Hello learned gentleman. I’ve recently started drinking scotch and other whiskeys (glenmorangie nector d’or is apparently about my speed, though the port, and the 18 year are also quite good), and had a question or two for you as I start to learn about these tasty beverages.
Firstly, if I want to make a good sazerac (which I’ve been ordering at every place that serves nice drinks) what kind of rye should I be using? I think I’ve had rittenhouse and old overholt. Unfortunately, I can’t remember which was which, in part due to the other contrasting differences in the way the drink is made, such as the amount/type of absinthe like product used. They were at least good, and some were superb (I’ve had something like a 6-8 over the last 2 months.) I tried to find Sazerac from Buffalo Trace, but it’s sold out all over my area. Also…I found a few bottles of absinthe, but they were 50-100 a bottle, which seems like a huge investment to get started. Is there a good brand of absinthe/herbsaint to buy for this purpose?
Second, I picked up a bottle of bulleit frontier whiskey, which I’ve been (please don’t hurt me) making whiskey sours with. Now, these aren’t exactly your ordinary whiskey sours, but are based on one my wife had and fell in love with at a restaurant named Pok Pok in Portland. The recipe for a tamarind whiskey sour doesn’t give me any hints on the brand of bourbon to use, and I think I read upthread that this was good. So, should I be using something cheaper? Any suggestions? I know the end product is incredibly delicious, but I fear I should be sipping this stuff straight and buying something else to mix with.
Thanks for your suggestions!
(as an aside, a local bar does maker’s mark and home made ginger beer they call “Mark and Stormy” which is quite delicious)
Ahem. Learned Lady and gentlemen. fire is, in my opinion one of the most learned amongst us. And she is indeed a she.
Otherwise, Welcome.
I see no problem in using Bulliet for whiskey sours. It’s a tasty yet inexpensive sip and either the Bourbon or the Rye would be fine in a good sour. I can not speak to the Sazerac question but I’m sure that others will.
Rittenhouse is easily recommended for any cocktail, and for sipping. It’s one case where popularity happened for all the right reasons. Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve is my other favorite rye, but it’s a little more expensive. Actually, a lot of rye is expensive at the moment and that’s a shame, particularly because most of it comes from the same place. Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye are both every good, too. They’re underrated, sadly, but that makes them easy to find. Sazerac Rye (the 6 year) is good, but when I finally tracked down a bottle I have to say it wasn’t worth the effort.
As for what to use in your sours or other drinks - there’s nothing wrong with putting good booze in a mixed drink. That’s what it’s for. The idea that booze you don’t like belongs in mixed drinks is just sad. If you like Bulleit in your sours, have at it - we’re not talking about a $100 bottle, after all. If you put lousy booze (or booze you don’t like) in a sour, you won’t like your sour. I’ve ditched my share of lousy booze by making hard lemonade or other, less fussy drinks. But a sour depends on good whiskey.
There’s so much great domestic whiskey at low price points. Try different ones.
Not a bad idea. Rums with actual flavor (as opposed to the intentionally flavorless chase-the-vodka garbage) have a decent amount in common with sweeter bourbons. I usually go the other way (i.e. Rum manhattans), but I expect you could get reasonable results with swapping bourbon in for rum in a range of cocktails.
I have a feeling booze is fairly expensive where I live (Boston, MA). That bottle of bulleit was $34.99 for a 750ml, so I wasn’t sure if something like Mark’s mark would be better/cheaper, if only because the flavors of the mix are so strong. Maybe after I finish off this bottle (it’s going fast) I’ll pick up something else. I did try an interesting experiment, though, which was to make the exact same drink, but without the bourbon, and substitute a few oz of sparkling water. My wife is interested in the idea of a “mocktail” that has most of the same flavors, but you can drink it in the middle of the day while working. You expect a difference, but it’s really interesting to taste the gaps in the flavor the bourbon is filling in. The lime/tamarind/rich simple syrup is pleasant on it’s own, but the full drink has a huge complexity of flavor. It’s also far, far better than a “standard” whiskey sour for our palettes, so if you’re into that sort of thing, I’d highly recommend the recipe I linked up-thread.
Your prices might be higher by a few bucks, but these aren’t way off: Maker’s is $30 and a staple of the middle shelf, as far as I’m concerned. Elijah Craig 12 and Wild Turkey 101 are less and an absolute steal. Rittenhouse ($25) and Old Overholt ($20) make great sours, too.
Oh, and I’ll definitely try that recipe you linked.
It’s been quiet in here, so I thought I’d bump my weekend whiskey-related activities. I got a bottle of Rittenhouse 100 rye for my sazerac needs. My first attempt at a sazerac wasn’t quite as smooth as I was hoping, but that might be because many of the bars serve Old Overholt as their standard rye, and it sounds like it’s a bit more mellow/rounded (or boring, depending on your taste.) I may have to try picking up a bottle just to see if my sazerac can get a little closer to what I’d like - with ritt, the drink seems a little hot. A Red Hook was something else I had while out this weekend, and that seemed to work really well with the Rittenhouse. Now I have enough cherry liqueur to last me forever.
Just wanted to pop in and give a shout out to Elmer T. Lee. It’s a bourbon from Buffalo Trace/Sazerac. Mr. Lee passed away a few weeks ago, but until then he still sampled and chose every barrel before it got into the bottle.
It’s smooth and flavorful, one of my favorites. Lots of different flavors, too. If I had to pick one I’d call it, ‘hot butter.’
Not hard to find and not expensive (if I remember, it’s about $30).
Welp, it’s been 7 months and Woodford Reserve has become my go-to bourbon. On occasions I’ll bust out the Booker’s. And one bottle of something special is hiding in my cupboard for a really fancy occasion. Care to guess what it is?
So, I’m in a whiskey wasteland by my mother in laws in queens. I’ll be staying the night and need a little something. I hop into the neighborhood liquor store, Nunny’s, to grab a quick pint of something. I don’t know about you folks, but in situations like these if I see Wild Turkey 101 I feel like I’m blessed…
