Tuesday Favorites....Spirits

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There was nothing wrong with Robert Plant pleading to “let me be your back door man” and now, all of a sudden…

 

[Gator by the Sea]

Any time of year, it's hard to beat a good old fashioned. I make mine with 3 oz. of bourbon, a splash of simple syrup, 3-4 dashes of orange bitters, and a fresh orange peel.
In the summer, I like a Keys version of a Hemingway (no maraschino or grapefruit; just good rum, a splash of simple syrup, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice).
I'm allergic to beer, so for football season I add bourbon or Captain Morgan to apple cider.
For Thanksgiving through Christmas, I created my own holiday cocktail...3 oz. of bourbon, 2 oz. ginger beer, a splash of cranberry juice; garnish with a rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries.
A good red wine with dinner.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Any time of year, it's hard to beat a good old fashioned. I make mine with 3 oz. of bourbon, a splash of simple syrup, 3-4 dashes of orange bitters, and a fresh orange peel.
In the summer, I like a Keys version of a Hemingway (no maraschino or grapefruit; just good rum, a splash of simple syrup, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice).
I'm allergic to beer, so for football season I add bourbon or Captain Morgan to apple cider.
For Thanksgiving through Christmas, I created my own holiday cocktail...3 oz. of bourbon, 2 oz. ginger beer, a splash of cranberry juice; garnish with a rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries.
A good red wine with dinner.

Try your Old Fashioned with rye instead of bourbon, and try some good cherries with it. Luxardo cherries very expensive (like $20 a jar) but they are the real maraschino cherries and they are spectacular (and a jar will last you a long time if you don't let your wife or kids taste them). If you're going to pay for good booze, pay for good cherries.

A less expensive option is Fabbri Amarena (I just bought a big jar at Costco). Not Luxardo, but really, really good.

Alex.

 

[Detroitgator]

In the Fall, whatever @soflagator 's tent has is my favorite...

 

[Altitude Gator]

Beer
Bourbon
Vodka drinks
Tequila
Champaign
Wine

And I never go beyond the top four. I don't do wine of any kind.

 

[soflagator]

Try your Old Fashioned with rye instead of bourbon, and try some good cherries with it. Luxardo cherries very expensive (like $20 a jar) but they are the real maraschino cherries and they are spectacular (and a jar will last you a long time if you don't let your wife or kids taste them). If you're going to pay for good booze, pay for good cherries.

A less expensive option is Fabbri Amarena (I just bought a big jar at Costco). Not Luxardo, but really, really good.

Alex.

Had a great cocktail this weekend that was the components of an OF but was more cherry than orange and smoke. I have a smoker and have been meaning to but it out. May have to do something similar for then Ark game. But yes, skimping on the cherries is a sin. One of the worst drinking stories I can recall is being at Shula’s, and the bartender puts one of those practically neon, CVS cherries in my Angels Envy Rye OF. Probably a $20 drink at a $75 dollar steak place and you give me that garbage? Terrible.

 

[LagoonGator68]

Never knew the name, but have partaken! A little Tallahassee Liquor Store Trivia for you…there was a Fred’s Liquors on, I think, Ocala maybe, that would mix you a container of a specific cocktail at the drive-thru to take with you to your party destination. Did this a couple of times, got them to mix a bottle of Kamikazes, never stopped to think whether or not it was legal. It was cheaper and easier than buying all the makings and taking them with you. Ahhh, the 80’s!

Tharpe St….also, Fred’s Backdoor by Whataburger at W. Tennessee and Ocala Rd.

 

[Detroitgator]

Had a great cocktail this weekend that was the components of an OF but was more cherry than orange and smoke. I have a smoker and have been meaning to but it out. May have to do something similar for then Ark game. But yes, skimping on the cherries is a sin. One of the worst drinking stories I can recall is being at Shula’s, and the bartender puts one of those practically neon, CVS cherries in my Angels Envy Rye OF. Probably a $20 drink at a $75 dollar steak place and you give me that garbage? Terrible.

At the Hilton? 6 or so years ago, there was a really good (and pretty hot) bartender at the Hilton bar (before Shula's opened) that made proper OF's... took her like 10 minutes to make with the mortar and pestle and fresh orange peel tied in a knot. I never thought that she might have moved to working in Shula's when it opened vs the hotel bar.

 

[soflagator]

Any time of year, it's hard to beat a good old fashioned. I make mine with 3 oz. of bourbon, a splash of simple syrup, 3-4 dashes of orange bitters, and a fresh orange peel.
In the summer, I like a Keys version of a Hemingway (no maraschino or grapefruit; just good rum, a splash of simple syrup, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice).
I'm allergic to beer, so for football season I add bourbon or Captain Morgan to apple cider.
For Thanksgiving through Christmas, I created my own holiday cocktail...3 oz. of bourbon, 2 oz. ginger beer, a splash of cranberry juice; garnish with a rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries.
A good red wine with dinner.

That Christmas drink sounds good. Made a play on a whiskey sour recently for our tailgate and decided to lightly burn a little rosemary and add that in. Good reviews.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Had a great cocktail this weekend that was the components of an OF but was more cherry than orange and smoke. I have a smoker and have been meaning to but it out. May have to do something similar for then Ark game. But yes, skimping on the cherries is a sin. One of the worst drinking stories I can recall is being at Shula’s, and the bartender puts one of those practically neon, CVS cherries in my Angels Envy Rye OF. Probably a $20 drink at a $75 dollar steak place and you give me that garbage? Terrible.

I'm not a snob by any means, but putting that kind of cherry in that drink at that place is like putting ketchup on their steaks. It makes the drink worse. They should know better.

Alex.

 

[soflagator]

At the Hilton? 6 or so years ago, there was a really good (and pretty hot) bartender at the Hilton bar (before Shula's opened) that made proper OF's... took her like 10 minutes to make with the mortar and pestle and fresh orange peel tied in a knot. I never thought that she might have moved to working in Shula's when it opened vs the hotel bar.

No. This was at the Dolphin at Disney. I haven’t eaten at the Shulas in Gville, but have been to the bar and think I know the girl you’re referring to. All in all, I’m spoiled on steak places but I just didn’t care for Shula’s, specifically the price point relative to other better places, and have not been back. Until I went all out for our 10 year anniversary dinner at a place in NY, that Shula’s night was the most expensive dinner I’d ever paid for. And it was average, relatively speaking, and the cherrie thing just got to me.

 

[Detroitgator]

I'm not a snob by any means, but putting that kind of cherry in that drink at that place is like putting ketchup on their steaks. It makes the drink worse. They should know better.

Alex.

 

[Detroitgator]

No. This was at the Dolphin at Disney. I haven’t eaten at the Shulas in Gville, but have been to the bar and think I know the girl you’re referring to. All in all, I’m spoiled on steak places but I just didn’t care for Shula’s, specifically the price point relative to other better places, and have not been back. Until I went all out for our 10 year anniversary dinner at a place in NY, that Shula’s night was the most expensive dinner I’d ever paid for. And it was average, relatively speaking, and the cherrie thing just got to me.

Couple of things related and unrelated...

1. She was relatively tall, long straight black/dark hair (great all around bartender).
2. I've never eaten at the Shula's in Gainesville either... passed it up for ordering Gumby's from next door several times...
3. Daughter has now eaten at both Spurrier's and Prime & Pearl and she said P&P was pretty phenomenal.

 

[AlexDaGator]

That Christmas drink sounds good. Made a play on a whiskey sour recently for our tailgate and decided to lightly burn a little rosemary and add that in. Good reviews.

Somebody posted about a walnut preserve that they make in Cyprus. It's very sweet, whole preserved walnuts in syrup. The walnut is chewy and the syrup is flavored with warm spices like clove and maybe citrus peel. It has baklava notes to it. That got me thinking about a baklava inspired Old Fashioned. Hear me out.

I want to find a jar of these walnut preserves, cut one into quarters, and maybe use one of the quarters instead of the cherry, and some of the syrup instead of the simple syrup. No smoke. Shouldn't be too sweet and should give that walnut and warm spice flavor to the Old Fashioned.


Alex.

 

[soflagator]

Somebody posted about a walnut preserve that they make in Cyprus. It's very sweet, whole preserved walnuts in syrup. The walnut is chewy and the syrup is flavored with warm spices like clove and maybe citrus peel. It has baklava notes to it. That got me thinking about a baklava inspired Old Fashioned. Hear me out.

I want to find a jar of these walnut preserves, cut one into quarters, and maybe use one of the quarters instead of the cherry, and some of the syrup instead of the simple syrup. No smoke. Shouldn't be too sweet and should give that walnut and warm spice flavor to the Old Fashioned.


Alex.

You could try adding orgeat instead of simple syrup. Almond, not walnut, but may be similar. That’s what the drink I had this weekend used.

 

[Detroitgator]

Somebody posted about a walnut preserve that they make in Cyprus. It's very sweet, whole preserved walnuts in syrup. The walnut is chewy and the syrup is flavored with warm spices like clove and maybe citrus peel. It has baklava notes to it. That got me thinking about a baklava inspired Old Fashioned. Hear me out.

I want to find a jar of these walnut preserves, cut one into quarters, and maybe use one of the quarters instead of the cherry, and some of the syrup instead of the simple syrup. No smoke. Shouldn't be too sweet and should give that walnut and warm spice flavor to the Old Fashioned.


Alex.

I'd throw some ketchup on that for sure.

 

[Detroitgator]

"What if I told you, simple syrup is the "ketchup" of the drink world..."

 

[soflagator]

Couple of things related and unrelated...

1. She was relatively tall, long straight black/dark hair (great all around bartender).
2. I've never eaten at the Shula's in Gainesville either... passed it up for ordering Gumby's from next door several times...
3. Daughter has now eaten at both Spurrier's and Prime & Pearl and she said P&P was pretty phenomenal.

Spurrier’s has several good things. P&P is very good, but overpriced, imo. We’ve done a few anniversary dinners there. I just don’t think any restaurant in Gainesville should be commanding Manhattan type prices. But it’s good and the setting is probably the best of the steakhouses here.

 

[Detroitgator]

Spurrier’s has several good things. P&P is very good, but overpriced, imo. We’ve done a few anniversary dinners there. I just don’t think any restaurant in Gainesville should be commanding Manhattan type prices. But it’s good and the setting is probably the best of the steakhouses here.

We have that problem in downtown Pensacola... it's nuts.

 

[Detroitgator]

Spurrier’s has several good things. P&P is very good, but overpriced, imo. We’ve done a few anniversary dinners there. I just don’t think any restaurant in Gainesville should be commanding Manhattan type prices. But it’s good and the setting is probably the best of the steakhouses here.

What would your list of "5 favorite places in Gainesville" for dinner be (doesn't have to be "fancy", just "favorites", for whatever reason)?