I wonder if it would be possible to replicate something similar oneself by macerating fresh peach flesh and vodka (the neutral spirit) using a sous vide?

Absolutely. Fresh peaches however you can process them

Okay, I’m on a quest with Banana liqueur, and I have the cheap stuff the brand no one here will dare say its name. But I wanted to see if anything rose to the level of buying a full bottle of the “good stuff.”

Tonight, I threw out three experiments with other recipes, after one sip — no, no, and no.

This one! We have a winner. It just pulls the room together, what can I say? I will excite my next supper party.

My first sip, I thought, “Oh, Okay, I guess.” But then, I decided to pair it with a salty snack, in my case a bowl of salted roasted pumpkin seeds, and OH BOY. It’s purrrrfect.

How do I love this cocktail! I was making Ted Haigh’s version in the past, where he uses raspberry syrup and a some slight variations in the ratios, but this is MY FAVE as of today. I live in “berry-growing” country and fresh raspberries, as well as fresh grapefruits, are easy to pick. Go ahead, move to California!

It is late at night but I got it into my head I HAD to have a Scofflaw.

At the last second, I realized all the lemons were used up earlier this afternoon for the teetotalers— they needed a pitcher of Arnold’s.

So, dammit, it’s too dark to wander down the street to pick a lemon from a neighbor’s tree.

But I have a lime tree and it’s fruiting, so I grabbed a Bearss lime off the branch, and I’m here to tell you this Lime Scofflaw is FANTASTIC. I did it!

Boy, did I ever have a happy accident! I was surprised to see I didn’t have any rum in the house EXCEPT Plantation Pineapple. I used that with the two vermouths, *dry* orange curacao, the cheap grenadine and the all important saline spray. It is STUPENDOUS!

I used the tiny dash/spidgen/pinch measuring spoons one can purchase, to get the absinthe, bitters, and orange blossom in perfect Savoy harmony. Wow. It really is a perfect, perfect, drink.

John Le Carré fans: You may remember when George Smiley goes on a drinking binge with Jerry Westerby to get him to “spill.” Jerry’s drink of choice is a Pink Gin, and understanding that he seems to swill them all day, we understand his drinking state of mind. “Pink Gin” also figures quite a bit in Somerset Maugham novels, where it’s the only thing to cut the Malaysian heat.

Hunter was my friend, and he really, really, would have liked reading this. Xoxo YFTR, Susie

I once wrote a column called “Grapefruit is the New Umami” because it’s a leap for cocktail students to grasp. In cocktails, grapefruit juice plays a chemistry role that has nothing to do with the horrid half-grapefruits your mother made you eat, or someone’s lamebrained crash diet. The Grapefruit juice (fresh, SVP) or bitters, “brings the whole room together” as Mr. Lebowski once said. You don’t taste the fruit per se, you taste an experience that couldn’t come together without this dear ingredient. Try it. Not Greyhounds, although those are fine— something more complicated.

Wild woman here: I had bourbon. I had an Amontillado sherry. I had homemade nocino from our walnut tree. It is sooooooo good.

I look forward to trying. Perhaps turned out to be a happy accident! Out of interest, what brand of kummel did you use?

It is “Helbing” Kümmel from the Heinrich Helbing distillery in Hamburg. I hope you will as happy as I was. I am a fan of the caraway seed, and I have used in cooking as well as beverages. Simon, thank you for asking! You’re a constant inspiration here.

Okay, don’t hate me, but having lost my Becherovka in a senseless “accident de cabinet,” I took a discerning eye to my remaining liqueurs and decided to try Kümmel instead. I think it is SUBLIME. Everything else, as described.

When I saw that the recipe called for both Grendine AND simple syrup, I thought, "Let's just go w/ more Grenadine" as a plus up. In fact, it was a plus down. The recipe as stated is better and will be my way to make a BS from this point forward. :)

Absolutely right. This recipe is perfect to the drop. I, too, was tempted to skimp on the sugar syrup, but disciplined myself just in time!

Well, it’s May Day, and I think it’s lots of fun to make “The Communist” especially if you have some retro glassware. Don’t worry, the drink will not turn you pink.
1.00 ounce gin
1.00 ounce orange juice
0.50 ounce cherry brandy (Cherry Heering)
0.75 ounce fresh lemon juice

Patience and perseverance. It has been many years since we photographed this cocktail, but I remember the garnish being a faff.

(American going to look up “faff” in Cambridge English dictionary). It’s a beauty! And the drink is delicious.

What’s the clever efficient way to cut that crown so it fits the glass?

At the risk of being accused of Canadian delusion, the sourcing of REAL, top of the line Ontario or Quebec “sirop d’erable” is what makes this. It’s heaven. Maple syrup is Eastern Canada’s umami. Treasure it!

Sublime, especially with ragtime accompaniment.

I am very proud of making this drink a “thing” at Louie’s bar in Santa Cruz, which at the moment is Gilda’s. He and his wife fell in love with it and everyone who tried it fell in love. We’re so lucky to live here, where oranges have 3 seasons!

Oh I like it. It’s citrus season in California and Mexico, and experimenting with different oranges, tangerines, Buddha’s hands, — it all tastes GREAT. The fresh juice is everything

Used Amaro Nonnino. It’s thundering outside, must make do. Like a Paper Plane only without lemon — the Peychaud’s and Absinthe instead. Very nice New Orleans vibe