Harry in WashDC Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 50 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said: Do you have a favorite cocktail, with the Montenegro? #1 is Rye Montenegro Manhattan. TWO OZ. Montenegro, 1 OZ. rye (OF 100 is GREAT here considering the liqueur leads), Angostura, with orange wheel and cherry garnish. Malaguena? One OZ. dark rum (white rum just does NOT stand up), One OZ. Montenegro, 1/4 OZ. simple syrup (uh, agave OR basic is ok), orange bitters + Angostura + orange peel. A tequila alternative - 2 OZ. reposado tequila, 3/4 to 1 OZ. Montenegro, 1 OZ. grapefruit (or blood orange or Clementine, etc.) juice, 1 tsp simple syrup or agave. SHAKE!. NOTA BENE - Montenegro amaro is like Cynar or sweet vermouth - it seems to fit with every base spirit if the proportions are managed well. It does have a subtle herbal undertone like Cynar, but it is not as pungent as Campari. We played with the first 750 for several months before deciding it was versatile enough, albeit a bit "muted" and "herbal", to be used when a smooth, non-spicy cocktail was needed. In other words, experiment with it - few of the drinks you make will be undrinkable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said: I'm amazed that someone here has drank, or even heard of, Montenegro. I developed a taste for, many moons ago, when we lived in Naples. A lot of restaurants served up tiny glasses of it as a "digestivo", after dinner. No matter how full you were, there was always room for a glass. I never knew that it was used as a mixer. Oh, I really like Montenegro. I drink it neat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 10 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said: #1 is Rye Montenegro Manhattan. TWO OZ. Montenegro, 1 OZ. rye (OF 100 is GREAT here considering the liqueur leads), Angostura, with orange wheel and cherry garnish. Malaguena? One OZ. dark rum (white rum just does NOT stand up), One OZ. Montenegro, 1/4 OZ. simple syrup (uh, agave OR basic is ok), orange bitters + Angostura + orange peel. A tequila alternative - 2 OZ. reposado tequila, 3/4 to 1 OZ. Montenegro, 1 OZ. grapefruit (or blood orange or Clementine, etc.) juice, 1 tsp simple syrup or agave. SHAKE!. NOTA BENE - Montenegro amaro is like Cynar or sweet vermouth - it seems to fit with every base spirit if the proportions are managed well. It does have a subtle herbal undertone like Cynar, but it is not as pungent as Campari. We played with the first 750 for several months before deciding it was versatile enough, albeit a bit "muted" and "herbal", to be used when a smooth, non-spicy cocktail was needed. In other words, experiment with it - few of the drinks you make will be undrinkable. 2:1 Montenegro on the Manhattan? I'm intrigued. I'll try it! I don't have OF100 on hand, but I do have plenty of other ryes on hand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 18 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said: I'm amazed that someone here has drank, or even heard of, Montenegro. I developed a taste for, many moons ago, when we lived in Naples. A lot of restaurants served up tiny glasses of it as a "digestivo", after dinner. No matter how full you were, there was always room for a glass. I never knew that it was used as a mixer. Montenegro is fairly common in the better cocktail bars I tend to frequent in Atlanta and usually readily available in the bigger stores. Of course I also have 35 or so different amari in the liquor vault and Montenegro has been there pretty much from the start! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said: Montenegro is fairly common in the better cocktail bars I tend to frequent in Atlanta and usually readily available in the bigger stores. Of course I also have 35 or so different amari in the liquor vault and Montenegro has been there pretty much from the start! We tried a several, when we lived in the old country, but kept coming back to the Montenegro. Been drinking it for almost 40 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evasive Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 I’ve developed a taste for these, although an old fashioned is still my go-to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 10 minutes ago, evasive said: I’ve developed a taste for these, although an old fashioned is still my go-to. Oh yes........a perennial favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouredd Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 My second try at the Sazerac; it was worthy of the New Orleans icon and every bit as good as was served in the city. All I had to do was up the bitters by a couple shakes... Next we went to eat and had the best cocktail Pensacola has to offer; The Burnt Old Fashioned... Made with OF and their self made burnt sugar, served under a bell with smoldering rosemary. I do crave these at times... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, bayouredd said: My second try at the Sazerac; it was worthy of the New Orleans icon and every bit as good as was served in the city. All I had to do was up the bitters by a couple shakes... Next we went to eat and had the best cocktail Pensacola has to offer; The Burnt Old Fashioned... Made with OF and their self made burnt sugar, served under a bell with smoldering rosemary. I do crave these at times... That Old-Fashioned sounds fantastic! I've made them with rosemary simple syrup, but I imagine that the smoke brings elevates it to a whole new level. I make smoked ice* sometimes, and it adds a nice element to bourbon cocktails. *basically, just set up a pan of water in the smoker, or grill, let 'er smoke for a couple of hours, pour into molds, and freeze the ice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 The Sun us mightily trying to bust through the haze, so offering encouragement with a Vesper. Such a bright and clean cocktail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM818 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 5 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said: That Old-Fashioned sounds fantastic! I've made them with rosemary simple syrup, but I imagine that the smoke brings elevates it to a whole new level. I make smoked ice* sometimes, and it adds a nice element to bourbon cocktails. *basically, just set up a pan of water in the smoker, or grill, let 'er smoke for a couple of hours, pour into molds, and freeze the ice. This is a good idea. Thanks for sharing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 5 minutes ago, MM818 said: This is a good idea. Thanks for sharing. No problem! If you're going to do this, do NOT use the same fire that you just smoked food in. I found out, the hard way, that the ice tastes like smoked meat. I make a small fire and, after the briquettes are ashed over, I toss a chunk of wood and a handful of chips, then let it go for a couple of hours. Pour it into molds, after the water cools. You could do it on a gasser, with a smoker box, but I don't think that the smoke would be intense enough to infuse the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Dale DeGroff-style Old Fashioned via Saveur magazine OCT 2011. DeGroff's "The Essential Cocktail" (2008) talked about this. We modified it a bit to fit my wife's preference for a bit more sugar. AND, there's a TWIST to this one. PLEASE keep reading - it is not bad!! 2 OZ whiskey 1 OZ simple syrup (seems like a lot; it is NOT) 1/2 OZ blood orange 1/4 OZ actual lemon juice 1/2 OZ egg white DRY SHAKE (as per tansaafl2's admonition to DO NOT TAKE SHORT CUTS!!) the whiskey, syrup, BO juice, lemon juice, and egg white (i.e., NO ICE YET!!) until the mix is really frothy, almost making egg white peaks. Add a few cubes - just enough to fracture the ice when shaken for about 20 seconds HARD! Pour into a rocks glass with rocks in it. More hints - - Do not laugh at this!! Wife wanted an Irish whiskey sour. I pulled out a Green Spot. She saw the cardboard tube and thought it might be "too sippable and rich." I demurred. She tasted and said she'd prefer Bushmills. I've always found Bushmills basic (white label) to be REALLY OILY. She wanted it, anyway. Going on 47 years of marriage - THIS is not worth fighting about. I say, "SURE!! GOOD IDEA!!" She loved it;. I thought it was oily. WHATEVER, I left the Green Spot out so I could sip it neat while doing dishes and clear my palate. LIFE IS PHAT!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcheer Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Maybe she likes oily. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouredd Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 19 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said: No problem! If you're going to do this, do NOT use the same fire that you just smoked food in. I found out, the hard way, that the ice tastes like smoked meat. I make a small fire and, after the briquettes are ashed over, I toss a chunk of wood and a handful of chips, then let it go for a couple of hours. Pour it into molds, after the water cools. You could do it on a gasser, with a smoker box, but I don't think that the smoke would be intense enough to infuse the water. First off your smoked ice was wild. That never would have even been a concept to me. Very interesting. I wondered about the smoked meat thing because that is the first thing that crossed my mind. It'll take a little bit of figuring on my part but definitely worth a try... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouredd Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 21 hours ago, smokinjoe said: The Sun us mightily trying to bust through the haze, so offering encouragement with a Vesper. Such a bright and clean cocktail. Clear booze, waaay not my thing but I looked this up after your post & will give this a try for my Honey. She is the Martini girl and would probably go for it big time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 6 minutes ago, bayouredd said: Clear booze, waaay not my thing but I looked this up after your post & will give this a try for my Honey. She is the Martini girl and would probably go for it big time... It’s a very adaptable cocktail. I play with the percentages of vodka (down) and Lillet (Up) to get it in my wheelhouse. As soon as I reload it, I’m going to try with Absolut Citron in place of the regular vodka. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 3 hours ago, bayouredd said: First off your smoked ice was wild. That never would have even been a concept to me. Very interesting. I wondered about the smoked meat thing because that is the first thing that crossed my mind. It'll take a little bit of figuring on my part but definitely worth a try... Yeah, I was intrigued by it. They're really easy to make. A buddy of mine told me about it and smoked ice can really elevate whiskey cocktails. It's really good in a Maple Old fashioned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouredd Posted March 4, 2021 Share Posted March 4, 2021 37 years with my Baby... Started with a Sazerac then went for a nice steak and another professional Saz. Mine was just as good, but no complaints either way. Next had a glass of wine with the steak. Back to the homestead for our own desert. I looked up a few recipes and came up with my own design of the Reese's Martini served with cheesecake and payday. The payday actually went the best with the drink. I'm guessing it was the measure of salt. A word of warning; I have a bit of an overhang today. It could be the sugar jolt, but it only seems to happen when wine is in the mix. I never feel like this after bourbon... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Finally got off my lazy ass and made a couple. The Full Monte. Thanks for the inspiration, @Harry in WashDC ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 23 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said: Finally got off my lazy ass and made a couple. The Full Monte. Thanks for the inspiration, @Harry in WashDC ! All those labels look like the right ones. I sure hope yours tastes as good as ours does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 4 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said: All those labels look like the right ones. I sure hope yours tastes as good as ours does. This was my first cocktail with the Montenegro and it hit all right notes. Mrs. Skinsfan loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Went with an Old Pal to sign off this Friday, although with a recent run of warm weather - the mint is begging for a Mojito or Mint Julep this weekend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM818 Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 The Junior. Originated in the 1930s. 2 oz rye, .75 lime juice, .5 oz Benedictine. Couple dashes of bitters. Next time I’ll back down the lime juice to .5 oz. Definitely worth the squeeze! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadlandsBandit Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Soooooooo many recipes! I want to try everything. Must invest in advancing my bar ingredients volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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