Tiki Central / Tiki Drinks and Food / A Spiritous Journey through Remixed - From the Astro Aku Aku to the Zadaran Storm
Post #706946 by Destro100 on Thu, Feb 6, 2014 7:24 AM
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Destro100
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Thu, Feb 6, 2014 7:24 AM
Drink 27: Samoan Fog Cutter Ingredients I used: Fresh lemon juice Mr. Berry was right! As he usually is. This version of the Fog Cutter is much improved. I did not use my good brandy (Pierre Ferrand 1840) and opted for the Courvoisier. In addition, I used a pretty inexpensive and unremarkable sherry. Finally, I stuck with Warwick Gin. How can I explain Warwick Gin? It's a product from upstate New York that tries very had to emulate the stereotype of gin that still lingers in our memories from childhood. It's strong-tasting, has juniper and lemon peel intensity, and gives off a fairly strong odor of neutral alcohol. On it's own it doesn't work all that well, but for classic cocktails, it provides a very strong flavor-profile to a drink. Back to the Samoan Fog Cutter. It's very tart (2 oz. of lemon) and appropriately sweet. Trader Vic kept the citrus ingredients exactly the same as the original Fog Cutter, instead reducing all the other liquor. This brings the drink more into balance. While it is still difficult to differentiate much of the liquor in the initial taste, it definitely seems like less of a joke than the original drink. Upon further tasting research, I can actually see what the gin is doing. It's subtly providing a delictate pine-forest background that gives the drink a nearly unidentifiable complexity while remaining firmly rooted in the tiki-wheelhouse. For non-cocktail drinkers, the drink may taste too strong and too sour. It may need some modifications to appeal to a more mainstream palate. But then, why not just make a different drink? I still don't love the drink, but it is definitely an improvement. My personal rating: *** (3) out of ***** (5) SCORECARD: |
