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So I'm using Ardbeg's Uigeadail here, which is 108 proof and has some sherry component. I think it's important that there's peat and some sweetness and higher proof - it's got to give punch to the drink. Good substitutes might be Lagavulin Distiller's Edition, or a barspoon of PX sherry in a fat ounce of Laphroaig Cask Strength.

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So it's definitely fall where I live, and the animals know it. Trees are starting to turn, deer are wandering on the hillside, and a boy's thoughts turn to cooler weather drinks. I imagine this to be something you might drink out of a flask while out hunting. It certainly brings to mind damp cold mornings and forced stillness and quiet while the animal world wakes up.

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From the Knowledge Vault

Stocking a Better Bar

Last time, we talked about how to go about building a better home bar. Once you’ve done that and have all sorts of empty space (because you paid attention, and your bar holds about twice your current supply of liquor, right?), we should now get on to the fun part – how to best fill your shiny new liquor cabinet.

Now I know that I’m going to catch it in the comments by declaring some brands “essential” versus others. I know y’all are a bunch of passionate drinkers, and I also know that in certain areas, y’all have much more experience than I do tasting and thinking about spirits. But that’s not going to stop me from doing just that. The good news? After making declarative statements about which spirits you should have in your bar, I’m going to let you in on a few secrets about how to find rare and discontinued bottles that have helped me in the past. So take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride.

I’m a firm believer in Alton Brown’s mantra of buying things that serve many purposes. Unless you’re into a certain segment of the liquor market, you should strive for buying liquor that lets you make as many cocktails as possible. Once you’ve tasted a good representation of what’s out there, decide what to focus on, and buy more of those things, but with the understanding that if you run across something special and hard to find, you really ought to buy it. But more on that later.

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Recent Additions

Stepwise Improvement — Pineapple rum, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe, Orange peel
Flight of Fantasy — Fino sherry, Pear eau de vie, Dry vermouth, Apricot liqueur, Amaro Meletti, Orange peel, Brandied cherry
Atmospheric River — Brandy, Amontillado Sherry, Herbal liqueur, Orange Curaçao, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange peel
Amber Waves — Blended Scotch, Sweet vermouth, Drambuie, Bitters
Giacomo Joyce — Irish whiskey, Bianco Vermouth, Coffee liqueur, Peychaud's Bitters, Coffee bean

Recent Discussion

Re Girolamo Sour, 2 days ago Shawn C commented:
Curating to add archive reference for now dead link. Unclear from the image in the link if this uses Luxardo Bitter Bianco or Rosso. It looks like it would be Bianco to me, but I have not changed it yet. KC had a generic Luxardo Bitter, as well as the Luxardo Bitter Bianco. "Luxardo Bitter" alone referred to the Rosso, but it was not necessarily used that way by folks listing ingredients. I have changed the KC listing of Luxardo Bitter to Luxardo Bitter Rosso to differentiate from the Bianco which is altogether different in taste tests.
Re In Vida Veritas, 4 days ago stirred commented:
Made with Stonebarn Nocino (60 proof) instead of Nux Alpina. Overall, I liked the blend of flavors, but it was too sweet for my palate. I think this had more to do with the Bénédictine. Will try it again with 1/4 oz. Bénédictine.
Re Inkwell, 6 days ago Shawn C commented:
Curated to convert the link to a web archive link. Unfortunately, Gaz's site is defunct since his passing. [Note: when folks find dead links like this, let us know so that we can see if a web archive is available, or of we can find an alternative reference.]
Re Inkwell, 1 week ago lcwareham commented:
Used half the bitters
Re Benediction, 1 week ago MikeLewis commented:
Too much lemon juice. Try ½ oz next time.