Last Christmas, my wife got me a Bartesian cocktail maker. She actually got me this one, made by Black & Decker. You load your own spirits into it (I have Bacardi Rum, Tito’s Vodka, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, and I don’t remember the brands of tequila and gin). When you want a drink, you pop in a Bartesian capsule (found here) and it draws the liquor and some water to mix a drink. It’s sort of like a Keurig, except for mixed drinks.
So, any Dopers have one of these contraptions? My wife and I have enjoyed making various drinks with it, but I still haven’t found that perfect drink. My favorite drink anywhere is a Hurricane from Hard Rock Cafe (don’t judge). The Bartesian hurricane is okay, but not quite as great. My wife and I both like sweet, fruity drinks. The Bartesian drinks tend to come out just a bit too bitter for our tastes. Would adding some simple syrup help with this?
What are your favorite capsules? Do you do anything to alter them after the mixing? What other tips do you have?
(Yes, it’s an expensive toy and the drinks come out more expensive than if I just mixed them myself, but I have it and it’s fun.)
I can’t say that I’ve got a Bartesian; I kind of got into the cocktailian hobby in about 2008-2009 before they were out. It’s interesting- they do pretty much what I’d have thought, and stick to either variations on sours or on basic cocktails. No highballs or fizzes or anything fizzy, and not much if anything with vermouth as a primary ingredient.
As far as bitterness goes, I’d think that maybe a tiny (TINY!) bit of salt might help with that. Works with coffee anyway, so maybe with those drinks too?
Off topic:
If you like sweet fruity drinks, and are willing to mix your own, go get a copy of Smuggler’s Cove. It’s maybe not the most absolutely comprehensive Tiki drink compendium, but the recipes in there are rock-solid and easy to follow. I particularly like the Saturn, Mastadon and the Demerara Dry Float, but there hasn’t been anything in there that I’ve tried that is actually bad.
Good choice of spirits you’re adding. I think you’d like an Old Fashioned, and if you like fruity you could make it the Wisconsin way: muddle some orange peel and cherries in the bottom of the glass first, then add some Squirt afterwards. I wonder what kind of bitters are in that capsule?
Whoa, you know that saying? The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. I went shopping for one, and they’re all over $300! I can get an expert bartender to make me a lot of drinks for that money.
I mean, hey, enjoy your machine! I’m not saying I wouldn’t love one… it’d be fun to tinker with (up until the fourth drink, when I wouldn’t be able to reach it from the floor…).
Thank y’all for the suggestions. It would seem that Bartesian has not yet penetrated the SDMB market quite yet. I may try a pinch of salt to see if that helps. I’m still enjoying experimenting with it.
No. The pod contains a liquid concentrate of flavorings to create the desired cocktail. You provide the alcohol of your choice and a bottle of water. The water and booze get injected through the pod into the glass.
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ounces SC Passion Fruit Syrup (half passion fruit puree, half 2:1 simple syrup)
4 ounces black blended rum (something like Myers Dark, Gosling’s Black Seal, or Coruba)
(from the Smuggler’s Cove book I mentioned earlier)