UK: Cocktail Ingredients and Equipment

[Mr Flibble]

The luxardo sour apple is pretty good. Not completely the same as how I remember apple sourz to be, but similar (a bit more appley i'd say, which isn't a bad thing!)

[Rakey]

I will have to try it, any idea where I could purchase it? They only do white sambuca and limoncello in sainsburys

[Mr Flibble]

I bought mine from:

http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products...p?text=luxardo

along with their bitter orange (alright), amaretto (nice) and passione ambra (very nice stuff!). I've not found any real vegan kirsh yet, the luxardo kirsh de cuisine (from Soho Wine Supply in Percy Street, London) is alright and suffices in the meantime, but not really designed for drinking.

[Mr Flibble]

I forgot about passione ambra until writing that - think i'm going to have some for a little pre bedtime tipple

[bradders]

I'm just glad that my southern comfort and lemonade is still on the menu

[Gorilla]

^ yum, one of my favourites

[Mr Flibble]

Mail from Jack Daniels - 09/08/06

We appreciate your interest in Jack Daniel's. We use no animal by-products when making our Tennessee Whiskey, so it's perfectly OK for vegans to enjoy. Furthermore, we use only brand new white oak barrels when making our whiskey.

Pointed out bryzee86 yesterday:

http://www.nashvillechefs.org/archiv...wsletter2.html

They use beeswax in making their barrels:

"The shaped barrel heads are fed into the rings of the machine to the right which treats them with hot beeswax to seal the heads and make a tight seal when the head is placed into the croze. Looking deep into the chamber of this machine you will see an open gas flame heating a large vat of wax."

Apparently there's a youtube video

[Cherry]

Have you emailed them yet?

[Mr Flibble]

not yet

[Marrers]

Does anyone happen to know of a vegan sherry?

[Mr Flibble]

I don't know of any in shops, I seem to remember hearing that harveys isn't vegan.

I had an email exchange with vinceremos a couple of years ago, who sell 2 vegan "sherry style" wines:

http://www.vinceremos.co.uk/organicwine/info_047.html
http://www.vinceremos.co.uk/organicwine/info_728.html

in their words:

As for our "sherry style wines", Sherry can only be called this if it is
produced in Jerez (a small region in the south of Spain) much like the
Champagne and Port scenario. The fortified wines that we import come
from the heart of Andalucia so although they are made in exactly the
same way as Sherry with the same grape varieties we are not legally
allowed to call them sherries. They can be treated and drunk in exactly
the same way.

The closures for the Sierra Morena wines all have stoppers, the Piedra
Luenga ones are corks (although these can just be put back in without to
many problems).

Then when I asked about how long they last:

Although the supplier recommends that you drink the Pale Cream within a week it is our experience that it will last at least 3-4 weeks.

[Marrers]

Thanks Mr F. I had heard Hardys pale cream was okay when I last bought some but I think that was probably about 8 years ago!

How long do spirits last?

[Gorilla]

spirits usually last almost indefinitely. 3-4 weeks is a pitifully short time for a whole bottle of sherry, you'd have to be fairly committed to drink it all that quickly surely.

[bryzee86]

Yeah Hardy's Pale is vegan - listed in the new Animal Free shopper.

p.s. sherry's a wine, not a spirit.

[cobweb]

spirits usually last almost indefinitely. 3-4 weeks is a pitifully short time for a whole bottle of sherry, you'd have to be fairly committed to drink it all that quickly surely.

blimey, i only bought a 1 litre bottle 24 hours ago and it's a third down already, between me and the trifle!.

[cobweb]

Yeah Hardy's Pale is vegan - listed in the new Animal Free shopper.

p.s. sherry's a wine, not a spirit.

Bryzee is the new shopper any good? - much new stuff?.
Would you be ever so sweet and see if any Croft sherries are listed per-leasey?

[bryzee86]

ETA: I meant Harvery's Bristol Cream is vegan. And Harveys Orange is, too.

I'll have a look for more now.

ETA: I can't see any Croft sherries on there.

[cobweb]

thanks, Bryzee - bumholes, i thought Harveys was ok but couldn't get it so i got Croft cos that's listed online as vegan and veggie friendly.

[bryzee86]

It probably is - best email the manufacturer. Animal-free shopper doesn't have every vegan product in (and there's even stuff in there that's not vegan!!!)

[Marrers]

p.s. sherry's a wine, not a spirit.

Yeah I know. The sherry question got me thinking about why I bought it (for a cocktail party) and wondering whether the other spirits I bought at the same time are actually still safe since it was so long ago - I always thought they last forever but reckoned there is no harm double checking that I'm right, so it was an unrelated question!

eta I think the sherry is actually still unopened - I assume it lasts forever til you open it?

[Gorilla]

blimey, i only bought a 1 litre bottle 24 hours ago and it's a third down already, between me and the trifle!.

well i'm not a massive fan of sherry so i don't know, but my parents drink it and they have it in those tiny little glasses...

[cobweb]

i even bought some tiny glasses, Gorilla (6 for £1.50 from the charity shop) but i keep refilling them!

[Gorilla]

[vava]

anyone know if a dusty bottle of blue curacao is vegan - i wikied it and it just tells you what it is made from and says a blue dye is added - wondering if it is an ok dye or not.... - A while ago i had a really nice coctail make from the above and some coconut cream and malibu yum

[Mr Flibble]

Which brand?

I emailed Bols a couple of years ago and got "It is hard to give you the right answer because we understand that there are several kinds of vegans with different opinions."

I replied with a fairly comprehensive definition including "I understand that there is currently no internationally recognised definition of the word vegan and you are in a position where you cannot specifically say yes or no. However, as stated in my email I'm specifically asking about whether the alcohol has been cleared or filtered using animal products (such as activated carbon/charcoal produced from animal bones) or contains colourings such as cochineal (crushed beatles)." and got no reply.

[vava]

De Kuyper....

[vava]

Thanks for the info Mr F I wish I could find out if the Lejay-Lagoute violet liqueur was vegan or not ! Their website is under construction and there is no email address
The search for violets continues .....

http://tipnut.com/lavender-liqueur/

may be a base for you to try

[Mr Flibble]

Mail from benedictine - 20/01/2009

Definitely , we can reassure you ,Bénédictine is fully suitable for Vegans ; Nothing ,during all the process, is used coming from animal sources .

What you have heard about Bénédictine is completely right !

At your disposal , anyway ,

Kind Regards,

[Mr Flibble]

Wow, it's actually pretty nice. 40% but not harsh - sweet, warming, tingly. I agree that it's probably not so great in cocktails, but I look forward to testing some out

[Mr Flibble]

For anyone interested, as an update to my post earlier in this thread, here's my current stock of cocktail ingredients. It doesn't include standard items (juice, fruit etc), supermarket own branded spirits or my homemade 'infusions' - xmas vodka, sloe gin, damson gin etc.

All have either been checked as vegan by me (with the email from the company posted to this forum) or checked by someone I know directly and trust - not from online lists.

Vodka

Absolut Standard
Absolut Citron
Absolut Pear
Absolut Peppar
Absolut Raspberri
Absolut Vanilla
Smirnoff Blue
Smirnoff Red

Gin

Bombay Sapphire
Pimms #1 Cup
Juniper Green

Cognac / Brandy

Pimms #3 Cup
Remy VSOP
Remy XO

Tequilla

Jose Cuervo Clasico
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado

Fortified Wine

Casal Dos Jordoes Vintage Port
Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
Nolly Pratt Dry Vermouth
Nolly Pratt Sweet Vermouth

Rum

Angostura 1919 8y/o Rum
Morgans Spiced Rum
Captain Morgan Dark Rum
Bacardi

Syrup

Bardinet Grenedine
Routin 1883 Butterscotch Syrup
Routin 1883 Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
Routin 1883 White Chocolate Syrup
Routin 1883 Tiramisu Syrup
Routin 1883 Blue Curacoa Syrup
Routin 1883 Irish Cream Syrup
Routin 1883 Concentrated Tea Syrup

Whisky

Highland Park 12y/o
Oban 14y/o
Jack Daniels (currently a question over this)
Southern Comfort

Liqueurs / Other

Luxardo Limoncello
Luxardo Kirsh de Cuisine
Luxardo Sambuca
Luxardo Cinnamon Sambuca
Luxardo Apple Sourz
Luxardo Ameretto
Tia Maria
Kahlua
Apsinthion Absinthe
Cointreau
Benedictine
Archers Peach Schnapps
Pennard Organic Raspberry Liqueur

Bitters

Angostura Bitters
Angostura Orange Bitters
Luxardo Bitter Orange

I don't drink very much very often, i just get a new bottle every 2-3 weeks

[Marrers]

Impressive! Cocktail party at yours then?

[vava]

where do you get them there syrups then?

[Elahiya]

Impressive! Cocktail party at yours then?

and i would certainly have to be the one who needs to help with preparing cocktails...

[Mr Flibble]

Possibly

where do you get them there syrups then?

You'd be looking for this thread.

[Marrers]

I just found that thread - I think I need some syrups!

[Mr Flibble]

Wow, it's actually pretty nice. 40% but not harsh - sweet, warming, tingly. I agree that it's probably not so great in cocktails, but I look forward to testing some out

I just did something that you're not, under any circumstance, meant to do.

I crossed the streams

(OK, I admit, I'm possibly more than a bit sozzled)

I just mixed several things that aren't meant to go together. I was feeling reckless. I wasn't happy with what is meant to be a very good cocktail:

Bombay Sapphire, Lime Juice, Passion fruit seeds & sparkling wine.

I improved it with some benedictine. It was better.

I muddled some blueberries into it, for no reason other than they were in the fridge. It made pretty much no difference.

Then it happened. I surveyed the horizon, looking for something else, and found morgans spiced rum. I was 100% sure that it wouldn't work, but I gave it a go.

It's actually pretty nice. It's bubbly vanillery passiony.

I'm going to go and fall asleep in the bath now

Thou, I strangely have a desire to go and cook another meal. Dinner round #2 here I come!

(someone stop me, i beg you!)

[Marrers]

I fear it is probably too late to stop you now so I hope it was a good binge! (I drank loads of red wine then ate a whole bag of Tyrells. )

[Mr Flibble]

I had gnocchi with grated mozzerella cheezly. It was very good

What happened to the drinking thread?

[twinkle]

Cognac / Brandy
...
Remy VSOP
...

Thanks for this - splashed out on a bottle from what is apparently a 'mini bar and studio' where they do tasting glasses and fancy dan stuff. The guy was interested to know this and the more expensive one were vegan, and asked if I'd be interested if he could get vegan wines in for me (The Case, on Millstone Lane, for Leicesterites who may be interested).

[Mr Flibble]

Cool

[Cumin]

Pointed out bryzee86 yesterday:

http://www.nashvillechefs.org/archiv...wsletter2.html

They use beeswax in making their barrels:

"The shaped barrel heads are fed into the rings of the machine to the right which treats them with hot beeswax to seal the heads and make a tight seal when the head is placed into the croze. Looking deep into the chamber of this machine you will see an open gas flame heating a large vat of wax."

Apparently there's a youtube video

Good news from JD yesterday. I think this clears up the beeswax question:

"We appreciate your interest in Jack Daniel's and the production of our Tennessee Whiskey and barrels. You'll be happy to know that we do not use beeswax to seal our barrels. We do use a paraffin wax during the construction of the barrel head, but the wax is not used to seal the barrel. In any case, paraffin wax does not contain any animal byproducts.

I hope this helps, and we appreciate your continued support of Jack Daniel's. Please feel free to write us again if you have further questions."

[Marrers]

Well done Cumin. (I still haven't ordered the syrups, must get round to that.)

[Mahk]

Based on this thread I bought a bottle of Mount Gay Rum two years ago and just finished it yesterday. [I don't drink rum much] I only now just looked at the back label where they brag about the fact that they use "coral filtered water". Coral is an animal, not a plant. Since we don't consider shellac as vegan then we shouldn't coral either, even though I assume the majority of what is harvested in both cases is "dead" excreted material. There are still lac insects and coral living there when we steal it.

Does the Animal Free Shopper cover hard liquor?

Tommy Bahama rum also uses coral filtered water. Heck, it could be that all water in the Bahamas is "coral filtered".

I think that may be the case. It is all "naturally filtered through coral in the ground", they don't buy coral. Anyone?

[bradders]

it is something to be avoided personally though is in essence little different to an aqua fina or other reverse osmossis water. The water is passed through coral calsium. This is derived from ancient fissilized reefs that have turned to limestone. They don't (as a rule certainly but cannot say in all cases for sure) use live reefs. It is used as it is a good calcium source thast is effective for filtering and fortifying water.
As a point of morality it is rather grey but I would put it somewhere along the lines of eating food fertalized with manure. It is a really tricky one though and is something on which each person must draw their own conclusons and make a decision.

[*live*&*let*live]

For anyone interested, as an update to my post earlier in this thread, here's my current stock of cocktail ingredients. It doesn't include standard items (juice, fruit etc), supermarket own branded spirits or my homemade 'infusions' - xmas vodka, sloe gin, damson gin etc.

All have either been checked as vegan by me (with the email from the company posted to this forum) or checked by someone I know directly and trust - not from online lists.

Vodka

Absolut Standard
Absolut Citron
Absolut Pear
Absolut Peppar
Absolut Raspberri
Absolut Vanilla
Smirnoff Blue
Smirnoff Red

Gin

Bombay Sapphire
Pimms #1 Cup
Juniper Green

Cognac / Brandy

Pimms #3 Cup
Remy VSOP
Remy XO

Tequilla

Jose Cuervo Clasico
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado

Fortified Wine

Casal Dos Jordoes Vintage Port
Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
Nolly Pratt Dry Vermouth
Nolly Pratt Sweet Vermouth

Rum

Angostura 1919 8y/o Rum
Morgans Spiced Rum
Captain Morgan Dark Rum
Bacardi

Syrup

Bardinet Grenedine
Routin 1883 Butterscotch Syrup
Routin 1883 Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
Routin 1883 White Chocolate Syrup
Routin 1883 Tiramisu Syrup
Routin 1883 Blue Curacoa Syrup
Routin 1883 Irish Cream Syrup
Routin 1883 Concentrated Tea Syrup

Whisky

Highland Park 12y/o
Oban 14y/o
Jack Daniels (currently a question over this)
Southern Comfort

Liqueurs / Other

Luxardo Limoncello
Luxardo Kirsh de Cuisine
Luxardo Sambuca
Luxardo Cinnamon Sambuca
Luxardo Apple Sourz
Luxardo Ameretto
Tia Maria
Kahlua
Apsinthion Absinthe
Cointreau
Benedictine
Archers Peach Schnapps
Pennard Organic Raspberry Liqueur

Bitters

Angostura Bitters
Angostura Orange Bitters
Luxardo Bitter Orange

I don't drink very much very often, i just get a new bottle every 2-3 weeks

CHEERS for this Mr F!! It's great!

[GreenEnvy]

vegan advocaat anyone? I can't find any

[robb]

Hmm... would be nice, wouldn't it? In my pre-vegan days, a "Snowball" was one of the first alcoholic drinks I ever had (I think my parents would let me have one occasionally...)

I always wanted to launch a brand of Advocaat called, "Devil's Advocaat".

[GreenEnvy]

Same here.. I loved snowballs...*sighh*

[robb]

Elahiya, where are you? Since you've perfected vegan Baileys, I think we have your next mission...

[Elahiya]

this one should be quite close to it http://ankescocktails.blogspot.com/2...akkalakka.html

a nice creation with that version is the lemon cheesecake cocktail ;-)