It’ll be here before you know it. Our annual 12 days of Dappered gift guide covers one item/idea each week-day for the next dozen days. All will be reasonably affordable, and at the same time they should (hopefully) appeal to someone who might drop on by this corner of the internet. So if you’re looking for ideas on what to give a decently dressed (yet budget conscious) fellow, or, if you’ve got friends/family struggling for ideas on what to get someone (you) who’s hard to buy for, check back in as this year’s 12 Days churns on. You’ll also find the growing archive here.
With the exception of Teetotalers (much respect to you guys), receiving a bottle of good liquor as a gift is almost always welcome. For the sit and sip crowd, it’s a little like giving an experience along with a thing, since usually the top shelf stuff is enjoyed slowly while reading a book, or over conversation with a good friend, etc… But in the end, you just went to the store and grabbed a bottle of something. Consider putting a (very) little extra effort into it, and this year give your boozing friend a custom bottle of something you either cooked up, or they cooked up themselves.
Suggestion #1: Infuse some Cheap Booze with more Flavor
Old Crow getting infused with a healthy dose of Fig, Orange Peel, and some cloves
Infusing liquor is extremely easy. Take a cheap, but not totally garbage bottle of a basic spirit like Vodka, Bourbon (Old Crow works great), or Tequilla, chop some stuff up that won’t go to hell over time, combine in a clean jar, and let it sit. After a couple weeks check in via taste test. Once the liquor has taken on the flavors of whatever you put in the jar, filter through a strainer + cheese cloth into a clean bottle or jar. Label it, and gift away. If you know a pal has a certain preference for a mid-shelf whiskey, splurge a little on that and add some spice and fruit to it. Dickel’s #12 works extremely well with Apricots + a little bit of honey, or, Figs + Orange Peel + a pinch or two of whole cloves.
Suggestion #2: Let them Age their Favorite Cocktail
Barrel in a bottle. Behold the charred American Oak barrel stave
Barrel Aged Cocktails have been a hit both in bars and on the shelf in some areas, but you can do this on your own at home if you’ve got the right gear. And by gear… a glass jar of some kind and a charred piece of wood (but, the right kind of wood, right? Hopefully?).
Many of us were exposed to this home-cocktail aging thing first via Bespoke Post (and they’re carrying that box once again). But if you don’t need or want the tumblers from that box, you can get a stripped down version over here for $12.50. Extra charred barrel staves are $10 for a three pack over here. If the recipient has been extra “good” this year, grab some top shelf ingredients for that cocktail*, like a good Vermouth, and add that to their gift.
*Note: This should be obvious, but, don’t age cocktails that’ll spoil over time. So, no White Russians. Try not to kill anyone. And if you do, we’re not at fault. Sorry.
i pity the people who have a cocktail with the guy who thinks infusing Popov is a grand idea.
Charming…
“Take a cheap, but not totally garbage…” Popov was covered in the opening line.
Re: suggestion 2. I purchased that last year as a gift along with some White Whiskey. Gifted to my brother in law. It was much appreciated and really cool to see/taste the product changing. For those attempting 1, might I suggest: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/figgy-orange-bitters
Infused fruit is a 2 for 1 along this line. Brandied cherries, figs, etc.
You can get oak from a home brewing/winemaking type of shop too, typically in staves or cubes.
No sense of adventure with you. None.
what type of bourbon do you use? any suggestions on bottling materials?
Cardomom aquavit is delicious. I have some leftover Canadian Club whisky I inherited from a caterer. I may try infusing that with something spicey since I really don’t know what else to do with it.
At Thanksgiving, my brother-in-law gave me a 3-liter Old Forrester bourbon barrel for aging cocktails. I’ve rinsed it and cured it (you have to fill it with warm water, allowing the staves to expand to seal it from leaks). I’ve decided to age a classic “Saratoga” cocktail: equal parts cognac, rye whiskey, and sweet vermouth, with orange bitters. And yes, I’m going to use good vermouth: Carpano Antica.
Now it’s got me thinking that I should send out an email to 10-12 guys and start a club to buy equal shares of a 20-liter barrel, including booze, bottles, etc., to age a cocktail till St. Patrick’s Day. We can all get together in March, pour a liter to take home, then stick around to drain the barrel while singing Irish dirges.
Ok – Now you have me interested…how long do you let it sit? How do you decide how much of each item to put in? I imagine you wouldn’t want any one item to be overpowering.
It’s a three to four week process for me. For every 750ml of booze, I used 9-12 dried figs. I get the ones that are moist and sticky. Then I add in honey at a ratio of 1:5. That sits for 2-3 weeks, getting stirred every 3-4 days. I start tasting at 2.5 weeks to see if it starts to take on the figs. Once it takes it on well, I add in 2 sticks of cinnamon and a pinch of cloves per 750ml. That sits for a week. Then a split vanilla pod gets added and sits for another week. Mixture gets strained then filtered twice with cheese cloth and twice with an unbleached coffee filter.
Thanks so much – I am drooling thinking about it!
Last question – I promise. On the honey…is it similar to homebrewing in which you would add less liquid for the amount of honey added? Is that what you mean by 1:5 ratio (5 cups liquid, or 1 cup honey and 4 cups liquid)?
The article is contradictory, telling us at once “not garbage” and “Old Crow works great.” I’ve had plenty of Old Crow because I was always broke in college, but it was pretty brutal stuff with a nasty hangover. It’s not something I would serve to guests. In fact, the few bucks spent on ingredients to infuse it with would be better spent upgrading to Ezra Brooks or Evan Williams.
Good call on the old crow catch.