Ask Alfred Soto

Of the brunch economy.

Some of those cocktails are more defensible than others, but few are irredeemable. Even the Long Island Iced Tea, my fave bar in Chicago does a classy version of that, along with a classy Pink Squirrel and a classy White Russian (with fresh coffee in it). However, I am so not a fan of beer-based cocktails, which taste like someone had been drinking a beer out of the glass, dumped out the dregs, then filled the glass again with a cocktail without washing out the glass first.

I can't really defend any of those, although perhaps a skilled mixologist could make decent versions

Do you know that your Buñuel roundup may be your best one yet?

Oh, I see you already posted on other thread

ha -- thank you!

Summer's here, the time is right for Negronis.

I recently had an excellent negroni with capoelletti (which I don't think I had ever heard of) and cochi torino (same).

See, that's what I hoped for – suggestions.

Spanish vermouth with a slice of orange on ice is a great summer drink!

I was just trying to remember that Italicus bottle this weekend during some spirits shopping! I could not recall it.

Beefeater seems out of place to me in that selection of good quality spirits.

love this local gin, well worth a try if you ever see it (the Small batch one with the yellow label)

http://swallowtailspirits.com/our-vodkas-gins-and-whiskeys

My lovely wife sometimes makes a fantastic negroni using Antica formula, Gran Classico bitter and then a decent clean gin (often Plymouth or Martin Millar's, that kind of thing).

I may have mentioned it elsewhere on here but my current favourite Friday night just-got-home-from-work drink is a thing we copied off a bar in Santander last autumn, that they called a "gin vermutonic" - single shot of gin (usually Plymouth or Hendricks, I think) double shot of vermut negra or other sweet vermouth, topped up with decent tonic water, all over ice, slice of orange, cherry if you can be bothered, absurdly refreshing.

Beefeater seems out of place to me in that selection of good quality spirits.

― Tim, Thursday, June 20, 2019 11:47 AM

A solid martini gin when done well.

As I read this I am sipping a Blood Orange Beefeater gin (which I didn’t know existed) negroni. I heartily approve.

I like Beefeater because it's a straightforward gin at that pricepoint.

I'm so glad my 36-year-long revulsion for gin has passed. Also that I discovered Bristow (made by the Cathead vodka people).

The St. George's recommendation is of course choice, signed, someone who lives across the bay from where it's made, so.

I like gin as a cocktail ingredient, and I do notice variations in gin, but it's nothing I can ever get excited about the way I like (and enjoy) bourbons, tequilas/mezcals and rums. But then, I don't like martinis, and that seems to be the drink most beholden to gin.

*waves away vodka 'martinis'*

1:1:1 ratio is what makes a Negroni a Negroni, though everyone has their own taste and I would gladly accept your variation if you were making one for me.

Try a Bijou: Gin, Green Chartreuse, and sweet vermouth in equal parts. Stir with ice and strain. Garnish with cherry. One of my favorites.

I think ingredients make recipes not ratios. Agree w this ratio too fwiw.

"this" = Alfred's negroni

Negroni, like the corpse reviver #2 (more or less), is awesome for being an equal ratio cocktail. Easy to remember!

I avoid vodka entirely. I'm a total snob in that regard. I once heard vodka described as an elaborate prank played on Americans by Europeans.

xps I prefer 1.25 gin. 1 vermouth, and .75 Campari but ymmv and it depends on the gin

thought that said "yummy"

it is!

as far as highball riffs go, I've been mixing campari and topo chico lately.

Vodka is for people who don't like anything about alcohol besides getting trashed.

It's....irritating living in a city where Tito's is the official drink.

a shot of vodka in topo chico with a couple nuun hydration tablets over ice is good when the heat index is 110.

a shot of vodka in topo chico with a couple nuun hydration tablets over ice is good when the heat index is 110.

Another vote for St. George, I particularly like their Terroir gin. I visit my uncle in Alameda every year, but still haven't made it inside the distillery.

Summer's here, the time is right for Negronis.

― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, June 20, 2019 2:28 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i'm surprised you describe a negroni as tart... that's not a flavour i associate with it

I see tarts everywhere.

lol

Bitter tarts.

#%&@ tarts, let’s dance!

"Ask Alfred Soto to Link to His Blog"

should link to my Ginmo account.

*waiting for Alfred Soto to write about Scott Miller & Game Theory*

*mixes Negroni*

TS: Soto Linking To His Blog vs. Morbs Linking Perrin Tweets.

Vodka is for people who don't like anything about alcohol besides getting trashed.

Eastern Europe simultaneously concurs and begs to differ.

Vodka is for people who don't like anything about alcohol besides getting trashed.

― Yerac

there's a very good russian restaurant where i live that offers vodka flights; vodka is certainly strong drink but based on my experience there i would definitely have to say they have more to offer than that

vodka is certainly strong drink

Read this with a muzhik accent.

I like some of the russian infused vodka rooms but vodka is a characterless, neutral, neutral spirit. It's not interesting besides the high abv and using it as a vehicle to get wasted (or I guess to keep warm).

It's literally called 'little water', so it's supposed to be as neutral as possible. I happen to like that, but I get where you're coming from.

People resent vodka for exposing the underlying trashiness of all cocktails.