this is actually a really cool gift.
Yes, but then how am I going to impress the family if I give it to them? 
Waiting on a check to clear.
Has anyone tried the Colonial Bitters? What kind of drink does it work in?
Price seems fairly reasonable. A typical bottle of good “craft” bitters can be in the $15 range (for example Woodfod Reserves line). The mini keg and cooler bag for another $30 sounds like a steal. Beats the hell out of using a janky Tupperware jug for prebatched cocktails!
FYI - assembling a similar package on their website came to almost $130 including shipping.
Surprised that they don’t have some recipes on their site.
I would imagine one could substitute these in any cocktail recipe that uses bitters. Make one of each, using the original as well, to compare their tastes.
Mad scientist time!
Oh, check finally cleared … yay!
Last Wooter to Woot: MarkDaSpark
"Dutch’s is a New York-based bitters maker that I was previously not familiar with. Their products combine flavors popular in a certain time and place in American history.
For instance, right now I’m sipping a 3:2 Manhattan with a few healthy dashes of the Boomtown bitters. These are meant to evoke gold-rush, frontier towns, with sarsaparilla, oak, mint, and coconut, among other things. The whole thing reminds me of smoke and molasses, and seems to thicken the mouthfeel of the vermouth somehow.
In short, I highly recommend the Boomtown. The Prohi-bitters (ginger, citrus, hibiscus) also smells delicious, although their Colonial line (lavender, juniper, rose) reminds me of somehing they’d pipe into a clothing store to increase sales. I’ll post more as I play with them.
http://dutchsspirits.com/bitters/"
From Blog
Also:
Brooklyn Cocktail
1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
Dash or two Maraschino liqueur
Dash aromatic bitters
Four out of the five boroughs of New York have cocktails named after them, of which the Manhattan is by far the most famous. Staten Island, somehow, is the teetotaler.
When the other three borough-cocktails are mentioned, it’s usually to pan them. Embury tells us that far more Manhattans than Brooklyns are made even in Brooklyn, which, while definitely true, is perhaps rubbing it in a little too much. It’s a very pleasant drink from time to time.
Among those who bother to make it, there are two schools of the Brooklyn. One simply makes it a dry Manhattan (implicitly making the sweet Manhattan coextensive with the Manhattan category). This, too, is an enjoyable cocktail, but there isn’t much reason to give it its own name.
I prefer the second school, which adds Maraschino liqueur to the mix, creating a decidedly different drink. Maraschino fills out the body and adds a sweet, earthy dimension to the flavor profile.
I went with Dutch’s Boomtown Bitters, previously written-up, on top. Amer Picon is often specifically indicated, in this and other cocktail recipes, but there’s no need to wring your hands if you haven’t got it. It’s a bitters. Experiment with your own citrus or aromatic bitters until you find one that you like.
I should also note that my above recipe is approximate. The Brooklyn is a great tinkerer’s drink. If you find you like it with a tablespoon of Maraschino, more power to you. These proportions should at least have you playing in in the right ballpark.
Written by Brian On May 15, 2014
Tagged Whiskey (Rye), Vermouth (Dry), Maraschino, Bitters, Dutch’s Spirits, David Embury, New York, Classics
THE WESTIE
101 Best New Cocktails: The Westie by Fredo Ceraso, Loungerati, New York City.
Thursday, May 9th, 2013
See more of this year’s 101 Best New Cocktails here Click HERE to submit your recipe for a chance to be included in an upcoming list.
The Westie
Adapted from a recipe by Fredo Ceraso, Loungerati, New York City.westie
“I developed this cocktail as an ode to the classic ingredients in the ‘old man’ drink— Drambuie and Galliano. Cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger and the Rusty Nail evolved at a time when notorious tough guys like The Westies gang occupied Hell’s Kitchen bar stools. They drank hard but with flair. The Westie captures this feeling. After all, though a cocktail should be well-balanced and thought out, it never hurts to have a good story behind it. (Read the full story of the drink here.) I have also submitted this drink for the 2012 Loungerati section of the award-winning cocktail menu at the Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow.” Fredo Ceraso.
22.5 ml (.75 oz) Redbreast 12 Year Old Pot Still Irish whiskey
22.5 ml (.75 oz) Drambuie
22.5 ml (.75 oz) Liquore Galliano L’Autentico
22.5 ml (.75 oz) fresh lemon juice
3 drops @Dutch’s Colonial Cocktail bitters (or Angostura in a pinch)
1 Bada Bing cherry, as garnish
Shake over ice for 15 to 20 seconds and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.