Does Anyone Drink Rye Whiskey?

[Atinkerer]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The earliest definition of cocktail was in the May 13, 1806, edition of the Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication in Hudson, New York, in which an answer was provided to the question, "What is a cocktail?". It replied:

Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters—it is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a Democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow anything else."

Ha HA Ha Ha HA!!!!!

Tony

 

[Absinthe_1900]

My understanding is that it was the house cocktail of the Sazerac Coffee House, and used Sazerac Brandy, so it was probably still known as a Sazerac cocktail. It just wasn't seen as it's own specific, proper name until after Sazerac got out of the brandy business and started marketing the cocktail outside of their own establishment.

Those Legendre bitters look very, very nice. Never tried them. Still usable?

I heard a very interesting presentation by Chris MacMillian, from his research & documentation, the name Sazerac as a cocktail, wasn't used until well into the Rye era of the drink.

So far this is the only extant bottle of the Legendre New Orleans Bitters known to exist, they are very carefully stored.
I'd like to see them reappear like vintage Herbsaint has, Marion Legendre was very talented.

 

[jmrtnko]

I heard a very interesting presentation by Chris MacMillian, from his research & documentation, the name Sazerac as a cocktail, wasn't used until well into the Rye era of the drink.

So far this is the only extant bottle of the Legendre New Orleans Bitters known to exist, they are very carefully stored. I'd like to see them reappear like vintage Herbsaint has, Marion Legendre was very talented.

Well... used? Who knows? But it certainly didn't show up in print as a drink name until the 20th century. Nowadays, I'm also of the camp that says a Sazerac is made with rye, but the many other variants of Improved Cocktails are well worth anyone's time.

The only extant bottle of Legendre? Damn. Have you tried it? I wonder whether my hoarding instincts could be overcome by my curiosity to allow me to even open something like that.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

It's not easy.

Collecting is a mania, and mania defined in the dictionary, is a form of insanity

 

[Brad Bowers]

I sure wish I could stomach the flavor of anise, as I feel I'm missing out on some great Absinthe cocktails.

Brad

 

[jmrtnko]

I sure wish I could stomach the flavor of anise, as I feel I'm missing out on some great Absinthe cocktails.

To be completely honest, I can't bear the taste of straight anise either, but in tiny quantities as one flavor component of many, it can be very nice. A well-made Sazerac shouldn't really have more than a scant dash or a rinse of Absinthe. With the Rye, Peychaud's and the lemon oils dominating the flavor, the anise adds just a slight, sharp, aromatic high note. It's quite nice.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

One could always do it the old New Orleans way of tossing the glass in the air to coat the glass with Herbsaint, however with my cat-like reflexes, I'd break my old Sazerac bar glass.

From 1944:

 

[Yeps]

Question -- What would be a good rye to try for mixing (not top shelf, I am broke)? I am thinking specifically to try at a bar for now, not buying bottles, but the prohibition (ha!) on top shelf stands.

 

[Brad Bowers]

It depends on what your bars carry. My guess is that very few bars will have a selection, if they carry it at all. You might find them carrying Jim Beam Rye, or Wild Turkey Rye, maybe Old Overholt. Those are among the lower-priced brands, in any case.

Since you're in D.C., jump on down to Mount Vernon and try the stuff they're making at the reconstructed distillery. I'd love to get hold of some of that.

Brad

 

[Yeps]

Thanks. I will see what they have when I go next. Also, I will keep Mt. Vernon in mind if I ever am heading that way.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I would guess that most bars use either Wild Turkey or Jim Beam Rye as their house brand. Jim Beam Rye has the reputation of tasting like CR**P, but I haven't actually tried it. I'm on my second bottle of Old Overholt, second bottle of Sazerac, and my first of Russell's 6 year Reserve. The Old Overholt is a good inexpensive rye, the Sazerac is better and tastes more like Rye. The Russell's Reserve greatly resembles a $30.00 bottle of Overholt. That's not really a dig on the Russell's, it's good, but the Sazerac has more flavor in my opinion.

Yeps, the Old Overholt here in exciting Kansas (hub of the universe etc..) is $14.00 or less, which is probably what a couple of drinks would cost you in DC. You might try a bottle of it with Vernor's Ginger Ale if you want to try Rye. (the Rhyme was NOT intentional). Just a thought.

Later

 

[Yeps]

Alright, that seems like a good recommendation. I will check back once I try it (well, maybe in the What did you drink last night thread).

 

[NancyLouise]

Sazerac Manhattan, definitely.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Sazerac Manhattan, definitely.

As well as various bourbon's, and "peaty" single malt scotch's, a bottle of Sazerac rye is also in my drinks cabinet. But like the others, it doesn't seem to last too long!

Danny O

 

[jamespowers]

As well as various bourbon's, and "peaty" single malt scotch's, a bottle of Sazerac rye is also in my drinks cabinet. But like the others, it doesn't seem to last too long!

Danny O

All the Buffalo Trace items have very good ratings. I have no idea about the Bourbon but their ryes are both very good. Sazerac is much more spicy and rich tasting to me that the Thomas Handy stuff though.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

The local liquor store finally had the Rittenhouse 100 proof in, so now I own some. It's tasty, but not as good as the Sazerac.

later

 

[jamespowers]

Hi

The local liquor store finally had the Rittenhouse 100 proof in, so now I own some. It's tasty, but not as good as the Sazerac.

later

It is kind of banana tasting but it is fine for mixing rye based cocktails. :eusa_clap

 

[danofarlington]

Rye whiskey, like bourbon, for me is just plain too sweet. Don't want it. Scotch is the one for me. A good single-malt scotch to me is like liquid gold, and I can't understand why everyone doesn't make it their first choice. But they don't, and aficionados are just a subset of drinkers. Actually, most people don't seem to like whiskey in general, unless it's mixed up a lot of soda pop or fruit juice.

 

[jamespowers]

Actually, most people don't seem to like whiskey in general, unless it's mixed up a lot of soda pop or fruit juice.

I think there is truly the rub. Water, ice, mixers it all dilutes it and makes it useless to me. However Prohibition can be blamed for the change in tastes more than anything else. People went away from rye and on to Androgenous Canadian stuff back then. Single malts are a thing of mostly the last twenty or thirty years. Before that blends were king and indeed the sales figures still say they are.:eusa_doh:[huh]

 

[jmrtnko]

Well, that's the magic. It's pretty much a given that different people taste things differently. Could be a little nature, could be a little nurture. There are several people (I'm guessing the two of you included) who find straight ethanol tastes slightly sweet. Others (like myself) would say bitter. The tongue is very mysterious.

I seem to fit the profile for a supertaster for bitter. It's only in the last few years that I've been able to work on slowly dealing better with bitter components in foods. Luckily alcohol is a very, very enjoyable medium for experimentation.