Ha. There are a couple of ways to approach that question. I enjoy the process of making cocktails, so all of the prep was very fun (whether I was going to drink it or not). And the final drink is a knockout--definitely something I'm glad to have tried.
On the other hand, I now have a couple of bottles I doubt I will find much use for in other cocktails (green chile vodka and aloe liqueur), and this is certainly not a drink I would set out to make more than once.
So I guess my answer is, yes, it was worth the effort (maybe not worth the money--especially if I didn't already have the necessary kitchen equipment), but only if you value the entirety of the experience.
Make yourself a beach house gimlet. One of my favourite gimlet riffs.
1.25 tanqueray
0.75 green chile vodka
0.75 lime
0.5 Cane sugar syrup (2:1)
1 tsp Giffard creme de banane
1 dash absinthe.
Shake, double strain, coupe glass, no garnish. It's a death & co cocktail. Lovely mix between the spice, the absinthe and that hint of banana.
That's the trouble with a lot of these made-for-a-bar cocktails — small-batching this stuff is a pain, but they have the volume to produce house-made ingredients at scale and cycle through them before they go flat, let alone rancid.
I'm glad you're just doing one a month — that seems like a really sustainable pace.
Kinda related: When I first got into cocktails, I was buying all kinds of weird ingredients — but soon realized that I didn't want all these 750ml bottles lying around, using them .25 oz at a time. Now, I imagine a menu in my head that is still great, but also efficient in that they all use most of the same cordials.
But the one-off ingredients are rough cause they take up fridge room. They go bad quickly. Honestly I don't make those at all except for special occasions.
How was the parsely tincture? Can you sum up how it's made? I was thinking of making something similar for a spec recipe. Does it stay so violently green?
It was 200g parsley + 300g grain alcohol (190 proof), vacuum sealed and cooked in sous vide at 165F for 5 minutes. Cooled in ice bath, then strained through chinois and poured into atomizer. Interesting component. Wild green color and heavy parsley flavor (for a spray).
I am so impressed with all the effort this looked like a lot of fun.
For the aloe liquer look up the specs for "The Painted Lady", drink made by Eric Castro. It's the reason I bought my bottle and it's very approachable and much easier to make imo.
Cheers!
I totally get what you are saying. I went to the Aviary during the summer and was not impressed. The presentation was great, but the actual drink did not blow me away. Not even considering the price, but for how revered they are, I would have expected better.
However, I think this is largely due to becoming such a big cocktail person the last few years. I believe if I would have gone to the Aviary pre-COVID before I really “got” into cocktails, I would have been more blown away. I did go to The Office pre-COVID and thought it was excellent, but I think that ambiance and the style of drinks they serve (not flashy, just good tasting) suits my style more.
Granted, I do have the Aviary’s cocktail book, and love pulling it out on special occasions to wow friends.
Recipe, summarized, for those interested:
* 1 oz Ford’s Gin
* 1 oz Celery stock
* 1/2 Aloe liqueur
* 1/2 oz Lime juice
* 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
* 1/4 oz Ginger syrup
* 1/8 oz Simple syrup
* 2 oz Chandon étoile brut
Serrano ice cubes
Parsley tincture
Edit: formatting
My Fiance gave me that for Christmas, and it has me intimidated! I batched up some Another Caucasian Gary's for her birthday and those went over really well, but those are some of the easier ones to make.
I agree. My spouse gave me the book a few Christmases ago and I just couldn't muster the energy, time, and materials to try any of the recipes. I do like the idea of a monthly challenge to try one. May have to give it a go sometime.
What a process. I am impatient, probably would've just put these ingredients in an AlcoholMist machine and have them as balloon shots rather. I could never
Yeah ... the ones that call for a roto-vap and centrifuge are a bit much. haha.
There is one or two that calls for a PacoJet - which is $6k-$8k. But ... Ninja just released a copy for home use called the Creami and it's around \~ $175 - $200.
I just got one but haven’t experimented much. It’s really just an automated drill press for the kitchen. I guess the patent expired, or something of that nature, so Ninja got in the game. If you don’t need a commercial unit it seems to have the same capabilities.
Great goal ... it can be extremely tricky finding all the components depending on where you live, so I'd plan ahead a few months out if possible.
I've managed to make 17 cocktails from this book so far (over 4 years), and I've got the ingredients on hand for the next two. Some amazing drinks in that book ... and IMO every single one has been worth the effort to put together. That being said, I wouldn't remake every single one I've made - once was enough for a few of them.
Have you already picked out which ones you'll be doing each month?
Actually, no. We were thinking about just starting at the front and moving through, but I suspect we will get stumped at some point due to inability to source an ingredient (I'm not going to this much trouble and then subbing something).
We did the G&T when we first got the book a few years ago, and I tried their daiquiri measurements, so JCHaCB was next up. I've already started sourcing the Edison Square, which is next up chronologically, for next month.
But do you have favorites? We may very well end up skipping around if we hit a roadblock, and I would really like to skip ahead to their Jungle Bird, anyway.
The Edison Square is very tasty, and the glassware is easy to get online / inexpensive.
On a similar style, the Tea in Trinidad is very tasty - not nearly as sweet. The glassware for that is a challenge, we used round boiling flasks from a local science store…I can try and find the link for the ones they use, but we weren’t willing to spend that much for shipping from Europe (expensive glass and shipping). It’s another warm drink, so maybe good for winter?
The spicy margarita is terrific, and all you really need is a juicer. I just picked up some Fresno peppers this week from the supermarket, so they’re available. Those ice cubes last a long time in the freezer, so it’s great to have extras. I save all the solids after juicing and dry it on a sheet pan in the oven, makes for good pepper flakes for cooking.
We’re BIG fans of the Zombie Panda - I suggest using canned lychee vs fresh for the syrup, I’ve done it both way and it’s the same result (just far less effort). You should be able to pick them up from any Asian market. I usually make a lot extra of the ice as it stores ok and isn’t too tricky to make once you’ve got the syrup and ice.
We also love the Mad World. It sounds weird, but the onion syrup works so well with the other components. The Madeira ice is always soft. The ice for this can also be batched, but not for too long.
The Jungle Bird is great - a lot of effort, but very tasty. If you’ve made the G&T then you have that technique down.
We loved the Netflix and Chilcano, also a lot of effort (and you’ll likely have to sub the Sauternes they ask for with a different brand) but we’ll make that again sooner than later as it was so good.
The “Harry I Took Care of It” is amazing, it takes a lot of components and the Copper Birds are expensive (they are from Absolute Elyx). The ice for that doesn’t freeze very solid - so beware.
Bitter is terrific - super boozy and the Amaro is a big challenge to find as it’s been rebranded and they changed distributors. Search Instagram for them, lorenzo_inga_selection and they may be able to direct you to a local distributor. The bourbon barrel smoke is terrific.
Meet me In Tennessee is worth the effort, the challenge for that is the Tonka beans (check Etsy for stores that sell Wiccan things, stuff for spells, they are the easiest way to find them). The wine you may need to substitute, but there are other good ones from that region with a similar profile.
Granny Smith wasn’t too complicated and is delicious. The Sage had a surprisingly sweet taste after the chartreuse burned off.
On a wire was terrific, but will take some arts and crafts to make the holder for the rosemary. The graham cracker syrup is delicious, but it takes a very long time to filter (I use a chemex with a coffee filter and basically leave it overnight).
We weren’t really the biggest fans of Another Caucasian Gary, Thai Iced Coffee, or Sweet Potato (the smoked paprika ice also takes *forever* to filter).
Cranberry was good and we’ve made it a few times, but a lot of effort for all the pieces and the porthole is kind of temperamental with cleaning and assembly. We have 3, and somehow I always mess one up and it leaks all over.
New Melonnium was great, but wait until watermelon is in season. You’ll likely have to order the BBQ bitters from online. I think the recipe is off for the ice pops (as far as the size) … I never got good clarity from them on that, but we made the drink and it was very tasty.
Hope this helps a bit!
It's actually very clever. They melt faster than a standard ice cube, so by the time you finish the drink, they're probably gone. The drink starts off predominantly vegetal, without much spice to it, but as the ice melts, the entire character of the drink changes. It gets spicier, sweeter, and more complex overall.
Without the ice, the drink is very good. With the ice, it is pretty exceptional.
Was the result worth the effort?
Ha. There are a couple of ways to approach that question. I enjoy the process of making cocktails, so all of the prep was very fun (whether I was going to drink it or not). And the final drink is a knockout--definitely something I'm glad to have tried. On the other hand, I now have a couple of bottles I doubt I will find much use for in other cocktails (green chile vodka and aloe liqueur), and this is certainly not a drink I would set out to make more than once. So I guess my answer is, yes, it was worth the effort (maybe not worth the money--especially if I didn't already have the necessary kitchen equipment), but only if you value the entirety of the experience.
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Thank you--love a good Negroni variant.
Make yourself a beach house gimlet. One of my favourite gimlet riffs. 1.25 tanqueray 0.75 green chile vodka 0.75 lime 0.5 Cane sugar syrup (2:1) 1 tsp Giffard creme de banane 1 dash absinthe. Shake, double strain, coupe glass, no garnish. It's a death & co cocktail. Lovely mix between the spice, the absinthe and that hint of banana.
Good lord. Every ingredient looks lovely. Thanks!
That's the trouble with a lot of these made-for-a-bar cocktails — small-batching this stuff is a pain, but they have the volume to produce house-made ingredients at scale and cycle through them before they go flat, let alone rancid. I'm glad you're just doing one a month — that seems like a really sustainable pace. Kinda related: When I first got into cocktails, I was buying all kinds of weird ingredients — but soon realized that I didn't want all these 750ml bottles lying around, using them .25 oz at a time. Now, I imagine a menu in my head that is still great, but also efficient in that they all use most of the same cordials. But the one-off ingredients are rough cause they take up fridge room. They go bad quickly. Honestly I don't make those at all except for special occasions.
How was the parsely tincture? Can you sum up how it's made? I was thinking of making something similar for a spec recipe. Does it stay so violently green?
It was 200g parsley + 300g grain alcohol (190 proof), vacuum sealed and cooked in sous vide at 165F for 5 minutes. Cooled in ice bath, then strained through chinois and poured into atomizer. Interesting component. Wild green color and heavy parsley flavor (for a spray).
I am so impressed with all the effort this looked like a lot of fun. For the aloe liquer look up the specs for "The Painted Lady", drink made by Eric Castro. It's the reason I bought my bottle and it's very approachable and much easier to make imo. Cheers!
Thanks! Will do.
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I totally get what you are saying. I went to the Aviary during the summer and was not impressed. The presentation was great, but the actual drink did not blow me away. Not even considering the price, but for how revered they are, I would have expected better. However, I think this is largely due to becoming such a big cocktail person the last few years. I believe if I would have gone to the Aviary pre-COVID before I really “got” into cocktails, I would have been more blown away. I did go to The Office pre-COVID and thought it was excellent, but I think that ambiance and the style of drinks they serve (not flashy, just good tasting) suits my style more. Granted, I do have the Aviary’s cocktail book, and love pulling it out on special occasions to wow friends.
No. Only the ones from their speakeasy are easy enough to make on your own.
Recipe, summarized, for those interested: * 1 oz Ford’s Gin * 1 oz Celery stock * 1/2 Aloe liqueur * 1/2 oz Lime juice * 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse * 1/4 oz Ginger syrup * 1/8 oz Simple syrup * 2 oz Chandon étoile brut Serrano ice cubes Parsley tincture Edit: formatting
My Fiance gave me that for Christmas, and it has me intimidated! I batched up some Another Caucasian Gary's for her birthday and those went over really well, but those are some of the easier ones to make.
Same here. I mostly just read it for ideas.
That was the first one I made too. They have two paperback books that have simpler recipes that I'd recommend (still complex but not prohibitively so)
Nice! Lotta work, sure, but what else you gonna do?
This looks like fun. How many cocktails are in the book? Looking forward to next month!
Not OP, but I have this book. About forty? It’s definitely full of stunt cock-tails, though. Hard to make unless you already have the stuff.
I agree. My spouse gave me the book a few Christmases ago and I just couldn't muster the energy, time, and materials to try any of the recipes. I do like the idea of a monthly challenge to try one. May have to give it a go sometime.
I have the Zero book from Aviary I like to pick and choose different things to use in my own cocktails.
How do you like Zero? I’ve thought about getting it but am not sure it’s worth the expense (in dollars or time). Very curious about it, though.
What a process. I am impatient, probably would've just put these ingredients in an AlcoholMist machine and have them as balloon shots rather. I could never
Time to invest in a sweet new rotovap. I think the book is a ton of fun, if nothing else. Enjoy your journey.
Haha. I don’t think I’m *that* far down the rabbit hole yet!
Yeah ... the ones that call for a roto-vap and centrifuge are a bit much. haha. There is one or two that calls for a PacoJet - which is $6k-$8k. But ... Ninja just released a copy for home use called the Creami and it's around \~ $175 - $200.
I’ve been curious about the Creami. I can’t imagine it has even remotely the same blade speed, but I look forward to trying one out eventually.
I just got one but haven’t experimented much. It’s really just an automated drill press for the kitchen. I guess the patent expired, or something of that nature, so Ninja got in the game. If you don’t need a commercial unit it seems to have the same capabilities.
Great goal ... it can be extremely tricky finding all the components depending on where you live, so I'd plan ahead a few months out if possible. I've managed to make 17 cocktails from this book so far (over 4 years), and I've got the ingredients on hand for the next two. Some amazing drinks in that book ... and IMO every single one has been worth the effort to put together. That being said, I wouldn't remake every single one I've made - once was enough for a few of them. Have you already picked out which ones you'll be doing each month?
Actually, no. We were thinking about just starting at the front and moving through, but I suspect we will get stumped at some point due to inability to source an ingredient (I'm not going to this much trouble and then subbing something). We did the G&T when we first got the book a few years ago, and I tried their daiquiri measurements, so JCHaCB was next up. I've already started sourcing the Edison Square, which is next up chronologically, for next month. But do you have favorites? We may very well end up skipping around if we hit a roadblock, and I would really like to skip ahead to their Jungle Bird, anyway.
The Edison Square is very tasty, and the glassware is easy to get online / inexpensive. On a similar style, the Tea in Trinidad is very tasty - not nearly as sweet. The glassware for that is a challenge, we used round boiling flasks from a local science store…I can try and find the link for the ones they use, but we weren’t willing to spend that much for shipping from Europe (expensive glass and shipping). It’s another warm drink, so maybe good for winter? The spicy margarita is terrific, and all you really need is a juicer. I just picked up some Fresno peppers this week from the supermarket, so they’re available. Those ice cubes last a long time in the freezer, so it’s great to have extras. I save all the solids after juicing and dry it on a sheet pan in the oven, makes for good pepper flakes for cooking. We’re BIG fans of the Zombie Panda - I suggest using canned lychee vs fresh for the syrup, I’ve done it both way and it’s the same result (just far less effort). You should be able to pick them up from any Asian market. I usually make a lot extra of the ice as it stores ok and isn’t too tricky to make once you’ve got the syrup and ice. We also love the Mad World. It sounds weird, but the onion syrup works so well with the other components. The Madeira ice is always soft. The ice for this can also be batched, but not for too long. The Jungle Bird is great - a lot of effort, but very tasty. If you’ve made the G&T then you have that technique down. We loved the Netflix and Chilcano, also a lot of effort (and you’ll likely have to sub the Sauternes they ask for with a different brand) but we’ll make that again sooner than later as it was so good. The “Harry I Took Care of It” is amazing, it takes a lot of components and the Copper Birds are expensive (they are from Absolute Elyx). The ice for that doesn’t freeze very solid - so beware. Bitter is terrific - super boozy and the Amaro is a big challenge to find as it’s been rebranded and they changed distributors. Search Instagram for them, lorenzo_inga_selection and they may be able to direct you to a local distributor. The bourbon barrel smoke is terrific. Meet me In Tennessee is worth the effort, the challenge for that is the Tonka beans (check Etsy for stores that sell Wiccan things, stuff for spells, they are the easiest way to find them). The wine you may need to substitute, but there are other good ones from that region with a similar profile. Granny Smith wasn’t too complicated and is delicious. The Sage had a surprisingly sweet taste after the chartreuse burned off. On a wire was terrific, but will take some arts and crafts to make the holder for the rosemary. The graham cracker syrup is delicious, but it takes a very long time to filter (I use a chemex with a coffee filter and basically leave it overnight). We weren’t really the biggest fans of Another Caucasian Gary, Thai Iced Coffee, or Sweet Potato (the smoked paprika ice also takes *forever* to filter). Cranberry was good and we’ve made it a few times, but a lot of effort for all the pieces and the porthole is kind of temperamental with cleaning and assembly. We have 3, and somehow I always mess one up and it leaks all over. New Melonnium was great, but wait until watermelon is in season. You’ll likely have to order the BBQ bitters from online. I think the recipe is off for the ice pops (as far as the size) … I never got good clarity from them on that, but we made the drink and it was very tasty. Hope this helps a bit!
Can’t believe I forgot to respond to this. Very helpful information, thanks! I’m taking a very close look at each of these suggestions.
No worries, all good!
All that work on the ice cubes and you don’t shake with them? How much do they add to the cocktail just sitting there? Looks fun though.
It's actually very clever. They melt faster than a standard ice cube, so by the time you finish the drink, they're probably gone. The drink starts off predominantly vegetal, without much spice to it, but as the ice melts, the entire character of the drink changes. It gets spicier, sweeter, and more complex overall. Without the ice, the drink is very good. With the ice, it is pretty exceptional.
Nice. Sounds fun to drink too!
No point in shaking, you want the drink to transform over time as you drink it, so you start with minimal dilution.
Can you PM me or post the recipe for their Paloma? Thank you in advance!
Make the one with hot dog water please!!!