Unique Spirits & Cocktails

[J. Barron DeJong]

Just recently stumbled onto a superb new to me cocktail, the Revolver. Dead simple and absolutely delicious. Quickly becoming a favorite in my house. Give it a try if you have some coffee liqueur and orange bitters on hand.

"The Revolver, as a cocktail, is a star. The world may not fully know it yet—it’s indisputably a modern classic, though it is curiously absent from most cocktail books—but that doesn’t matter. It’s not about popularity or external validation. True star power comes from within."

Revolver
2 oz. bourbon
0.5 oz. coffee liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
Add all ingredients to a rocks glass over a large piece of ice and stir. Garnish with a flamed orange peel or a regular orange peel.

How to Make a Revolver, the Crowd-Pleasing Bourbon Cocktail With a Hint of Coffee Liqueur
https://robbreport.com/food-drink/sp...il-1234792648/

I’d try it, but I don’t think Robb Report allows a plebe like me to associate with them in any way. (And I don’t have coffee liqueur.)

[MontuckyFried]

Seems like it would be better with rye.

But I'm biased.

Actually, rye WOULD be an excellent fit on this one. Why don't you give it a whirl and report back with your findings!

I’d try it, but I don’t think Robb Report allows a plebe like me to associate with them in any way. (And I don’t have coffee liqueur.)

LMAO. As a fellow plebeian, I too don't know anything about Robb Report, BUT I do know they seem to have a knack for killer cocktail recipes. Now go buy some Kahlúa (or whatever coffee liqueur of choice) and try this one out.

[PB]

Seems like it would be better with rye.

But I'm biased.

Turns out, it is better with bourbon!
Now I can start to draw down my bourbon inventory, so there's that.

I used Kalua, which needed the bourbon bite; rye was too smooth.

[Woodsy]

Seems like it would be better with rye.

But I'm biased.

All this

[Doughnuts01]

All you Chartreuse lovers...

[Supermoon]

I mean… good for them

[Woodsy]

Yellow AND Green?!?

[irul&ublo]

All you Chartreuse lovers...

Lazy fucking monks


https://youtu.be/P6WjhzzEHmE

[MontuckyFried]

Turns out, it is better with bourbon!
Now I can start to draw down my bourbon inventory, so there's that.

I used Kalua, which needed the bourbon bite; rye was too smooth.

Thank you for doing this valuable research for me! Guess I'll stick with bourbon then. Which I did this weekend.

Also FWIW, doing a burnt orange peel garnish is totally the way to go on this nice improvement over my first attempt sans peel. I was out of oranges so went for it anyway and while still tasty, the orange peel makes just the difference to take the drink from good to near perfection. Now it's my wife's current favorite drink and she keeps requesting them. Girl's got great taste for real drinks as her NORMAL go-to is straight bourbon with a splash of club soda, and sometimes a single Luxardo cherry. No frufru flavored seltzers for that woman! I'm proud of her. /humblebrag

[MontuckyFried]

All you Chartreuse lovers...

Oh sunnuva!!! And here I thought it was hard to source as it is! Expect prices to shoot up I guess.

That does it. No more Chartreuse based contributions to this thread until we can actually find the darn stuff again.

[irul&ublo]

A few drops of Green Chartreuse in place of vermouth makes an interesting martini

[MontuckyFried]

Ready to try a new cocktail with Cynar in it? Tried out the Bitter Tears this weekend (several times) and it completely blew my freaking balls off. Absolutely delicious!!! Don't be scared of the pineapple-infused rum. You'd think this drink would be some frufru syrupy drink... it is thankfully not. It's shockingly balanced yet strong and this bizarre mix of flavors complement each other so well. The grapefruit oil trick is the one that really surprised me. Never have done that before and it's wild seeing the oils coming out of the pores of the rind. It's awesome, so make sure to do that as well when you give this one a go. HIGHLY recommended. Robb Report bartender contributor wins again!!!
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Bitter Tears
1 oz. Cynar
1 oz. Suntory Toki
1 oz. pineapple-infused white rum
Small pinch of salt, or 5-7 drops of a 1:4 salt to water tincture

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 10 to15 seconds (for small ice) or 15 to 25 seconds (for bigger ice). Strain off the ice into a coupe or cocktail glass, express the oils of a grapefruit peel over the drink, and garnish with the peel.
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How to Make a Bitter Tears, the Tropical Manhattan You Didn’t Know You Needed
https://robbreport.com/food-drink/sp...il-1234800851/

"You know how you’ve been searching for a bitter tropical Manhattan?

Of course you haven’t. No one has. The Bitter Tears is the cocktail you didn’t know you were missing, because it fulfills a need you probably didn’t know was there. Mixologically speaking, it’s out there, not exactly an orphan the way a Bloody Mary is an orphan, but it’s certainly bizarre. It’s what—a vermouthless Boulevardier? An Algonquin gone wild? It’s got more in common with the Bitter Giuseppe than anything but remains unique, like the third child in a family of dentists who instead went to art school and smokes a pipe."

[evasive_MT]

I guess that would give me a way to use up my Toki.

[MontuckyFried]

I guess that would give me a way to use up my Toki.

There ya have it! Buddy of mine suggested Suntory's Hibiki instead, but the store I was at didn't have it, so just with the recipe's recommended Toki. It's "ok", not bad, but works REALLY well in this recipe at least due to its particular flavor profile. Give 'er a go and see what you think!
Oh, and FWIW, the author of the article says to make homemade pineapple infused rum, but I didn't have time for that so just went with the Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum that he said people kinda "cheat" with. It absolutely works. I'll try out the homemade infusion at some point in the future, but in the meantime, the Plantation Stiggins is a completely viable sub. Probably less pineapply though since like he said, it's the distilled essence of it rather than being saturated with it. Either way, I'm a happy camper. Will report the results with the home batch in the future when I get around to it.

[Woodsy]

If you don't keep a bottle of Carpano Antica Formula in your fridge at all times, you are doing yourself and your guests a disservice.

[::: :::]

could have been the Things-that-annoy/amuse-you threads...but here you go:
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/...hemselves.html
specialty bourbon enthusiasm gets OLCC head outed/ousted

[ghosthop]

That bitter tears looks like a great drink. I would order that if I saw it on a menu. Word to the wise, Toki is made specifically to mix, not to drink by itself. Excellent in a Japanese style highball.

My first thought reading that recipe was that it’s a trident riff. One of the first cocktails attributed to forums instead of bartenders during the late 90’s/early aughts revitalization. The story I always heard was that it was either invented by or rediscovered by a Microsoft exec who had a preference for eclectic spirits.

Trident
Equal parts
Aquavit (spec calls for Linie, which is barrel aged)
Cynar
Fino Sherry
2 dash peach bitters. I am generally a Fee fan but because they use triglyceride instead of alcohol I think their peach tastes horribly synthetic. It’s not hard to do better at home with fresh peaches and some neutral vodka. Careful with everclear, while the proof extracts more flavor, the alcohol can be overwhelming even in small amounts.

I can’t remember if it’s in the original recipe but that is a drink that screams for a grapefruit twist, or at least expressed oils.

[MontuckyFried]

That bitter tears looks like a great drink. I would order that if I saw it on a menu.

It IS! Give 'er a go this weekend if you have the ingredients and tell us what you think. It's Friday night now, so I might have to make another one... for scientific research purposes of course.

Word to the wise, Toki is made specifically to mix, not to drink by itself. Excellent in a Japanese style highball.

OH!!! That makes sense! No wonder I was unimpressed when trying it on its own, but thought the mixed drink came out absolutely amazing. Learn something new every day. Will have to give that Japanese highball a try!

My first thought reading that recipe was that it’s a trident riff. One of the first cocktails attributed to forums instead of bartenders during the late 90’s/early aughts revitalization. The story I always heard was that it was either invented by or rediscovered by a Microsoft exec who had a preference for eclectic spirits.

Very interesting. Might need to give that Trident a chance if I can procure some of those ingredients. Thanks for the recipe.

Perfect for the...

[puts on sunglasses]

...spirit of this thread.

[ghosthop]

I don’t keep any liquor at the house unless it is expensive/rare enough that I would regret drinking it on any given Tuesday. A bottle of Toki at my house would probably make it one week but certainly not the second.

I will keep it in mind the next time I need to mix something for guests.

[Buzzworthy]

I read this thread and admittedly I’m a complete novice here. Never really drank liquor. Either the taste or the fact I’d drink a cocktail like a beer and thus both myself and the drinks are gone quickly.

Heading to Mexico in a few months and I need a few good options past a margarita to try, what would you all recommend?

[tgapp]

I read this thread and admittedly I’m a complete novice here. Never really drank liquor. Either the taste or the fact I’d drink a cocktail like a beer and thus both myself and the drinks are gone quickly.

Heading to Mexico in a few months and I need a few good options past a margarita to try, what would you all recommend?

Keep an eye out for tequila's two cousins, sotol and mezcal. Mezcal is fairly common in the states while sotol is still virtually unknown. Both are well worth your time.

For a Mexican drink that isn't a margarita, try a Oaxaca old fashioned.

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[zion zig zag]

^^^Ive also been into the Division Bell lately.


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[Buzzworthy]

Mezcal is a bit of a smokeyish flavor is that what I’m thinking? Sotol, I’ve never heard of it. Do they have these at most bars (Cancun)?

Zzz, that looks like a cocktail I’d try. What’s Aperol?

[tgapp]

Mezcal is a bit of a smokeyish flavor is that what I’m thinking? Sotol, I’ve never heard of it. Do they have these at most bars (Cancun)?

Zzz, that looks like a cocktail I’d try. What’s Aperol?

Mezcal is a HUGE family of spirits (fun fact, all tequila is mezcal but not all mezcal is tequila) all made from agave (tequila is a mezcal made from blue agave). It can be floral, salty, mineral, smokey, or some combination of all three.

Sotol is made from dasylirion(sp?) which is in the Asparagus family (it's a huge family so probably not exactly what you're thinking) and is the native drink in Northern Mexico. It has a similar range of flavors and can be delightfully funky. Usually not very smokey, but it has this....cheese like flavor at times which is mind blowing.

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[Buzzworthy]

Alright thank you sir, great info here. The only liquor I’ve ever actually liked is tequila. So branching out a little is still in the comfort zone. I want to sample something different than my usual beer. And my daughter is 18 now so can sit at the bar with us. That’s going to be weird. But I’d like to teach her a bit more than I know currently.