Post #77361 by Humuhumu on Sun, Feb 22, 2004 6:07 PM

On 2004-01-09 12:28, martiki wrote:
Once again- I have been using the fee brothers stuff and it is an ok substitute in my mind. But the Velvet tastes very good. And this is the simple fact: John D Taylor has been making Falernum in Barbados for years and years. It IS the ingredient in vintage tropical drinks. It IS what Don, Vic, Ray, and everyone else used. Falernum (WITH alcohol!) IS the authentic way to make these drinks. Not syrup from the US. The liqueur from Barbados. Period. Don't believe me? Ask Jeff Berry when you see him in the Tiki Ti next time.

I was chatting with Jeff Berry last night, and the conversation turned to falernum. He was quite insistent on Fee Bros. being the closest you can come to the true old falernum. I asked about Velvet Falernum, and he says the flavor isn't as close to the real deal. I asked how he knew, and he says that he still has a small stash of the real deal from the old days, and he's taste tested against it. I pressed further, mentioning about Velvet being made from an old recipe, but he wouldn't budge -- he says that Fee Bros. is as close as you can get right now, and that it would be interesting to try mixing with Velvet Falernum, but that the flavor would definitely be off.

So there you go! I would still urge everyone to try playing with the Velvet Falernum, because whether it's a match to the old stuff or not, it's really yummy.