ed1066's Profile
Anyone tried Costco's 7 year old small batch Bourbon?
I did, and it's pretty darn good, especially for the price ($19.99 for a 1 liter bottle at my location). Bottled at 103 proof, I noticed a nice toffee caramel nose with a warm, slight coconutty flavor. It was actually reminiscent of a less intense version of the George T. Stagg I have. I'd put it a notch above Knob Creek, a notch below maybe Booker's. Still, for twenty bucks, I'm a believer.
Trader Joe's smoked trout in a can
TJ's selection rotates at an alarming rate. This could be another R.I.P. item you won't see again. I learned my lesson when they ditched the soy butter I loved. Now I stock up if I see something I like.
Drinking Moonshine
Will, are you talking about this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Er_guo_tou
which is distilled from sorghum. I have a bottle at home, and while it's kinda rough around the edges, I have to say I like the flavor. A little sweet, with an interesting grain-like finish. It's really strong, though, 110 proof and not mellow like the 125 proof Booker's or even the 144 proof George T. Stagg...this stuff will burn.
Least appetizing food ads?
+3. The visuals are absolutely nauseating. And if that doesn't get me, the grating voice of the announcer will...
Favorite Sonoma Zinfandels?
So I know you're in Sonoma, and there are a lot of good zins there, as many have already pointed out. But since you're new to the area, you may not know that you are close to another wine region that has some really good zins. It's Amador County, located about an hour and a half south east of Sonoma. Some good zin producers I would recommend there include Renwood, Story, Toogood, Runquist, Deaver, Young's, Miller Vineyards and Granite Springs. These are all small wineries (with the possible exception of Renwood) and most of the wines are found only at the winery. Also, unlike Sonoma, when you visit most of these places you will meet the owners, winemakers and the growers (sometimes all the same person), not salespeople.
Is Mad Men inpsiring you to build a Home Bar?
Mad Men is inspiring me to build a WORK bar!
What have been your best and worst liquor purchases?
Best - tough call, but right now I would have to say Booker's bourbon.
Worst - probably a bottle of Chinese sorghum spirit. Smells awful, tastes worse.
Slivovitz for the Uninitiated
I just returned from Romania, and in addition to both home made and commercial tuica, I had the pleasure of trying palinca and horinca, which are stronger than the home made tuica. I brough back a bottle of horinca, it is 100 proof and tastes very similar to palinca (from plums), though the label says it is made from apples. It has no apple flavor that I can detect, so I'm not sure if that's accurate. At any rate, I like all three and would recommend them to anyone who likes Slivovitz.
HELP......fingers are burning from cutting jalapenos. Remedies?
Verging on TMI here, but this happened to me once as well and I severely compounded the problem by using the bathroom while my fingers were still affected by the capsaicin. Mistake...
products dropped from stock by trader joe's
They dropped the soy butter I liked. It was a great alternative to peanut butter. They don't carry any type of soy butter now at our local TJ's.
refused to eat, out of line?
For those who have been hospitalized with food poisoning, how did they determine exactly what it was that poisoned you? Are there tests to determine which specific food was the culprit, or is it just deduction based on what you ate and when you ate it? I have sincerely wondered about this as I have heard a lot of stories about people getting poisoned by something specific and wondered how they knew. I guess if other people who ate the same food also got sick, this is one way to determine it. But if not, then how?
Just Bought A Bottle Of Cachaca
I don't know why you would want to do much else with it besides make caipirinhas. The national drink of Brazil is a wonderful and beautiful cocktail, I love it!
What's the Deal with Dirty (and Extra Dirty) Martinis?
I used to like them until I saw a bartender pour the olive juice from the garnish tray into the shaker, using his fingers to hold back the olives. And this was in a reputable joint. Now I'll just go with the twist, thank you.
Salty drinks
A michelada is awesome with a shot of good silver tequila on the side. I was introduced to these in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago by the proprietor of a restaurant there, who coincidentally was from Mexico City. Great stuff, I make them for friends at home and most people like them, even if they think they won't.
Best olive juice for martini's?
There was another thread on this a while back I think, you might want to do a search. I can't accept the idea of paying for olive juice by itself, so I usually use the leftover from a jar of olives. However, we consume a lot of olives in my house, so there's never a shortage. Once I went to the local upscale market and asked if I could take some juice from the olive bar at the deli. I got a weird look, but the deli person said it was okay, though she wouldn't let me do it myself. She ladled about a half pint of juice from the Tuscan olives into a container for me, no charge. That kept me in dirty martinis for a few weeks. You could always try that.
Old Fashioned with American Honey
Sounds good, if a bit sweet. I wouldn't refer to this as an old fashioned, it may offend the purists. But it sounds like a tasty cocktail for a cold night. I think I'll try one without the fruit.
For my Manhattans I seem to go old school and basic in my whiskey...
I like Wild Turkey 101 Rye in my Manhattans. Light on the sweet vermouth, two shakes of Angostura or Peychauds, and I'm a happy guy! Oh, and I further blaspheme by having it on the rocks...
A Good New Years Eve cocktail?
Did somebody tell the Russians about the "no clear spirits in winter" rule?
Pepper Vodka-any new recipes?
I tried making some at home. It turned out ok, not great, but not terrible. I quartered and seeded a jalapeno, a serrano and a red chile pepper and steeped them with 750 ml of vodka in a mason jar for about three days, shaking once or twice a day, then strained it back into the original bottle through a coffee filter placed in a mesh strainer. The result? A slightly greenish tinged vodka with quite a kick to it. It's not bad in a bloody mary, but it doesn't taste like Pertsovka or Absolut Peppar. I also would like to know the secret recipe, since these are apparently not available anymore.
Weirdest alcohol you've ever had/cocktail you've ever made?
It's only slightly alcoholic, but in Fiji I had quite a bit of Kava. It is drunk in large quantities by the locals for mostly ceremonial purposes, but by "ceremonial" that can mean just a friendly visit to someone's home. I didn't quite get intoxicated from it, but the sensation is odd nonetheless. There's a numbing of the lips and tongue and a kind of relaxed feeling from imbibing. Unfortunately, it tastes pretty awful, like slightly gritty water from a muddy puddle.
Oxidation from a decanter?
I'd be more concerned about the lead that is in a lot of crystal decanters. A little evaporation I can live with, but lead poisoning is more serious.
Looking for pepper vodka
Glad you get the reference. Some people just think I was born in October of 1966.
Looking for pepper vodka
That looks like a good recipe, I'll try it. Also, I updated the old cocktail party thread, check it out and thanks for asking!
Whisky locations in the North West?
Not a distillery, but in Boise, ID there's a restaurant called Bardenay that has a good bourbon list with some things you don't normally see in a pub-type eatery. They also do distill there and sell the product, but it's on a small scale and I don't think they have a tour or anything (although you can see the distilling operation from the dining room). Anyway, I don't live in Boise but I spent a couple months working there and I frequented this place. Also, if I recall the bourbon prices were quite good. I usually ordered an Elijah Craig 18 year and it was about $6 with a pretty decent pour. Cute waitresses, too...
Looking for pepper vodka
Does anyone know where I can find pepper vodka of the type that used to be made by Absolut (Peppar) or Stolichnaya (Pertsovka)? I recently bought some Ukranian honey pepper vodka but it was not very good, and the slightly-off honey taste was a major turn off. I live in CA and I have looked for this in all the obvious places (BevMo, TJs, local mom and pops, etc.)
Alternatively, has anyone tried making their own and if so, what recipe/technique did you use and how did it turn out?
what category of rum is Bacardi Select?!
Unfortunately, not all gold or even dark rum is aged. Some is just white rum with coloring added. Unless there's an age statement on the bottle, it is probably not aged.
Results from the 2009 SF World Spirits Competition
I have to agree here. I've tasted a lot of these that won gold and silver, and I have to wonder how bad something has to be in order to NOT win a medal.
Bakers vs. Basil Haydens vs. Bookers
BTW, for a while Costco had all three of these in a box set for $99. I availed myself of one and have been enjoying it immensely, especially the Booker's and the Baker's. The Basil Hayden is just "meh" IMO.
Justin Timberlake's 901 Tequila
Oh yes! I have a bottle of Hacienda del Cristero I brought back from Mexico last year. Now I can't wait to open it!
