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Orgeat Taste Test -- the results are in! |
Luki
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: 147
From: Chicago area
|  Posted: 2012-08-24 6:44 pm Permalink
Has anybody tried ordering the Small Hands products from Maxwell Street Trading Co. in Chicago?
I wrote to them about it but haven't heard back (was too busy at work today to call, ugh).
The raves sound too good to pass up!
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Rum Balls
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Oct 04, 2004
Posts: 828
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2012-08-27 07:01 am Permalink
Quote:
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Bloody Good, I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure I overheard an "affirmative" answer to that question during the "surprise" stop at Hale Pele on the Tiki Kon Sunday home bar tour earlier this month.
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theoutoftownlocal
Member
Joined: Sep 06, 2010
Posts: 8 | Posted: 2012-08-27 12:42 pm Permalink
I use to make my own Orgeat, but found Ferrara Brand (they use the Orzata spelling, but they are the same)at Doris Italian Market. It's out of NY and made with sugar, not HFCS, and no artificial flavors. I find the taste works well in Mai Tais. I make a lot of home made syrups and liqueurs, the problem is using up the syrups before they turn strange. Orgeat happens to be one I don't use as often as others.
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djmont
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Aug 03, 2011
Posts: 75
From: Potomac Falls, VA
| Posted: 2012-08-28 05:59 am Permalink
I've never tried the Ferrara brand. Maybe I'll pick up a bottle one of these days. (I'm full up on orgeat right now!)
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David J. Montgomery writes about cocktails and spirits at ProfessorCocktail.com.
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Bloody Good
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 18, 2012
Posts: 36
From: Portland OR
| Posted: 2012-08-28 10:51 am Permalink
Rum Balls thats super cool, thanks again for the heads up. I think I found a sitter, so I'm hoping to make it to Hale Pele and get some syrups tomorrow!
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Hale Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 1385
From: Pittsburgh
| Posted: 2012-09-15 9:34 pm Permalink
I still so no recipes on this thread, gentlemen.
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poutineki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 12, 2012
Posts: 62
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2012-09-20 5:15 pm Permalink
I have a question semi-related to this topic. I've never had or even seen macadamia liqueur but I was wondering if making an orgeat using macadamia nuts instead of almonds would result in something that would be a suitable stand-in for it in the recipes in Remixed. Would it be too subtle? I just have no idea what I'm trying to mimic.
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Kon-Hemsby
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Sep 17, 2003
Posts: 1225
From: Andover, England
| Posted: 2012-09-21 04:40 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-09-20 17:15, poutineki wrote:
I have a question semi-related to this topic. I've never had or even seen macadamia liqueur but I was wondering if making an orgeat using macadamia nuts instead of almonds would result in something that would be a suitable stand-in for it in the recipes in Remixed. Would it be too subtle? I just have no idea what I'm trying to mimic.
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Can you get Monin Macadamia Nut Syrup? It's a similar taste to that but obviously less sweet.
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TikiHardBop
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Posts: 355
From: Rockledge, FL
| Posted: 2012-09-21 09:33 am Permalink
Trader Vic Macadamia Nut liqueur is pretty damn awesome stuff. I haven't thought of using it instead of orgeat, primarily because I always have some around. Might be an interesting experiment. I've seen people use Drambuie as an orgeat substitute as well. I would think that a liqueur would throw your ratios all off due to the alcohol content and the sweetness level. As well as the fact that even good orgeat is about a tenth the cost of liqueur.
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poutineki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 12, 2012
Posts: 62
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2012-09-21 2:31 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-09-21 04:40, Kon-Hemsby wrote:
Can you get Monin Macadamia Nut Syrup? It's a similar taste to that but obviously less sweet.
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I can get that and compensating for additional sweetness wouldn't be hard. I'll check it out. Thanks!
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thePorpoise
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 23, 2011
Posts: 700
From: Tampa Bay
| Posted: 2012-09-22 5:02 pm Permalink
when in doubt, i've substituted amaretto for orgeat...
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TikiTie
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 24, 2012
Posts: 69
From: 'bonedale, CO
| Posted: 2012-11-08 12:06 pm Permalink
Does anyone have experience with how long B.G. Reynolds syrups keep? No preservatives in them, so I'd assume they need refrigeration. I'm going to buy a bottle or 2 of orgeat, which I figure I can use rapidly, but I also want to buy some Passion fruit Syrup and maybe Don's Mix and Spice #2, all of which would be used a lot less frequently. Thanks!
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Rum Balls
Grand Member (7 years)
Joined: Oct 04, 2004
Posts: 828
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2012-11-09 05:27 am Permalink
BG syrups should be refrigerated after opening. I have a bunch of them in my mini-fridge, and they're holding out fine after several months. I don't think they'll last indefinitely, though, so I need to get crackin'... 
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AceExplorer
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2008
Posts: 301
From: Deep in the Jacksonville Florida jungle.
| Posted: 2012-11-09 06:05 am Permalink
I do not refrigerate my store-bought Orgeat, I think it's probably chock-full of preservatives and it's time I get off my lazy ass and start making Orgeat from scratch... heh! But I do think the bottle may even clearly make the statement that no refrigeration is required, I'll have to go look later... But definitely, if I made my own Orgeat, I would not risk my labor-of-love and I would refrigerate it. I remember doing research a couple years ago online and reading about "almond milk" and some other almond derivatives and how they were highly favored through hundreds of years of history because they kept much longer than milk products and did not need refrigeration. Or something like that... But I'm a play-it-safe kind of guy with my syrups. Now, having said all that, two things about my other syrups:
1) All others are kept refrigerated once opened or made. This is primarily done for safety, flavor and quality stabilization. But several are hard to come by or a bit pricey and they get extra care and attention.
2) Within this refrigerated group, with the exception of my simple syrup because it's so easily made on-the-spot by aggressively blending and never heating, ALL my home-made syrups are stored with the addition of 1 or 2 ounces (depending on bottle size) of neutral grain spirit (Everclear) as a preservative for additional safety. This came about as a result of speaking with Jeff Berry back when I started making my first Falernums and started moving into making other syrups at home.
"Syrup care" is important especially when you start investing time and effort into making syrups and flavorings from scratch. My routines have evolved and no doubt will continue to evolve. I think the use of the neutral grain alcohol is a good tip from Jeff Berry, although it is a slight departure from the "purist" tendencies in me, but a practice which I have come to readily embrace. I consider the neutral alcohol preservative a practically inconsequential element in a finished cocktail -- I think more impact on flavor is generally made by either slightly over- or under-pouring any one of the other ingredients, or shaking too long, blending too long, etc.
I'm still developing and refining my home-made syrup repertoire. I'm very comfortable with Falernum and once a year have a "Falernum making party" at my house with two other friends who have taken quite a liking to that syrup. I think Orgeat is next on my list to try.
I'm interested in hearing other thoughts and comments on the above.
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TikiTie
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 24, 2012
Posts: 69
From: 'bonedale, CO
| Posted: 2012-11-09 2:26 pm Permalink
I found the "official" answer to my own question. According to the B.G. Reynolds website (not their sale site http://okolemaluna.com/) the syrups can be refrigerated for up to 60 days once opened. Not too bad for a product with 0 preservatives.
AceExplorer, making your own orgeat is really easy. It just takes a bit of time to steep the various ingredients. I've been happy with my homemade orgeat when I've toasted the blanched and slivered almonds. Some recipes say to do it while others don't. Oh, I've also been really happy using orange blossom water instead of rose water.
Rumballs, do you like the syrups by B.G. Reynolds? Good value for the money?
[ This Message was edited by: TikiTie 2012-11-09 14:27 ]
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