Quote:
Originally Posted by
GQ Lawyer 
If you have Carpano for your Martinez, try it with an Old Tom Gin (link Ransom). They work well together for that drink.
I too enjoy a Blood and Sand - sounds like we should go drinking sometime!
Will definitely try your London Buck recipie (I do a Mississippi Buck version with bourbon).
I do have quite a few spirits and liquors, but I'm sitll missing a lot. Just have Beefeater for gin (well, it's almost empty again, might get some Tanqueray next).
If you ever come to Hamburg (or Maastricht), shoot me a pm!
I haven't had any other ginger beer cocktail so far, so I can't say that it's better than a Moscow Mule (but I figure as much, I'm just no fan of Vodka, it doesn't add much other than % to a drink, imo). I used Thomas Henry Ginger Beer (called "Spicy Ginger" now -- it's risky to sell it as "Ginger Beer" in Germany/EU because it technically is no beer (
) without legal consequences). Thomas Henry is a new German start up that produces ginger beer, tonic water, bitter lemon etc. for about 1-1.25€/bottle. Fentiman's, if you can actually get it (it's hardly sold in Germany because they have problems importing it due to "Pfand" regulations (you pay a "deposit" when you, e.g., buy a can/bottle of soda and get the money back when you return the can/bottle)), is like 2€ for 125ml and the 1724 tonic water is 2,50€ (but it's definitely worth a try, much different, more floral/fruity flavor); so TH is rather reasonably priced and decent in taste.
(edit: I just had another one. Apparently, I used ginger ale the first time, which is much smoother and less spicy/hot than ginger beer. The use of ginger ale resulted in a "rounder" and more balanced taste but at the same time a little flat one. The ginger beer is interesting too because it has more character due to its spicyness. Works well with gin, too. I guess this also depends on the producer of the ginger ale/beer in general though)
Just had a Manhattan with 2oz Elijah Craig 12yo (how do you like it? I think it's ok, have had the 18yo once and liked it quite a bit, but the 12yo is lacking something.. then again, it's "just" about 20€ per bottle and not as sweet/vanilla-y as Four Roses, so I think it's decent value. How would you describe the taste of Rowan's Creek in comparison to Elijah Craig 12/Four Roses/Booker's?), 1 oz Carp. A., 1 dash each of TBT bitters: Orange, Jerry Thomas' and Old time Aromatics (I generally think less is more but the TBT are rather light in bitterness so I think 3 dashes are ok). I added two Luxardo maraska cherries as garnish. It was a little too sweet which I think originated from the syrup of the Luxardo cherries -- until now I used Paul Devoille's Griotte cherries (Kirschwasser), which are, imo, much much better, i.e. less sweet, better (and more supporting) flavor due to the Kirschwasser. If you ever see them, give them a chance! Other than that, it was delicious.
I'll try rinsing the Luxardo ones next time.
Damn, sorry for all the () today, I hope it's somewhat bareable to read.
Edited by b1os - 6/5/12 at 5:16pm
). I used JW Black. Some blog said that it's even better with Drambuie instead of Bénédictine. It's good, too, but I prefer the Bénédicitine. While I like Drambuie a lot, it just doesn't add enough to make it a very good drink.
