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Cocktail Hour 2019


smokinjoe
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On 1/4/2020 at 4:46 PM, smokinjoe said:

 

All Hail TANSTAAFL2!! *
 

* Except this cocktail fetish that he’s passed on to me is killing my budget and open space limitations with all the Ingredients I’m having to buy to fuel it...  ?
 

Tell me about it! I have made it my New Years plan (not so much a "resolution") to finally get down there to count and organize the bottles in my basement and scattered about in my house (and in some cases to find bottles I KNOW are there! Somewhere...). My count of amari (the plural form for an amaro like Averna) is already at 36. And the doesn't include liqueurs or fortified aperitif wines which I have even more of. I consider things like Chartreuse and Maraschino to be liqueurs, like Cointreau, not amari.

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On 1/4/2020 at 3:33 PM, flahute said:

I've been rocking Bruce's Wry Monk since last week. I made it for my wife and neighbors and it was a huge hit. I have the 110 proof Chartreuse so I've been using a bit less than the prescribed amount to keep it from being too powerful.

I've also been imbibing in quite a few Negronis and Boulevardiers. After being low carb all year but relaxing the diet for the holidays, I've been drinking as many as possible before going back on plan next week.

Standard green Chartreuse is always 110 proof. Yellow is lower proof but a very different flavor profile. It is lovely in a traditional Greenpoint cocktail though! Yellow is traditional but some recipes will call for green.  :D

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On 1/4/2020 at 6:35 PM, Jazz June said:

Semi-related question, is the Green Chartreuse VEP worth the large price increase? How much does it go for in non-control states ($177.50 here at VA ABC)?

"Worth" is very subjective! It is undoubtedly more intense and yet subtle as the recipe has even more ingredients in it and it is barrel aged longer (Chartreuse is one of the few liqueurs that is barrel aged and also one that can change over time in a sealed bottle). For me it is worth having because I enjoy the difference in them. I would probably never make a cocktail with my own VEP but have occasionally had a cocktail that used VEP.

 

I think the last time I bought them in Georgia they were about $150 but that was over a year ago. The current Yellow VEP is $136.99 wholesale so probably $170 is not far off the mark now. And it might be affected by the proposed 100% tariffs. 

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On 1/4/2020 at 6:58 PM, TwoFingers said:

Tried the Wry Monk and it was good but a little sweet for me.  My measurements may have been a little off.  Just need to dial the Chartreuse back a little bit.

 

Today I made some Luxardo cherries and added them to my Manhattan.  Very nice, almost like a Red Hook.  Might have to try one of those with a cherry.

 

Should be fine! That is the traditional garnish for a Red Hook.

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37 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said:

Standard green Chartreuse is always 110 proof. Yellow is lower proof but a very different flavor profile. It is lovely in a traditional Greenpoint cocktail though! Yellow is traditional but some recipes will call for green.  :D

The education here is always ongoing! Thanks for the clarification Bruce!

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Object lesson in the interplay of specific whiskey and specific vermouth.

 

IMG_4028.thumb.jpg.825db46f7f69f3174750216d32933884.jpg

 

My go-to proportion is 2 oz. whiskey to 1/2 oz. vermouth.  This time I went 3/4 and it was too much...at least with this whiskey.  Even  the color is a little off.

 

Since Jenny and I have been  visiting Turin over the last few years, we've been going to the more complex and assertive vermouths.   And they need to be dialed back or paired with more aggressive whiskies.  

 

That said, this WT 101 rye is very good whiskey.  I haven't sampled it in several years and only picked up this bottle because it was the last one on the shelf and reasonably priced.   It's a solid neat sipper and punches above the recent middling online reviews.

 

Happy Football Saturday.

 

-Mike

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, scratchline said:

Object lesson in the interplay of specific whiskey and specific vermouth.

 

IMG_4028.thumb.jpg.825db46f7f69f3174750216d32933884.jpg

 

My go-to proportion is 2 oz. whiskey to 1/2 oz. vermouth.  This time I went 3/4 and it was too much...at least with this whiskey.  Even  the color is a little off.

 

Since Jenny and I have been  visiting Turin over the last few years, we've been going to the more complex and assertive vermouths.   And they need to be dialed back or paired with more aggressive whiskies.  

 

That said, this WT 101 rye is very good whiskey.  I haven't sampled it in several years and only picked up this bottle because it was the last one on the shelf and reasonably priced.   It's a solid neat sipper and punches above the recent middling online reviews.

 

Happy Football Saturday.

 

-Mike

 

 

 

 

Excellent info. Thanks for this.

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The Seelbach, tonight:

 

1 OZ BOURBON

.5 OZ COINTREAU

7 DASHES ANGOSTURA BITTERS

7 DASHES PEYCHAUD’S BITTERS

SPARKLING WINE

LEMON TWIST

 

Not sure about this one.  

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On 1/18/2020 at 7:07 PM, smokinjoe said:

The Seelbach, tonight:

 

1 OZ BOURBON

.5 OZ COINTREAU

7 DASHES ANGOSTURA BITTERS

7 DASHES PEYCHAUD’S BITTERS

SPARKLING WINE

LEMON TWIST

 

Not sure about this one.  

Any other thoughts on it?  That seems like a lot of bitters but compared with some things like Campari, it might not be too much.  Also seems a little short on the bourbon to me.  My wife doesn't like sparking wines, so it wouldn't be something I would be able to make often.

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10 minutes ago, TwoFingers said:

Any other thoughts on it?  That seems like a lot of bitters but compared with some things like Campari, it might not be too much.  Also seems a little short on the bourbon to me.  My wife doesn't like sparking wines, so it wouldn't be something I would be able to make often.

The sparkling wine kind of drowned out everything else.  Like you suggest, I think more bourbon, and cask strength at that, would help.  Regardless, it didn’t seem like there was more than a short topping off of the SW.  I can say it was somewhat “refreshing”, though.  On my second one I ended up stopping before the SW top off and rested back easy with that Old Crotchety Fashioned...  ?

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28 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

The sparkling wine kind of drowned out everything else.  Like you suggest, I think more bourbon, and cask strength at that, would help.  Regardless, it didn’t seem like there was more than a short topping off of the SW.  I can say it was somewhat “refreshing”, though.  On my second one I ended up stopping before the SW top off and rested back easy with that Old Crotchety Fashioned...  ?

Good call.  ?

On 1/18/2020 at 7:07 PM, smokinjoe said:

The Seelbach, tonight:

 

1 OZ BOURBON

.5 OZ COINTREAU

7 DASHES ANGOSTURA BITTERS

7 DASHES PEYCHAUD’S BITTERS

SPARKLING WINE

LEMON TWIST

 

Not sure about this one.  

Any other thoughts on it?  That seems like a lot of bitters but compared with some things like Campari, it might not be too much.  Also seems a little short on the bourbon to me.  My wife doesn't like sparking wines, so it wouldn't be something I would be able to make often.

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Okay, not bourbon but it was a rough day and a martini seemed like a good thing.   Always looking for a good gin for martinis and the Brokers works well for how I like mine.  The Botanist also works well.

IMG_20200123_162748995.jpg

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On 1/4/2020 at 4:46 PM, smokinjoe said:

I finally harvested the Chartreuse for this, and was going to wait until tonight to fire one up.  But, I gotta keep up with my brother!  ?. So, after a couple of hours trying to clear some space in the garage and finding this Rittenhouse hiding in a box (crikey, I’m getting more like Harry every day... ?), I decided to wait no more!  Whereas, the Black Manhattan that I’ve been all over for a couple weeks is a heavier and sweeter cocktail, this is much more, light, bright, and....spritzitzery (or something like that...?).  Really nice.  
 

All Hail TANSTAAFL2!! *
 

* Except this cocktail fetish that he’s passed on to me is killing my budget and open space limitations with all the Ingredients I’m having to buy to fuel it...  ?
 

Late to the party on this, BUT -- I bought a pair of Chartruese 750s (Y & G) in a beautiful presentation box when I took a tour of the Chartreuse Monastery and MUSEUM/GIFT SHOP!! circa 1970.  They lasted about 30 years or more (well, I was into beer and had full time employment, so booze consuming time was limited).  When I needed to replace them, I decided to look for 375s (given my age) as I figured 750s would outlive me.  THEY ARE AVAILABLE and, in my experience, arrive at your local friendly (presuming it is friendly) liquor store in about two weeks.  The bottles take up less space, too.  I've even suggested to the Distilled Spirits Council on more than one occasion (like DOZENS of times) and directly and indirectly that they encourage their members to offer stuff in 375s so we can buy MORE!  To no avail, of course - I'm just a consumer.

 

RE: those other posts here about the growth of "liqueurs and amari" in our cabinets -- THANK SOMEBODY for the Internet.  When I get something, like Nocino or Montenegro or Averna, that I LOVE by itself or in a particular cocktail or Aperol which is super sweet but can be toned down, the inet lets me find other ways to use the stuff.  ALSO, tanstaafl2 (Bruce) whom I have never met, has some incredibly good and selfless comments/recipes scattered throughout this thread.  DO spend some time looking up his comments/recipes.  I have yet to be disappointed although some of them call for more than four ingredients so BUDGET your prep time if you have meat on the grill.B) 

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A Bobby Burns whilst (Figured I’d go all Scottish old country in observance of this day’s occasion ;)) doing....actually, nothing.  So, shall be my plan for the remainder  of the day...  :D

 

B97BEB8A-2EEB-4FE7-8A26-ACF8DE566D42.jpeg

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Made a White Negroni for the first time. Pretty dang good. This will be a good summer cocktail.

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