Cocktail hour--2023

[0895]

On 5/16/2023 at 8:32 PM, JCwhammie said:

It's a nice day for a Manhattan. 

Ooo.  
That’s a great way to improve that rye! 

[Skinsfan1311]

Bourbon Mojito

[smokinjoe]

Some front patio sittin’ listening to Braves on the radio.  A Boulevardier with TH Handy as the whiskey is glorious.  

[Skinsfan1311]

[flahute]

On 5/26/2023 at 5:29 PM, smokinjoe said:

Some front patio sittin’ listening to Braves on the radio.  A Boulevardier with TH Handy as the whiskey is glorious.  

Oh dang...........

What proportions did you use?

[Skinsfan1311]

Bourbon Mojito 

[ratcheer]

I'm getting old and I don't drink much, anymore, but I'm having an Old Fashioned Cocktail. 2 oz Wild Turkey Rare Breed, 1 tsp sugar, and a couple of dashes of Angostura. With ice. It is delicious!

Edited June 11, 2023 by ratcheer
Minor typo

[Skinsfan1311]

Old Fashioned with Redemption Rye, bar spoon of SS, Agnostura bitters and Luxardo cherry.

Put it in the insulated mug to reuse the cube tonight, being a cheap bastard and all.....

[Harry in WashDC]

Tonight, t'was mint juleps made with mint from our mint jungle on the porch.  For two drinks, I put 4 oz. of 4R YL, two demerara sugar cubes. and  6 BIG mint leaves in a Boston shaker with NO ICE.  Muddled the stuff a lot, then closed up the shaker and swirled a lot until the sugar looked like it was pretty much gone.  THEN, I let that sit while I filled a canvas ice bag with ice cubes, grabbed a meat mallet suitable for pounding chops, chicken chests, veal, etc., into 1/4 inch thick sheets and whacked the ice bag a lot.  ASIDE - finally convinced my wife that the bag is "better" than using a blender to break up the ice after we followed HER idea and ended up with SNOW in the blender which was almost impossible to get out.  Packed the ice bits in small old fashioned glasses and poured the stuff in the shaker into the glasses.

[Skinsfan1311]

4 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Tonight, t'was mint juleps made with mint from our mint jungle on the porch.  For two drinks, I put 4 oz. of 4R YL, two demerara sugar cubes. and  6 BIG mint leaves in a Boston shaker with NO ICE.  Muddled the stuff a lot, then closed up the shaker and swirled a lot until the sugar looked like it was pretty much gone.  THEN, I let that sit while I filled a canvas ice bag with ice cubes, grabbed a meat mallet suitable for pounding chops, chicken chests, veal, etc., into 1/4 inch thick sheets and whacked the ice bag a lot.  ASIDE - finally convinced my wife that the bag is "better" than using a blender to break up the ice after we followed HER idea and ended up with SNOW in the blender which was almost impossible to get out.  Packed the ice bits in small old fashioned glasses and poured the stuff in the shaker into the glasses.

We always use our Lewis bag for mint juleps. It's worth the extra effort.

[ratcheer]

9 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

ASIDE - finally convinced my wife that the bag is "better" than using a blender to break up the ice after we followed HER idea and ended up with SNOW in the blender which was almost impossible to get out. 

 

We used to have a little Oster appliance that was a single-purpose ice crusher. It could be set for various degrees of crushing. I guess we got rid of it at some point.

[Skinsfan1311]

Watermelon Juleps, at Mrs. Skinsfans request. I'm not a  fan of these sweet drinks, but figured that I might as well make a small batch, while I had everything out.  It's actually hits the spot on this hot weather. The problem is that they go down waaaaay toward easy

[Harry in WashDC]

1 hour ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Watermelon Juleps, at Mrs. Skinsfans request. I'm not a  fan of these sweet drinks, but figured that I might as well make a small batch, while I had everything out.  It's actually hits the spot on this hot weather. The problem is that they go down waaaaay toward easy

Your use of AAA PROVES you know what you are doing RE: COCKTAILS!!  Is a great base spirit.  AND, about sweet drinks - Summertime seems to be easier to navigate when one has a sweet sipper or two in hand.  By that third one, howsomever, I be on my patoot.

[Skinsfan1311]

1 hour ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Your use of AAA PROVES you know what you are doing RE: COCKTAILS!!  Is a great base spirit.  AND, about sweet drinks - Summertime seems to be easier to navigate when one has a sweet sipper or two in hand.  By that third one, howsomever, I be on my patoot.

Thanks and agreed.

I wouldn't use the AAA in an Old Fashioned, but it's perfect for those foo-foo drinks and in recipes.  

[TwoFingers]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:07 PM, Skinsfan1311 said:

Put it in the insulated mug to reuse the cube tonight, being a cheap bastard and all.....

I always thought I would easily be part of the cheap bastard club, but you sir have my utmost respect in that arena. 

[Skinsfan1311]

10 hours ago, TwoFingers said:

I always thought I would easily be part of the cheap bastard club, but you sir have my utmost respect in that arena. 

 I'm cheap and proud of it!  There's always room in the club! 

[fishnbowljoe]

4 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

 I'm cheap and proud of it!  There's always room in the club! 

I’ve always had a tendency to lean towards the cheaper side of things. However, since retirement, I too have become a member of the cheap bastard club.  Please don’t ask me to an officer though. I’m already the  president of the CRS club. 🫨

[Skinsfan1311]

3 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’ve always had a tendency to lean towards the cheaper side of things. However, since retirement, I too have become a member of the cheap bastard club.  Please don’t ask me to an officer though. I’m already the  president of the CRS club. 🫨

You can be a consultant

[Richnimrod]

I'd fill out a subscription for membership myself.   ...But, I've kinda been an unofficial charter member for a very long time, since my means have pretty much precluded any other club to which I may ever have sought membership.

[Harry in WashDC]

On 6/20/2023 at 7:33 PM, Richnimrod said:

I'd fill out a subscription for membership myself.   ...But, I've kinda been an unofficial charter member for a very long time, since my means have pretty much precluded any other club to which I may ever have sought membership.

You and Groucho Marx re: seeking membership.  ALSO, he was told his kids couldn’t go in a pool because they were Jewish.  His response,  “They’re only half Jewish.  Can they wade up to their navels?”

 

Tonight, it is gin and tonics to go with chicken legs and thighs chunks on the grill.  I, of course, poured a neat two oz. of 4RYL to keep me awake while wielding my Thermopen.  Everything turned out BETTER than I expected.

[flahute]

I discovered a while ago and recently reconfirmed that the best bourbon for a boulevardier is 4RSiB. Yes that is a premium bourbon for a cocktail so I don't do it very often but wow is it good.

Last night I tried a variation that I've done before with negronis and boulevardiers but not with 4RSiB as the bourbon.

That variation is the coffee ice cubes. Small spheres with a diameter somewhere between a nickel and a quarter - two of them - just absolutely sing in this combo. You must try it. 

[Kepler]

WT101R old fashioned.  Dang if I didn't have an orange in the fridge.  Oh well still tastes great.  Cheers

 

[Skinsfan1311]

On 6/27/2023 at 12:08 AM, flahute said:

I discovered a while ago and recently reconfirmed that the best bourbon for a boulevardier is 4RSiB. Yes that is a premium bourbon for a cocktail so I don't do it very often but wow is it good.

Last night I tried a variation that I've done before with negronis and boulevardiers but not with 4RSiB as the bourbon.

That variation is the coffee ice cubes. Small spheres with a diameter somewhere between a nickel and a quarter - two of them - just absolutely sing in this combo. You must try it. 

With the exception of those overly sweet foo-foo drinks that Mrs. Skinsfan likes, (Watermelon Juleps, Strawberry Bourbon Smash, etc), I always use premium whiskey in our cocktails.  I rarely drink them and, when I do, I use the good stuff.

[Skinsfan1311]

On 7/4/2023 at 3:17 PM, Kepler said:

WT101R old fashioned.  Dang if I didn't have an orange in the fridge.  Oh well still tastes great.  Cheers

 

I love that glass!   

I never see WT glasses anywhere.    They're kind of my white whale.   

[Kepler]

1 hour ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

I love that glass!   

I never see WT glasses anywhere.    They're kind of my white whale.   

 

Thanks.  I got that particular glass at the WT distillery gift shop, about 10 years ago when the gift shop was across the road from the current location.  One of my other favorite WT rocks glass came from the new gift shop.  Some of my favorite whiskey glasses came from various distillery tours... they make a nice souvenir.