Meta tags:
description=Jamie Boudreau will be your bartender today....;

Headings (most frequently used words):

cocktail, best, the, old, fashioned, watering, holes, and, new, world, bar, of, american, cubed, blood, sand, xmas, le, carre, cherry, tales, bartender, year, eagle, spiritsandcocktails, com, future, is, now, st, germain, cocktails, syruped, syrup, balvenie, 17yr, madeira, cask, drinking, at, home, borden, chase, combier, haiti, bitter, truth, to, hit, shores, public, service, announcement, shopping, continued, xante, scotch, tasty, awards, bacardi, ad, art, calcium, chloride, bath, portland, etc, historic, orleans, san, francisco, york, vancouver, seattle, david, shenaut, nevermind, bollocks, jim, meehan, burke, cup, señor, duboudreau, winners, drinks, selection, hotel, international, bartending, book, writing, product, menu, brand, ambassador, if, could, sum, up, with, one, picture, pages, categories, archives, jamieboudreau, tweets, blogroll, recommend, books, below,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (488), and (282), that (157), this (110), #cocktail (104), for (90), with (85), one (63), you (61), bitters (51), bar (49), old (47), year (39), have (38), cocktails (38), will (38), was (36), while (36), drink (33), are (33), 2009 (32), fashioned (32), from (31), comments (30), tales (30), more (30), all (30), but (29), has (29), out (29), new (29), not (28), his (28), posted (27), best (27), your (23), time (22), first (22), into (22), when (21), bitter (21), spirits (20), drinking (20), would (20), been (20), ice (20), well (19), drinks (19), they (19), some (19), can (19), their (19), orange (19), now (18), bottle (18), there (18), which (18), great (18), just (17), glass (17), bars (17), cherry (17), com (16), spirit (16), sugar (16), find (16), 2008 (15), gin (15), syrup (15), were (15), may (14), about (14), make (14), where (14), many (14), even (14), around (14), truth (14), get (13), boudreau (13), than (13), made (13), american (13), world (13), what (13), bartender (13), jamie (12), only (12), had (12), two (12), criteria (12), food (12), malt (12), srp (12), here (11), strain (11), until (11), liqueur (11), always (11), our (11), better (11), most (11), recipes (11), after (11), who (11), jim (11), add (11), ingredients (11), edition (11), combier (11), good (10), september (10), whiskey (10), used (10), how (10), then (10), lemon (10), don (10), let (10), such (10), note (10), products (10), award (10), angostura (10), magazine (10), years (10), chilled (10), garnish (10), york (10), them (10), sure (10), single (10), whisky (10), like (9), other (9), 2007 (9), july (9), wine (9), tequila (9), feel (9), club (9), book (9), over (9), those (9), people (9), making (9), classic (9), list (9), rye (9), awards (9), david (9), last (9), watering (9), distillers (9), scotch (9), website (8), click (8), below (8), germain (8), shake (8), december (8), january (8), 2010 (8), liqueurs (8), mix (8), today (8), dave (8), looking (8), seattle (8), bottles (8), stir (8), times (8), favorite (8), little (8), happy (8), please (8), free (7), november (7), rum (7), maps (7), blither (7), blather (7), think (7), yvette (7), any (7), also (7), recipe (7), long (7), small (7), found (7), much (7), picture (7), work (7), bartenders (7), should (7), star (7), asked (7), mixing (7), royal (7), simple (7), shenaut (7), these (7), part (7), said (7), having (7), decided (7), info (7), holes (7), cask (7), xmas (7), site (6), create (6), art (6), october (6), notes (6), same (6), juice (6), tsp (6), both (6), day (6), wonderful (6), course (6), leave (6), own (6), meehan (6), twist (6), able (6), enough (6), series (6), next (6), west (6), fun (6), wood (6), its (6), neglected (6), omissions (6), map (6), move (6), zoom (6), websites (6), tags (6), travel (6), water (6), cherries (6), quality (6), home (6), matured (6), casks (6), finish (6), spice (6), different (6), cubed (6), comment (5), spiritsandcocktails (5), blog (5), books (5), august (5), march (5), month (5), video (5), sherry (5), mixology (5), media (5), absinthe (5), whisperer (5), very (5), tasty (5), wouldn (5), hard (5), see (5), beautiful (5), thought (5), fine (5), going (5), life (5), known (5), opened (5), product (5), give (5), states (5), hotel (5), judges (5), general (5), least (5), three (5), bartending (5), recognized (5), offer (5), nyc (5), why (5), want (5), washington (5), street (5), zest (5), teardrop (5), coast (5), vancouver (5), syrups (5), large (5), things (5), lounges (5), try (5), san (5), francisco (5), place (5), mixture (5), again (5), come (5), order (5), fresh (5), know (5), network (5), yet (5), double (5), caol (5), ila (5), flavors (5), using (5), limited (5), cognac (5), ago (5), blood (5), bourbon (5), options (5), design (4), wordpress (4), name (4), lounge (4), imbibe (4), guide (4), 2011 (4), vermouth (4), tasting (4), molecular (4), categories (4), instead (4), keep (4), crème (4), fruit (4), taste (4), victoria (4), case (4), sweet (4), balanced (4), goes (4), perhaps (4), every (4), available (4), london (4), consider (4), works (4), nominated (4), door (4), pegu (4), pdt (4), added (4), fig (4), grapefruit (4), unfortunately (4), say (4), down (4), wasn (4), post (4), behind (4), local (4), restaurant (4), later (4), program (4), way (4), hour (4), event (4), normally (4), pictures (4), off (4), several (4), complex (4), number (4), before (4), mentioned (4), further (4), portland (4), stop (4), asking (4), often (4), chloride (4), dashes (4), aromatic (4), hole (4), top (4), concoction (4), style (4), once (4), company (4), elegant (4), mixologists (4), complexity (4), fashion (4), spicy (4), lagavulin (4), dram (4), oak (4), unpeated (4), winning (4), xanté (4), tools (4), open (4), booze (4), cardamom (4), nutmeg (4), bring (4), help (4), named (4), bottling (4), balvenie (4), madeira (4), dash (4), cube (4), required (3), content (3), log (3), sign (3), robert (3), hess (3), june (3), select (3), port (3), brandy (3), eagle (3), violette (3), omitted (3), palate (3), tell (3), myself (3), white (3), serve (3), discussed (3), went (3), due (3), read (3), aviation (3), check (3), mixed (3), doing (3), whole (3), blue (3), original (3), lucky (3), truly (3), batch (3), pacific (3), northwest (3), juniper (3), quickly (3), citrus (3), longer (3), finally (3), almost (3), usually (3), another (3), reason (3), won (3), could (3), recognizes (3), merchant (3), belfast (3), menus (3), menu (3), equipment (3), etc (3), must (3), easy (3), received (3), international (3), numerous (3), culture (3), five (3), boston (3), country (3), outstanding (3), range (3), winners (3), sazerac (3), santé (3), seriously (3), thanks (3), dubonnet (3), fernet (3), perfect (3), man (3), dry (3), cucumber (3), rocks (3), filled (3), put (3), features (3), shows (3), moved (3), worked (3), currently (3), between (3), room (3), worthy (3), bastard (3), past (3), seasonal (3), house (3), oregon (3), distilleries (3), crafted (3), being (3), produced (3), got (3), start (3), creating (3), learn (3), right (3), approximately (3), giving (3), usual (3), designed (3), occasion (3), including (3), left (3), felt (3), constantly (3), recently (3), twice (3), orleans (3), chance (3), hope (3), serving (3), eating (3), plays (3), calcium (3), bath (3), skin (3), form (3), theme (3), appears (3), screen (3), television (3), online (3), too (3), mention (3), talisker (3), traditional (3), natural (3), strength (3), rare (3), refill (3), drinker (3), without (3), carre (3), because (3), thank (3), running (3), shopping (3), bittermens (3), xocolatl (3), mole (3), cinnamon (3), celery (3), artisanal (3), elixir (3), price (3), sands (3), absolutely (3), haiti (3), end (3), borden (3), chase (3), something (3), cost (3), future (3), 120 (3), seven (3), dollars (3), saying (3), 100 (3), flavor (3), chunk (3), ordered (3), shoes (3), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), already (2), recommend (2), jeffrey (2), news (2), difford (2), enthusiast (2), database (2), tweets (2), jamieboudreau (2), 2006 (2), february (2), archives (2), vodka (2), cachaca (2), contact (2), photography (2), teaspoon (2), texture (2), sweetness (2), buy (2), half (2), egg (2), since (2), stork (2), tome (2), enjoyed (2), haven (2), thing (2), shot (2), entirely (2), beginning (2), update (2), makes (2), second (2), discuss (2), creation (2), lot (2), fame (2), rob (2), back (2), dark (2), moon (2), itself (2), premium (2), canada (2), pot (2), distilled (2), gives (2), followed (2), allowed (2), hours (2), entry (2), nicely (2), took (2), exciting (2), week (2), party (2), experience (2), companies (2), launch (2), aren (2), probably (2), definitely (2), julio (2), simon (2), plymouth (2), across (2), america (2), brand (2), lion (2), paris (2), hamburg (2), reward (2), innovative (2), considered (2), ingredient (2), piece (2), muddler (2), english (2), gary (2), miller (2), wondrich (2), journalism (2), ways (2), public (2), value (2), greg (2), boehm (2), essential (2), regarding (2), editions (2), absolute (2), winner (2), recognition (2), appear (2), audrey (2), saunders (2), amongst (2), influential (2), styles (2), seeks (2), recognize (2), created (2), contemporary (2), role (2), tradition (2), service (2), ideas (2), title (2), death (2), within (2), united (2), café (2), favor (2), selection (2), congrats (2), though (2), throughout (2), branca (2), example (2), lime (2), slice (2), mint (2), everything (2), else (2), guy (2), lend (2), kind (2), journal (2), annual (2), sommelier (2), trade (2), city (2), job (2), pace (2), managed (2), floor (2), mixologist (2), runs (2), chefs (2), began (2), literature (2), manager (2), events (2), walk (2), each (2), quite (2), turn (2), didn (2), detailing (2), posts (2), share (2), luminaries (2), martini (2), seen (2), expanding (2), knowledge (2), others (2), growth (2), finely (2), distillery (2), inspired (2), him (2), brings (2), wet (2), likes (2), dig (2), attitude (2), daniel (2), greatest (2), offering (2), per (2), cheap (2), full (2), came (2), purchased (2), homemade (2), bit (2), grumbling (2), fact (2), largely (2), living (2), representation (2), agree (2), side (2), needs (2), look (2), friends (2), google (2), love (2), big (2), apple (2), less (2), away (2), occasionally (2), set (2), follow (2), venerable (2), fashioneds (2), guest (2), flavour (2), 250 (2), alginate (2), pitted (2), hollowed (2), blend (2), fill (2), rinse (2), inside (2), liquid (2), stem (2), take (2), remains (2), idea (2), goodly (2), portion (2), trying (2), wrote (2), ask (2), perfectly (2), manhattan (2), words (2), true (2), finding (2), flavours (2), tool (2), finalist (2), raising (2), present (2), show (2), celebrities (2), pbs (2), author (2), chef (2), brian (2), spending (2), originally (2), announced (2), sometimes (2), tastys (2), technique (2), familiar (2), described (2), attention (2), cool (2), dalwhinnie (2), rich (2), nose (2), expression (2), oban (2), finest (2), lochnagar (2), selected (2), reserve (2), ellen (2), availability (2), special (2), vatted (2), release (2), ten (2), european (2), brora (2), presents (2), through (2), necessary (2), keeper (2), cocktailian (2), either (2), pear (2), packaging (2), aroma (2), vanilla (2), touch (2), immediately (2), grace (2), bringing (2), hit (2), combining (2), firm (2), writer (2), keyboard (2), still (2), use (2), pricy (2), kingdom (2), http (2), www (2), magnificentbastard (2), magnificent (2), deep (2), bright (2), peel (2), anise (2), cloves (2), background (2), stephan (2), berg (2), vintage (2), portfolio (2), wide (2), nice (2), far (2), 200 (2), readily (2), pay (2), whilst (2), hurt (2), triple (2), sec (2), saffron (2), cointreau (2), raw (2), needed (2), especially (2), doesn (2), roi (2), rené (2), rouge (2), sand (2), wanted (2), compared (2), grand (2), marnier (2), remember (2), link (2), overtake (2), hand (2), enjoying (2), upon (2), never (2), crack (2), portwood (2), rittenhouse (2), barkeep (2), moment (2), talk (2), allspice (2), variations (2), types (2), libation (2), turbinado (2), possible (2), variation (2), tripled (2), soda (2), aware (2), question (2), summer (2), started, email, write, loading, collapse, manage, subscriptions, view, reader, report, privacy, account, join, 273, subscribers, wormwood, society, underhill, sloshed, scofflaw, den, gosh, married, dinner, liqurious, liquorpress, kaiser, penguin, morgenthaler, unfiltered, drinkboston, dogma, cocktailnerd, chronicles, bev, law, beachbum, berry, grog, alcademics, blogroll, april, based, pisco, 116, substitutes, category, index, pages, previous, entries, effect, drier, delicious, yourself, eggs, base, fitting, containing, pulled, shelves, snap, section, devoted, morning, live, era, socially, acceptable, damn, civilized, begin, inability, mistakenly, pointed, erik, ellestad, quick, hugo, enslin, 1917, confirmed, sub, wunderkind, producer, cooper, maybe, child, younger, gone, recreate, defunct, hybrid, cassis, chambord, famously, sky, ones, stratosphere, yours, pièce, résistance, bills, standing, ties, britain, awash, stuff, alas, prohibitive, government, encased, gorgeous, thick, glassed, hydrant, plug, reminiscent, gins, nosing, impeccably, clear, breathe, overcame, nosed, textured, silky, guess, abv, tastings, gave, earthy, woodsy, believe, air, earthiness, dissipated, finishes, acid, overall, hands, winchester, cellars, seminars, merely, reasons, partake, unknown, importers, choose, opportunity, shown, jacob, briars, naren, young, sum, jacques, bezuidenhout, partida, bermejo, ford, importance, personality, promotion, brands, ambassador, hawksmoor, seek, thirst, inducing, ocho, bols, genever, awarded, shaker, qualify, retail, sale, camper, regan, jared, brown, anistatia, communicate, significance, related, non, newspaper, promotes, writing, mud, puddle, dale, degroff, published, liquor, existing, agostino, perrone, charles, vexenat, tony, conigliaro, mixer, crossing, borders, countries, citizens, excluded, phil, ward, james, jerry, thomas, onwards, proficient, copied, her, peers, dukes, connaught, played, important, history, development, uphold, necessarily, consistently, quo, vadis, clover, brooklyn, 1st, aims, creativity, executed, amsterdam, high, tokyo, class, illustrious, attain, worldwide, influence, trends, zigzag, venue, stocking, discernment, sheer, numbers, stocked, drowned, memory, yellow, unworthy, support, bettered, duboudreau, jose, cuervo, platino, sack, benedictine, iced, coupe, dalfour, señor, pernod, anisette, slices, leaves, muddle, pebble, wheel, burke, cup, does, earth, smile, face, ear, feats, win, hate, act, foolishness, unnecessary, jealousy, concoctions, toast, king, featured, los, angeles, wall, bon, appetit, details, advocate, addition, contributing, editor, monthly, column, developed, lectured, educator, receiving, diploma, 2001, landed, points, jones, ambitious, italian, closed, spent, rebuilding, gramercy, tavern, shaking, renowned, mentor, hidden, east, village, rising, cheers, career, business, 1995, studying, african, studies, university, wisconsin, madison, doorman, state, brats, paul, stints, dane, montmartre, biography, gathers, forces, alcoholic, beverages, chumps, taking, lighting, rooms, poor, horrible, photographer, combination, ensured, did, incompetence, cards, table, effort, boost, sales, suspect, dandy, lack, anywho, compunctions, deity, attend, courtesy, photo, reposado, rossi, loft, raspberrycello, cynar, aceto, balsalmic, combine, cracked, nevermind, bollocks, served, raise, hopes, enjoys, aspects, duty, juggling, barefoot, park, children, looks, forward, focusing, sustainable, farm, approach, owns, tommy, rim, bistro, gradually, introducing, town, tiki, chauncey, pink, lady, suffering, onthehouse, biz, specializing, featuring, gastriques, liquors, founding, board, member, guild, considers, himself, fortunate, community, shares, passion, customers, critics, industry, supports, appreciates, infusions, roots, neglecting, neon, introduced, christian, krogstad, plastic, flair, placed, mission, techniques, supposed, volunteered, services, apprentices, woeful, individuals, tenders, meant, thousand, essentially, bastards, fantastic, shin, marveled, team, insane, volume, pestering, exuding, responsibility, men, genius, shoemaker, trusty, stead, opting, rest, joined, leadership, defy, celebrated, anniversary, excellent, insanely, prices, prohibition, whose, pockets, deeper, disclosure, spread, drool, outrageously, array, tinctures, infamous, smoked, earlier, amsco, collection, ignored, imagine, mainly, done, forgotten, sweep, greater, disagree, sentiment, pressed, person, visitors, locals, seattleites, traveling, scene, means, trip, fortune, odd, explore, nola, historic, mere, drive, escape, mexico, listed, tour, harass, editors, footsteps, provided, dish, alongside, real, alternate, noting, profile, 400, hermes, sodium, container, immersion, blender, lower, minutes, forms, cold, refrigerate, ready, complete, insert, upside, stays, along, bottom, sealing, filling, manner, untouched, thus, completing, illusion, normal, wants, bought, allow, caipiroli, accomplished, pitting, carving, hollow, intact, consisting, pose, problem, deconstruct, following, slovak, entitled, appropriately, fit, stan, bigger, stanislav, modern, expertly, above, thoughtful, define, alchemy, appreciate, proper, luck, sidecar, gourmet, micro, apply, sophisticated, culinary, worry, shape, size, balance, tinker, dehydrators, crisp, garnishes, smokers, masters, whip, purees, grenadine, raid, kitchen, exotic, slow, movement, invaded, arts, connection, 2750, quadra, opens, classics, trend, established, players, niche, artisan, regional, festival, celebrating, craft, rapidly, approaching, pretty, watch, ride, disneyland, learning, ramos, fizzes, salvatore, calabrese, couldn, save, bacardi, hoping, seat, anthony, bourdain, meryl, streep, natalie, bovis, nelson, oriented, sips, topic, beverage, web, planning, programs, film, hosted, studded, lineup, tyler, florence, joanne, weir, garvin, tanya, holland, leslie, sbrocco, vaynerchuk, library, marcy, smothers, radio, novella, carpenter, anita, chu, dominique, crenn, iron, solis, guru, marissa, churchill, bravo, fln, zane, lamprey, sheets, beloved, dominate, viewership, advertising, sponsorships, achievement, conceived, tastemakers, summit, goal, acknowledge, excellence, focused, themes, focus, entire, cable, networks, hubs, mobile, channels, blockbuster, films, launched, restaurants, designers, vacation, spots, hotels, wineries, entertained, helped, aspire, lives, enjoyable, fulfilling, emmys, grammys, oscars, filmed, episodes, dubbed, webcast, production, via, accolades, oloroso, oaky, extraordinarily, stylish, moscatel, evident, richly, flavored, 109, pedro, ximenez, distinctive, distinguished, delicately, grape, barley, malted, particular, specification, montilla, fino, tinged, elegance, released, 1994, amoroso, 209, remaining, handcrafted, typically, sold, extraordinary, 369, ninth, allocation, ensures, irreplaceable, eighth, releases, distiller, stocks, fourth, aged, 399, indisputably, makers, attractive, softer, guise, 199, highly, praised, extremely, getting, ado, brilliantly, tempered, bitterness, brightening, oils, excited, experimenting, cheaper, bad, gift, ron, zacapa, 23yr, experiment, despite, judgment, beyond, cursory, glance, sniff, starting, screams, ripe, plucked, tree, gets, slight, caramel, echoes, pronounced, overly, possesses, body, backed, healthy, alcohol, fall, luscious, copper, hue, expecting, sample, run, mill, habitually, unannounced, surprise, doorstep, stopped, strays, pumpkin, defiling, breaking, knew, exhilarating, virgin, pears, soft, scent, french, seductive, fellow, mentioning, evening, xante, stay, tuned, reviews, spot, bears, repeating, emails, ever, evolving, supplies, lifetime, whether, lipped, gold, workable, cobbler, shakers, japanese, spoons, exquisite, reproductions, print, picks, jiggers, strainers, arriving, god, artist, rough, 1800, continue, holiday, late, couple, suggestions, continued, folks, embarked, quest, invent, called, enthusiasts, exchange, entrant, receive, glory, inventing, plus, 500, spree, kegworks, announcement, initial, california, massachusetts, jersey, florida, nevada, illinois, north, carolina, texas, tennessee, maryland, louisiana, colorado, chocolate, supported, accented, hint, rums, tequilas, meets, hops, fizzy, fruity, foreground, complimented, caraway, classically, tangy, aromatics, reminds, gingerbread, liveliness, lemons, formulation, coriander, seeds, commercially, decades, 19th, century, enriches, unusual, dream, says, founder, importing, distribution, partner, challenge, specialty, nation, reach, need, success, pharmaceutical, main, earliest, resurgence, line, helps, intended, unique, creative, improving, ally, arrival, expansion, commercial, overdue, access, searching, superior, market, consistent, commented, joseph, ehrmann, proprietor, founded, alexander, hauck, offers, broad, seasonings, include, priced, coveted, item, nationwide, flavorings, partnered, domaine, estates, dswe, shipment, arrive, stateside, mid, straight, nuts, become, soon, nearest, speciality, store, reasonable, oppossed, shores, hurting, helping, liver, wondering, includes, aloe, myrrh, darker, muted, prominent, notably, quantity, blended, tame, play, proportions, ratio, speaking, 1922, rudolph, valentino, movie, rounds, tried, information, crossed, desk, usa, donate, earnings, doctors, border, emergency, relief, fund, response, devastating, earthquake, close, disaster, peels, sourced, plantations

Text of the page (random words):
e chunk of pristine ice on hand and the sad reality is that few of us do the least you can do is order one of these trays if both options fail you try the drink without ice as small ice cubes will just muck up the dynamics of this powerful yet elegant libation try other iterations of the old fashioned by subbing out the sugar syrup with a variety of liqueurs st germain crème yvette st elizabeth allspice dram fernet or canton ad infinitum or swapping out the spirits and bitters and you ll find that this is a cocktail that has no bounds leave comments below to tell me of some of your newfound old fashioned variations or experiments with new types of flavor packed syrups happy mixing cubed old fashioned picture by jamie boudreau cocktail whisperer posted in brandy cocktails rum whiskey tags bitters booze brandy cocktails cognac drinks old fashioned rum syrup whiskey balvenie 17yr madeira cask drinking at home march 11 2010 18 comments i ve decided to take this moment to opine on something that is dear to me drinking well now while this will mean different things to different people at different times today i want to talk about the selection of our spirits when we imbibe while we are in a economic downturn right now it is common knowledge that people are drinking just as much as they were when they were flush they ve just opted for less expensive options and this pains me down to my soul a little time ago i posted some scotch options for xmas presents and one of the comments that were posted asked why all of the options were so pricy and why i hadn t decided to give people many options that were under 75 now while many of you may whole heartedly agree and loudly proclaim that spending 75 100 or even 150 is way too much to spend on a bottle of booze i invite you to do a little math with me figuring that a bottle of hooch has approximately 17 servings one can deduce that a 120 bottle of quality spirits will cost you approximately seven dollars per serving seven dollars as a barkeep for many years i can tell you of the numerous masses that don t flinch at dropping 15 for a grey goose martini but would seriously balk at paying 120 for a bottle for the home bar the same goes to the classic cocktail connoisseur that pays 12 15 for that well designed cocktail yet if one thinks of that pricey bottle of booze as an investment into better drinking for the future a plethora of fabulous bottlings awaits am i saying that one can t find great spirits for 50 30 of even 15 absolutely not i m looking at you rittenhouse bonded am i saying that one always has to mix with three digit bottles of course not all i am saying is that if one goes out of their comfort levels to buy a bottle outside of what one would normally pay not only will you end up drinking better but on those occasions when you do have a drink at home you will be able to crack open something special and at a fraction of the cost of the drinks that you would imbibe so readily on a friday night at your favorite watering hole i bring this to your attention because a little while ago i was presented with a wonderful bottling of the elegant and graceful balvenie 17 year madeira cask as i have been immensely enjoying it over the last two months i felt that if i just suggested it as a potential future purchase many of you would look at the price tag and immediately strike it from further thought but as a bottle that runs around 120 you would be dismissing a wonderful scotch that will only set you back around seven dollars a serving and that would be a great shame the balvenie 17 year madeira cask is grace kelly to a laphroig s mae west while this isn t a dram that will wow the lover of islay s peat bombs it will amaze those who dig speyside s contributions and it might even convert a bourbon drinker or two this balvenie expression has tons of spicy xmas cake dried fruits like apple apricot and fig with nutmeg and cinnamon followed by a nice long spicy vanillin finish i find the madeira finish even more integrated then their well vaunted rum finish and at 17 years the barrel doesn t overtake the dram which i feel is beginning to happen with their 21 year portwood finish having said that i still wouldn t throw the portwood finish out of bed for leaving crumbs or wood chips as the case may be i m going to suggest something that may seem like sacrilege to many of you let s make a cocktail with this fine spirit again let s keep in mind that the final cost of this cocktail will come in around 8 a bargain for having a cocktail that you would probably never consider at you local bar so crack open the seal and let s prepare a borden chase 1 ¾ oz scotch ¾ oz carpano antica 1 8 oz absinthe 2 dashes bitter truth orange bitters stir with ice strain into a chilled cocktail glass circa 1935 i had first discovered this twist on a rob roy or perhaps a bobby burns many moons ago in david wondrich s wonderful tome esquire drinks the borden chase is named after the american writer born as frank fowler who changed his moniker it is said after enjoying some borden milk while looking across the street at the chase manhattan bank his choice could ve been a lot worse if he d had leigh valley whilst gazing upon wachovia methinks while preparing this drink be careful with the absinthe as it could quickly overtake the other flavours if poured with a heavy hand and if you can t find bitter truth s wonderful bitters and they are available in the us now angostura orange will do in a pinch i hope that i ve convinced you that there is value to drinking better if not at your favorite bar then at least at your home and remember when making cocktails your end result will only be as good as your weakest link so let s not chince out on any of the ingredients santé picture by jamie boudreau cocktail whisperer posted in cocktails tasting notes whiskey combier haiti and the blood and sand january 22 2010 5 comments i have had in my possession for some time a bottling of royal combier grande liqueur and while i had wanted to mention it i wasn t sure how to present it as i ve already discussed combier s other bottling and had compared it favorably to cointreau in its use in cocktails my first thought was to compare it to grand marnier s premium bottling the cuvée du cent cinquantenaire but quickly realized that this wouldn t be fair as a they are two very different beasts and b the price point of the two bottles was far too dissimilar 37 as compared to grand marnier s 250 so there went my idea for a post but then a little bit of information crossed my desk that i felt that i absolutely needed to share combier usa announced that the company will donate 20 of all earnings from january 20 until march 1 2010 to doctors without border emergency relief fund in response to last week s devastating earthquake in haiti combier is especially close to this disaster as the orange peels used in combier liqueur d orange and royal combier are sourced from plantations throughout the island of haiti so if you were looking for a reason to finally try a different triple sec or were looking for a different cherry liqueur for your blood and sands combier makes a cherry liqueur as well the roi rené rouge now is the time speaking of blood and sands this little cocktail named after a 1922 rudolph valentino movie has been making the rounds here in seattle and if you haven t tried one recently why don t you start with this traditional recipe blood and sand 1 part scotch 1 part sweet vermouth 1 part roi rené rouge or other cherry liqueur 1 part fresh orange juice shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass i ve found that i ve needed to up the quantity of scotch in my blood and sands especially if using a blended scotch it doesn t hurt to tame the orange juice and liqueur either play around with the proportions until you find a ratio that is perfect for you for those of you who are wondering about the royal combier it is a blend of their triple sec cognac and elixir de combier which includes ingredients such as aloe nutmeg myrrh cardamom cinnamon and saffron while i would say that cointreau is full of raw bright orange zest i would say that royal combier is a darker muted orange zest with prominent spice notes notably nutmeg and saffron there you have it a chance to help a hurting country whilst you hurt your helping liver picture by jamie boudreau posted in liqueurs tasting notes whiskey bitter truth to hit u s shores december 30 2009 13 comments big news for all you cocktail nuts out there bitter truth bitters will become more readily available in the u s while one can always order them online from cocktail kingdom it appears that one will soon be able to walk into their nearest speciality store and get bitter truth bitters at a reasonable price as oppossed to the 25 we have to pay for them in seattle straight from the pr firm s keyboard the bitter truth a brand of cocktail bitters and flavorings has partnered with domaine select wine estates dswe classic and vintage artisanal spirits portfolio to bring their award winning products to the united states the first shipment will arrive stateside in mid january 2010 founded in 2006 by mixologists stephan berg and alexander hauck the bitter truth offers bartenders a broad range of cocktail seasonings and flavors the products that will be available in the u s include the award winning celery bitters old time aromatic bitters orange bitters lemon bitters as well as the bittermens xocolatl mole and grapefruit bitters all bitters are priced at 15 95 for a 200 ml bottle a coveted item by bartenders around the world the bitter truth bitters can now be purchased nationwide it will be nice to have easy access to these products after searching far and wide with limited availability in the us commented mixologist h joseph ehrmann proprietor of san francisco s elixir the quality of their bitters is superior to many products on the market today and more consistent than homemade improving the world one cocktail at a time has a new ally in the arrival of the bitter truth bitters in the us this expansion of commercial artisanal bitters is long overdue thank you brian miller death company new york city originally used as a pharmaceutical elixir bitters were one of the main ingredients in the earliest cocktail recipes with the resurgence of classic cocktail culture and growth of contemporary mixology the bitter truth s products have found great favor amongst the best bartenders in the world the bitter truth line of products helps bring complexity to cocktails and are intended to be another tool for bartenders and mixologists to create unique creative and innovative cocktails bringing the bitters to america has been our dream says stephan berg co founder of the bitter truth but finding the right importing and distribution partner has been our greatest challenge the classic and vintage artisanal spirits portfolio has the background in specialty spirits and nation wide reach that we need in order to make this a success about the bitter truth bitters celery bitters the first celery bitters to be commercially produced in decades this 19th century cocktail ingredient enriches cocktails with unusual flavors lemon bitters gives the liveliness of fresh lemons to every cocktail bitter to the taste this formulation also has notes of coriander seeds and cardamom in the background aromatic bitters classically bitter and tangy combining the aromatics of cinnamon cardamom anise and cloves it reminds one of gingerbread orange bitters the aroma of bitter orange peel is in the foreground complimented by the spicy flavors of cardamom caraway and nutmeg bittermens grapefruit bitters grapefruit meets with hops to create a fresh bright citrus note best friends with gin and tequila this bitter plays nicely with fizzy and fruity drinks as well bittermens xocolatl mole bitters deep chocolate notes are supported by classic bitter flavors and accented with a hint of spice plays perfectly with most dark spirits rums and tequilas the initial u s launch will be in 16 states including california massachusetts new york new jersey florida nevada illinois north carolina texas tennessee washington oregon maryland washington dc louisiana and colorado picture by jamie boudreau posted in bitters blither blather public service announcement december 16 2009 1 comment the folks at magnificentbastard com have embarked on a quest to invent a new cocktail called the magnificent bastard and are asking mixologists and drink enthusiasts for worthy recipes in exchange the winning entrant will receive all the glory for inventing a new cocktail plus a 500 shopping spree at kegworks com all the info and entry form is here http www magnificentbastard com features magnificent bastard cocktail posted in blither blather xmas shopping continued december 9 2009 4 comments to continue with the holiday shopping theme of late here are a couple of suggestions for the cocktailian in your life that has everything first off why not get them a bottle of tequila that they re sure not to open one of 1800 s beautiful artist designed bottles i wrote about this last year and it remains at the top of my list for cheap booze art and you can drink it if times get rough as this year it s running for around 25 while i ve mentioned this next spot for cocktail tools many times before it bears repeating i still get emails asking where to go for quality equipment as it is ever evolving and expanding cocktail kingdom this is the go to site for quality tools and supplies almost all of the bar tools that i currently use come from this site and while some of the tools may be pricy they should last you a lifetime whether you are looking for a lipped mixing glass gold workable cobbler shakers beautiful japanese spoons hard to get bitters exquisite reproductions of out of print cocktail books ice picks jiggers strainers or bitter bottles this should always be your first stop make sure to check out the site often as new equipment is always arriving i ve said it before and i ll say it again thank god for greg boehm stay tuned for more spirit reviews and recipes pictures by jamie boudreau cocktail whisperer posted in blither blather tequila le carre and xante december 3 2009 6 comments recently i d received a bottle of xanté from a pr firm and while it wasn t in quite the seductive packaging that my fellow writer jeffrey received his in i found it worthy of mentioning which brings me to the keyboard this evening a luscious copper hue i opened the bottle expecting to find a sample of the usual run of the mill liqueurs that habitually grace my door unannounced while the bottle was beautiful and the literature described the product as an exhilarating liqueur combining the sweetness of virgin pears and soft scent of vanilla with a touch of the finest french cognac it has been my experience that most liqueurs that surprise me at my doorstep are there because no one else will have them and as such i have ...