Quote :

"Anyone recommend a specific vermouth for Manhattans? "

I generally use Martini & Rossi, but I know it's not high-end stuff. But it works for me. I've also liked manhattans that I've had made with Carpano, though, so my tastes may not resemble yours.

3/29/2014 5:53:18 PM

Carpano is good. Maybe the bartender used too much. Gotta find it somewhere though.

3/29/2014 9:49:16 PM

I was supposed to report on the Hirsch Small Batch..wife ended up accidentally gifting it to her cousin as a "stock the bar" engagement gift. I had picked up something different specifically for that.

Fortunately, just found it again while in Georgia. Will get around to posting it.

Also picked up these two:





Took every bone in my body to avoid buying the Jefferson's Presidential Select 21

3/30/2014 11:34:24 PM

^ that dickel is good stuff!

as for vermouth, Carpano and Cocchi are my two favorites. If Carpano is too hard to find/overpowering, get some Cocchi. it's about $20/bottle and does the trick. Martini is fine otherwise! agree that the Cinzano is wack as hell..

oh, and i'll recommend Southern Season for manhattan fixin's (lord knows it's in chapel hill, but still). great vermouth selection, tons of bitters, and luxardo cherries. pretty much all you need other than your whiskey.

[Edited on March 31, 2014 at 12:24 AM. Reason : .]

3/31/2014 12:20:47 AM

Was in a Rye mood so I picked up something called Redemption Rye at my local ABC. Very smooth sipping, especially for a ~$30 price range. Liked it way better than Bulliet's offering.

3/31/2014 8:58:33 AM

Noilly Prat is my go-to for vermouth, although my vermouth experience is fairly limited.

3/31/2014 9:31:23 AM

thanks for the suggestion about Southern Seasons - i'm having a knife sharpened there and have to go back out there Tues/Wed to pick it up. I really enjoy an Old Fashioned, and I'm trying to get a good recipe down for a Manhattan as well.

Does anyone mind posting their manhattan recipe here? I've been using:

1 dash angostura bitters
~2 oz sweet vermouth
3 oz rye
stirred with 2-3 ice cubes, and strain into a glass with a maraschino cherry. I've played with adding an orange twist as well...

3/31/2014 1:33:45 PM

I like mine on the strong side:

5 oz whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
dash of bitters
shaker of crushed ice

shaken vigorously and strained over 3 bing cherries into a martini glass. I don't like a lot of vermouth in my manhattan.

3/31/2014 2:54:50 PM

I use 2:1 rye whiskey/vermouth ratio generally. with 2 dashes of angostura or other bitters. sometimes i'll do one dash angostura, one dash orange or cherry bitters to switch it up a bit.

i prefer the luxardo cherries. but basically, any cherries other than those "ole smokey moonshine cherries" work well. those moonshine ones are soaked in, well, moonshine and are way too strong

i ordered a 5 liter barrel last week, gonna try to do a barrel-aged manhattan. one of my neighborhood bars sells one and its quite tastey. they use rittenhouse rye, angostura, and carpano vermouth in their blend. may do something similar. either way, i'll be testing a lot of non-aged manhattans this weekend to find the right fit!

3/31/2014 3:16:56 PM

^ that sounds freakin awesome

That combination of Rittenhouse and Carpano you probably can't go wrong. Recently I've been paying attention to Manhattan recipes and saw one that was.

Marker's Mark
Honey
Sweet Vermouth
Cherry Juice
Bitters

Waaaaaay too sweet. Fucking fatasses this country.

4/1/2014 7:30:37 PM

I hate ordering a manhattan at the bar only to have it come back with cherry juice poured into it.

4/2/2014 8:52:18 AM

That's not too surprising. Depending on the bar, I could see them not even carrying sweet vermouth.

4/2/2014 8:59:10 AM

Yeah...depending on the bar/restaurant, you should definitely ask if they have vermouth before ordering a manhattan. I've worked at a couple beach bars where we either didn't have it or the last bartender put it in a crevice where it could be not located (because someone ordered a manhattan once every 6 months). Cherry juice it is!!!

4/2/2014 9:02:26 AM

I'm really jealous of some cities that have a selection of nice, upscale whiskey bars that don't give in and cater to the young nightlife crowd on the weekends. Charlotte just doesn't have anything like that right now. The closest semblance is a bar called Cowbell that really totes it's whiskey and scotch selection (which are not too bad honestly) but has uneducated and unskilled bartenders making pretty terrible Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. Not to mention the speakeasy vibe gets completely thrown out the window on the weekends when it becomes just another DJ'd bar with cheap drink specials.

4/2/2014 9:08:39 AM

good to know. I always ask if they have bitters, but never inquire about sweet vermouth. I just assumed it was a bartender that thought a manhattan is like a martini and added cherry juice just like olive juice.

4/2/2014 11:42:56 AM

You've also got to remember that the servers usually know less than the bartenders as well. At the more casual places I worked at...I rarely had a server that knew to ask the customer if they wanted their martini dry or how dirty...that manhattans or old fashioneds actually contained bourbon...etc. I also put a lot of blame on the customer for not specifying, but I guess they assume the server is knowledgeable.

4/2/2014 12:35:29 PM

has anyone had Black Maple Hill? How hard of a find is it?

4/2/2014 1:21:42 PM

It's pretty available in most of my liquor stores, and is good. But then again I don't live in the state-controlled liquor desert that seems to be NC.

4/2/2014 1:45:11 PM

4/2/2014 1:52:30 PM

My biggest pet peeve with ordering manhattans is that about 10% of the time the server or bartender comes back with an old fashioned. Most of the places I frequent can make a good manhattan, just seems that often people get the two confused. It's like "dude ordered an old man drink...shit, which one was it again?"

4/2/2014 2:17:15 PM

I mean...I just wouldn't order a Manhattan-type drink if I wasn't at a nice bar/restaurant. There are just too many variables for it to get fucked up (server, bartender, lack of ingredients on hand). If you're at a place where you can wear jeans and a t-shirt...keep it simple. Save the fancy stuff for the fancy places or when you are drinking at home. I know for a fact I was the only bartender at my last spot that knew the difference between, or could actually make an old fashioned or a manhattan. If I wasn't there, they would just instruct the server to tell the table that, "we are out of vermouth/bitters/whatever". It's not that I wouldn't tell the other bartenders how to make it...it's just that they would forget by the time the next manhattan order rolled around...which sometimes was months in between.

4/2/2014 2:33:22 PM

about Black Maple Hill - in NC that's a special order item only. I can't find it on the the Feb 2014 special orders list, but I'm pretty sure it was on the one from Nov 2013.

You have to prepay for an entire case - for BMH that's 12 bottles for a total of ~$300. I'd be up for buying 2-3 bottles, but not 12.

On that note, anyone here in NC interested in splitting a special order case? There are many bourbons that we could get this way, but won't find on our shelves (Elmer T Lee, BMH, Weller Special Reserve, etc)

http://abc.nc.gov/pricing/special_items.aspx

4/3/2014 1:36:57 PM

I take a few bottles of BMH. Its one of the best bourbons i have ever had.

4/3/2014 4:20:27 PM

Finally get home after being gone for almost two weeks. Find that my Noah's Mill split open, all the contents emptied into my trunk. GNSP

4/3/2014 7:41:59 PM

^^^i too would take a couple bottles of BMH or something else inaccessible in NC.


house sitting for my parents this weekend and didn't pack any of my good stuff before I came. ABC store nearby is small so I went with an old standby. Elijah Craig 12. It's been awhile since I've had EJ12 in my possession and forgot how great all around bourbon it is. May take Buffalo Trace's spot as my all-purpose stock bourbon at home.

4/4/2014 9:30:27 AM

^^ that really stinks had a similar tragedy a few weeks ago - bought a really nice bottle of tequila, Clase Azule or something like that. Beautiful ceramic bottle, had tried it in Hawaii over Christmas. Anyhow, found a bottle in Atlanta, and it broke in the floor board of my car on my drive home. Not only was it a waste of 80 bucks, my car smelled like tequila for a week. Thank goodness I didn't get pulled over at any time.

4/4/2014 5:30:48 PM

Drinking bourbon is something I really wish I could get into

I just don't have the taste for it I guess.

4/4/2014 5:52:40 PM

Take a look a page or two back, there's some discussion about how to ease your way into sipping whiskey

4/4/2014 6:56:52 PM

See the thing is for me, I love the smell of it. I love the initial sip... Its the lingering in the back of my throat that throws me off.

I had bought some four roses last spring. Tried it once. Am giving bulleit a shot as we speak though. I like it better than the four roses I think.

4/4/2014 8:25:14 PM

Found the ginger comments... I might try that.

4/4/2014 10:37:40 PM

spooner, or anyone, speaking of Atlanta i'll be down there in a couple weeks for a conference. Can you recommend a couple liquor stores to stop into? Chasing stuff I can't get at the NC ABC obviously

4/5/2014 10:14:05 AM

Went to a bourbon tasting about a month ago and am now hooked. What is the best liquor store here in raleigh for selection? Cameron village has a ton of scotch, but only an average selection of good bourbon (plus they are always out of buffalo trace).

So far, eagle rare is my favorite for sipping on the rocks.

I am also interested in investing in an "ice ball" mold (for lack of better term). Any recommendations? Seems like its either a $12 plastic mold, or a $600 metal contraption.

[Edited on April 5, 2014 at 12:09 PM. Reason : .]

4/5/2014 12:08:49 PM

NC ABC stores will all have a similar selection. You can look at the ABC quarterly price lists to see what bourbons most stores will have in stock. If you want something rare or something that isn't on the list you'll have to go out of state.

as for ice molds, these are what I use and they work great.

http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Sphere-Ice-Molds-Set/dp/B007ACTN54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396724677&sr=8-1&keywords=ice+mold

4/5/2014 3:05:52 PM

So far the best I've found is the one in Cary on Maynard and Cary Towne. The nicest I've seen in the Triangle is far far and away in Chapel Hill off of 54. They had blue grass going, hardwood floors, and a brick exterior. How quaint.

For entertainment value ... Mission Valley from 8:30 - 9.

4/5/2014 3:36:15 PM

i've probably said it here before but i really despise Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniels and the like have never sat well with me. I saw the "Sinatra Select" JD the other day for $170 a bottle. I got online to see what was so special about this offering..

Quote :

"Bottled at 90 proof, and made with unique “Sinatra Barrels”, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select pays tribute to Jack’s biggest fan: Mr. Frank Sinatra. These Sinatra barrels have deep grooves on the inside of the staves — which exposes the whiskey to extra layers of oak. This imparts a rich amber color, bold character and a pleasant smokiness, followed by an incredibly smooth vanilla finish. Much like Frank himself, this whiskey is one of a kind."

extra deep grooves!!! it's like the 10 blade razor of whiskey!

4/5/2014 3:50:19 PM

I got these ice molds and really like them.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00COM0AX4?psc=1

I want to buy some candied ginger as a garnish for my whiskey; something sweet to nibble on that goes well with the drink. Any recommendations on where to order some from, or any local stores that carry it?

4/5/2014 6:46:52 PM

i bought a 4-pack of jack harrison 2.5" silicone sphere molds for $8 a couple of months ago: http://www.amazon.com/Luxury-Sphere-Molds-Jack-Harrison/dp/B00FAPUPQO/

they're fantastic...looks like they're OOS from amazon right now, though

4/5/2014 8:30:52 PM

Quote :

"For entertainment value ... Mission Valley from 8:30 - 9."

I am assuming you are referring to the coeds racing to get booze before closing time?

4/6/2014 8:04:41 AM

Also: I am sure it is discussed on an earlier page, but can you buy blantons in nc?

4/6/2014 10:24:06 AM

and fucked up homeless people

4/6/2014 12:21:21 PM

I drink my bourbon neat more often than not, but I do thoroughly enjoy my ball press, both as a tool and a conversational piece with houseguests, particularly those of the female variety.



Tovolo makes some good products, if you don't want to spend that much money for one like that, I think someone posted it earlier. They also have really sexy 2" cube molds, that look great in rocks glasses if you can get them clear, which I've finally sort of figured out how to do with my particular freezer after quite a bit of trial and error and temperature variation.

4/6/2014 12:27:44 PM

Quote :

"Also: I am sure it is discussed on an earlier page, but can you buy blantons in nc?"

If not, you can buy it in VA, though I'm not sure where the closest ABC store across the border would be. The selection up here isn't fantastic either but it's probably better than the very limited NC stores. (I didn't really get into bourbon until after I moved here so I can't say definitively.)

4/6/2014 7:15:34 PM

Technically Blanton's should be available at every liquor store that I've visited in the triangle. They ran a nice sale on it last quarter and have been out of stock for the past couple of months.

Blanton's trivia - I always assumed the horse was the same on every bottle, but there are supposedly 11 different bottle tops that combine to show the full animation of the horse galloping.

4/6/2014 7:23:01 PM

Quote :

" had a 6 oz pour from my bottle of Pappy 23 last weekend for my birthday. "

By the way, [user]Agent0[/user], when did you get your Pappy 23? I've heard stories about how ten years ago you could get all the pappy line on the shelf at $40 - $80. Just curious about your bottle - do you know if it's the old Stitzel-Weller product?

4/6/2014 7:27:00 PM

Quote :

"Blanton's trivia - I always assumed the horse was the same on every bottle, but there are supposedly 11 different bottle tops that combine to show the full animation of the horse galloping."

I'd heard 8 - each has a small letter, which spells out b-l-a-n-t-o-n-s if you get all of them. If it's 11, I wonder what the letter on the other three are, or if they are letterless?

4/6/2014 8:03:38 PM

Quote :

"speaking of Atlanta i'll be down there in a couple weeks for a conference. Can you recommend a couple liquor stores to stop into? Chasing stuff I can't get at the NC ABC obviously"

Jeepin, do you know in what area of town your conference is? Can send some recommendations for specific places nearby if that would be helpful. Here's a start though:

Buckhead: Tower Liquors on Piedmont Rd. Decent selection of "standard" stuff, at times will have some good bottles locked in the cabinet (right now they have some Whistle Pig 11 and 12 yrs in the cabinet). Other option in Buckhead is Holman and Fitch Bottle Shop. H&F is a wonderful restaurant/bar with great cocktails, and they have a bottle shop nearby that has a small selection of non-standard liquors and wines. It's a little pricey, but at times they'll have some unique SKUs. Great place for cocktail "accessories" though

Midtown: Ansley Wine Merchant, in the Ansley Shopping Center at Piedmont and Monroe. Not a huge selection, but they come correct. Saw some Parker's Heritage there a few weeks back which surprised me. Also, Green's on Ponce De Leon is pretty decent. Saw some Buffalo Trace experimental collection there yesterday. And depending on where you are, Mac's at West Peachtree and 9th. Good selection and location, not necessarily the best prices though.

Decatur/Eastside: Dekalb Bottle House on Briarcliff and Decatur Package Store on Clairmont (I think). Both have great bourbon selections, and Decatur Package Store has a store-selected Four Roses single barrel right now that's fantastic. Toco Giant on N. Druid Hills also has a nice selection, but I haven't been in a while to see what specifics are currently on the shelf.

And if you have plenty of time and are ambitions, Sigman Bottle Shop in Conyers has the best bourbon and whiskey selection in the metro area, by far. It's pretty absurd. No, they won't have Pappy, George Stagg, or FR limited small batch on the shelf (no place does), but pretty much everything else you'd want should be in stock. Downside it's in Conyers, which is about 20 miles east of downtown in I-20. Takes about 30 minutes to get there from midtown during normal traffic, but I roll out there about once every 6 months to see what's in stock. Got some Michters 10 yr and 2013 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon when I went back in January.

4/6/2014 8:10:02 PM

^my conference and hotel are near the airport, but i'll be coming in from Charlotte the afternoon before specifically to do some whiskey hunting and catch the braves game.

Also, that Sigman Bottle's website lists things like Pappy, Weller 12, and even Eagle Rare 17. That can't be an accurate "stock" list.

4/7/2014 8:49:20 AM

I, too, really enjoy my whiskey balls (molds), but have always been a little curious about whiskey stones. Anyone have some experience with those that would like to educate us?

4/7/2014 9:02:34 AM

^^ yeah, they won't have Pappy or ER17 in stock. Very well may have some Weller 12 though, I've definitely bought a few bottles of that there. And they'll have some Thomas Handy rye there, but when I stopped by last time they had marked it up 100%, so I was like "no wonder it's on the shelf still!"

4/7/2014 9:13:44 AM

my experience, that of observation, is that whisky stones are bullshit. the only thing whisky stones will do is probably eventually damage your glasses.

Quote :

"when did you get your Pappy 23?"

december of last year. I'm told that at that time the 23 is still fully single barrel, unblended/buffalo trace'd, but I haven't researched my bottle number.

the 20 is definitely not original any longer.

4/7/2014 10:56:24 AM