The Smuggler's Cove book calls for black blended rum, so I've always used Demarara rum. I first tried it with Hamilton 86 and El Dorado 5 but didn't love the QPS until I made it with El Dorado 12.
Great video. We are fortunate here in the US in that El Dorado 12 is around $30, so that’s what I use. Maybe I missed your Planters Punch video, but that and the Hotel Nacional would be top of my wish list. I use a blend of Appleton 12 and Hamilton 86 for the former and Probitas in the latter-but NY’s Rum House uses Plantation OD for their Hotel Nacional. I muddle fresh pineapple as you don’t get a froth with canned.
Your controversial opening is correct. Layering the angostura is absolutely the way to go. The contrast of the sweet taste against the bitter, aromatic aroma is a key part of the drink. There's also a lovely development of flavour as it slowly sleeps in. It also just looks ten times better, as demonstrated in this video.
Beautiful looking drink, made my first one last night 😊 It's hard to compare to a classic Mojito because the aged rum and Ango make quite a big difference compared to the lighter, fresher Mojito. Love both drinks, I'll definitely add the QPS to my rotation and it's something that will impress guests 😊
I tried 2 versions of Steve's, favorite with the Angostura float, and I have to say the Angostura 1919 rum does give it a very distinct flavor that I didn't get from the demarra and Jamaican mix. I agree this is superior drink to a mojito.
👍 Another quality video! Cannot wait to get off this train, get home, and mix one up. I do not have any Trinidadian rum (except an overproof Holmes Cay bottle), but do have El Dorado 12, so I will try that. Just like a daiquiri, there are so many ways to vary this drink and make it your own, and like trying to get pregnant, the attempts are the fun part! As for other videos? I love when you try a bit more complex cocktails, such as the Demerara Dry Float.
I did the DDF a few months back (probs a year ago, now i'm thinking! 🫣😂). Not in the same way i do vids now. Remember thinking, WTAF is this cocktail. Perhaps a revisit is in order!
Can we just appreciate for a moment the beauty of how the dark rum looks when you pour it over that crushed ice 😍 definitely the Angostura version looks better and is more complex than the others.
👍 we got some insane temperatures in serbia right now, so just by looking at it, i prefer the 1st option because it looks much...lighter so to say. i just cant drink anything heavy right now. also #1 looks best so theres that
Nothing beats a Mojito, Caipirinha, and Daiquiri for hot days. They are just clean and refreshing. The Queens Park Swizzle is great in it's own right, and can be enjoyed most of the year. I like making it with Gold style rum or a blend like Plantation OG Dark. Also im in the middle with the bitters using 4
@@MrHighRaw I've never been a fan of basil drinks but I do love a Southside which is similar but subs out the basil for mint, or eastside which adds cucumber
Coruba, although it's 100% Jamaican rum, is a "blended" rum, as it's a blend of both pot and column still rums. And by looking at the color, you can tell it's a black rum. Molasses and/or caramel color is added to "Black" rums to give them the deep, dark color without the need to age the rums at all.
Yeah. Coruba is actually blended in The Netherlands. E&A Scheer. Swiss Brand owners too. So while it is a “Jamaican Rum”. As in Rums from Jamaica, It’s most deffo not a Jamaican Brand of Rum.
@@StevetheBarmanUK That's weird coz I checked on MoM and 1919 normal price is just under £38 (although it's currently on sale at £31 but that doesn't count 😜) Of course you get better rates than us mere mortals... 😂
When it comes to floats, I do enjoy the evolution of the flavors as I work through the drink. BUT, where I really appreciate floats as a technique is when I take a while to finish a drink. Whether the float is rum or bitters, it helps counteract the higher dilution as the ice melts. I'm really skeptical of swizzling as a technique. I'd really need to do or see a blind comparison against shaken and flash blended to believe that swizzling is anything more than bartender theatrics and/or the dogma if unquestioned inherited wisdom
So the logical obvious response is that Swizzling and Flash Blending always gives to you a lot more aeration and a tad more dilution, which with cocktails like this, you want. This wouldn't be the same cocktail for example if you shook it. More examples, you don't shake a Mojito, would wouldn't blend a Hemingway Daiquiri, you wouldn't stir a Daiquiri! So certain techniques, suit certain Cocktails. The other thing to note... Swizzling obviously predates the Flash Blending. So its not Bartender theatics as you put it. Its simply an old skool process because Blenders were yet to be invented! These days, obvs Blenders do the swizzle for you. BUT, as a working Bartender, I can tell you now without question, it's not even debatable... Swizzling will make more Customers take notice at a bar, than Blending. Sometimes its "Bartender theatrics" as you put it, that adds to the whole customer experience. Customers want an Experience when they go out. It's our job to provide that. So certain Theatrics, even like Spanking the Mint, add to that whole experience.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Oh, I totally agree! Going to a bar is an experiential transaction. I'm paying not just for a product (the drink handed to me) but for the whole package: the atmosphere and ambiance, the mood, the bartender's style and courtesy, the presentation, all of it. ESPECIALLY with tiki! So, I totally get that a method that visually appeals, whether it's flair or whether it's something like an "authentic"-looking swizzle stick, has value for adding to the experience of a customer. My skepticism is in whether or not the method makes an impact on the drink itself. There's definitely a difference between stirring and shaking. Lots of authoritative sources have proven that and I've proven it to myself. I'm less convinces that flash blending is much different from shaking. I can't test that one myself, because I would have to invest in a flash blender just to do the test. More than just a cost matter, I don't have the counter space for another appliance, so I operate on the assumption that shaking is as good or close enough to flash blending. But I've not seen anyone do a thorough test comparing the two methods (that I can remember). Swizzling just seems like it's a manual, low-tech version of flash blending. More traditional going back to the old ways, sure, but I can't see how it would be qualititatively better. If anything, I would think it would provide for less aeration than flash blending or a good hard shake... but that's just my intuition (and biases) speaking. For the HOME bartender, just making drinks for myself/partner/friends, I can appreciate when/where a flair of the dramatic can add to the experience (muddling up a mojito vs using juice and syrup), but I want to know when and where it actually affects the drink objectively so I can decide when and where the effort is/isn't worth it. It's much more convenient (IMHO) to shake a cocktail than to swizzle. It seems like the things that matter are the total final dilution, amount of aeration, and amount of agitation (in the event you've got anything solid in there that contains oils like lime husks, herbs, etc). Obviously, a Vitamix blender is going to completely liquify those solids, whereas swizzling is probably a lot gentler even compared to shaking or flash blending. I just want to how flexible methodology is in this regard... maybe I'll try this experiment myself, and do a side by side swizzle vs shake on a QPS, but I love videos that take "Authoritative Wisdom" and actually put it to the test. Your channel is awesome at that, what with doing half a dozen or more side by sides just to dial in the ratios or find the perfect rum blends for a specific cocktail. Love it! Afterthought... what about a milk frother? You know, one of those hand-held, battery-powered wands that people use to make lattes at home? I have one of those and I've used it to make cocktails before and wondered how that compares to flash blending, shaking, or swizzling. Hey, thanks for replying!
Not at all! You go for your life. That'd make some great riffs. I mean if people would watch 3 hour videos, I'd cover all this as i love experimenting. But yeah, even a Pina Colada for example could benefit from a 2 or 3 Rum Blend!
The funny thing is, that’s not an unpopular opinion amongst Rum Geeks. But then they believe the only decent rum from Trinidad is Caroni. Now that’s funny in itself…
You should try it. That much bitters in an Old Fashioned wouldn't work. But in a cocktail like this, you get the clove and other spices on the backend and it brings the whole cocktail together.
I second this^^ not a big bitters guy myself but I just tried the Ango recipe but I used Flor de Caña 4 Anejo (cuz I’m trying to get rid of the bottle to buy something elselol 😂) and the drink is fantastic
The Smuggler's Cove book calls for black blended rum, so I've always used Demarara rum. I first tried it with Hamilton 86 and El Dorado 5 but didn't love the QPS until I made it with El Dorado 12.
Great video. We are fortunate here in the US in that El Dorado 12 is around $30, so that’s what I use. Maybe I missed your Planters Punch video, but that and the Hotel Nacional would be top of my wish list. I use a blend of Appleton 12 and Hamilton 86 for the former and Probitas in the latter-but NY’s Rum House uses Plantation OD for their Hotel Nacional. I muddle fresh pineapple as you don’t get a froth with canned.
Your controversial opening is correct.
Layering the angostura is absolutely the way to go. The contrast of the sweet taste against the bitter, aromatic aroma is a key part of the drink. There's also a lovely development of flavour as it slowly sleeps in. It also just looks ten times better, as demonstrated in this video.
I always appreciate these comparison videos!
I always follow your recipe, with much mint, Angostura rum, and lots of bitters on the top - and it’s one of my very favorite cocktails.
The layering of the bitters looks so much more appealing than the mixed version too, nice video!
Beautiful looking drink, made my first one last night 😊 It's hard to compare to a classic Mojito because the aged rum and Ango make quite a big difference compared to the lighter, fresher Mojito. Love both drinks, I'll definitely add the QPS to my rotation and it's something that will impress guests 😊
I tried 2 versions of Steve's, favorite with the Angostura float, and I have to say the Angostura 1919 rum does give it a very distinct flavor that I didn't get from the demarra and Jamaican mix. I agree this is superior drink to a mojito.
👍 Another quality video! Cannot wait to get off this train, get home, and mix one up. I do not have any Trinidadian rum (except an overproof Holmes Cay bottle), but do have El Dorado 12, so I will try that. Just like a daiquiri, there are so many ways to vary this drink and make it your own, and like trying to get pregnant, the attempts are the fun part! As for other videos? I love when you try a bit more complex cocktails, such as the Demerara Dry Float.
I did the DDF a few months back (probs a year ago, now i'm thinking! 🫣😂). Not in the same way i do vids now. Remember thinking, WTAF is this cocktail. Perhaps a revisit is in order!
@@StevetheBarmanUK I was using the DDF as an example of a cocktail you did that I wish you would do more like this. I love that drink!
Well done Steve, very interesting show.
Nick from York
You could do a deep dive into Dark and Stormies, or Painkillers maybe trying out a Jamaican rum instead.
Can we just appreciate for a moment the beauty of how the dark rum looks when you pour it over that crushed ice 😍 definitely the Angostura version looks better and is more complex than the others.
How about a deep dive into various Cream of Coconut cocktails?
Love a QPS. Like to make with Angostura 1919. Wonder how it would work with a float of Agostura Amaro instead of bitters.
👍 we got some insane temperatures in serbia right now, so just by looking at it, i prefer the 1st option because it looks much...lighter so to say. i just cant drink anything heavy right now. also #1 looks best so theres that
Nothing beats a Mojito, Caipirinha, and Daiquiri for hot days. They are just clean and refreshing. The Queens Park Swizzle is great in it's own right, and can be enjoyed most of the year. I like making it with Gold style rum or a blend like Plantation OG Dark. Also im in the middle with the bitters using 4
Basil Smash is up there for me and better than all three.
@@MrHighRaw I've never been a fan of basil drinks but I do love a Southside which is similar but subs out the basil for mint, or eastside which adds cucumber
Coruba, although it's 100% Jamaican rum, is a "blended" rum, as it's a blend of both pot and column still rums. And by looking at the color, you can tell it's a black rum. Molasses and/or caramel color is added to "Black" rums to give them the deep, dark color without the need to age the rums at all.
Yeah. Coruba is actually blended in The Netherlands. E&A Scheer. Swiss Brand owners too. So while it is a “Jamaican Rum”. As in Rums from Jamaica, It’s most deffo not a Jamaican Brand of Rum.
I like a good Mojito, but i can't compare it to the Queen's park swizzle because i have never had one
El Presidente and Palmetto, please! Love a QPS, just a tad labor-intensive.
You could do a QPS the quick way, just dump all, swizzle once and top with crushed. BUT then fun is in the method!
@@StevetheBarmanUK True on all counts!
Never tried this cocktail will now
👍 Agree with you that this is better than a mojito but don't quite understand not using ED12 coz of cost as the Ango 1919 is the same price 🤔
As i say, I don't have ED12... but my prices, 1919 is some £8/£9 cheaper a bottle.
And I've just looked... 1919 is cheaper than ED8!!
@@StevetheBarmanUK That's weird coz I checked on MoM and 1919 normal price is just under £38 (although it's currently on sale at £31 but that doesn't count 😜) Of course you get better rates than us mere mortals... 😂
I think you need glasses testing. I've logged out and 1919 is £30! ED12 nearly £39. And yeah, you're right, I don't pay that! 😂
@@StevetheBarmanUK🤓🤓🤓
When it comes to floats, I do enjoy the evolution of the flavors as I work through the drink. BUT, where I really appreciate floats as a technique is when I take a while to finish a drink. Whether the float is rum or bitters, it helps counteract the higher dilution as the ice melts.
I'm really skeptical of swizzling as a technique. I'd really need to do or see a blind comparison against shaken and flash blended to believe that swizzling is anything more than bartender theatrics and/or the dogma if unquestioned inherited wisdom
So the logical obvious response is that Swizzling and Flash Blending always gives to you a lot more aeration and a tad more dilution, which with cocktails like this, you want. This wouldn't be the same cocktail for example if you shook it. More examples, you don't shake a Mojito, would wouldn't blend a Hemingway Daiquiri, you wouldn't stir a Daiquiri! So certain techniques, suit certain Cocktails. The other thing to note... Swizzling obviously predates the Flash Blending. So its not Bartender theatics as you put it. Its simply an old skool process because Blenders were yet to be invented! These days, obvs Blenders do the swizzle for you. BUT, as a working Bartender, I can tell you now without question, it's not even debatable... Swizzling will make more Customers take notice at a bar, than Blending. Sometimes its "Bartender theatrics" as you put it, that adds to the whole customer experience. Customers want an Experience when they go out. It's our job to provide that. So certain Theatrics, even like Spanking the Mint, add to that whole experience.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Oh, I totally agree! Going to a bar is an experiential transaction. I'm paying not just for a product (the drink handed to me) but for the whole package: the atmosphere and ambiance, the mood, the bartender's style and courtesy, the presentation, all of it. ESPECIALLY with tiki! So, I totally get that a method that visually appeals, whether it's flair or whether it's something like an "authentic"-looking swizzle stick, has value for adding to the experience of a customer.
My skepticism is in whether or not the method makes an impact on the drink itself. There's definitely a difference between stirring and shaking. Lots of authoritative sources have proven that and I've proven it to myself. I'm less convinces that flash blending is much different from shaking. I can't test that one myself, because I would have to invest in a flash blender just to do the test. More than just a cost matter, I don't have the counter space for another appliance, so I operate on the assumption that shaking is as good or close enough to flash blending. But I've not seen anyone do a thorough test comparing the two methods (that I can remember).
Swizzling just seems like it's a manual, low-tech version of flash blending. More traditional going back to the old ways, sure, but I can't see how it would be qualititatively better. If anything, I would think it would provide for less aeration than flash blending or a good hard shake... but that's just my intuition (and biases) speaking.
For the HOME bartender, just making drinks for myself/partner/friends, I can appreciate when/where a flair of the dramatic can add to the experience (muddling up a mojito vs using juice and syrup), but I want to know when and where it actually affects the drink objectively so I can decide when and where the effort is/isn't worth it. It's much more convenient (IMHO) to shake a cocktail than to swizzle. It seems like the things that matter are the total final dilution, amount of aeration, and amount of agitation (in the event you've got anything solid in there that contains oils like lime husks, herbs, etc). Obviously, a Vitamix blender is going to completely liquify those solids, whereas swizzling is probably a lot gentler even compared to shaking or flash blending. I just want to how flexible methodology is in this regard... maybe I'll try this experiment myself, and do a side by side swizzle vs shake on a QPS, but I love videos that take "Authoritative Wisdom" and actually put it to the test. Your channel is awesome at that, what with doing half a dozen or more side by sides just to dial in the ratios or find the perfect rum blends for a specific cocktail. Love it!
Afterthought... what about a milk frother? You know, one of those hand-held, battery-powered wands that people use to make lattes at home? I have one of those and I've used it to make cocktails before and wondered how that compares to flash blending, shaking, or swizzling.
Hey, thanks for replying!
At least you will always remember me x
Steve, would it be a crime to do the Angostura version with both the 1919 and ED8 or ED12 instead of two 30ml of 1919?
Not at all! You go for your life. That'd make some great riffs. I mean if people would watch 3 hour videos, I'd cover all this as i love experimenting. But yeah, even a Pina Colada for example could benefit from a 2 or 3 Rum Blend!
*Thumbs Up* El Dorado is the way to go imo. If its just me El 15, a few buddies of mine El 12, and a party El 8 / Hamilton 86
Steve, what do you do with all of the drinks when the camera turns off?
Drink the best one. Ditch/Donate the rest.
👍👍👍
Love the lineup! Unpopular opinion: angostura rum is not good 😬
The funny thing is, that’s not an unpopular opinion amongst Rum Geeks. But then they believe the only decent rum from Trinidad is Caroni. Now that’s funny in itself…
👍
👍
You like bitters a lot more than I do. This is not for me.
You should try it. That much bitters in an Old Fashioned wouldn't work. But in a cocktail like this, you get the clove and other spices on the backend and it brings the whole cocktail together.
I second this^^ not a big bitters guy myself but I just tried the Ango recipe but I used Flor de Caña 4 Anejo (cuz I’m trying to get rid of the bottle to buy something elselol 😂) and the drink is fantastic