Quote:
Originally Posted by El Diablo
Ao: Thx! I was happy w/ the bitters face I made
Fitz: Fernet is great (we drink it like crazy in SF), but IMO there are better herbal amaros. The two I have on my shelf now are Cynar (similar profile but a little more balanced and not as much of a cloying Jager style sweetness) and Gran Classico (this is just amazing, quite bitter but not as herbal, and a caramel rather than cloying sweetness, I ****ing love Gran Classico in cocktails).
All: Last night, made one of my all-time favorites, the Brooklyn:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2...-vermouth.html
I didn't have Amer Picon, so I did a couple dashes orange bitters and a couple dashes ango.
Now, need to think something up for tonight...
El D nailed it on the recommendations, Cynar and Fernet are delicious and now on my bar thanks to him. I bought a friend Falernum as it was an interesting left-field choice and now the shop doesn't stock it now I'm after a bottle for myself. A delicious Falernum cocktail (fruity enough for the ladies) is:
Tailor Made
1 spoon runny honey
1.5shots bourbon
1/4 shot (2 spoons) Velvet Falernum
1 shot pink grapefruit juice
1 shot cranberry juice
Method: stir honey with bourbon in base of shaker. Add other ingredients, shake with ice and fine strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit zest twist.
For the hardened, Hemingway-level drinker, however, I present you the
Nuclear Daiquiri
1 shot overproof rum (e.g. Wray and Nephew)
3/4 shot green chartreuse
1 shot lime juice
1/4 shot velvet falernum
Method: shake with ice (add 1/2 shot water if ice is sticky, not wet) and fine strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnishing with a lime wedge on the rim.
I took that one out of a book, as I'm missing all 3 of the key ingredients in this one. Now to go shopping, as it sounds delicious
The Brooklyn looks nice, and a Sicilian friend of mine brough back an Amaro made from rocket, of all things. I may try the Brooklyn soon!
El D, you have been improvising some on your cocktails recently, what's on your bar so we could help you with some other possibilities?
This weekend I had to re-order my beer shelf below the cocktail stuff as I have about 40 bottles (mixed beer, ale, lager, cider) I needed to sort into expiry order to make sure nothing drops off the end of drinkability...