xkcd

by **Amarantha** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:01 am UTC

In the last week, I've had a Rob Roy, a Rusty Nail (sort of - I had no Drambuie and had to use Benedictine), a Margarita, a Sidecar, a Martini, an Aviation and another (quite different) Sidecar. The bartender who made me the Martini told me where I can find rye in Melbourne, so today I got some of that and have just made my first proper Manhattan.

My main repertory at home comprises:
Americano
Bloody Mary
Daiquiri
Martini
Manhattan
Negroni
Old-fashioned
Rob Roy
Rusty Nail
Salty Dog
Vodka McGovern
and a couple of my own creations.

What are your favourite cocktails? Do you make them at home, or order them, or both?

by **ThorFluff** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:31 am UTC

"My drink" is definatly White Russian ( if you don't know how to mix this you've got some homework to do )

Then there is;
Sinners Paradise: 1/3 Creme de Cassis, 1/3 Creme de Cacao 1/3 Vodka.
Which i love.

I like singel malt scotch as is. So if it's a cocktail that's on the menue, i want it to taste something ENTIRELY diffrent. Jack and Coke is in my eyes an utter waste of bad whiskey. (well, yeah, bourbon)

If you've got bad whiskey you might just as well do something decent with it, like a Whiskey Sour!
(50/50 Whiskey and pressed lemon-juice, a few drops of sugar sollution)
or even a Hot Scotch for those really cold days. Pour whiskey in a glass, take a thick slice of lemon (1cm or ½an inch), stab it a bit and place it over the glass, pour brown sugar on this, a really thick layer and push it down into the slice a tad.
Then pour boiling water over the sugar, slowley so the water pulls the sugar through the lemon into the whiskey. The result is win and awesome.

by **Amarantha** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:37 pm UTC

ThorFluff wrote:I like singel malt scotch as is. So if it's a cocktail that's on the menue, i want it to taste something ENTIRELY diffrent.

Same

We have a decent stash of malts, which we drink straight up in small amounts, usually just before bedtime and sometimes with a small piece of dark chocolate. The cocktails are more of a just-got-home-from-work type of thing for me, but sometimes (as in the last week), I'll also order them in restaurants and bars.

I haven't made a White Russian yet (oddly for a Big Lebowski fan

), probably because I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I tend towards classics such as the sours, the bitter aperitifs and things with vermouth in. But my fiance would probably like the White Russian, since he's a fan of Kahlua and has a bit of a sweet tooth. I shall see if I can make him one

by **Moo** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:45 pm UTC

I love a Black Russian. I also love Bloody Maries but for some weird reason they make my stomach hurt (where Virgin Maries don't) so I don't have them any more. And mojitos.

I like cocktails, but I never have cocktail parties. I should.

by **Nexus_1101** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:40 pm UTC

yum yum cocktails...

purple rain
blue lagoon
and a few i never can remember.
also i don't want to list the cocktail menu of old orlians

one drink I do love is Ferrari jack (Jack D, Amaretto, coke)

by **Moo** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:48 pm UTC

Nexus, you just reminded me. TGI Friday's in the UK do a killer ice-cream cocktail called Barnamint Baileys. It's ingredients may include, but are not limited to: ice cream, crushed Oreo cookies, mint liquer and Bailey's Irish cream liquer.

by **Nexus_1101** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:49 pm UTC

i'm gunna have to try one of those
oh, an love the new avater...

by **Moo** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:57 pm UTC

by **Amarantha** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:30 am UTC

I tend to make stirred or built cocktails because I'm lazy. If I feel that something I'm making should be shaken, I do it inna plastic jar because I don't have a shaker yet. I've been looking about but haven't decided whether I want a boston or a cobbler. However... someone gave me Jamie Oliver's Flavour Shaker™ for Christmas. And I was just shaking up a killer marinade and I thought "hmmm, shaking...". So after I cleaned it, I removed the little pestle ball, replaced it with some ice cubes and shook up a gin sour. It's not very big, so three anna half shots and three ice cubes were almost too much, but it made a lovely drink. I shall use it at least until I get a proper cocktail shaker.

by **Girl™** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:44 pm UTC

Yay, someone made a cocktail thread! ::does a little dance::

I've been obsessing over vintage and pre-prohibition cocktails for months now, a horrible pastime that's grown out of my love for gin. <3 I always make them at home, since the only bars around here are either sports-themed or stuck in the back of chain restaurants. I also like classic Manhattans and Martinis, and a very nice variation on the Aviation that uses elderflower liqueur in place of the Maraschino.

Have you seen the Cocktail Database?

by **Azrael** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:35 pm UTC

I too have been on a pro-prohibition cocktail kick (as has been mentioned before elsewhere) despite having done it in the polar opposite fashion - I go to good bars in Boston that support the very same renaissance.

When I'm at home, I'm a) lazy b) not a great mixologist and c) don't stock the variety of quality liquor required. I just drink top shelf, small batch bourbon.

by **Amarantha** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:12 am UTC

Yay, more fans of the classics

Today I made a Mojito and a Mint Julep (yep, raided Mum's herb garden when I was there on the weekend).

Girl™ wrote:Have you seen the Cocktail Database?

Yep, have you read Drinkboy's stuff?

Btw, if you don't already read eGullet, you should; their cocktails subforum is love

by **Girl™** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:41 pm UTC

Azrael wrote:I too have been on a pro-prohibition cocktail kick (as has been mentioned before elsewhere) despite having done it in the polar opposite fashion - I go to good bars in Boston that support the very same renaissance.

And this is why I'm totally moving to Boston. :O Where do you usually go?

Amarantha wrote:Yep, have you read Drinkboy's stuff?

I have! I read through all his articles and was terribly sad when I got to the end of them. :(

Amarantha wrote:Btw, if you don't already read eGullet, you should; their cocktails subforum is love :)

I...... I think I died and went to foodie heaven. My god, it's full of stars... o_o

by **micco** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:42 pm UTC

Vodka and Jägermeister mix well with energydrinks.

by **Flying Betty** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:53 am UTC

And rum mixes well with Diet Coke. Now we both need to get the hell out of this thread before they catch us, unless we can just knock them out with our bad and unclassy taste in drinks.

(How about a gin and tonic before I go?)

by **Moo** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:59 am UTC

(doesn't booze and energy drinks together kill you?)

Anyway. I had a party on Friday night, and I made a giant jug of Mojito. It's awesomeness will be remembered in songs and folk stories and passed down to my and my guests' children, and their children after them, etcetera.

by **audoue** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:50 am UTC

The best thing in the world is vodka.

The best drink in the world is a Russian Roulette.

End of story.

by **Azrael** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:14 pm UTC

audoue wrote:The best thing in the world is vodka.

The best drink in the world is a Russian Roulette.

End of story.

You tastes in both color and alcohol are highly questionable. Closer to simply incorrect, actually.

by **someguy** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:57 pm UTC

Fernet Branca and Coke, anyone?

WANT.

by **Robin S** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:03 pm UTC

I haven't tried many cocktails, but one that I really quite liked was the blue lagoon.

Also, virgin bloody maries are amazing. I have never had an alcoholic one, so I can't comment on them.

by **Girl™** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:05 pm UTC

Azrael wrote:
audoue wrote:The best thing in the world is vodka.

The best drink in the world is a Russian Roulette.

End of story.
You tastes in both color and alcohol are highly questionable. Closer to simply incorrect, actually.

AGREED.

I've never had Fernet. It sounds...... interesting. Bloody Marys fill me up too much; more like a side dish than a drink. :\

by **Amarantha** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:10 am UTC

Love me a Mary, either bloody or virgin. The former is one of the few things for which I still get vodka. And I love the fact that the Virgin Mary is also known as a Bloody Shame :mrgreen:

by **jgcrawfo** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:13 pm UTC

We came up with a shot the other night, that involved real maple syrup and scotch. We all had it in varying quantities, but the one I did was half of a shot-and-a-half glass with syrup and half scotch, it worked beautifully.
The colour, watching the mixing, the texture, and the smokiness of scotch mixed with the simple divinity of straight maple syrup.

Probably not recommended in quantity.

by **Azrael** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:58 am UTC

Saratoga:

1 shot Congnac
1 shot cask strength bourbon ('cause I don't have 100 proof rye ... yet)
1 shot sweet vermouth (I have Vya! It's *amazing* compared to ... that other stuff)
2 shots Angostura bitters.

Obviously, it's kind of like a Manhattan, but the reduced ratio plus the strong bourbon make it really interesting. And good.

Dusty Martini:

2 parts gin
1 part scotch, instead of vermouth.

This needs some work. I can't abide mixing the only scotches that I really like (at $60+ a bottle) but the backup Johnnie Walker Red I have did not make for a very good mix - overpowered the gin and just tasted like cut down unremarkable scotch. I think the ratio needs adjusting. Perhaps some sweet vermouth too? Mebbe orange bitters?

by **Amarantha** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:57 am UTC

Azrael wrote:Dusty Martini:

2 parts gin
1 part scotch, instead of vermouth.

This needs some work. I can't abide mixing the only scotches that I really like (at $60+ a bottle) but the backup Johnnie Walker Red I have did not make for a very good mix - overpowered the gin and just tasted like cut down unremarkable scotch. I think the ratio needs adjusting. Perhaps some sweet vermouth too? Mebbe orange bitters?

You can use a good quality scotch without it being a waste if you use a really characterful one in small amounts. I just made one with Laphroaig QC at about 8:1 or similar (didn't measure), and it was lovely

I'd hesitate to use sweet vermouth with such a smoky malt, but a spicier orange bitters might work. Next time I'll try the Regan's #6. I didn't garnish this one, but ate some tiny wild olives and hard cheddar with it, which went really well.

by **Azrael** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:25 pm UTC

Amarantha wrote:
Azrael wrote:Dusty Martini:

2 parts gin
1 part scotch, instead of vermouth.

This needs some work. I can't abide mixing the only scotches that I really like (at $60+ a bottle) but the backup Johnnie Walker Red I have did not make for a very good mix - overpowered the gin and just tasted like cut down unremarkable scotch. I think the ratio needs adjusting. Perhaps some sweet vermouth too? Mebbe orange bitters?

You can use a good quality scotch without it being a waste if you use a really characterful one in small amounts. I just made one with Laphroaig QC at about 8:1 or similar (didn't measure), and it was lovely

That sounds like a good place to start the ratio adjust. I used the Walker Red in a very traditional 2:1 ratio.

by **psykx** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:45 pm UTC

pink gin with lemonade is damm good. I have seen many different recipes for margaritas but here is mine only differing from the original 1948 margarita with the type of tequila
1/2 a muddled lime
1part cointreau (not any other triple sec)
1part jose tequila gold

summer breeze (One of my personal creations)
3 wedges of lime muddled with 5-10ml gomme
25ml vodka (smirnoff or stoli are good)
25ml cointreau
60ml cranberry juice
shaken and poured over a glass full to the top with crushed ice
top with lemonade and two drops of angustura biters

by **wery67564** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:25 pm UTC

4 ice cubs
2 fingers of rum

Place in a tumbler in that order and enjoy.

Mixed drinks make me hangover too often to be sanely repeated.

by **hermaj** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:08 pm UTC

I find I'm okay if I only stick to white spirits and liqueurs in my cocktails. I mostly drink vodka, but I am okay with Bacardi rum or gin, and I deal alright with most of the cocktails I drink - cosmopolitans, caprikosas, daquiris, things like that. If you give me any brown spirit like Bundy rum, bourbon or whiskey, I will throw up spectacularly and be sick for a while. No Long Island Iced Teas for me.

EDIT: Oh, and I can't usually have creamy cocktails, I stick to the fruity ones.

by **Matt** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:28 pm UTC

Amarantha, thanks for starting this topic.

I was quite surprised to look at my bottle of Campari the other day and find out it's no longer made with natural cochineal. I'm trying hard to notice a difference that I can be indignant towards.

I just got a gift bottle of Rothman and Winter's Creme de Violette, so Blue Moons are the drink of the month. I've been heavily influenced by the tastes of Ted Haigh in an embarrassingly me-too manner, but gosh darn he's got it right on.

I don't drink much, but cocktail and liquor info are something I can sop up with excess brain matter. My bar is pretty extensive and isn't going anywhere. I haven't wrapped my head around Fernet yet.

by **Angstrom** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:43 pm UTC

Gin and Tonic with a key lime

Simple and delicious

by **psykx** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:10 am UTC

edited original post /|\

by **Amarantha** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:24 am UTC

Matt wrote:I was quite surprised to look at my bottle of Campari the other day and find out it's no longer made with natural cochineal. I'm trying hard to notice a difference that I can be indignant towards.

Extensive discussion here. The food safety people don't make'm list colouring ingredients in my country (surprising considering how anal they are about everything else), so I can't be sure I would have noticed. I did just finish a bottle, so I'll try to recall how the last one tasted when I crack a new one.

Matt wrote:I just got a gift bottle of Rothman and Winter's Creme de Violette...

Gee Willikers make aviations!

by **Matt** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:53 pm UTC

Amarantha wrote:Extensive discussion here. The food safety people don't make'm list colouring ingredients in my country (surprising considering how anal they are about everything else), so I can't be sure I would have noticed. I did just finish a bottle, so I'll try to recall how the last one tasted when I crack a new one.

Yep yep, that's where I read about it. Ran home and checked and the bottle I'd been drinking out of is the artificial stuff. Glad my last bottle is natural.

eGullet is great, you've got all the big names there; people like Audrey Saunders pop in and drop recipes, it's awesome.

Gee Willikers make aviations!

Yeah, Aviations and Blue Moons are all the same basic drink, some have maraschino, some have violette, some have both. I need tastier lemons if I'm gonna make something truly divine. Thanks for linking to that thread, though, seems you're all well-versed in this stuff

I've lost my taste for maraschino; come summer I'm gonna buy that chartreuse and start making Last Words to get myself back into it. I also ran out of Plymouth gin and I have no cheap source for it anymore. Any ideas besides the Tanqueray/Bombay/Beefeater trio?

by **Azrael** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:44 pm UTC

Matt wrote:I also ran out of Plymouth gin and I have no cheap source for it anymore. Any ideas besides the Tanqueray/Bombay/Beefeater trio?

Your sig says you're from MA. Where? There are places you can buy Plymouth in the $20-22/750ml range

psykx wrote:pink gin with lemonade is damm good. I have seen many different recipes for margaritas but here is mine only differing from the original 1948 margarita with the type of tequila
1/2 a muddled lime
1part cointreau (not any other triple sec)
1part jose tequila gold

I love how particular your are about only using Cointreau ... but then call out crap tequila.

by **Matt** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:46 am UTC

Azrael wrote:Your sig says you're from MA. Where? There are places you can buy Plymouth in the $20-22/750ml range

Oh, I know it's out there, it's just no longer a minute out of my way and I'm busy these days. Not to mention, when I say my previous source was "cheap", I mean 14 bucks a fifth cheap. I'm about a half hour from Boston, I need to get up to Brix and Marty's and stuff more often. Lord knows the last two times I've been to Eastern Standard to grab a bottle of Peychaud's bitters with my drink they've been out. More gins to try are always welcome.

I love how particular your are about only using Cointreau ... but then call out crap tequila.

Amen, agreed, and seconded. Sauza just expanded the Hornitos line to include blanco and anejo 100% agave tequilas, I hope it helps people forego the mixed crud entirely now that there's a relatively cheap alternative

by **Girl™** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:46 am UTC

I just popped in to say I <3 you guys.

If anyone has a hard time coming across Peychaud's, I'd be happy to send you some. It's in every liquor and grocery store here. It actually took me a little while to realize that Angostura existed. And that concludes the only good thing about this state and drinking.

by **Azrael** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:19 pm UTC

Matt wrote:
Azrael wrote:Your sig says you're from MA. Where? There are places you can buy Plymouth in the $20-22/750ml range
Not to mention, when I say my previous source was "cheap", I mean 14 bucks a fifth cheap.

$14? That's just not fair.

Anyhoo, I went by Brix on Broad St on Saturday around 2:30pm. They were closed. I was not a happy panda. It never even occurred to me to check to make sure they were open on Saturdays.

Also: Marconi Wireless is sorta lame with regular Laird's. I think it needs the 100 proof bonded stuff.

by **Belial** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:24 pm UTC

Matt wrote:I also ran out of Plymouth gin and I have no cheap source for it anymore. Any ideas besides the Tanqueray/Bombay/Beefeater trio?

Girl seems to enjoy Hendricks pretty thoroughly....

Also, the other...with the little bowler hat on the top of the bottle...drawing a blank...

by **22/7** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:50 pm UTC

I can only assume you mean Broker's.

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