Justintoxicated. - Vancouver, BC

~'cause life is too short to drink the same thing twice~
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Posts tagged "cocktail"
Grape Vodkas Overall Ranking: Skyy Infusions Grape, A Three Olives Grape, C- Smirnoff twist of White Grape, D 1) Three Olives Grape, 35% ABV, (Lawrenceburg, Indiana) Rating: C- Tasting Notes (all at room temp): slightly syrupy mouthfeel, 6/10-level sweetness, grape is muted and mostly in the background hiding behind the warmth of the vodka. Grape flavour is candi-esque and more like a grape soda than from the grapevine. Has an aspartame-like roughness. 2) Skyy Infusions Grape, 35% ABV, (San Francisco, CA) Rating: A Tasting Notes: intense “juicy” grape + vine flavour right off the bat, sharp 6/10-level sweetness in the mids, not as warm as Three Olives but much flavour. Ideal as a mixer or even as a shot. Great depth of flavour 3) Smirnoff twist of White Grape, 35% ABV, (Norwalk, CT) Rating: D- Tasting Notes: less syrupy than all the rest, huge alcohol impurity + 8/10-level sugar rush from the start mixed with an unauthentic white grape flavour andbitterness, tingliness on the tongue, nasal burn and gag reflex. Avoid. Cocktail from skyyinfusions.com: Grape Ginger Swizzle 1.5oz Skyy grape vodka 1 teaspoon raw sugar (turbinado) 4 blackberries 4 slices of peeled ginger top with ginger ale (about 1.5-2oz) Direction: Muddle, strain (or double-strain), serve in a low-ball glass with ice and garnish with a blackberry-candied ginger (Reed’s bought at Save-on)-blackberry skewer. Rating: B+ Tasting Notes: Excellent drinkability, good freshness, ginger flavour is well-balanced and sweetness level is expertly controlled. Definitely one to memorize and serve to the ladies.

Grape Vodkas

Overall Ranking:

  1. Skyy Infusions Grape, A
  2. Three Olives Grape, C-
  3. Smirnoff twist of White Grape, D

1) Three Olives Grape, 35% ABV, (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)

  • Rating: C-

Tasting Notes (all at room temp): slightly syrupy mouthfeel, 6/10-level sweetness, grape is muted and mostly in the background hiding behind the warmth of the vodka. Grape flavour is candi-esque and more like a grape soda than from the grapevine. Has an aspartame-like roughness.

2) Skyy Infusions Grape, 35% ABV, (San Francisco, CA)

  • Rating: A

Tasting Notes: intense “juicy” grape + vine flavour right off the bat, sharp 6/10-level sweetness in the mids, not as warm as Three Olives but much flavour. Ideal as a mixer or even as a shot. Great depth of flavour

3) Smirnoff twist of White Grape, 35% ABV, (Norwalk, CT)

  • Rating: D-

Tasting Notes: less syrupy than all the rest, huge alcohol impurity + 8/10-level sugar rush from the start mixed with an unauthentic white grape flavour andbitterness, tingliness on the tongue, nasal burn and gag reflex. Avoid.

Cocktail from skyyinfusions.com:

Grape Ginger Swizzle

  • 1.5oz Skyy grape vodka
  • 1 teaspoon raw sugar (turbinado)
  • 4 blackberries
  • 4 slices of peeled ginger
  • top with ginger ale (about 1.5-2oz)

Direction: Muddle, strain (or double-strain), serve in a low-ball glass with ice and garnish with a blackberry-candied ginger (Reed’s bought at Save-on)-blackberry skewer.

  • Rating: B+

Tasting Notes: Excellent drinkability, good freshness, ginger flavour is well-balanced and sweetness level is expertly controlled. Definitely one to memorize and serve to the ladies.

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Boomsma Jonge (Young) Genever Gin, 40% ABV (Holland) Info from wiki: also know as Jenever, a juniper-based spirit from the Netherlands and Germany used to be distilled from malt wine, with juniper and other herbs added to mask the yucky flavour split between two types oude (old) and jonge (young) jonge using grain spirits while oude using malt wine, etc My Notes: My Rating: C Why I kinda like it: mixable not sippable Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores How much: $30, 750ml Do I love this enough to drink it again: No, prefer the depth of gin Would I recommend this to gin afficianados: No Tasting Notes (straight, room temp): pours with extreme clear purity. Strong juniper and tickles and numbs the nose. Thicker than water viscosity, immediate warmth in the mouth and in the tongue, which then quickly travels up the nasal cavity. 3/10-sweetness level, mainly juniper, and then the flood of warmth and 7/10 alcohol burn. Cocktail recipe from the Boomsma website: Young & Fresh 35ml Boomsma Jonge 25ml Melon Liqueur (used Midori) 5ml fresh lemon juice 5ml simple syrup 1/8 Cantaloupe (next time will try honey dew) Tasting Notes: (Rating: B) intesting combo of melon, gin and cantaloupe = tangerine-like flavour and smooth but on the salty side due to the cantaloupe; otherwise it’s a good balance of freshness, sweetness, mellow drinking, and citrus. Will try with a honeydew melon.

Boomsma Jonge (Young) Genever Gin, 40% ABV (Holland)

Info from wiki:

  • also know as Jenever, a juniper-based spirit from the Netherlands and Germany
  • used to be distilled from malt wine, with juniper and other herbs added to mask the yucky flavour
  • split between two types oude (old) and jonge (young)
  • jonge using grain spirits while oude using malt wine, etc

My Notes:

  • My Rating: C
  • Why I kinda like it: mixable not sippable
  • Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores
  • How much: $30, 750ml
  • Do I love this enough to drink it again: No, prefer the depth of gin
  • Would I recommend this to gin afficianados: No

Tasting Notes (straight, room temp): pours with extreme clear purity. Strong juniper and tickles and numbs the nose. Thicker than water viscosity, immediate warmth in the mouth and in the tongue, which then quickly travels up the nasal cavity. 3/10-sweetness level, mainly juniper, and then the flood of warmth and 7/10 alcohol burn.

Cocktail recipe from the Boomsma website:

Young & Fresh

  • 35ml Boomsma Jonge
  • 25ml Melon Liqueur (used Midori)
  • 5ml fresh lemon juice
  • 5ml simple syrup
  • 1/8 Cantaloupe (next time will try honey dew)

Tasting Notes: (Rating: B) intesting combo of melon, gin and cantaloupe = tangerine-like flavour and smooth but on the salty side due to the cantaloupe; otherwise it’s a good balance of freshness, sweetness, mellow drinking, and citrus. Will try with a honeydew melon.

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Manhattan Ingredients: 2.5oz Bourbon or Rye (I used Rye) 0.5oz Sweet Vermouth (Red, I used Rosso) 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 Maraschino cherry for garnish Directions: Shake, double-strain and garnish Rating: D (below average strong alcoholic classic cocktail, causes a gag reflex 1/4 through) What is happening to the ingredients: The spiciness, tip of tongue tingle, and warming effect of the rye is negated by the sweetness of the sweet vermouth, creating a more smoother drinking experience. The Angostura bitters adds a bitter finish to round out the drink. Can’t say I like this drink. I like the characteristics of the rye and the bitters by themselves. Individually tasting the sweet vermouth I can say that it is the culprit that is ruining the drink. Must retry with a different and NEWLY OPENED bottle of vermouth.

Manhattan

Ingredients:

  • 2.5oz Bourbon or Rye (I used Rye)
  • 0.5oz Sweet Vermouth (Red, I used Rosso)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 Maraschino cherry for garnish

Directions: Shake, double-strain and garnish

Rating: D (below average strong alcoholic classic cocktail, causes a gag reflex 1/4 through)

What is happening to the ingredients: The spiciness, tip of tongue tingle, and warming effect of the rye is negated by the sweetness of the sweet vermouth, creating a more smoother drinking experience. The Angostura bitters adds a bitter finish to round out the drink. Can’t say I like this drink. I like the characteristics of the rye and the bitters by themselves. Individually tasting the sweet vermouth I can say that it is the culprit that is ruining the drink. Must retry with a different and NEWLY OPENED bottle of vermouth.

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Pomtini (Pomegranate, Orange, Vodka) 1.5 oz Vodka, the sweeter variety such as Iceberg, Russian standard, or Rain 1 oz pomegranate juice = 1/2 fresh pomegranate, juice pressed from the arils 0.5 oz orange juice =1/2 small orange Tasting Notes: This cocktail has an eye-catching opulent orange/pink colour, deceptive semi-sweetness (it looks candy-sweet), and citrus-fruitiness. It’s nice as an apertif, and could use a bit of pomegranate liqueur to make it a digestif.

Pomtini (Pomegranate, Orange, Vodka)

  • 1.5 oz Vodka, the sweeter variety such as Iceberg, Russian standard, or Rain
  • 1 oz pomegranate juice = 1/2 fresh pomegranate, juice pressed from the arils
  • 0.5 oz orange juice =1/2 small orange

Tasting Notes: This cocktail has an eye-catching opulent orange/pink colour, deceptive semi-sweetness (it looks candy-sweet), and citrus-fruitiness. It’s nice as an apertif, and could use a bit of pomegranate liqueur to make it a digestif.

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Fung Shui -1st prize of the Giffard Challenge 2007 (from the Giffard website) Ingredients: 3cl Banane du Bresil (Giffard) 2cl Coconut liqueur (subbed Whaler’s Coconut Rum for Cocogif) 2cl Mangue Tropic (Giffard) 2cl 18% fat Cream Directions: Combine all ingredients to a shaker, shake until hands are chilled. Double strain Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg (my twist) Rating: C (I needs tweaking) Tasting Notes: Too freakin’ sweet - as expected since 3/4 ingredients are liqueurs. An interesting combo of a creamy coconut banana followed by a sweetened mango finish. Need to mellow out the sugar rush/alcohol aggressiveness 1 second into the sip. Very potent, buzzed 1/2way thru. Ideas: egg white housemade roasted coconut rum sub housemade mango cachaca for mango liqueur

Fung Shui

-1st prize of the Giffard Challenge 2007 (from the Giffard website)

Ingredients:

  • 3cl Banane du Bresil (Giffard)
  • 2cl Coconut liqueur (subbed Whaler’s Coconut Rum for Cocogif)
  • 2cl Mangue Tropic (Giffard)
  • 2cl 18% fat Cream

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients to a shaker, shake until hands are chilled.
  2. Double strain
  3. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg (my twist)

Rating: C (I needs tweaking)

Tasting Notes: Too freakin’ sweet - as expected since 3/4 ingredients are liqueurs. An interesting combo of a creamy coconut banana followed by a sweetened mango finish. Need to mellow out the sugar rush/alcohol aggressiveness 1 second into the sip. Very potent, buzzed 1/2way thru.

Ideas:

  • egg white
  • housemade roasted coconut rum
  • sub housemade mango cachaca for mango liqueur

the culprits

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Hot Night Cap -A variant of the Hot Scotch Night Cap (sans the scotch). Ingredients: 1.5oz Drambuie 0.5oz Creme de Cacao (white) - (I used Bols Brown Cacao because I find the Meaghers white cacao too sweet) 3.5oz milk (2%, maybe I’ll try whole milk next time topped with grated dark chocolate (I used Kerstin’s Hot Chocolate) (optional) dollop of whipped cream (who doesn’t like whipped cream?) Directions: Pour the Drambuie and Creme de cacao in a warm mug Heat the milk and pour into the mug Get drunk Rating: C+ (I might drink it again but I’d tweak the recipe) Tasting Notes: The hot temperature definitely amplifies the ethyl burn on the nose, but it also warms the throat and provides a softer finish. Excellent blend of spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), orange and chocolate but very alcohol forward.

Hot Night Cap

-A variant of the Hot Scotch Night Cap (sans the scotch).

Ingredients:

  • 1.5oz Drambuie
  • 0.5oz Creme de Cacao (white) - (I used Bols Brown Cacao because I find the Meaghers white cacao too sweet)
  • 3.5oz milk (2%, maybe I’ll try whole milk next time
  • topped with grated dark chocolate (I used Kerstin’s Hot Chocolate)
  • (optional) dollop of whipped cream (who doesn’t like whipped cream?)

Directions:

  1. Pour the Drambuie and Creme de cacao in a warm mug
  2. Heat the milk and pour into the mug
  3. Get drunk

Rating: C+ (I might drink it again but I’d tweak the recipe)

Tasting Notes: The hot temperature definitely amplifies the ethyl burn on the nose, but it also warms the throat and provides a softer finish. Excellent blend of spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), orange and chocolate but very alcohol forward.

the culprits

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