Cocktails

[Dannyalcatraz]

So, good news on that front. Negronis are really easy to make at home.

All you need to do is invest in a bottle of London Dry Gin (you can get Booker's for $20 or so, depending on the area), a bottle of Campari (~$30, but you can usually find it for a little less if you look), and a bottle of good Italian sweet red vermouth ($20-$30). I forgot to mention this, but make sure you refrigerate your vermouth after opening- it is a wine, after all (it should last three months or so). Campari and gin, of course, don't have that issue.

Negronis are equal parts- one part gin to one part vermouth to one part Campari. Stir. Ideally, you should use one of those giant ice cubes you'll find at a good cocktail bar to fill the glass, but for home purposes you can use regular ice cubes- just don't use crushed ice or anything similar as that will dilute it too quickly.

The hardest part, if you call it that, is peeling the orange (you're trying to avoid the pith) and giving it a twist to express the oils- and while I highly recommend that, it's not 100% necessary if you're starting out.

It really is a great starter for a lazy mixologist to learn how to make a complex cocktail. If you like it, you can always play around with different types of gin or vermouth. And if you don't like it, you can repurpose the bottles. Gin goes into a G&T. Campari can be used in a Campari & Soda or Campari & OJ. And the vermouth can always be used in a Vermouth Spritz.

That’s $70+/- ($50, discounting the gin) to invest in a drink I’ve never tried before, with repurposing options I’ve mostly never tried either!

I think I’ll wait until I’ve actually tried one.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

That’s $70+/- ($50, discounting the gin) to invest in a drink I’ve never tried before, with repurposing options I’ve mostly never tried either!

I think I’ll wait until I’ve actually tried one.

True enough, but in fairness, the price of liquor to make a good cocktail at home only seems expensive when you forget how much a good cocktail costs when you go out!

Prices can vary depending on locality, but as a general rule I have yet to find a good cocktail bar that doesn't charge $10+ for a decent cocktail in my area. And some places are entirely comfortable at the $20 mark.

Of course, you can pay more. Or even more.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

True enough, but in fairness, the price of liquor to make a good cocktail at home only seems expensive when you forget how much a good cocktail costs when you go out!

Prices can vary depending on locality, but as a general rule I have yet to find a good cocktail bar that doesn't charge $10+ for a decent cocktail in my area. And some places are entirely comfortable at the $20 mark.

Of course, you can pay more. Or even more.

Oh, certainly!

Thing is, though, having your first one professionally made not only gives you a chance to try something for a lower price, but ALSO gives your palate a target to aim for when making them yourself.

 

[the Jester]

My go to "wedding drink" is a G&T...

You know what else mixes very well with tonic? Benedictine.

 

[the Jester]

When I was 15 or 16 someone gave me a drink of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum mixed with regular Mountain Dew and I thought it was the best mixed drink ever. I know it sounds gross, but it really was good. I haven't drunk it in over 30 years though but in the hands of someone with a more refined palette and knowledge of mixology they could probably make something great with it by adding a few more ingredients.

I remember one Halloween in the early 90s, I mixed Captain Morgan's and Blackthorn cider. That was tasty, but I don't know if I would like it these days- it's probably too sweet for my current tastes. Ciders are generally murder on my stomach these days due to the sugar content.

 

[R_J_K75]

...I don't know if I would like it these days- it's probably too sweet for my current tastes. Ciders are generally murder on my stomach these days due to the sugar content.

I don't drink mixed drinks much at all anymore for that same reason. I can do shots or non-mixed drinks but anything with too much sugar tears my stomach up too.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Or even more.

Making a cocktail out of 18-year old Suntory Hakushu is sufficient to consign your soul to the 9th Circle of Hell.

I agree that the negroni is a classic, but I found it a little sweet for my tastes so I replaced the vermouth with more gin. Since I first posted in this thread, I've actually come to find Campari bitters a little sweet too unless used sparingly.

So my go-to drink is now a big glass of gin, with just a splash of Campari.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Making a cocktail out of 18-year old Suntory Hakushu is sufficient to consign your soul to the 9th Circle of Hell.

I agree that the negroni is a classic, but I found it a little sweet for my tastes so I replaced the vermouth with more gin. Since I first posted in this thread, I've actually come to find Campari bitters a little sweet too unless used sparingly.

So my go-to drink is now a big glass of gin, with just a splash of Campari.

You're one step away from the Winston Churchill martini.

Fill a mixing glass with ice.
Put in a generous helping of Plymouth gin.
Nod towards France.
Strain into glass.


Or, as popularly recounted-

Snarf walked into a bar. He asked for a stirred gin Martini. Very dry.

The bartender said. "How dry?"

Snarf replied, "As dry as you can make it."

Bartender: Okay, you want me to give it a quick rinse of vermouth and then pour the vermouth out?

Snarf: No. Not dry enough. I want you to pour the gin over the ice, and before you stir, I want you to say "vermouth" over the mixing glass.

The bartender proceeded to do as instructed, and than said ... "Vermouth," to which Snarf replied, "TOO LOUD!"

 

[payn]

You're one step away from the Winston Churchill martini.

Fill a mixing glass with ice.
Put in a generous helping of Plymouth gin.
Nod towards France.
Strain into glass.

You forgot repeat a dozen times between breakfast and lunch.

 

[Zaukrie]

I've never understood how a shot or three of gin is a martini, and not, you know, a shot or three of gin......