Cocktail Hour

What ? So the Yanks don't know what their literary characters are drinking either ?

[SteveDallas]

Not me... I'm illiterate.

( provocaTRICE , monsieur le régisseur )

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Pie

Yes. I like Reeds. Ooh look - they have icecream! I gotta try that.

Sorry. Lower than substandard. Will not even buy in an emergency.

The Sioux City brand is quite tasty, and Goya will do, but this is the gold standard:

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Buddug

P.S. I see you know your stuff SteveDallas . In American books , they always talk about 'highballs' . What exactly is a 'highball '? Please elucidate this literary alcoholic mystery for me .

which kind?

Most common, I think, is ginger ale with a shot of whiskey or rye, served in a highball glass. (11 oz. capacity, about 5" tall ... it's the middle size in the standard set of kitchen drinkware)

Ah , thank you , Wolf .

[skysidhe]

I think it's called a malibu sunrise.

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

My bread and butter (so to speak) are 1) the martini

*I can't tell you how much it annoys me to go to a restaurant that has a couple dozen "martinis" and order a martini, and get back, "what kind?" Or, they just assume you want vodka.

It just makes me sad. Who are these people, where did they learn to mix, how can they be so ignorant about something so simple?
Only gin makes a martini, ever, period, no exceptions.

[Iggy]

SteveDallas, I love long island iced teas, but haven't the foggiest idea how to make them. How do you make them?

I also like straberry bellinis, and really any daquari or margarita there is. Amaretto sours are delicious as well.

[capnhowdy]

Chilled Tanquaray with 5-6 drops dry vermouth, double olive (ripe), slightly stirred.

Or the old bad day at work quick fix.... Lord Calvert and water on the rocks. Repeat as needed. Rapidly.

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by Iggy

SteveDallas, I love long island iced teas, but haven't the foggiest idea how to make them. How do you make them?

Here's the recipe I usually get out, cribbed from "The Ultimate Book of Cocktails".

white rum
vodka
gin
silver tequila
Cointreau
sugar syrup
--> 1/2 measure or 2 tsp. of all of the above

juice of 1/2 a lemon


Stir all these well with ice for about 30 seconds in a pitcher to chill. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes and a twist of lemon. Add chilled cola (4 measures/6 Tbsp) and finish with a sprig of fresh mint.


Now I tend to not have fresh mint lying around, nor a lemon twist--sorry, but my home bartending is very informal. I also tend to just dump everything in a cocktail shaker rather than digging out a pitcher.

I also omit the sugar syrup--you're going to be putting cola in!! I guess if you want something really sweet, go for it.

I've also seen varying combinations of ingredients in other recipes. I don't think it matters a whole lot--I mean, you don't have Cointreau handy? Just forget it & maybe add a bit extra of the other stuff. I think the most important bit is to mix some different liquors together so no one taste predominates.

And just maybe, after 2 or 3 sips it doesn't matter so much any more.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by wolf

Sorry. Lower than substandard. Will not even buy in an emergency.

The Sioux City brand is quite tasty, and Goya will do, but this is the gold standard:

Oooh, okay.
I'll keep a look out for Old Tyme, but I don't like Goya. They just add capsaicin to it to give it "bite", but to my palate that just makes it hot, not ginger-y.

[barefoot serpent]

Speaking of Sioux City brand...

a White Russian (aka Caucasian) -- a great use of Kahlua!

[scboxer]

A highball actually refers to the glass which the cocktail is made in-a tall slender glass similar to a juice glass. However, over the years, it has also come to mean "well" drinks such as bourbon/water, rum/coke, etc.
And I'm so glad to see all the many who know that a martini is only gin...I was starting to get discouraged/irritated about this very subject recently.
My faith has been restored!

[scboxer]

Oops, sorry wolf, didn't see that you had already covered the highball def.