br cleve's Profile
Periodista questions
It may be a bit of overkill to use the single barrel cruzan in a cocktail, but then again...it won't suck! That's a wonderful spirit and it will taste great in this drink. But for a more moderately priced version that tastes great, get a bottle of Coruba.
Who has the best Indian food in the Boston area?
Best South Indian food is in Lowell - Udupi Bhavan is my fave, though Mysore Veggie, which is a block away, is a close second. Both are vegetarian, and are located near a large Hindu temple. Be sure to try the South Indian coffee, which is uniquely served upside down on the plate.
I wish one could get better Hyderabadi food here (or "Andhra cuisine" as it's usually called in India), the truly hotly spiced food in the subcontinent. Maybe someday. Indian food here in general pales in comparison to what you'd get in India itself, or Britain even, but it's not always possible to fly for 18 hours just to have dinner. Chalta hai!
Periodista questions
The Periodista is a Cuban drink, so making it with Jamaican rum is a bit of a sacrilege. That said, I know that the locals here make it with Jamaican, so if you want that taste, so be it. But I'd skip the Meyers in favor of the Appleton 12 Yr Old, a superior rum that more closely resembles the legendary (and lamented) Daggers brand that these classic drinks were created with. If you want to make it the old Cuban way and you don't have time to run to Canada to buy some Havana Club, pick up a bottle of the Flor de Caña 4 yr old white from Nicaragua, or, if you can find it, the white Pritchard's from Tennesee (Brix has it). Brizzard's Apry is nice but I prefer the Rothman & Winter Apricot, which I find a bit subtler. Bols Triple Sec is good, though with the white rum I might use their richer Orange Curaçao instead. Grand Marnier has cognac in it and would not work. Many recipes call for less than 1/2 oz of the Apricot and Orange, usually around 1/4 oz. 1/2 oz of fresh lime juice is good, also add 1/4 oz simple syrup. And 1 1/2 oz of the rum, of course. The NH state packys usually have a nice selection of Marie Brizzard and Bols, and also the Flor de Caña (a superb and inexpensive white; throw away the Bacardi and buy this for classic Diaquiris etc)
cocktails you've invented that worked or didn't
I used light rum in The Stardust (which is a variation of Don The Beachcomber's Royal Diaquiri, circa early '40's). We had Bacardi in the well at the B-Side, but these days I'd use Flor de Caña or Prichards (or Havana Club when I have it around).
btw, I've been a huge fan of Old Monk since I first encountered it in India years ago. Here's a cocktail I've invented that works quite nicely; I call it The Maharaja's Revenge -
2 oz Old Monk
1 ox Apricot Brandy (I recommend the Rothman & Winter's if available in yr area)
3/4 oz lime juice
shake with iced and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a lime wheel.
Shabash! enjoy........
