Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Cocktail anyone?

I’ve been known to tie one on in my youth, but the appreciation of keeping my few remaining brain cells in good health and my inability to withstand hangovers has lead me to a life altering outlook on consuming alcohol. I no longer ‘tie one on’ and simply enjoy a good drink or glass of wine with dinner nowadays. I rarely have more than two, and maybe once a year wake up feeling the texture of burnt cotton in my mouth and find myself unable to move from the couch for a day and half after a long night of swilling booze. That one day and a half is usually enough of a reminder to why I don’t party anymore and holds me over for a year or so. (if I could just figure out how to avoid wine hangovers now, I'd be set)

It must have been about six years ago when I first stumbled into a ‘martini bar’ that I’d snubbed my power drinking nose at numerous times before. I’m not sure what inspired me to sit down at that bar and order my first Cosmopolitan, but it was good, real good, and I’ve been trying my hand at different drinks ever since. But I rarely write down the recipe and figured what the heck, I’ve been told by all my friends that I’m a pretty good mixologist and should open a bar, so I figured I’d keep track of them here. And as a bonus, maybe some of you had some dandy combo’s you’d like to share. There’s already a beer thread and a wine thread, might as well have a cocktail thread.

Instead of simply jotting down a bunch of recipes right now, I’m going to start off with some basic drink mixing techniques so you all know what I’m talking about and will add recipes later.

I’m not about to argue with those strict classic martini lovers that think a martini is only gin or vodka and a little vermouth. The name martini has become commonplace with any mixed drink that you strain into a martini glass without ice. For the sake of this thread, I’m calling strained drinks that I pour into a martini glass, some sort of martini.

I like to infuse vodka. By doing so, it seems to ‘mellow’ out the bite at the same time as adding a subtle flavor to the vodka. I prefer to infuse my own verses buying the new types of infused vodka ready to go. What you get at the store has sweetener added to it; it tastes and sells better with sweetener added. Plus, I add my own type of sweetener, so I don’t buy them pre infused. It’s pretty simple and I recommend anyone give it a try. You can infuse anything…..pepper, jalapenos (no kiddin), fruit, vegetables, spices, etc…. All you do is cut up a piece of fruit or anything else and drop it in an air tight container with your favorite bottle of vodka. Wait 48 hours; strain it and your done. I’ll mention a few drinks that have some type of infuse vodka in them.

While talking about vodka, my favorite is Finlandia. I’ve tried them all (literally) and find that Finlandia is the smoothest vodka for under $25 a ltr. Some of the others like Grey Goose, Kettle One and the rest of those high priced bottles are as smooth, but most definitely not worth the money to me. Especially if it’s going to be mixed. All my vodka drinks are made with Finlandia.

I also use Crown Royal quite a bit with mixed drinks. It can be bought for under $25 a ltr and mixes with just about anything. I also like it straight up or on the rocks, but for those whisky drinking moods, I prefer Pendleton’s over Crown Royal (Pendletons is one of the best deals in a bottle that I've found). All my mixed whisky drinks have CR. It’s not too sweet, too harsh, too much of anything…it’s just right.

Bourbon on the other hand is entirely different. I’ve got several bourbon drinks with all sorts of different brands of bourbon.

For the drinks with Gin in them, I use Bombay Sapphire. There really is a difference when it comes to Gin. While it’s definitely not my favorite drink, a little bit of Gin can make a heck of a difference in the overall taste of a drink. Sapphire is by far the best Gin that I’ve ever tried. Before you get all weird'ed out over gin, give it a try. You’ll be surprised.

I’m not a Scotch drinker. It all tastes like potting soil to me. I’ve tried it and tried some that goes for $500 a bottle. I like none of it. Yuk…..

I don’t stir drinks, I shake them. The real trick to a good martini is making it cold. Even a bad one tastes good if it’s really cold. I shake for a count of 20, no less. The shaker should have frost on it before you pour. I also don’t mess around with little glasses either. I use a short pint glass (12 oz) and a regular old stainless mixer that the short pint glass nestles into. With ice, they hold about 8 oz of liquid, which is just right for me and fills a 9 oz martini glass just perfectly. I’m not real sure what their ‘real’ name is, but they are what you get at most of the pubs when you order a draft of micro brew. I’ve tried numerous fancy shaped, insulated pretty shakers with strainers and they all suck. They either leak, stick together so you can’t get them apart or come apart while shaking… The regular old stainless Manhattan shaker that you see in any bar is what I use. They work, forever. When I mix the drinks, I fill the glass all the way with ice, add the booze and mixer, shake and pour.

Seeing how it’s too time consuming and messy to measure quantities, I go by parts. IE: one part this, two parts that, one part this. So when I reference ‘parts’, that what I mean. The parts all equal the whole. Just guestimate it.

I use a sweat and sour mix for several of my drinks and I make my own S/S mixer. It’s two parts lime juice, one half part lemon juice, one half part simple syrup, one half part triple sect, one half part vodka, mandarin oranges, cherries, cherry juice. I let all this infuse for a couple days, strain and squeeze/crush the juice from the fruit and then keep it in the fridge. With the vodka and triple sect, it’s only about 20 proof, so it does well as a mixer without diluting the overall alcohol content of the drink. When mixing drinks by shaking with ice, about half the ice melts anyway, so the drink is already diluted. You may prefer it sweeter, but try this mix first. If you want it sweeter, just add more syrup until it has the right combination of sweet and sour. Also, you may want to add some cherry syrup (coffee flavouring works very well).

So, is there any interest in this sort of thread? If so, I’ll add a few drinks as time permits. If not, I might anyway.

You go, Mike!

Julie was hoping there was a recipe in there, because she has not had hers yet tonight.

The world would be a more civilized place with the return of Cocktail Hour.

I only have a few, but I'll post them. Later.

Excellent thread. I look forward to your thoughts and experiences.

I was amused by how many things in Mike's post struck a chord with me.

We also long ago decided that Finlandia hits the sweet spot between flavor and value for vodka. A high end vodka we prefer over Ketel One is Ciroc - made from grapes in France.

I've had the same experience with shakers.

I also have not found a Scotch worth my hard-earned money.

My current classic (which I developed):

Tomegranate Martini

2 oz Vodka (Finlandia)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (Bols)
1/2 oz Gran Gala (like Cointreau but Italian)
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 oz pure pomegranate juice (Langer's from Costco)

Shake using the mdrew method. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Enjoy. Yes, I know that's a lot of "mixer". Get over it.

Now, please understand, this is a tremendous leap of faith for me. I have steadfastly refused to even write down these recipes in the past, because I do not wish Julie's second husband (in the unfortunate event he becomes necessary) to be able to replicate such rapture. So, you know, credit where it may become due.

btw, I've found the two ounce oxo measuring cuplet to be heinously unfashionable but terribly practical barware.

My ultimate martini:

- 1/3 fill a stainless steel shaker with ice

- add a splash of vermouth

- swirl for a few seconds, then dump the vermouth into the sink

- pour five blubs of gin into the shaker (the gin coming out of the bottle makes a noise like "blub, blub, blub, blub")

- shake until your guests start to look slightly annoyed

- pour immediately into martini glasses and serve

If you must add olives, take the toothpicks out first; the dogs like olives but choke on the toothpicks. Don't be getting my dogs drunk unless they are going home with you.

I think there is obviously some interest

That "pre-mixed" sweet & sour mix is a great idea.

I’m looking forward to your drink Tom. I just recently started messing around with Pomegranate juice. It’s a hard mixer to use. Not everything goes well with it, and so far it seams to ‘need’ a splash of lemon. Never had or tried the Gran Gala. I usually stick with Cointreau, but at $40+ a bottle, I’m interested in finding a suitable substitute.

Loved you martini mix John. Especially the shaking till irritating part. I’ve tried that before too. I just keep shaking until there’s no more ice, and only for those that insist on making me mix them something I don’t want to mess with.

Here’s one of my favorite martinis. (yes, my mix by mistake that was an unexpected surprise)

Two parts blackberry infused vodka
One half part Chambord
One half part Cointreau
One part sweat / sour mix (my S/S mix above)

Shake and strain into a martini glass. Throw in an orange peel if you wish.

I have no name for it, or any of my other mixes for that matter. I can stumble onto something tasty, but have no creativity for names. Any ideas to what I should call it?

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Another drink that I tend to mix on a regular basis….. (again, no name)

Fill 12 oz glass with ice.
Fill it about 5/8 full with Crown Royal.
Fill it to about ¾ full with Disaronno Amaretto (my favorite amaretto)
Top off with cranberry juice.
Give it a couple shakes and pour it back into the glass with ice.

A slight variation to this drink is to use half part of Amaretto and half part Chambord. (need a name for that one too)

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My Bourbon Sour variation

12 oz glass filled with ice.
Fill glass 5/8 full with Maker’s Mark bourbon
Fill it ¾ full with Chambord
Top off with sweet / sour mix
Shake and pour back into the glass.

I like the idea of the sweet/sour mix, too. Mostly, I use about half/half simple syrup and fresh lemon juice. I find that simple syrup keeps very well in the refrigerator.

Mike, how "fine" is your ice? cubes or crushed or what? I have a (GE?) fridge with an icemaker that produces those little truncated half moon deals. I just use those because I think the crushed is WAY too fine.

I'm hoping someone has a good recipe for a margarita. Love the things, I just can't manage to make one I like.

I used to be a good mixologist (or I had no taste buds) but I seem to have lost it. Or I got some taste buds.

Aaaanyway.... I just got some Citronage, made by Patron. It's another Cointreau like liquor.

I'm liking the second option. I've got that stuff!

I'll give it a shot later today.

I like the scratch Margarita recipe Rich. I’m gunna try it…..

My scratch is:

Cuervo 1800 or Don Julio
Triple sect or Cointreau
Lime aid (spoon full)
Shake and strain

My blended margarita (beergarita):

Fill blender with crushed ice
Add 1/2 can of lime aid
Half can of any old (non dark) beer and blend for a second or so to mix it up.
Add 1/2 can of Tequila of choice (My favorite is Don Julio but it’s kind of a waste for a blended drink)
Blend it some more until it’s smooth (if you blend with the Tequila right off the bat, it melts the ice too quick)

The real trick is blending it. It needs to be thick enough to float a shot of Grand Marnier on top but not too thick. That’s the kicker! I pour the Grand Marnier over an upside down spoon onto the ice.

I also change it a little per my mood. Sometimes I’ll add Midori or other flaverfull liquor instead of the Grand Marnier.

Tom,

I use regular cubes out the fridge. Same as yours and I also think crushed is too fine. They melt too fast. I fill the shaker about half full and always change the ice for different drinks.

It all sounds really good... Can I put in a request for foofy drink recipes? My wife likes them, and I don't like to drink alone.

Maybe I should start a separate thread for foofy drinks.

There used to be certain instructions in a recipe which would catch the eye and promise good things to come. "Grease generously" was always one of the favorites.

Now I have a new one -- "2 cans of tequila"

My last foo-foo was too foo-foo for me, but she may like it. (my girlfriend loved it)

Easy version:
Two parts Mango rum (several to pick from)
One part coconut rum
One part white cranberry juice
Shake and strain into a martini glass

Better / stiffer version

Two parts mango infused vodka
One part coconut rum
One part white cranberry juice
Shake and strain in a martini glass

You could also make her a razatini (my version)

Two parts vodka (half for more foo-foo)
One half part Cointreau (double for more foo-foo)
One half part Chambord (double for more foo-foo)
One part cranberry juice
Dash of lime juice (optional)
Shake and strain

Or the regular Cosmo

Two parts vodka
One part Cointreau
One part cranberry
Dash of lime juice
Shake and strain

Or just about any combination of peach schnapps and juice. Add a little coconut rum.

You can go crazy with foo-foo drinks. They’re pretty fun to make. Just stick with the flavored rums and it’s hard to make a bad one.

Do you know some specific likes / dislikes she has??

That is a can of worms, that last question there. Let's see...
neither of us like gin at all (actually makes me physically ill)
She doesn't like drinks that taste like alcohol.
She likes sweet drinks; she describes it as liking the drink to be more about the flavor of what's in it than the taste of alcohol.

Well, Rich, I'm happy to say that I rather liked your second recipe! So that's what I've been doing wrong all this time--no sugar!

I also found a recipe for my wife--I'll use recipes on here when I have the ingredients---which I'll share here, since she seemed to like it. Well, I sort of adapted it per her specifications, so here goes:

Not-a-Velvet-Hammer

1 oz Godiva Liqueur
1 oz Malibu Rum
1 oz Heavy Cream
1/2 oz brandy (this didn't go in this time, but I'm including it for completeness)

Shake.

Serve.

The original recipe, of course, calls for Cointreau or the like, but she prefers coconut with her chocolate.

Addendum: she just tasted my margarita and declared it quite drinkable, sans the salt on the rim.

Has she tried a Samoan Fog Cutter ? It's an old Trader Vic's standard. Sort of a foo-foo zombie, right down to the little umbrella.

I'm linking rather than copying in case Trader Vics has some kind of copyright on the recipe.

http://www.tradervicsatlanta.com/index.cfm/action/showpage/page/drinks.htm

EDIT -- Huh, how about that. It has gin in it. All those years I never suspected...

Never mind ;(

Might still be good; I'm the one who gets sick from it. And we do have a bottle of Bombay Sapphire--which I was intending to give away at some point.

Well if you could narrow down what type of fruit or flavor, that would help. If she liked your chocolate drink, that’s a start. I’ve got a couple chocolate martini recipes, but I rarely make them because I can’t stand them. I’ve also got numerous mixes that have absolutely no hint of alcohol taste or bite to them. They’re deadly….

Does anyone have a good Key Lime Pie Martini mix?? I’ve been trying for months to come up with one and just can’t seam to get it right. I had one at an airport Cheers about a year ago and just can’t duplicate it. Man it was good. I’ve been playing with vanilla vodka, vodka and vanilla liquor, lime, lemon, Cointreau and cream, but it’s still missing something no matter how I mix it all up. They also put some type of flavored sugar on the rim and I don’t remember what it was.

Woohoo, I done good! I'm glad the recipe met with approval. I've got two other drinks I'll share.

Hey Bridgman, since you liked my measurement system, I've got another recipe that utilizes it. And Ken, I think your wife my like it, especially with the little foo-foo addition at the end. This one is for a Painkiller. These are big in the Caribbean. Again, this is a great pitcher recipe, and just keep pouring it for the crowd. It sounds/looks sort of like a pina colada, but it is not a blender drink, and the OJ makes it different enough.

1 can of Cream of Coconut (here's a trick I use to get a smooth consistency: let the can sit (unopened) in really hot tap water for ~ 5 minutes, and shake it up periodically -- this will dissolve any of solid particles and ensure a smooth drink with no chunks!)
1 can of OJ
4 cans of Pineapple juice (or just use the entire std large can of pineapple juice, it's close enough)
2 cans of rum (use a dark rum so you get a little more flavor, or a 50/50 mix with light rum) I typically use Bacardi and/or Myers for more rum flavor. Save the Mount Gay for a rum and tonic, or straight up!

Mix it all up. It will separate as it sits around, so just stir it up as needed. Pour this over a full glass of ice.

These are smooth, go down easy, and can be dangerous. You won't be feeling any pain, hence the name! Here is the extra touch if you've got the time and/or inclination -- rim the glass with toasted coconut!

To do that, you throw some bag coconut onto a cookie sheet in a 350F oven for a few minutes (you've got to watch it, and shake it around after a couple of minutes). Put some honey in a small bowl and add a little water to thin. Put some of this on the rim of the glass, and then dip into a mound of the toasted coconut. It's a nice touch.

Second drink: a Cham-cham. Add an ounce of Chambord to a champagne glass, and top with your favorite bubbly. Nice summertime drink.

Tom, your drink sounded so good that I took the family to Costco to get the pomegranate juice today. Probably won't get to make it until later in the week, though. I'll let you know!

Rich

Dammmmm that sounds tasty! Sounds like a good one for the hot tub tonight!

Ever try Goslings rum? That’s my favorite. Got hooked on it when I spent a few weeks in Bermuda trying my hand at beach bum life. Seeing how you seem to like rum drinks, you ever try mixing them with ruby red grapefruit juice? It goes real well with rum if you ever get the itch to experiment. So does Gin.

I think I might just have to get drunk after all. Lots of really good drinks getting listed here. Hopefully more folks will add theirs…….

So many wonderful ideas!

I had to chime in on the Margarita thing.

Personally, I've found that a 4-3-2 ratio is more to my liking than a 3-2-1. YMMV. The kicker for me is that I split the "3" into half triple sec and half Gran Gala (Cointreau or Gran Marnier would work just as well), and ONLY fresh lime juice, please. So....

4 oz decent tequila (I like the Sauza Reposado)
1.5 oz Triple Sec
1.5 oz Gran Gala
2 oz fresh lime juice

Shake and then serve on the rocks.

Nothing wrong with fruffy drink recipes. Give the girl a little toddy for her body.

Ken, have you and your wife tried Midori? Midori is a bright green, sweet Japanese honeydew melon-flavored liqueur produced in Mexico by Suntory. My wife and I enjoy Midori sours. I make them thusly: put ice in cup, equal parts Midori and sweet and sour, and stir. At most local bars, a "Midori sour" usually includes some kind of fruit juice (orange, pineapple), but to both of us, it dilutes the drink way too much.

Another sweet classic that I like is the White Russian/mudslide: vodka, Bailey's Irish cream, and Kahlua coffee liqueur. I think they are in equal parts (I've not yet tried one at home, only at bars/restaurants). Applebee's has a great one (mudslide) served over/in vanilla ice cream. The alcohol taste is minimal, to me, and - hey - you get to eat ice cream! At some bars, I've had some white Russians that tasted like chocolate milk. Danger!

Wikipedia is awesome. Here's a link to their list of cocktails. As of today, thanks to wikipedia, I have a new favorite cocktail name:

Adios Motherf---er

Can't wait to order one! ("Hey, Doc, whatcha havin'?" ...)

Doc, sounds dangerous indeed.

Ken, a simple rum eggnog should be foofy enough for Jen.

Rich!

I really like the sound of the Painkiller. I'm not so keen on the "creamy" drinks that JP mentioned, because they make my stomach hurt.

I have always loved the idea of an Axiom gathering, and long thought that the highest concentration of fun Axiomites in a decent climate is The Republic of Texas. I'm predisposed to spend time and money on such an opportunity.

Some time ago, I started to scale back the level of Cointreau I use in drinks. Perhaps it is just me (after all, different people have different levels of perception to certain compounds), but I've just found that the Brandy taste tends to be a bit overpowering. By using half Cointreau and half Triple Sec, I get a bit sweeter and more intense orange flavor, and save a little money in the bargain. Again, I use Gran Gala, because I think it is every bit as good as either Gran Marnier or Cointreau at about half the price, and it's Italian instead of French.

I'll offer the following, which is the product of the genius and time of a dear friend of mine:

Chris' Perfect Lemon Drop

3 oz good vodka
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lemoncello liqueur
1 tsp superfine sugar or to taste
Juice of one good lemon

Shake lustily. Strain into chilled martini glass.

Ken,
another "foofy" drink suggestion that your wife might appreciate if she likes milk-based - my friends and i found it a few years back at an annual music festival we used to attend. With three or four straight days of beer you start to look for a few "lighter" alternatives. It's called a Brown Squirrel as we know it:

1 ounce Creme de Cacao
1 ounce Amaretto
fill glass with milk and top with a marshino cherry or two
(you'll want ice too)

It seems every once in a while we get mixed up with these drinks as was the case this past Saturday. The alcohol is nearly impossible to taste and my good friend and i were successful in our goal to polish off a "26" of each type of booze in about 3 hours. Of course after only a couple each the mixes got pretty strong (read 2/3 booze per glass) and still only tasted like cherry milk. Made for a "memorable" evening!

>>So you can drink barleywines, Belgian beers, etc and an ice cream drink makes your stomach hurt? Methinks you live in Bizarroworld!

He *likes* Belgian beers

God Loves Diversity.

And, for your information, I am the MAYOR of Bizarroworld. Show some respect, willya?

I'm afraid I despise Midori...

And I love Belgian beers.

Anyway, I seem to have dragged this thread in the wrong direction. Thanks for all the ideas, guys, now let's get some nice hard drinks in here!

Wow - I leave you guys alone for awhile and suddenly your man cards are in jeopardy of being suspended.

Let's get to it here - simple recipe:
Jack Daniels
Ice
More Jack Daniels

Drain and repeat - lotsa times.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that would involve drinking Jack Daniels, no?

Me, I'd rather some Black Maple Hill Bourbon. No ice.

Actually, Knob Hill isn't half bad, either.

>>>> Let's get to it here - simple recipe:
Jack Daniels
Ice
More Jack Daniels

Drain and repeat - lotsa times.

Now you're speaking my language Ray!

Although I've said it several times in the (now malnourished) Beer Thread, I will agree with Ken and reiterate my personal preference for Kentucky Bourbon (especially Maker's Mark) over Tennessee Whiskey.

Other than that distinction, I'll also agree with Ray that sometimes we put too fine a point on these things.

Did somebody say bourbon! Alright! In a prior role I used to deal quite a bit with a printer company based in KY (and I know someone on this board works for them now). Well, I thought I knew bourbon before this relationship, but I really know it now.

There are some outstanding bourbons that can be hard to find in some places. Among the standouts to look for are:
Woodfords (I've seen this pretty widely distributed)
Blantons
Stirling (I think that's what it's called)
Pappy's (smallest maker of the ones listed)

I know I'm missing some others. I've never been much of a Jack fan, though some of my greatest rock heroes have been photographed imbibing (Keith Richard most notably). And there is one place here Austin that has Jack & Coke as their all day drink special (only $2.50) every day, so I invariably drink some when I go there.

I just love this thread. I worked in a wine shop/liquor store when I turned 18 (the drinking age was 18 back then), so I've been involved with beer, wine, and liquor for a long time. From rotgut to first growths I've had the honor of trying quite a bit.

Rich

Bourbon?? My favorite is Bookers. Not for the light weights though, 140 proof.

Simple, but quite good stiff drink.

Four ounces of Pendleton’s on ice.
Four drops of bitters.

Crown is good too, but not quite as smooth. Not even the reserve is as smooth as Pendleton’s and it’s only $25 a ltr.

Or you could just shoot a couple shots of Absinth. The good stuff you have to stuff in your luggage when departing the Prague airport.

Hey Tom, I’m thinking we shouldn’t drink the hard stuff together and better just stick with beer. With our similar tastes in booze, I’m suspecting some serious trouble and very bad hang overs.

Jack wrapped in a brown paper bag now that is as simple as it gets. Great on cold nights.

I have never been big on making my own mixed drinks usually others play that role and do a good job. Since I moved to Tx a few months ago I only know a few people here. One guy I meet likes to drink alot like I do but I have not seen him in a while. Our kids are not getting along right now.

My spare fridge is full of beer. A variety of dark beers and some Miller light for my neighbors when they come by. Miller light seems to be a favorite around here. I drink it when I am thirsty for water but prefer the dark beers.

My wife is back in Ca and will be out there for a few more months. I don't drive so I can't go to any of the local drinking holes. When I saw this thread it kinda inspired me to start making my own mixed drinks at home. Next week me neighbor is taking me to Costco to stock up on some booze.

Thanks for starting this thread and keep those recipes coming.

I'm wondering if anyone else has tried Black Maple Hill (other than Peter ). If you haven't, you really, really need to. It's a small batch bourbon (200 barrells a year, I think), and runs ~$60-80 bottle for the 16 year. I haven't tried their 20 year yet; I think that's more like $100-$120/bottle. Fantastic stuff.

It's made by a guy in the Kentucky backcountry with all of 5 teeth, too, so you know you're getting the real stuff.

j/k. I'm sure the guy has at least twice that many teeth.

It's a fantastic bourbon, in any case.


(Apologies to the tooth impaired.)

Jack Daniels is technically a sour mash rather than a classic bourbon. I don't drink much hard liquor anymore in an effort to preserve both my remaining brain cells and my ability to pronounce my vowels. However, for Jack I'll make the occasional exception...... OK, several exceptions, all in a row.

Even better is a relatively recent offering from the good folks at Jack Daniels - Gentleman Jack. Another pass through the charcoal filtering and a few more years aging yields a sour mash that is exceptionally soft and evaporates on the tongue. This is one to try when you are out for a nice dinner (before you buy a bottle - they're not giving this away!)

Ray, I could be wrong, but I don't think it's the mashing technique that distinguishes JD and other Tennessee whiskies from Bourbons. The differences in state of origin, water, filtration technique and fermentation all play critical roles, also.

Mike, it's just a function of allowing enough time and having a good strategy Stay hydrated, eat lots, live with the consequences. Like my wife says when playing pinochle, "bid 'em high, sleep in the streets!".

Clyde, you should check out the Beer Thread. Start at the beginning

OK, I’m intrigued with the “really really ought to try” comment. I’ll try and find the Black Maple Hill bourbon this weekend.

Tried your martini last night Tom. Very good. Mixing the Cointreau and triple sect does make a difference. More than I thought it would. I couldn’t find any of that Gala, so I’ll have to try the drink again when I can get to the big city warehouse and find the Gala. – I love excuses to drink.

I liked it so much, I had to have two, but I digressed and changed the mix for number two. I added a half pour of Chambord and deleted the syrup. Quite tasty.

If you've got Bevmos up there, they often have a bottle or two. Other than that, I'm not sure where to get it.

Clarence,

Welcome to the neighborhood. I live in Round Rock off Sam Bass Road.

You get the HT all set up after the move?

Since you don't drive, and if you need a lift somewhere, give me a shout or PM.

Be an honor to help another Axiomite...

Regards,

WhatFurrer

Hey thanks for the offer I will have to take you up on that some day.

My H/T is on hold for now. The extra cost of moving and spent $8k on concrete and landscape, spent $3k last month going back to Ca for a funeral. That was my money for my H/T. It's ashame to have an empty room upstairs.

My son broke my daughter's laptop so I am in the market for 1 maybe 2 computers. IT NEVER ENDS. I started looking at front projectors again and the price seems to have gone down. Maybe Santa will stop by my house this year.

Sam Bass road that is really close towhere I live.

Blackberry Bomber....sure, why not? It’ll definitely mess ya up. Women love it and it only takes a couple to have a profound effect on their equilibrium.

None of those stores up here Ken. My warehouse has a pretty good selection though, and if they don't have something, they stock it for me (they know me quite well)....

Well, definitely try and get some.

Then you can tell me it's not as good as this $30 brand you have...

Well actually Ken, my favorite bourbon is Bookers, and it’s about $60 a bottle. It’s the big brother to Knob Creek and Bakers. Kin to Jim Beam. There’s not that many others I like but Maker’s Mark. I had a horrible fight with JD when I was 16 and I’m still wearing the scares from that one. Still can’t drink it 25 years later….. I woke up in the bathtub with my very amused father standing over me at the controls of the cold water two days after my senior party without any recollection of the last two days. I found my precious 81 Trans-am covered with regurgitated ???, missing the T-tops, scratched to hell and out of gas on the middle of a frozen lake a week later. Someone (presumably me) thought he was the Bandit.

I have another drink recipe to share that I made last night. All this foo-foo talk inspired a trip to the liquor store last night. I broke down and picked up a bottle of flavored vodka and must admit that it is quite good. I may have to reconsider my stance on these flavored vodka’s after all. It’s a lot easier to buy them than make them. The bottle is Finlandia Wild Berry vodka.

I think I’ll call it a passion martini.

Two parts wild berry Finlandia
One part Bacardi Passion Fruit rum
One part cranberry
Splash of lime juice
Shake and strain.
Very fruity but yet still stiff like a martini. I suspect some Cointreau or simple syrup might be good for those who want less bite, but I liked it just the way described so I didn’t try to sweeten it up any.
I also tried it without the lime and for some odd reason, the lime brought out the berry flavor.

Geez, you know, if they do it right at the distillery, you don't need to put it in juice with an umbrella, you nancies.

Faves as a "sipping shot"... (most often a few ounces by itself in a short tumbler)
-Glayva
-Drambuie
-B&B or Benedictine
-Eblana

Bren R.

Quote:

---

if they do it right at the distillery, you don't need to put it in juice with an umbrella, you nancies

---

My uncle used to say the same thing, except he used the term "panty waists".
Nothing like learning old school.

Get on the trolley, all of you!

Bren R.

Mmmmm. Benedictine. I drink it for it's medicinal properties. Cures a sore throat right up. If you pop a glass in the microwave for 10 seconds, it really throws some vapors at you.

Whipped this one up last night. It’s a keeper.

12 oz glass filled with ice
Fill it up 5/8 full with Makers Mark
Add a pour of Medori (about an once)
Top off with sweat / sour mix
Shake to mix and dump it all back in the glass

>>Top off with sweat

How will you make these in the winter ?

Heaters.

Glad you liked it, Rich! It's Mrs. Tuttle's current favorite. I agree with Mike's earlier observation that the pomegranate "needs" some lemon to pull it forward in a palatable way. You could scale back on any of that stuff to suit your taste, but I like a bit of orange, a bit of lemon and a bit of sweetness to deepen and balance both the vodka and the pomegranate. We rarely buy infused vodkas, but I'm weakening on the citrus stuff.

I hit several liquor stores this last weekend and couldn’t find any Gand Gala or Black Hills Bourbon. I guess Alaska just doesn’t have the market for them. But now I’m on a mission. I MUST find these bottles. I’m going to my local store owner to see if she’ll order them for me. She orders wine for me, so I’m sure she’ll get the liquor.

But I did get another bottle of infused vodka. I’m weakening…….another Finlandia. Mango this time and it’s very good. I’ve tried many other brands of the flavored vodkas and found them all to be sweet, but Finlandia seams to have the process down. They are not sweeter, you just get the flavor.

Mango Vodka. Good Lord, what have we become?

Mike, the Gran Gala isn't really anything too "special". It's pretty much a knockoff for Cointreau or Gran Marnier. I just like it because it is about half the price and it comes from Italy instead of France.

We don't get that Bourbon in WA, either. Lucky Californians with their BevMos. Grumble.

You know, I'm SURE Ken would be happy to grab a bottle of anything BevMo offers for y'all if you send him some money.

He loves it when I volunteer him for things, too.

Oh yeah, my favorite thing...

Just email me your Visa card number, I'll take care of it.

Although I'm pretty sure there are laws about mailing alcohol around between states...

OK, I finally got a chance to try out the Samoan Fog Cutter recipes with a willing audience and made a few adjustments based on user feedback.

1/2 of a 750 ml (26 oz) bottle of Orgeat syrup (shop somewhere Italian)
1 1.75L (64 oz ?) bottle light rum (I used Bacardi Gold)
1 750 ml (26 oz) bottle brandy
1 375 ml (13 oz) bottle gin
juice of 25 lemons
2L (2 quart) carton of orange juice minus the glass you had at breakfast

Combine all of the above and stir well in a big pitcher.

Pour into big coffee mugs 2/3 filled with ice. The ceramic mug adds a bit of tiki authenticity -- it just doesn't taste right in a plastic cup. Float a bit of sherry over the top of each drink. Add umbrella, fire up the patio lanterns and enjoy.

Repeat, adding a bit more sherry if anyone felt their first sip was too sour.

For individual servings :

1/2 oz orgeat syrup
2 oz light PR rum
1 oz brandy
1/2 oz gin
juice of one lemon
2 oz orange juice

shake with ice, float sherry over a spoon, enjoy

EDIT -- based on anecdotal evidence, it seems to me that "the tiki lifestyle" probably did not involve regular work hours. Can anyone provide insight ?

SECOND EDIT -- with luck, this weekend will be Tomegranit time... will let you know if anyone survives

Through a combination of "creative substitution" and "not paying attention" I managed to accidentally mix one of my guests a combination of V8 and gin, plus the usual seasonings and celery stalk.

We call it the "Bloody Awful". It tastes far worse than you might imagine.

That's going to put me off Gin for a while....

Sorry, Bren. That was not deliberate. It just tasted so bad I figured a warning was in order. The only equally vile thing I ever tasted was the "pepperoni, hot peppers and anchovies" pizza we ordered one day. The cook came out of the kitchen to warn us, and told us we wouldn't get a refund if we couldn't eat it. "Don't worry", we said.

We had "salad bar" for dinner.

I could use a good mix for a hot toddy. I’ve been feeling like crap for the past week.

Plus I’m trying to quit chewing tobacco…..again. Been doing that for close to 30 years. Between that and this stinking cold, hot whiskey / lemon / honey just ain’t doing it for me.

If you're getting of chew - no whiskey or burbon and buy some beef jerky. In reading thru all these posts you'd think everyone has a full service bar at home. These recipes are more complicated than award winning ribs. I like it simple (not chewing): Beam and diet. #2 - crystal light and vodka w/ a twist.

If you want to get fancy:
1. The peels of 12 meyer lemons (no pith)
2. 1 liter of respectable (not great) vodka
Add the two together and let sit for 40 days

3. Strain out the peel
4. Mix w/ a simple syrup (1 cup sugar w/ 1 1/2 cup water disolved and cooled)
5. Put in fridge (not freezer)
6. Enjoy over ice

>>These recipes are more complicated than award winning ribs.

Speaking for my recipe, I spent almost 30 years waiting to get sufficiently organized to find the recipes, stock the ingredients, invite the guests and mix up a batch of Fog Cutters. This was emphatically *not* an everyday event.

EDIT - that lemon vodka recipe sounds interesting. Is "no pith" an attribute of the lemons or is it something I need to be careful about when preparing the peels...

... and, come to think of it, how *does* one peel a lemon anyways ?

Check these out. Even though the ingredients sound more like entree items, I can attest that the drinks are outstanding. I had the watermelon w/ chili powder and my wife had one w/ ginger beer and balsamic vinegar.

This is a FANTASTIC restaurant in Healdsburg, CA and IIRC, it received 2 Michelin stars.

Cyrus Restaurant

Hi

Peeling lemons - use a regular vegetable peeler like you would use on potato or carrots. Try to only get the yellow rind, that is were all the lemon oil and flavor is, just like zest.

Also, misqouted the syrup - 3 1/2 cup water w/ 2 1/2 cup sugar.

Have great one

To dig up another old thread...

The other night, for the first time in about a year, my wife asked me to make her a drink. Axiom boards to the rescue! I couldn't remember what I'd made her last, only that she really liked it. Well, here it is!

Good work, Ken!

Reviving an old thread with a new creation. I was experimenting with some different stuff I had in the cabinet and came up with a really tasty drink. So much so, I haven’t been feeling too good today……

Typical martini style mixing.

Two ounces Sky Cherry Vodka
One ounce Vanilla liqueur
Once ounce Blue Curacao
One ounce pineapple juice
Throw in a vanilla bean for the picture....

Shake the piss out of it and strain.

Looks interesting. Any particular vanilla liqueur?

From the color of it, you didn't quite shake it enough.

I've got a really good web friend in Brazil who desperately wants me to try their national drink, the caipirinha. It's made with sugar, limes, and a Brazilian liquor called, cachaca. Have any of you tried one before? I guess the drink is slowly catching on in the US, but it still can be difficult finding cachaca. Fortunately, I was able to find it around here, but I haven't made the caipirinha yet. I'm waiting to try it the first time during a video chat with my friend so she can either watch me cringe or smile. I'm sure I'll smile. It looks pretty darned tasty...and strong too!