• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The Cocktail Thread

Huntsman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
7,888
Reaction score
1,002
In most of America, the cocktail is dead. There are only a few outposts still carrying the banner. Declining standards of taste have dragged the cocktail into near oblivion. Proper bartenders are almost extinct, replaced by glorified waiters whose loftiest goal is to stock the tip jar, rather than to create an elegant experience for their patrons. Bars have become the domain of vodka flavored with the synthesized renderings of chemistry labs, as well as of "˜mixologists' that peddle fluorescent brew, neatly topped off with some FD&C #4 Blue.

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Five Drinks Bartenders Hate to Make" typifies the current state of affairs -- a bartender is quoted saying that if a customer wants a real Mojito, he should go to a restaurant rather than a bar. What? Yet, a bar I sat in last week had 471 Martinis, most of which contained no gin, vodka, or vermouth, but various combinations of candy. Good spirits, good water, fresh juices create that which the 471 variations cannot. It's fusing vs. canvassing in a glass.

It wasn't always this way. With Repeal Day (December 5th) approaching, a thread in honor of the cocktail, elevated to the level of artistry to which we hold our sartorial efforts, seems appropriate.

This is my favorite -- the Old Fashioned, one of the progenitors of all cocktails, and with good reason, as the balance is sublime. If you've only had ones made with red maraschino cherries, you haven't had an Old Fashioned in your life (common maraschinos are bleached, plumped, then soaked in almond-flavored sugar water, which are not appropriate flavors). This recipe requires proper preserved wild cherries -- Amazon carries Amarena Fabbri cherries, which are highly regarded.

Old Fashioned:

1.5oz good Bourbon (I'm currently using Knob Creek)
0.5oz 1:1 simple syrup
3 Dashes Bitters (I use a proprietary bitters, but Angostura is fine)
1/2 slice orange
1 proper maraschino cherry

Add cherry, orange slice, bitters and sugar syrup. Muddle. Add ice, finish with bourbon, garnish with an orange twist.

I am working on my Manhattan (a Sazerac Rye and Vya Vermouth version is in my glass right now), and the Negroni is next.

Share some recipes...

~ Huntsman
 

ms244

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2006
Messages
794
Reaction score
1
I concur.

This might be of some interest to you.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?...ic=96031&st=60

Note that vermouth is basically a wine and having a bottle sit on the shelf for three months will make it taste like a bottle of three month old wine.

A buddy of mine, she bartends at a local restaurant on Saturdays. Last night we were perusing through the receipie book and found two interesting concoctions.

Octopus's Garden - A gin martini with an olive and a smoked baby octopus as garnish. I didn't try it for lack of smoked baby octopuses

And the aptly named, Suffering Bastard.

1 1/2 oz rum
1 oz overproof rum
3/4 oz Orange Curacao liqueur
1/2 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz fresh orange juice

Shake all ingredients well and strain into an ice-filled double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with slices of orange and lime, and serve.

This one got garnished with cucumber's as well. It's the perfect salad dressing.
icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif
 

Kent Wang

Affiliate Vendor
Affiliate Vendor
Dubiously Honored
Joined
May 5, 2005
Messages
5,841
Reaction score
1,492
I have the same cherries and I had a similar one in my Manhattan at Pegu Club. They are truly of another class.
 

Huntsman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
7,888
Reaction score
1,002
Orgeat syrup? That's old school. Sounds interesting, ms. And yes, I've been following that eGullet thread -- I'm not a member for whatever reason, but I read it. (Liked the note about the Diana, btw. Neat!)

Kent, indeed! (I wish your shirts had longer sleeves, 15.5/34.5 here),

~! Huntsman
 

SoCal2NYC

Fashion Hayzus
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
12,139
Reaction score
10
So fussy...why not just drink liquor straight up?
 

Huntsman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
7,888
Reaction score
1,002
I do. My 'everyday' drink is scotch, neat.

However, I have more than one style of suit, and enjoy alcohol in a variety of presentations. Just not the shallow, sugary, charcterless ones if I can avoid it. Try the Old Fashioned if you drink bourbon -- rather, go to Pegu and order one, or perhaps a Manhattan, I'm sure they're well made there.

Regards,
Huntsman
 

ms244

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2006
Messages
794
Reaction score
1
Looking at this drink reciepie I think the one I had was a little different, my memory is a little hazy but I do remember she put gin into it.

I'll have to check what it was next time around.
 

injung

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
177
Reaction score
0
I once asked a bartender for a rusty nail and she didn't know what it was =/
 

Connemara

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
38,384
Reaction score
1,827
Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC
So fussy...why not just drink liquor straight up?

Most intelligent thing you've ever said.
 

hemostatic

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
17
Reaction score
2
I ordered Tom Collins... was given a 'tom collins'- no ice, in what appeared to be a large shotglass, or a very tiny tumbler.

Ordered a gimlet, (which most of the bartenders in my area haven't heard of) and was given a shotglass of gin and a shotglass of lime juice. I had to get a glass of ice and mix it myself.

Now I usually just ask for straight liquor or beer.
 

tiger02

Militarist
Joined
Nov 16, 2004
Messages
3,733
Reaction score
3
There are three places worth getting a cocktail in this city. One is full of the sort of crowd no one wants to hang out with, yet is always full. Another is on the ascendancy but still new and the bartenders are uneven.

But if anyone is coming out to Budapest, call me up and we'll swing through Bar Martinez. They do them all, and they do them right.

Tom
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,121
Messages
10,578,679
Members
223,877
Latest member
VasquezMaas
Top