Cocktails

Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar.
Rich is 2:1 on the sugar front.

No idea on cask strength bourbon.
I'd use Makers 46 (as it my least preferred bourbon in my cupboard)

Vermouth recommendations for Negronis.
Have been buying Cocchi and wondered if i should try something different?
Currently using Hendricks Neptunia and Thomas Dakin gins.

Noilly Prat would be my choice. But don't discount Cinzano Rosso.

Carpano antica or Dolin red are my go to.

Usually cocchi or carpano here. Working through a sicilian amaro which is a bit overpowering currently.

thanks, might give Carpano a go.

Making a cobbler for lunch dessert and saved the juice from the tinned peaches.
Tried a Peach old fashioned.
Large ice cube, dash of bitters, equal parts Buffalo Trace and the juice/ syrup* from the can of peaches.
Quite good, not overly peachy, enjoying it.

*Peaches in juice, but it seems quite syrup-y

So an update to thread, we bought some Asterley Bro’s estate vermouth and my very short review is i quite like it, less sugar than cocchi but a nice balance between bitterness and a big soft fruit aftertaste, i thinks it’s quite subtle and not overpowering so a good partner to gins you want to a actualy have some influence on your negroni.

Appreciate this update dude. After a shitload of work on the house am starting to gear up to recommissioning the cocktail cabinet. Nothing in it but a selection of bitters and a few ancient amaros. Vermouths will be first priority. Before sorting the main show of spirits

I actually did some photography work for them (Asterley Bro’s) but this was bought and paid for. I did try some of their Negroni Society Rhubarb negroni and it was a right banger.

We have some pineapple licor from the Azores. I'm sure it was pale yellow and now, years later, it's black.

Now, obviously -I'm- not going to die if I drink it but what about normal humans?

Never drink normal humans, they're OK at best and a bugger to liquidise.

You haven't seen my blender. #golfclub

#euphemism

Besides, normal people vary widely in alcohol content, we would probably both be rated (or ratted) as 'premium".

So Negroni update, bought some Petroni Galician vermouth from local posh off-licence which wasn’t a bad price as its litre bottle, very herby and zero sugar sweet mouthfeel which is good as some of the cheaper vermouth’s can be one dimensional and very sugary.
Not as fruit driven as Asterley bro’s but will definitely buy again.
Only thing is it has some kind of plastic diffuser thing in the neck which means when trying to pour careful amounts it just runs down the bottle.
Is this some kind of bartender thing and you fit a spout in there? It looks to be fairly tightly fitted and I’m not sure it will come out easily.
Any idea what it is supposed to do?

I think they're intended to regulate flow so you can freepour more consistently. They normally pop out fairly easily in my experience

it has some kind of plastic diffuser thing in the neck which means when trying to pour careful amounts it just runs down the bottle.

Hate these. Cointreau bottles have them too.

Like the sound of that.

I’ve been doing my negronis with this sherry based vermouth I first had in Spain. Phenomenal stuff.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/vermouth/gonzalez-byass/gonzalez-byass-vermouth-la-copa-vermouth/

Late reply put that vermouth sounds amazing, I love Pedro-ximinez and the christmas pud/raisin flavours.
might give that a try when i run out of red vermouth.

In other Negroni news i have acquired some Amber Limon from London vermouth company and have been meaning to try a white negroni for ages but never got round to buying the Suze to make it but it turns out that Luxardo Bitter Bianco is better suited and not such an artificial yellow/green colour.
made one last night with Asterly bros English dry vermouth/Bombay/Luxardo BB/lemon peel
and it’s a nice alternative to straight negroni and really good balance between sweet/bitterness and very complex flavours which is probably down to the high quality ingredients of the vermouth, would like to try it with grapefruit peel instead of lemon.
there is a childhood sweetshop note in there which i couldn’t put my finger on, cola cubes? rhubarb and custard? pear drops?

Will try one with the Amber Limon but having already tried a splash of it in gin i’m not sure if it’s going to have the oomph to sit with the Luxardo and not get swamped.

i’m really going off the standard supermarket/bar vermouths from the big brands they just seem sugary and lacking in complexity in comparison to the smaller brands.