Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cocktails

Alcohol for the New

divabat — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:52 -0800

I've just started drinking alcohol this year. Help me find a cocktail/drink that doesn't taste like cough syrup. So far the only real alcoholic drink that I know I like is sparkling wine (bubbly), whether pink or white. I've had a version of a Long Island Ice Tea at Wagamama that was all right. I don't like alcopops; they taste too much like cough syrup. Whiskey and bourbon are much the same. I did plow through a box of sherry chocolates but I don't know how sherry tastes like on its own. I don't like beer, though Beez Kneez (honey beer) tastes OK.

I see my friends ordering all sorts of mixed drinks and I don't even know where to begin! I like chocolate, vanilla, Nutella, coffee-type flavours, and have been curious about liquer hot chocs/coffees. I'm not a big fan of fruity flavours, except if it's melon or banana (milkshake-ish) or lemonade. Flower flavours are good, and I really like ginger ale/ginger beer.

What would you recommend? Are there any drinks that don't taste overwhelmingly like cough syrup? I don't think I have a pretty high tolerance for alcohol (2 and a bit glasses of champagne and I'm already wobbly) so nothing crazy, but I'm up for experimenting.

Cocktails for the evil capitalists

ohio — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:46:18 -0800

My dad is a grouchy old man, and as much as I shouldn't be encouraging him I would like to make him an old-fashioned cocktail kit for Christmas. Something James Bond or an evil capitalist from 1928 would appreciate. I know I'll put some nice whiskey and some bitters in there- what else? I want to put together a kit of mostly ingredients rather than tools, although I can throw in a shaker and a jigger or two. My questions are:

What did they put in cocktails 60 years ago (or really any number of years ago)? I am thinking orange bitters and Peychaud's bitters, real grenadine if I can find it, bourbon cherries . . . ?? What are your favorite "I can't believe people don't still use this" ingredients?

How do I find those things in Chicago or over the internet?

Can I get old style glass bottles of soda water somewhere in Chicago?

The DC area's classic cocktail scene?

malthas — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:59:56 -0800

Classic cocktails in Northern Virginia/DC? Tonight? I'm the best man at my good friend's wedding this weekend, and of course that means throwing a bachelor party. There will be 7 of us. We're all pretty low key, though, so I was just thinking it would be good to just go hang out and get a few drinks.

The groom is really into whisky and classic cocktails (like pre-prohibition cocktails) so I'd like to try to find some place that does really good ones. Yelp and Chowhound have suggested places like PX in Alexandria and hotel bars like Off the Record and Round Robin in DC, but I'm concerned that these places will be a little bit too formal for our group. Not that we'll be rowdy, but we will have had a few drinks and I know that I for one get louder as the night goes on.

The other wrinkle is that this is supposed to be happening tonight. I know, poor planning on my part.

Metro access, too, would be good but not necessarily essential.

Any suggestions the Hive Mind can provide would be great!

Yes, I can bartend! I'm a bartender! I tend bar!

sexyrobot — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:44:16 -0800

I'm looking for a good, downloadable, Bartenders/Mixed Drinks/Cocktail cheat sheet. Preferably free. I've been googling for an hour with no luck... See, I've got a bartending gig tomorrow and I'm waaay rusty, my bartending experience is minimal, my resume' padded, and I'm now sober. I'm kind of stressed about it, and normally would turn the gig down, but I need the $. Here's what I need: a free (hopefully), downloadable, bartenders cheat sheet, 1 or 2 pages, listing the top 50-60 popular drinks (the main problem here is "too many and it's useless"), including a few classics (i make a good martini, but i always forget whats in a manhattan). Everything i find on google is like "3000 recipes on one page!!1! Looking for free BARTENDER CH33t Sh33t? BUY NOW!, weight watchers cocktail points, art projects and the like...TMI
Does anybody know where my golden PDF is at?

Good, inexpensive cocktails in New York City.

ocherdraco — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:11:23 -0800

For my job (and for fun) I often need good places to go out for drinks after work here in New York. Please recommend bars between 14th Street and Midtown that have good, inexpensive (~$10 or below) cocktails and are good for conversations with small groups of people. I'm a particular fan of the sidecar and the whiskey old fashioned, so I'd particularly appreciate recommendations for bars that do those drinks (and drinks like them) well.

I am not looking for beer bars, and I am not looking for places as expensive as the Flatiron Lounge.

I need famous drinks from famous books.

Sully — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:16:33 -0800

I need famous drinks from famous books. Kind of like how Holden Caulfield always drank Tom Collinses in Catcher in the Rye. Or how the Famous Five always had Tea with their scones. Thanks!

On Beyond Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers

ocherdraco — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:42:41 -0800

Give me yer best virgin cocktails—bonus points for ones easily ordered in a bar. A friend of mine had knee surgery and is bummed out not only because she's less mobile, but also because the painkillers are impinging upon her social life. Now that she's up and moving around more, I want to take her out, but since she's not supposed to drink alcohol, we're going to try all manner of virgin cocktails. Give us creative things to order!

Cocktail and liquor advice for a first-timer?

pinsomniac — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:41:51 -0800

Just turned 21 -- seeking advice on cocktails and rounding out my first-ever purchase of liquor. So after a few hours of searching through recommendations on AskMe and other parts of the web, I've decided on the following:

- Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum (1.75L)
- Maker's Mark Whisky Bourbon (1.75L)
- Tito's Handmade Vodka (1.75L)
- Gran Centenario Azul Reposado Tequila (750mL)
- Firefly Sweet Tea Infused Vodka (1.75L)

First question: Should I exchange the handles for fifths and get two other bottles? If so, what would you recommend adding to this? I'm considering Kahlua, but have no other ideas aside from that.

Second question: Using the above and basic mixers (juice, soda, fruit, etc.), what cocktails would I be able to make? I've done a bit of research, but would love to hear of any personal favorites.

Bonus: What tools are absolutely essential in making a cocktail? A book I have in front of me boils it down to a shaker and a strainer. A jigger would probably help as well. Anything else?

This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my first question, but it'll have to do. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Drink Drank Drunk

sarelicar — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:13:28 -0800

Cocktail ideas! There are some things I have around that I'd like to use. Particularly: lemon simple syrup, Lillet Blanc, and Blueberry vodka. come to think of it, those all sound good together. Oh and Hendricks Gin. Looking for your ideas for each separate ingredient. Points for ingredients that keep for periods of time greater than, say, 2 days. For instance, orange bitters could be a do, obscure herbs are a don't, unless I can preserve them in some sort of syrup. Thank you, geniuses!

The hardest won manhattan ever

smartyboots — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:32:34 -0800

Where can a Manhattan lover find bitters in Daegue, South Korea? My brother is in Daegue, anxiously awaiting his firstborn. He got some good bourbon at the duty-free, and even managed to track down sweet vermouth and maraschino cherries - where can he find bitters? Or better yet, where can he find a Korean equivalent? Any tips as to what might be an acceptable substitute?

Difficulty level - not that high. He's fluent in Korean, he just needs to know what he's looking for.

Made of cocaine and the tears of child actors

klangklangston — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:31:29 -0800

LA Gourmet Cocktails? What are the finest, most crafted cocktails you've had in LA? High-end genius drinkology? Even just the best-balanced martini? Is there a molecular gastronomy equivalent here? For a story I'm working on—If you're LA based and have nothing going on this weekend/week and you want to meet me for a drink, send me a memail.

the booze of summer

A Terrible Llama — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:27:37 -0800

What are good summer drinks that are a) uncomplicated and b) not too high in calories? Over the winter Mr. Llama and I discovered the importance of cocktail hour. We'd come home and have a bourbon or scotch and unwind before sailing into the evening task hours. It was lovely, and I'd like to continue over the summer, but don't like the thought of drinking scotch in eighty degree weather.

We drink beer and wine but it's somehow doesn't have the same official cocktail hour quality. What are good summer drinks? We don't want anything complicated or high caloric; the point is to keep it very simple and relaxing. I don't want to come home and whir up a pitcher of margaritas or anything.

Gin and tonics are a good idea, but I get a little sick of them. What else fits the bill? The fewer ingredients the better -- gin and tonics, with gin, tonic, and lime, are right at the edge of overcomplicated and mojitos definitely fit the 'overcomplicated' label. I'm hoping for "rum and sugar over ice" kinds of things.

What summer drinks have the same "pour and enjoy" quality as bourbon in February?

London cocktail bars recommendations

laumry — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:03:00 -0800

Cocktail bars in London that are cheap? And serve food (esp. cake)? Hello all. I'm going out on Friday night in London with a few friends (2 men, 2 women, all early 30s). Can anyone recommend a decent cocktail bar in London which:

1) Is not too expensive;
2) Serves food (including cake. There must be cake.);
3) Has a bit of a buzz - music and a late licence and a freewheeling mingling spirit (which would probably discount the stuffier hotel bars)?

Thanks a lot!

What's Irish and stays out all night?

cior — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:29:31 -0800

I need advice on classy Irish drinks, hosting a whisky tasting and the proper way to make a Black & Tan without making a mess. My fiancé and I have been nominated to tend bar at our yacht club's St. Patrick's Day dinner. We're a solid team behind the bar, but have no experience with Irish drinks and drinking customs.

What makes a great whisky tasting? Any recommendations on the whisky? Should we have specific accompaniments?

We'd like to include some classy Irish cocktails, but can only find minty bright green crass options online. What should we try?

Is there a fool-proof way of making a good Black and Tan? We've got the Guiness and the Harp's Lager covered, both in kegs.

Thank you!

maraschino and kirsch

kestrel251 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:03:47 -0800

Can I substitute kirsch for maraschino liqueur in cocktails? We've been experimenting with David Wonderich's awesome Killer Cocktails, and were going to try one that calls for maraschino liqueur. (It apparently has nothing at all to do with those gross neon red cherries.) But all we could find was kirsch. Can we substitute? Should we add a bit of sugar syrup?

Help me to mix up some shochu/oolong cocktails

greta simone — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:32:41 -0800

Help me make my favorite shochu/oolong beverage that I always drink when getting yakitori on St. Marks. So I live in NC, not New York, but during my frequent trips to the city I enjoy eating at one of the various yakitori and udon places on St. Marks. My favorite part of the dining experience, though, is ordering a few of those shochu and oolong iced beverages.

I was first introduced to shochu when a friend came back from Japan with a few bottles, but I have since discovered that Korea has a similar drink called soju. I have also read that sometimes Japanese shochu is imported under the name soju because, for whatever reason, it is less legal than soju.

Now, I have a friend who has found a place to purchase soju (which apparently is not exactly legal here, but let's ignore that fact). My first question is this: How can I tell if it is soju or shochu-masked-as-soju? If I can't, does it really matter? Do they essentially taste the same?

My second question is a bit simpler:
I hope to mix the shochu/soju with some oolong like I like it in the restaurants, but I have no idea how to prepare it. What's the liquor-to-tea ratio? How much tea do I need or how strong should I make it? Do I pour the beverage directly over ice or chill it first? What's the best kind of oolong to get?

Assume I will be making this beverage in large quantities and serving it at a party this coming Saturday (this means I would ideally like bulk mix recipes and no recommendations of where to purchase the liquor online, as there is little time to ship it).

Thanks for the help!

Chamotini?

_sirmissalot_ — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:05:14 -0800

I would like to invent and/or discover a cocktail recipe using as the key note chamomile tea or peppermint tea. In the course of discussing this idea I have heard a rumor of something once made somewhere in Boston with Strega and chamomile. Beyond its deliciousness, further details were lost to time. So, beyond that possible dead-end . . . any ideas?

Large Ice Cubes?

aladfar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:50:04 -0800

My favorite bars use large blocks of ice in their cocktails - much bigger than what can be obtained with a standard freezer tray. How can I make these myself? Is there such a thing as an extra large ice cube tray? I've also considered freezing water in a bread pan and then cutting it down to size somehow, but this would be rather laborious. A tray that allows for significantly larger cubes would be much better. Unfortunately, Google and Amazon searches haven't led me to such a product.

How can I find this New York bar?

szechuan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:57:29 -0800

Help me identify a bar in New York from my friend's very vague description of its decor! My friend swears she saw this bar in a documentary or current affairs/news clip, which may have been about vodka, the cost of alcohol or drinking in general. The bar was in New York, and had hot-pink soft/squashy looking seats beside long tables in the center of the bar. Low hanging lights from the ceiling over these long tables, with simple hat-shaped lampshades. There were booths against the wall. People were drinking martinis.

It was the hot pink seats that stuck with her, and I suspect is the only identifiable characteristic! Am hoping this might ring a bell for one of our New York drinkers.

Festive drinks for an office party?

LN — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:15:50 -0800

I need suggestions for an office party Christmas cocktail. Ok, so, myself and my co-worker were tasked with organizing the office Christmas Party this year (And yes, I realize we're doing this early, but hey, we want to get a reservation at a place we like, not go scrambling at the last minute!). Our mandate for this party is to do something "different" this year, since the office is thoroughly sick of the usual party games and whatnot.

We had the idea of making up a cocktail or festive drink that we could offer people as they came in the door. Since we have some non-drinkers and pregnant co-workers in our group, said festive drink needs to have a non-alcoholic variant.

So, the drink has to:
1) have alcoholic and virgin variants
2) be relatively easy to make for a bartender with a decently stocked bar
3) Taste good

Eggnog is the obvious solution here, but I'd like to try and find something new that my co-workers may not have tried. Bonus points for something either Christmas-themed, or something with a name that makes reference to academia (since I work for an NGO for scholarly associations).

So, hivemind, please suggest a festive drink or cocktail to help me make this a great office party!

Cocktail is just too generic...

100watts — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:46:47 -0800

There's got to be more than Tequila Sunrise? I'm working on a menu for a cocktail party and I'm thinking of going with mixed drinks that have the same name as a movie... this has proved difficult to Google and I don't really want to browse through the names of drinks on these overstuffed drink recipe sites. I want drinks that someone can say they have tried and it wasn't terrible, or at least that someone's heard of before.

So far, I've got on my list:
Manhattan - blended whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters
Backdraft - cinnamon, cointreau, ice, sambuca VERY TRICKY TO PREPARE
Rob Roy - Scotch, sweet vermouth, bitters
Nixon - bourbon, sloe gin, peach bitters
Tom and Jerry - eggs, sugar, Jamaican rum, vanilla extract, allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon, whole milk, nutmeg
Tequila Sunrise - tequila, orange juice, grenadine
Strawberry Lassi - strawberries, sugar, cardamom, yogurt
French Connection - Amaretto, Cognac
Godfather - Amaretto, Scotch
Incredible Hulk - hpnotiq, Hennessy
Stinger (like The Sting) - white creme de menthe, brandy
My Fair Lady - gin, lemon juice, orange juice, Sirop de Fraise, egg white
Pink Lady (like in Grease, geddit?) - gin, grenadine, cream, egg white
Tom Collins - gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, chilled carbonated water
Blue Hawaii - light rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, sour mix
Hurricane - dark rum, white rum, passionfruit syrup, lime juice
Cosmopolitan (in honor of the upcoming Sex and the City movie) - vodka citron, cointreau, lime juice, cranberry juice

I doubt I'll use all of these (some of them have ingredients that are too much of a pain to acquire just for this drink). So, give me more that you can vouch for. Links to recipes a bonus.

What cocktails to serve with sushi?

jmstephan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:15:02 -0800

What cocktails to serve with sushi? Okay, we're going to a dinner party. The hosts are providing sushi. We're responsible for "a cocktail." What should we bring/make? Seems that sushi calls for good beer or sake, but I think we are expected to provide something a bit more creative than just a bottle o' wine or beer or something. Something extravagant. Anyone got any good recipes?

Pls suggest me some good cocktails.

WizKid — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:23:30 -0800

I'm a guy 5-6 years over the legal drinking age, I have been sober all this time. Recently I started been a social drinker. I don't want to get drunk or stoned. Just wanted to socialize with others. Due to the fact that I have been sober for this long I'm clueless on what to order at a bar. My current choices are - Beer (Stuck with Budweiser) - Fish Bowl=vodka+cranberry juice (Introduced by a friend. It's ok but taste is not that great) - Sparkling Wine (I like the taste) Please suggest me some good cocktail - That you like the taste - Will not get me stoned - Not girly (Is martini a girls drink?) - Cost less than $6-$7 per drink (with relative to prices of small college town bars, not in NYC type of bars. I can understand that $5 drink in a college town will be $10 in NYC) p.s.: Open to suggestions of good beers too.

Help me refine and name a new cocktail.

jeremias — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:04:18 -0800

Help me refine and name a new cocktail. I didn't set out to make a new cocktail, but one night I used the only ingredients I had around that made any sense at all: a good tequila (the sipping kind), unsweetened cranberry juice and ginger ale. Mix the three over crushed ice, stir gently and serve.

It really wasn't bad, out of curiosity I searched around and didn't see this mix anywhere, (or if so, relatively obscure and ripe for co opting.) Feel free to point out that this is well-known drink and I'm a dork for posting this.

I figure I could refine it a bit, but looking for suggestions. Perhaps some grenadine to make it a tiny bit sweeter?

And then the real task is of course the name. With the exception of the cranberry and especially if I added the grenadine this is a varietal on the Shirley Temple, but an evil one with alcohol. Suggestions?

Piano bars in Chicago?

bubukaba — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:14:54 -0800

Where can I find a noirish or sleezeball lounge lizard style piano bar (or some approximation of one of these) in Chicago? I'm not sure if "piano bar" is exactly the right term.

But I've been watching a lot of noir films lately and also reading up on lounge music (I'm aware that these are completely disparate sorts of scenes - but either one will do in this case), and I'm yearning for a glamorous-yet-shady place with a beautiful, smoky-voiced woman in a fancy gown at the piano playing some kind of vague jazz music and singing...

The music is probably the most important factor here.