This year, Santa gifted me 12 Days of Straightaway Cocktails from Portland, Oregon.
I have now gone through them all and it is time to do summary reviews…
Day 1 – Mai Tai has big rum aroma but the orange lime mix kicks in while the almond note adds a bit of creamy texture.
Day 2 – Blanco Margarita has the balance of spirit and citrus just right. simple ingredient list but works really well.
Day 3 – Espresso Martini, my first ever, nitro too. smooth and creamy. weird duality. good cold brew then not good vodka .
Day 4 – #3 Daquiri coconut top note, heavier abv than the other 3. the acidity keeps it bright though
Day 5 – Manhattan is a classic and this is right up my alley. big bitters taste here. nice and spicy. perhaps a touch too much. whiskey is a minor player.
Day 6 – Negroni is not one of my favorite tipples. I find that Amaro and me are not friends which is a problem for a cocktail heavy with it. But this one, I can get down with. Crimson Snap liquer seems more accessible to me.
Day 7 – Oregon Old Fashioned which is quite strong. was hoping for more of a filbert nutty taste to it. the fir note is not there either. mostly getting honey and whiskey.
Day 8 – Margarita with jalapeno scared me a bit since I am heat averse but this was more on the green vegetal pepper side and though not my favorite had a nice balance of sweet and spicy.
Day 9 – Bee’s Knees first time trying this drink. not as sweet as expected. quite strong. have never heard of the liqueur in this but it makes this a little top heavy even as it cuts the honey.
Day 10 – Maple Old Fashioned is not super syrupy which is a good thing? quite a bit hot as well. the other old fashioned is slightly better. was expecting more sweetness or viscosity.
Day 11 – Thai Gimlet has quite a bit of spice to it and a nice hit of lime as well. for a vodka drink, i quite like it. no alcohol hit but that is ok since the other big flavors take control.
Day 12 – Pacific Paloma has a slight grapefruit pith aroma and a larger citrus taste here. seems a bit watery overall though. the other listed ingredients do not pop out.
