Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Frankenstein

Posted on October 27, 2020October 5, 2021 by Nick

Happy Halloween everyone! While 2020 has been nothing short of horrifying, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t raise a glass. Last year we celebrated with both Slimer and Dracula, and this year pays homage to another classic, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein the Movie (1931)

Before we get into the drink itself, I think it’s worth taking a minute to talk about Frankenstein, specifically Universal’s Frankenstein from 1931. This period of monster movies really laid the ground work for all sorts of tropes and themes in horror movies. If you’ve seen a mob scene or lot of crazy mad scientist laboratory equipment, you can trace some of the inspiration for the scene back to Frankenstein. The setting and feeling really capture the atmosphere of horror all with that classic feel of 30’s Hollywood. If you haven’t seen it, you should definitely check it out if you get the chance, and James Rolfe of Cinemassacre really shines a light on some of the great elements of this series.

It’s also a bit of where the greenish color starts to creep into Frankenstein. While there’s of course creative license, some of it may have also been to pull out the greyish-yellow color described by Shelley. That said, so many people think of Frankenstein as green, and so this cocktail is green as well.

Frankenstein the Cocktail

Starting it’s life out as a Silver Fizz, our Frankenstein cocktail got stitched together with a Pineapple Margarita. What easily seems like it could have went wrong, ended up as an intriguingly refreshing and smooth cocktail.

Frankenstein

2 oz

Olmeca Platas Tequila

0.75 oz

Lime Juice

0.5 oz

Licor 43

.5 oz

Pineapple Juice

.25 oz

Giffard Blue Curacao

1 Dash

Del Maguay Vida

3 Drops

Saline

Egg White

2 oz

Club Soda

Sugar

Sprinkle sugar on a plate. Using the lime to rim a Collins glass, roll the edge of the glass through the sugar. In a shaker, combine all ingredients except Club Soda. With 1 -2 ice cubes, seal the shaker and shake hard for 20 seconds. Unseal the shaker, add ice. Seal the shaker, and shake hard for another 30 seconds. Unseal the shaker and add the Club Soda. Double strain into the rimmed Collins glass.

Frankenstein has luxurious mouthfeel thanks to the foamy top, with a little extra hint of sweetness from the sugar rim. The drink itself is more ethereal and airy, popping with notes of tropical fruit, peppery spice, touches of exotic oranges, and just the slightest hint of vanilla and smoke. It’s more than a little mysterious and ready to give a zap of brightness to your live up your evening.

Drink Notes:

As this drink contains egg whites, make sure you shake for 20 – 30 seconds hard. Thanks to the foaming of both the pineapple and the egg white, you’ll get a nice rich froth if you’ve done it right. It will take a couple minutes for the drink to settle out, as you can see from the freshly poured version above.

Tequila – We use blanco tequila here, and feel free to pick your favorite 100% agave brand. Our house crafting bottle right now is Olmecas Plata.
Mezcal – This is an accent, looking for some of the smoke and herbal notes of the mad laboratory. For this recipe we used Del Maguey Vida which won’t break the bank. Treat a dash in this case as .04 oz.
Licor 43 – This is a primarily vanilla forward liqueur which is quite sweet. It has some other notes of caramel and a hint of citrus or spice. At this time, I don’t recommend substituting any other liqueur in it’s place. Please also note, this is critical for the color balance at the end.
Blue Curacao – While there are plenty of brands, our go to for all drinks is Giffard Blue Curacao.
Pineapple Juice – You could juice your own, but Dole works just fine here. We use the small cans to minimize waste.
Egg Whites – Use the freshest possible eggs. Make sure to not accidentally puncture the yolk (or you’ll be making a fizz).
Saline Solution – Combine 5g of salt to 100g water. Shake to combine, use 3 drops. It will essentially keep forever, we like to keep ours in these pipette bottles*.
Lime Juice – As always, use fresh squeezed.
Sugar Rim – In this case we use plain white sugar. To rim, use the lime to wet the outside of the glass. Pour sugar on a plate, and then roll the edge of the glass through the sugar to stick.
Club Soda – Make sure to chill your club soda first – it’ll result in less dilution. We use our generic grocery store brand for our cocktails. Date your club to remember when it was opened, and do not use flat club!

* – This is an affiliate link that we might get a commission from – it helps us to buy more bottles and experiment with more fun combinations. If you feel like supporting us, please click through and buy this or whatever you fancy.

The Classics: The Old Fashioned

Posted on October 22, 2020September 24, 2022 by Nick

There are few cocktails older than the Old Fashioned. In some senses, the Old Fashioned is really more of a formula than an exact drink. Similar to Grog, the Old Fashioned is part strong, part sweet, part water, and part (not quite) sour. The similarities make it easy to make, quick to serve, easy to drink, and yet still complex and refreshing. Unlike Grog, the Old Fashioned appears more refined, and trades away the citrus for garnish – but it’s nonetheless for it.

The Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned

2 oz

Bourbon

¼ oz

Simple Syrup

1-2 Dashes

Bitters

Orange or Lemon Twist

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a orange or lemon twist.

The Old Fashioned is a boozy, balanced drink that shows off the spices of the whiskey and bitters against a background of the sweet simple. The dilution helps make for a very smooth and straightforward drink that shows off the best of the ingredients involved. With a twist of orange, the aromatics of the whiskey open up, adding another dimension.

Drink Notes:

The most basic form of cocktail leaves nowhere to hide. With just spirit, sugar, spice, and ice – we’re off to the races. Use quality ingredients here and you won’t be disappointed.

Bourbon: There’s nowhere to hide here, so use a bourbon you like. For this we used Elijah Craig Small Batch, but you can also look at our recommendations or use your favorite.
Simple: A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is most often used here. You can also use a flavored syrup, like a cinnamon or vanilla simple if you so choose.
Bitters: Think of these as the seasoning. While Angostura is the most common and traditional, you can mix and match bitters to create the flavor profile you like. Mix it up with wilder choices like pimento bitters or black walnut bitters for a fun riff on a classic.
Garnish: Tradition suggests using a lemon twist, but most modern interpretations use orange. Truth is that both work, so pick your preference or both.

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Nick

Happy Sober October everyone, hopefully it’s going well for everyone participating. Alcohol is a unique substance that has shaped and driven the creation of entire civilizations. It has a ritualistic place in many aspects of society ranging from toasting to transubstantiation. Yet, there is no denying that alcohol is at best slightly beneficial in moderation (unless of course you’re enjoying mild ciders or beers that are safer than the water which might contain diphtheria, but this isn’t particularly likely in modern times). As such, many people have started to look at both the health implications and the role of alcohol in our society differently.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

With that frame up, many individual producers have started to produce alcohol substitutes. The efforts of producers to do this range from pressurized removal of alcohol through using distillations at lower temperatures to making custom mixtures of non-alcoholic (zero-proof) products. Amongst these products is Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative.

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative attempts to recreate the character of whiskey through natural flavors – suggesting things such as American oak, Madagascar vanilla, capsicum fruit, hemp leaves, and much more. It’s worth nothing the first two flavors are filtered water and inverted sugar. Added into the mix are xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate. It is not clean label, but these are food safe preservatives.

Sight: A lighter tone of honey.

Smell: There are some heady herbal notes that fight with the vanilla, oak, spices, and fruitier notes. There’s something disturbingly herbal and musky in the nose. Touches of something tangy and acidic smelling in the nose. The nose is strange, pungent, and aggressively fruity and like a candied soured sugar.

Sip: It starts sweet, with notes of something fruity and herbal. The palate then washes toward mineral like, picking up ashes and burned oak with lots of spice. There’s something spicy here like a hot pepper.

Savor: The ending has a touch of tannin, but is mainly spicy, herbal, and kind of almost pickled in a strange way. It lingers kind of ashy, kind of herbal, somewhat spicy.

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative is definitely an alternative to something. I’m not sure it’s whiskey though. The flavors are pungent, disparate, and occasionally unpleasant. I understand the general idea of where this product is going, it needs some burn like booze, a bit of weight, and then the sweet sugary smokiness of a mash and barrel. Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative tries to recreate this, and ends up being a stunning caricature of what whiskey might taste like if described by someone who had never had whiskey, but only had it describe to them.

The hardest thing to stomach about Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey is the herbal, ashy aftertaste that lingers for what seems like an eternity. It does not leave pleasant notes of toasted oak, caramel, and preserved fruit that a traditional whiskey might. Instead it leaves this sickening, macerated leaf flavor that’s wrapped in a cinders and ash. All tied up with a strange hot pepper spiciness (capsicum?) and a subtle bitterness.

In Cocktails

If you’re wondering – it is not any better in a cocktail. Making a manhattan (with admittedly full fledged Vermouth) ends up being slightly better. The flavors of the vermouth and the bitters help level out the elements of herbal character. The sweetness however, is full frontal and unpleasantly – almost juice like. What’s most strange is the odd burning that comes from the capsicum.

I’d bother making an old fashioned – but can’t figure out why you’d add sugar to this for any particular reason.

Overall Impressions

I’m excited for the point where there are solid, strong alternatives to traditional booze. They are undoubtedly healthier and better for consumers in the long term. Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative however, is not that product. This one is a hard pass for all but the most desperate.

If for some reason you would like to purchase a bottle – here is an Amazon Affiliate link that we may receive some commission on (which will help pay for buying this bottle).

For more info – here’s Ritual’s website.

The Classics: Bobby Burns

Posted on October 8, 2020October 22, 2020 by Nick

Thanks to it’s age, the Manhattan is an endlessly riffed upon drink. Variations range from simply changing ratios to completely swapping bases. Supposedly named after Robert Burns (the poet of Scotland), the Bobby Burns includes Scotch in place of Bourbon or Rye, Sweet Vermouth, and Benedictine in place of bitters.

Bobby Burns

The Bobby Burns

2 oz

Scotch

1 oz

Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

0.25 oz

Benedictine

Lemon Twist (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist (optional).

The smokiness of the Chivas Regal comes through with touches of apple, minerality, and touches of peat. The sweetness of the vermouth coupled with a brightness brings out some of the musky herbal notes of the Benedictine. The overall flavor ends up being complex and balanced with the mix of honeyed sweetness from the Benedictine and the sweet vermouth. What evolves is a roller coaster ride of sweetness, smoke, bitterness, herbs, and a mix of apples and various vinous fruits. Make no mistakes, this is a powerful, strong cocktail.

Drink Notes and Recommendations

The Bobby Burns is a relatively straightforward drink, and heavily driven by the scotch base. You should consider this as the most important component here, and choose your vermouth correspondingly. In other words, lighter, more floral scotches are going to be more amenable to lighter, less spiced vermouths. Heavier, peaty scotches are going to be very forward, and a more robust vermouth like Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth is going to be more in balance.

Scotch – Choice is extremely important here. Smoke will shine through easily with the herbal notes of both the Sweet Vermouth and the Benedictine.
Sweet Vermouth – Carpano Antica or another powerful vermouth works well here to stand up to the scotch.
Benedictine – There’s no substitute here. Use Benedictine.
Lemon Twist – Having tried this both ways, the lemon peel can add a little freshness, but isn’t strictly necessary.

Malibu Coconut Rum

Posted on September 27, 2020 by Nick

What ever possessed me to purchase a bottle of Malibu Coconut Rum is beyond me. Nowhere in the pantheon of prohibition or modern drinks is a sweet, coconut flavored liqueur mentioned as a key ingredient to, well, anything. Yet, somehow, it found it’s way into my home, and ultimately into some of the first cocktails we ever made.

Malibu Coconut Rum is a product of Canada. You know, the warm, tropical, rum producing islands of Canada. Pernod Ricard then imports it into the U.S, where it conjures sunny images of warm palm tree lined Canadian beaches. It should be noted that despite all my snark, it does contain natural coconut flavor as evidenced in their nutrition where coconut is called out as an allergen.

Malibu Coconut Rum

For the purposes of evaluating Malibu Coconut Rum fairly, I’ll evaluate it as a liqueur. To evaluate it as a rum would lead to me treating it like an unholy abomination. This would be unfair to it, and I recommend you think about Malibu accordingly if looking for a rum.

Sight: It’s clear, but definitely somewhat more viscous

Smell: It smells like creamy coconut. Like you might expect from sun tan lotion. There’s a small amount of ether and vanilla notes as well.

Sip: The start is sweet and thick, almost syrup like. The flavors of coconut and light touches of sugary rum ether come through. There’s a creaminess here as well, and a little bit of bite that builds. The sugar is boarding into cloying.

Savor: On the finish it’s smooth, sugary, and more coconut. It has a bit of split between raw shaved coconut, coconut candy flavor, and toasted coconut.

Malibu Coconut Rum accomplishes coconut in spades. It’s basically what I’d imagine coconut flavoring to taste like if lightened with sugar and a relatively neutral cane spirit. Bear in mind, this is labeled as a liqueur, and you should consider it as such. As liqueur, it’s strong in coconut flavoring, if a little seemingly candy like.

In Cocktails

Malibu Coconut Rum is mild enough to be treated as a base if you are so inclined, and want a strong coconut forward element. Due to the strong nature, it can also be successfully used as a modifier, replacing other fruit liqueurs. The versatility is quite good, but mind the sugar when using it as a base. Finally, if you only have a limited amount of space – Malibu is a poor choice due to the few tiki and classic cocktails where it could be effectively used.

Malibu Coconut Rum Overall

Malibu holds a place on our shelf primarily as modifier and for some rare instances where we have existing drink recipes that call for it. It is pretty ubiquitous, being available almost everywhere as a low price. That said, unless you have a use or enjoy super sweet liqueurs with strong, simple coconut flavoring, then Malibu isn’t one of our recommend bottles for your crafting shelf.

If you’re looking for one of our favorite drinks to make with Malibu Coconut Rum check out our original Peach’s Parasol.

The Classics: The Sidecar

Posted on September 3, 2020September 24, 2022 by Nick

The Sidecar appears to have been created at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in the 192os. As with all origin stories of classic cocktails, appears is probably as closer as we’re going to get. What we do know is that it was almost certainly named after the motorcycle passenger car that was popular in the day and that it’s still delicious.

The Sidecar

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the Sidecar. The first school is the “French school” or the original way the drink was created as detailed below. What later emerged was the “English” school of thought, which encouraged increasing the ratio of Brandy / Cognac to two parts versus one each for Cointreau / Lemon.

Sidecar

1 oz

Brandy or Cognac

1 oz

Cointreau

1 oz

Lemon Juice

Orange Twist

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist

The original recipe Sidecar is a study in balance. It layers acidity, sweetness, and body by balancing the 3 elements. There’s a beauty to the richness of the body allowing the flavors of cognac (or brandy) to shine through. The lemon keeps it refreshing, and the Cointreau adds complexity and sweetness.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The template itself can be easily adjusted. Not sweet enough? Increase the Cointreau. Too sour? Reduce the lemon juice. A quarter ounce for either assessment should be sufficient, but feel free to adjust to taste.

Be aware, there’s a lot of debate about how to make a sidecar correctly. The most popular alternative to this is the previously mentioned English ratio. To make an English style Sidecar, use 1 1/2 oz of Brandy / Cognac and 3/4 oz each Cointreau / Lemon.

Brandy / Cognac – Either of these will work, but Cognac is the preference. Pierre Ferrand 1840 would be our recommendation. Christian Brothers Brandy can work in a pinch.
Cointreau – This orange liqueur brand is the gold standard, and our recommendation.
Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is the recommendation here.

Christian Brothers Brandy VS

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Nick

Brandy at times conjures up images of St. Bernard’s running through the woods with a barrel around it’s neck. Christian Brothers Brandy VS is priced in a way that you could let a dog run up a mountain with it and not worry about spilling it. But will the receiver enjoy it once the dog gets there?

Christian Brothers Brandy VS

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is made from grapes using a copper pot still. It’s aged for two years in ex-bourbon barrels to create the flavor profile. Then the important bit, they blend it to create a particularly stable flavor profile. At under $10, is it worth it?

Sight: An orange-gold.

Smell: It would be remiss not to note the alcohol hiding around many of the aromas. That said, it does hide decently well behind a creaminess and notes of grapes and caramel. Touches of vanilla and oak come in as well. Despite the persistent burn, it’s pleasant.

Sip: The body is light, but oddly syrupy. There’s a subtle touch of sweetness that runs length, with a gradually building heat. Notes of oak, hints of nuts, touches of vanilla, and caramel all layer with touches of dried fruit. A little bit of bitterness hides toward the back palate.

Savor: The ending picks up a bit of that bitterness, but many of sugary flavors and dried fruit notes are present.

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is simple, unrefined, and easy going. There is some burn here, and the simplicity is to a fault. There’s something slightly strange about the texture, but it isn’t unpleasant. It isn’t the kind of bottle you’re going to pour yourself a nice healthy pour of over an ice cube, but it does have many other better applications.

In Cocktails

Christian Brothers Brandy VS does alright in cocktails. The problem it has it’s never quite strong enough on it’s own, and then it never quite carries through in a cocktail either. While it does work to make a serviceable sidecar, the result is a little lacking on brandy flavor. This same result is why it also works well for liqueurs or flavor extraction, but it’s not going to add a lot of personality.

On a side note, it makes a delicious pan sauce with Pork Chop when you deglaze with it.

Christian Brothers Brandy VS Overall

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is a workhouse spirit for the bar. It works well enough in cocktails, but doesn’t add a lot. It’s a good extractor, that works for creating liqueurs. At the price, it’s a no brainer if you need to keep a cheap bottle of brandy around for cooking or simple cocktail duty.

Want more info, check out Christian Brothers’ website.

Dear Whiskey Hunters: An Appeal to Buyers of Hard to Find Whiskey

Posted on August 28, 2020August 28, 2020 by Nick

In the past decade, whiskey drinkers have witnessed an unprecedented expansion in both selection and unavailability. Driven by a complex mix of forces, bottles that were once available and common have become sought after collectibles that fly off shelves. Manufacturers, state liquor control boards, and retailers have all taken various steps to react to the demand change. These range from massive price increases to bottle lotteries, and several purchase control methods in between. Sadly, none of these have helped with the pent up demand, and so today I’m here to ask a favor. Dear Whiskey Hunters, please consider your fellow whiskey loving brethren when purchasing rare bottles.

That’s A Mighty Nice Bottle of Willett You’ve Got There…

This rant is in reaction to a frustrating experience I had recently in the Norwalk, CT Total Wine. Total Wine had managed to procure some Willett Rye 4 Year, and had about eight bottles of it on the shelf. I even held one. With in five minutes of putting it down, turning around to go back, and pick it up – all eight were gone. Now, I’m sure it’s possible that eight people walked up in five minutes and grabbed every bottle. I posit that it’s more likely that some lover of rye, decided to pick up all eight and walk off.

Now, there’s nothing illegal or immoral about that, but I propose that it’s inconsiderate to other whiskey lovers. We all want a chance to try that rare bottle, and we all aren’t going to, but even less of us are going to be able to try it if people are bulk purchasing rare whiskeys. So I implore the community, please try to be considerate when you find a rare whiskey. Do you really need eight bottles of it on your shelf, or are you going to drink one bottle over the next year?

Attempts to Improve The System – Some Help, Some Frustrate

The result of this behavior goes beyond just being inconsiderate. Many retailers have put limits in place for certain bottles (E.H. Taylor, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Weller of all manners, and so on) to help prevent this. Others have wildly inflated their prices to match secondary markets (want a bottle of Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheated or Eagle Rare 10 – that’ll be $70) making it financial prohibitive to purchase certain once common bottles. The State of Ohio has been even more controlling.

At first, they attempted in person lotteries. This results in nearly 1,200 people cramming into a Giant Eagle for a chance to buy one of 161 bottles at MSRP. A process that took nearly 3 hours. I’ve had more fun in a TSA line, and at least I got to board the plane afterwards. Recognizing this, and COVID, they wisely have been conducting online lotteries for things like Weller Full Proof and George T. Stagg. For bottles that are merely rare, like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Angel’s Envy, or even Buffalo Trace, they’ve started telling stores to receive the bottles, and then place them out over time – so people don’t gate crash the store and form a crowd.

Think about this for a second – hard to find bourbons have inspired such fervency, that to prevent the spread of COVID, the state told retailers to space out the allocation placement. Despite this, people are still back dooring rare whiskey in the state, having bottles held thanks to relationships with store owners.

In this particular case, I acknowledge that it was my own fault for not placing that bottle of Willett in my cart. Even so, after years of playing this game I like many others are getting fed up. While I know this is unlikely change people’s buying habits, I hope it does inspire some to put back that eighth bottle, and consider giving another whiskey lover a chance.

Lustau Red Vermouth

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Nick

Lustau Red Vermouth isn’t quite the normal sweet vermouth you might be expected. Made in Spain, it starts with grapes that would be more at home with sherry. The result is a nutty, sweet vermouth that has a ton of personality, but doesn’t quite function exactly as you’d expect. In fact, the story of how I ended up with a bottle is a little bit similar. Delightful, but not quite what I was expecting.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want…

Coming back from Albany, NY, I had picked up a bottle of Cocchi di Torino Sweet Vermouth. Being delicious in Manhattans, I happened to finish the bottle, and sadly had neglected to purchase another. So one night in February on a drive home from the supermarket we stopped at a local wine shop I had enjoyed success with back when I ran First Pour Wine. What followed was an interesting insight into the occasional division between wine and liquor, and why you shouldn’t drink and run a wine shop at the same time.

I’ll admit, the fact the store was closed for a private party should have been sign enough to leave. However, the owner was gracious and invited us in – asking what we were looking for. The exchange went something like this:

Owner: What can I help you find?

Me: Well, I’m looking for a bottle of sweet vermouth.

Owner: Great, I have plenty of vermouths. This one is really great! [Proceeds to hold up a bottle of Dolin Dry Vermouth]

Me: Oh, no, not that one, I’m looking for a sweet one.

Owner: [Looking confused] Oh yeah, it’s sweet! It’s delicious.

Me: No, no. The sweet vermouth, it goes in a Manhattan.

Owner: Oh! That sounds fantastic, what else goes in it!

Me: Uh… well, there’s bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters. You know sweet vermouth, it’s the red one.

Owner: Red! I have this one [holds up a bottle of Lustau Red Vermouth]

Now, the owner was positively delightful, and after some more explaining, told me they could order the Cocchi if I’d like. The exchange was disarming, in the way that ‘trying to explain something you thought someone might already know’ only can be. Not wanting to be impolite, but also not knowing precisely how to correct someone with a very deep seated conviction to what they assume is right, is always a challenge. Yet, we got there in the end, and this bottle of Lustau Red Vermouth came home with me. Partially because of the awkwardness, but mostly because of the sheer curiosity of trying a new vermouth.

He Was A Bold Man That First Ate An Oyster

In both wine, and cocktails, I firmly believe that you should always be open to new experiences. There is nothing wrong with favorites, of course, yet exploration can yield true expansion of the mind and palate. While you could continue to buy nothing but the same old Dolin, Carpano, and Martini, it is worth the time to take a chance from time to time and venture forth into the unknown. You might even find something delightful. In this spirit, let’s dive into Lustau Red Vermouth.

Lustau Red Vermouth

Sight: Clear – borderline hickory – cola in hue. (Contains Caramel Coloring)

Smell: The nose starts off nutty – with hits of almond and walnut. Herbal notes quickly come in giving touches of cool climate herbs, floral nuances, and a spicy sort of caramelized sugar. Elements of fruitiness – like raisins, dates, and prunes are strongly prevalent as a backbone.

Sip: The palate starts rich and sweet, and then quickly brings in a bright backbone. Flavors of toasted nuts explode forward bring with them macerated raisins, dried plums, and touches of spice. The overall mix of fruit and nuttiness is punchy – with quite a strong acid component that keeps it feeling lively. The herbal notes are somewhat subdued.

Savor: The ending lingers with a forest floor, black chocolate cake, and almond finish. Touch of herbal notes and nuts continue long after in a smooth and somewhat sweet ending.

Benefiting from Pedro Ximenez and Amontillado – the nuttiness compliments the preserved fruit well in Lustau Red Vermouth. The dried fruit flavors are powerful and direct. Thanks to the acidity it’s well balanced with it’s sweetness. The caramelized notes give it a slightly more robust and fortified flavor. It is however, quite low on some of the more herbal components in some Vermouths.

In Cocktails

In a Maker’s Mark Manhattan, the Lustau Red Vermouth adds some notes of dried fruit and touches of nuttiness. These notes that it adds are quite subdued – and play considerable second fiddle to both the bitters and the whiskey. In a Negroni – a similar experience occurred – where the vermouth was overshadowed by both the gin and the campari.

…But If You Try Sometimes, You Get What You Need

While I can’t say that Lustau will find a permanent home on my shelf, I find it to be a delightful vermouth to enjoy on it’s own. Sadly, it lacks the punch to stand up to most classic cocktails, meaning it’s applications in crafting drinks will require more imagination from the drinker. That said – for delicate drinks or on ice – it’s certainly a delightful choice, and one I’m happy to have experienced.

Peach’s Parasol

Posted on August 17, 2020October 22, 2020 by Nick

Sometimes you can pinpoint the genesis of an idea. For us, it was a few summers back in warmth of August’s heat that Ann Marie wanted something other than wine. At the time, I was still writing First Pour Wine on a regular basis, and while there were some bottles around the house for making drinks from Death & Co.’s book, crafting my own wasn’t a serious hobby. Still, she wanted something interested, and the result was Peach’s Parasol.

Peach’s Parasol

Peach’s Parasol kicked off the idea of drinks based on characters for us. In this case, the inspiration was something for Princess Peach. Our thought was that it obviously needed to be refreshing, but also quite sweet and easy to drink. Using Simply Peach, we found a lovely combination for the summer featuring Malibu Rum, Lemon, peach juice, and peach bitters.

Peach’s Parasol

2.5 oz

Malibu Rum

0.5 oz

Lemon Juice

3 oz

Simply Peach

2 – 3 Dashes

Fee Bros Peach Bitters

Peach Ring

Combine all ingredients in a shaker except peach ring. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a peach ring.

Sweet, coconut laden, and bright – Peach’s Parasol is easy to sip. There’s a nice amount of play between the peach juice and the peach bitters to create a peachy flavor that helps balance the Malibu. The lemon juice keeps it bright and refreshing, while the sugar takes the edge off. With a relatively low A.B.V., it also won’t beat you up.

Drink Notes

This drink is undeniably sweet and easy to drink. To adjust the sweetness, you can utilize a white rum such as Plantation 3-Star to split 50-50 with the Malibu (1.25 oz of each). This will make the drink slightly boozier, but level out the sweetness if you find it too much.

Rum: Malibu or a coconut flavored rum is critical here. The coconut flavor is balanced with the peach to create a tropical experience.
Simply Peach: We recommend Simply Peach for this drink, but if you have a prefer peach juice, please feel free to substitute it. Fresh peach juice is an option, however it adds a frothiness and can make the texture seem thick.
Fee Bros Peach Bitters: Add a nice peach twist, giving another peach flavor. You can find them at Amazon*.
Lemon: As always, use fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Peach Rings: I’d advise balancing this off the side. As the peach ring sits in the drink, it can get a bit chewy. CVS will sell you a bag for about a $1. If you would like them delivered, here’s a set at Amazon.

* – Disclaimer – this is an affiliate link through which we may receive a commission – which helps us to keep crafting and testing out new equipment and ingredients to share with you – the reader!

Jim Beam White Label

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Nick

Every year my family plays white elephant. You may also know this game as Yankee Swap, or in my family, Grab Bag. As we’ve gotten older – it’s become increasingly alcoholic, and has resulted in many bottles I would never have willingly purchased. One year I received a bottle of Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, one of, amazingly, 3 that had ended up in a White Elephant game of 12 people. It was terrible – like buttered popcorn fell into a vat of maple candy flavoring that was aged in oak. It took me years to use that bottle – baking apples with it, using it in barbecue sauce, or anywhere else I could hide it. Jim Beam White Label isn’t anywhere near as offensive as Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey – it’s definitely not – but it’s also another bottle I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to buy.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is a whiskey that’s basically synonymous with bourbon. They produce a phenomenal amount of the stuff. It accordingly shows up everywhere from casinos to ballparks to weddings to neighborhood bars. It’s a workhorse and a utilitarian whiskey that can be had for under $20. Now there’s nothing wrong with that – it can still make a serviceable drink.

Sight: An old gold that’s somewhat toward the richer / sherried side.

Smell: Maraschino cherries, sawdust, and peanuts come out at first. Touches of mellowed corn and powder sugar come round with a touch of char. Possibly a little vanilla or caramel or hint of pome fruit.

Sip: The body is thin, and starts relatively smooth. It gradually gets a bit more unrefined throwing more sharp alcoholic edges across the palate. Heavy notes of charred oak, corn, and hints of red cherries come through. The palate actually gives of a little bit of a raw alcohol flavor and touches of spice.

Savor: The ending is slightly astringent and a little sour. The finish has notes of spice and char.

Jim Beam White Label is a budget bourbon, set your expectations accordingly. The palate is neither refined nor complex. The nose is not offensive, but might inspired a notation that it appears to be bourbon in the glass. The finish is, for lack of a better word, present. At under $20 for a 750ml the entire experience is acceptable.

In Cocktails

Does it taste like bourbon? Yes! Jim is by no means bad, but it doesn’t necessarily shave off all it’s edges. In a Manhattan it feels a little aggressive, while in an old-fashioned it leaves a little desire for more complexity. Again, nothing wrong with it, but it could be contributing more.

Jim Beam White Label Overall

Jim Beam White Label is everywhere. You’re unlikely to walk into any average bar and not find it. It’s dependable, theoretically what many people thing bourbon tastes like, and won’t move a drink outside of someone’s perception of reality. It’s also very affordable. For all these reasons, it’s not my recommended bourbon for your shelf, but it’s perfectly acceptable bourbon for fixing a drink.

If you’re looking for something else from Jim to setup to, check out their Bonded offer.

Giffard Pêche De Vigne

Posted on August 9, 2020August 9, 2020 by Nick

For some liqueurs one is spoilt for choice. Look no further than the plethora of orange liqueurs in the market, and you’ll see a near saturation of similar products. Yet, for some liqueurs, there are relative few ways to go. Among them are most stone fruit liqueurs, like peach. Fortunately, Giffard is once again helping plug gaps in our bar with Giffard Pêche de Vigne

Giffard Pêche de Vigne

Translating to Peach of the Vineyard, Giffard infuses the peaches of France into their liqueur. While it sounds absolutely lovely, it’s always a question of if the liquid inside the bottle measures up to the story told. So does Giffard Pêche de Vigne impress?

Sight: Lightly golden, boarding on a chardonnay. Just plain peachy.

Smell: A beautiful mix of fresh macerated peaches and candied peach rings. There are some tangy notes of fresh, slightly under ripe peaches.

Sip: The start is viscous but bright. The flavor builds into a mix of candied peaches and fresh mashed peaches with their skins.

Savor: The ending sticks for a while and moves toward the candied side with those linger hints of fresh peach skin and a subtle, floral nuttiness.

Pêche de Vigne isn’t the most complicated liqueur, but what it tries to do, it does well. The balance of fresh peach and candied peach is easy going but enjoyable. The brightness also helps it to play well with cocktails, and the sweetness hides any edges. The relatively low alcohol also helps to keep the balance of the cocktail.

In Cocktails

Pêche de Vigne plays well various rums, making it a nice addition to Tiki drinks. It also has a nice a synergy with floral spirits and gins. As a result, we’ve found it to be a solid modifier for crafting with, and have used it in a number of our original cocktails.

Pêche de Vigne Overall

Giffard Pêche de Vigne is a great addition for those looking for a peach flavored liquor. The price is reasonable, and those who enjoy making tiki drinks will find places to slot this to add a twist to their drinks. While it’s by no means a must have, it certainly is one of our favorite bottles to play with, and we encourage others to try it.