In keeping with all things music, my go-to martini is an ultra-dry Chopin Vodka, most definitely shaken to hell and back (never stirred!). This premium Polish potato vodka is delicious.
Fun fact: The frosted glass bottle has a clear oval in it, above the logo; and the profile of Chopin is actually printed on the inside of the bottle’s back. Very 3D, very cool. 
- shaken, with a small amount of vermouth floated after the shaking. As close to the freezing point as possible, it’s nice when there’s tiny icebergs left from the shaking and straining.
Absolutely. I tell bartenders to shake my martini like it owes him money.
The vodka is just too good, so I’m not a big fan of Vermouth in my martinis. Maybe a drop or two, just to say we did.
Me either, until I discovered good Vermouth. I was actually pretty surprised.
that’s totally cool!
if you like the smoke flavor its awesome. you just let it sit for a couple minutes and you have it. even the ice cube has a little smoke flavor.
Never tried it, sounds great.
My favorite restaurant serves an amazing Smoked Old Fashioned with this recipe:
Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, A Dash Of Chocolate Bitters, Served On A Smoked Plank Tableside
That is a “position” in Belgium, if you know what I mean 
I live 2 miles along a quiet single track road from a distillery.
I don’t really like the spirit.
I hardly ever drink alcohol these days. As my age has crept up, and after I moved to the back of beyond so stopped going to the pub, I’ve found it affects me more in the ways you can tolerate when you’re getting the buzz, but without the buzz. What’s the point?
My tipple of choice now is a good espresso or a Twinings Everyday tea.
I have been a fan of two of Brewdog’s best - Jet Black Heart and Elvis Juice - but between a mental health issue and yet another bit of pandering, I no longer drink either very often.
Wanna know the sordid details? No! I’ll tell you anyway;
Elvis Juice is made with a genuine extract of grapefruit, not just a citrus flavouring, and on my anti-depressants I have found it actually gives me a hangover before I even finish a second one (grapefruit is specifically stated to be avoided by most SSRIs). So their commitment to a good beer has been my downfall.
On the other end of their commitment to beer, they changed the recipe of Jet Black Heart to remove the milk used in this wonderful stout - to please the vegans! - and now it is a pale imitation of Guinness. It was previously the best draught stout I’d ever drunk.
There you go: vegans catered for - mental health not catered for. 
(I’m having a moan this morning)
I’ve a distillery 400m to my west and another 3 miles to my east, I sip frequently but in tiny amounts, it’s the best balance for me. I’ve had SSRI’s in the past and I understand.
100% agree with the jet black, the lactose made that drink both in taste and mouthfeel.
Ps. Keep going, your doing alright.
I’m glad I posted this topic now, as a new member it’s nice to see the way people interact on the forums, it’s also nice to work out a few of the personalities
Had this quite interesting drink in the US last year (apparently a “cousin” to the Old Fashioned):
Gotta dig the absinthe rinse of the glass
I love Sazeracs! Finding a bartender that can make one really well is a challenge, but Austin is a food and drink Mecca.
Actual Absinthe is only legal in the US if it’s thujone-free. Pernod, Anisette or Ouzo are common substitutes. Herbsaint is a great one, but it’s usually found only in New Orleans.
Apparently, there isn’t all that much of that in absinthe… it’s more the alcohol contents that causes people to, uhm, malfunction.
At least, that is what this article has us believe:
Perhaps time for more experiments!?!
Always! Next round is on me! 
Awesome! One thing I learned: these Sazeracs don’t come cheap 
