Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Squid Mixes: Algonquin


The Algonquin combines whiskey, dry vermouth and pineapple juice.  We tried two different recipes: the one from The New York Bartender's Guide which calls for American blended whiskey (I used Canadian) and David Lebovitz's which favors rye.  The proportions are slightly different, too, though I think the choice of whiskey made the bigger difference in taste.  We both preferred Lebovitz's combo as the rye flavor came through more strongly.

Pineapple seems a strange choice to me for a drink named for an indigenous people from eastern Canada.  Maple would seem a more appropriate flavoring.  However, the drink is actually named after the iconic hotel in Manhattan where it was invented.

14 comments:

  1. Interesting how drinks receive their names. I was thinking that your choice of Canadian was appropriate due to the name. Maybe you should create a drink with Maple Syrup and become famous!

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. There are a few with maple syrup, including a Canadian Coffee which I made a few years back: https://armchairsquid.blogspot.com/2017/12/squid-mixes-canadian-coffee.html.

      There's also a maple bitters I've seen around. That's definitely worth exploring!

      Maple creemees (soft-serve ice cream) are a magical Vermont summer treat. If there's some way I could turn that into a cocktail...

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  2. We -always- have pineapple juice (for pina colodas), so I may have to try this. Though I think my vermouth is sweet, not dry.

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    1. You know, I wasn't crazy about it.
      At least, not the iteration of the recipe I used. The pineapple was completely overpowered by the whiskey and vermouth. And my wife decided she doesn't care for whiskey at all after we had them.

      I have been making, occasionally, whiskey sours with pineapple juice and lemon juice. Those I like, BUT it's actually better with rum than it is with whiskey, so the whiskey is just something to have around as an alternative.

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    2. Question, and I promise it's related: are you beer drinkers? Whiskey is basically the same stuff, after all, minus the hops and the bubbles. For me, at least, I feel a connection in my enthusiasm for both.

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    3. Yeah, we drink beer, though I actually have a very difficult time finding beer that I really like.
      And, so far, I'm finding that I prefer the whiskey straight rather than mixing it with anything.
      Other than the whiskey sour thing I make, which does, actually, have pineapple juice in it.

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    4. I love whiskey straight! My wife doesn't so I don't have it very often.

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    5. This Rittenhouse is very good.

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  3. Pineapple makes anything tasty. Maple feels wrong.

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    1. Gasp! That's sacrilege around here!

      I think it could work. Actually, I think the risk would be that it wouldn't compete well with other flavors. You'd get the sugar but not the subtle warmth. Honey presents a similar problem, I feel.

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  4. I'm disappointed now that I never was more adventurous with my adult drinks when I could consume alcohol.

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    1. It's a fun hobby. And I do try to be responsible.

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