Comments on: Odds and ends http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/ A weblog detailing cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, barware, bars, and bitters. Maintained by Michael Dietsch, a hobbyist mixer in Providence, R.I. Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:22:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Darcy http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-846 Darcy Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:01:58 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-846 The only reason for stirring for that period of time would be to dilute the drink, while keeping it ice cold. Like Phil said the temperature drops fairly quickly so it's not to chill the drink. Many people expect their Old Fashioned to fill the glass and some bartenders hit it with club soda, so the Brilliant Cocktails method may just be trying to reproduce this without the addition of extra water. Personally, I'd find this drink a little bit to dilute for my liking. Plus, if it took me over two minutes to make an Old Fashioned behind the bar I wouldn't survive the night! Darcy The only reason for stirring for that period of time would be to dilute the drink, while keeping it ice cold. Like Phil said the temperature drops fairly quickly so it’s not to chill the drink. Many people expect their Old Fashioned to fill the glass and some bartenders hit it with club soda, so the Brilliant Cocktails method may just be trying to reproduce this without the addition of extra water.

Personally, I’d find this drink a little bit to dilute for my liking. Plus, if it took me over two minutes to make an Old Fashioned behind the bar I wouldn’t survive the night!

Darcy

]]> By: Phil http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-841 Phil Sun, 14 Jan 2007 17:30:58 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-841 Being the dork that I am, I timed his stirring. 149 seconds total. After this amount of time, he says "I think that's cold enough", which is funny in light of the following. I did a small experiment to see how fast chilling takes. I took a pint glass, 3 oz of water, and enough ice so that the ice emerged from the water. The ice was standard freezer tray sized. I then stirred it using a standard bar spoon at a normal speed. I stuck in a Polder probe thermometer. It took 30 seconds for the liquid to reach 35F, which was it's lowest temperature. One other thing it could be is the orange peel. Since the orange oils are in the zest, it should take a bit of time for them to diffuse into the drink. Hitting it with the spoon while stirring might help speed this up. The next experiment should be (1) an OF mixed, no ice, and allowed to set for 2 minutes, ice added, and stirred for 30s, and (2) Chris's way with 2 1/2 min of stirring. I think one thing that matters here is that the traditional way is with a sugar cube, which would take a long time to dissolve in that small amount of liquid. Maybe the stirring is vestigial then, and not necessary with syrup, but still done as a bit of theatre. On another note, I received some cherry syrup from friends for Christmas, and made up <a href="http://www.lambmartini.com/?p=5" rel="nofollow">this</a> with it. Being the dork that I am, I timed his stirring. 149 seconds total. After this amount of time, he says “I think that’s cold enough”, which is funny in light of the following.

I did a small experiment to see how fast chilling takes. I took a pint glass, 3 oz of water, and enough ice so that the ice emerged from the water. The ice was standard freezer tray sized. I then stirred it using a standard bar spoon at a normal speed. I stuck in a Polder probe thermometer. It took 30 seconds for the liquid to reach 35F, which was it’s lowest temperature.

One other thing it could be is the orange peel. Since the orange oils are in the zest, it should take a bit of time for them to diffuse into the drink. Hitting it with the spoon while stirring might help speed this up. The next experiment should be (1) an OF mixed, no ice, and allowed to set for 2 minutes, ice added, and stirred for 30s, and (2) Chris’s way with 2 1/2 min of stirring.

I think one thing that matters here is that the traditional way is with a sugar cube, which would take a long time to dissolve in that small amount of liquid. Maybe the stirring is vestigial then, and not necessary with syrup, but still done as a bit of theatre.

On another note, I received some cherry syrup from friends for Christmas, and made up this with it.

]]> By: Michael Dietsch http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-815 Michael Dietsch Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:11:52 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-815 Erik, That sounds interesting. Cherry brandy is something I need on hand anyway, since I have a number of drinks queued up that call for it. This might tip me over the edge. Thanks for sharing that recipe. Erik,

That sounds interesting. Cherry brandy is something I need on hand anyway, since I have a number of drinks queued up that call for it. This might tip me over the edge.

Thanks for sharing that recipe.

]]> By: erik_flannestad http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-814 erik_flannestad Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:15:13 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-814 Hi Michael... I Murray Stenson's Porteno is the first drink I discovered to make good use Fernet Branca. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/26/WIG05GSI7F1.DTL --- Porteño Adapted from a recipe by Murray Stenson of Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle. INGREDIENTS: 3/4 ounce bourbon 1/2 ounce Fernet Branca 1/2 ounce cherry brandy 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 1/2 ounce Falernum or simple syrup INSTRUCTIONS: Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the all of the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. --- Though, I've always thought that 3/4 ounce of bourbon had to be a typo and end up making it a much drier cocktail than Gary Regan recommends. Erik Hi Michael…

I Murray Stenson’s Porteno is the first drink I discovered to make good use Fernet Branca.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/26/WIG05GSI7F1.DTL

—
Porteño

Adapted from a recipe by Murray Stenson of Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 ounce bourbon

1/2 ounce Fernet Branca

1/2 ounce cherry brandy

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce Falernum or simple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add the all of the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

—

Though, I’ve always thought that 3/4 ounce of bourbon had to be a typo and end up making it a much drier cocktail than Gary Regan recommends.

Erik

]]> By: Michael Dietsch http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-805 Michael Dietsch Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:56:22 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-805 Hmm, I don't know that you're wrong, now that I think about it. I do know that extra stirring (beyond my earlier method) produces a better tasting drink. But it might be true that I don't need to quite so far with the stirring as I have been. Hmm, I don’t know that you’re wrong, now that I think about it. I do know that extra stirring (beyond my earlier method) produces a better tasting drink. But it might be true that I don’t need to quite so far with the stirring as I have been.

]]> By: Phil http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/comment-page-1/#comment-804 Phil Fri, 12 Jan 2007 05:14:05 +0000 http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/01/11/odds-and-ends/#comment-804 I watched the BC video last week, and I'm a little skeptical of the long stir time. It seems that the everything would be mixed after only a few stirs. It seems that in that small amount of liquid, it would only take 2 minutes for the "flavors to blend" if there was a chemical reaction. In that case, it would occur faster without chill, so you should mix and stir, and then chill. It also seems that 3-4oz of fluid in 10 oz of ice would chill much faster than 2 minutes with agitation. I don't think you were dumb about this, I think that the very long stir time is just a psychological effect. Maybe more than a cursory swizzle is best, but my guess is that more than 30 seconds doesn't really add anything more, at least than just letting the drink set for that amount of time. Tell me why I'm wrong, seriously. I watched the BC video last week, and I’m a little skeptical of the long stir time. It seems that the everything would be mixed after only a few stirs. It seems that in that small amount of liquid, it would only take 2 minutes for the “flavors to blend” if there was a chemical reaction. In that case, it would occur faster without chill, so you should mix and stir, and then chill. It also seems that 3-4oz of fluid in 10 oz of ice would chill much faster than 2 minutes with agitation. I don’t think you were dumb about this, I think that the very long stir time is just a psychological effect. Maybe more than a cursory swizzle is best, but my guess is that more than 30 seconds doesn’t really add anything more, at least than just letting the drink set for that amount of time.

Tell me why I’m wrong, seriously.

]]>