Max Power said:

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I used Steve the bartenders recipe.

1 can full fat coconut milk (400 ml)
1.75 cups white sugar (375 g)
Pinch of salt

Heat all in a saucepan on low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Store in a mason jar in the fridge. Shake well before use. Minimal effort, great results.

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How long would you estimate the shelf life of this stored in the fridge?

Not really sure, my general rule of thumb with anything in the fridge is smell and taste. I've kept plenty of homemade stuff in the fridge longer than recommended time but if you have concerns about spoiling they are cheap ingredients. You could also portion it out and freeze some. I've got simple syrups in the fridge from last year, no mold growth of any kind, the syrups I do are all 1.5:1 ratio.

We are getting closer to pool season and I've thought about playing with the sugar in this recipe either by using coconut sugar to reinforce the coconut flavor or making toasted sugar (Stella Parks at Serious Eats uses it in a ton of her recipes) and thus creating toasted cream of coconut.

I would say if you ever makes drinks for a crowd with this stuff it won't last real long because it's a huge crowd pleaser, especially if you're making pina coladas or painkillers with it and high quality pineapple juice.

Wife said she wanted some pina coladas this weekend so I whipped up a fresh batch of cream of coconut yesterday. Didn't get the chance to make any toasted sugar but I'll try to remember when this batch is close to out.

https://instagr.am/p/CPzdihmMmgQ

https://instagr.am/p/CP2CdX4szva

That looks awesome

Speaking of Del Maguey Vida, I made The Educated Barfly's version of a Saladito this evening.

0.75 oz lime juice
0.75 oz honey syrup
2 oz DMV mezcal

Put into a shaker, add ice, shake 30 seconds. Pour into a coupe glass and dust with cayenne pepper.

Flying Crowbar said:

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That looks awesome

Speaking of Del Maguey Vida, I made The Educated Barfly's version of a Saladito this evening.

0.75 oz lime juice
0.75 oz honey syrup
2 oz DMV mezcal

Put into a shaker, add ice, shake 30 seconds. Pour into a coupe glass and dust with cayenne pepper.

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Sort of a Mexican version of the Bees Knees or Gold Rush... love it!

I made a Gold Rush riff tonight that was pretty solid... I'm calling it The Golden Calf:
1.5oz bourbon (you could go 2oz... nobody 'ill complain)
.5oz Yellow Chartreuse
.75oz honey syrup
1oz Lemon juice

And here's another with Yellow Chartreuse that I randomly stumbled upon that splits the difference between yours and mine...
Texas Sunset
2 oz Reposado
.5oz Yellow Chartreuse
.5oz Aperol
.75 lemon
.5oz Simple
Shake, serve over ice with Tajin rim.

SpiderDude said:

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Thought this was good enough to repost from another thread...

one MEEN Ag said:

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Margaritas.

Buy nice blanco tequila (at least Hornitos). Go cheap on the triple sec, and buy a huge huge bag of limes. Throw those bottles in the freezer, cut and squeeze the lime juice. Make simple syrup on the stove (2 cups sugar to 1 cup water). Get the simple syrup cooled down in the fridge. Mix up 2 parts tequila to 1 part triple sec, 3 parts simple syrup, and 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix and pour over a cup loaded down with ice. This recipe anticipates needing some of the ice to melt and dilute your sugar/liquor because nobody has the time to have prechilled liquor and cooled simple syrup. That margarita will be slightly sweet, without any alcohol flavor, and will have a nice fresh punch to it. Your women will suck that down. I've also had good success on dicing jalapenos up and throwing them into the simple syrup when its on the stove. Pull the peppers out after 30 minutes and strain. Its a nice kick at the end of the marg.

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This recipe is a huge hit when I make it for a crowd. One small change I make is using a straight 1:1 simple syrup. I find that it's plenty sweet that way. A thick 2:1 syrup is a bit much sweetness wise for my taste. I also add about half an English cucumber and let that infuse for a few hours before serving. Yummmmm!!!

IMO
3:2 syrup to tequila is wayyyyy too sweet
I do 2:1 tequila to syrup, and my syrup is 2:1 water to sugar, so already diluted.

Yea that would be a better take on the recipe. The original you quoted sounds just over the top sweet. I am sure that is why people like it though.

One of my new favorite Whiskey cocktails, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail. Recipe from this video from How to Drink:



Improved Whiskey Cocktail:
In a mixing glass
.25 oz. -or- 8 ml. Simple Syrup
2 dashes of Boker's Bitters (or your preferred bitters)
.25 oz. -or- 8 ml. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Rittenhouse Rye
1 dash of absinthe
Add ice and stir
Strain into glass
Garnish with lemon peel

So an Old Fashioned with absinthe added?

Can you get absinthe at Specs?

The biggest change is the maraschino liqueur in addition/in place of simple. It is a much more interesting flavor profile.

I got a bottle of absinthe at my local liquor store so I'm sure you can get it at Specs too. I only used half a bar spoon and really enjoyed the flavor. It keeps indefinitely because it is high proof (mine is 106).

Oh yeah, I missed that it was cherry liqueur rather than just cherry juice. That would make a difference.

Definitely something I want to try.

Maraschino liqueur doesn't really taste like cherries. I had the same misconception. It really makes this cocktail delicious imo.

https://www.growlermag.com/spirits-closeup-luxardo-maraschino-liqueur/#:~:text=What%20does%20Luxardo%20taste%20like,like%20licking%20a%20cherry%20pit.

It's basically rained at my house every day for a week here in the midwest, and we're supposed to have a nice weekend. Had a hankering for some margaritas, I haven't had one in a long time, stocked up on limes, Cointreau, and tequila. Ready for the weekend. No sour mix in this house. Perhaps I give some ranch water a try, it's been a very long time since I had tequila, got some Topo Chico in the fridge already.

I'm a grown up now, so I don't do silly things like just buy frozen limeade concentrate and mix it with equal parts bottom shelf tequila in a blender, call it a margarita, and become uncivilized like someone that looks similar to me from 20 years ago before I was ravaged by time.

Pineapple Trainwreck. This one has become a staple this summer

https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/pineapple-trainwreck-recipe/

MooreTrucker said:

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So an Old Fashioned with absinthe added?

Can you get absinthe at Specs?

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Yes but get Pernod. Do NOT buy the $30 Pernod Pastis. It's not the same. The Pernod Absinthe is around $65 but it's 136 proof and goes a long way. You'll never use more than a barspoon unless you're drinking it straight. Don't compromise here!

GarlandAg2012 said:

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One of my new favorite Whiskey cocktails, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail. Recipe from this video from How to Drink:



Improved Whiskey Cocktail:
In a mixing glass
.25 oz. -or- 8 ml. Simple Syrup
2 dashes of Boker's Bitters (or your preferred bitters)
.25 oz. -or- 8 ml. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Rittenhouse Rye
1 dash of absinthe
Add ice and stir
Strain into glass
Garnish with lemon peel

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I love the Halekulani Cocktail from that episode. It combines 2 of my favorite things: Tiki and barrel proof bourbon. What's not to love?!

Love Dark and Stormys. If you want more ginger taste, try subbing an oz of Domaine de Canton for an oz of the rum. Purists will blanche, so don't try this in Bermuda.

We've been working through the Aviary cocktail books and they've been pretty fun. Some are a lot of work though.
I don't remember what the first picture is, but it's blueberry something. The second is a margarita with Fresno chili ice cubes. The last is a version of a gin and tonic with cucumber spheres.

G Martin 87 said:

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Love Dark and Stormys. If you want more ginger taste, try subbing an oz of Domaine de Canton for an oz of the rum. Purists will blanche, so don't try this in Bermuda.

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Why substitute... throw that **** on as a floater!

Been meaning to do the same but damn that stuff is intimidating! Very complex techniques and lots of special equipment! Hard to compete with a place that had an "ice chef"!

Wtf are cucumber spheres?

MooreTrucker said:

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Wtf are cucumber spheres?

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Made a Navy Grog last night... pretty darn good...

Ingredients:

.75 oz Brugal Dry (used Matusalem Platino)
.75 oz Brugal Anejo (used Kaniche XO)
.75 oz The Kraken Dark Rum (used Myer's)
.75 oz Velvet Falernum
.75 oz simple syrup (used a pineapple syrup...yummm)
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
.5 oz lime juice
3 dash Angostura bitters
3 dash Peychaud's bitters
Method: Shake with ice and strain into a beer glass over cubed ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg and pineapple wedge.

SpiderDude said:

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Johnsy3 said:

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What's all in those drinks? That last one looks great

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Zombie:
1 1/2 oz Puerto Rican golden rum
1 1/2 oz Jamaican rum
1 oz demerara 151 rum
1/2 oz Donn's Mix (2:1 mix of grapefruit juice & cinnamon syrup)
1/2 oz velvet falernum
3/4 oz lime juice
1/4 oz grenadine
2 dashes absinthe
1 dash angostura bitters

Ships in the Night:
1oz white rum
1oz Gin
1oz Cognac
1oz Orgeat
1oz Velvet Falernum
2oz Citrus juice (I typically use equal parts lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit)

Modern Aviation:
2oz gin
.5oz Maraschino Liqueur
.25oz Creme de Violette
.75oz lemon
2 dash cherry bitters

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Ships in the night is a fantastic tiki cocktail. I made a couple these past few weeks and they are great.

Quote:

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velvet falernum

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I don't even know what this is.

The problem with lots of cocktails like this is they include stuff like this, and orgeat and other liqueurs that I don't know and don't have in my cabinet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falernum

It's not super expensive. Under $20 for a bottle that will last you quite a while.

Orgeat syrup is a key ingredient in many tiki cocktails, including Mai Tais. If you want to start exploring tiki drinks, it's a must. Monin makes a good one that should be easy to find. Some people will suggest amaretto as a substitute, but it's worth getting the real thing,

Yes, it's great! Sadly, they took it off the menu at Culinary Dropout. It's been replaced by a new Tiki cocktail called:

Evil Jungle Princess:
rum blend, spiced orgeat, pineapple, guava, lime, plantation rum float

The Dewberry Hotel's Panic Button:
1.5 oz. bourbon
.75 oz. Averna
.5 oz. Campari
.5 oz. Heering cherry liqueur
.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail
Garnish: large ball or cube of ice
Shake all the ingredients with ice to chill, then strain into a glass holding a single large ball or cube of ice.

MooreTrucker said:

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Wtf are cucumber spheres?

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spheres of cucumber, duh.

they are gelatin like spheres filled will cucumber juice/stuff. They are fun and add a little pizzazz.