Chi-Chi's Mai Tai - Tiki Drinks and Food

DTG DJ Terence Gunn Member Joined: Jun 20, 2005 Posts: 250	DTG DJ Terence Gunn Posted posted on Mon, Mar 5, 2007 1:33 AM On 2007-03-04 21:35, Ojaitimo wrote: Ditto to the above except find orange curacao not triple sec. Potters is decent and about the same as triple sec. Potters? Potters is one of, if not THE, lowest of the low bottom shelf liquors. More expensive Curacao and Cointreau drinken straight are one thing, but as a component of a drink with several ingredients nobody will taste the least slightest difference or subtlety. And Blue Curacao is one of the biggest marketing scams in the liquor industry ever invented. (Yes, those blue oranges are mighty difficult to come by! I simply can't make a Blue Hawaiian without one!) Yes, you can. It's called blue food colouring mixed with orange liqueur; and there are many orange liqueurs at many different prices, and called by many different names; but ultimately, on their own, they all taste sickly sweet and artificial (much like pre-made mixers sold in stores). I've always called orange liqueur the vermouth of the tropical libation; and indeed it is. But like vermouth -- sweet or dry -- there isn't a tremendous amount of difference in taste (unless one is drinking it on the rocks, or is buying the worst vermouth ever produced and marketed: Lejon.) The same can be said of Sherry and Port wines. One can find a very decent $6 bottle of both and compare the flavour and body to that of one for $20 or more, and find no, if any, difference in flavour or alcohol content, or body. But Sherries and Ports are a bit different, as they're all from the unpredictable grape and its unpredictable harvests and exposure to the elements, and are then fortified with grape brandy -- based initially on the same. If you want to waste money buy the expensive stuff, sure; shop by the name brand. But you can find the same flavour and effect in a Bols Triple Sec (higher alcohol content, too) or even Hiram Walker. Now rum -- that's a completely different story, as regionally they are made so differently from each other, and the end result -- straight or mixed -- is very noticeable.

On 2007-03-04 21:35, Ojaitimo wrote:
Ditto to the above except find orange curacao not triple sec. Potters is decent and about the same as triple sec.

Potters? Potters is one of, if not THE, lowest of the low bottom shelf liquors.

More expensive Curacao and Cointreau drinken straight are one thing, but as a component of a drink with several ingredients nobody will taste the least slightest difference or subtlety. And Blue Curacao is one of the biggest marketing scams in the liquor industry ever invented. (Yes, those blue oranges are mighty difficult to come by! I simply can't make a Blue Hawaiian without one!) Yes, you can. It's called blue food colouring mixed with orange liqueur; and there are many orange liqueurs at many different prices, and called by many different names; but ultimately, on their own, they all taste sickly sweet and artificial (much like pre-made mixers sold in stores).

I've always called orange liqueur the vermouth of the tropical libation; and indeed it is. But like vermouth -- sweet or dry -- there isn't a tremendous amount of difference in taste (unless one is drinking it on the rocks, or is buying the worst vermouth ever produced and marketed: Lejon.) The same can be said of Sherry and Port wines. One can find a very decent $6 bottle of both and compare the flavour and body to that of one for $20 or more, and find no, if any, difference in flavour or alcohol content, or body. But Sherries and Ports are a bit different, as they're all from the unpredictable grape and its unpredictable harvests and exposure to the elements, and are then fortified with grape brandy -- based initially on the same.

If you want to waste money buy the expensive stuff, sure; shop by the name brand. But you can find the same flavour and effect in a Bols Triple Sec (higher alcohol content, too) or even Hiram Walker.

Now rum -- that's a completely different story, as regionally they are made so differently from each other, and the end result -- straight or mixed -- is very noticeable.

Post #289720 by DJ Terence Gunn on Mon, Mar 5, 2007 1:33 AM