Joe Riley

Wow, what a memory, Don. My God, I didn't think that we even SOLD any Gaja back then, but then again my memory is like a policeman, it's never there when I want it. So, what are you waiting for with that bottle? Two more years and it will be eligible to run for the Italian legislature, won't it?

Personally, I'm attracted to his devastatingly-awesome fashion sense, but I'm perverse like that.

:blush: Just protecting the rights and lives of decent drinkers everywhere, Zora (Or so I tell myself. Delusions of grandeur are awesome, and they make me thirsty)

Sailor Jerry and the Charmer/Sunbelt Group are donating partial proceeds from every sale of Sailor Jerry rum to benefit the Aleethia Foundation, which has been providing Friday night dinners to our wounded veterans who are recuperating at Walter Reed Army Hospital and Bethesda Naval hospitals. To lean more, go to Aleethia.org From a sales standpoint, the deal that I'm getting on Sailor Jerry drops my shelf-price by $2.50/bottle. I'm told that bars and restaurants will get a similar incentive to promote Sailor Jerry. So drink to the health of our wounded Vets with Sailor Jerry and help them out at the same time

Chairman's Reserve makes me happy. I know too that the importer, Team Spirit, is donating a respectable share of this quarter's profits to Haiti earthquake relief, so you can buy it and feel extra good about your purchase.

The spirits lineup should be: Vodka 7000 (distilled at 7,000 feet**) 21 yr old Rye 16-yr Rye Rendezvous Rye Bourye* *A blend of aged Bourbon and two aged Ryes) ** Dave Perkins says that it is best enjoyed on a chairlift before 10:00 in the morning ( ) More info here: High West These whiskies have gotten lots of acclaim in the spirits community. Should be fun, and the menu from R.J. ought to be smashing. Space is limited, so please call Vidalia now: (202) 659-1990

In the immortal words of Carol Anne, "They're heeere!"

You can also get St. Remy (which folks might not be aware is a Remy-Martin product) in 750ml size for around $12, or even a 200ml size for about $5. As for using Cognac, I've had good reports from serious consumers that Chalfonte V.S.O.P. is well worth the investment ($23), Even Salignac V.S. Cognac ($18) or Ansac V.S. ($19-21, I can't recall) have their merits. As for the whole orange liqueur debate, Jay Hepburn did a remarkable and somewhat exhaustive comparison here: The Great Oh Gosh! Orange Liqueur showdown and it's well-worth a read to help understand the differences between the various types. And yeah, Cointreau comes out very, very, well and Jay specifically mentions how it's the best all-rounder.

McLelland's Islay malt whisky is around $21/bottle, and that's as good a bargain as you're going to find in an inexpensive Islay malt, as Jake mentioned. I wouldn't recommend Lagavulin as any kind of substitute for Laphroaig - it's older and more expensive than Laphroaig. If you'd like to play with the Gordon & Graham's "Black Bottle", it is a blend, sure, but it's 100% Islay, and around 5 years old. About $24.99/bottle. There have been a lot of price increases in the past year in malt whiskies. Simply supply, demand, the weak dollar vs. the strong pound, etc... By the way - if anyone really wants a perfectly decent 10-yr old single malt that won't kill your wallet, try the Tamdhu from Speyside. It's around $21/bottle.

Check the Wild Turkey website. Master Distiller Emeritus Jimmy Russell likes it over pound cake himself, he finds it too sweet for his own taste.

*UPDATE* Amarula is back in D.C. We have it now at Ace again

I've already picked out a nice, comfortable corner to set up a cot and blanket. It will just save me time

At the risk of post-whoring myself, let me just repeat what I said in the Bitters thread, since this product has been mentioned in this thread:

Finally, FINALLY, I have Angostura Orange Bitters to sell in the store! Man, how long has this taken, two years? More? It seems like forever. So happy to have them. Wish that they were in a larger bottle, but I'll take what I can get.

Also available on draught at Bourbon (Adams-Morgan). As if you need another reason to drop by there.

In the immortal words of the late Ed McMahon, "You are correct, sir!" I should also clarify my remark by saying that, if like most Americans, one's experience with Puerto Rican rum is Bacardi Superior (light rum) or Bacardi Gold, then Ron del Barrilito will blow one's mind. These are big steps up, also big steps up from Don Q, obviously. Barrilito is the stuff that holds its own with Barbancourt, Flor de Caña, El Dorado, Appleton, and certainly with Zaya and Zacapa, et. al.

The "2-Star" (minimum 3 years aging) and "3-Star" (minimum 6 to 10 years aging) are now available here. Edmundo B Fernandez at Ministry of Rum Think of them as the "anti-Bacardi", i.e. less-commercial, more authentic. They do have a minuscule production compared with Bacardi: "Only 11,000 cases of these spirits are sold annually with distribution almost exclusively on this island but much of this fine rum goes back home with Puerto Ricans who have moved to the States and Canada. Ron del Barrilito is an especially popular gift for the holidays." (from MinistryofRum.com)

Exciting news - beginning Sunday, November 1st, the "Apartments at The Gibson", will be open for business. A completely new upstairs bar, which can seat around 10, and some two-top tables, can comfortably accommodate 17 in that room alone, plus there are two other private rooms and another restroom on the second floor as well. So, upstairs can handle approximately 40 more guests. This is wonderful news, as The Gibson will be better equipped to accommodate larger groups, and take some of the pressure off of the main floor. I hope that they keep the back patio open over the autumn and winter months, with heat lamps. It's such nice space, it would be a shame to sock it away until spring. Kudos to the Gibson gang for continuing to improve an already-excellent establishment.

(By the way - the better address to accurately locate Againn is 11th & New York Ave, just a block below K St.) Ooooo, this place is good (at least on the cocktail front, I haven't had the pleasure of the pub-grub yet) The best surprise was seeing Rachel Sergi (ex of Zaytinya) and J.P. (ex of Oyamel) behind the bar. Those two are awesome. The "bareknuckle boxer" lived up to my expectations, it is just lovely. The whiskey is in complete harmony with everything else. The "dutch courage" (Bols Genever, yellow Chartreuse, fresh rosemary, lemon, rosemary tincture, egg white) is now my favorite Bols Genever cocktail. The "mayflower martini" (chrysanthemum-infused Plymouth Gin, Dolin Blanc vermouth, Dolin Dry vermouth, Fee Brothers lemon bitters)should be the "starter" cocktail for any first visit there. It is very pretty, and immensely satisfying. The "yeoman afternoon" (Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Earl Grey-infused Dolin Sweet vermouth, Orange marmalade, lemon, bitter lemon tonic) is the answer to the question, "So, what kind of cocktails can you make with Hayman's Old Tom Gin that I haven't tried before?" So, so, so good. Difficult for me to describe, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The space is bright, with nice big windows. I have the feeling that Againn will cannibalize some of the Bobby Van's and Brasserie Beck crowd. There is much there to love.

If there's a better place in town to watch the World Series than Churchkey, I don't know what it is. A 22-page (and growing!) bottled beer list, and a huge, double-sided draught list. A tip of my e-cap to Greg for running such a great operation, and to Rochelle, the hardest-working server in the industry. Glad to have you folks on this side of the river.

Nice write-up on this place from Thrill List: Againn I have a copy of the cocktail list in my hands right now, and I'm jonesin' for a "the bare knuckle boxer" (house-blended madras curry-infused John L. Sullivan Irish whiskey, Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot liqueur, Dolin dry vermouth, Peychaud bitters). Perhaps I'll prepare my stomach for that cocktail with a "Scottish Highland beef burger" (house made bun, caramelized onions, farmstead cheddar, chips.) Must...go...there...soon.

I've always carried Corison Cabernet Sauvignon. I first met Cathy back in the '80's, and I visited her in Napa in 1993. The late, lamented Gourmet Magazine once wrote of her wine (and this was the '89 vintage they were talking about - Gerald Asher, I think it was), "(Corison) is the most beautiful expression yet of Napa Valley Cabernet." If you'd like a bottle of her inaugural vintage, 1987, let me know. I can hook you up.

This practice is perfectly fine with me. Chefs constantly taste in the kitchen to ensure that standards of quality are high, and I appreciate that a bartender would do the same thing. Dean is right, if the drink is wrong, it can be tossed and remade quickly. I'm sure that someone, somewhere, will come up with a better system than disposable plastic straws which contribute to plastic waste, but in this age of H1N1 and other contagions, I won't hold it against them for using disposable straws.

I look forward to this every year. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon From Brown-Forman: "Old Forester Releases 2009 Birthday Bourbon Edition Award Winning Bourbon Celebrates Founder's Birthday Louisville, Ky. – Old Forester has released this year's expression of its Birthday Bourbon in honor of George Garvin Brown, the founder of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and Old Forester, America's First Bottled Bourbon™. Launched seven years ago to commemorate Brown's Birthday on September 2, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a limited-edition, historically award-winning bourbon and a must-have for bourbon enthusiasts. "This year's vintage release of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is crafted from a 98 barrel batch," said Chris Morris, master distiller of Old Forester. "These barrels were stored in the small warehouse B and larger warehouse J, on their 5th and 8th floors respectively. These upper floor locations exposed the barrels to a great degree of heat during the summer months which resulted in a rich, complex maturation profile." Unlike the standard Old Forester, which is a blend of whisky from several different years, Birthday Bourbon is a vintage-dated bourbon, hand-selected by Morris from one specific day of production. The result is a one-of-a-kind character and flavor that will never be replicated again. Its unique decanter style glass bottle is a throwback to the late 1800's when Old Forester was first produced. Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim and has collected honors from USA Today, Malt Advocate, Wine & Spirits Magazine, and Santé. A favorite among critics, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has taken home gold from numerous tasting competitions including a gold medal in the 2005, 2006 & 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The 2007 expression was also named American Whiskey of the Year at WhiskyFest New York. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a Brown-Forman product, has a suggested retail price of $39.99 and is sold at most liquor stores with a wide and varied range of bourbons. The 2009 edition of Birthday Bourbon is bottled at 97 proof, to correspond with the year it was distilled, 1997."

It's over $150/bottle. That's all I'm sayin'