Post #767774 by TorchGuy on Tue, Aug 23, 2016 6:21 PM

I'll see about the book, I have lots of time before the party. Thing is, a LOT isn't available in Washington, and it also seems like rums change often, so I'd be afraid half the brands in Smugglers Cove would be gone, gone, not sold in WA, gone, changed, changed, not sold in WA, etc. BevMos here are less than half the size of those I've been to in California, and the few liquor stores selling specialty stuff usually focus on local liquor. Local (made as close as possible and out of local ingredients) is the explosively-popular, trendiest hot ticket in Washington. Gin. vodka, even single-malt, as long as it's from two miles up the road.

Scaramouch, where is the VX better than the 12, or vice-versa? Is it a good idea to have both, or is just one enough? Assuming I have just one, looking at prices, I'm sure I can buy the 12yr.

What about the light Puerto Rican? If I wanted one more bottle, to use in the Test Pilot and maybe 3/4oz. in the Zombie to go with the Appleton, what's a good option?

I can get BG Reynolds orgeat here, I think it's like liquid marzipan, delicious stuff. I get my falernum from a bar which makes their own, better than anything I've gotten in a store-bought bottle so far. Some distributor in the area sells fresh juices to bars, and the bar which makes falernum has bought passion fruit syrup there. I'm open to suggestions on that, if there's a commercial one without HFCS (I won't need a lot of it).

I plan to use orchids as garnishes on a few drinks. The only area supplier for just flowers charges a lot for a box of 30, but a shop which brings in fresh flower leis sells orchid leis, using the same purple-and-white ones, for around $20, with many more than 30 on each.

I found The Gnomon's post on making rock candy on swizzle sticks, so I may make those. I have a bunch of old cast iron pupu hibachis, so I'm going to keep one on the bar with a Sterno can in it and toast pineapple spears on it for the Zombie.

Is there any way to get crushed ice on hand-- like a cooler full of it?

Every drink will have its own glass. At previous parties, I'll be doing all sorts of stuff, so when someone says, "Make me what you made for Jay," I have to reply, "I last made Jay a drink 15 drinks ago, I'm not sure what it was." This time, it's just, "Okay, what glass was it in?" The Zombie and War God will come in new mugs I'm buying; the Test Pilot is in Harvey's buckets (a lucky find, in all my two decades hunting thrift stores I've found real tiki mugs/glasses only three times), and the rest are in vintage glassware. Found some great gray-green Japanese-made short glasses for the Gun Club Punch.

I do get kept busy at these parties, but I'm not slammed, so a menu this big will be okay, I think. I won't be doing one-off drinks like I've done in past years, so I won't need a zillion bottles.