straight Rye
http://www.finewinehouse.com/ml/old-...ye-whiskey.jpg

I suppose at some point I should do a whisky tasting to give them a real chance again.

I'm already a scotch lover but scotch seems too easy and expensive...

Special sidenote of trivia: I frequently pass by the original building that housed the Virginia Gentleman distillery in Reston, VA. The building is boarded up and the spirit moved to Kentucky now, but it's a neat "historical" landmark.

http://bullmurph.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vg.jpg

Did I miss your response to my Gin question? I'd genuinely like to know. New Amsterdam was the other one I like, I need to try Gordons next after I finish my Christmas Tanqueray fifth.

No scotch lovers around here? All I see is bourbon.

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pub...8Ghrs5kRQ2Tb3g

Got a bottle of this for Christmas. It's not very expensive and I have to be in the right mood to drink it but I like it.

Anyone else?

As far as vodka, I do like Tito's especially since it's locally made here in Austin. Tried Enchanted Rock the other day and it wasn't bad either.

Post #10 .

I didn't answer very directly I guess. I don't have a gin of choice. I would probably head toward some review sites to get a starting point. But really, since most of hte time I have gin, it's muted by tons of tonic and lime juice or bad vermouth, I feel I am starting anew here. Hendricks is very good. I also really liked the Catoctin Creek. Those are the only two I've really had straight up to judge.

I did a scotch tasting at my wedding.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3928075_n.jpg





Here are the notes I provided:

Oban 14 year
Region: Western Highlands
Notes: One of the smallest distilleries in Scotland.
Palate: Smooth and gentle with fruit. Smoky and malty. A little peat and sea-salt.
Finish: Warm and smooth with a hint of caramel or toffee. Some note a gingery tingle.
Recommendations: Perhaps a more advanced drinker’s scotch. After getting familiar with it “neat”, try a half teaspoon of water in it.

Laphroaig 10 year
Region: Islay
Notes: A peaty, smoky, stand-by from the Scottish island of Islay.
Palate: Tons of peaty moss, a bit medicine-like. Smoke and subtle vanilla sweetness.
Finish: Peaty and dry with a subtle oak and even more subtle smooth sweetness.
Recommendations: Not a scotch for novices. Add a splash of water to access some of the more subtle flavors. Try a tiny amount just for the experience.

Highland Park 12 year
Region: Highlands
Notes: The most northerly distillery in Scotland. A great scotch for everyone.
Palate: Smoky brown sugar, light almond, subtle caramel and a little spice.
Finish: Butterscotch and cinnamon with a smoky tingle.
Recommendations: Great beginner scotch. Try a small dram neat first.

Caol Ila 12 year
Region: Islay
Notes: One of the lighter Islay style scotches. Used in blends like Johnnie Walker.
Palate: Lightly oily with some peppery warmness. Some smoky intensity. Fruity.
Finish: Long finish with smoke and maybe a sense of fish.
Recommendations: If the Laphroaig intimidates you, this is a gentler version.

Balvenie Doublewood 12 year
Region: Speyside
Notes: Light and accessible. Matured in whiskey oak and sherry oak.
Palate: Nuts and spices with caramel and vanilla. Later, some sherry flavor.
Finish: Warming and long with some sherry.
Recommendations: An accessible and complex scotch.


(i went home with half a bottle of Caol Ila and Laphroig.)

i do enjoy me some dirty martinis - vodka - grey goose.
i've been shooting tullamore dew lately at the bar.
jameson is always a good staple.
there's a drink called a caipirinha which is muddled lime, sugar and cachaça (basically a brazillian rum)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...aipirinha2.jpg

Oh, don't waste money on Grey Goose. Sobieski or Svedka are just as good, and Tito's is better.

i've had svedka, neither of the other two though. i'll def try em out. thanks

I'm a fan of the caipirinha as well. When I was in Costa Rica, they made a drink called a bartender called a "caipitica" but I think was the same as a Cacique Guaro Sour.

My ladyfriend ordered a caipirinhia on a whim the other day and ended up loving it. I enjoyed it quite a bit as well.

Y8s - I think your notes are pretty much spot on. Highland Park was my first scotch and I haven't tried much else. Might look into some of the others you noted.

Try the Caol Ila. It'll make a good contrasting ponit to the Highland Park.

Pushy look at mu recommendations earlier in te
The thread. I am a kentucky whisky srinker

Sobieski and Svedka are pretty similar in quality, though I prefer the flavor of Sobieski. Tito's is a notch above...lovely flavor, just a hint of boozy heat, and super smooth in the mouth, no oiliness.

http://www.barfish.de/catalog/images...i_151_1000.jpg
Always loved this stuff.

The effects of it? I've never been able to taste it.

that ---- will get you fucked up. I can't tell you how many early mornings I've seen one of my homeboys puke after a night on the un fitty un.

same drink
different night

Attachment 240150

Those of you that like whiskey sours should try a pisco sour sometime. Pisco is a grape brandy popular in Chile and Peru.

WELL NOW.

I managed to get in a glass of the Old Potrero last night! Went out to dinner on a groupon with my wife and the place we went (Againn--pronounced uh-gwinn--in DC: http://againndc.com/ ) had an extensive liquor list. Three pages of scotch, one page of rye and whisky and a bunch of other stuff.

http://againndc.com/scotch-list (the others aren't online)

I almost missed the Old Potrero because it was not under the Rye section, but under the "American Whisky" section.

Tastewise, it had a delicious caramel and vanilla nose. Almost like candy. It felt good in my mouth and the taste was smooth and not smokey. The finish was pretty harsh though--but it could be because of my cold. It really burned my upper throat after swallowing. I could sit there and smell it all day though.

Any recommendations on booze that doesn't make me want to put a bullet in my brain the morning after?

like hangover proof? no.

but you can try this next time you drink:

get a quart of your favorite gatorade
BEFORE BED drink half and take two aspirin.
IN THE MORNING drink the other half and take two more aspirin.
I also follow with coffee but that's optional. the caffeine can

aspirin seems to come out on top of all the hangover studies as the best way to reduce the prostaglandin levels responsible for hangovers as well as blocks the acetate that makes your head hurt. caffeine helps here too. the gatorade is mostly just to make sure you aren't dehydrated, which would make things worse (though it's suggested that it's not usually dehydration that is a problem unless you're barfing all night).

hi there :barf:

The larger black bottle on the second shelf of the right hand glass cabinet on my main bar is a bottle of Pisco my buddy got me. :)

When I went to NYC, we stayed with my buddy and his wife who had an apartment in Manhattan. Besides all of the touristy stuff, the one place I really wanted to hit was Death & Co.. After a subway ride, a cab ride and then a trudge through the snow, we finally made it there...

only to find that it was closed for a private party!

I'm with y8s, although even chugging some water before you start or before you hit the bed will help if Gatorade is not on-hand. Likewise, in the morning, you could consider Excedrin as it has a caffeine component.

I would think there could be some credence to the "sugary drinks are worse" anecdotes because I seem to have more headaches after rum nights (which usually involve more sugary mixers).

Oh Jesus....pisco. My neighbors are from Peru and right after we moved in, we did new years with them. Was drinking and all was fine...until they gave us some pisco. Oh how it was like flicking a switch from being warm tipsy drunk to...OMGICANTSTANDUP drunk. I will never drink that stuff again.


I was drinking whipped cokes last night. That's an evil little concoction.