Swamp Rats and cocktail hacks

[scdub]

I recon that any day now we’re bound to hear some interesting official news from the brass.

Until then…

Swamp Rat:
Custom Shop Desert Storm Fighter - one of my favorites. Mini survival/all-arounder.

Drink hack:
When you run out of Malibu coconut rum to mix with your (frozen) 4 year old Flor De Cana rum and a quarter of a lime, (with a side of caffeine free soda); just replace the Malibu with a small amount of brown sugar.
Pretty good! (or at least not bad).

 

[scdub]

Any other unconventional drinking happening around the swamp? I’m always interested in new ideas/flavors. Neat whiskey is great but sometimes variety is nice…

 

[scdub]

Ok here’s another - more of a lesson really - that just happened.
Imagine…
You accidentally make your second martini a quadruple instead of a double (2 oz Grey Whale gin [or other London Dry style gin] and 1/10 cap of Gallo Extra Dry Vermouth, shaken ~125-150 times in a shaker full of ice, so as to form little ice crystals on the surface of the drink, along with 2-3 nice olives).
Despite a good effort, the drink becomes not-cold. Unfortunately habit precludes thought and you go ahead and fill up the shaker with ice again and…

STOP!!

Learn from my mistake!! Don’t use ice to re-freeze a martini - either put that sucker in the freezer for a bit or, if you’re in a hurry, use some metal/stone freezer cubes that won’t water down your drink. I was able to finish the second half of my watered-down quadruple, but it wasn’t great. Waving my knife around helped a bit.

 

[ScoMa]

Haven’t had a drink in years, but I’m still enjoying this thread.

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

I have a headache nust think ooook ng about drinking

 

[littlehoot]

Knife waving makes everything better

 

[scdub]

Knife waving makes everything better

I tend to agree.

This is absolutely my favorite knife to wave around:

Second generation (first gen is my grail) Swamp Rat Taliwhacker. Excuse a bit of oil on the blade. I’ve used/sharpened this knife more than anything else in my collection. My second favorite knife overall after the Sawmandu.

Ok here’s the hack:
If you enjoy neat whiskey with a beer chaser, treat yourself to a few specialty vessels…
#1) Tasting glass. I don’t know much about them but my buddy got me the one in the picture and it really does change/concentrate the “nose” of the whiskey.
#2) Busse guys might not approve, but a couple of “freezer mugs” will keep a couple of beers very frosty while you sample some spirits. [Hack 2B - if you don’t have freezer mugs, try chucking a can (~50 minutes) or bottle (~60 minutes) into the freezer for a nice beer icee.]
Also - even if you don’t think you like rye whiskey (which I didn’t until 2 weeks ago) - there are a couple which I suggest you try. Barrel Seagrass Cask Strength (pictured) and Alberta Premium Cask Strength. These are both super flavorful/delicious imo.

Also a quick note for those on the wagon: Congrats and keep at it! I plan to be joining your ranks after I retire and grow up a bit.

 

[inkynate]

Hack 2C: to chill bottles or cans more quickly in the freezer, wrap them in a damp paper towel first.

Been loving the Ryes lately btw. Have a Seagrass and a Rare Breed Rye open at the moment, a few others on deck (Alberta Premium, Willett Family Estate, etc…)

 

[cut it out]

https://imgur.com/763x0oO

https://imgur.com/7XgZfFi

 

[scdub]

Ok, technically this not a Swamp Rat but since this cocktail is called “The Hunter” I figured my Scrap Yard 10/20 was the best fit.

This is a sweet one, and a good “gateway drink” into whiskey for newbie’s, wives, etc.

The proportions in different recipe versions I’ve seen differ slightly, but the ingredients are generally the same. Feel free to adjust to taste, this is how I do it:

2 oz. Rye/Bourbon whiskey
1/2 oz. Heering Cherry Brandy Liqueur
1/8 oz. Luxardo Cherry Liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
1 Luxardo Maraschino cherry (garnish)

The “hack” here is to make the cocktail with Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. This keeps the drink from being watered down and really makes it shine imo.

Start by spearing a cherry and adding it to a tumbler in the freezer so it’ll get cold and not warm up the drink.

Next shake (or stir) all the other ingredients in ice until frosty (~150 shakes in a shaker).

Pour into a frosty glass and enjoy.