Years of bartending experience and I'm still in the food and beverage business. Keep in mind every place's specs are different. When I came up a Long Island was Rum, gin, vodka, triple sec, sweet & sour, and splash of Coke. If you added tequila we called it a Texas tea. Now if you think about it, if you order this drink without specifying top shelf you're getting 4-5 cheap rot gut liqours. Hangover guaranteed. The only reason to order this drink is to get fucking hammered.

Now 2 more drinks that are slight variations:

A Walk Me Down (that blue drink) is essentially a Long Island but you sub blue curaçao for the triple sec and leave off the Coke. Blue curaçao is just blue triple sec (both cheap orange liquor).

Next is the Grateful Dead. It's a Walk Me Down with a chambord (or razzmatazz if you're going cheap) float on top. Chambord or razzmatazz is a raspberry liquor that is purple. It turns the blue Walk Me Down to a tie die lookin purple. Hence the hippy name Grateful Dead.

None of these drinks are that great but if you want to get hammered, try them. Had some girls back in the day hooked on those Grateful Dead's.

Hello Kash,

Thanks for the info on the LI ice tea.

May I ask you about a Mojito?

I live in South Florida and very few bartenders can make one right, its a native drink of Cuba. It has to be some kind of real good rum, I believe sugar cane syrup, and (I'm not sure on this) bruised mint leaves??

If they are made by somebody who knows what they are doing it might just be the most refreshing drink ever. Close to really good lemonade with a shot of rum, but way better.

I'm serious when I say that you could down 3 or 4 of these and not realize how trashed you are getting.

Ever make one of these?

Thanks
Sal

That's another one where there is a bunch of different ways. My way was simple syrup, squeeze a lime, and a couple mint leaves. Muddle that. Top with ice and then build with quality white rum, soda water, and then garnish with lime. Some people use a little sweet & sour or 7up instead of soda but I like the more traditional recipe. You can get creative and throw a strawberry in with the simple syrup & mint to muddle for a twist. Great brunch drink after a long night of boozin. When it's done just right it's a citrus semi-sweet cocktail and that mint gives it a cool sensation more than a mint flavor.

Thanks,

Yeah, I see what you mean. I looked that drink up too and there are a dozen different ways to make it and every one of them say "authentic mojito"

In your professional opinion what do you think is the very best non blended scotch out there. Forget price, whats the very best?

Where I live thats called an AMF - Adios Motherfucker

That name is probably more appropriate

Loaded question. When it comes to single malts, some like the heavy peat, some don't. And you can buy some rare 26 year bottles that will run you thousands. I keep a bottle of 18 year glenlivet for a a scotch drinking guest at the house. It's a good single malt and is roughly $100 a fifth where I live. Probably a little more in other areas. JW blue is a blend but has a high roller reputation. About $400 a bottle. This is a broad stroke statement so don't take it for 100% true in all situations. Scotch market is more stable than Bourbon at the moment. Scotch price and quality is closely linked. Bourbon is in a shortage so prices are ridiculous jacked up. So a $300 scotch is probably a better pour than a $300 small batch Bourbon.

Kash,

For a time Jack D was my drink of choice. At the beginning of he night I would put just a splash of water in it, then as I got to feeling good I would start drinking it strait up.

A few or more years ago Jack Daniels came out with a "Sinatra Select". It was 90 proof instead or the usual 80 proof, but they where charging a small fortune for it. I tried it once and to me , other than the proof I really couldn't tell the difference.

You know whats all over the internet lately, is this moonshiner Popcorn Sutton "likker" shit. There are all sorts of small companies making this corn liquor now. Just an empty Popcorn Sutton mason jar can sell for hundreds of dollars on ebay.

The spirits business seems to be very crazy at times.

I usually do a gin and club, itbhelps me not get drunk so fast at least I think

Sal,

Nothing wrong with Jack. I keep a gentleman jack bottle stocked in my home bar. And you hit on the marketing part of the booze business. Jack probably had some research that said they could do numbers in a certain demo that Sinatra's name would reach. Throw Frank's estate a check, tweak the recipe, charge a premium. Bud light platinum is bud light ice rebranded because it only sold in the hood. They still have bud ice for the hood but rebranded the light to bud light platinum to get white folks to buy it. Demographics marketing

I think pretty much any drink made with Scotch is a drinking man's drink. And most people grow out of the "Drink till you Puke" stage at 23 or 24. Getting a little buzz so you relax and have a nice time is enough.

It's not really an old school thing Sal, I probably had 1 in the last decade or so..I bet if u went 2 a non stuffy joint,u would receive 1 w/out any funny looks.

When I was kid in the 70s Cutty was one of the beverages that was always stocked in my parent's liquor cabinet and at relatives homes as well.

Another Scotch they had was Old Smuggler.

Times change.

These days it's all about boutique this and small batch that. You don't even see too many folks drinking Jim Beam anymore although they are trying to change that with Mila Kunis. Am I supposed to think that if I drink Beam I'll score a hot chick OR am I supposed to drink enough Beam that any girl will look like Mila?

I stick to the classics, Jack, Crown, J&B, Herradura and Stoli.