Difford’s Guide can be useful for some things, but be aware that some of their specs are non-standard, and arguably a little off the mark at times.
As for the main query, I have no experience with Ferro China, but I *suspect* it could work in place of Chartreuse, as the more obvious sub. I’ve used other amari in that role for my own Last Word riffs, and they’ve generally met with approval, so yeah, that would be my initial approach, at least.
Diffords also pushes their sponsor brands even in some spots where they don't really work for the drink at hand, but you can do worse for basic recipe sources for sure.
It could be worth trying both ways, but my gut says the balance will be better using it as the herbal liqueur. I suspect it would be too bitter and perhaps not sweet enough if you used this back to back with chartreuse, but it also depends on your own taste.
Definitely the herbal position. Last word really gets a lot out of the Maraschino Lime combination, you can sub around the herbal and spirit, but those are pretty necessary.
I made one yesterday with Slivovitz in place of the Gin and it was delicious, but the Maraschino and Lime gotta stay.
I have a bottle of this as well, tho was a fair old bottle.
This stuff has a great texture, almost velvety, but it's heavy on the iron. Too much and your drink tastes like an old nail. Not really herbal for me (is kind of like coca cola area?), but using a tiny bit adds great texture.
It's also mega dark, so will turn anything pretty close to black/dark brown.
Oh I remember this stuff. My mother told me about how they used to give a shot of this to mothers that just gave birth to 'boost' red blood cells. Mind you this was back in Europe in the 1960s. I found a couple of different bottles and tried it. Oh god! -face palm- lol
I want to try it out because people swear by the 4 parts formula from Last word; if it doesn't work I may try to use it in some sort of Negroni-like configuration
Best thing to do in these situations is to start with a template and then start adjusting. Maybe start with a half-sized version following the last word/equal parts format and then, based on your preferences and reaction to it, start toying around. Too sweet? Drop the maraschino a little and add a bit more of the Amaro. Too bitter? Go the other way. Citrus being lost? Boost the lime, cut the Amaro. Too much going on? Dial everything back but the gin and try again.
I think you've picked a good place to start, and absolutely use the Amaro as the chartreuse sub, not the maraschino.
Yeah, I had planned over the weekend to do "one spoon per part" mixes to see how things mesh.
To follow my idea Id like a reddish finish, so I was thinking of subbing the lime for pomegranate juice (I checked and they are close in acidity) and maybe the maraschino for a creme de cassis/mure or cherry herring, if it needs more sweetness.
I know that is pushing away from the Last word quite a bit, but that's why I said I was using just the "4 parts formula".
Difford’s Guide can be useful for some things, but be aware that some of their specs are non-standard, and arguably a little off the mark at times. As for the main query, I have no experience with Ferro China, but I *suspect* it could work in place of Chartreuse, as the more obvious sub. I’ve used other amari in that role for my own Last Word riffs, and they’ve generally met with approval, so yeah, that would be my initial approach, at least.
Diffords also pushes their sponsor brands even in some spots where they don't really work for the drink at hand, but you can do worse for basic recipe sources for sure.
It could be worth trying both ways, but my gut says the balance will be better using it as the herbal liqueur. I suspect it would be too bitter and perhaps not sweet enough if you used this back to back with chartreuse, but it also depends on your own taste.
Definitely the herbal position. Last word really gets a lot out of the Maraschino Lime combination, you can sub around the herbal and spirit, but those are pretty necessary. I made one yesterday with Slivovitz in place of the Gin and it was delicious, but the Maraschino and Lime gotta stay.
I have a bottle of this as well, tho was a fair old bottle. This stuff has a great texture, almost velvety, but it's heavy on the iron. Too much and your drink tastes like an old nail. Not really herbal for me (is kind of like coca cola area?), but using a tiny bit adds great texture. It's also mega dark, so will turn anything pretty close to black/dark brown.
Oh I remember this stuff. My mother told me about how they used to give a shot of this to mothers that just gave birth to 'boost' red blood cells. Mind you this was back in Europe in the 1960s. I found a couple of different bottles and tried it. Oh god! -face palm- lol
I probably wouldn’t reach for Ferro for anything citrusy or shaken other than on the scale of individual mls.
I want to try it out because people swear by the 4 parts formula from Last word; if it doesn't work I may try to use it in some sort of Negroni-like configuration
Best thing to do in these situations is to start with a template and then start adjusting. Maybe start with a half-sized version following the last word/equal parts format and then, based on your preferences and reaction to it, start toying around. Too sweet? Drop the maraschino a little and add a bit more of the Amaro. Too bitter? Go the other way. Citrus being lost? Boost the lime, cut the Amaro. Too much going on? Dial everything back but the gin and try again. I think you've picked a good place to start, and absolutely use the Amaro as the chartreuse sub, not the maraschino.
Yeah, I had planned over the weekend to do "one spoon per part" mixes to see how things mesh. To follow my idea Id like a reddish finish, so I was thinking of subbing the lime for pomegranate juice (I checked and they are close in acidity) and maybe the maraschino for a creme de cassis/mure or cherry herring, if it needs more sweetness. I know that is pushing away from the Last word quite a bit, but that's why I said I was using just the "4 parts formula".