I had an interesting cocktail tonight: the Bushwick Spice Trader.
2 slices fresh ginger
2 cane sugar cubes
1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1 1/2 ounce lemon juice
2 basil leaves
3 ounces gin
Muddle everything but the gin in the small end of a Boston shaker. Add the gin, and top with plenty of ice. Shake like the dickens for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Tonight I went with:
2 ounces Elijah Craig
1 ounce syrup
2 dashes of bitters
Smoked with apple wood and orange peel on top.

When the weather is cold. I enjoy a whiskey punch or hot toddy:

2 oz. Irish whiskey (or scotch or Canadian or ...)
A lemon slice
Cloves
Honey or sugar or simple syrup
Boiling water

Push the cloves into the lemon slice and put in a mug. Pour in whiskey and sweetener, then add hot water to fill. Stir and enjoy.

If you're looking for a book on drinks that isn't just a barkeepers guide with recipes, check out "Everyday Drinking" by Kingsley Amis. It's a mix of his different works, and it is as entertaining as it is informative.

https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Drinking-Distilled-Kingsley-Amis/dp/1596916281

It's very good. The Wild Turkey it the proof it needs to be a proper Old Fashioned, and Four Roses gives it a floral note

Any St Patrick's days cocktail ideas?

Sazerac said:

---

Any St Patrick's days cocktail ideas?

---

Jameson and Ginger - 1 part Irish Whiskey, 2 parts ginger ale or ginger beer, squeeze of lime.

Or just RedBreast 12 year neat.

Been enjoying some Gold Rushes tonight... with a "Regal Shake".

https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/gold-rush-recipe-bourbon-whiskey-sour-cocktail-honey-1234590351/

Do you have a Sweet Vermouth recommendation for making a Vieux Carre?

Don't want a wild goose chase but something easy to find that's not trash. Also, how long can I expect Vermouth to stay good for if refrigerated after opening? I never keep it around the house because it always goes bad on me- I don't make cocktails often. Will try to use it up this time.

Thanks in advance.

CactusThomas said:

---

Do you have a Sweet Vermouth recommendation for making a Vieux Carre?

Don't want a wild goose chase but something easy to find that's not trash. Also, how long can I expect Vermouth to stay good for if refrigerated after opening? I never keep it around the house because it always goes bad on me- I don't make cocktails often. Will try to use it up this time.

Thanks in advance.

---

I use Carpano Antica Formula

Thanks for that

This is high dollar stuff. Really good but really spicy and can be over powering. I've been mixing it with Dolin, or just using Dolin in many cases for things like Manhattans.

It should be refrigerated like wine.

I like to bulk mix 3x 750ml of manhattans at a time to use up all the vermouth , put in screw top wine bottles, and keep refrigerated.

txam92 said:

---

CactusThomas said:

---

Do you have a Sweet Vermouth recommendation for making a Vieux Carre?

Don't want a wild goose chase but something easy to find that's not trash. Also, how long can I expect Vermouth to stay good for if refrigerated after opening? I never keep it around the house because it always goes bad on me- I don't make cocktails often. Will try to use it up this time.

Thanks in advance.

---

I use Carpano Antica Formula

---

This.

Sazerac said:

---

I like to bulk mix 3x 750ml of manhattans at a time to use up all the vermouth , put in screw top wine bottles, and keep refrigerated.

---

Not a bad idea if you have the fridge space (I don't). I wonder how they'd do as a barrel aged cocktail. Of course you could sub the Vermouth for Cynar which I find has Vermouth like qualities.

SAZARAC... is originally from New Orleans, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz Rye whiskey or Cognac, 1/4 oz Absinthe, One sugar cube, Three dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Prep: Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and set it aside. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Add the Lemon peel for garnish.

Served: Straight up; without ice in an Old Fashioned glass
Garnish: Lemon peel

No lemon peel garnish. You are supposed to just rub the peel on the rim and discard. And I personally like to use orange instead of lemon.

Yes, username checks out

CactusThomas said:

---

Do you have a Sweet Vermouth recommendation for making a Vieux Carre?

Don't want a wild goose chase but something easy to find that's not trash. Also, how long can I expect Vermouth to stay good for if refrigerated after opening? I never keep it around the house because it always goes bad on me- I don't make cocktails often. Will try to use it up this time.

Thanks in advance.

---

Cocchi vermouth di Torino is also a good one. Keep refrigerated and or pressure sealed.

Thanks. I went with the Carpano Antica Formula and it worked well for me but I needed to reduce the amount in my recipe slightly. First round tasted too much like vermouth.

I understand vermouth needs to be refrigerated but do you know how long it will be good for?

FbgTxAg said:

---

I believe I make the best margarita. Period. But it takes time.

Fist you have to make the juice - Juice 10 limes, 1 lemon, 1 small orange, along with 2 oz of agave nectar. Mix well.

3 oz Altos Reposado (or better, but this is great, affordable margarita tequila)
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Brandy or Cognac
4 oz of the mix.

Shake vigorously in shaker with ice, and pour over ice. No salt. Makes 2 damn fine margaritas.

---

I know this is an older post but I recently read about orange liqueur for a baking recipe that called for it and I wonder how you settled on Cointreau in this recipe. Have you ever tried it with Grand Marnier instead? My understanding is that Cointreau is a neutral spirit base and GM is a Cognac base. Considering your recipe also calls for cognac maybe that would be overpowering but I was curious about if you had experimented.

CactusThomas said:

---

Thanks. I went with the Carpano Antica Formula and it worked well for me but I needed to reduce the amount in my recipe slightly. First round tasted too much like vermouth.

I understand vermouth needs to be refrigerated but do you know how long it will be good for?

---

I had to play with my recipe as well. I usually dialed back the vermouth a little less than the cognac and bourbon (original recipe I saw was equal parts of each). I also dialed back the Benedictine too. The bourbon/rye you pick will change how you balance it too.

Play games with the garnish too. I have a Manhattan style, where I add a Luxardo cherry. I also have a version where I burn the outside of the lemon peel (not charcoal but heat it up) and put it in the drink.

CactusThomas said:

---

Thanks. I went with the Carpano Antica Formula and it worked well for me but I needed to reduce the amount in my recipe slightly. First round tasted too much like vermouth.

I understand vermouth needs to be refrigerated but do you know how long it will be good for?

---

When it starts smelling like gym socks it's time to pour it down the drain. The only dislike for me with antica is I could only find it in giant bottles.

I was able to get a 375 at total wine.

Thought this was good enough to repost from another thread...

one MEEN Ag said:

---

Margaritas.

Buy nice blanco tequila (at least Hornitos). Go cheap on the triple sec, and buy a huge huge bag of limes. Throw those bottles in the freezer, cut and squeeze the lime juice. Make simple syrup on the stove (2 cups sugar to 1 cup water). Get the simple syrup cooled down in the fridge. Mix up 2 parts tequila to 1 part triple sec, 3 parts simple syrup, and 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix and pour over a cup loaded down with ice. This recipe anticipates needing some of the ice to melt and dilute your sugar/liquor because nobody has the time to have prechilled liquor and cooled simple syrup. That margarita will be slightly sweet, without any alcohol flavor, and will have a nice fresh punch to it. Your women will suck that down. I've also had good success on dicing jalapenos up and throwing them into the simple syrup when its on the stove. Pull the peppers out after 30 minutes and strain. Its a nice kick at the end of the marg.

---

In a pinch Tommy's Marg (3-2-1) is almost/just as good and is much faster using agave nectar and no Cointreau/GM. With the $/time you save, splurge and use Don Julio blanco.

CactusThomas said:

---

I was able to get a 375 at total wine.

---

Yep. I only buy the smaller ones. WB also carries them.

Here's my contribution for Cinco de Mayo...A quick and dirty 2 ingredient Paloma... fill a glass with ice then add blanco tequila (~2 oz) and top with Squirt soda. Squeeze some lime over the top if you feel the need.

I mixed up a few Jungle Birds this weekend. It may replace the Painkiller as my go-to tiki cocktail. I used this recipe and highly recommend.

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/jungle-bird/

It's a ****ing badass Tiki cocktail!!! Glad you enjoyed!

So I went out with a group of friends (all married couples) Saturday night. We went to a Mexican Restaurant in Cedar Park called Santa Catarina. The food is ok... nothing special. I do like their Cochinita Pibil and the Relleno en Nogada. Anyway...I digress... the ladies were all ordering this drink called a Piña Colada Martini (basically a shaken Piña Colada). They knew I was into cocktails so they're all turning to me asking me to figure out the recipe. I like a good challenge so I gave it a go tonight. I started with what the menu listed:
"Cruzan Coconut Rum (my brother used to work on St. Croix but that's another story), Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Juice...Garnish with Toasted Coconut".

Knowing this I started mixing various iterations until I came up with something I was happy with. I didn't use Coconut juice instead electing to use Coconut water.
2 parts rum (I went with a 1:1 light and dark vs. just a Coconut Rum)
1 part each of everything else (Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk, Pineapple Juice) with the exception of the Coconut water which was a half part.

Good to see all the Vieux Carre love on here. It and the Sazerac are my go to. What are y'all using for Benedictine and cognac that aren't horribly expensive?

I like Old OverHolt's and Sazerac rye for a good cocktail mixer but am a bit lost on the more of the beaten path members of this ensemble.

Lester Freamon said:

---

Good to see all the Vieux Carre love on here. It and the Sazerac are my go to. What are y'all using for Benedictine and cognac that aren't horribly expensive?

---

To me it is the best cocktail.
I use whatever I have around that I normally drink neat. Some of my favorites are Courvoisier VSOP, Remy 1738 and Martell Blue Swift.

That Blue Swift is excellent and works great with bourbon instead of rye. I normally use rye with the other cognacs.

I've been using this for cocktails calling for cognac. It did the job and wasn't insanely expensive... in the mid to low 30's IIRC.

Made a Basil Gimlet tonight. Not too shabby.
60ml gin
30ml lime juice
22.5ml simple
Saline (extra small pinch of salt)
Lemon bitters (2 dash)
2 large Basil leaves in the shaker and more for garnish after pouring double strained into coupe glass.

Sazerac said:

---

Too good for ounces??

---