I thought I’d resurrect this here (at least I didn’t see this topic under a different name…feel free to correct me if I am mistaken). At the moment, it’s a billion degrees outside, but a civilized 68°F inside my hovel. Home from the office and just mixed myself a Branca Menta on the rocks with a splash of soda. Minty herbs; nice and cool. 
NB: I’m on a bit of a Fernet kick this summer.
My local supermarket has run out of Cock and Bull ginger beer, and I’m going through withdrawal . . .
It was an incredibly long and gruelling day of moving. Brother-in-law has offered Kronenbourg, and I appreciate the fruity succour it supplies.
Aberlour Single Malt Whisky Society bottling, 11 year old oak barrel without their normal sherry cask finish. Still remarkably fruity and very very sweet.
I have a bottle of the Aberlour Abrundh to compare it to somewhere as well.
My sympathies. That drink sounds like my jam though. Pity they don’t stock it here. I have been known it add more ginger flavored things to our gingeryist ginger beer here. If it doesn’t taste like sucking on a carbonated stick of ginger root, what’s the point?
I’ve never met a coffee I like, so for a caffeine delivery mechanism I use this:
I’m fairly confident it’s not, but I can only read that as “Energising Ned Alert” canned beverage.
Cock and Bull is the second strongest ginger beer I’ve found, and it has more actual flavor than the strongest, which I used to be able to get at a Russian restaurant in San Diego. And it doesn’t contain pineapple juice, a combination I find abominable.
Today’s hot weather restorative is a Martini made with Old Tom Gin (Ransom’s), Noilly Prat, and a couple dashes of Peychaud’s. I like it, but it screams for a squeeze of grapefruit rind, which I don’t have.
Tasting notes:
Surprisingly sweet;
Quite crisp with a bitter finish (the Peychaud’s letting itself be known there);
The vermouth rounds out the flavor nicely, keeping it from tasting metallic;
Dammit! This really would be excellent with a spritz of grapefruit zest!
Made myself Argentina’s national cocktail: a Fernet Con Coca (“Fernandito”). Personally, I prefer a 30/70 ratio. 
This fits here better for me than collecting. I pick up a bottle of scotch each year. I like Islays and I like cask strength. They had A’bunadh Alba at the store I visited this year instead of the regular A’bunadh. It’s the latest addition and I’ve been enjoying it.
I like gin but that section got cleaned out recently. They don’t distribute Old Raj here anymore but I like it a lot.
I miss the 15 year old Pusser’s rum. That was a winning drink.
My decision to never drink alone, the only other adult in the house having an inability to metabolise alcohol, and the pandemic have combined to mean that I am not drinking the Zubrowka that’s been in our freezer for so long, the gift box of nihonshu in the rooftop fridge, or the 6-pack of beer in the kitchen fridge. Sad times
So I’m mostly drinking water.
A bit of an experiment today. I made a “Smoky Martini” which replaces the vermouth with Scotch whisky. I think a London dry gin might be better for this, likewise a peaty Islay malt like Laphroig, but the Ransom and Oban harmonize surprisingly well. 
?!?
Weird. 
Tasting notes:
I get a distinct combination of leather, citrus, and what I imagine shellac tastes like. I know that sounds awful, but it’s rather pleasant to me.
I’d definitely try this again, but with different base spirits.
With the context of whisky and gin that sounds fantastic. The cocktail bar near me has a Laphroaig old fashioned, which sounds similar. Looking forward to hearing how to goes with different spirits.
This afternoon we stopped in at a different branch of our usual supermarket, and while they didn’t have Cock and Bull, they had Bundaberg, which is a fairly good ginger beer; the hint of citrus isn’t nearly as offputting as pineapple.
But I must say, this is another incident that supports my theory that supermarkets monitor what I regularly buy so that they can remove it from their shelves.
If your local supermarket happens to be a Hy-Vee, they do a great job about stocking special requests (they don’t guarantee they’ll keep stocking it, but they’ll order something in if you ask.
They are by far my favorite supermarket.
The one on 6th St is literally the only place I’ve ever seen BooBerry cereal for sale (it’s awful)
No, what we usually go to is Dillons and Sprouts, for different things. We visited a Hy-Vee once, but they’re further away and I didn’t find their stock as good.
Day off but no booze today, instead I’m having an “Old Soaker” Bar Harbor Root Beer (I’d love it if their motto was: “The Pride Of A Very Small Portion Of The Maine Coast!”)
I am partial to a robust root brew every now and then, and this one is pretty good. The G-Man approves. 
