I created a new cocktail for the wife a few months ago: Polish vodka, pineapple juice (great minds!), orange juice and pink grapefruit juice. It was Polish and fruity, so we gave it a very un-PC name. Now it is one of our Sunday Brunch favorites! 
OOooh that sounds really yummy! And actually I made the Pina Gulaga with Grey Goose, so I suppose it should have a French name.
But anyways, I’ll have to try that pineapple and grapefruit juice one, it sounds delectable 
My daughter can say cocktail, so as I am sipping my whiskey sour, she is sipping on a kiddy sour, not made with real kiddies.
I’m a big fan of cocktails. For a while, my friends and I had a book club where we would pick a cocktail that somehow related to the theme of the book we were reading, preferably a cocktail that we had never tried before, found in old editions of bar guides. It got a little out of hand when we started picking the cocktails first, and then trying to find books that matched.
One of the big hits was Pimm’s Cup. My favorite thing about this one is that it has a cucumber garnish. The weird part is that without the cuke, one might try the Pimm’s Cup and think “Eh, that’s okay. Nothing special.” but WITH the cucumber, it becomes the best drink ever*. I’ve never understood this, I’m not a huge fan of cucumbers to begin with. This is really nice and refreshing in the summer.
Well, not really, but at the moment you’re drinking it, it’s the best drink ever.
Another winner was the Blackhawk – whiskey and sloe gin over ice. It’s vaguely medicinal tasting, but not in an off-putting way. The sloe gin is pretty sweet, so I always use a less-sweet whiskey so my teeth don’t fall out of my head.
Oh, yeah. The cucumber makes a Pimm’s Cup. Apparently there are several Pimm’s cups…#1, #1, etc. I’ve only ever had #1. Has any Doper had the others? Can you enlighten us as to what they are like?
Oops. That should be #1, #2, etc.
I can count officer…really!
I don’t like cigarette smoke, or overly loud music, so I don’t go to bars. It is fun mixing the drinks at home. I prepare the garnish and squeeze the fruit juices and KellyM mixes the drinks.
For gin, I like Beefeater best and Ten for lighter drinks. Mercury is not bad for mixed drinks except Gibsons and Martinis. Yes, I’ve tried Sapphire.
I am rather fond of Spirit of Solomon Brandy. Not only is the bottle a thing of beauty, the flavor and smoothness are so far only surpassed by the Janneau Aragnac that costs twice as much at least.
We use the time honored tradition of choosing spirits by looking for the prettiest bottle in our price range.
You’re right – it is the best drink ever as long as you have cucumber for it. But without the cucumber, it’s just more cough syrup with fizz. According to this, there’s a Pimm’s Cup No. 1 and occasionally you can find Pimm’s Cup No. 6. Which is apparently vodka, rather than gin, based. I’ve never seen No. 6, much less tasted it.
I’m confused. Is there some other way one chooses spirits? 
I am a tremendous fan of limes, and so for a long time my standard cocktail has been a vodka gimlet. But on Tuesday I tried a caipirinha, and I think I have a new love. It was delicious.
Daniel
What’s wrong with pineapple juice and vodka? I have been drinking that for years. Pineapple juice with rum is also pretty tasty…and even better with coconut rum. Splash of OJ in either is optional. Yummy!
Might I suggest a Long Island Iced Tea? (I think a splash of cola is in it for color).
Yo, D…
I love caipirinhas. A friend of mine owns a bar and he tolerates me keeping a few bottles of Pitu Cachaca (http://www.pitu.com/) behind his bar. His bartenders allow me to make my own drinks, and the shot & beer crowd enjoys watching me make them. Mmmmm.
What are good recipes for Long Island Ice Tea and a Mai-Tai? There are many varied recipes for both of these.
I have a pineapple so tonight will likely have pineapple featured. Either that or an old fashioned.
mmmmmm indeed! Friend of mine is opening a bar next month; I might make him keep Cachaca on hand just for me.
The caipirinha I had didn’t have chunks of lime in it, but I’m pretty sure it was made with fresh lime juice. I think this may be why it was so much tastier than a vodka gimlet: fresh lime juice beats Rose’s lime juice hands-down. But I definitely want to try making one with the smushed-up whole lime in it. That sounds like heaven to me.
Daniel
A friend makes something like a caipirinha, but with vodka instead of rum. Chunks of limey goodness and all!
KellyM found fresh mint, so we were going to have mint juleps, but it is chilly tonight. So I am having drambuie and cognac in my coffee. Yummy. Maybe later I will have an old fashioned.
You should see my business partner trying to order a Scotch Old Fashioned. Maybe one out of ten times does he find it acceptable. You think he’d give up.
Haj
Save the mint juleps for a few weeks, and have them while watching the Kentucky Derby!
I’m currently enjoying a very nice Evan Williams Single-barrel bourbon.
Hmm, I am now drinking my first vodka gimlet. I think I found a new favorite!
The old fashioned was delicious. I made it with one cube of sugar, a dash of bitters, a teaspoon of water and muddled that with a bit of lemon zest. I then added ice and two ounces of 1792 bourbon I stirred it with a swizzle stick and served garnished with a cherry, half and orange slice and half a lemon slice speared onto a pick. It was delightful.
I don’t think mint leaves will stay fresh for two weeks, or I might try that.