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[kphoger]

Go simple. Oaxaca old fashioned. I'm sure you know the recipe, but 2 oz. mezcal, .75 oz. simple syrup, three dashes (in this case) orange bitters. Stir. Heaven.

If you pick up any grapefruit juice, a mezcal paloma is always nice.

A cocktail that we made when we opened the restaurant in the hotel was muddled granny smith apple, 2 oz mezcal, 0.5 oz. lime juice, 0.75 oz. agave, top with ginger ale. We garnished it with acidulated green apple cubes. Pretty simple (by craft cocktail standards) and delicious.

Thanks.  I do keep grapefruit juice in the house, because that's what I have with breakfast every day.  You may not be aware, but there's apparently a huge shortage of Ocean Spray white grapefruit juice these days, and I haven't seen it in stores anywhere for months.  So I now have to go to Target to buy the Simply brand.

Would mezcal work in a sidecar-type drink?

For sure. I'd say mezcal is more common with lime than with lemon, but that's just probably because lemons are far more rare in Mexico. It'd basically be a mezcal lemon drop which can't be bad I'm sure.

By the way, I tried this last night after church activities.  4 parts mezcal, 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part triple sec, 1 part double/rich syrup, 1 part water.

It totally transformed the mezcal!  Instead of tasting like pure ethanol that had a smouldering tractor tire in it for three years, that Xicaru blended nicely with the sweet lemony yum yums.  It's a keeper of a recipe, for sure.

[kphoger]

You need the pretty filets in oil like this.

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As I said, I don't know a local source to buy those from.

If you ever get out here for a vacation anytime soon, I'll buy you some. There are a couple of specialty grocers that have them here.

I've never tasted that one. If you ever make it out here, I'll have a bottle of gin waiting for you.

I know I haven't paid you a visit, but don't worry, I'm keeping track of the things you've promised.  So far, it's a bottle of gin and some boquerones.   

Funny enough, I was in Boulder about two months ago with a church mission trip, but I couldn't exactly borrow a vehicle to go snack on some imported preserved fish with you.  Next time!

[kphoger]

OK, I think this mezcal is going to work out fine for cocktails.  I just made one up yesterday that was a pretty good success.

5 parts mezcal
3 parts lime juice
1 part grapefruit juice
1 part Aperol
1 part agave nectar
orange bitters

[JayhawkCO]

OK, I think this mezcal is going to work out fine for cocktails.  I just made one up yesterday that was a pretty good success.

5 parts mezcal
3 parts lime juice
1 part grapefruit juice
1 part Aperol
1 part agave nectar
orange bitters

I wish I liked Campari/Aperol more. I don't mind it as an adjunct flavor if I order a cocktail out, but I don't like it well enough to own any.

[kphoger]

Cynar is delicious. Who doesn't like an amaro made from artichokes. I like making black Manhattans with it.

I wish I liked Campari/Aperol more. I don't mind it as an adjunct flavor if I order a cocktail out, but I don't like it well enough to own any.

Interesting.  To me, Cynar tastes so much like Campari, that it's hard to imagine someone loving one but not caring for the other.

I usually add a low-ABV triple sec when I make a margarita, but I swapped in Aperol for this mezcal version in order to keep it from being too sweet.

I used Aperol all the time.  For example, I really enjoy an Americano made with Punt e Mes and Aperol.  (I'm almost out of Punt e Mes, so I'll see how it works out with "regular old" sweet vermouth.)

[JayhawkCO]

To me, Campari has this cotton candy-ness thing to it that I just don't dig. I like my amari to be bitter but dark.

[kphoger]

JayhawkCO:

On Saturday, my sister informed me that drinks made with gin affect her more than the same drinks made with vodka.  She feels the effects more, any hangover-type aftereffects are more pronounced.  This made no sense to me, considering that gin is literally just vodka that's been flavored with juniper berries and other botanicals during distillation.  It turns out that she'd wondered that too and has read online anecdotal accounts of a lot of people saying the same thing:  gin cocktails take a heavier toll than their vodka equivalents.  Have you heard about this phenomenon?  Do you have any thoughts about it?

The only thing I can really think of is that a) she might be slightly allergic to juniper or quinine (normally found in tonic but sometimes added to gin itself), b) some gins might add some sugar to the spirit to help balance out the "edge" of gin that is a little bit more persistent than vodka, or c) gin is more delicious so she's drinking more of it without realizing. 

Well, the first two don't apply, as their usual go-to gin is Bombay Sapphire.  At least now I can tell her that you think she's crazy.

Fair summary. They very well might add sugar (or glycerol) to even Sapphire for the U.S. market. Grey Goose is a vodka brand that's known to. I wonder if she's had an adverse reaction to that.

I just realized that I never followed up on this.

What my sister found in her research is this:  congeners.
https://www.mic.com/life/which-alcohol-makes-you-hungover-experts-explain-79198424

[JayhawkCO]

I just realized that I never followed up on this.

What my sister found in her research is this:  congeners.
https://www.mic.com/life/which-alcohol-makes-you-hungover-experts-explain-79198424

Makes sense, and gin is certainly aromatic.

[abefroman329]

Hard Mountain Dew

Wait, this actually exists?

[JayhawkCO]

Hard Mountain Dew

Wait, this actually exists?

Everybody wanted to get into the seltzer/malt beverage craze that comes in waves. Back in the day it was Zima, then it was Smirnoff Ice/Skyy Blue/Stoli Something or another/etc. Now it's seltzers. They'll go away in a year or two and then be popular again in 10 years.

[abefroman329]

Hard Mountain Dew

Wait, this actually exists?

Everybody wanted to get into the seltzer/malt beverage craze that comes in waves. Back in the day it was Zima, then it was Smirnoff Ice/Skyy Blue/Stoli Something or another/etc. Now it's seltzers. They'll go away in a year or two and then be popular again in 10 years.

Yeah, I've heard that the real reason alcopops exploded in popularity in the late 90s/early 2000s was the fact that liquor companies couldn't advertise hard liquor on TV, but they could advertise for alcopops, but I have no idea if that's true or not.

[kphoger]

Cynar is delicious. Who doesn't like an amaro made from artichokes. I like making black Manhattans with it.

I wish I liked Campari/Aperol more. I don't mind it as an adjunct flavor if I order a cocktail out, but I don't like it well enough to own any.

Interesting.  To me, Cynar tastes so much like Campari, that it's hard to imagine someone loving one but not caring for the other.

I usually add a low-ABV triple sec when I make a margarita, but I swapped in Aperol for this mezcal version in order to keep it from being too sweet.

I used Aperol all the time.  For example, I really enjoy an Americano made with Punt e Mes and Aperol.  (I'm almost out of Punt e Mes, so I'll see how it works out with "regular old" sweet vermouth.)

To me, Campari has this cotton candy-ness thing to it that I just don't dig. I like my amari to be bitter but dark.

Oh, wow.  When I said that Cynar tastes similar to Campari, I had only used the former in a cocktail.  On Saturday, I had about 1½ ounces of Cynar, neat with a splash of Aperol, as a digestif.  Amazing!  And yeah, I totally understand now how you can love the one and dislike the other.  Cynar truly is delicious.

[kphoger]

So far, every cocktail I've made with mezcal has been eye-opening, with the mezcal being a well-balanced part of the whole.  I'm surprised every time at the transformation.

Most recently was a riff on a Negroni, but more enjoyable:
 3 parts — mezcal
 2 parts — Cynar
 1 part — sweet vermouth
 1 part — dry vermouth

[JayhawkCO]

So far, every cocktail I've made with mezcal has been eye-opening, with the mezcal being a well-balanced part of the whole.  I'm surprised every time at the transformation.

Most recently was a riff on a Negroni, but more enjoyable:
 3 parts — mezcal
 2 parts — Cynar
 1 part — sweet vermouth
 1 part — dry vermouth

I can see that being delightful. I don't honestly remember the last time I used dry vermouth in anything (as I don't really enjoy martinis and I tend to like vermut bianco better than dry if I'm using a non-"sweet vermouth"). But it has its moments.

Have you ever had fernet?

[kphoger]

No, I haven't.

[JayhawkCO]

No, I haven't.

Fernet Branca is my digestif of choice. Not going to lie; it kind of tastes like toothpaste water, but in the most heavenly way. I drink it by itself far more than I've ever used it in cocktails, but I did a coconut fat washed fernet one time that was super lovely.

It is the ideal epilogue to a very rich meal.

[kphoger]

Maybe this is obvious to other people, but it just dawned on me yesterday:  liquor is actually more economical than wine.  Intuitively, I assumed that wine is more economical because a decent bottle can easily be found for under $20, whereas distilled liquor can easily run upward of $40 or $50 a bottle.  But...

One standard pour of wine is about 15 cl, meaning there are five servings in one bottle of wine.  For an $18 bottle of wine, that works out to $3.60 per serving.

One standard pour of 40% ABV liquor is about 4.4 cl, meaning there are about 17 servings in one bottle.

Therefore, a $60 bottle of liquor is roughly equivalent to an $18 bottle of wine.  This surprised me.

Moreover, the flavor of wine deteriorates quickly as soon as the bottle is opened, whereas most liquor is just fine a few months later.  For this reason, I always make sure to polish off or dump out a partial bottle of wine within about three days of opening it.  Not so with liquor—although there is a little pressure to use up low ABV items within a couple of months, even if they're in the fridge.

This has all led me to be more willing to give something a try, even if it's a little expensive.  If I'm willing to roll the dice on a $20 bottle of wine, then why wouldn't I be willing to roll the dice on a $60 bottle of liquor—especially when, even if I don't end up liking it, there are bound to be several successful ways to use it in a cocktail.

[JayhawkCO]

And this is also why the markup is the highest for mixed drinks in restaurants. Since people don't really blink when they pay the same thing for a glass of wine vs. a cocktail, my previous restaurant ran a 28% cost on wine and a 18% cost on liquor.

On a sad note, it's also why alcoholics get drunk on hard liquor more so than wine or beer; it's cheaper.

[kphoger]

Since people don't really blink when they pay the same thing for a glass of wine vs. a cocktail, my previous restaurant ran a 28% cost on wine and a 18% cost on liquor.

Out of curiosity, which restaurant was your last restaurant?  Milwaukee?

[JayhawkCO]

Since people don't really blink when they pay the same thing for a glass of wine vs. a cocktail, my previous restaurant ran a 28% cost on wine and a 18% cost on liquor.

Out of curiosity, which restaurant was your last restaurant?  Milwaukee?

I was the F&B director at the Jacquard Hotel so I ran Narrative. Previously I was the GM of TAG and Guard & Grace.

[kphoger]

Since people don't really blink when they pay the same thing for a glass of wine vs. a cocktail, my previous restaurant ran a 28% cost on wine and a 18% cost on liquor.

Out of curiosity, which restaurant was your last restaurant?  Milwaukee?

I was the F&B director at the Jacquard Hotel so I ran Narrative. Previously I was the GM of TAG and Guard & Grace.

Gotcha.  I was confused because, back when I was looking to see what establishments you had managed, I remember seeing an article that seemed to imply you were GM at Milwaukee Street.  But apparently it was just bad editing on the part of CBS.

[JayhawkCO]

Since people don't really blink when they pay the same thing for a glass of wine vs. a cocktail, my previous restaurant ran a 28% cost on wine and a 18% cost on liquor.

Out of curiosity, which restaurant was your last restaurant?  Milwaukee?

I was the F&B director at the Jacquard Hotel so I ran Narrative. Previously I was the GM of TAG and Guard & Grace.

Gotcha.  I was confused because, back when I was looking to see what establishments you had managed, I remember seeing an article that seemed to imply you were GM at Milwaukee Street.  But apparently it was just bad editing on the part of CBS.

The Jacquard is on Milwaukee Street, right across from a nice little dive bar called Milwaukee Street Tavern.

[kphoger]

The Jacquard is on Milwaukee Street, right across from a nice little dive bar called Milwaukee Street Tavern.

Right.  It's just that the article was talking about Milwaukee Street Tavern, then referred to you as simply "restaurant manager ____ ____"—but failing to mention the establishment you were actually managing at the time.  When I first read it, I mistakenly thought that meant you were GM at Milwaukee Street (and changed jobs a LOT during the last few years).  In reality, I assume, they simply interviewed a bunch of you in the area, and then the article didn't even pass through a copy editor before publication.

[JayhawkCO]

The Jacquard is on Milwaukee Street, right across from a nice little dive bar called Milwaukee Street Tavern.

Right.  It's just that the article was talking about Milwaukee Street Tavern, then referred to you as simply "restaurant manager ____ ____"—but failing to mention the establishment you were actually managing at the time.  When I first read it, I mistakenly thought that meant you were GM at Milwaukee Street (and changed jobs a LOT during the last few years).  In reality, I assume, they simply interviewed a bunch of you in the area, and then the article didn't even pass through a copy editor before publication.

Sounds about right. When I did the opening, I had hours and hours of press junkets -- Denver Post on down to random Instagram influencers and bloggers. Not surprised they screwed a lot of things up.

[kphoger]

I just opened my latest bottle of gin:  Martin Miller's.

For a citrus lover like me, it's great for drinking neat.  The orange zest is bold and unmistakable, but juniper is by no means lacking.  (The citrus botanicals are kept separate from the others, and I suppose that attention to detail pays off on my palate.)  I haven't yet tried it in a cocktail, so time will tell if its flavor gets lost when mixed.  I must say, I'm intrigued to try it in drinks that feature orange-flavored components, which means I might finally get around to making a Flying Dutchman, and I might even switch from Peychaud's to orange bitters in my next G&T.

It's a bit pretentious, considering that the gin is distilled in West Midlands (England) but then gets shipped to Iceland to be diluted with that country's supposedly superior water.  But whatever.

Finished this bottle a week or two ago.  It's definitely a winner for drinking neat or in a Martini.  It also provides good balance in my more-gin-forward Negroni variations.  But there were a couple of cocktails in which I thought the juniper got lost in the mix.  I think what this means is that, when it comes to gin, I'm not quite the citrus lover I thought.  What I really desire more than anything is strong juniper.  And apparently other herbal botanicals as well, which kind of surprises me to learn about myself.

This time around, I went for Bombay Dry Gin—a very traditional London dry gin.  It has a similar flavor profile to Beefeater 24, which I loved, and it's easy on the pocketbook.