craigasaurus's Profile
Stoli -- a slice of the Ukraine in Brookline Village
I've not been, but it seems like a lot of the Russian restaurants in Boston are banquet halls, and geared for large groups/parties. From your comments, it seems like Stoli is this type of place. Also, a bit of nit-picking, but the restaurant's website says they serve Russian, not Ukrainian cuisine. I realize there's a lot of overlap, but each are distinct in their own way. Actually, the best thing I remember about eating when I was in Ukraine (note - no "the!") was the array of food from all over Eastern Europe and the Caucuses. I think my favorite meal was at a Georgian restaurant.
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Stoli Bar & Restaurant
213 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
Alternatives to Lemon Hart 151?
It's back
http://www.drinkupny.com/Lemon_Hart_151_p/s0375.htm
What peach brandy to get and what to do with it when I get it?
Note that Mathilde Peche is NOT a "peach brandy," but rather a peach liqueur. I believe its base distillate is made from peaches, but it is sweetened and may have other ingredients. A beach brandy, on the other hand, would be a distillate of fermented peach juice. Old cocktail recipes that call for peach brandy are referring to just that, but from what I can find, it isn't imported into the U.S. anymore. That said, Mathilde liqueurs are all natural and flavored from fruits, and are far superior to artificial peach schnapps.
Defeat my Hendricks Gin Drink
If you omit the wine and club soda, and muddle the lemon peel instead of squeezing it, you'll have an interesting riff on a classic Old Fashioned. If you need to add a dry wine or club soda for "balance," perhaps you've got too much St. Germain in there. I bet if you cut that back to 1/4 oz, you'll have a perfectly balanced drink that lets the flavors of the Hendricks really shine.
Negroni construction
I personally prefer Cynar in my Negronis - it just has a certain something that pairs up nicely with the gin and vermouth's botanicals. I like a little orange bitters and a twist, and tend to drink them on the rocks (mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to go through the trouble of chilling a cocktail glass, cracking ice, stirring/straining, etc). Also excellent - sub your favorite Tequila for the gin - it goes really well with Cynar and orange.
Tanqueray vs. Hendrick's Gin?
Wrong language source - the English word is derived from the Dutch work Genever (also meaning juniper). The Dutch were the first to flavor spirits with juniper (in their case, the spirit was malt based, kind of like an unaged whiskey). "Dry" gin didn't exist until the invention of the fractional column still, which produced an unflavored neutral spirit. Because the spirit was so "clean," the taste of juniper is more pronounced in "dry" styles of gin.
I've heard that the martini was first made (in the form that we now recognize it - it evolved from other drinks) was made with Plymouth gin, and that, too, is my preference. Of course, many people would say that Plymouth is a gin for people who don't really like gin, but I digress...
High-end German spirits? (moved from International board)
Gilka Kummel, a caraway-seed flavored liqueur.
Looking for Ransom Old Tom Gin
Has anyone seen this product for sale in Boston? Thanks!
Ararat Brandy?
I recently bought some Georgian brandy at a corner liquor store in Watertown and have been really enjoying it. I'd have to imagine that Ararat is pretty readily available too, given the large Armenian population.
Never opened Vodka bottle marked as from USSR
If it's never been opened, it's fine. Bottled spirits are filtered - there is no yeast left, so the product does not age or change in the bottle (unlike wine). You can probably filter out the flakes - nothing can really live in an environment that is 40% alcohol.
Kid-friendly in Cambridge/B.U. area?
My sister is visiting in a few weeks with her one-year-old in tow. I don't really dine out with kids, so I don't have much experience in this area. Can anyone recommend a dinner location in Cambridge or near B.U. (they're staying at the DoubleTree on Soldier's Field Road)? Cuisine preferences are: Italian, American, Greek, and seafood. Thanks!
Homemade Pernod / Absinthe
Hey Striper and Yarm, I know you guys both live in the Boston area- I've purchased Wormwood at Modern Brewer, a homebrew shop in Porter Square, Cambridge. They actually have a lot of spices that are useful in bitters and cordial making. Also, don't forget Christina's in Inman Square, I'm sure they carry wormwood there.
Anyone Tried Wild Turkey Rare Breed?
$32.99 at the NH liquor outlets. Although it'll probably cost you more than the difference in gas, at least you can get it faster.
Stirrings Simple Syrup
You don't have 45 seconds? That's all it takes to pour 1 cup of superfine sugar and water into a container and shake it.
Cocktail challenge - A drink that ties in with author Ayn Rand
Make a batch of "Howard Roark" cocktails. Pour only the best, most expensive distillates over hand-cracked pure ice and strain into crystal clear glasses. Once all of your drinks are made, and your guests start to admire them, smash all the glasses in a fit of impotent rage, because no one can truly appreciate your selfish brilliance but you!
Where to find Riga Black Birch/Balsam/Balzams? (spirit of Latvia)
I've seen it on the shelves of several stores in metro Boston. If that helps at all, Marty's in Newtonville carries 375 and 750 ml bottles of it.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon Overblown
Even though I sometimes disagree with Striperguy's tastes, I appreciate his zealous advocacy on behalf of his palate.
I've tended to use Ritt bonded as my 'go-to' rye for some time now, but recently picked up a bottle of Old Overholt. Anyway, tonight I decided to match them head-to-head in a recipe. I made two Liberals (1.5 oz rye, .5 sweet vermouth .25 Amer Picon, orange bitters) using those ryes. My impression was that with the Overholt, the drink was more well-balanced, less spicy, and let the supporting ingredients shine. With the Ritt, it was more whisky-forward, alcoholic, with the modifiers tempering the rye's wallop a bit. Both were good, just different personalities.
Looking for Rittenhouse 100
I've obtained Laird's Bonded at Blanchard's in Allston, and I can't imagine it's a huge mover. Also, Drink definitely has it since I had some there last night!
peanut butter liqueur or cocktail ingredients- suggestions?
Weird. Okay, I guess I won't bother trying this!
peanut butter liqueur or cocktail ingredients- suggestions?
I have a friend who's done some pretty successful infusions with nuts (pecan-infused whiskey, I believe). Peanuts could possibly work in, say, a nice rum? I also wonder about using a "fat wash" technique with peanut butter - I'm guessing you'd want to heat it gently to separate out some of the oils.
Turkey day cocktail ideas
I can't disagree with this suggestion - I love Laird's bonded apple brandy (not so much the Applejack, which is 30% brandy and 70% grain neutral spirits) and it's quite seasonal. However, I should point out that the classic Martini gin is... Plymouth! Can't get more Thanksgiving appropriate than that!
Suggestions for B & B replacement?
Based on this suggestion, I mixed up equal proportions (1.5 oz) of Yellow Chartreuse and Rhum St. James Ambre, a spirit that's been perplexing for me to mix with, and found the combo to work really well. A little on the sweet side, but so is a B&B. I added a few dashes of homemade sasparilla bitters, but I think anything would work - ango, orange, peychaud's, you name it. Or, maybe even better, Bitterman's Mole!
Does liquor expire?
This topic has been addressed several times on this board, but I will do my best to clarify:
There's a distinction between "liquor" and "liqueur." Bailey's is a liqueur because it's made of spirits, sugar, and other flavoring ingredients. Liquers are lower proof than bottled spirits (i.e., liquors) and thus do not benefit as much from alcohol's preservative powers. Now, most spirits are bottled at 80 proof (40% alcohol) or higher, and a) no not need to, and should never be, refrigerated, b) will not expire or go bad. However, spirits infused with aromatic ingredients, such as gin, may lose some of their flavor intensity after a while, especidally if their bottles are not sealed tightly. I wouldn't know, I've never kept a bottle of gin long enough to experience this,
Infused Bourbon
They make it w/ a process called "fat washing." there's a thread about that topic:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/589978, but the basic idea is to infuse the spirit with rendered fat, then chill it until the fat coagulates, and then you skim/strain it out.
Green vs. Yellow Chartreuse
Personally, I like the Green a lot more. It just has something that the yellow doesn't... the taste makes me think of an old library for some reason. I do agree with everything Fred has said (and usually defer to his expertise). I bought Green first, and only bought the Yellow because I wanted to make some new drinks and found a fifth for $30. It has its place, but has a much less pronounced flavor. Better to use it in recipes with "gentle" flavors that would be overwhelmed by Green's complexity. I guess that I would consider Green to be an essential, whereas Yellow is a nice addition if you have the space.
Floaties
To get rid of ice chips, try double-straining your drink: use your hawthorn strainer, and pour the drink through a small strainer into your glass.
Homemade Tonic Water
A friend and I each (separately) made the Morganthaller recipe and thought there was too much citric acid in the mix! If I make this again I'm going to dial that way back.
Jack Daniel's is not Bourbon.
Perhaps the bartender figured that since you ordered a bourbon & coke, you couldn't tell the difference anyway.
