Buzzfeed recently wrote about The Negroni being the perfect cocktail, and they make a pretty strong case. It's appropriate at just about any time, morning, afternoon, evening and late night. It's not a "man's" or a "woman's" drink, and it's easy to make.
What do you think fit's that criteria?
I don't disagree with the authors choice of the Negroni, but I would suggest two drinks that I really enjoy making, The White Spider and the Side Car.
What about you? cW, wasoxygen, cgod, sounds_sound as enthusiasts, former and current bartenders, what's your take?
Sounds like a good summer. Are you going to switch it up in the fall? If so, what drink?
There is huge variety in gin, so for sure give it a chance. At a bar, I would stay away from "well" gin and instead ask for something like Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray 10, which most bars serving decent cocktails should carry. Of course, those are both very "safe" gins made by very large companies. I don't know where you're from, but if you're in the U.S. there are a lot of small-batch gins that are gaining ground in their respective markets. Alternatively, you might try genever/jenever, otherwise known as Dutch gin. There is a whole lot of variety in Dutch gins as well and I regret that my time spent in the Netherlands did not include a more thorough exploration of them.
NO! You can do better than the gin and tonics. Try this White Spider recipe. It tastes great, it's fun to make and you already have the cointreau (triple-sec). If you have any questions about how to make it, let me know. Anyone can mix some gin with some tonic. (btw, g&t's are good, but try something different.)
I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with the author's choice. The Negroni? I mean, don't get me wrong: I _love_ a good Negroni. And we may well want to pose the pregnant question of what in the world we mean by a "perfect cocktail." But if the criteria of broad appeal is central, then the Negroni is out like a brown shirt in the spring of '45. If I had a shilling for every time someone ordered one based on its color, only to pull a curdling grimace on the first swig and demand a something-tini in its place, well ... I'd have at least a few schillings. Possibly enough to buy me a Negroni. Campari is a wonderful amaro, but it is an acquired taste on the order of Islay scotch, if not beyond. And in a society of palates trained predominantly to the hooks of the pleasure trap, bitter is the odd man out on the flavor quadrant. Sorry, escarole, and sorry Campari too. It's not a problem, of course. The celebration of acquired tastes guarantees us delightfully uncluttered avenues. I just don't see the value in pretending such a stinky cheese is going to be a crowd-pleaser. And speaking of crowd-pleasers, I'm going to have to say bravo to all of you. Every single one of the cocktails proposed makes a better "every wo/mans" cocktail than does the Negroni. The White Spider, the French 75, and (biases declared) the Dark and Stormy are my exemplars. Against my better judgement, I'll submit the (fresh) margarita for consideration, as it is remarkably popular despite its broad range of flavors offered. As it contains tequila, it may well lose critical volume in terms of appeal. However, anything universally appealing is bound to achieve such only by sacrificing intensity and nuance. Hence, pabulum. So, in short, the quest is broken (which makes it that much more fun to pursue.) And upon that broken quest, I'll pour my margarita.
I like your call of the fresh Margarita. I would have thought you might go with the Salty Dog or the Salt n Peppa though?If I had a shilling for every time someone ordered one based on its color, only to pull a curdling grimace on the first swig and demand a something-tini in its place, well ... I'd have at least a few schillings. Possibly enough to buy me a Negroni.
-Thank you for that, I just nearly coughed up my water from laughter. -no Negroni for me tonight, unfortunately.
Moscow Mules - or any type of Mule - is a delicious, simple, but classy drink. Plus just swap out with favorite liquor. Trader Joes has great Ginger Beer, FYI. I've been on an Old Fashion craze since I had an outstanding one with redlamp a week ago.
Completely in agreement. I would add that having the copper mugs on hand is a nice bonus.
A French 75 will do the trick for me. It's light enough for the morning and tart enough to get through the day late at night. It's strong enough to get things going, or to end them and refreshing enough to hang out on for a while. I wouldn't stay on them all day though.
This is a great call. I love French 75's and there are a ton of variations you can play around with.
Mojito is a good call. I could drink a good mojito just about anytime. This made me think of a caipirinha -also a drink I could have any time of day.
Whenever I have a mojito I imagine myself as that shady Cayman Islands banker on the Simpsons who's sitting fanning himself, worries about the stuff he's said on the phone ,and then ends it with "Iss too hot to-day". It's an ultimate relaxer tonic, that's for sure. Funnily enough, tonight is Mojitos and Nachos night with mates!
A bloody mary seems like an excellent any time of the day cocktail. Excellent for an A.M. drink. The acidic mix can be rough on the stomach though. A manhattan seems versatile to me too. Some decent whiskey and sweet vermouth. You can skip the bitters if they're not available.
I've had some crazy nights that were completely fueled by Manhattans. For example. The Bloody Mary is as much a meal as it is a drink, therefore I don't think it could be considered all that versatile imo.
Buzzfeed? Just 2 days after Maddox made some valid points in his "I hate buzzfeed" video Devil : 2/5 Vermouth + 3/5 Porto in a glass with salt rim (add a cherry if you have any)
It's red. It got a nice name. And the perfect cocktail just must have a salt rim.
Sounds like an interesting drink, is the name because of the color? As for buzzfeed, I read it every day. I find it's an easy way to know what's going on in the world; whether it be politics, science, or current events. It's well written and has the kind of integrity I aspire to.
A cocktail for the morning? That's almost an oxymoron. I do love a decent Negroni though, however G&T's are my go to when I'm bringing liquor to a house party. At the bar, it's beer almost always because it's cheaper. If I'm cooking for friends - it's a dirty dry vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. Yum-a-dum-dum.
I used to love g&t's like you, OftenBen and flagamuffin, but now I can't stand the taste of most tonics. I prefer "soda" to the artificial "sweet" flavor of tonics. But I REALLY love gin. A lot.
Crown Royal and very cheap knock off coke... not sure why, but I like the flavor of the grocery store brands better. I like what Run_Train 1 stated, for obvious reasons... but felt compelled to be more specific. That, or... Glenlivet 18, neat. I don't understand the concept of drinks appealing to a certain gender.
I agree, I don't understand the concept of a gender-based drink either. Every drink I've mentioned my wife is is also fond. But, it was one of the criteria that the post that inspired this post put forth. I should have excluded it.
My college drink was always Wild Turkey and Coke. Strong stuff.
Nowhere near as qualified to answer as any of those you tagged, but I agree with OftenBen about the g&t -- in whatever form it may happen to take. My personal drink of all trades is the vodka sour, but I imagine that will change at some point.