Favorite Cocktails

Half Fast said:
What's become of POA? Are there no pilots who prefer a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred? ...
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I've learned from a former bartender and flight attendant (she says she never had a problem with being called a "stew"), the reason why one would shake a cocktail verse stirring one. And, according to her, the idea of "bruising the gin" is a real thing. The tiny shards of ice dilute the drink beyond what gin drinkers consider acceptable. I'd never even thought of that before. She says a proper martini is gently stirred and strained into a chilled martini glass. I've gotta say, I do like her martinis!
 
wilkersk said:
I've learned from a former bartender and flight attendant (she says she never had a problem with being called a "stew"), the reason why one would shake a cocktail verse stirring one. And, according to her, the idea of "bruising the gin" is a real thing. The tiny shards of ice dilute the drink beyond what gin drinkers consider acceptable. I'd never even thought of that before. She says a proper martini is gently stirred and strained into a chilled martini glass. I've gotta say, I do like her martinis!
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Shaking with ice will definitely dilute. Frankly, I keep my martini glasses in the freezer (or a good bartender will prechill them with ice and dump them out) which really obviates the need to do a lot of chilling by shaking/stirring with ice. Frankly, people tend to drink things too cold. If you need your stuff at 34 degrees to be palatable, you need a better selection of gin/vodka or perhaps switch to a differnt drink.
 
flyingron said:
If you want to take your average gin and tonic up a notch, add a small amount of Saint-Germain (elderflower liquor) to the mix.
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The (ahem) "gentlemen" at my monthly old farts meeting are big G&T drinkers. Of course most of them consider a G&T to be a lot of gin, with a tonic float and a wedge of lime. Some will nurse one drink for the whole meeting. Others count their drinks by the number of lime wedges in the bottom of their Solo cups.
 
I’m a quitter,but before I quit I was into top shelf bourbons. And always had a good selection for friends that appreciated good bourbons. Also had a liquor store that supplied me with some small batch bourbons.
 
frfly172 said:
I’m a quitter,but before I quit I was into top shelf bourbons. And always had a good selection for friends that appreciated good bourbons. Also had a liquor store that supplied me with some small batch bourbons.
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I got a call from a friend (who lives about 300 miles away) after my father died and wanted to know if I'd be home as he was shipping something to me. A bottle of Blanton's arrived with a note that he thought that I'd rather drink a toast in my father's honor rather than have flowers. I thanked him and told him my father would have thought the same thing (the guy knew my father as well).
 
91 octane/ethanol free with a splash of MMO. Sometimes I'm forced to go all high society and throw in some 100LL.
 
When I was young, I liked the Brain Hemhorrage, mainly for the novelty. Peach schnapps with a blob of Bailey’s and a drop of grenadine. Looks like a bloody brain floating.

When I used to water ski, we always stopped at this bar on an island in the San Joaquin Delta, where they had 32 ounce mai tais. The afternoon ski session was more fun!
 
ateamer said:
When I was young, I liked the Brain Hemhorrage, mainly for the novelty. Peach schnapps with a blob of Bailey’s and a drop of grenadine. Looks like a bloody brain floating.
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We used to call that a "squirrel brain".

Reminds me of two more entertaining party tricks. 50/50 Chambord and Frangelico... Peanut butter & jelly shot. And as weird as it sounds, Jaegermeister and RumChata - I think equal parts, but it's been a while - does a fine impression of an oatmeal raisin cookie. They're dangerous.
 
Root beer barrels were dangerous, too. A mug of beer with a shot glass of root beer schnapps sitting in it. Slam it so they mix and the schnapps don’t get spilled.

And 35 years later, if I have more than a beer or glass of wine in a week I feel like it’s too much. Never had a problem, I just no longer like the taste and don’t like the effects of even one drink.
 
wilkersk said:
I've learned from a former bartender and flight attendant (she says she never had a problem with being called a "stew"), the reason why one would shake a cocktail verse stirring one. And, according to her, the idea of "bruising the gin" is a real thing. The tiny shards of ice dilute the drink beyond what gin drinkers consider acceptable. I'd never even thought of that before. She says a proper martini is gently stirred and strained into a chilled martini glass. I've gotta say, I do like her martinis!
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I've heard that too, and I tried it. I like shaken better. I like those little shards of ice. And to be honest, diluting it a little is my excuse to have a 3rd. A stirred martini is no different than putting an olive (or lemon peel if you're into that) in a glass of vodka.

Perhaps it applies more to gin, but the topic was VODKA martinis, which is what I like.

Speaking of a 3rd martini,

My wife and I were sitting in a bar a few years ago having a couple of martinis. There were a couple of ladies next to us that were even older than we were. The were laughing and having a good time. One of them noticed that we were having martinis and she turned to my wife:

Old lady: Do you know why a martini is like a woman's boob?
Me: (knew better than to say anything).
My wife: No Why.
Old lady: Because one isn't enough and three is too many.
 
tyrol basin.jpeg
The Tyrol Basin Bloody Mary.
 
wilkersk said:
I've learned from a former bartender and flight attendant (she says she never had a problem with being called a "stew"), the reason why one would shake a cocktail verse stirring one. And, according to her, the idea of "bruising the gin" is a real thing. The tiny shards of ice dilute the drink beyond what gin drinkers consider acceptable. I'd never even thought of that before. She says a proper martini is gently stirred and strained into a chilled martini glass. I've gotta say, I do like her martinis!
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That's why I stir my Manhattan exactly 20 times before I strain it. You want it cold, with a stitch of dilution.
 
JOhnH said:
Now THAT needs a bigger glass (with more "blood").
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There is a bar in the PWM airport that serves a bloody mary with a lobster claw in it. Now that's my kind of garnish.
 
flyingron said:
There is a bar in the PWM airport that serves a bloody mary with a lobster claw in it. Now that's my kind of garnish.
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I never did like the overly-garnished bloody Marys. I like mine with a Tahin rim and a couple of big old stuffed Queen olives. If we're doing afternoon bloodys, I'll have a beer back, a nice crisp mexican lager or a Hazy IPA.
 
First time I ordered a bloody in Wisconsin, I was immediately handed a tiny little beer…

Uh, want a bloody?!!

Ya. I know… working on it.

What’s this? Pointing to tiny beer…

Your chaser, comes with the bloody (with a tiny bit of “you moron”)

Comes WITH it? Standard equipment? Wow… immediately fell in love with that state.
 
Tools said:
Well, that is confusing…. Someone so persnickety that they will drink ONLY Bushmills, but are good with EITHER Pepsi or Coke.

Just sayin…

Consider a rum gimlet, that’ll confuse them too.
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Reading that, yeah, I'm realizing that I don't necessarily like most whiskey that much. I do like Bushmills, for whatever reason not as much of a fan of Jamesons, I don't like Black Velvet but I kinda like Canadian Club. Prefer Pepsi to Coke but I'll drink either unless it's diet. I do like the Mexican Coke or the Pepsi with real sugar. Overall? Yeah, kinda persnickety.

I'm going to try the rum gimlet!
 
Tools said:
First time I ordered a bloody in Wisconsin, I was immediately handed a tiny little beer…

Uh, want a bloody?!!

Ya. I know… working on it.

What’s this? Pointing to tiny beer…

Your chaser, comes with the bloody (with a tiny bit of “you moron”)

Comes WITH it? Standard equipment? Wow… immediately fell in love with that state.
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If you like that, you'll love a "Michelada". One of my favorites! (The stuff in the tall-boy cans are a poor substitute for a proper Michelada) https://www.thespruceeats.com/mexican-michelada-bloody-mary-4129572
 
FOUR DROPS of hot sauce? We talking Dave’s here? Ha!

Otherwise looks delicious!
 
Tools said:
FOUR DROPS of hot sauce? We talking Dave’s here? Ha!

Otherwise looks delicious!
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That recipe was just one I grabbed. There's many variations to this. I make it with store bought Tahin on the rim, a lime wedge, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Cholula sauce as desired. Make it as spicy as you want.
 
Years ago, I was sitting in a bar (Alonso's off Cold Spring Lane in Baltimore, still around but not the same). We were having lunch sitting right at the bar and my coworker asked what the bartender was doing. I looked over and said he was clearly preparing bloody mary mix. A short time later a bloody mary showed up next to my plate. I guess he decided that my interest in it merited a try.
 
JOhnH said:
…Speaking of a 3rd martini…
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Decades ago at Squadron Officer School, we had a guest speaker that was an Atomic Veteran. He was the officer in charge of the ‘volunteer’ test subjects at the Nevada Test Site for a handful of test explosions.

Anyways, this guy liked martinis and he said people always ask him if he glowed because of his exposure to nuclear tests. His answer was “No; I only glow after three martinis”.
 
Okay I lied - I just remembered I do like gin and tonics. But you have to use good gin or there is a bad aftertaste. I like Hendricks.
 
I was a beer drinker when I was young. Wisconsin had "beer bars" at the time where anyone 18 to 21 could drink beer, and they usually had live music on Fridays and Saturdays. It was dangerous, especially for the youngsters from northern Illinois who crossed the state line to drink legally. The federal government threatened to withhold highway funds if the state didn't raise the drinking age. These days, kids can drink in a bar if their parents are there and buy it for them, but once they turn 18 they are adults and can't legally drink for the next three years.

In my 30s, beer no longer agreed with me, and I started drinking white wine. Eventually moved on to red wines, which I still enjoy greatly. I also moved from various mixed drinks to a dry Canadian Manhattan, which is simply a capful of dry vermouth and Canadian whisky on the rocks. Usually with an olive.
 
JOhnH said:
I've heard that too, and I tried it. I like shaken better. I like those little shards of ice. And to be honest, diluting it a little is my excuse to have a 3rd. A stirred martini is no different than putting an olive (or lemon peel if you're into that) in a glass of vodka.
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Well, there's no Vodka in a Martini, so there's that.
JOhnH said:
Perhaps it applies more to gin, but the topic was VODKA martinis, which is what I like.
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If its Vodka and Dry Vermouth, it's a Kangaroo. If there's no Vermouth in it, then you're just drinking Vodka from a Martini glass. The good news is that Vodka doesn't bruise, so shake away! It will be cold and diluted.
JOhnH said:
Speaking of a 3rd martini,

My wife and I were sitting in a bar a few years ago having a couple of martinis. There were a couple of ladies next to us that were even older than we were. The were laughing and having a good time. One of them noticed that we were having martinis and she turned to my wife:

Old lady: Do you know why a martini is like a woman's boob?
Me: (knew better than to say anything).
My wife: No Why.
Old lady: Because one isn't enough and three is too many.
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:D
 
wilkersk said:
The (ahem) "gentlemen" at my monthly old farts meeting are big G&T drinkers. Of course most of them consider a G&T to be a lot of gin, with a tonic float and a wedge of lime. Some will nurse one drink for the whole meeting. Others count their drinks by the number of lime wedges in the bottom of their Solo cups.
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Try this for your next round of G&Ts. Before you start making your first drink of the day: Before filling the glass, take a lime slice and run it around the edge of the glass, then proceed as normal. This ensures that the first sip of liquid has a taste of lime as well as the G&T. It sets your mouth for more in a good way. I urge you try it on your first drink! It makes a difference!

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
Try this for your next round of G&Ts. Before you start making your first drink of the day: Before filling the glass, take a lime slice and run it around the edge of the glass, then proceed as normal. This ensures that the first sip of liquid has a taste of lime as well as the G&T. It sets your mouth for more in a good way. I urge you try it on your first drink! It makes a difference!
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My wife doesn’t care much for hard alcohol nor limes but we were in London a few years ago and the hotel had a gin bar. She now very much likes a G&T made with a London dry gin, Fevertree Elderflower tonic and an orange and lemon slice. I’ll certainly try your trick with the fruit as we roll into G&T season but as we’re expecting 3” os snow Friday night I’m still in bourbon old fashioned season.
 
Pugs said:
we’re expecting 3” os snow Friday night I’m still in bourbon old fashioned season.
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Mulled wine. Heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you me lad and look lively.
 
I'm heading up to the cabin tonight as a halfway stop enroute to this weekend's LSRI class and I'm pretty sure there's a bottle of Bear Fight American single malt in the cabinet there... :)
 
flyingron said:
Mulled wine. Heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you me lad and look lively.
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I'm going to pass. We did a Christmas Market cruise in Dec from Switzerland to Amsterdam and I tried all varieties of Glühwein from several places. I couple sips were good but then I was done. Tried the red, white and rose as well.
 
I just read an article about the dramatic drop in demand for wine, which is causing many California producers to go out of business. Vineyard acreage has declined by over 100,000 acres in recent years.

Folks, we must do our part to save this industry.
 
Half Fast said:
I just read an article about the dramatic drop in demand for wine, which is causing many California producers to go out of business. Vineyard acreage has declined by over 100,000 acres in recent years.

Folks, we must do our part to save this industry.
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It's not just the US. Europe as well. I have a friend whose daughter works for Gallo in the brand mgt side (who owns more wine /beer/alcohol labels than any other company by a lot) and she says the coming of age up to late 30's generations drink less and have zero allegiance to any sort of alcohol when they do and the pot business is cutting into alcohol as well.
 
Half Fast said:
I just read an article about the dramatic drop in demand for wine, which is causing many California producers to go out of business. Vineyard acreage has declined by over 100,000 acres in recent years.

Folks, we must do our part to save this industry.
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As the Vice President of the American Wine Society (seriously, I'll be president next January), I'm doing the best I can!
 
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