Morten Hansen

I was out of falernum but tried to approximate it with orgeat, a couple of dashes of Bittermens Emakulele Tiki bitters and a couple of dashes of Dr Adam Elmegirab’s Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters and the result turned out to be very tasty indeed.

As a side note, I also added a small amount of xanthan gum to help keep the emulsion stable for longer (as generally recommended for blended drinks by The Educated Barfly YouTube channel).

Fairly one-dimensional to my tastebuds, probably due to sweet banana + sweet coke, but might be “spruced up” a bit with some lemon/lime? And yes, I’m partial to more sour/tart flavours. Anyway, I think there might be an interesting base for some experimentation here and I like the way the sweet banana smell is immediately apparent when drinking it; kind of like banana boiled sweets/hard candy.

I will admit that I’m not a fan of Suze, and in this particular cocktail, it seems to me that it’s bitterness overpowers the more gentle flavour of cucumber etc. However, I found that the heat of the black pepper actually paired well with the bitterness of the Suze. But if you like Suze and bitter cocktails, then this may be more up your alley as drink on a hot summer’s day.

Nice, very refreshing, and tastes quite well, but a bit one-dimensional to my tastebuds. But do note that I substituted St. Germain elderflower liqueur, as I had no elderflower cordial.

Not too bad, but a bit one dimensional. To my palate, it could do with some tartness; lime or lemon. I might tinker a bit with this later on.

It would appear that the egg white is currently erroneously listed twice (including the health warning) in this recipe?

Gotta get rid of that name.

A more acceptable (and accurate) name might be a “Tall Mayan”?

Caveats: Not a huge fan of champagne cocktails so far, though I very much enjoyed the Old Cuban. This cocktail isn’t bad as such, but doesn’t really shine either, hence my 3 stars. My attempt at this cocktail might’ve been negatively impacted by the sparkling wine used (a cheap product I happened to receive in a raffle), so a better version or preference for champagne cocktails might bump up the score. At least worth trying out for its distinctiveness.

I also added a single ice cube to the glass which I think actually improved the flavour a bit and also meant that I could drink it a bit more leisurely (the flute doesn’t have much mass for retaining the cold and both the Chartreuse and the blue curaçao are likely to be at room temperature).

Not a huge fan of champagne or cognac cocktails so far (but do like the Old Cuban), but this was okay. If you happen to like these, my fairly low 3,5 score will definitely be higher for you and my attempt might’ve suffered by using a cheap, sparkling wine. I basically tried this recipe to use up the rest of the sparkling wine. Unless you drink it fairly quickly, you might also consider putting a single ice cube of suitable size in the glass.

Caveats: Not a huge fan of champagne cocktails so far, though I very much enjoyed the Old Cuban. This cocktail isn’t bad as such, but doesn’t really shine either, hence my 3 stars. My attempt at this cocktail might’ve been negatively impacted by the sparkling wine used (a cheap product I happened to receive in a raffle), so a better version or preference for champagne cocktails might bump up the score. At least worth trying out for its distinctiveness.

A very smooth, sweet concoction. I’m considering experimenting a bit with it as a way of using some of my remaining Advocaat by perhaps playing a bit with the amount of orange juice (perhaps upping it a bit) and possibly adding coffee liqueur (to add a more complex note, having noticed how coffee and banana works quite well together in other cocktails). But right now, I’m all out of bananas...

PS. This does not mean that there’s anything wrong with the recipe as it is, or that it’s unbalanced, but simply that to suit my own palate even more, I think it’s worth toying a bit with it.

A very smooth, sweet concoction. I’m considering experimenting a bit with it as a way of using some of my remaining Advocaat by perhaps playing a bit with the amount of orange juice (perhaps upping it a bit) and possibly adding coffee liqueur (to add a more complex note, having noticed how coffee and banana works quite well together in other cocktails). But right now, I’m all out of bananas...

I'll admit to not using freshly pressed pineapple juice (I don't own a juicer), but I used a nice commercial product with plenty of flavour, though a bit on the tart side. As the reposado I used Ocho Ocho and in the specified ratios, the tequila and to a lesser extent the coffee liqueur completely drowned out the pineapple. So, I topped up with more pineapple juice subsequently until it re-emerged in the taste. It was necessary in both my tests with various coffee liqueurs (Kahlua and Lucano).

I set out to test the difference in coffee liqueurs (as per the description), but if using the same ingredients as in my attempts, I suspect that cutting the amount of tequila in half might be a simpler adjustment. I’ll probably try this another day.

I'll admit to not using freshly pressed pineapple juice (I don't own a juicer), but I used a nice commercial product with plenty of flavour, though a bit on the tart side. As the reposado I used Ocho Ocho and in the specified ratios, the tequila and to a lesser extent the coffee liqueur completely drowned out the pineapple. So, I topped up with more pineapple juice subsequently until it re-emerged in the taste. It was necessary in both my tests with various coffee liqueurs (Kahlua and Lucano).

I don't know if I messed up some of the measurements or if it was because I shook, ra than blended the cocktail, but the result seemed a bit on the tart side (and I enjoy tart drinks, BTW). So, next time I'll probably up the grenadine (which seemed a bit lost) or add a bit of simple syrup.

Come to think of it, the tartness might be due to my pineapple juice being somewhat on the tart side, rather than just sweet.

I don't know if I messed up some of the measurements or if it was because I shook, ra than blended the cocktail, but the result seemed a bit on the tart side (and I enjoy tart drinks, BTW). So, next time I'll probably up the grenadine (which seemed a bit lost) or add a bit of simple syrup.

Had to improvise a little with the ingredients on this one and this may have necessitated further adjustments. I initially switched the Plymouth to Bombay Dry Gin and the Heering to Luxardo Maraschino. The result felt a little “flat” (not bad, just a bit too one dimensional for my palate), so I added a dash of Peychaud’s and one of Angostura bitters to the drink after consuming half and it really upped the flavour profile, adding a bit of herbs and heat to the final impression.

Made it with a cheap, generic bourbon and Amaro Lucarno (because I had it in my cupboard, but didn’t have any Amaro Nonino) and really enjoyed the result.

A bit like a less bitter/herbal, but more citrusy Last Word. Very refreshing accompaniment to a good cigar on my balcony in the sun on a baking hot afternoon.

Thanks a bunch for the quick remedial action on my hasty vote! Now I at least know to consider matters a bit more carefully before submitting my future cocktail votes.

However, I still have to work out how to account for, say, not being a cognac cocktail fan when deciding on a fair vote. After all, it’s no fault of the recipe if you happen not to like some particular ingredient in general.

I rated this 3, then changed my mind and attempted to rerate it to 3.5, but was unable to. I’m not a big fan of cognac cocktails so far, but if you are, this recipe probably rates at least a 4 or possibly even 4.5.