Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Back to the Grind

Happy Friday! This week was certainly different for me. It was the first week back at work after having 20 weeks of paternity leave. It’s been an adjustment for sure, but the fact I had that much time is almost unheard of, so I made sure to take advantage of the time that I had. That being said, settling back into a work routine has left me wanting a tasty beverage, and this week I’ve got a spin on a French 75, called the French 95. This prohibition era cocktail swaps the gin for bourbon, or in my case, rye. I’m intrigued because I like French 75s and want to see how adding whiskey in changes this.

2 oz. Bourbon (or rye)
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
Dry Champagne

Combine Bourbon, Lemon Juice, and Simple Syrup in a shaker filled with ice and shake. Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain into Champagne Glass. Top with Dry Champagne.

I know, not the best choice for champagne, but I had it on hand, and to be honest, I’m not going to do much better than a mid tier champagne in a drink like this anyway, even for a French 75, I’m not making that with a Dom Perignon or a Veuve Clicquot. Anyway, there is a very muted rye scent up top. I like how it is still able to cut through the lemon and the champagne. There is a touch of lemon that fights its way through and makes itself known on the nose. It’s a pleasant start to this drink.

Right off the bat I’m glad I used rye. I fear bourbon would be a bit too sweet, and potentially get lost behind the simple syrup sweetness and the lemon juice, despite the two ounce base. Even the extra oomph the rye has behind it, it gets buried beneath the sweet and sour combination going on with the other ingredients. The dry champagne provides a little respite as well as some bubbles, but the standouts are the lemon and simple.

Despite the overpowering flavors they provide, this does work. The rye adds a nice depth underneath that does eventually even out the flavor profile. It also compliments the champagne very well. I didn’t know what to expect from a whiskey and champagne combination, but I’m pleased to report it works out.

It really kind of seems like a tale of two drinks at work here. Dominating sweet and sour front, that gives way to dry and rye towards the end. There is no flavor that hangs around on the palate once you’re done with the sip which I think is a pro here. Any flavor hanging around would get old rather quickly. Would I have this again? Sure. I enjoyed it. But I think I prefer a regular French 75. There’s something about how gin fits in with these flavors that I think is better.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)

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Sharkbait
Sharkbait has not actually been bitten by a shark, but has told people in bars that he was for free drinks. Married to a Giants fan, he enjoys whisk(e)y, cooking, the Rangers, and the Patriots.
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King Hippo

Would the Ratbirds be shoo-ins tomorrow, if Poe’s birthday were tomorrow instead of today?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

RIKKI-TIKKI-DEADLY: [to seller of item] We can come anytime between three and four, please let me know your preferred time and the location and we’ll be there.

SELLER: Pasadena.

SonOfSpam

Buying the Rose Bowl to celebrate the Raiders’ decision?

scotchnaut

Wife: “Aw, you’re having a beer?”

Me: “Well, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate not drinking for a week.”

Brick Meathook

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Doktor Zymm

I’m at the Buffalo Trace distillery RIGHT NOW

ballsofsteelandfury

Awesome!!

King Hippo

Will you hang in a Buffalo Stance?

litre_cola

H/T Neneh

Don T

I usually have those ingredients at home. Will try!
Btw, no shame in Barefoot Bubbly. With equal part chicken stock, makes good risotto.

litre_cola

There is fucking shame in any Barefoot wine! Tsk tsk.

SonOfSpam

Correct.

litre_cola

Mrs. Cola is working from home as well today. She comes down to the main floor. Tool is blaring.
“How can you concentrate with this?”
“Doing my team’s year ends, I blocked my schedule and I am high as fuck. I write better this way.”

Because of my past writing exploits here she knows this is the way.

BugEyedBoo

I used to be able to concentrate while music was blasting, to the point where it was almost required. But now it’s best when it’s quiet. Maybe old age, maybe my stroke zapped the part of my brain that demands music while working.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“I too know what it’s like to have parts of your brain zapped by a stroke.” – Bob Kraft

BugEyedBoo

Parts of something, anyway.

WCS
Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“Ah, shucks.” – Todd Marinovich, finding only nickels and dimes in the handful a change a motorist stopped at a freeway off-ramp just handed him

blaxabbath

Is she hot?

litre_cola

By God that’s the BC Dick music!

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I too know the difficulty of concentrating in a high-noise environment.

LemonJello

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

With the snow day here in DC, a bunch of bars are doing all day happy hours.

I very much regret not drinking this month (until the wedding I’m going to next weekend).

ballsofsteelandfury

That’s really on you. You can make better decisions…

BrettFavresColonoscopy

This reminds me of the old joke about the difference between theoretically and realistically…

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Why not pivot and make it a year-long thing, where every month you go dry for at least one seven day stretch? You’ve already got January covered, so now you can go have a little fun?

litre_cola

I also have taken the month off except tomorrow for the local futbol supporters awards. I will get drunk real fast.

ballsofsteelandfury

Et tu, Cola?

litre_cola

Oui, j’avais besoin d’un petit pose.

ballsofsteelandfury

🤦

Game Time Decision

what constitutes a snow day in DC?
/just curious

ballsofsteelandfury

Cocaine is half off.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Same as in the Favre household, 2 or 3 inches.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

(to be fair it’s more than 5 out in the burbs)

Don T

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sometimes narcotics are the answer.

King Hippo

Drunk Beltway Driving in the snow? They should put that on teevee. Hippo would sure ’nuff watch.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

We tried doing something similar with cognac instead of rye (it was a “French Poodle” experiment) and agreed that it was an absolute abomination. I’m glad your experience with rye was better than ours.

BugEyedBoo

I guess Captain Alky doesn’t do things halfway, including ending his career in the Navy.

Gumbygirl

Dumbass.

ballsofsteelandfury

So, what accounts for the 20 point difference?

LemonJello

Inflation?

Thanks Biden!