What Are You Drinking? September 2023

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David D. Davidson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 19, 2023
200
775
Canada
Having a glass of Bumbu on the rocks - a nice rum based liquor with spices and vanilla. It’s highly divisive because it’s loaded with sugar and banana syrup, but I think it’s a nice mixer and nice on ice now and then if I’m craving something sweet and not too complex. Rum snobs loathe it, but I enjoy it on its own merits!

Later I’m having some bowmore 12 year scotch - I think I’ve finally found my Goldilocks for scotch price:quality. At $75 CAD it’s for sure a budget scotch, but I think gets me awfully darn close to the quality of many $150+ scotches! Ive also been hunting a Ledaig blend on the recommendation of TheIronMonkey, but no luck as of yet. Keeping my eyes peeled!

Love it! Caesars (which are awfully darn close to Bloody Mary’s) are by far my favorite beverage, alcoholic or otherwise. The spicier and the more sour the better. Love the rimmer and garnish too, you’ve instilled a real craving in me!
 

Buckeyestime

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 1, 2023
144
329
Stuck between WI and IL
I ended up grabbing the Maker’s 46 French Oaked. They had a cask strength one and a less strong one. Which one do you prefer? I went with the lower proof, lower cost one. I haven’t tried it. But I just tried a tiny pour of this View attachment 250027rum and tequila and they are right up my alley. I’m very pleased. Also the tequila is organic! (so it is good for you).

The guy at the liquor store was trying to sell me that Matthew McConahay bourbon lol.
I recently purchased both the MM 46 or the MM46 cask strength . Both are good, but is the cask strength worth twice the cost? To my profile no, so I have found that adding some cask strength to the standard proof raises it into my proof sweet spot 100-105 and justifies the additional cost.

Works great with Redbreast (too low of proof) and Redbreast Cask Strength (too hard to find) as well. 2 parts Reg + 1 part CS seems to do it.
 
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Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,144
3,850
Pennsylvania
I recently purchased both the MM 46 or the MM46 cask strength . Both are good, but is the cask strength worth twice the cost? To my profile no, so I have found that adding some cask strength to the standard proof raises it into my proof sweet spot 100-105 and justifies the additional cost.

Works great with Redbreast (too low of proof) and Redbreast Cask Strength (too hard to find) as well. 2 parts Reg + 1 part CS seems to do it.
Thanks I’m really happy with the non-cask strength, and it’s abv so I think I made the right call. It’s a bit more delicate than some bourbons lately that have walloped my palate.
Love it! Caesars (which are awfully darn close to Bloody Mary’s) are by far my favorite beverage, alcoholic or otherwise. The spicier and the more sour the better. Love the rimmer and garnish too, you’ve instilled a real craving in me!
Is the difference between a Caesar and a BM just the clam juice? Rusty’s BM looks great with that salami in i!

I had a pour of Pusser’s dark rum. Now having some Port Charlotte 10 year scotch. It is good, delicate, I can tell they have a good water source
 
Jun 18, 2020
3,958
13,976
Wilmington, NC
I ended up grabbing the Maker’s 46 French Oaked. They had a cask strength one and a less strong one. Which one do you prefer? I went with the lower proof, lower cost one. I haven’t tried it. But I just tried a tiny pour of this View attachment 250027rum and tequila and they are right up my alley. I’m very pleased. Also the tequila is organic! (so it is good for you).

The guy at the liquor store was trying to sell me that Matthew McConahay bourbon lol.
I like both the regular and the Cask strength, just depends on my mood
 

David D. Davidson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 19, 2023
200
775
Canada
Is the difference between a Caesar and a BM just the clam juice? Rusty’s BM looks great with that salami in i!
Yessir! On paper at least - I find most bars and restaurants tend to make Caesars spicier and more sour, while leaving the tomato juice to shine a bit more in BMs - I like bold flavors, so I tend to err on the side of caution and order Caesars when both options are presented. In all honesty, I've only really noticed this trend in Canada, and part of me wonders if it's not us trying to differentiate the two drinks more, since Caesars are widely considered our national cocktail. Maybe we're sabotaging BMs to make Caesars look better, like bringing your least attractive friend with you to a bar!
 

Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,144
3,850
Pennsylvania
Yessir! On paper at least - I find most bars and restaurants tend to make Caesars spicier and more sour, while leaving the tomato juice to shine a bit more in BMs - I like bold flavors, so I tend to err on the side of caution and order Caesars when both options are presented. In all honesty, I've only really noticed this trend in Canada, and part of me wonders if it's not us trying to differentiate the two drinks more, since Caesars are widely considered our national cocktail. Maybe we're sabotaging BMs to make Caesars look better, like bringing your least attractive friend with you to a bar!
Man, I have to say, clam juice sounds gross. But maybe it integrates well on the while with the other ingredients? Is that what makes it sour? I looked up the Caesar online but none of the ingredients sounded sour. I would enjoy a bit of sour in a bloody, though unsure of what I’d add to achieve it.
 

David D. Davidson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 19, 2023
200
775
Canada
Man, I have to say, clam juice sounds gross. But maybe it integrates well on the while with the other ingredients? Is that what makes it sour? I looked up the Caesar online but none of the ingredients sounded sour. I would enjoy a bit of sour in a bloody, though unsure of what I’d add to achieve it.
On its own, it’s absolutely a little nasty. But it’s great in Caesars or for cooking - it’s salty, savoury, and has a uniquely shellfish-y taste that’s hard to describe. Not fishy, but tastes like the smell of a bowl of steamed mussels or clams! I tend to use it in recipes that already feature seafood like a pasta dish or a cioppino etc, it just adds a little extra seafood essence to the dish.

The sourness in Caesars primarily comes from the hot sauce which is vinegar based, but a lot of places will add a splash of pickle brine for extra acidity! I usually do the same, although I’ve experimented with some pretty great variants like kimchi juice, which were excellent. I also have some pickled jalapeños and habaneros and I love adding that brine, the spice it imparts is such a kick!
 

Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,144
3,850
Pennsylvania
On its own, it’s absolutely a little nasty. But it’s great in Caesars or for cooking - it’s salty, savoury, and has a uniquely shellfish-y taste that’s hard to describe. Not fishy, but tastes like the smell of a bowl of steamed mussels or clams! I tend to use it in recipes that already feature seafood like a pasta dish or a cioppino etc, it just adds a little extra seafood essence to the dish.

The sourness in Caesars primarily comes from the hot sauce which is vinegar based, but a lot of places will add a splash of pickle brine for extra acidity! I usually do the same, although I’ve experimented with some pretty great variants like kimchi juice, which were excellent. I also have some pickled jalapeños and habaneros and I love adding that brine, the spice it imparts is such a kick!
I could probably get with this, the way you make it sound. I can also imagine the kimchi juice being amazing. Nobody at the bar would want to converse with you because kimchi + alcohol = the worst breath ever, probably worse than when I put garlic in my martinis even, lol. Maybe I’ll try my own take on a Caesar next time I have some vodka around the house. In the meantime I’ll work on rounding out the other ingredients. Coincidentally tonight I’m make a vinegar based hot sauce using haberno peppers + tomatillos from my garden. I might have to copy Russ’ salami, and I always like a crispy stick of bacon in mine as well.

Btw, cioppino sounds amazing, never had heard of it, but I can see clam juice giving it some good oceanic/salty breeze taste and aroma.