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

This got me thinking about Rye and Amaro, so tonight I made:

2 parts Rittenhouse 100
2 parts Amaro Ramazzotti
1 part Punt e Mes
Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters
A couple of homemade brandied cherries

Good stuff. Rye and amaro is definitely a winning combination!

-Dan

kl1191 wrote:If you're still in Colorado Springs, I'd recommend a trip down to Vintages Wine & Spirits for some Leopold Bros. products...amazing micro-distillery out of Colorado. They make the best American-style Gin I've ever tasted, and their Cranberry Liqueur won best fruit liqueur at the 2009 SF World Spirits Competition.

I never managed to make it over there but I remembered what you posted and picked up a bottle of their apple whiskey at my local Binny's, when I just happened to see it on the shelf there last week. All I can say is Wow! You weren't exaggerating. Amazing stuff, with the most intensely distinctive apple note imaginable . . .


Leopold Bros. New York Apple flavored whiskey, 1 large rock

Thanks, kl. You've managed to, yet again, steer me to something wonderful.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

kl1191 wrote:If you're still in Colorado Springs, I'd recommend a trip down to Vintages Wine & Spirits for some Leopold Bros. products...amazing micro-distillery out of Colorado. They make the best American-style Gin I've ever tasted, and their Cranberry Liqueur won best fruit liqueur at the 2009 SF World Spirits Competition.

I never managed to make it over there but I remembered what you posted and picked up a bottle of their apple whiskey at my local Binny's, when I just happened to see it on the shelf there last week. All I can say is Wow! You weren't exaggerating. Amazing stuff, with the most intensely distinctive apple note imaginable . . .

Thanks, kl. You've managed to, yet again, steer me to something wonderful.

=R=

Very glad you like it...I've never tried the apple, but I do have a bottle of the peach. That's a touch too syrupy to want to drink straight, but it's great for mixing in classic recipes where peach brandy is called for. Their gin is still my all-time favorite, and their absinthe is very highly regarded. They're doing things right out there in Denver, and I'm thankful that the products are once again available locally (Leopold Bros. had a very brief availability with Sam's just before it was acquired, then disappeared from IL until a few months ago).

kl1191 wrote:Very glad you like it...I've never tried the apple, but I do have a bottle of the peach. That's a touch too syrupy to want to drink straight, but it's great for mixing in classic recipes where peach brandy is called for. Their gin is still my all-time favorite, and their absinthe is very highly regarded. They're doing things right out there in Denver, and I'm thankful that the products are once again available locally (Leopold Bros. had a very brief availability with Sam's just before it was acquired, then disappeared from IL until a few months ago).

The apple was definitely sweet but it was also acidic, so it had a nice balance and was a perfect after dinner sipper. I liked how it changed as the large ice form slowly melted. A couple weeks ago, I had it in a cocktail at a local bar but the bartender kind of killed it by expressing quite a bit of orange oil atop the drink, which really masked the apple flavor and aroma. I'll definitely be experimenting with it on my own.

Thanks again,

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:A couple weeks ago, I had it in a cocktail at a local bar but the bartender kind of killed it by expressing quite a bit of orange oil atop the drink, which really masked the apple flavor and aroma.

The apples & oranges thing can really be quite nice (Laird's Bonded Applejack and Angostura Orange Bitters sometimes seem made for each other), but with something like this, which I'm assuming is quite a bit more delicate...80 proof is it?, I'd imagine the margin for error is considerably smaller.

A hot cup of home-roasted coffee, brewed in Llama's new Technivorm Moccamaster. Coffee nirvana. Cleaner than you could hope for out of a french press, but with that level of richness of flavor. I had a cup of this same roast via traditional drip this morning, and the difference is striking. Much less acidic, but still bright on the tongue; less bitter, and yet still deep and complex. This is a great coffee to begin with, but this coffee pot made all the difference in the world. In a word: ahhuuughohthat'sthestuff!

kl1191 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:A couple weeks ago, I had it in a cocktail at a local bar but the bartender kind of killed it by expressing quite a bit of orange oil atop the drink, which really masked the apple flavor and aroma.

The apples & oranges thing can really be quite nice (Laird's Bonded Applejack and Angostura Orange Bitters sometimes seem made for each other), but with something like this, which I'm assuming is quite a bit more delicate...80 proof is it?, I'd imagine the margin for error is considerably smaller.

Yeah, 80 proof. I just couldn't really taste the apple at all in that cocktail because the orange was so overwhelming, though I agree that there's nothing innately wrong with the combination.

I just started off my evening with something fairly basic; a modified Manhattan:

1 ounce Leopold Bros. Apple Whiskey
1.5 ounces Rittenhouse 100
.5 ounce of CAF
7 drops of Velvet Tango Room bitters floated
Serve over large ice form.

I definitely like the way the apple comes through but it's a bit too sweet for my mood. I'll tweak it when I get to the next round.

=R=

Watching Top Chef with a Gin & Tonic right now. It's more of a summer drink, but it's so darn warm outside I couldn't help myself

I also went with something that seemed a bit more suited for warm weather...packing to head to Mexico this weekend.

2 oz Inner Circle Blue Dot Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Bittercube Orange Liqueur

Shaken and strained into a coupe rinsed with Bittercube Jamaican Bitters. It's a daiquirita...a marguiri...let's call it a rum daisy.

Had the Rare at the tail end of a poker game on Saturday night WOW this is a heck of a glass of beer.
I think I spent about two hours drinking this with a friend. I had poured it for four still in the game
but one of the guys must not have liked it as his glass sat mostly untouched till he left
(we quickly divided up his pour)
I tasted the BCS Rare at release and it has mellowed a bit since then and I can see this getting better
but why wait?

Bought a 4 pk of the Pepe Nero and I think that will be my only purchase...
I'd like more sour and more funk in this style of beer.

Wild Turkey; easy rocks @ Beacon Pub in Forest Park.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote: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)

Just screwing around, I riffed off of =R='s attempted recreation...

1.5 oz Appleton 12
1.5 oz Smith & Cross
.75 oz Carpano Antica
.5 oz Averna
Bittercube Jamaican #1 bitters

Don't know what to call it, but not bad. Not bad at all.
--Rich

Meant to post this the other day. Inspiration was a lone honeycrisp apple sitting in a bowl on my counter and 3 thirsty women eyeing me warily...

muddled apple and celery cubes
2 oz Weller 7 year Special Reserve bourbon
1/2 ounce Cognac Frapin VSOP
squeeze of lemon juice
tsp honey
dash of Agnostura bitters
shaken with ice and served on the rocks with a sliver of apple and celery garnish

mmmmm.....

Fell in love with Lagunitas' Lil' Sumpin' last night at Skylark. The man behind the bar described it as "Gumballhead on steroids" because of the 7.5 % alcohol content, and said it will sort of "sneak up on you." He was right, but it was so easily quaffable I didn't quite believe it at first.

alisonmackenzie wrote:Fell in love with Lagunitas' Lil' Sumpin' last night at Skylark. The man behind the bar described it as "Gumballhead on steroids" because of the 7.5 % alcohol content, and said it will sort of "sneak up on you." He was right, but it was so easily quaffable I didn't quite believe it at first.

It's actually called Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin', and I agree it is . . . Sumpin'!

I note the distinction only because they do seasonal varieties on this such as Lil' Sumpin' Wild.

A Bitter Rita:

2 oz El Jimador Reposado ($9/liter in Puerto Vallarta...the steal of the century)
1 oz Orange Liqueur (Bittercube, but use whatever and throw in a dash or two of orange bitters)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cynar
Salted rim (Blis Fleur de Sel...because the shape of canister told me I had to)



I have been playing around a lot with Cynar and citrus since having a terrific branzino preparation that involved capers and grapefruit at Piccolo Sogno a few months ago. I'm not normally for the salted rim, but salt and Cynar also seem to be a frequent pairing. This turned out really good. The salting was ridiculous heavy...only needed maybe an 1/8th of that amount, but thankfully it's on the outside of the glass, so I could avoid consuming most of it.

Ronna and I are enjoying a Haandbryggeriet Farewell Ale and a
Mikkeller It's Alive! at Small Bar Fullerton's one year anniversary shindig.

The Farewell Ale is some weird, wild stuff. I've never had a beer taste more like bacon than this one. Smokey, peppery bacon. Good stuff.

--Rich

P. Channon wrote:Watching Top Chef with a Gin & Tonic right now. It's more of a summer drink, but it's so darn warm outside I couldn't help myself

Well if Bourdain's claims that there are tumblers of Gin and Tonic underneath the judge's table are true, then that's a pretty appropriate choice of beverage for TC watching.

alisonmackenzie wrote:Fell in love with Lagunitas' Lil' Sumpin' last night at Skylark. The man behind the bar described it as "Gumballhead on steroids" because of the 7.5 % alcohol content, and said it will sort of "sneak up on you." He was right, but it was so easily quaffable I didn't quite believe it at first.

I agree, it's a damn good beer. I'm currently enjoying some Two Brothers Cane and Ebel.

last night enjoyed some Jim Beam before stops at Big Jones, In Fine Spirits & then back to Big Jones.

Really liked the winter sazerac I had @ Big Jones, as well as a couple Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned's @ In Fine Spirits. Finished off the night with a couple bottles @ PBR back @ Big Jones for supper.

Before heading to the Hawks game, I enjoyed a preview of a drink likely to appear on the Violet Hour's spring menu...

Wild Turkey Rye, Cynar, Carpano Antica and Cardamaro (an ingredient new to me, which on its own displays some of the best elements of both Cynar and Antica, so was right at home in this drink). I wouldn't be surprised if it was tweaked to include a touch more rye or bit more citrus than the orange oil garnish if/when it shows up on the menu, but it was definitely a winner.

Drinking a Hair of the Dog Adam, batch 75. Not sure how old it is, I think it's from like October 2009, but I'm not sure. Pretty complex flavor. Dark fruits, oak, a little bit of smoke and a bunch of booziness. Definitely still a sipper.

Mules
- 1 ginger beer (cock and bull brand)
- 2 shots of vodka
- half a lime squeezed and dropped in
- two mint leaves
- splash of bitters
- rocks (stirred)

A Creole Cocktail, one of my favorite classics and entirely appropriate for lundi gras...

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (I used 2010 Thomas Handy @ 127 proof, so I cut the volume back just a touch...50:50 Rittenhouse & Overholt makes a terrific version)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (I prefer Punt e Mes)
3 dashes Benedictine (used 1/6 oz to stand up to the bolder rye and vermouth)
3 dashes Amer Picon (again 1/6 oz, of the Violet Hour's house made Picon, which I prefer to the real deal in this drink)

Stir over ice and strain, garnish with a lemon twist.

If Amer Picon was still readily available, this drink would be everywhere. Sadly, it's not. I hear Ben Schiller has a supply at the moment...or, he did this weekend. The Creole is one definitely worth seeking out if you like bitter, brown and stirred.

A friend of a friend brought a growler of Three Floyds "Zombie Dust" back into Chicago and I was fortunate enough to sample it. Wow. Really one of the best beers I've had in some time. Very fragrant Citra hops wake up your nose and then the bright orange & piney taste wakes up your mouth. I'd love to be able to have this bottled for home consumption or somewhere on draft in Chicago. Beer like this makes me actually consider making the drive to Munster.

Yeah, I had some of the Zombie Dust Saturday with JimTheBeerGuy, Mincy Bits, Llama, and a few others at the brewery in Munster. Great stuff. Makes me want to make a super-hoppy beer here myself, at Boilover Brewery.

India Barleywine by O'Dell.
http://odellbrewing.com/beers/india-barleywine

A (very) generous and kind friend of mine invited me to share this Single Serve Series beauty from Odell that his benevolent brother sent him in a care package from Colorado. India has the hoppy flavor profile of an Imperial IPA and the mouthfeel, maltiness and deep-note funk of a barleywine.

I loved it. Thank you, my good friend!

Davooda

O'Dell puts out some great beer, wish they made it to this market. Stopped by there last summer and tried everything they had on tap--I also was lucky enough to be there when a group of beer bloggers were there, made friends with them and got to try some of the big beers O'Dell had busted out of the cellar for them. If you can ever get your hands on one of their Woodcut series beers, I recommend it. I bought a bottle of Woodcut No. 3 to bring home but it's already long gone. I also recommend their Saboteur, which is a strong English-style brown ale that gets an additional funky Belgian-style sour fermentation before being aged in oak barrels. One hell of a beer.

I have also enjoyed most things I've tried from Odell. Their IPA is top notch. Bourbon Barrel Stout is a pretty good version. I also like the India Barleywine quite a bit. I still have a bottle of Woodcut No. 3 in my cellar.

kl1191 wrote:Cardamaro (an ingredient new to me, which on its own displays some of the best elements of both Cynar and Antica, so was right at home in this drink).

It's delicious stuff and just starting to pop up around Chicago. I started my evening on Friday at The Whistler with a chilled glass of the stuff - the first time I've found it since I first tried it last fall at Dram in Brooklyn. Binny's still claims that they can't get it, but clearly some distributor is bringing it in to town.

Speaking of amaro, I'm currently enjoying an Amaro Ramazzotti Boulevardier. Good stuff, but next time I'll try a more bitter amaro, or cut back on the vermouth.

-Dan

dansch wrote:It's delicious stuff and just starting to pop up around Chicago. I started my evening on Friday at The Whistler with a chilled glass of the stuff - the first time I've found it since I first tried it last fall at Dram in Brooklyn.

Funny, I was sitting at the end of the bar on Friday when Paul came out with the bottle of Cardamaro...he mentioned someone wanting a glass of it straight. It's certainly an interesting and tasty product. I got to sample a couple things new to me that night. The Cocchi Barolo Chinato from Haus Alpenz is fantastic stuff, funky vinegar nose and very complex flavor, would love to get some to play around with in place of vermouth. The Bitter Truth's "Kräuter Liqueur" E**X**R was something of a one trick pony, sadly...reminds me a bit of Gran Classico Bitter, but nothing I'll be running out to buy. The new Bulleit rye is quite nice, but the star of the show was the Willet 3 year rye. It's bottled at cask strength but still a much more pleasant sipper than the Bulleit.

Tonight I had a watery Manhattan at In Fine Spirits