Latest Drink Recipe
In my opinion, one of the greatest triumphs of the cocktail renaissance is the rediscovery of the classic Old Fashioned. I’ve often spoken of how at some point after the repeal of Prohibition, the Old Fashioned became lost and possibly confused with a long-forgotten drink called a Smash (basically a tarted-up Mint Julep covered in fruit), a mere husk of its former, glorious self.
For decades, bartenders just like me served a limp, weak concoction consisting of a half-muddled sugar cube, a mashed-up neon red cherry and orange, a splash of whiskey, and some soda water drowning the results.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, that’s all changed with the renewed interest in classic cocktails. Now at any given night at my bar you can find literally a dozen people sipping on two ounces bourbon touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters, garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes.
But don’t try to pull that bullshit with the good people of the Great State of Wisconsin, where the Brandy Old Fashioned rules supreme. It’s not the same drink as above, it just shares a name. And if you make it right, really right, it’s a damn delicious cocktail and worthy of examination.
Being located in a hotel, we’re used to serving folks from all over the world. And the first time I witnessed a guest from Wisconsin stare blankly as one of my bartenders handed over two ounces of Cognac touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters and garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes, I knew some further training was in order.
So in the name of making cocktails – all cocktails – with as much of our hearts as we can offer, I present to you what I believe to be the perfect Brandy Old Fashioned… Wisconsin-style.
I start with an old fashioned glass I’ve chilled in the freezer. Call it a tumbler, call it a double rocks glass, or call it a bucket, it’s a glass you’re familiar with. To that I add two dashes of Angostura bitters and a teaspoon of sugar. If I’m in a hurry I use a 2:1 simple syrup, but if I’m going to spend some time, I use a sugar cube. The sugar cube is preferable here because it’s going to add some friction to the muddling we’re about to do. Brace yourselves, cocktail “nerds”.
Next I’ll take a thick-cut orange wedge, and a cherry. The usual suspect here is a grocery store maraschino cherry, but I always choose a brandied Amarena cherry. Remember, you’re going to get out what you put in, so a quality cherry is going to make the drink that much better.
I muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to touch the orange peel too much as it’ll bring unwanted bitterness to the party – just work around the peel and pulverize that orange meat.
Your standard Brandy Old Fashioned brandy of choice is Korbel: cheap California brandy. Considering the hundreds of thousands of cases they ship to Wisconsin every year, it might be considered sacrosanct to use anything else. But if you want to do this right, really right, then do yourself a favor and use some good Cognac. I have my preferred brandy, you have yours.
At this point your typical Wisconsinite barkeep is going to add ice and finish the drink in one of two main ways: sweet or sour. Those who take it sweet will ask for a splash of Sprite or 7-Up, those who take it sour get a dose of Collins Mix or Squirt. To me, it’s just a way of watering down the drink, so I leave out the soda and take a more… cocktail-y method.
Crushed ice is a must for me whenever I whip up a Brandy Old Fashioned. I always skip the soda and let the tiny shards of ice do the work, taming those strong, sweet flavors and turning this into a drink you can sip slowly.
As for a garnish, most will throw a “flag” of an orange wedge and a cherry spiked through with a wooden toothpick, but my take here is that those things are already in the drink, so I skip ‘em. Besides, how pretty does that look without the goofy fruit salad perched over the top?
You know, it’s something to enjoy sipping on while you cook up some bratwurst and onions in a boiling kettle of beer before everyone comes over to watch the Packers game. Drink accordingly.
Brandy Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange wedge
1 cherry, preferably Amarena or Maraska
2 oz brandy or Cognac
In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to work the orange peel. Add brandy or Cognac, stir, and fill glass with crushed ice and serve.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. I started tending bar while getting my degree in Interior Architecture, and slowly I came to the conclusion that bartending was what I really loved, and that I might as well drop everything and focus on being a professional bartender. Over the years I have strived, both behind the bar and with this website, to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
10 Oct 2011 at 8:38 AM 1. jellydonut
This idea is really cool!
In addition, I think any drink that normally relies on a splash of soda for fizz could really grow with full carbonation. Some more than others, perhaps..
Imagine a full dry shake of a Ramos Gin Fizz with a little water added, then carbonating the entire drink. Both creamy and fizzy at the same time. I think that would work really well for that drink.
10 Oct 2011 at 9:23 AM 2. Marcel
I had this idea for a hotel. Bottle cocktails in the fridge/freezer. Marini glasses next to it. And you can have every cocktail in there. Dry martini’s, manhattan’s and let them age first in the bottle for 6 to 12 months. But also things like corbonated negroni’s without the aging.
For even more carbonation vacuum the cocktail. This will suck all the air out of the liquid and CO2 will be even more dissolved. And of course keep the liquid cold.
10 Oct 2011 at 9:27 AM 3. PaulTheGreek
another intresting idea Jeffrey
10 Oct 2011 at 9:43 AM 4. Karl
Jeff,
Have you ever seen Campari Soda? I brought some back from Paris last year, mostly because of the gorgeous etched glass bottles, but luckily it’s pretty tasty. Close to what you’ve bottled here…less complex, I imagine, because I doubt they use much vermouth, if any at all.
http://www.camparigroup.com/en/brands/campari_soda.jsp#
http://s3.amazonaws.com/37assets/svn/Campari-Soda-Bottle2-cdad46b383c6ee5d1f4b86ecde71b3e3.jpg
10 Oct 2011 at 10:27 AM 5. Mike
I’m starting a soda company here in Cleveland and I am currently bottling all of my sodas off of a 5 gallon Cornelius draft line and a counter pressure bottling system. Getting the proper amount of carbonation dissolved into the liquids is a science. I’m curious on how well you can manage this with the ISi carbonater. Beverages with higher amounts of sugar won’t hold carbonation well.
10 Oct 2011 at 1:32 PM 6. Chris
Nice work, Jeffrey! I’ve been wanting to pick up a carbonation system anyway, so this makes for a better excuse to buy one! :)
11 Oct 2011 at 10:52 AM 7. Michael
Jeffrey,
Simply brilliant. I want you to know my wife can’t stand my new found hobby (she is 4 months pregnant!) but I sure do love it.
You have inspired me to get a carbonator, almost did when I made your ginger beer, but just used the yeast (I think it adds a dimension you can’t get from just straight CO2.) Trying to keep up with you and your ideas is giving my liver a run for it’s money, but keep them coming!
Michael
12 Oct 2011 at 9:48 AM 8. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Karl – Those little bottles are a favorite of mine when I can find them, and were definitely part of the inspiration for this little project.
Mike – It has been my experience that higher viscosity beverages, such as these cocktails and others that contain sugar, tend to hold carbonation much better than plain water, but maybe that’s just me. Either way, I plan on setting up a Corny keg system soon myself, as carbonating four bottles at a time is getting old.
Michael – Thanks for the kind words!
16 Oct 2011 at 4:50 AM 9. Ulric
Love this article (and your blog by the way!)…
I have been using an iSi Soda Siphon for a while now to play with carbonation, and it has usually been pretty successful! The idea of bottling them is absolutely superb, and I may try it in one of my future project (Promise I will give credit!)
In the Middle East, we are a bit tight for info (and equipment).. so I am fishing for info here: Do you think the “twist & sparkle” is more effective than the standard Siphon? The mechanics looks the same? I found that the carbonation of the Siphon was a bit weak, and tend to dissipate quite quickly (even, when VERY cold); Maybe I should increase the viscosity with some Xantan to hold the carbonation better…
I am definately smuggling in some bottle cappers in Dubai and toying with this in the future!
loveitloveitloveitloveit!
Ulric
16 Oct 2011 at 12:41 PM 10. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Hey Ulric
Okay, here’s the deal with the Twist n Sparkle versus the Soda Siphon: They both do the same thing, but for this application, the Twist n Sparkle is a hell of a lot easier.
I’ve done it with a soda siphon, and here’s how you’d have to do it in order to do it properly. Pour the contents into the siphon and chill. Then, you’ll need to charge the siphon with a CO2 cartridge and shake the hell out of it in order to dissolve the carbon dioxide into the solution.
With those siphons I really prefer 2 CO2 cartridges, but that’s just me. At any rate, once the gas is sufficiently dissolved, you need to TURN THE SIPHON UPSIDE DOWN and slowly release all of the excess gas by carefully depressing the valve.
Once you’ve done that, carefully unscrew the cap and pour the carbonated contents into your bottles, cap them, and you’re done. The important thing here is that you’re not using the siphon nozzle to release the contents, as that will dissipate the gas way too quickly.
So, yeah, get yourself a Twist n Sparkle, it’s a hell of a lot easier.
Cheers.
16 Oct 2011 at 3:34 PM 11. Adam
This looks great. I cant wait to try it out.
16 Oct 2011 at 9:51 PM 12. Ulric
Thank Jeffrey,
Whenever I tried with two cartridges, I have had some leakage… Maybe I have to change my seals. Or buy a twist & seal!
Anyway, thanks for the post; as usual very creative & informative.
Best,
17 Oct 2011 at 6:32 AM 13. Gos
This is pretty sweet, I immediately thought of those little Campari coolers when I saw those ruby red bottles too. I agree that the cafe cocktails of Europe are something to behold, their just great refreshers in that mid-day heat.
Just scored a bottle of Suze from someone who was traveling abroad and I would love to find some kind of application for this. Do you have a favored recipe using this weird flavor?
Gotta admit that the Twist n Sparkle never caught my attention until now, have you tried the Perlini system at all? That seems like it is more for individual cocktail use, but also might be the bane of your existence right now as well, ha.
24 Oct 2011 at 4:24 PM 14. Michael
Hi Jeffery,
Been following your blog for and I have implemented a couple of your projects at home. I recently have also become enamored with bitter fizzy low alcohol drinks. I’m curious if you think I could do this with my soda stream, or if it would become to messy.
Mike
25 Oct 2011 at 4:29 PM 15. Cyn
I agree with deciding to bottle cocktails that originally require the carbonation. As I know I could appreciate someone taking the time to bottle a well-made Manhattan and carbonating it, I prefer it stirred and smooth. Nice article, thanks for the read. Age only produces more insight, by the way. Cheers!
30 Oct 2011 at 10:07 PM 16. Graham
Brilliant Idea Jeffery! As pre-packaging cocktails (or even infusions) are entirely illegal where we are, we are going to use this method for bottling homemade individual serve tonics.
We are having a HELL of a time finding small bottles (less than 7oz) that will take a crown cap. Any suggested vendors? Where do you find yours?
From Montreal. Thanks!
GW
03 Nov 2011 at 11:12 AM 17. Keri
Thanks for sharing Jeffery! You have inspired me to try and make a buck cocktail in a bottle using fresh ginger. Good times!
03 Nov 2011 at 12:00 PM 18. rebecca f.
J – Awesome! Genius! You’ve inspired me to make custom cocktails for my friends as holiday gifts. :) any (rough) idea how long these will stay carbonated if left capped and refrigerated?
03 Nov 2011 at 12:38 PM 19. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
Awesome idea. I made a carbonated strawberry root liqueur beverage earlier in the year. Would have loved to bottle them up for later.
03 Nov 2011 at 1:53 PM 20. Michael
How is The Aviary, I am heading to Chicago in early December and was thinking about putting this on my list.
03 Nov 2011 at 8:30 PM 21. Michael B
I was thinking of doing a dark and stormy like this, any ideal of how long it would stay good? Perhaps I should add the lime juice after opening the soda to drink.
04 Nov 2011 at 4:24 AM 22. Ron Diggity
I remember so many nights at Vessel playing around with the Perlini, carbonating amari left and right. I think we carbonated Domaine de Canton for a Dark & Stormy; also carbonated Ramazzotti for a Cuba Libre.
10 Nov 2011 at 9:00 AM 23. Jim Barumba
Greeting Jeff! Long time reader, first time writer. I LOVE your tonic recipe and have made it many times for years (still working on my straining). I am the toast of the (Seattle) town. *Question!* I am totally psyched about this new bottling trick. You mention citrus in your video. I’d like to bottle your G&T’s and other drinks that include citrus. Can I let them hang out for a month or is that too long? Also I found a great source today for the bottles.I’ve got my first case on the way!
http://www.homebrewit.com/beer-bottles.php
Can’t wait to come down I5 and have a drink.
10 Nov 2011 at 11:40 AM 24. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, Jim!
I would assume that a drink made with fresh citrus isn’t going to last more than a couple of days, hence the absence of perishable ingredients in my experiments. But if you want to try your hand at bottled sparkling citrus cocktails, go right ahead! Just be sure to report back here with your results for everyone to share in!
Jeff
10 Nov 2011 at 1:22 PM 25. Jim Barumba
Jeff thanks for the heads up!! That makes sense. I think I’ll stick with non-perishables for now. :D
I’ll keep you posted.
10 Nov 2011 at 1:34 PM 26. KevinM
Now that’s a good idea.
Also, if you have a homebrewing/keg setup and have a small enough keg, you can do the same thing and pressure/bottom fill the bottles with a $3 utensil (picnic tap & racking cane piece).
The only issue I have with this (keg) process is that 5 gallon kegs are cheaper than 2.5 gallon kegs. I have no idea what to do with 5 gallons of anything as a single person. (Although that hasn’t stopped me from making other drinks and forcing it on friends and family).
That and while it may be easier to leave in a keg, but I’d worry about separation or settling of ingredients. Although I’ve heard of people doing simple rum&coke/gin&tonic recipes this way, I’ve not heard of doing actual cocktails.
It’s a consideration to do this in small 1 liter, 2 liter, isi, sodastream sized bottles as well, and pour into glasses after pressurized and chilled, but that inclination of drinking from a small bottle (like the old soda bottles and mini champagne bottles) is a big incentive.
16 Nov 2011 at 7:13 AM 27. Rachel
I just love this idea, especially for summer.
29 Nov 2011 at 12:30 AM 28. allison
I can’t wait to get an ISI and try these ideas! As far as bottles, I ‘m going to try using the glass bottles with the wire bails that clamp the stopper in the top. I bought the 8.5 oz Square Hermetic Glass Bottles at The Container Store ($2.99) for homemade vanilla. I put club soda in one and it seems to hold the carbonation.
01 Dec 2011 at 12:41 PM 29. Steve
I’m so happy to have discovered your site – this post especially! I was already considering buying a twist & sparkle, but this sold me.
One question – do you think you could bottle these in grolsch style bottles?
Thanks!
01 Dec 2011 at 3:17 PM 30. Dave
Jeff,
Great idea and great cocktails. When you’re looking at carbonating a cocktail, do you need to add an additional measure of water? I recently worked on a carbonated negroni and found that the amount of CO2 that worked when the carbonator was full of water was way too much when filled with only spirits. Would you recommend adding water to a negroni before carbonating?
Cheers,
DAve
01 Dec 2011 at 7:24 PM 31. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Steve – Definitely. Although, my experience has been that the crown-capped bottles hold carbonation a bit better. And, there’s something pretty nice about only having six ounces of cocktail to contend with as a drinker, just saying.
Dave – I would add water. If you look at those drinks above, they’re really just lightweight café cocktails and not full-on spirit driven drinks. I think there’s something a little rough about having to choke down six+ ounces of Negroni, particularly a carbonated one at that.
03 Dec 2011 at 11:14 AM 32. Mike
Jeff,
I have the Twist n Sparkle and feel the carbonation is pretty light.
I was considering getting the Perlini Carbonated Cocktail system. I’ve looked up a few articles on it, but can’t really find many reviews.
Have you heard much about it? And the biggest question: can it do more than one drink at a time?
Thanks for your time.
Mike
03 Dec 2011 at 1:34 PM 33. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mike
I’m guessing you’re not getting your mixture cold enough, because the Twist n Sparkle puts out a ton of carbonation. Carbon dioxide is much more soluble in cold solutions than warm, so try it again with an ice-cold mixture and see how you like it!
06 Dec 2011 at 10:55 AM 34. Radu
I myself don’t accept all these new bottled cocktails. I demand that my cocktail to be fresh and prepared while i’m on the bar. So you’re not old, only have good taste.
06 Dec 2011 at 11:01 AM 35. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Brilliantly said, Radu. And you’re totally right: Campari, sweet vermouth and water taste so much better when they’re fresh from the local liquor store.
16 Dec 2011 at 12:25 PM 36. Bill Norris
Jeff,
The corny keg system works great. I switched to it for house ginger ginger beer production when I couldn’t keep up with demand on individual bottles.
I bought a couple of used soda kegs from a homebrew store and just upped the recipe to fit, including yeast.
48 hours later, into the walk-in, and it has enough pressure to empty the contents into individual bottles without leaving anything behind. Bonus is that there’s no danger of explosion if you miscalculate a bit.
We used plastic, resealable beer bottles, and really tightened down, they kept fizzy for about 3-4 days (we never had any issue because a batch never lasted more than 3 days).
Glass bottles with a real cap should last basically forever in this system, and the presentation would be terrific.
Have you tried the Soda Stream system in place of the twist and sparkle on cocktails?
I already own one, and the warranty is invalid the moment you charge anything other than water, but it pumps out a ton of bubbles and you can regulate the amount of gas.
16 Dec 2011 at 5:37 PM 37. allison
@ Bill Norris: Have you or anyone used the Sodastream for anything other than water? I don’t care about voiding the warranty if it works for juice or cocktails but I haven’t been able to see if it has worked for anyone. And none of the Sodastream vendors will even suggest if it might work.
20 Dec 2011 at 10:15 PM 38. David
@Gos – Suze hasn’t made it to my home town yet, but it’s showed up in a couple of recent recipe books.
The PDT Cocktail Book has the White Negroni (gin, Lillet & Suze, 2, 1, 3/4 respectively), and Beta Cocktails (available online) has 2 Cups of Blood (equal parts Mole bitters, Suze, Punt e Mes and Mescal, a little agave syrup and a dash of orange bitters, grapefruit twist).
Happy science!
03 Jan 2012 at 1:25 PM 39. alyssum
As a fairly new bartender to the portland scence i think this is an awesome innovative thing that you are doing. I’m excited to come down to clyde just to try it hopefully soon. Thank you for being so detailed in your description of it and helping fellow bartenders get some good ideas for new and fun things to try in our own bars.!
09 Jan 2012 at 11:04 AM 40. Sean Lorre
I’ve never had a sparkling Manhattan but I agree, it just doesn’t sound right to me! However I just got a sodastream and a bottle of Aperol that I think would be fantastic for a carbonated cocktail. Thanks for the idea!
ps I’ve got to imagine the soadstream would work just fine for cocktails. You’d just have to do a through job of cleaning it after you’re done.
09 Jan 2012 at 11:35 AM 41. Bill Norris
If you decide to use the SodaStream, you need to wait a few minutes after charging before removing the bottle.
If you don’t, the results are dramatic and deeply unpleasant.
Trust me.
16 Jan 2012 at 8:18 AM 42. Cheoy Lee
Looks like a really nifty little device!
19 Jan 2012 at 11:07 PM 43. Rölf McKelvey
Has anyone tried carbonating a G&T using either Tomr’s Tonic Syrup or Bittermen’s Commonwealth Liquor?
19 Jan 2012 at 11:57 PM 44. allison
Taking a cue from the ISI system and how they recommend filling only 3/4 full for anything other than plain water, I improvised on a soda stream. I used a 3 inch piece of flexible tubing to extend the injector farther down into the carbonating bottle and only filled the bottle 3/4 full with lemonade and limoncello. Carbonated with 4 pumps, let it sit a couple minutes and it came out great. Poured it into a large glass VOSS water bottle and after a week, it’s still pretty fizzy
15 Feb 2012 at 3:46 PM 45. Faust Gertz
I’ve don’t think I would go for a sparkling Manhattan either. But have used my iSi Twist ’n’ Sparkle to make carbonated Gimlets, Tridents, and Negronis. I like all of these drinks sans-carbonation, but I think the carbonated Gimlet really shines. Thanks to you, I am going try bottling some glistening Gimlets.
20 Mar 2012 at 5:03 PM 46. Scott Diaz
Loves this. In fact, it has inspired me to put one on my summer menu. I playing with the idea of Aperol, gin, Limoncello and house made bitter lemon soda. A grown up style “Italian soda”. Keep up the great work Jeffrey. Cheers!
02 Apr 2012 at 7:59 AM 47. Mike Spike
Take a peek at the Fizz Giz on Amazon dot com. Various sized bottles may be used as carbonation vessels (8oz to 3-liter). Using the Fizz Giz in conjunction with the Fizz Giz Home Station is quite a remarkable approach to reducing the cost of carbonating individual servings.
The twist ‘n sparkle is a plastic soda syphon. The defining characteristic of a soda syphon is that the entire contents of a co2 bulb are dumped into the mix in one fell swoop. The Fizz Giz has a built-in pressure regulator internally, giving you more precise control over the amount of co2 being dispensed. If you have a decent scale, you’ll have no trouble dispensing the industry standard level of carbonation. For most CSD’s, that’s 8g/liter. For some, it’s less – others, more.
19 Apr 2012 at 2:06 PM 48. Brandon
Any ideas on how to make the mixture more carbonated? My beverages seems to be lacking the carbonation I am looking for. Maybe running the mixture twice? Either way, this is awesome Jeff. I’ve been having a lot of fun making cocktails!
19 Apr 2012 at 2:09 PM 49. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
If your drinks aren’t bubbly enough, and you’re using the equipment I recommend, then you’re not getting the ingredients cold enough before carbonating. Remember, carbon dioxide is much more soluble in cold water than warm. Chill that shit down, Brandon.
19 Apr 2012 at 2:57 PM 50. Mike Spike
U can do it at room temp. I’m not disputing that co2 dissolves more readily. I’m just saying the water does not have to be cold to have co2 in it. I mean, duhhhhhh, the supermarket beverage aisle… uhhhh, is it not stocked end-to-end with Coke, Pepsi, Dr Ppr, 7-Up, etc… Last time I walked in to a Food Lion, Super Walmart, Harris Teeter, Safeway… it was about 75 degrees in there. Yeah, room temp will work. All those drinks on the bev aisle were adequately carbonated.
So, get yourself a Fizz Giz and carbonate FULLY to beverage industry standard level using water right out-a-the-tap. Not required to chill before carbonating. Recommended to do so before drinking – especially on a hot day.
20 Apr 2012 at 2:18 PM 51. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mike – I assure you the beverages in your Food Lion were carbonated before they were sealed with airtight lids and then stocked in a 75 degree store.
Brandon, you’ll find your results much more satisfactory if your ingredients are refrigerated overnight. I try to get mine down around 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
A quick search on the web turns up a lot of evidence to support this. Good luck!
20 Apr 2012 at 4:40 PM 52. Mike Spike
Jeffrey – there’s a chance you might have misunderstood me. I did not say anything about when beverages in a Food Lion were carbonated. What I said is that carbonation can be done at room temperature. Let me say it again: PV=nRT (the Ideal Gas Law, a fizzical principal that governs the process, or at least sets the rules rather than you and I) implies that co2 gas will dissolve in water at room temp and it will dissolve in water at 34 degrees. It will even dissolve in superheated water at 450 degrees. Not wanting to step on any toes, but I believe I’m correct. The pressure in a bottle of Pepsi sitting on a shelf in the beverage aisle @ 75d will drop from 75psi to 50psi when chilled in the fridge, but there will be no less co2 in the bottle.
Brandon: The industry standard level of carbonation for CSD’s is 8g/liter. With the right pressure, you can put 8g of co2 in a liter of beverage – warm or cold, it doesn’t matter. When the beverage is chilled for consumption, the same 8g of co2 will still be there.
27 Apr 2012 at 10:51 AM 53. Brian
Fizz Giz is an interesting name. Giz? Jizz?
There was a recall with the Twist ‘n Sparkle, as some have been blowing up (and with that said, Brandon, I would probably advise against doing a double charge). I’ve seen some people using the Perlini, which costs $150 more. Not sure if I should switch, or take my chances.
17 May 2012 at 7:58 AM 54. Kabouter
Mike-
The solubility of C)2 in water is dependant on the pressure and the temperature. In this case, the pressure is constant so the temperature is the driving factor int he amount of carbonation absorbed by the liquid. For example, assuming 30psi (I don’t know the actual output of the chargers that iSi uses), at 75º one (1) liter of water will absorb about 4.4 grams of CO2, that same liter of water chilled to 34º will absorb about 9.2 grams of CO2. So simply by chilling, your beverage will have over twice the carbonation level. Once that carbonation is dissolved in the liquid, it will remain in solution at higher temps because it is sealed int he bottle. Once opened, the carbonation will begin to equalize with the atmosphere. This is why you see bubbles floating through your drink. A liquid will equalize faster at a warmer temp because the CO2 is less soluble at higher temps. I hope that clears it up.
-Justin
23 May 2012 at 1:21 AM 55. Andreas
Hi
It seems like amazon has removed the twist n sparkle?
any idea where I get one? looks like it is not available for European (Swedish) consumers
23 May 2012 at 10:59 PM 56. Mike Spike
Actually, Twist ‘n Sparkle removed the Twist ‘n Shrapnel because they were blowing up in customers’ faces. They sold about a million for fifty-bucks each. Now they’re recalling them all – every last one.
Get a Fizz Giz with a built-in pressure regulator. It really is a modern day marvel of value engineering. It costs less and doesn’t come with the fireworks show.
24 May 2012 at 5:35 PM 57. Jim
I’ve tried this twice and the results are delicious, but I’m not getting the proper quantity. I should be getting (4) bottles worth, instead I’m getting (3). Any idea what the problem is?
I’m using the Twist n’ Sparkle. The mix is nice and cold. When I carbonate it REALLY fizzes up. It created so much foam that it started leaking out (even though the lid was still on). I had to wait a long while for some of that carbonation to go down before I could even release the lid (or risk an explosion).
Is 1/4 of my mix evaporating? If so, what can I do? I’d like to get a full (4) bottles out the recipe.
07 Jun 2012 at 8:26 AM 58. Matthew
So has anyone given this a go with fruit juice? I’m thinking about trying a basil gimlet but I am wondering about shelf life in the fridge.
10 Jul 2012 at 6:42 PM 59. Stephen
As someone mentioned, the Twist ‘n’ Sparkle has been recalled. Any recommended alternatives?
(Mike, I get that you work for Fizz Giz and love it. A third party opinion would be appreciated.)
25 Jul 2012 at 6:39 AM 60. gluttonforlife
I don’t work for Fizz Giz but just used it to carbonate a big batch of Americanos for a party and can highly recommend it. Fast, easy and efficient!
30 Jul 2012 at 1:06 PM 61. Konrad
I found the Fizz Gizz to work great. Just got it a month ago. Having soda water every day. Can not say much about cocktails but it is easily strong enough to get the water so fizzy I find it uncomfortable (always put in CO2, then shake 5 seconds). 2 hits = good. 3 =strong, 4=awfully strong.
I love that it is so small… its in there with my cutlery and not wasting space.
22 Aug 2012 at 10:44 AM 62. Jesse Ratliff
I was bottling cocktails at my bar/restaurant for several months until the state ABC board said I needed a federal basic bottling permit. I contacted the TTB and they replied that this is in fact true. I’m wondering why the Feds haven’t actually enforced this rule? Or do you know if they have?
Best,
Jesse
bar manager
table
asheville, nc
28 Aug 2012 at 10:39 AM 63. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Jesse – As long as you’re not serving them to-go out the door, I honestly don’t see the difference in serving a drink in a glass shaped like a little bottle versus serving a drink in a glass shaped like a cup. I’d recommend having another conversation with your ABC.
28 Aug 2012 at 12:12 PM 64. Donnie
Jesse – I was previously one of the bartenders at the Magnetic Field and currently am at the Aloft hotel. I feel like the ABC is mistaken about the bottling license. I’ve not asked, but I feel like Hops and Vines doesn’t have a bottling license for their homebrew classes, but that might be a step in getting a real answer. I know hard alcohol is a different set if rules, but like Jeff said, if the bottles aren’t leaving the building, it shouldn’t matter.
28 Aug 2012 at 12:34 PM 65. Jesse Ratliff
Apparently their is a distinction between capping and sealing individual bottles as opposed to a large container of a pre-mixed cocktail that is then poured to order. I have contacted the TTB(the federal agency that oversees alcohol and bottling permits)and shared your video of the process and described in great detail how the cocktail is served and consumed on premises. The TTB states that this activity is considered “processing” and therefore requires a federal basic bottling permit. I’m in the process of responding and will keep you posted. Hopefully this is just a matter of confusion.
28 Aug 2012 at 2:03 PM 66. Mike
Well, bottlers and canneries bottle. Restaurants do not – at least not in the technical sense. Mass production of bottled and canned goods are sold wholesale to distributors and retailers for resale. Bottlers/canners do not know who is consuming their products. Fact is, neither do the retailers. Restaurants are afforded certain liberties because both the parties know the other. They meet, in fact, face to face. Restaurateurs are not burdened with nutritional labeling requirements and identifying information. Patrons of a restaurant have no trouble knowing who to complain to (or sue) if something they consume there makes them sick. The plates, dishes, cups and glasses at a fine italian restaurant would not look good with nutritional labels stuck on the side of them. There are no UPC bar codes on a plate of beans at a little meat ‘n 3 veggies joint. These are not products meant for transportation, warehouse storage, mass distribution or resale. They are not often consumed 100-miles away. Matter of fact, the Dominoes delivery guys in my neck of the woods won’t drive more than 3-4 miles one way to bring me a pizza.
10 Sep 2012 at 12:19 AM 67. Wilhelm
I can only recommend trying Scott Diaz (commenting above)’s grown up Italian soda.
It’s really good!
01 Oct 2012 at 10:44 PM 68. G Ra
Thanks for the tips. I plan on using this the next time we have an event!
Cheers!
06 Nov 2012 at 4:22 PM 69. Brian Mølgaard
hey
just for safety sake the Twist n sparkle has been recalled due to exploding plastic bottles
http://twistnsparkle.com/index.html
but very good tip!
13 Nov 2012 at 2:13 PM 70. morgan
A soda stream machine like I’ve linked below would work for this wouldn’t it?
http://www.sodastream.com.au/auretail/Default.aspx
09 Dec 2012 at 10:04 AM 71. stephen
if anybody needs some more advanced carbonating equipment i just started producing a champagne bottle manifold.
http://bostonapothecary.com/?p=460
if you think of carbonation in terms of grams per liter you can measure your carbonation with a kitchen scale.
you can carbonation in 750’s or magnums to a level higher than you want and then decant them into 187’s. if you keep track of all your weights with a scale you can see how much gas you lose when you transfer to small bottles.
13 Dec 2012 at 8:00 AM 72. Bill Norris
You can use a soda stream, but two caveats.
1) it voids your warranty as soon as you do.
2) If you decide to use the SodaStream, you need to wait a few minutes after charging before removing the bottle.
If you don’t, the results are dramatic and deeply unpleasant.
Trust me.
06 Jan 2013 at 8:10 PM 73. daniele pirotta
anybody had any luck with the perlini?
i guess this could work as long as the mixture is left to chill in the fridge or freezer for a while?
carbonate it without involving the use of ice.
it still looses a lot of fizz when opening it and releasing the seal.
is that fizz giz any good?
06 Jan 2013 at 8:13 PM 74. daniele pirotta
working on a project for a venue.
idea basically is a pre-carbonated and bottled paloma.
obviously instead of fresh pink grapefruit juice i was thinking of a rhubarb and pink grapefruit SHRUB – all that sugar and vinegar will keep it from going bad …? or maybe not? what do you guys think?
13 Jan 2013 at 7:34 AM 75. valerie chisholm
Do the diy capped bottles hold their carbonation very well? What kind of a shelf life are we talking about on these?
07 Apr 2013 at 8:27 AM 76. Rob Copher
Daniele, I was wondering how that worked out for you? I have been playing with the idea of a carbonated Paloma for a couple of months. The best version so far is with a grapefruit foam made with a iSi soda siphon. The only issue is the shelf life is only three days because of the fresh citrus juice. Right now I’m playing with the idea of infusing reposado tequila, Maestro Dobel, with fresh pink grapfruit. Please let me know how your version turned out.
02 May 2013 at 2:37 PM 77. Benjamin
Hey Jeff,
Love this idea, but i can’t seem to get people excited about Campari (I don’t know why, cause i love it). I manage the bar for a small bistro/ coffee house in central Kansas and we’ve been wanting to sell more cocktails. Gin and Tonics are a huge hit in this town, but it is super annoying to store tonic in bottles as we don’t have the capability of putting it on a bev gun. Do you think we could premake Gin and Tonics using this method? would it work with your tonic recipe?