Hard Drinkers, Lets Drink Hard (Spirits, Liquors and Cocktails)
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Soooo good. Love this stuff! I should cellar a few bottles but I like drinking them instead.
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I enjoy smoky in mezcal and scotch (the wife does not appreciate it on my breath though), but you're right, this one is smooth and sweet. I think it's triple distilled, which is to credit for cutting some of the smoke from roasting the piñas. And of course the inclusion of corn plays a role too.
I think it would be a good starter mezcal for someone dipping their toes into the spirit.
More about the mezcalero and his process and other products here.
http://www.masmezcal.com/mezcalvago/producer-aquilino-garcia-lopez
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This is my current Mezcal rotation. The Siembra is the smokiest,and I sometimes just put a splash of it into a Tequila on the rocks with lime,called a Mezcalita.The Vida is OK,definitely not as good as the other two. The price for the Vago Elote is $59.99 out here,occasionally I catch a sale and get it for about $50,what does it cost in Denver?
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The Vida tastes like kerosene [emoji23] But if you see Del Maguey Chichicapa that one is really nice.
Elote would normally be about that but I picked this up for $46 from a new Total Wine that has great pricing at least for now. Pretty damn good deal. But not a great mezcal selection. The big ones like Ilegal, but really lacking given the strength they have for other wines, beers, and spirits in terms of selection. They did have Chichicapa though.
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Ginger Apple Fizz
-2oz Apple brandy
-1oz lemon juice
-1tsp maple syrup
Shake with ice, strain, and top with 3-4 oz of ginger beer (no need to measure, just double the volume of the drink)Nice and refreshing (although it's dreary out here), I was looking for something to use this ginger beer I have. Got it for a tequila/cassis drink, but haven't sourced any good cassis yet. This would be a good one to serve at a party: it's tasty, non-challenging, and there's plenty of room in the shaker for multiple drinks at a time.
Also note the improved picture, got a Nikon and used the Macro lens.
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Akashi Ume: a sweet plum whiskey. Smooth and sweet. Only 60 proof.
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Don't remember if I posted this previously, either way the pic is better this time.
I call this the "Revived Floating Corpse." It's a riff on the original corpse reviver, which I didn't love. This drink:
-2oz Apple brandy (I used the expensive stuff this time, not necessary)
-1oz Vermouth (like always, go with something actually good, not that Rossi that's been in your fridge for 6 years)
Shake with ice, strain, and then float about 1/4oz funky rum on top (this is a French Carib rum agricole)The original "Corpse Reviver" (supposed to be a hangover cure, because past people were badass):
-2oz Applejack (apple brandy)
-3/4oz vermouth
-3/4oz brandy
Stir with ice and strain -
Corpse reviver #2 is far better IMO, that's the one you'll see a bit more commonly of the two. From Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpse_Reviver
3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce Cointreau (curaçao)
3/4 ounce Kina Lillet, Amber Vermouth or Cocchi Americano
1 dash absinthe
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You inspired me to do a riff. On a Manhattan, subbing this plum whiskey for vermouth and bourbon for rye. I'd add a brandied cherry if I had one. It's very good!
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@mclaincausey Glad I inspired some experimentation. Part of the fun of cocktails to me is finding one that's a bit off and then figuring out how to fix it (for your own taste).
I'm well aware of the #2, but it's quite a different drink than the #1. Not entirely sure why they share the same name, and I know I wouldn't want an absinthe drink in the morning. That spirit belongs to the other AM, IMHO.
I've been on something of an apple brandy kick recently, which is why I went for my (improved) #1. It's a great stand-in for bourbon or rye, which are spirits that I tend to just want straight most times. Also, the discrete nature of the cocktail (i.e. you make one at a time) can be a helpful drink limiter. I find when I crack open some bourbon it just keeps getting poured, until I realize my wife has long since gone to bed, and I'm watching world's toughest prisons wasted at 1:30 am.
Pictured above is my booze book collection, which ranges from practical to fanciful.
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Absinthe is a natural tonic, so it makes sense in a hangover drink, though it's just a dash in the #2. They do get into the etymology of the drink names and how those dissimilar cocktails have similar names in the above Wikipedia link. #2 is a classic and I think one of the greatest things you can do with gin (martini, last word, negroni, and Ramos gin fizz sharing those honors for me), though it works as well at night as it does in the morning, whatever its origins. Same with sazeracs and other cocktails rooted in hair of the dog.
My plum Manhattan works pretty well as a "corpse reviver" with extra bitters. This time on ice.
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Battle of Batida (blended)
Pisco (supposed to be cachaca), coconut milk, lime, simple, nutmeg -
Sorry just an iPhone pic this time. What else but a daiquiri…
4oz rum
1 lime (1.5oz)
2tsp simple
Shake and smileThis book is so good. I’ve read it before but this will be the first time I’ve ever read a full book in one day.
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Continuing my experimentation with Akashi Ume plum whiskey and riffs on the classics, 3/4 oz each of the liqueurs/vermouth and a jigger of the liquor, stirred on ice, strained up. Really nice, haven't decided what the garnish should be but perhaps I should have picked a leaf of sage from the herb garden.
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Crappy pic but F it. Bourbon and steak after an 11 hour day. Our work is mismanaged AF.
The ridiculously named Pure Kentucky XO is a Willett “off brand”. When mingling barrels to make their flagship product, some barrels just don’t fit in. This is made from the leftovers. The upshot is that it’s relatively cheap for its potential, but inconsistent in profile. When you get one that suits your tastes, though, it’s a damn steal. Bottled at 107 proof.
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I'm a beer drinker, but this was a good one tonight.
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Yesterday's haul: "poor man's pappy" and "the pappy of rums"
The former refers to the fact that WL Weller is made from the same mashbill, at the same distillery (Buffalo Trace), and aged in the same warehouses as Pappy Van Winkle. In fact, nothing more than serendipity and the judgement of the master distiller kept the juice in this bottle from eventually becoming the coveted (and rather over-hyped) Pappy Van Winkle. That said, it stands on its own merit, as high-proof wheated bourbons aren't all that common. This one is a steal if you can actually find it at the $30 MSRP. If you can't, and want a wheated bourbon, seek out Rebel Yell "Small Batch Reserve" (probably older and definitely higher proof than the plain jane) or Larceny, which both hail from Heaven Hill and can be had for around $30 all day.
The latter refers to the recent hype surrounding the Foursquare Rum Distillery, their habit of releasing limited vintages, and the secondary market that's popped up as a result. Unlike actual Pappy, which is maybe 5% better than others in its sphere yet costs 300% more, this rum is punching well above its price point (thus the secondary market). Unlike bourbon, which has strict rules surrounding additives, rum distillers can add sugar, color, and flavors to their finished product. While this does mean you can get a very drinkable and consistent rum for cheap, it lacks transparency, and doesn't sit right with those of us who appreciate craftsmanship and doing things the old way. The master distiller of Foursquare is a proponent of doing things the "honest way" and the results speak for themselves. You won't catch this one in a daiquiri any time soon.
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Marcia’s Dad brought us a mezcal that I’ve never tried before:
Probably not distributed in the US—although the market has been pretty flooded, recently. This one is very vegetal, and so smooth, but not too sweet. Also, pleasantly lower in alcohol content. Marcia saved the gusano for herself! 
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