Peter Suderman, author of the Cocktails With Suderman newsletter, joins Josh Barro to discuss how to make cocktails at home that are delicious, but not too fussy or expensive. He explains why you need salt on your bar, and how to tweak classic cocktails like the Aviation and the Sidecar so they're smoother and more balanced. They also discuss what cocktails to drink when, and what barware they can't live without.
Josh, given your affinity for “sours” next time you are in LA, go to the Alibi Room (Roy Choi’s kogi tacos) and order The Saturn. It is a delicious gin-passionfruit-lemon sour. Also order The Recovery at Cassia. It is a whiskey sour with a healthy dose of ginger. Aloha…
This was great. Found myself really wanting to try an Old Fashioned. I’ve Never been a big drinker, but do enjoy a good beer in the summer. Do you drink beer on Fire Island? If so, what kind? I usually drink Stella Artois pretty run of the mill.
Fun podcast this week thank you. Apart from the fact that we will be one of the first places to be lost under rising sea-levels, one great advantage of living in south Florida during climate change is that winter temperatures are getting warmer, so we don't really have an "off-season" for summer cocktails. Though not cocktail drinkers, we went to the beach on Christmas last and drank Aperol Spritz and Pimms in 80°F. It's our new normal. Cheers!
Really enjoyed this episode, even though I'm not a maker or consumer of cocktails. It's just great to hear people talk about things they are passionate about. More Friday/Saturday lifestyle content, please. Josh, I know you said you're not into IPAs, but there are really good (especially here in SoCal) offerings that are not simply about ratcheting up the IBUs and hop content. And there is a thriving sour beer scene that you might be interested in given your favor of cocktails with a sour component. Cellador Ales in North Hills where I live makes some great ones. Sorry, you'll have to drive into the Valley on your next visit to LA if you'd like to give it a try :)
- Peter talked about flavor and texture. Another other big element is temperature. A drink is wildly different cold than lukewarm. Keep some glassware in the freezer. Buying some coupes that aren't stupidly large makes this feasible.
- Boston shakers are just way easier to clean than cobbler shakers. They also give you a place to add the ingredients that isn't sitting in the ice, so you can control the dilution (pour the ingredients over the ice before you seal the shaker.) I like the ones that are all stainless, you're not wildly flailing a pint glass around and if the thing ever jams you can use whatever force you need to.
- Absolutely endorse the tiny little oxo measuring cups.
1) your digital kitchen scale is pretty useful -- a lot of the alcohol you'll use is near in density to water, so the weight will be close to the volume. For stuff where the specific gravity is very different from water (like simple syrup), you can do a little head math. No need to find a jig, or fuss with filling to the right line, or to clean an extra thing, and you can just pour right into a glass.
2) something like an Old Fashioned can be made ahead of time right in the bottle it came in. Pour off 2oz of your bourbon whiskey (drink or save at your option), and then add back in the bitters and simple syrup and water in proper proportion to what's left. Easy to sample and adjust. Give it a good shaking before every pour to re-mix the ingredients. Great for parties, and guests can self-serve perfect drinks with minimal instruction.
Can’t wait for today’s podcast.
Josh, given your affinity for “sours” next time you are in LA, go to the Alibi Room (Roy Choi’s kogi tacos) and order The Saturn. It is a delicious gin-passionfruit-lemon sour. Also order The Recovery at Cassia. It is a whiskey sour with a healthy dose of ginger. Aloha…
This was great. Found myself really wanting to try an Old Fashioned. I’ve Never been a big drinker, but do enjoy a good beer in the summer. Do you drink beer on Fire Island? If so, what kind? I usually drink Stella Artois pretty run of the mill.
Fun podcast this week thank you. Apart from the fact that we will be one of the first places to be lost under rising sea-levels, one great advantage of living in south Florida during climate change is that winter temperatures are getting warmer, so we don't really have an "off-season" for summer cocktails. Though not cocktail drinkers, we went to the beach on Christmas last and drank Aperol Spritz and Pimms in 80°F. It's our new normal. Cheers!
The steel OXO mini measuring cup that you linked to is admittedly more aesthetically appealing than the clear plastic version (https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Angled-Measuring-Clear/dp/B00FYL4MPY/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2EZYBB24771LO). But I find the clear version more useful, since you can eyeball from both the sides and the top. It also has a milliliter scale, which is useful if you're on the other side of the pond (or using a recipe from that side). My favorite version is actually the one sold in the UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Good-Grips-Angled-Measuring/dp/B000EHIA6A/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1NDO1ABYGD37S). It includes a teaspoon measure, which, in the podcast, Peter specifically mentioned as lacking in the OXO he uses.
Really enjoyed this episode, even though I'm not a maker or consumer of cocktails. It's just great to hear people talk about things they are passionate about. More Friday/Saturday lifestyle content, please. Josh, I know you said you're not into IPAs, but there are really good (especially here in SoCal) offerings that are not simply about ratcheting up the IBUs and hop content. And there is a thriving sour beer scene that you might be interested in given your favor of cocktails with a sour component. Cellador Ales in North Hills where I live makes some great ones. Sorry, you'll have to drive into the Valley on your next visit to LA if you'd like to give it a try :)
My gear hints:
- Peter talked about flavor and texture. Another other big element is temperature. A drink is wildly different cold than lukewarm. Keep some glassware in the freezer. Buying some coupes that aren't stupidly large makes this feasible.
- Boston shakers are just way easier to clean than cobbler shakers. They also give you a place to add the ingredients that isn't sitting in the ice, so you can control the dilution (pour the ingredients over the ice before you seal the shaker.) I like the ones that are all stainless, you're not wildly flailing a pint glass around and if the thing ever jams you can use whatever force you need to.
- Absolutely endorse the tiny little oxo measuring cups.
I've got two tips for the home cocktail-makers:
1) your digital kitchen scale is pretty useful -- a lot of the alcohol you'll use is near in density to water, so the weight will be close to the volume. For stuff where the specific gravity is very different from water (like simple syrup), you can do a little head math. No need to find a jig, or fuss with filling to the right line, or to clean an extra thing, and you can just pour right into a glass.
2) something like an Old Fashioned can be made ahead of time right in the bottle it came in. Pour off 2oz of your bourbon whiskey (drink or save at your option), and then add back in the bitters and simple syrup and water in proper proportion to what's left. Easy to sample and adjust. Give it a good shaking before every pour to re-mix the ingredients. Great for parties, and guests can self-serve perfect drinks with minimal instruction.
What gin do you use when making an aviation?