This is a great way to enjoy fine whisky (or whiskey) without getting too f****d up. It might seem sacrilegious to dilute something you may have paid $200+(++) a bottle for to that extent. But if that bottle truly has the character that you paid an exorbitant sum for, it will shine through in a Mizuwari.

Ok, I respect the attempt to create something worthy of the classic rap song. But this misses the mark in my humble opinion. Gin and Juice should be well, Gin and (Orange) Juice. So we start from a base of equal parts London Dry Gin and fresh-squeezed Orange Juice. Served over a king-size ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass, with ample time for melting and dilution to work their alchemy. Not bad, good even. But how to take it to the next level without compromising its fundamental nature? Not by adding grapefruit juice. Nope. In my opinion, just a dash or four of Luxardo Maraschino (to taste) makes this something that even Snoop D-O-double-G would approve of.

Crikey cobber! What was I thinking?

Thass not a Claret! Now this, this is is a Claret!

Ah yes, the "muddled fruit" vs. I guess, "minimalist" Old Fashioned debate. Aside from Mr. Difford here, I learned about the most about cocktails from the legendary Dale DeGroff and the OG cocktail historian Ted Haigh. Haigh refers to the muddled fruit version as a "ugly slurry". Yet no less of an authority than DeGroff is apparently on Team Ugly Slurry. DeGroff, in the first edition of Craft of the Cocktail: "Those other guys just want some sweetened whiskey, not an Old Fashioned." It's summer here in Cali, and I just a muddled fruit Old Fashioned with blackberries, an orange slice, and some beautiful farmer's market apricots. So let's split the difference! When all those things are in season, muddled fruit is the way to go. Once the chill of winter comes in, I'm sipping on some sweetened Bourbon. (Of course, it's not just sweetened Bourbon, it's sweetened Bourbon plus Angostura bitters and an orange twist.

This is one cocktail where the history is probably more interesting than the drink itself. It's presented here as a variant of the Long Island Iced Tea, but I think this is a case of convergent evolution. My theory is that this originated among American servicemen in the Philipines, late 1940s to early 1950s. That would explain the Spanish and the proto-Fratboy aspects of it. But I have no evidence. Would love to know the first published source of this cocktail.

Well, "Claret wine (Bordeaux red)" would translate most closely downunder to a Coonawarra or Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. A Loire Valley Cabernet Franc (a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon) would, we think, be worth a try also.

maybe in Australia, but back then mate? I mean it's got to be New Yawk!

Doesn't even take like Dr. Pepper. Lame.

Thanks in advance, or maybe thanks retroactively to Russell Lee. I haven't actually encountered whiskey barrel finished red wines, but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places? I'm going to try this with Old Elk wheated Bourbon and a smooth yet tannic and light bodied well-aged Haute Medoc.

Well now we are getting somewhere! It tastes great and the layering effect in the glass is gorgeous. It's not really a "sour" cocktail though, and perhaps that's the key? Compared to a daiquiri or old-school whiskey sour, the tartness is barely noticeable, more akin to what you might encounter in a Witbeir or Saison.

How about going all out for Valentine's Day this year, and offering your sweetie a dozen roses? That is to say a dozen cocktails with "Rose" in the name. Not all at once, of course, but what could be more romantic than stretching Valentine's Day out to two weeks, with a one day buffer and one day to recover, i.e., a dozen roses? Make him or her or they a new cocktail every day for 12 days! And consider my own "Rose Darling" among them!

Thanks in advance, or maybe thanks retroactively to Russell Lee. I haven't actually encountered whiskey barrel finished red wines, but maybe I haven't been looking in the right places? I'm going to try this with Old Elk wheated Bourbon and a smooth yet tannic and light bodied well-aged Haute Medoc.

I'm intrigued by the New York Sour but I've never made or been served a great one. I assume it succeeds or fails on the compatibility of the Bourbon and "Claret red wine." Could we clarify in more modern language what red wine would work well in this cocktail? A California Cabernet? A South Australian Shiraz? And what about substituting Rye for Bourbon. Rye seems more "New York."

Hi everybody. I just bought this amazing product, which is called Vegetal-de-la-Grande-Chartreuse. It comes in a tiny 100 mL bottle. Basically it's Chartreuse in bitters form. It's really awesome. The ~$40.00 I paid for the tiny bottle was totally worth it.

Been exploring the world of Bianco vermouth lately. Long ago Pepsi introduced a product called Crystal Pepsi. It tasted like Pepsi but with a more subdued and slightly tweaked flavor profile. Also it was clear. So this is basically the Crystal Pepsi version of Martini Rosso. Same flavor profile, but subdued with more prominent vanilla notes. It's not bad but it's not as interesting as other Biancos, which, unlike this one, seem to exist outside the French/Italian Dry/Sweet vermouth dichotomy.

Looking forward to the definitive Difford's Park Avenue recipe. Love the site, glad I could help in a small way by bringing Haigh's recipe to your attention.

I made this recipe as above except I didn't have creme de violet so I included a lightly bruised sprig of lavender in the shaker to provide the floral notes, replacing the balance of the liqueur with more maraschino. 5+ stars. I have a lavender plant growing on my porch. It's hardy and drought tolerant so all you Aviation lovers out there might consider growing one of your own it as an alternative to sourcing the hard to find creme de violette!

Interesting. Sometime when I have all the ingredients I'll have to try it and determine how well it captures the essence of Calloway's music and persona. But perhaps in honor of Calloway's home town of Rochester, NY, we should substitute the Rochester-based Fee Brothers' bitters.

The version is Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is 2 oz. gin, 0.75 oz. sweet vermouth, 0.75 pineapple juice, 2 tsp. Curacao. That version is a 5+ stars in my book. The only reason I don't return to it as often as other stalwarts like the Manhattan and Martini is that I don't have pineapple juice and Curacao in stock at all times.

I have found store bought cocktail onions to be pretty disgusting. Does anyone have any tips for homemade or maybe an artisan brand?