So as someone that generally drinks bourbon/whiskey neat (if excellent), on the rocks (if between average and really good), or in a simple cocktail (if it's mixer-grade), do people that drink a...
So as someone that generally drinks bourbon/whiskey neat (if excellent), on the rocks (if between average and really good), or in a simple cocktail (if it's mixer-grade), do people that drink a lot of cocktails not stir their drinks? I'm asking this after watching the first drink, Deckard's Dream, and seeing him go for a straw to get past the absinthe, which floating on top would be the primary liquor being tasted with each sip and his main complaint. He keeps going on about it being better if just a spritz, which might be true if no one stirs their cocktail.
A float is almost always done with a milder spirit than absinthe. Think wine or blue curaçao, which have the benefit of adding a timed evolution and leaves the option for the drinker to...
A float is almost always done with a milder spirit than absinthe. Think wine or blue curaçao, which have the benefit of adding a timed evolution and leaves the option for the drinker to incorporate it themselves anyway. Like cfabbro said though, they mostly exist for looks and aroma. Absinthe is a particularly strange choice of float because it'd completely take over any other flavours in the drink as it distributed.
Most cocktails are made in such a way that the person who orders it can customize it in some way or another. You might have noticed that most cocktails are generally served with a lot of ice....
Most cocktails are made in such a way that the person who orders it can customize it in some way or another.
You might have noticed that most cocktails are generally served with a lot of ice. That's not there to cheap out on the liquor. If the ice is crushed (or in small cubes), it's there so you can drink it immediately for a strong taste or let it melt to dilute it to your tastes. If it's a drink the bartender doesn't want you to have too diluted, they'll put in a big solid piece of ice instead.
With layered drinks (usually) you can drink each layer, stir it all in to get the mixed flavor, or mix slightly to get a flavor that gradually changes as you drink it.
That being said every drink is different and sometimes bartenders have their own twists on them. If you get something particularly weird don't feel bad about asking the bartender. I can guarantee you that they are used to being asked 'dumb questions' and have probably answered at least 20 before you even arrive.
I always stir mine too, but I'm not particularly sophisticated when it comes to cocktails either... so who knows if that's normal or expected. I suspect most cocktails with floats aren't really...
I always stir mine too, but I'm not particularly sophisticated when it comes to cocktails either... so who knows if that's normal or expected. I suspect most cocktails with floats aren't really meant to be stirred though; the float is probably mostly there for the looks and added aroma. I've never made or drank a cocktail with a float before though, so what do I know? :P
p.s. I have recently gotten away from drinking Mules and into drinking Rusty Bobs (Rusty Nail variation using Bourbon instead of Scotch). It's yum! :)
I'm now picturing the two of us out for cocktails, being handed something with a float, and mixing it in to the horror of many around. Never tried Drambuie so not sure what that tastes like, but...
I'm now picturing the two of us out for cocktails, being handed something with a float, and mixing it in to the horror of many around.
Never tried Drambuie so not sure what that tastes like, but as someone that's not normally a fan of Scotch, I can say bourbon would probably improve it. That said, during my NYC trip, I got to try some very nice Johnnie Walker Blue (my boss had a very nice liquor closet of high end hooch) that convinced me that not all Scotch is shit (as all Scotch I'd had up to that point had been). Since then I've tried a couple of Scotches from Bothan, that were quite tasty, of course it helps they were finished in sherry and bourbon casks respectively to be more suited to my tastes.
Been focusing on neat/rocks as of late, tried my hand at making Old Fashioneds and can't get the mix right, so I've been using Slow & Low and found it better than both my, admittedly poor, attempts and many of the Old Fashioneds I've had out and about. I usually toss in a clementine wedge or two and maybe a cherry. The wedges are a great touch I find as it both boosts the citrus in it and when you eat it at the end it starts boozy with a palate cleansing finish. I do need to make some honey syrup soon for Gold Rushes.
Lol, that's quite the image... and probably not too inaccurate to how it would be. :P Drambuie is basically just blended Scotch mixed with loads of heather honey, and infused with various...
Lol, that's quite the image... and probably not too inaccurate to how it would be. :P
Drambuie is basically just blended Scotch mixed with loads of heather honey, and infused with various undisclosed "herbs & spices". So it tastes a lot like the stereotypical Scotch (with peat smoke being the predominant flavor) but is waaaaay sweeter, and with added anise, cardamom, medicinal herbs, cinnamon/pepper/clove, and citrusy flavors. It's far too potent and sweet to drink on its own for most people, but I actually enjoy it on crushed ice, as a digestif. Drinking too much would give you a wicked hangover though, since there's so much sugar in it.
Mixing it with another blended Scotch in a Rusty Nail (or with another type of whiskey) cuts the potency and sweetness by however much whiskey you add, so is more palatable for most people. I typically do a 2-2.5:1 ratio of Bourbon to Drambuie. But even at that ratio you still get a taste of all the things that makes Drambuie unique, combined with whatever flavors your whiskey of choice brings to the table. And as an added bonus, you can also drink a lot more of it because of it being less sweet, so that's why it's been my go-to for getting a bit buzzed lately. ;)
However, despite loving Drambuie, I'm actually not a huge Scotch fan myself... even after having had JW Blue and trying various ridiculously expensive Islay Scotch over the years (which my father drinks, and which we have actually talked about before). So if you're not hugely into Scotch either, then Rusty Bobs are probably a good place to start for you, since you like Bourbon, and it will still have a hint of that Scotch peat smoke plus all the other lovely Drambuie flavors, but without it being overwhelming.
p.s. You can buy 350mL bottle of Drambuie for around $20, so it's not a huge loss if you end up disliking it. You should give it a try! :)
So as someone that generally drinks bourbon/whiskey neat (if excellent), on the rocks (if between average and really good), or in a simple cocktail (if it's mixer-grade), do people that drink a lot of cocktails not stir their drinks? I'm asking this after watching the first drink, Deckard's Dream, and seeing him go for a straw to get past the absinthe, which floating on top would be the primary liquor being tasted with each sip and his main complaint. He keeps going on about it being better if just a spritz, which might be true if no one stirs their cocktail.
A float is almost always done with a milder spirit than absinthe. Think wine or blue curaçao, which have the benefit of adding a timed evolution and leaves the option for the drinker to incorporate it themselves anyway. Like cfabbro said though, they mostly exist for looks and aroma. Absinthe is a particularly strange choice of float because it'd completely take over any other flavours in the drink as it distributed.
Most cocktails are made in such a way that the person who orders it can customize it in some way or another.
You might have noticed that most cocktails are generally served with a lot of ice. That's not there to cheap out on the liquor. If the ice is crushed (or in small cubes), it's there so you can drink it immediately for a strong taste or let it melt to dilute it to your tastes. If it's a drink the bartender doesn't want you to have too diluted, they'll put in a big solid piece of ice instead.
With layered drinks (usually) you can drink each layer, stir it all in to get the mixed flavor, or mix slightly to get a flavor that gradually changes as you drink it.
That being said every drink is different and sometimes bartenders have their own twists on them. If you get something particularly weird don't feel bad about asking the bartender. I can guarantee you that they are used to being asked 'dumb questions' and have probably answered at least 20 before you even arrive.
I always stir mine too, but I'm not particularly sophisticated when it comes to cocktails either... so who knows if that's normal or expected. I suspect most cocktails with floats aren't really meant to be stirred though; the float is probably mostly there for the looks and added aroma. I've never made or drank a cocktail with a float before though, so what do I know? :P
p.s. I have recently gotten away from drinking Mules and into drinking Rusty Bobs (Rusty Nail variation using Bourbon instead of Scotch). It's yum! :)
I'm now picturing the two of us out for cocktails, being handed something with a float, and mixing it in to the horror of many around.
Never tried Drambuie so not sure what that tastes like, but as someone that's not normally a fan of Scotch, I can say bourbon would probably improve it. That said, during my NYC trip, I got to try some very nice Johnnie Walker Blue (my boss had a very nice liquor closet of high end hooch) that convinced me that not all Scotch is shit (as all Scotch I'd had up to that point had been). Since then I've tried a couple of Scotches from Bothan, that were quite tasty, of course it helps they were finished in sherry and bourbon casks respectively to be more suited to my tastes.
Been focusing on neat/rocks as of late, tried my hand at making Old Fashioneds and can't get the mix right, so I've been using Slow & Low and found it better than both my, admittedly poor, attempts and many of the Old Fashioneds I've had out and about. I usually toss in a clementine wedge or two and maybe a cherry. The wedges are a great touch I find as it both boosts the citrus in it and when you eat it at the end it starts boozy with a palate cleansing finish. I do need to make some honey syrup soon for Gold Rushes.
Lol, that's quite the image... and probably not too inaccurate to how it would be. :P
Drambuie is basically just blended Scotch mixed with loads of heather honey, and infused with various undisclosed "herbs & spices". So it tastes a lot like the stereotypical Scotch (with peat smoke being the predominant flavor) but is waaaaay sweeter, and with added anise, cardamom, medicinal herbs, cinnamon/pepper/clove, and citrusy flavors. It's far too potent and sweet to drink on its own for most people, but I actually enjoy it on crushed ice, as a digestif. Drinking too much would give you a wicked hangover though, since there's so much sugar in it.
Mixing it with another blended Scotch in a Rusty Nail (or with another type of whiskey) cuts the potency and sweetness by however much whiskey you add, so is more palatable for most people. I typically do a 2-2.5:1 ratio of Bourbon to Drambuie. But even at that ratio you still get a taste of all the things that makes Drambuie unique, combined with whatever flavors your whiskey of choice brings to the table. And as an added bonus, you can also drink a lot more of it because of it being less sweet, so that's why it's been my go-to for getting a bit buzzed lately. ;)
However, despite loving Drambuie, I'm actually not a huge Scotch fan myself... even after having had JW Blue and trying various ridiculously expensive Islay Scotch over the years (which my father drinks, and which we have actually talked about before). So if you're not hugely into Scotch either, then Rusty Bobs are probably a good place to start for you, since you like Bourbon, and it will still have a hint of that Scotch peat smoke plus all the other lovely Drambuie flavors, but without it being overwhelming.
p.s. You can buy 350mL bottle of Drambuie for around $20, so it's not a huge loss if you end up disliking it. You should give it a try! :)
Related follow up video:
Chat GPT, Take the wheel! I let AI write this one | Afterparty