Jump to content

The Finer Things In Life


knightni

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

QUOTE (AssHatSoxFan @ Nov 5, 2009 -> 11:36 AM)
I still have my Sierra Nevada Estate in the fridge and will probably crack that open Saturday night to enjoy

 

Let me know what you think.

 

QUOTE (Soxy @ Nov 5, 2009 -> 02:31 PM)
I recently bought some El Mayor Reposado tequila. Muy delicioso.

 

Si!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Soxy @ Nov 6, 2009 -> 05:46 PM)
Weekend of grading, so will probably be imbibing lots of my precious, precious, precious tequila.

 

I had a chance to try El Mayor's Añejo this weekend and it was also very nice. More incredible, though, was the reposado from a distillery called Partida — possibly the best tequila I've ever tasted.

 

Most amazing, I tried both of these at Epcot of all places. They recently opened a fantastic tequila and margarita bar in the Mexico Pavilion called La Cava del Tequila with over 70 different tequilas and a unique range of margaritas that use unusual ingredients like blood orange froth, elderflower liqueur, avacado, caramelized pineapple, and the like. If a place like that existed closer to home I think tequila could begin to challange rum as my spirit of choice.

 

I also had a cocktail that was as interesting twist on the classic New Orleans Sazerac cocktail (it ws the last weekend of the food and wine festival and the wife and I managed to ditch the kids for the weekend to take it in). A traditional Sazerac is made with rye, pernod or herbsaint, Peychaud's bitters (NOT Angoustura!), and a twist of lemon, and is cited by many urban anthropologists (booze historians) as being the world's first cocktail. This is an old-school drink, and is admittedly a bit extreme for the Epcot crowd. But for Food and Wine, the New Orleans Pavilion served up a version called the "Sazzerazz" made with Maker's Mark bourbon, Peychaud's, and some raspberry-infused spirit that itself made for a nice little drink.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This smoke beer is everything I had ever read. Never has a beer been so perfectly described...but who could ever imagine a beer that smells like a bon fire and raw bacon, yet tastes smooth like a well smoked pork chop?

 

The aroma is strong but the beer is very easy to drink. If I couldn't smell it, I would place it as a rich, malty schwartz. I don't know if I'll ever crave this type of beer, but then I thought that about sours too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (hogan873 @ Nov 10, 2009 -> 07:13 AM)
Man, I just looked up this beer on ratebeer.com. It sounds delicious. Where did you find it?

 

Most beers stores have it. Even the smaller beer stores here have it. If you have a Binny's around, they should have it. Other brewers make smoke beers as well, like Left Hand. What I like to do when I want to try a certain style but have no idea what the bottle shop will have is check Ratebeer and find a couple different beers in mind to seek out. Then I'll just grab whatever I find. Smoke beers have become more prevalent so I'm sure you will find something.

 

Honestly, I've never tasted anything like it. Definitely worth the experience...and already I'm wondering when I'll get another one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (G&T @ Nov 10, 2009 -> 08:29 AM)
Honestly, I've never tasted anything like it. Definitely worth the experience...and already I'm wondering when I'll get another one.

 

See. . . ? You're starting to crave it already. :)

 

And you are lucky you have easily obtainable rauchbiers, because I sure don't. If you ever run into one of the Rauchinfels Steinbiers (the hot rocks beers), be sure to give it a spin as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Appropriately the Chicago Tribune recently reviewed the Rogue rauchbier.

 

Linky

 

I'll have to look for it.

 

Tonight though, it's Avery Salvation for me. This is really good. Full bodied, lots of fruit. A bit syrupy, and probably cloying for some, but I like sweet. Great beer to relax with.

By the way, I would say that this is the closest beer to aged Hennepin I've had. The Hennepin was smoother IMO, but I would have to put them side by side to be sure. Certainly cheaper and easier to come by.

Edited by G&T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (G&T @ Nov 11, 2009 -> 09:39 PM)
Pennichuck Brewing apparently is going belly up. They are selling their brewing supplies. I might have to grab what I can around here. They may be going to contract brewing, but that isn't clear right now.

 

Ratebeer

 

I have never had ANYTHING from these guys, but I have read good things about them. They had just inked a Florida distribution agreement too, so I was looking forward to seeing the beers make it this way.

 

Reading that release bit from rateBeer, I'm not convinced they are done though. "Realigning company assets" may mean they are scaling up to larger equipment, depending on the nature of the "angel funding", and obviously their stated plan to brew again in @9 months is encouraging. They may also be looking to contract brewers to produce their stuff, which can be worrisome but doesn't have to be a product killer. We shall see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My folks made their way down to lorida for snowbird season and brought me a bottle of the ever-elusive Maraska maraschino liqueur from Croatia. I have about a dozen vintage tiki recipes piled up that I've never been able to mix up for lack of maraschino. This weekend could get ugly if not for the fact that I have to work both Saturday and Sunday. :crying

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the beginning of the summer, my wife bought me the Trader Vic's Tiki Party recipe book on our pilgrimage to the famous Mai Kai restaurant and tiki paradise in Fort Lauderdale. I pulled a couple of recipes from it back then, particularly one that has become my wife's favorite drink. But I never went exhaustively through the book trying out all the drinks — mostly because was still working my way through a couple of other books. Armed with my new bottle of maraschino liqueur however, I pulled the TV book back out because there were several recipes in there that called for maraschino.

 

Long story short — there are some really superb drinks in this book (with and without the maraschino). Trader Vic Bergeron's recipes tended to be a little simpler than rival Don the Beachcombers — i.e., maybe only 5 ingredients instead of 9 or 10. Maybe on their face the recipes didn't seem complex enough for me to dive into them before, but I'm realizing now I was selling them short. Some real gems in here that showcase some fine rums quite nicely.

 

Being the inventor, after all, of the greatest mixed drink ever (the mai tai), I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the rest of Vic's cocktail lexicon has a few other great drinks in it.

 

Going back for another round of something Vic called the "Tahitian Gold". Nothing remotely Tahitian about it, this perfect blend of 'ti punch meets Cuban daiquiri spotlights Martinique Rhum St. James offset by lime and sugar, with interesting counterpoints coming from a couple dashes of maraschino and Pernod. Outstanding. And a couple more of these and I'll have to switch from this thread to post in the Drunk thread.

Edited by FlaSoxxJim
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Nov 14, 2009 -> 09:45 PM)
Jim,

I don't know if you've done this before for us at Soxtalk, but I would love to see a photo of your bar at home. I am dying to see how many bottles and random ingredients you have...

 

I can do that, but it's no Kodak moment. Sadly, I don't have any sort of Man Cave with a dedicated bar (though a patio tiki bar is in the conceptual stages). I basically have one two-shelf kitchen cabinet stocked with spirits — 80% rum, plus vodka, gin, bourbon, scotch, and some liqueurs. Then I have two of the big plastic milk-crate bins stocked with mixers — one for alcoholic mixers (triple sec, curacao, creme de cacao, various brandies, liqueurs, etc.) and one for non-alcoholic juices, homemade syrups, sodas, coconut milk, Coco Lopez, etc. The fridge is stocked with open juice cans and bottles, homemade cold-press grenadine etc. Then I have a little counter space with oversized (1.75L) bottles of the more pedestrian rums (Mount Gay Eclipse, Cruzan white, etc.) and a couple more homemade liqueurs. Finally, I have a wire wine rack in another corner of the kitchen filled with random overflow bottles.

 

Space is absolutely the limiting factor for my home mixology setup. I figured out I usually keep around two dozen different rums on hand, and there's easily a dozen more I'd like to have, not even getting into all the high end sippers I have no space for. I'd love to start exploring tequilas and I feel like I'm neglecting single malt scotch, but that might try the wife's patience. Basements are pretty much non-existent in Florida (high water table), otherwise I'd be working on the best basement bar in the state.

Edited by FlaSoxxJim
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Long story short, hanging out at a new bar last night with my bff and she was in the mood to try something different, on the plus side it did involve me, however, it also involved the bartender. Sadly, I was at a loss to recommend a good fall drink that a restaurant/bar would produce. She was not interested in anything fruity or pedestrian.

 

Thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 15, 2009 -> 08:20 AM)
Long story short, hanging out at a new bar last night with my bff and she was in the mood to try something different, on the plus side it did involve me, however, it also involved the bartender. Sadly, I was at a loss to recommend a good fall drink that a restaurant/bar would produce. She was not interested in anything fruity or pedestrian.

 

Thoughts?

 

If she's a brandy person, how about a brandy old fashioned? Good brandy, bitters, a splash of water over cracked ice with a lemon twist.

 

If she's a vodka person, how about a Moscow mule. Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. Think I'll make one of these this evening.

 

A Colleen is nice — Irish whiskey, Irish Mist, triple sec and a bit of lemon juice.

 

Maybe a martini-like cocktail that is not so dry and bracing. A Rolls Royce is basically a gin martini with one measure each of French and Italian (red) vermouth, with a splash of Benedictine if the barman has it.

 

Pimm's Cup with sparliking Italian-style lemonade is also a nice fall quencher. Don't forget to garnish with a cucumber slice!

 

That should get her started. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...