A Harmonious Cocktail for Labor Day

Posted on September 1, 2013 by BoozeNerds

Like many people, we’re having a family BBQ tomorrow so we can hang out, grill some meat, and have a few drinks together. We were contemplating what cocktail would make a good match for typical cook-out foods, and we thought something fruity and refreshing would fit the bill. We decided to go with watermelon, that backyard picnic staple, for a fruit base, liven it up with some gin, lime, and bitters, then make the whole thing fizzy and delicious with a touch of sparkling wine.

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Posted in cherry liqueur, gin, Original Cocktail, sparkling wine, watermelon | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Amaro: Ramazzotti

Posted on August 25, 2013 by BoozeNerds

We like and use lots of amaros here at Booze Nerds. They can add a lot of complexity and flavor to a cocktail as well as some sweetness, so are very useful to have in your bar. There are many types available from all over the world (we are thinking of amaros broadly as bittersweet liqueurs flavored by herbs and spices as opposed to strictly those of Italian origin) but the amount of info available on them varies quite a bit. So we decided that we would feature some of the ones we use pretty regularly and think of as bar staples. This week we’re looking at Ramazzotti amaro.

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Posted in aged rum, amaro, Booze Review, gin, maraschino, Tasting Notes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

MxMo: Pointillist & Bourbon Dawn

Posted on August 18, 2013 by BoozeNerds

It’s Mixology Monday time again! This month’s theme comes from the Muse of Doom at Feu de Vie. The theme this month is Fire! The Muse has a pretty liberal interpretation of the theme so we went with grilled fruit and herbs. We decided to try a large selection and experiment. Grilled apples, nectarines, limes, lemons, figs, and rosemary. Some were winners, some were losers, read on to to find out which was which.

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Posted in barenjager, bourbon, branca menta, champagne, gin, Mixology Monday, Original Cocktail, rosemary | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Oregon Gin Showcase 1

Posted on August 11, 2013 by BoozeNerds

After giving a bunch of love to our Washington gins, we decided it was time to turn our palates to south of the border and showcase some of the lovely gins from Oregon. For this first round, we went with the Crater Lake from Bend Distillery, the No. 1 and No.3 (now rebranded as Portland Dry Gin No. 33) from New Deal Distillery, the Aria Portland Dry Gin from Bull Run Distillery and last, but definitely not least, the Aviation from House Distillery.

Now on to the gins!

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Posted in apricot liqueur, Cointreau, gin, Gin, lillet blanc, Oregon, Showcase, Tasting Notes, tonic | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tonic Syrups

Posted on August 4, 2013 by BoozeNerds

Here at Booze Nerds HQ we have three different tonic syrups, because sometimes plain old tonic water just doesn’t cut it. For those of you who don’t know, tonic syrup can be added to carbonated water to to make tonic water, though much nicer tonic water than you can get at the grocery store. It’s great because it makes delicious tonic and you don’t have to pay for the carbonation. But it’s also awesome because it gives you more flexibility for experimenting with drinks, which is what we’re all about. The three tonic syrups we currently have are John’s Premium Tonic Syrup, Bradley’s Kina Tonic Syrup and the Wakefield Cromwell Honey Tonic Syrup from Jawn Wakefield. We decided to compare all three in gin & tonics, and see what they each bring to the party.

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Posted in Cocktail Comparisons, gin, Tasting Notes, tonic | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lime vs Acid Phosphate

Posted on July 28, 2013 by BoozeNerds

Recently we received an order of acid phosphate (as well as other goodies) from Darcy O’Neil at Art of the Drink. Mr. O’Neil has been a tireless researcher of extinct drink ingredients. We love such intrepid individuals. We’re fascinated by such things but are far too busy (aka lazy) to actually do it ourselves. Anyhow, given the arrival of acid phosphate in our liquor cabinet we thought we’d try some of our favorite simple lime cocktails using acid phosphate as a substitute.

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Posted in aged rum, Cocktail Comparisons, Deconstructed, rum, tequila, triple sec | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

MxMo: Sunbreak

Posted on July 21, 2013 by BoozeNerds

It’s Mixology Monday time again! This month’s theme comes from Frederic over at Cocktail Virgin Slut. The theme this month is Flip Flop. Which according to Frederic:

Find a recipe, either new or old, and switch around at least two of the ingredients to sister or cousin ingredients but holding the proportions and some of the ingredients the same.

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Posted in aquavit, cognac, Mixology Monday, Original Cocktail, rye | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Summer Coolers

Posted on July 14, 2013 by BoozeNerds

It is beautiful high summer here in Seattle! Which means it’s time for a nice icy cooler to counterbalance the warm weather. We define a cooler as something light and refreshing, fairly dry, that has club soda in it and is on the rocks. A perfect summertime drink. Not too sweet, not too bitter, just right for sipping during a hot summer day. Today we give you 3 cocktails; one classic, the Straits Sling, and two original cocktails. Now onto the drinks!

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Posted in benedictine, cherry liqueur, gin, old tom gin, Original Cocktail, yellow chartreuse | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Washington Gin Showcase Part 5

Posted on July 7, 2013 by BoozeNerds

It’s time again for another showcase of some of the great gins we have here in Washington state. This go around we have the BelleWood, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere, a seasonal Spy Hop with nettles and finally the Dry County.

If you haven’t already, check out parts One, Two, Three and Four! Now onto the gins!

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Posted in apricot liqueur, Booze Review, dimmi, Gin, maraschino, Original Cocktail, Showcase, Tasting Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Pride!

Posted on June 30, 2013 by BoozeNerds

It’s the day of the Pride parade here in Seattle, and in light of that, we decided to mix up a couple of cocktails to celebrate. First the Mattachine, to honor one of the first organizations to fight the good fight, then the DOMA Down, to celebrate the repeal of  law that should’ve never been passed. Strong and elegant or fizzy and refreshing, your choice 🙂

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Posted in barenjager, creme yvette, gin, Original Cocktail, triple sec, vodka | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment