There are some pre-mixed, commercially sold cocktails that I wouldn’t drink if you paid me. Not so with a new line of barrel-aged, bottled mixed drinks called Fluid Dynamics that will land in area liquor stores by the end of April.
Fluid Dynamics is one of the latest projects by Craft Distillers, whose portfolio also includes Germain-Robin brandies, Low Gap whiskeys and Vya vermouths. The company is recognized for its hand-crafted spirits, including its artisanal approach to aging. For Fluid Dynamics drinks, the company takes similar care: blending the cocktails by using its own spirits and aging them in oak barrels before bottling them.
The four Fluid Dynamics drinks are The Brandy Manhattan, The St. Nick, The Saratoga and The 1850. The first is a combination of a Germain-Robin varietal brandy selected for its rich fruity taste, blended with California-made Vya sweet vermouth. The St. Nick holds Germain-Robin brandy blended with Clear Creek Distillery cranberry liqueur. The St. Nick is jolly good, but its deep, dark fruit flavors and pure purple hue are riper for winter; I hope to see it in my stocking come December 25. The Saratoga is a blend of brandy, Low Gap clear whiskey and Vya sweet vermouth. The 1850, my favorite of the foursome, is Craft Distillers’ version of a Sazerac.
While Craft Distillers has created four quality products, there are two things you can do to improve them, which is why I won’t call Fluid Dynamics “ready-made.” First, the drinks do not bitters, since those overpower the barrel, according to the company. The Brandy Manhattan, The Saratoga and The 1850 all beg for a dash or two of bitters, so grab that bottle of Angostura, Peychaud or orange bitters. Second, the drinks are not diluted. Knock the potency down a notch by pouring three ounces of the drink into a mixing glass, adding ice, stirring well and straining into a glass.
Fluid Dynamics drinks are sold in 1-liter and 200-ml bottles, the latter just right for gift-giving or a mini-cocktail party. You can find these bottles on the shelves at Parker’s Table beginning Tuesday, April 30.
Since you have 10 more days to wait for the bottles to arrive, in the meantime, whet your whistle by batching up a cocktail of your own. Click here for Day Boating, a cocktail recipe from Cielo’s Cory Cuff that tastes as refreshing as it looks.
This article appears in April 2013.