“just dot the foam top with bitters” — I’ll take this opportunity to re-up an unanswered question on the very first post: Given your emphasis on consistency in measurement and technique, what are we to make of this talk of “dots” and “dashes” when it comes to bitters? Given the very small quantities involved, it seems to me that one could easily find oneself using less than half or more than double the amount used by a peer attempting to execute the same instructions, and the dasher caps I’ve encountered don’t seem to provide any appreciable inter-dash reliability. Does it really not matter? If it _does_ matter, wouldn’t it make more sense to use a pipette or eye dropper or something? (Love this newsletter, by the way!)
This is a good question! Apologies if I didn't respond earlier.
Short version: You probably won't manage to get perfect consistency across the dashes of multiple people. But you can take some steps to improve your own internal consistency.
A couple of folks have tried to measure the precise amount of liquid that comes from a dash. It's almost impossible. You can, of course, measure the amount that comes from your own dasher on any given day, but the volume of a dash will vary slightly based on the strength of your dashing movement, the fill level of the bottle you're using, the age of the bottle you're using (since the dasher tops of older bottles sometimes gum up). There's no way to perfectly control these factors.
What you can do is, on your own, make sure you do things exactly the same way every time. Use the same size bottle: Don't, say, switch back and forth between 4 oz and 16 oz Angostura bottles. Glass dasher bottles can help even more (this is one reason why I keep my most-used bitters in dasher bottles).
As for topping a drink with bitters, it's a lot like grinding nutmeg onto the top of a flip: There's no precise amount -- but you want enough that you can see and taste it, not so much that it overwhelms the drink. You might also think of this in terms of salt to taste -- where you salt right up to the point that you're bringing out the most flavor in whatever you're cooking, but not so much the salt dominates the other flavors -- except this is spice to taste.
Epilogue: Oh man are my dashes so random. I repeatedly dashed various bitters onto a sheet of wax paper, and forget about interbottle consistency, I couldn’t even manage reliable shakes of the same damned bottle. It’s important to know one’s strengths and weaknesses, so from here on out it’s glass medicine dropper bottles for me.
Very much so. While I’ll cease fretting about the “spice to taste” case and just let inspiration guide me, I’m gonna use up some bitters trying to see how consistent I can make my technique, and just how different the amounts from different bottles are. Thanks for the advice!
Because it is whole egg, I decided to try a stick blender rather than dry shake. I did the dry shake on the second to compare. There is a slight difference in texture, and I think some people might like the blender better. Really cuts down on the work, and you could make a pitcher of these to the blender stage and then shake individuals with ice as needed.
A blender will definitely work, and a Kitchenaid-style mixer would probably work too. That's what I use to make batched eggnog, which as I noted is similar in structure. But in my house, the blender and mixer are both upstairs in the kitchen, and all my cocktail stuff is down in the basement. I try to avoid making drinks that require multi-floor runs...
I made the flip with the infused brandy from Thanksgiving. It’s so good that I just got caught sneaking a sip of my wife’s drink after I finished mine. We’re fighting now. Thanks.
One question, the rich syrup I made (Turbinado because I didn’t have Demerara) turned into a sugar block in the fridge. Is this some kind of supersaturated problem or is Turbinado just a bad substitute?
Glad to hear it! No need to fight - you can always make another one.
Turbinado is an OK substitute for demerara, but there will be a difference in taste. Syrups eventually turn hard in the fridge, but should typically keep for a few weeks before getting really chunky. Try to make sure it's really smooth and integrated before storing it the first time you make it. If there's a sludgy/gritty bit at the bottom when you first prepare the syrup, it's more likely to turn rocky.
Merry Christmas McSudermans! I’ll try and be brief: I paid up because this has been so damn helpful! I think you once posted in another venue about pre internet “guides” and how they were an idiosyncratic but valuable tour of a subject. And you are repaying this in spades! Seriously: you are knitting threads of issues and ideas I’ve been knocking around but couldn’t solve. Carpano Antica, aka the second leading man in a Manhattan? Stirring technique? Never thought about it. Such a great tutorial. This is really helping me put everything together.
As for making the case for raw egg: I can't guarantee anything, but I have a little bit of experience since my mother has at times expressed similar concerns.
The USDA says consuming raw eggs is safe if they have been pasteurized. The chance of infection, in any case, is slim. And for most healthy adults, the risks are quite low. These drinks are served legally in bars all over the country, even in cities with quite aggressive health departments. Also...and this, I think, is actually pretty important: The drinks are delicious. The drinks make the case for themself. The froth, the richness of it...they are hard to resist. That's basically what won my mother over. (Obviously, this is not true for people who have dairy allergies or some other medical conditions; please do not consider anything I say medical advice. I'm just a guy with a lot of tasty cocktail recipes, not a doctor.)
“just dot the foam top with bitters” — I’ll take this opportunity to re-up an unanswered question on the very first post: Given your emphasis on consistency in measurement and technique, what are we to make of this talk of “dots” and “dashes” when it comes to bitters? Given the very small quantities involved, it seems to me that one could easily find oneself using less than half or more than double the amount used by a peer attempting to execute the same instructions, and the dasher caps I’ve encountered don’t seem to provide any appreciable inter-dash reliability. Does it really not matter? If it _does_ matter, wouldn’t it make more sense to use a pipette or eye dropper or something? (Love this newsletter, by the way!)
This is a good question! Apologies if I didn't respond earlier.
Short version: You probably won't manage to get perfect consistency across the dashes of multiple people. But you can take some steps to improve your own internal consistency.
A couple of folks have tried to measure the precise amount of liquid that comes from a dash. It's almost impossible. You can, of course, measure the amount that comes from your own dasher on any given day, but the volume of a dash will vary slightly based on the strength of your dashing movement, the fill level of the bottle you're using, the age of the bottle you're using (since the dasher tops of older bottles sometimes gum up). There's no way to perfectly control these factors.
What you can do is, on your own, make sure you do things exactly the same way every time. Use the same size bottle: Don't, say, switch back and forth between 4 oz and 16 oz Angostura bottles. Glass dasher bottles can help even more (this is one reason why I keep my most-used bitters in dasher bottles).
As for topping a drink with bitters, it's a lot like grinding nutmeg onto the top of a flip: There's no precise amount -- but you want enough that you can see and taste it, not so much that it overwhelms the drink. You might also think of this in terms of salt to taste -- where you salt right up to the point that you're bringing out the most flavor in whatever you're cooking, but not so much the salt dominates the other flavors -- except this is spice to taste.
Hope this is helpful!
Epilogue: Oh man are my dashes so random. I repeatedly dashed various bitters onto a sheet of wax paper, and forget about interbottle consistency, I couldn’t even manage reliable shakes of the same damned bottle. It’s important to know one’s strengths and weaknesses, so from here on out it’s glass medicine dropper bottles for me.
Very much so. While I’ll cease fretting about the “spice to taste” case and just let inspiration guide me, I’m gonna use up some bitters trying to see how consistent I can make my technique, and just how different the amounts from different bottles are. Thanks for the advice!
Because it is whole egg, I decided to try a stick blender rather than dry shake. I did the dry shake on the second to compare. There is a slight difference in texture, and I think some people might like the blender better. Really cuts down on the work, and you could make a pitcher of these to the blender stage and then shake individuals with ice as needed.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you!
A blender will definitely work, and a Kitchenaid-style mixer would probably work too. That's what I use to make batched eggnog, which as I noted is similar in structure. But in my house, the blender and mixer are both upstairs in the kitchen, and all my cocktail stuff is down in the basement. I try to avoid making drinks that require multi-floor runs...
Several experiments later with different drinks I'm sticking with the stick. In my house, it's in the drawer right below where I typically mix drinks.
I've never tried a flip - I've always been skeptical of raw egg cocktails. Some interesting looking recipes that look to be worth trying out though!
I made the flip with the infused brandy from Thanksgiving. It’s so good that I just got caught sneaking a sip of my wife’s drink after I finished mine. We’re fighting now. Thanks.
One question, the rich syrup I made (Turbinado because I didn’t have Demerara) turned into a sugar block in the fridge. Is this some kind of supersaturated problem or is Turbinado just a bad substitute?
Glad to hear it! No need to fight - you can always make another one.
Turbinado is an OK substitute for demerara, but there will be a difference in taste. Syrups eventually turn hard in the fridge, but should typically keep for a few weeks before getting really chunky. Try to make sure it's really smooth and integrated before storing it the first time you make it. If there's a sludgy/gritty bit at the bottom when you first prepare the syrup, it's more likely to turn rocky.
Merry Christmas McSudermans! I’ll try and be brief: I paid up because this has been so damn helpful! I think you once posted in another venue about pre internet “guides” and how they were an idiosyncratic but valuable tour of a subject. And you are repaying this in spades! Seriously: you are knitting threads of issues and ideas I’ve been knocking around but couldn’t solve. Carpano Antica, aka the second leading man in a Manhattan? Stirring technique? Never thought about it. Such a great tutorial. This is really helping me put everything together.
Peter, absolutely fantastic newsletter. What do I tell my wife who is afraid of the raw egg in these cocktails? LOL.
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it.
As for making the case for raw egg: I can't guarantee anything, but I have a little bit of experience since my mother has at times expressed similar concerns.
The USDA says consuming raw eggs is safe if they have been pasteurized. The chance of infection, in any case, is slim. And for most healthy adults, the risks are quite low. These drinks are served legally in bars all over the country, even in cities with quite aggressive health departments. Also...and this, I think, is actually pretty important: The drinks are delicious. The drinks make the case for themself. The froth, the richness of it...they are hard to resist. That's basically what won my mother over. (Obviously, this is not true for people who have dairy allergies or some other medical conditions; please do not consider anything I say medical advice. I'm just a guy with a lot of tasty cocktail recipes, not a doctor.)