Hangover finally gone...

Jim beam & abita amber on a sunny 60 degree day watching the pack...

Abita jacamo, a really nice IPA. My favorite of the abita offerings i have tried.

Fixin' to head over to Commander's for a few drinks before the 8 course chefs menu.

Barbancourt 4 year rum stirred with muddled ginger, sugar and lemon on da rocks.

Alot of crafted cocktails, sazeracs, bourbon & Abita. I have to say my visit to Lafitte's for a couple bud's and some bourbon was one of those memorable drinks. Loved the building, especially the history. Gonna do my best to get back tonight.

Not at the moment on back on Monday evening at Sable I had a stellar cocktail made by Mike Ryan . . .

Housemade cinnamon syrup rinse
Wild Turkey Rye (101 proof, iirc)
Green Chartreuse
Housemade Chocolate bitters

I loved this because it was deeply flavorful and aromatic but not sweet at all. It was really a culinary drink and the backnotes and aftertaste reminded me of something I used to eat regularly when I lived in New Orleans, though I couldn't remember exactly what. Mike's bitters were compelling and complex, and they really paired well with the green chartreuse.

He hadn't come up with a name for it yet, so for now I'm referring to it as a Ryan's "Improved" Sazerac.

=R=

In honor of the retirement of "The Minimalist" column I want to make a

Champagne Cocktail
3/4 teaspoon bitters
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce maple syrup
6 ounces Champagne
Twist of lemon.

Stir the bitters, juice and syrup in a flute. When combined, add the Champagne. Squeeze the lemon twist over the top, wipe the rim with it and discard.

Yield: 1 drink.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/dining/26mini.html?ref=theminimalist

Fixin' to hit it hard tonight in nola.... Elmer t. Lee neat, abita light to start...

Then off to the roosevelt hotel, bourbon house, lafitte's etc..... Lovin nola.

Bourbon House in nola has a fantastic selection of bourbons, i believe 63. I sampled 3

A free pour of Black Maple Hills - pretty nice. (free pour as a member of the NOBS).

A wonderful pour of Woodford Reserve Masters Collection - seasoned oak finish. A deep flavored, great liquor

Finished with Buffalo Trace.

Felt like trying to riff and make a cocktail tonight... Here's what I came up with

1.5 Oz Sailor Jerry
.5oz walnut liqueur
.25oz Luxardo Amaro abano
.25oz coffee syrup
1.5oz half and half

It's pretty yummy. It's amazing to me how potent the coffee syrup is.

Too much bourbon has been hurting me lately... Back to basics.. Don julio 1942....

Also enjoying abita amber & jacomo(really reminds me of gumball head).

Last night was a comparison between Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater in 4:1 Martinis using Noilly Prat dry vermouth and a dash of Fee Brothers orange bitters.

So, who was the winner jpreiser? If I had to guess I'd say the Beefeater would come out on top.

Iced soy caramel macchiatos always start my day out right.

-Sam
http://bunchbite.com

KSeecs wrote:So, who was the winner jpreiser? If I had to guess I'd say the Beefeater would come out on top.

Early results do indeed have Beefeater on top. Between the two, to my palate, the flavors just blend better in a martini. More testing is of course needed.

I also recently picked up a bottle of Plymouth gin to try. That will be next. I'm also thinking a similar test will be needed to determine which gin works in G&Ts once I pick up some decent tonic water.

At least I'm all set if the snow being predicted really hits hard.

Here is a challenge for you. Today is the first day of my retirement. If you could mix a drink for me, what would you make for me? My tastes are towards the sweet (and salt), bubbles are nice, I like fruit. Make me something!

Stouts are the name of the game tonight. Starting off with a Tyranena Doubly Down N' Even Dirtier.

Congratulations Razbry!!

I give you: "Retirement is Blizz"

muddled bourbon soaked cherries and fresh mint
2 splashes of Fee Cherry Bitters
2 splashes of Peychauds Bitters
2 oz of Bourbon (best ya got!)
juice from the cherries, to taste
Shake with ice to chill and strain into a coupe glass
Top with an ounce of so of champagne/prosecco
Serve with a single cherry garnish and a sliver of mint

I just made this up so let me know if you like it

Founders Breakfast Stout

Looking outside, a tropical drink seemed appropriate...was thinking a Rhum Agricole Old Fashioned, but it needed a little something more.

Ended up with:

2 1/4 oz Neisson Élevé Sous Bois
2 Barspoons Rich Piloncillo Syrup
2 Barspoons Bittercube Grapefruit Cordial
2 Dashes Bittercube Jamaican Bitters

Stirred over cracked ice and strained onto a large chunk...topped with a couple drops of Bittercube Bolivar Bitters.

Sprecher Czar Brew -- Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout from '09

It's good but a different flavor profile than most barrel aged Imperial Stouts, it isn't in the barrel nearly as long as others, so the flavor is rounded more than pronounced bourbon.

SSDD

boudreaulicious I love it! At least the sound of it. I've got to take it somewhere and have someone make it for me. My own drink...WOW

Goose Island Bourbon County Vanilla. Doesn't get any better after a day like this.

Dueling 'On The Rock' Manhattans . . .


(front) Vya, (back) Carpano Antica Formula. Both with Rittenhouse 100, Velvet Tango Room bitters and homemade cognac'd tart cherries . . .

A great way to warm up after shoveling!

=R=

Just finished a Hendrick's Gin 'martini' with muddled cucumber slice. It was in no-way a martini considering the lack of vermouth, but was still a very nice end to the day at a hotel bar in suburban Minnesota. Literally could not ask for more unless I was at the Bradstreet Crafthouse .

In general I'd assume the formula is:
Generous pour of hendricks (+ 3oz)
marginal pour of simple (1/4+oz)
muddled cucumber

ronnie_suburban, those Manhattans look tasty.

Tonight, for me, it will is Goose Island (Clybourn) Lake Effect Winter Ale, Broad Shoulder Barleywine, and whatever else passes in front of me. A taste of their Special Snead Porter (Chocolate Porter with Black Cat Espresso and Terra Spice Tahitian vanilla bean) makes this a likely dessert beer for the night.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Dueling 'On The Rock' Manhattans . . .

Took your lead, but switched up the ryes instead of the vermouths...both were 2:1 with the 1 being Punt e Mes, both had a dash each of Angostura and Violet Hour Amer Picon. The ryes were Rittenhouse Rare & Van Winkle. Damned if I didn't think I was drinking the best Rob Roy I've ever had while I nursed the Rittenhouse one.

'09 Cuvee Delphine This is a really good beer. I didn't enjoy Black Albert back when I had it a couple of years ago due to the incessant heat it had. Since this is a couple of years old it has really aged nicely. The bourbon is pretty subtle in this.

A white Negroni...

2 oz Tanqueray
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Gentiane des Pères Chartreux (a product of the Carthusian monks, similar to the French aperitif Suze)

Glass rinsed with Bittercube Orange Bitters & garnished with a flamed orange peel.

Can't say this will convert me from the original...though, I do love the Gentiane's lingering bitterness compared to the syrupy notes of Campari.

A Black Manhattan...

2 oz Rittenhouse 100
1 oz Averna
.5 oz Tia Maria
Old Fashioned Bitters
Kick-ass cognac'd cherry

Hat tip to Paul at The Whistler for turning me on to this concoction earlier this week.

--Rich

Trying to recreate a sensational and unnamed cocktail made for me by Paul McGee at the Whistler earlier this week . . .

1.5 ounces El Dorado 12-year
1.5 ounces Smith & Cross
.75 ounces Carpano Antica Formula
.5 ounces Green Chartreuse
Peychaud's Bitters
Stirred with ice, strained and served over 1 big ice form in a rocks glass (bitters floated)

I'm sure I guessed wrong on the proportions (all I know for sure is equal parts El Dorado and S&C) because it doesn't taste as wonderful as the one he made for me. I'll adjust a few of the components on the next round.

=R=