The Cocktail and Liquor Lounge

[mountmccabe]

How are you on Bourbon? My favorite I've had is Blanton's; it is smooth and tasty but quite sweet. Woodford Reserve is also lovely but not near as sweet.

[miscorrections]

I'm iffy on most bourbons I've tried. I need a better education.

[303dubbin]

i make a pretty mean margarita. been really diggin the jose cuervo tradicional for the past 2 years or so ha

2 oz tequila
1 oz blue curaco
4 oz sweet and sour (margarita mix just does't cut it)
squeeze some lime in there, salt the rim and i have been sprinkling a little salt in the drink as well

[mountmccabe]

Blanton's is a pricey one but it has a pewter horse on the cap.

If you like the Glen Grant then you should be happy with most other Speysides such as The Macallan, Cardhu and Cragganmore. Few whiskies are peated other than those from Islay.

[miscorrections]

Thanks for the tips, John!

[Kyliediscope]

Cardhu is tastey!

[weeklymix]

I'm just here to support gin in the middle of this whiskey discussion.

[303dubbin]

I'm just here to support gin in the middle of this whiskey discussion.

ha hendricks ftw

[GeezrRckr]

Blanton's is decent, but overpriced, imo. My go-to is Bulleit. But, I am a caramel finish fan.

My new favorite premium is 18yo Elijah Craig. The 12yo is on par with Blantons, but the 18yo is just spectacular. Again, for the caramel finish fans. If you're a peat finish person, Knob Creek and Ezra Brooks might be good for you. And you may also want to give the new(ish) Bulleit Rye a try.

Bourbon rules!

[Kyliediscope]

Bulleit is GREAT. Price is amazing and quality is outstanding. I love their Rye Whiskey, too. Elijah Craig is fucking great, too. I tried that last week.

[mountmccabe]

I love their Rye; it is my favorite. I can't say I am a big fan of their Bourbon, though.

Whiskey is too damned expensive in NYC.

[Kyliediscope]

I prefer the Rye as well. It's easy to sip on and makes for great cocktails.

[sleepybrew]

First, start narrowing down your bourbon v american whiskey v canadian whiskey v irish whiskey. For base level spirits ($20-45 a bottle), i recommend 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon and Red Breast Irish whiskey. Not a big fan of average priced canadian whiskeys, too sweet. Blanton's is good, slightly orangey good earth tones but is overpriced by about $8 a bottle

Get into whiskey/bourbon first. Scotch (single, blended, etc) will come later. I don't recommend wasting your money getting into Scotch without first exploring bourbon/whiskey unless you have someone going out with you showing you the ropes.

And rye whiskeys are utterly fantastic. It's not my favorite, but a great starter, as someone else mentioned, is Bulleit Rye.

[sleepybrew]

i make a pretty mean margarita. been really diggin the jose cuervo tradicional for the past 2 years or so ha

2 oz tequila
1 oz blue curaco
4 oz sweet and sour (margarita mix just does't cut it)
squeeze some lime in there, salt the rim and i have been sprinkling a little salt in the drink as well

Don't mean to be rude, but you got this all wrong. A margarita should highlight the fruit and agave/tequila.

Blue curacao is a waste of, well, everything. It's meant for frat kids who order AMFs. If you want an orange taste to your margaritas, use an orange. Also, look up some recipes to make your own sweet and sour if you want to use that, but i recommend not using sweet and sour at all. Use agave nectar. That gives you the sweet part, your limes give you the sour part. And always always serve a margarita over, never blended.

[Kyliediscope]

If you like tequila and have a little money to spend try Don Julio's 70th Anniversary. It's an anejo blanco! It's aged like an anejo, so it is complex and smooth, but then it's filtered so the agave flavor really shows nicely. It's a tequila you can throw a little ice in and sip on. SO DELICIOUS.

[Miroir Noir]

Bourbon rules!

Absolutely. I keep putting it off, but I really need to take a trip out to Kentucky just to do a tour of all of the distilleries.

Have you tried Maker's 46 yet?

[J~$$$$]

I posted this in the beer thread but ill put it here too. There are so many limited release Barleywines and Ryes floating around in Colorado. Bourbon is coming on strong so many of the craft breweries are using their Bourbon barrels to age their beers. Some delicious bourbons I have had lately to make Old Fashions and Manhattans are Peach Street Distillers from the guys at Ska Brewery and Denver based Leopold Brothers Maryland Style Rye Whiskey.

[GeezrRckr]

Have you tried Maker's 46 yet?

Yes, it's nice. I still like Bulleit better and the Elijah Craig's (both) blow it out of the water, imo.

[Miroir Noir]

Elijah Craig's on the shopping list.

[GeezrRckr]

Right on. If you can swing it, go straight to the 18yo.

Although, you may need to forego a show/month to keep on with that sure-to-be growing addiction.

[J~$$$$]

It has been getting a lot of hype but Knob Creek 9 Year Old is fucking delicious. With a splash of coke or on the rocks its so good.

[Originalbob]

Does anyone have any words of wisdom on infusing vodka? I'm sort of intrigued by the idea of doing a rosemary-fig infusion, or maybe ginger-blood orange.

Fennel & Fig Infused Vodka
18 ounces vodka
1/2 pound dried Black Mission figs, quartered
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 or 4 fresh Black Mission figs, halved
In an airtight container, combine the vodka, dried figs and fennel; cover and refrigerate for a week. Shake the container each day. Strain the infused vodka through a very fine strainer into a pitcher. To serve, divide the vodka among 6 to 8 ice-filled rocks glasses. Garnish each drink with half a fresh fig

I was going to make a Raspberry Infused Vodka, but summer classes are a bitch. Also, just check out my friends at Food & Wine--show the love!


Miroir Noir--Funny you've been the first and ONLY person to mention 10 Cane. Truly a delightful rum and a staple in our home. Delicious with Coke Zero Vanilla which compliments its subtle vanilla undertones.


I'm surprised no one has mentioned Grand Marnier Quintessence. Granted it was just released this month and carries a hefty price tag of a mere $800, but GOD, who wouldn't want to fuck the bottle itself--too pretty to not cum on.

Lastly, as a guilty pleasure, check out Blackmaker Root Beer Liquor. I thought mixing Vanilla Vodka was quaint with Root beer, but this takes the cake. As a friend who sampled a bit said, "This could be dangerous because you can't taste the alcohol". BOOM Mix this with some A&W diet. ftw

[stinkbutt]

If you like your bourbon hot there is nothing better

[sleepybrew]

So St George releases its Gin lineup and no one mentions it???? Alameda is providing some of the best liquors on the west coast! The rye gin is something to revel in. Absolutely the best Gin in the west coast, sip it up!

[luckyface]

Uh, so Three Olives released another awesome flavor of vodka: Loopy. And yes, it tastes like fucking Froot Loops. It is fantastic!

[Miroir Noir]

Well, hey there pretty thing, I'd sure like to get to know you better:

http://www.grandmarniercherry.com/

[Miroir Noir]

Well, hey there pretty thing, I'd sure like to get to know you better:

http://www.grandmarniercherry.com/

Six months later, I finally got my hands on a bottle of this. Incredibly decadent, sweet without being cloying, and quite complex. The cherry profile overlaps the classic Grand Marnier taste and finish; a real treat and an absolute do-not-miss for fans of Grand Marnier, cognac, and fruit liqueurs.

[Tubesock Shakur]

Jesus Christ. Resize that fucking fruit loop vodka picture..... I'm gonna have to try that Gran Marnier Cherry. Or at least have one on reserve for few years.

Has anyone had any of the grain whiskeys that are coming on strong. I have had plenty of illegal moonshine but haven't gotten around to trying the legal versions yet.

[bmack86]

When I was in Kentucky a dude took us on a moonshine tasting. I don't know what was legal and what wasn't, but he had us try one that was smoked with tobacco leaves. It was disgusting as I'm not a smoker, but it really did taste like a cigarette. If I didn't hate it so much, I would have been impressed.

[Kyliediscope]

What is everyone's take on Breaking & Entering "Bourbon" by St. George?