Not drinking yet, but will be in a few weeks. We made 2 qts of cherry infused grappa from a "recipe" on Babbo's website. Really simple if you're interested- http://www.babbonyc.com/dolci.html

jvalentino wrote:Not drinking yet, but will be in a few weeks. We made 2 qts of cherry infused grappa from a "recipe" on Babbo's website. Really simple if you're interested- http://www.babbonyc.com/dolci.html

Oh baby! I know what I'm making on Wed...look out GNI gals....

Homemade agua fresca de sandia.

Recently made a batch of cucumber infused vodka. The process couldn't be simpler:

1) Peel, seed and dice 2 hothouse cucumbers
2) Procure 1.75L of your favorite vodka (I like Sobieski for this, great price point, great quality)
3) Combine in a sealable, but not necessarily water tight, container

Stash it in a cool, dark place for 10-14 days. Much longer, and it'll start to turn bitter. The finished product was combined with Zing Zang for the Best Damn Bloody Marys In The World(TM). I used to hate Bloody Marys... now they hold a high place in my list of "Drinks that won't get you funny looks if ordered before noon".

The reason the plate in happy_stomach's pic in Best Thing I've Eaten Lately looks like it was plated by GWiv's drunken monkey...

1st:
Gazpacho—muddled tomato, cucumber, juice of a lime, 3 oz canned garden tomatoes and juice, celery leaves, fresh jalapeno, pickled chilis, garlic chive, cilantro, basil, a few drops of homemade hot sauce, sea salt and fresh ground pepper; shake with 2 oz vodka p/p, strain into martini glass, garnish with sungold tomato, cuke slice and pickled chili slice.

2nd:
Plum Chutney Punch—infuse simple syrup with plums, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger; muddle mint and juice of a lime, add syrup and 2 oz white rum p/p, shake well, serve up topped with sparkling water; garnish with plum and mint.

3rd:
Summer Sazerac—Rye, simple syrup, lemon juice, cherry bitters—shake, serve over ice topped with sparkling water, garnished with lemon peel and cherries.

A So. Cal friend asked me to find him some 3 Floyds Moloko milk stout I found it!
It was released today (had to wait for the beer guy to enter it into the computer so I could get it to rung up)

super dark stout, very mellow tons of body and coffee / chocolate
2 for me and three for him.

moloko was actually available at the brewpub in mid-late july. glad to hear you like it.. a friend picked up a bottle for us, but we haven't had a chance to collect it yet.

Whenever I hear about Moloko, I can't help but think of Mindy Segal's appearance on Martha Stewart from a few years back. Mindy was using Moloko in her dessert and Martha was curious about what it was and how it tasted. Martha being Martha, she just picked up the bomber and took one hell of a swig. Hardly what I would have expected, and yet, classic Martha!

Also, fans of rye stouts should head to the Lincoln Park Whole Foods. They currently have the Bells' Rye Stout on tap. Not as much rye flavor as in Revolution's Repo Man, but it's still worthwhile.

gleam wrote:moloko was actually available at the brewpub in mid-late july. glad to hear you like it.. a friend picked up a bottle for us, but we haven't had a chance to collect it yet.

That's great but it hit the retail stores in the 'burbs today... The guy had to unpack it and add it to the POS computer before I could buy it....

Such a good beer, very smooth for a fresh barrel aged stout.

After rounds @ Rips & Lenutis in Ladd, IL.

my first whiskey old fashioned @ Cherry Supper Club last night.

liked it alot.

File this under what I will be drinking. Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild just posted the program for this year's Great Taste of the Midwest. Like Christmas Eve for beer geeks...

That's a one-day event?! Holy crap.

At the risk of being overly snarky, Goose Island really should hire a copy editor -- Greg Hall is not the brewmaster anymore and if they're going to change Scully to Gillian, they should use a 'find and replace'. Maybe I'm just annoyed at Goose that they consistently save limited/rare releases for festivals and 'tap invasion' events. I know that's a common practice among many breweries but when some of the best beers Goose makes are also next to impossible to find (ie. Scully or Gillian... or whatever they decide to call it), it's hard to muster much enthusiasm. Even Three Floyds sends out random kegs every now and then (like Shark Pants at SmallBar or Chocolate City at Twisted Spoke a few months back).

My last bottle of Old English Porter from New Glarus' Unplugged Series. Man is this tart--but still some pleasant roasted notes. I'll probably kill my last Enigma, too. Hoping to catch some remaining Stone Soup with my second visit to the brewery on Sunday, plus whatever R&D/odd stuff they have...

While at a conference in Orlando (in August? who schedules these things?) I tried one of the signature cocktails at Todd English's Bluezoo (in WDW Dolphin Hotel). I was a little leery initially but figured I'd give it a try - and was very pleasantly surprised.

Base is Herradura Blanco (which is what swayed me to try it as I like this straight for sipping), with some Grand Marnier, agave nectar, and orange juice (and perhaps other things). The drink is finished with an orange wedge that's been coated with some type of sugar and doused with alcohol so that it can be "bruleed" while it straddles the top of the glass. The drink is brought to the table aflame (which is why I have no picture, the flame killed my 4G's autofocus and I wasn't going to fuss) and the sugars (and some of the OJ) caramelize and then drip down into the drink. Once the flame's out and the wedge is cool enough to handle you give a quick squeeze and drop it into the drink.

Yeah, gimmicky as all get out - but it really worked. Very tasty. Enough so that the next night we stopped off just to hit the bar and have another (previous night was dinner). I'll be trying to see if I can pull together an approximation of this for home use (for early in the night as I fear later hours attempts might involve visits from CFD).

I brought back a Stone Russian Imperial Stout after visiting Stone in Escondido recently. Tried it last night. It was thick, rich and heavy, but without the added nuances I get from Three Floyds Dark Lord or Goose's Bourbon County Stout. Disappointed.

I know we were talking about the Small Animal Bird Machine from Half Acre/Pipeworks/De Struise, so I figured I should pass this on:

In Your Guts - Bottle Boom
We've heard of two instances where a bottle of Small Animal Big Machine has blown. We want to give anyone a heads up that if they still have a bottle or two, they should be kept cold. We don't think you have to wear artillery armor in your house, just be aware that warm environments could be an issue and this has happened.

Should your bottle have an issue, then take a photo, get a hold of us and we'll make it right.

Half Acre Beer Co
Chicago, IL

If anyone was fortunate enough to grab a one or two extra bottles of Galactic Double Daisy Cutter yesterday, and would be interested in either trading or selling them to me I'd be very grateful. I was hoping to be able to grab some today, but it's sold out already.

I have some New Glarus Belgian Red, Raspberry Tart or Cran-bic as well as other stuff that might be of interest. PM me if you'd like to try to work something out.

Just had a 3Fs Thick White Freeks at Division Small Bar...pretty good, not getting great reviews on the web, but who really cares?

Thick White Freeks

SSDD

Zombie Dust, Clark Street Ale House, just tapped. Similar strength as Alpha King but less assertive/bitter and with a sweeter aroma (almost Dreadnaught-lite). I suspect I'll never be able to pick up 6-packs, only since they will fly off the shelves faster than I'll be able to buy them. Worthy of the hype? Maybe. Probably. I enjoy it much more than I did the bomber of Gallactic Double Daisy Cutter I was able to get from a friend.

Similar nose (though I know the hops are different) but with a superior body and finish. With GDDC, it smelled great, tasted good but finished weak. I know I've railed against Half Acre before for the body and finish of their beer and this one was the same. If they started selling it again tomorrow, I wouldn't make the trek.

Bud light @ horseshoe league

phatphingers like tapppytalk

danimalarkey wrote:Zombie Dust, Clark Street Ale House, just tapped. Similar strength as Alpha King but less assertive/bitter and with a sweeter aroma (almost Dreadnaught-lite). I suspect I'll never be able to pick up 6-packs, only since they will fly off the shelves faster than I'll be able to buy them. Worthy of the hype? Maybe. Probably. I enjoy it much more than I did the bomber of Gallactic Double Daisy Cutter I was able to get from a friend.

Similar nose (though I know the hops are different) but with a superior body and finish. With GDDC, it smelled great, tasted good but finished weak. I know I've railed against Half Acre before for the body and finish of their beer and this one was the same. If they started selling it again tomorrow, I wouldn't make the trek.

Funny. I was there tonight as well and had my first Zombie Dust (at least I think so, may have had a similar 3F beer under a different name previously). Really enjoyed this and, while I suspect I will have a hard time finding 6 packs as well, will definitely be keeping my eye out. And Dan, I have similar complaints about Half Acre (although I enjoy Daisy Cutter for what it is, as an easy-drinking grilling beer), and you have made me feel better about missing out on the Galactic Double.

Beth had a bottle of New Glarus Imperial Weizen tonight and liked it a lot. quite alcoholic (9.6%) but without too much of a boozy finish. very citrusy and wheaty.

I was at City Provisions tonight, and had their just-released Kirsch Von Blücher (described as "a sweet cherry dunkel weiss" beer) - a collaboration between Cleetus Friedman and Flossmoor Station. It wasn't particularly sweet, but the cherry flavor evoked images of sweetness, if that makes any sense. Also had toasty, caramel notes - fairly complex. Only 15 bbl made, and only served on tap at Flossmoor Station and City Provisions.

Flossmoor Station
1035 Sterling Avenue
Flossmoor, IL 60422-1252
(708) 957-2739

City Provisions
1820 West Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 293-2489

Kman wrote:While at a conference in Orlando (in August? who schedules these things?) I tried one of the signature cocktails at Todd English's Bluezoo (in WDW Dolphin Hotel). I was a little leery initially but figured I'd give it a try - and was very pleasantly surprised.

Base is Herradura Blanco (which is what swayed me to try it as I like this straight for sipping), with some Grand Marnier, agave nectar, and orange juice (and perhaps other things). The drink is finished with an orange wedge that's been coated with some type of sugar and doused with alcohol so that it can be "bruleed" while it straddles the top of the glass. The drink is brought to the table aflame (which is why I have no picture, the flame killed my 4G's autofocus and I wasn't going to fuss) and the sugars (and some of the OJ) caramelize and then drip down into the drink. Once the flame's out and the wedge is cool enough to handle you give a quick squeeze and drop it into the drink.

Yeah, gimmicky as all get out - but it really worked. Very tasty. Enough so that the next night we stopped off just to hit the bar and have another (previous night was dinner). I'll be trying to see if I can pull together an approximation of this for home use (for early in the night as I fear later hours attempts might involve visits from CFD).

that doesn't sound gimmicky -- its just a well thought out drink. well done, sounds delicious.

5 (ish) weeks later from my post upthread... we opened a quart of the cherry infused grappa for a pre-lunch apperitivo-



cin cin!

New Glarus' Unplugged Imperial Weizen. A fine quaff--still pretty traditional profile overall, but with a nice over-the-top American component, namely lots of booze.

when I have been drinking alcohol(pretty much quit drinking) its been a few beers from New Glarus, a couple only available @ the brewery.

Rehab is for quitters!

But that does sound like a nice plan.

I had a NG Moon Man last night great stuff.

mhill95149 wrote:Rehab is for quitters!

But that does sound like a nice plan.

I had a NG Moon Man last night great stuff.

lol, I should have wrote "cut back immensly" vs quitting. I just have a few on the weekends nowdays vs everyday.

Moon Man & the Totally Naked were 2 of my favorites from the Tap Room @ NG as well.