The Georgia Mint Julep

Fresh mint leaves

1 tsp sugar (2 sugar cubes)

Dash of water

2 oz cognac

1 oz peach brandy

Muddle the water, sugar and some mint leaves. Add spirits and crushed ice. Stir like you are stirring shit up at Head-Fi. Add leaves to glass and transfer mixture.

That looks very good Marc!

I am enjoying a large pour of Caol Ila 12yr, cheers!

The Widow's Kiss

1.5 oz calvados

0.75 oz Green Chartreuse

0.75 oz Benedictine

2 dashes Angostura

Shake and garnish with a cherry. Chartreuse flask FTW!

Grange x2

Yay, it's cocktail and booze time!

Improvised Old Pal:

1oz High West Bourye

1oz Cocchi Chinato

1oz Dolin Blanc

Nice, but not as sharp as usual.

Edited February 20, 201115 yr by Voltron

Grange x2

Dinny, didn't you read that it was cocktails and booze time?! The program. Get with it!

Edited February 20, 201115 yr by Voltron

Jim, do you have some Calvados? I absolutely love the stuff. I'd heartedly recommend the Widow's Kiss. I'd love to also try it with the yellow Chartreuse. If you need a good one, the one I have is the Maison Surrenne petite of Calvadoses IMHO.

Yep, I like the Widow's Kiss (cocktail). Right now I have, and like, Calvados Morice. I like to try new things so let me know the brand you like. I love that flask of Chartreuse!

Nice improvisation Al! How is the Bourye? Sounds interesting but I have not tried it.

I think we can work out an exchange program stay tuned. Have you tried the WK with yellow Chartreuse?

The exchange program sounds intriguing. Only the green chartreuse in the WKs here.

alt grawk

Back to the Anvil List tonight.

I got some Ginger Beer and planned to make all three cocktails calling for Ginger Beer but didn't have any fresh mint so I couldn't make the Gin Gin Mule. Didn't really love either of the drinks I made with the Ginger Beer but I am becoming quite convinced that I just don't like ginger in my drinks.

Anvil # 30 El Diablo

1.5 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila

1/2 oz. Creme de Cassis

1/2 Lime

Top off with Ginger Beer

Anvil #89 Suffering Bastard

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz Eagle Rare 10yr Bourbon

1/2 oz Old Raj Gin

1 dash Angostura Bitters

2 oz Ginger Beer

I didn't end up drinking either of the last two drinks so I decided to make another.

Anvil #66 Paradise

1 oz Old Raj Gin

1/2 oz Rothman and Winter Orchard Apricot

1/2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

1 dash fresh squeezed lemon juice

While this drink wasn't anything spectacular, it was certainly drinkable and I could see myself making another in the future.

Edited February 20, 201115 yr by shellylh

Nice looking drinks even if you didn't like them. . I think really strong Ginger beer only works in a couple drinks and those aren't them. I also find I seldom like classic cocktails with OJ in them. Too cloying. A good Mimosa or even screwdriver can hit the spot sometimes but the paradise would be better without OJ.

Nice looking cocktails Shelly. Some of the Ginger beers can be overpowering. The Fentimans seems to work well, but I like the taste of Ginger. The Paradise struck me as bland, drinkable, but no complexity.

Last night had a dinner of homemade bread (no-knead dough with flax seed fermented since Monday) and Chimay cheese. Popped a St. Feullien/Green Flash Biere de L'Amitie, and an Oerbier Reserva 09. Due to the yeasty overload we switched to Old Rip soon after.

Sounds like a yeast fest, Matt, NTTIAWWT.

re: Ginger Beer, Barritts is best, Goslings will do in a pinch ...

Edited February 20, 201115 yr by agile_one

I've had some pretty nasty American ginger beer, I distinctly remember one with a cowboy label that made everything taste like ginger for about a week. Used to live by a deli with a well stocked soda selection, the family that owned the place would take a road trip every year and bring back a trailer full of sodas from small producers. Kind of set me up perfectly for the craft beer movement. I gained a willingness to try anything in the soda case, which meant I drank a lot of swill. I even tried the Jones Soda Thanksgiving Dinner pack. Turkey & Gravy and the Brussel Sprout soda were pretty much the low point.

Anyway, actual favorites to come from that were the Jamaican ginger beers. I know I had a Barritt's somewhere along the way too, and liked it. Moxie is fun, almost an addictive acquired taste. I loved all those different takes on soda, not the oversweetened mess we know. Of course I found some pretty good takes on the American style sodas as well, like Tommyknocker Almond Cream. Best mixed drink I ever had was that with Wild Turkey 101.

I think I've plugged it before but if you can find Sprecher's Ginger Soda it's pretty awesome. Really light on the ginger flavor but with a nice silent kick of gingery spice at the end.

Having an old chub on the porch waiting for the BBQ... life doesn't really get much better than this.

I need to try that Two Brothers IPA, wonder if they have it at the Gingerman here...

Shelly, if you have trouble finding the Two Brothers, let me know. Easy to get around here, I can get some for you.

Nice sampler, 2 Hearted, Gemini, Double Trouble, centennial and Lost Abbeys Judgement Day.

Mongo by Port Brewing on cask, seriously great DIPA

I think I've plugged it before but if you can find Sprecher's Ginger Soda it's pretty awesome. Really light on the ginger flavor but with a nice silent kick of gingery spice at the end.

Yup. I also recommend the Sprecher's Ginger soda, and I like their Cream Soda better than others as well.

Yep, I like the Widow's Kiss (cocktail). Right now I have, and like, Calvados Morice. I like to try new things so let me know the brand you like. I love that flask of Chartreuse!

Nice improvisation Al! How is the Bourye? Sounds interesting but I have not tried it.

I quite liked the Bourye, but this was the first time I tried it. I thought it was tasty in the Old Pal and then had a dram neat and then with an ice cube. I like the rye bite and bourbon sweetness/smoothness. I can see why Dinny likes it because it is his perfect combo.

Last night drank my one and only bottle of New Belgium Brewing La Folie. It was a great as I remembered from my previous taste at City Beer. Thanks for getting me the sour beers, Al. I can't wait to try the rest.

Just hauled this in:

Sipping on this right now:

To avoid giving Al a heart attack, I'm sipping neat out of a snifter as opposed to a plastic cup with a humongous ice cube in it

Nice Raffy. The 20 yr old is my favorite. I like it better than the older and significantly more expensive 23 yr old stuff.

Thanks Jim, the 23 yr is significantly more indeed. Any particular reason you prefer the 20 yr over the 23?