Stunning. Sumptuous and rich. A worthy addition to the cocktail pantheon. I was slightly trepidatious that the bitters might dominate, but the balance was in fact perfect. The subtle enrichment of the sugar syrup and Curacao are wonderful and spot on. I used two dashes Peychauds barrel aged, one of regular,

I keep a separate database (I'm a programmer, so shoot me!). The bits that worked very well for me was to store the date that the recipe was added, a rating (core, outside core but to repeat, on file, unrated, pretend it doesn't exist). My notes on the drink can include the word "try". //
From this I can ask for drinks I rated 'C' or 'B2' in the last 6 (or whatever) months (which stops me losing them). I can also list drinks tagged 'try' //
I also keep a separate log of which cocktails we drank on each day, which allows me to list drinks we really enjoyed, that we haven't drunk recently. //
Other cunning plans also exist.

Finally a PRACTICAL use for all this computer business 😋. Sounds amazing, Mike. I’m very much not a programmer! My homegrown muddle along version works not tooo badly for me, but I can see the advantage of something more systematic. I shall discuss it with my butler 😉.

Perhaps a specific tag feature to remind us to revisit? Whereas I was initially a bit hesitant to embrace the recent major overhaul to the sites' funtionality, it has been a well designed improvement. Kudos to the genius behind the guide!

Hear hear!

Is it possible to sort one’s wish list by date added?

Looking forward to trying this with your recommended ratio and upon reflection realizing I really need to keep better notes. So many cocktails I've sworn to revisit and yet moved on to the next one. When the Lillet Blanc is gone will be time for more Cocchi. Note to self ... try this first.

Oh god yes! I very inconsistently keep written notes an use the website notes feature. Prob more the latter but adhd and all that, the struggle is real 🤣

As described by Andy PH below, if you like dry and if you like boozy whiskey drinks, this will be right up your alley.

Think Dry Manhattan and you've got it covered. If you like dry and Manhattans, you're home.

Agreed. Dry plus Whisky = deliciousness.

Very pleasant, made more enjoyable by how easy it is to remember, and to recite to uneducated barmen.

Have a banana

A bit too sweet might be putting it mildly but it's such wonderful combination of flavors! I'll be making this again plus the additional gin.

The flavour combination really is excellent! I think halve the Luxardo and she’ll be right (as Australian tradesmen say). I also tried 50 gin, 20 Luxardo, but preferred 40, 30, 15.

40 Edinburgh Gin, 30 americano,15 Luxardo, 8 drops BT grapefruit bitters and I thought this was excellent. Very moreish and delicious; in the style on a white negroni.

24 hour steep was superb. Drew out some of the more savoury/vegetal flavours from the raspberries. Did a double measure of the liquid to roughly two tablespoons of raspberries smooshed up. Pure raspberry-sloegroni bliss! Payneful it certainly was not.

Could definitely batch this for summer parties. When you’re ready to serve, add roughly 10ml water per serving and pour straight over a Rock. I’m guessing that leaving undiluted for the steep will improve extraction.

24 hour steep was superb. Drew out some of the more savoury/vegetal flavours from the raspberries. Did a double measure of the liquid to roughly two tablespoons of raspberries smooshed up. Pure raspberry-sloegroni bliss!

Also worked quite well with rye. I only had the 42.5% ABV rye so used 60ml and 22.5 x 2 which was pretty good.

My ordered raspberries failed to arrive, so changed course and made a Baltic-inspired House of Hansa instead, referencing the Hanseatic League. 45 gin, 20 Campari, 20 Gustav lingonberry liqueur (Finland) and 15 Moe Handsa sour rowanberry vodka (Estonia). Read as a berry-infused, dry leaning, easy drinking negroni. Orange twist. Campari could be bumped back up to keep it more traditional negroni style.

Just noticed this is by Phil Ward. No wonder it’s so bloody delicious!

Steep overnight and this would be extra special.

My ordered raspberries failed to arrive, so changed course and made a Baltic-inspired House of Hansa instead, referencing the Hanseatic League. 45 gin, 20 Campari, 20 Gustav lingonberry liqueur (Finland) and 15 Moe Handsa sour rowanberry vodka (Estonia). Read as a berry-infused, dry leaning, easy drinking negroni. Orange twist. Campari could be bumped back up to keep it more traditional negroni style.

Revisiting with actual raspberries (!). Absolutely delicious and love how the acid from the berries cuts the richness of the Campari and sloe gin. Could easily Chuck in several more to taste. I created a little pyramid of raspberry goodness on my Cube. Tanq 10 made this extra special and quite boozy. Could easily add 5-10ml lemon juice and convert this to a shaken version as well.

I struggled a bit with the first few sips trying to decide too sweet, not enough bitterness, etc. Rereading Difford's description and recipe thinking about how I might modify, I realized I had forgotten to express oils from an orange garnish. Doing so for the rest of the drink was a revelation. This drink requires this and definitely elevates it. Having said that, I'm not sure I will add it to my "Favourite Collection" until I contrast this with the more bitter Old Pal version.

Agreed, I was wavering over adding a dash of angostura, but left well alone in the end and added an extra zesty spray instead. I think vermouth di Torino and high abv rye are key here for those of us who are used to and appreciate a heavy duty Manhattan etc.

Just made this with Cappelletti, did not disappoint. The bitter-sweet was well balanced, negroni like. Look forward to trying this with a proper orange-red aperitivo, perhaps Luxardo if I can find it. As Tuber and Simon suggest, do express the orange zest onto the drink albeit it's not in the recipe per se.

Yes agreed re the oil spray bring essential here (fell off the instructions seemingly, Simon). Even lighter and fruitier this evening with. Melbourne-based Gospel solera rye and Dolin rouge. Distinct vinous notes also.
Calvin, having tried Luxardo apperitivo against Aperol, I definitely favour the original. Bumps it up the extra, all important half star which the Discerning such as ourselves appreciate 😉😝🤣

Agreed summertime Manhattan it is. VERY easy drinking; deceptively not boozy. My cupboard was unaccountably batter of rye, so created a Frankstein combination Vulson unaged rye, wild Turkey 101 and Canadian club, which was pleasantly not completely offensive. Will revisit with actual rye.

Uncle Monty quote of the day: There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' oh so very special about a firm, young carrot. - Withnail and I. See: Camberwell Carrot, also available on this website😉

Second version slightly less zingy but I may have over poured the bourbon slightly. Would def make again.

Uncle Monty quote of the day: There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' oh so very special about a firm, young carrot. - Withnail and I. See: Camberwell Carrot, also available on this website😉

Carrot colour certainly, but my first making of this and what stood out for me was that it’s almost spritz like, in a very good way, which may have been a particularly fresh lemon? Really fizzing on the tongue. In this style I’d be tempted to serve up in a coupe. I wasn’t sure about the PX but it blended seamlessly, provided rich nutty back notes to support the bourbon.

Uncle Monty quote of the day: There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' oh so very special about a firm, young carrot. - Withnail and I. See: Camberwell Carrot, also available on this website😉

You're almost certainly correct, thank you for the response, it's always a good day when I get to learn some interesting cocktail lore!

Same! Love the history and cultural part!

It kind of did, but not in the way you think! I unfortunately couldn't find Carpano Antica, but I do have Carpano Classico and I think it is the best overall sweet red vermouth. It does all jobs perfectly and makes for a delightful Manhattan.

I’ve never actually seen that for sale in Australia! Haven’t looked online tho..