Post #253005 by Kona Chris on Thu, Sep 7, 2006 10:30 PM

On 2006-09-07 17:15, thinkingbartender wrote:

Orange Curacao in one drink is not that far from the Cointreau in the other, once again the same is true of the orgeat/ falernum.

Sorry George, while I may agree with you on the cointreau/curacao issue, you are dead wrong about orgeat & falernum, and frankly to state this not once but twice makes your entire argument loose credibility. I don't know what brand of falernum or orgeat you are using, but frankly there is pretty much NO similarity whatsoever between the two, or in any that I have tasted. I would not be enthused if a bartender substituted one for the other on the basis that they are "basically similar". They simply aren't. Lime and clove flavors are not the same as almond and orange water.

And while on the surface I agree with you as well that many of these recipes seem quite similar, small ingredient differences can and do make a difference. I've not made too many Mai Tai's, say 20 or 30 total, most of those consumed by me too. Even though I'm doing the exact same process each time, I've had definite variations in the final product. So going back to your first drink the Bay yacht whatever one, even though it is similar, I would bet money that anyone could tell the difference (especially with the lack of orgeat, and the addition of falernum).

Chris