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Recent discussions on Difford’s Guide
Vanilla Old Fashioned
Bourbon's classic vanilla notes are amplified and rounded in this simple but tasty Old Fashioned
Simon Difford
14th February at 09:35
Bob's are very concentrated, so only drops are required per cocktail. A bottle could last you a lifetime.
Tinton
Equal parts calvados and port prove surprisingly tasty and better balanced than the original two parts apple brandy to one part port. I've tried tawny...14th February at 09:34
Yes! Vermouth should not feature in a Tinton. I've corrected the erroneous mention.
Mezcal Margarita
A smokin' Margarita. Depending on your palate, you may want to vary the amount of agave syrup – from 2.5ml or even no agave syrup for dry palates to...
14th February at 07:22
Last week my wife and I visited a New Mexican restaurant in our little town and I ordered one of their cocktails and “upgraded” the regular tequila to Mezcal. My first taste of Mezcal and I was hooked - similar to my first dalliance with peated scotch! My first mission this weekend was to find a bottle of Mezcal and the second mission was to head to Diffords to give me some pointers in the direction of some good recipes. And this Mezcal Margarita was no disappointment! A very well balanced drink with nuances of all the separate ingredients coming through on every sip. I made mine with Perro D San Juan and this might become my go-to margarita.
Brave Cow
If your coffee liqueur is on the sweet side, then add six drops of vanilla bitters to help the balance and complexity. However, with a good coffee liqueur...
14th February at 04:42
The citrus forward New Amsterdam gin (it's what I had open on hand) works surprisingly well with Mr. Black. I tend not to like citrus notes in my coffee, but as an iced cocktail it's quite satisfying. The New Amsterdam adds just a touch of herbal notes. Looking forward to trying this with Goldie's Gin
Chevalier
Aromatic bitters add their distinctive flavour to a classic Sidecar
14th February at 04:19
We liked this but as another commenter noted this is quite tart (and I like sour drinks!) and I felt the angostura was a bit lost in the sour profile. We upped the sugar syrup slightly and also upped the angostura by another dash each. A nice variation for Sidecar enthusiasts like me.
Randy Sangaree
Named after the London rhyming slang for port and brandy, its base ingredients. The love interest comes courtesy of orange and vanilla
14th February at 03:37
Wonderful new word of the day. Thanks John! Oxford's definition seems more precise than Merriam Webster's. Think I'm about to get squiffy...
Pilgrim Cocktail
Whether you serve this hot or cold, it's a delicately spiced drink to warm the cockles14th February at 03:31
I liked it as is! Didn’t think it was too citrusy and my only change was using angostura orange bitters
Arbitrary Nature of Time
A fruity Boulevardier with cherry brandy moving it from aperitivo to late-night drinking14th February at 03:28
Looks delicious. Time to get a good 10yo tawny port.
Three Blind Mice
Stirred down and boozy, corn notes from the whiskey are amplified by the bittersweet aperitif liqueur and aromatised wine14th February at 03:23
Made this with Saverac 100° rye, Cynar 70 and Cocchi Americano Blanco. Will be making again. ☆☆☆☆☆♡
Grand Stand
No one ingredient is grandstanding in this classic brandy and gin-based, maraschino-influenced sour14th February at 02:00
This is quite delicious. Probably a little more appropriate for a summer evening versus the middle of February, but either way a grand way to start the weekend. All the flavours play well together, no one ingredient overwhelms the others.
Luna Amara
Luna Amara was born under the idea that not all citrus needs to be sunny. I wanted to explore Pallini Limoncello's more enigmatic side...not just...14th February at 01:26
Tastes like a beautiful sunrise in Italy. Very refreshing. Well balanced. Definitely a wonderful summer drink.
Paloma Med-Mex
An original recipe created for casa dragones jamming sessions 2023 Day 1. The challenge: Create a Paloma twist with Casa Dragones Bianco in 30 minutes. The...14th February at 00:34
Delicious margarita variant as written, but maybe too sweet for some. The Aperol (in my case Luxardo Aperitivo) is important to give color, but doesn't register on the taste. Pineapple soda kicks up the sweetness a bit (and in my case contributed to yellow color of the cocktail) - I would probably could cut back the agave syrup by 50% (or eliminate altogether).
Chevalier
Aromatic bitters add their distinctive flavour to a classic Sidecar14th February at 00:21
Too tart for me. Original calls for 2 spoons of simple sugar syrup. 1/6 of an oz. does not seem to be enough. Might try with more simple.
Fizzy Colada
As the name suggests, all the coconut and pineapple flavour you'd expect from a Piña Colada, invigorated with fizz14th February at 00:07
I tried and didn't care for this - coconut was surprisingly prominent (given the recipe ratio) and presented bitterness which I disliked.
Let's Go Bananas No. 2
Just on the sweet side of bittersweet with crowd-pleasing tropical fruit13th February at 23:58
It is very nice, easy to make, and refreshing (and over 7 oz of cocktail). Nice orange and light pineapple flavors with a hint of bitterness - I thought there would be much more banana but there was not. Later in the drink I got some of the banana - I think the liqueur had dropped to the bottom of the drink. It was good, but I think the name is misleading.
Black Sabbath
Smoky peaty notes from Islay single malt whisky dominate this spirit-forward and bittersweet sipper of a cocktail13th February at 23:01
Phew. Objectively, it’s a very good cocktail. But it’s not my taste at all. I know why you could like it though.
Vanilla Old Fashioned
Bourbon's classic vanilla notes are amplified and rounded in this simple but tasty Old Fashioned
13th February at 22:00
Why are there no reasonable vanilla bitters in the world? I just can't bring myself to spend 50 bucks for Bob's!! Suggested substitutes?
Tinton
Equal parts calvados and port prove surprisingly tasty and better balanced than the original two parts apple brandy to one part port. I've tried tawny...13th February at 21:53
I'm a little confused here. The recipe uses port but the "Review" mentions rosso vermouth. Is that a mistake?
Beer on-the-rocks
I love a good beer and I love Byrrh (also pronounced 'beer') – a marriage made in Bermondsey. Best served as an apéritif cocktail13th February at 21:43
Blend: Byrrh, Tonewood Burton
Burton: 3.7% abv, malt: Golden Promise, Maris Otter, hops: EKG, Centennial
I don't know why I would drink this combo, but it wasn't half bad. Downed it in 3 sips. I'm still exploring Byrrh cocktails. I could see the right beer having this result in a dynamic concoction.
Burton: 3.7% abv, malt: Golden Promise, Maris Otter, hops: EKG, Centennial
I don't know why I would drink this combo, but it wasn't half bad. Downed it in 3 sips. I'm still exploring Byrrh cocktails. I could see the right beer having this result in a dynamic concoction.
Old Pal
Classically an equal parts three-ingredient cocktail comprising: 30ml rye, 30ml bitter liqueur and 30 ml dry vermouth. This produces an overly dry bittersweet...13th February at 21:22
Mixed with Rittenhouse whiskey and 25ml Campari. Heavy stuff, I like it ✅
Angel Face
Rich apricot and apple with a backbone of botanical gin. Balanced rather than dry or sweet. This cocktail looks better when stirred, but Harry Craddock's...
13th February at 19:54
Instead of the de Kuyper Apricot brandy liqueur I used equal measures of de Kuyper Sour Apple, Hallunke Apricot brandy (bought years ago in Halle)and Merlot Lune d'Abricot. It was delicious. Bright, Fruity and a perfect balance of sweet & dry.
Queen Elizabeth No. 2
An orange curaçao-influenced Sweet Manhattan
13th February at 19:48
I don't know who this guy is but am going to do all of his cocktails lol
Another Sunken Boat
Far from being a wreck, this boat is worthy of re-floating, indeed cruising upon. Its displacement is perfectly balanced and it handles well. However...
13th February at 18:54
Thank you , very very nice drink. Into the favourites you pop
Trader Vic's Sour
Why use a solo base spirit when you can have a threesome? I like to let scotch dominate over the other two participants, as this seems to help the trio...13th February at 18:48
If you are a person who does not love the hassle of egg whites, or has a partner who is peculiar about them, and therefore rarely gets to enjoy the taste of a whisky sour, then this is a treat. Actually I might like it better as the whisky, cognac and bourbon make an excellent throuple.