Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
Luxardo is probably the most common brand of maraschino cherry. It's about $23 for a jar. Much more expensive and I could eat them by themselves.
They are freaking amazing. I bought them once, and haven't splurged since, but would if we were setting up the bar for a very nice party.
On the topic of pre-made mixes, here are my thoughts:
- As others have said, old fashioneds are easy to make. I use the sugar cubes, but it takes all of 2-3 minutes even with that method. Also, since I'm a Wisconsin kid, I prefer Korbel brandy to whiskey, and a splash of Sprite on the top. But we make them both that way and the traditional way at home. NOW, my brother in law brought over a pre-mixed old fashioned bottle (booze and all) at Christmas, and it was quite good. I don't recall the name, but will ask next time I see him. Of course, being a busy host who was finishing up slicing the beef tenderloin while I was pouring drinks, I didn't realize it was a full mix and so I added my whiskey to his "mix" on the first round. It turned out really sweet and of course really strong...got better with round 2
.
- Margarita mix: I haven't found out that isn't way too sweet for me. My wife makes a very simple mix to which you can just add tequila. Mostly lime juice, a little sugar and some triple sec...I think that's all. But controlling the amount of sugar leads to a much more pleasurable experience.
- Bloody Mary: several are good, but we usually go with the Zing Zang. It also comes in single serve cans which is nice. We have a friend who infuses Costco vodka with peppers and just pours that into tomato juice...inventive, spicy, but just not as good.
- My favorite: Olives jarred in Vermouth. Just plop them into a glass of gin with a couple ice cubes and you have a dry martini.
