Cocktail Basics

"For lunch you can have three martinis,
What better lunch is there than that?
But, caution, do not eat the olives,
'Cause olives make you fat."

-- The Drinking Man's Diet
 
originally posted by Yule Kim:
Plymouth for the gin?

Maybe Hendricks?
Click to expand...
Personally I feel like Hendricks has a little too much personality for anything much more than a G&T, though it is lovely in that.
 
I've never been a cocktail guy, despite the daiquiries my grandmother used to slip me when I was 13. But I saw an interesting recipe the other day: Aquavit, Campari, and grapefruit juice. Dill garnish.
 
For a Gibson/Martini, it depends on what you're looking for. For a very juniper-forward gin, I still like the Anchor Junipero (though I keep hearing how awesome the Botanist is, so if you're in a market that it's been released in, jump on that). If you want something that still tastes like a Martini but isn't quite as pungent, Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength Gin is really fantastic stuff. I'd say it's restrained in an elegant rather than pandering way.

As for the Old Fashioned, if you're going to go with bourbon (over rye) then I'd suggest looking at some of the mid-tier KBD bottlings (Johnny Drum Private Stock or Old Bardstown Estate Bottled) or the WL Weller 12YO if you can find it. All of those should be under $30 and are fantastic on their own. If you choose to add bitters/sugar, the end result will be fantastically tasty, as well. If you're interested in rye as an alternative, Michter's is really nice, as is Russell's Reserve (or Rittenhouse, but it's getting harder to find than Pappy, these days).
 
You're right about the Gibson thing, I suppose. It just seems so arbitrary. We should force either the lemon twist or the olive to bear a different name as well.

Good recs, thanks, keep them coming if people are so inclined. I can get most of these things one way or another. Yes, bourbon.
 
For gin, Monkey 47, naturally.

For Bourbon, I find that Bulleit really scratches and itch at a great price.
 
Bourbon: Woodford Reserve is getting alot of play in my house these days. For an Old Fashioned, I like muddling the cube and bitters with a slice of orange zest.
 
While waiting for proper supplies to be purchased, I cobbled together a couple of Old Fashioneds tonight using a formula loosely derived from Kingsley Amis' recipe from Everyday Drinking.

1 tsp sugar
Enough hot water to dissolve said sugar, but no more

once that is dissolved, add

1 tsp maraschino cherry juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 overflowing shots Bulleitt
1/2 orange less one thin slice, hand squeezed into the mixture

then stir vigorously with a barspoon

add 3 ice cubes

displace them with the thin orange slice, inserted vertically

and top with 1 maraschino cherry.

This is not the purist's version with the muddler, orange peel only, and no cherry, but neither is it the crappy long drink version you get in some bars. It was nice for dessert after asada and al pastor tacos for 5 of may.
 
It is - not sure I've ever used this as an ingredient in anything before, even sundaes. A teaspoon is a small amount though, it mostly seems to complement the bitters. Not trying to defend my heterodox practice here though. I'll try to regain some geek cred with Botanist/Dolin Gibsons next week.
 
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