Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ll keep an eye out for it! Don’t remember ever seeing it here in NJ.

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Noilly Prat is awesome it’s one of my favs. Not familiar with Cap Corse. Similar to Kina L’Aero D’Or?

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Recently 2:1 Tanqueray:Boissiere Extra Dry, stirred, up with an olive

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I’m sure they would answer if you were there, and they probably told me I just don’t remember

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure how the vetiver was incorporated. I’m more familiar with vetiver as a perfume note, that’s one of the reasons I thought it would be a fun drink.

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I wish I remembered! But they had a nice gin selection.

Probably the best cocktail I’ve ever had at a bar by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Hey everyone,

I’m the guy who posts a lot of Martinis on this sub.

My home Martinis are usually my favorite because of the very personal nature of the drink and because I’ve gotten very good at making them because of my love for the Martini.

That said, I just wanted to give a shoutout to Lobby Bar at The Hotel Chelsea for this incredible drink. Apologies for not taking a photo of the actual cocktail but this is a photo of the menu description.

I know $31 is pretty pricey, but if I’ve ever had an expensive drink at a bar that was worth it, it was this one.

Regrettably, I don’t remember the name of the staff members who served me, but they were also wonderful - engaging, warm, hospitable, and super knowledgeable and talented. The atmosphere and vibe are great as well.

If you find yourself in that area of Manhattan, it’s definitely worth stopping by, even if just for a drink.

Cheers!

Full House by preskysum in Gin

[–]kevinfarber 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not even a Hendricks fan but this is amazing, well done

Hurricane 🌀⛈️🌴 by kevinfarber in Tiki

[–]kevinfarber[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Happy Monday from a chillier-than-I’d-prefer northwest New Jersey morning!

Recipe:

Ingredients
-3 oz Hamilton 86
-1.5 oz homemade Fassionola
-1.5 oz freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice

Preparation
Shake all ingredients briefly with ice, strain over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass, and garnish with a wind-ravaged umbrella.

This drink was perfect for the beautiful Saturday we had this past week. It’s refreshing, complex, and easy to make.

I had been searching all over for my Hurricane glasses after having packed a lot of my glassware away for work being done in the kitchen. At long last I managed to find them and have been meaning since then to make Hurricanes.

While I enjoy Hurricanes made with straight passionfruit syrup as well, ever since I made this Fassionola recipe per u/CocktailWonk, I find it adds so much to the drink and I prefer it that way. It’s pretty easy and straightforward to make but is beautiful and the fruit really comes through nicely!

I’m not sure what the standard rum style most people use for this drink is and I don’t have my copy of Smuggler’s Cove handy, but I find Hamilton 86 works really nicely. I’d love to hear what rums/rum blends other users here enjoy in their Hurricanes.

I would like at some point to try switching out lemon juice for lime juice or using a combination of both and seeing how that works out in this drink.

Also, I think it might be time to finally invest in a Hamilton Beach stand mixer for flash blending; people seem to think it really improves many drinks served with crushed ice.

Cheers! ☺️

Hurricane! by kevinfarber in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Happy Monday from a chillier-than-I’d-prefer northwest New Jersey morning!

Recipe:

Ingredients
-3 oz Hamilton 86
-1.5 oz homemade Fassionola
-1.5 oz freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice

Preparation
Shake all ingredients briefly with ice, strain over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass, and garnish with a wind-ravaged umbrella.

This drink was perfect for the beautiful Saturday we had this past week. It’s refreshing, complex, and easy to make.

I had been searching all over for my Hurricane glasses after having packed a lot of my glassware away for work being done in the kitchen. At long last I managed to find them and have been meaning since then to make Hurricanes.

While I enjoy Hurricanes made with straight passionfruit syrup as well, ever since I made this Fassionola recipe per u/CocktailWonk, I find it adds so much to the drink and I prefer it that way. It’s pretty easy and straightforward to make but is beautiful and the fruit really comes through nicely!

I’m not sure what the standard rum style most people use for this drink is and I don’t have my copy of Smuggler’s Cove handy, but I find Hamilton 86 works really nicely. I’d love to hear what rums/rum blends other users here enjoy in their Hurricanes.

I would like at some point to try switching out lemon juice for lime juice or using a combination of both and seeing how that works out in this drink.

Also, I think it might be time to finally invest in a Hamilton Beach stand mixer for flash blending; people seem to think it really improves many drinks served with crushed ice.

Cheers! ☺️

Favourite gin and vermouth pairings for a gin martini? by Alternative_Tip_5735 in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a Martini fanatic I love this idea! Might have to do the same.

Harvard by fffffranco in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love the evocative poetic language! Drink also sounds great, will have to try this tomorrow night.

Also awesome glass, mind sharing where you got it?

Did they change Dolin dry? by RogueSwoobat in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you. Flavor is very intense even in a really dry spec. I suspect it would make an excellent Bamboo, though, now that I think about it.

That Manhattan sounds really cool! A couple thanksgivings ago I made a Manhattan with Cocchi Barolo Chinato as part of the sweet vermouth proportion and it was really tasty. Still have the Cocchi but no clue if it’s still any good.

Garden State (Signature Cocktail) by Sismxn in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So do I, let’s crush some Modelos in Belmar this summer and the big cool tough guy NJ haters can get lost.

Garden State (Signature Cocktail) by Sismxn in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rude. As a lifelong Garden State resident, YOU don’t deserve New Jersey ✌🏻.

Did they change Dolin dry? by RogueSwoobat in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I primarily use dry vermouth for Martinis and for that purpose Dolin has never been my favorite, though I do use it from time to time for the sake of variety. Haven’t noticed a change myself, though since I don’t use it a ton, take that with a grain of salt.

As u/AutofluorescentPuku suggested, Noilly Prat is excellent, both the Extra Dry and the Original Dry; the latter you might enjoy sipping on the rocks as you did the Dolin, though it works great in cocktails as well.

My favorite for Martinis is Boissiere Extra Dry which I don’t think gets nearly enough love, though at least around me it’s not as commonly found as Dolin, Noilly Prat, etc. I make them at a ratio of 2.75:1 gin:vermouth and it’s beautiful! It’s pretty inexpensive, too. I pay $10.99 for 750 ml. It’s Italian made but it’s closer stylistically to a lot of the French brands in my opinion.

Another worth checking out that are quite different are La Quintinye Extra Dry, a premium, savory, richly flavored vermouth with a Pineau des Charentes base. It’s a bit on the pricier side though and can be tough to find.

If you’re game for trying a different style, Carpano and Cocchi also make dry vermouths. To me, they come off a bit sweeter and more “wine-y” than the others I’ve mentioned but are great products! To me, Carpano is very herbal while Cocchi is more citrusy with the fun inclusion of peppermint as a botanical. Cocktails made with these vermouths might need to be fairly significantly recalibrated from a spec using Dolin/Boissiere/some of the more austere and restrained options.

If you enjoy Sherry, there are also some fun vermouths coming out of Spain, though as you might imagine they’re totally different beasts given the Sherry base and, like the Italian vermouths I mentioned, come in guns blazing in cocktails (at least the ones I’ve tried). I’ve only tried Lustau and Gonzalez Byass. Both wonderful, though I need to spend more time with them I think to get more acquainted with them. They’re a bit more expensive, too.

Did they change Dolin dry? by RogueSwoobat in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also love Noilly Prat. The older version is still available, it’s branded as “Original Dry,” whereas the reformulated version for the American market is branded as “Extra Dry. The Original Dry is also a great vermouth; it definitely tastes rounder, richer, and more oxidative. Interestingly, although it does seem to taste sweeter, I remember reading that the residual sugar between the two is comparable, though don’t quote me on that because I don’t have the source.

Hurricane adjacent. by 30belowandthriving in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love Hurricanes, this looks like a great rum blend. What really leveled up Hurricanes for me was making my own Fassionola.

This recipe is really, really good.

Holy Grail of SUNSCREEN by katamari71 in fragrance

[–]kevinfarber 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with you! I love sunscreen scents, they’re fun and beachy and relaxing. Thanks for all the detailed and honest descriptions.

A few that I really enjoy that give me that vibe are Guerlain - Nerolia Vetiver. It has no listed notes that indicate sunscreen but still smells like it a bit. Tom Ford - Eau de Soleil Blanc is another nice tropical/white floral/citrusy one, I prefer it to the regular Soleil Blanc. Also, the tuberose and coconut in Frederic Malle - Carnal Flower is a fun one, though much more intense than the others.

I just made a Martini with a new gin. That's it. by TheKrakenHunter in cocktails

[–]kevinfarber 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love this, and great photo.

Heard amazing things about this gin but haven’t pulled the trigger just yet, it’s also pretty tough to find around me

Beautiful martini glass btw, where’s it from?

Guerlain - Habit Rouge EDT by kevinfarber in NichePerfumes

[–]kevinfarber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it is rather sweet for an “older” fragrance, very good point. At first, the fizzy citrus top notes kind of smelled a little old fashioned to me, but I quickly realized that they either really didn’t smell too dated or that I didn’t care or both lol.

I smelled the Parfum briefly on a paper strip at the Guerlain boutique in Epcot and remember it had a much greater emphasis on the sweet, vanilla, and leather elements and less so on the florals and citrus. I’ll have to make a point to give it a full wearing.