ShadowedOne's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Rose Flower Water
I'll second the Orgeat. Then make Mai Tais with it. Perfect for summer. Here is the recipe I always use:
http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=214
Chowhound Post
Homemade Bitters
MrGrotto - When making my homemade bitters I filtered first through coffee filters. This process takes a long time, but works well to get out the large sediment. Following that I allow the bitters to settle for about a week then siphon the clear bitters off the top being careful not to disturb the sediment.
I've read on another site good reports about using a Buchner Funnel for bitters filtration but I haven't had a chance to try it myself as yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCc...
Chowhound Post
drink like james bond
I tried steeping Cinchona in some Lillet Blanc. The results were okay but I couldn't find a balance that I like. I will warn you that a 3-4 steep will be much too long. I steeped for 10-20 minutes and found the 10 minute batch added the desired bitterness. You can read my full bit on my site if you want more details.
http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=705
Chowhound Post
best rye for manhattan
I always reach for either Rittenhouse 100 or Van Winkle Family Reserve. Both add the characteristic rye spiciness that I like. I think the Van Winkle is a touch more refined, but that's not always what you're looking for so I have both.
Chowhound Post
Fat Washing
I tried fat washing with bacon fat using Don Lee's method as well. However, I think the bacon I used wasn't smoky enough as the resulting bourbon was fairly bland. I have some Benton's bacon now and plan to try again once I cook that up.
Chowhound Post
Limoncello questions...
I liken this to the question about what kind of wine to cook with. Since the alcohol you choose will become the base for you limoncello I would strongly suggest getting something you'd be willing to drink on its own (unless of course you're going the everclear route).
Basically if your base spirit doesn't taste good it's not going to produce a limoncello that tastes very good.
Chowhound Post
Best places to order booze online?
I've shopped with Sam's Wine with good success.
Can you clarify what you mean by "worth it to order and ship things like Absinthe"? Here in CO I can get a wide range of Absinthe in my local liquor store. Is that not the case in Idaho?
Chowhound Post
Did anyone receive a special bottle for XMas?
I got a bottle of Chivas Brothers "The Century of Malts". Really enjoyed the tiny bit I tasted last night.
Chowhound Post
ISO: Best Bartending Recipe Book
In addition to all of the books listed above I would highly suggest the Difford's Guide to Cocktails #7 (the current version). It has a zillion recipes, but the part I like best is that for someone just starting to build a bar it lists a base set of spirits and mixers to purchase. Recipes that can be made from only this base set are then noted throughout the book.
Chowhound Post
Limoncello questions...
I usually only use a fine mesh strainer. There are sometimes very small bits of zest left over. You could certainly double strain through both fine mesh and cheese cloth if the micro particle bother you.
Chowhound Post
Neutral grain spirits for making digestifs
Everclear is only 151 proof in certain areas. Here (Colorado) the Everclear I use for Limoncello is 190 proof as well. I generally steep the zest for about a week in 190 proof Everclear.
Chowhound Post
Bottle of Scotch for a gift
It seems your boyfriend is into both single malts and blends. As such, I'd suggest looking at the Compass Box blended whiskies. They're all quite good.
I bought a bottle of Hedonism for my stepdad for his birthday and we both love it. It's now one of his all time favorites.
http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/home....
Chowhound Post
Eggnog
I recently whipped up a batch of Alton Brown's Good Eats Egg Nog and was very pleased. It calls for Bourbon and I used Eagle Rare (one of my favorites). The recipe is pretty simple and the flavor is great.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/al...
Chowhound Post
Spirited Spirt Storage
I went with shelves from IKEA. The Laxvik line to be exact. I like the modern semi-industrial look.
There is a pic on Flickr if you'd like to take a look.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86318258...
Chowhound Post
Vodka Infusions
The possible problem you could have with plastic containers is that plastic will absorb food flavors and smells, in particular fats. Then your infusion could pick up these off flavors/smells.
Glass on the other hand doesn't absorb anything so you don't run this risk.
Chowhound Post
A Week of Speciality Cocktails
You beat me to it Alan, the G&T idea just popped in to my head!
One of, if not THE, original reason tonic was created was to combat malaria. In order to make it more palatable people started mixing it with sugar (the tonic back then wasn't sweetened) and gin and thus the G&T was born. I think this would make the perfect Indian drink. If you want bonus points you could make your own tonic syrup, the ingredients are readily available on the web.
I used Jeffrey's recipe when I made mine. Links below.
http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/20...
http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=382
Chowhound Post
Gimlet ratio?
I'd second that. For me a Gimlet is defined by it's use of Rose's Lime. I won't even use another Lime Cordial. I tried making homemade lime cordial and it was certainly quite good but the resulting cocktail wasn't a Gimlet.
My $0.02
Chowhound Post
A Week of Speciality Cocktails
I'd give the following a go:
Italian: Negroni
German: There is really nothing more German than a good beer in my opinion
Mexican: Margarita
New Years: French 75, Belini
Indian: Uh, yeah, no idea there
Chowhound Post
"Thank you" cognac - ~$100?
I'll second the Germain-Robin. Wonderful stuff.
Chowhound Post
What is the best go-to Absinthe in America
I have a bottle of Kubler Absinthe that I like quite a lot. I've only tried Lucid and Kubler but personally prefer the Kubler. As for anise/pastis I like the flavor. It generally isn't a go to drink for me, but I like having it every now and then.
Chowhound Post
limoncello
I use a microplane. The key is to get as little of the white pith as possibly as it will add noticeable bitterness to the final product.
Chowhound Post
MargaritaI Recipe Needed
The recipe I use is pretty much the standard Classic Margarita recipe:
2 oz Reposado Tequila (I like Milagro)
1 oz Lime Juice (Fresh)
1 oz Cointreau
Chowhound Post
Whiskey Sour Recipe?
For me the egg white is really key to making this drink fantastic. Here is the recipe I've been using and loving:
2 oz Whiskey (Your Choice)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 Fresh Egg White
1 Dash Fee Brother's Old Fashioned Bitters
2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters
Dry shake all the ingredients for about 30 seconds then add ice and shake to chill.
You can read more on my blog if you're interested: http://cocktailhacker.com/?p=330
Chowhound Post
limoncello
This is nearly identical to my chosen recipe although I use a 1.75 liter bottle of grain alcohol and 1.75 liters of simple syrup.
The resulting limoncello is fantastic. I make it every year and the bottles quickly disappear as friends and family snatch them up.
Chowhound Post
Silver Tequila for Margaritas?
If you're wanting a Blanco to stick with the recipe Sauza Hornitos Plata is pretty good. I personally prefer a Reposado though and would highly suggest Milagro Reposado in the Margarita recipe you've listed.
As for Cointreau you can certainly substitute another Triple Sec but it won't be nearly as good as it would be with Cointreau.
Chowhound Post
Cognac and the classic cocktail- The Sidecar
I personally prefer a drier Sidecar and go with a 2:1:1 ratio when mixing it up. We checked out a bunch of recipes a while back on our website, might be a good place to check if you're looking for a bunch of Sidecar recipes.
http://cocktailhacker.com/?tag=sidecar
Chowhound Post
Confused with Bitters
The orange bitters play off the orange flavors in the Campari. I'd strongly suggest giving it a try some time.
Chowhound Post
Special Occ Vodka
The only soy vodka I know of is 3.
http://www.3vodka.com/
