Hansen's Cola

Hansen's Natural Sodas sent me some of their new The Grove soda to taste test. In the box they also included a can of their Original Cola and one of their Cherry Vanilla Creme. I'm tired this evening and just want to relax with a drink of the boozy kind so I thought I'd try a rum & coke. I'd prefer a Cuba Libre, but don't want to go get limes.

I first tasted the cola solo. It's very good, with a medium bite and sweet taste, but not overpowering like most colas. The overall flavor is light when compared to the better known competition; that's a good thing, at least in my mind.

Now to mix - I used 1.5 oz of 10 Cane Rum, over ice, and about the same amount of cola. I don't have any other rums in the house right now. 10 Can has a strong flavor and overpowers the cola. At this point I can't recommend mixing Hansen's Original Cola with rum, but it might work better if you try a lighter flavored rum. This tastes pretty much like rum with a little something tossed in to cut the alcohol.

Pádraig Colón II

Building off the first test:

1/4 oz Reposado

1/4 oz Allspice

1 oz Irish Whiskey

1/4 oz habanero/ginger syrup*

- stir together well and pour into rocks glass

6 or 7 drops Cointreau

several dashes Peychaud's

*3/4 cup simple syrup made with equal parts water and raw sugar. Heat through, add ~2 tablespoons chopped ginger and two habaneros (deseeded). Steep for 10 mins and strain.

Block-Ade

Reading the book Daring Young Men: The Heroism And Triumph Of the Berlin Airlift June 1948 - May 1949, I came across this recipe. Some of the women living in the American occupied zone put together a charity cookbook to raise money for German orphans. One of the recipes was for Block-Ade (serves 75):

• 2 cans fruit cocktail
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 bottles cognac
• 6 bottles red wine
• 6 bottles white wine
• 6 bottles champagne

Pádraig Colón

Just made my first half attempt at the drink I expect to call the Pádraig Colón, and was surprised to have a nice result right off the bat. This isn't the final recipe, but it's probably the base of the end product:

1/4 oz tequila reposado

1/4 oz St Elizabeth Allspice Dram (Pimento liqueur)

3/4 oz Bushmills

Interesting found recipe

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100226/LIVING06/2260324/-1/living06/The-Spirit-of-Benji-Mixologists-find-inspiration-in-classics

I like the sound of the recipe at the end, but I think I'll get a non-crap vodka and infuse it myself.

Veev pt. III

1.5 oz Veev

.75 oz Domaine de Canton

juice of half lime

Fee Brother's Orange Bitters

Good, no cigar.

Add club soda (not much)

Cigar.

On a side note, did ya realize that the Domaine cap is two parts? It has a normal cap with that triangly thing glued on top.

Veev pt. II

1.5 oz Veev

1 oz North Shore vodka

juice of half lime

club soda

Fee Brothers Orange Bitters

Better, but not particularly exciting.