AMA (kinda) Cocktails and Booze.

Rolycoaster · Jul 30, 2018

Foo2rama
Ahh Jenever! I will be covering that stuff. In general its a lighter more sweet "Gin" vs British Gin. They are actually related. The English and the Dutch traditionally where great trading partners or fighting with each other. Jenever became all the rage and was huge in London and then war with the Dutch... To meet the demand the British created Gin as an alternative to Jenever which was no longer available. Both are basically vodka flavored with herbs for a very simplistic explanation. Oude Geneve is a subset of Jenever with the addition of some malt wine and will be mentioned... its a little hard to source and can be aged or not aged, but yup! All great stuff and interesting.

This is a great podcast on gin and goes into more depth on the points above, very entertaining and informative.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084zk6z

eugeneandresson · Jul 31, 2018

oddboy
I'd love to see a section on how to combat the dreaded hangover. I love drinking, but man, the recovery takes longer and longer as I get older.

What I find helps is drinking bouillon (broth) ...i.e. instead of a hot cup of tea the next morning, I make a hot cup of bouillon (with about 3/4 of a tea-spoon of vegetable bouillon per cup). Or 2. Also works great when you don’t have a hangover...

Naturally nothing beats a hangover like sensible consumption.

Back on topic : great idea @Foo2rama . You could call it ‘Self mummification: one sip at a time’ or something like that 😀

Huus · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
Ahh Jenever! I will be covering that stuff. In general its a lighter more sweet "Gin" vs British Gin. They are actually related. The English and the Dutch traditionally where great trading partners or fighting with each other. Jenever became all the rage and was huge in London and then war with the Dutch... To meet the demand the British created Gin as an alternative to Jenever which was no longer available. Both are basically vodka flavored with herbs for a very simplistic explanation. Oude Geneve is a subset of Jenever with the addition of some malt wine and will be mentioned... its a little hard to source and can be aged or not aged, but yup! All great stuff and interesting.

The expression 'Dutch courage' is related to Jenever. In the old days the soldiers were given a few shots of the stuff to build up their fighting spirits before battle. When I was in the army (compulsory) in the late 70's I got rotten on it a few times. Stuck to beer since.

Archer · Jul 31, 2018

Will you be covering Absinthe by any chance? It has become a drink I enjoy very much...

Vercingetorix · Jul 31, 2018

This could be the chapter on Jagermeister:
DON’T!

rcs914 · Jul 31, 2018

Covered? 😉

staristheanswer · Jul 31, 2018

Archer
Will you be covering Absinthe by any chance? It has become a drink I enjoy very much...

Watch out your ears when you do that 😜
I've never tasted it.How is that or its diffycult to explain.

staristheanswer · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
"A Drink for Me"

Use that title,in my opinion.
Sounds more personal and warm.

Foo2rama · Jul 31, 2018

Archer
Will you be covering Absinthe by any chance? It has become a drink I enjoy very much...

Been a fave of mine as well. FooGirl is always trying new ones. The question is how many ways to drink it are listed. Personally for me just a sugar cube and cold water. The only correct way😉. ST George out of San Francisco has an interesting take on it.

I’m trying to be comprehensive so for France alone I’m at 5 types of booze already.

rcs914

Covered? 😉

I’ve never tried it personally as it’s hyper regional but it’s mentioned in the preface. I want to try it... it can’t be that bad.

@vercingterex mentioned Jeager... the question is how far I break down the amaro, vermouth and digestives that are found all over Europe.

Spiced alcohol at about 20%abv is everywhere in Europe and while it falls into different classes it’s oddly universal and hyper local. Campari and jeager and vermouth are same take on an idea.

Rman · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
Been a fave of mine as well. FooGirl is always trying new ones. The question is how many ways to drink it are listed. Personally for me just a sugar cube and cold water. The only correct way😉. ST George out of San Francisco has an interesting take on it.

Good rinse for a sazerac too.😉

I’m kinda shocked with the size of our wine industry in California that we don’t produce more grappa and brandy, or that Americans don’t seem to demand it. I believe winery licenses even come with a provision that allows small production of brandy.

Germain-Robin would be a fantastic brand to highlight!

And you know I like Armagnac brother, highly underrated.

Wallardy · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
I am a booze traveler and when I travel I seek out new and interesting bars, and seek out local drinks and traditions.

Will the book include some vignettes about particular bars or other places you have uncovered in your travels which really made a spirit stand out to you or inspire you to learn more about it? When learning about the nitty gritty details about a spirit it would be awesome to hear about the places around the world that do that spirit justice or use it in ways that most haven't thought of or know about.

Foo2rama · Jul 31, 2018

Wallardy
Will the book include some vignettes about particular bars or other places you have uncovered in your travels which really made a spirit stand out to you or inspire you to learn more about it? When learning about the nitty gritty details about a spirit it would be awesome to hear about the places around the world that do that spirit justice or use it in ways that most haven't thought of or know about.

Not sure yet of the extant, my goal is not to make it a travel manual. There are some experiences I’ll cover like the first time I had a Penicillin at Momofuku, and the experience of Angelshare in NYC. These 2 will most likely be anecdotes in the cocktail section. I have put stories like this throughout the book to make things more interesting.

As for inspiration of cocktails... cooking shows inspired by Anthony Bourdain like "Ugly Delicious" and "The Mind of a Chef," have given me inspiration for cocktail experiments.

example. Watching the Southern cooking episode of "The Mind of Chef" introduced me to Sorghum syrup a sweetener made from grain. Its like a malty cross of honey and molasses but totally unique. I do firmly believe that ingredients from a region tend to compliment each other. As Sorghum is a southern US item, using a bourbon or rye seems to be the best choice. Recently I have been on a kick of fewer ingredients to showcase the individual flavors... So from this using an old fashioned as the basis of the drink I started experimenting. As you need a little more Sorghum to sweeten the drink then sugar, so you need a less sweet base spirit... So Bulliet Rye is out.. but Buffalo Trace Bourbon is in. Then you play with what bitters are going to work best. Turns out aged cherry bark bitters compliments it well. Toy with the proportions with some friends over and perfect it. Then you realize that its way easier to make a sorghum syrup by adding water to it so that it dissolves easier, then re-balance the proportions again, and write up the recipe. Once you do that you start playing with less easily available bourbons and American Whiskies to make a truly world class drink, maybe swapping the type of bitters out again... Complete iterative process where you learn about the ingredients and methods, then strive for improvement not perfection.

Wallardy · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
Not sure yet of the extant, my goal is not to make it a travel manual. There are some experiences I’ll cover like the first time I had a Penicillin at Momofuku, and the experience of Angelshare in NYC. These 2 will most likely be anecdotes in the cocktail section. I have put stories like this throughout the book to make things more interesting.
.

Those kinds of anecdotes are the kinds of things you can't find in an encyclopedia and are worth the price of admission.

abrod520 · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
There are some experiences I’ll cover like the first time I had a Penicillin at Momofuku

That must've been awesome. Booker and Dax (the bar that was part of the Momofuku group) was my absolute favorite place, though I'd never gotten a penicillin there. The world's been a darker place since it closed 🙁

Foo2rama
and the experience of Angelshare in NYC

Angel's Share is an experience, but the drinks are so-so in my opinion. There's one mainstay on the menu that involves smoke, and it's always a crowd-pleaser, but in general I'd say the izakaya outside is the better experience

lillatroll · Jul 31, 2018

Togri v. 2.0
Great idea with the book by the way.

One of the things I find the hardest is actually to taste and smell (and sometimes how the taste develop). So perhaps you could include some tips for smelling and tasting, identifying the various notes etc.

I think a lot of people are afraid to admit it but tasting is quite hard, or so I think anyway. You always hear “this” and “that” note is present but it can be very hard to distinguish these yourself.

A friend of mine runs a whiskey bar he said that each person tastes and smells things differently and while one person might get "a bouquet of rose petals" another might get "a hint of tarmac or liquorice". Basically all this is marketing talk (in other words; a lot of nonsense.)

Foo2rama · Jul 31, 2018

abrod520
That must've been awesome. Booker and Dax (the bar that was part of the Momofuku group) was my absolute favorite place, though I'd never gotten a penicillin there. The world's been a darker place since it closed 🙁

Angel's Share is an experience, but the drinks are so-so in my opinion. There's one mainstay on the menu that involves smoke, and it's always a crowd-pleaser, but in general I'd say the izakaya outside is the better experience

The Penicillin was originally from Milk &Honey and it was my impression that the guy that invented it was at Momofuku when I had mine. Sublime perfect cocktail that I have tried to make and order and never since since has it been right.

Angel's Share is an experience, but agreed the cocktails are mostly very well done classics and not experimental in any way. I did have that clove smoked glass drink with cloves and cinnamon with the very delicate Japanese Melon liqour... it was stunning. I more liked the reverence and for lack of a better description high end japanese sushi style of mixing. Neat place though.

Apothéke both times I went was a mess... the super complex drinks always just missed, I was not sure if it was the bartender those night or a problem with the place. I'm going to assume it was the bartender as the place is so highly rated.

My 1 of my 2 favorite places in NYC are Bath Tub Gin on 9th. I accidentally was there during a soft opening for it, and every time I am in NYC I go there and they have constantly excellent drinks. The other is Cipriani (Dolce) in Grand Central, sure the drinks are just well made old school staples but the people watching and ambience sitting just above the central concourse is just a wonderful place to spend some time.

Foo2rama · Jul 31, 2018

lillatroll
A friend of mine runs a whiskey bar he said that each person tastes and smells things differently and while one person might get "a bouquet of rose petals" another might get "a hint of tarmac or liquorice". Basically all this is marketing talk (in other words; a lot of nonsense.)

Yes and no... at least in my opinion. Rose petals to tarmac/licorice is a bit of a stretch. Differences in perceived fruits I see no harm or foul... Not that I would ever put down or question someones take on something. But more then a few times I have been at a tasting, and someone says something totally random and everyone just turns and gives them an odd look. I actually had someone say Mustard in Cognac once... umm... thats a hell of a stretch. Peated and smokey are different but most people can't tell the difference no harm no foul for me.... start of blood feuds for some people I do not really respect.

abrod520 · Jul 31, 2018

Foo2rama
The Penicillin was originally from Milk &Honey and it was my impression that the guy that invented it was at Momofuku when I had mine. Sublime perfect cocktail that I have tried to make and order and never since since has it been right.

Angel's Share is an experience, but agreed the cocktails are mostly very well done classics and not experimental in any way. I did have that clove smoked glass drink with cloves and cinnamon with the very delicate Japanese Melon liqour... it was stunning. I more liked the reverence and for lack of a better description high end japanese sushi style of mixing. Neat place though.

Apothéke both times I went was a mess... the super complex drinks always just missed, I was not sure if it was the bartender those night or a problem with the place. I'm going to assume it was the bartender as the place is so highly rated.

My 1 of my 2 favorite places in NYC are Bath Tub Gin on 9th. I accidentally was there during a soft opening for it, and every time I am in NYC I go there and they have constantly excellent drinks. The other is Cipriani (Dolce) in Grand Central, sure the drinks are just well made old school staples but the people watching and ambience sitting just above the central concourse is just a wonderful place to spend some time.

I dunno if the Milk & Honey guy was ever at BDX, but he's apparently got a couple new places now. (The people behind BDX do too, as of a few weeks ago, and I have never been less happy to live on the West coast - it'll be stop #1 next time I'm home)

Never made it to Apotheke or Bathtub Gin - when I'm in Chinatown I'm stuffing my face in a decidedly un-trendy noodle shop, not a trendy nightclub. Bathtub Gin falls under the latter category, too; I'm not really into the West Village scene.

I'll bet Cipriani makes good classics for sure, the problem is the only time I'm ever in or near Grand Central is when I'm catching a train!

Next time you're in town, try Dear Irving. It opened a couple years ago not far from Union Square, and it is both an experience and an excellent cocktail bar.

Taddyangle · Jul 31, 2018

@Foo2rama

Are you going to talk about ice cubes? How do you make those large cubes that are crystal clear?

Foo2rama · Jul 31, 2018

Taddyangle
@Foo2rama

Are you going to talk about ice cubes? How do you make those large cubes that are crystal clear?

Best cheap easy way... boil the water before you put it into the molds.

Expensive way... spend a couple hundred on an ice crusher/former or buy clear ice blocks and hand carve them.

AMA (kinda) Cocktails and Booze.

Rolycoaster

eugeneandresson

Huus

Archer

Vercingetorix

rcs914

staristheanswer

staristheanswer

Foo2rama

Rman

Wallardy

Foo2rama

Wallardy

abrod520

lillatroll

Foo2rama

Foo2rama

abrod520

Taddyangle

Foo2rama

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