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.

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