Bottle Share Nights: Experimentation and Exploration

 

Over the holidays I went to a party that explicitly banned us bringing alcohol. We were to drink the hosts’ stash and that was it. So rather bringing sand to a beach, we just brought food instead of booze.

So this wasn’t a proper bottle share per se as we weren’t allowed to actually bring alcohol to share. But the etiquette still stands- bring something for the host. Mixers and food are always appreciated. I also suggest thinking about things like ice and citrus.

I really enjoyed the set up. All the booze was set out all over the kitchen counters loosely based on type of spirits. So we had whiskey, rum, agave, clear (vodka, gin, etc) and weird. I had the most fun tasting through the weird stuff.

 

 

Yes, I’m a whiskey girl but other than a couple of bottles of new things on the market, I spent most of my time in the weird corner (as always in life). I did try this Basil Hayden dark rye however.

 

I didn’t think I would love the turmeric cordial as much as I did. It was so interesting. I wonder how it’ll be in a clarified milk punch — getting inspired by all the turmeric lattes that are so popular now.

 

I was so excited to see Italicus, a bergamot liqueur I first spotted at Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America’s annual convention a couple of years ago. I’ve seen it on a few back bars now in Los Angeles.

I made a drink featuring strawberry brandy, Italicus, and Angostura bitters.

 

I wasn’t going to try all the gins from Automatic but someone said the seaweed one was really good. Based in Northern California, the gin is distilled from grapes. I ended up trying all three because that’s the only way to establish the baseline. First I tasted the Uptown, a dry gin.

 

Then I tasted the Gin No. 5.

 

And ended with the sea gin which is the “seaweed” one. Like many savory flavored spirits, this would be a fine one in a bloody mary (aka red snapper). But I want to see more applications for savory gins and spirits. Time to do some exploration and experimentation.

 

Bottle Share Nights

Introduction

What’s the Deal with Private Events?

Experimentation and Exploration

Intimate & Personal

How to Build Your Collection

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