So I am going to visit two of my great aunts tomorrow; they live in Quebec (like most of my family) and are coming out to visit their sister, my Nana. One of my favourite memories of my great-Aunt Corrine dates back to when I was nineteen years old and she came out to visit. I was so proud that I could drink back then, I offered to mix her favourite drink: the Caesar. I mixed it up exactly the way I had learned, and delivered it with panache. She took one sip, then turned and said, "Oh no. Let me show you how to make this." And then poured the vodka RIGHT INTO THE GLASS. Eyeballing it to about 1/4 full. Then adding about five times as much Worcestershire sauce as I had, then gently floating a little Clamato on top. "THAT," she said, "is how you make a Caesar." I have never forgotten.
When the duties were being given out for dinner tomorrow - who was bringing what - I was told to make up some kind of delicious beverage for everyone to try. I am, for those of you who don't know, enamoured with the art of the cocktail. Not in a "let's get everyone drunk before dinner" way, but in a nostalgic kind of way. I like the idea of having a party where I as the host can say, "What would everyone like to drink?" and being bombarded with a half-dozen different suggestions: a Rob Roy, a Gibsons, two Martinis, an Americano, and so on. My Nana sometimes tells me about the parties she would host, and the alcohol seemed to flow like water, and sure, some people would get sauced, but others just had their favourite drinks. I like the idea of any guest of mine being able to have "the regular," whether that be iced tea, a gin & tonic, or a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, and am trying to do my best to keep that weird tradition alive.
So my mother suggested I come up with something interesting, involving rum, as it is one of my great-Aunts' favourites. And after about five minutes, I came up with the following:
1/2 oz. Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
1/2 oz. vodka (Absolut is what I have on hand)
1/2 oz. spiced rum
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 drops Angostura bitters
Coca-Cola
Shake whiskey, rum, vodka, lime juice, and bitters together with ice. Pour into an old-fashioned glass with ice, and top with the cola.
I call it the Cuban Missile Crisis. I tried a couple of versions tonight before settling on this version, and I rather enjoy it. Hopefully a couple of people like it, too.
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
What's Up Wednesday - June 25, 2008
We take a quick break from my entirely too-thought-out series of posts about the AFI to spill the beans on what I've been liking - and not liking - for the past seven days. Some have been good, some have been bad, but they've all made their way here. Let's give them a warm welcome, shall we?
The Movie - Morgoid and I went to see Young People Fucking last night. It's a Canadian-made comedy film that's been under a bit of scrutiny in recent months thanks to its connection to the controversial Bill C-10. (I'm not going to comment much on the bill or its questionable clause, except to say that I disagree with it.) Aside from the controversy, the movie is actually pretty good: funny and thought-provoking. It's five different stories of love and/or sex, split up according to different points in the act (Prelude, Foreplay, etc.). The movie actually plays both sides very well, using controversy and the promise of titillation to get butts in seats, and then makes very well-thought-out and important points about how sex and love are seen in modern society. Well, mostly well-thought-out: there was one point in the movie (no spoilers here) where both Morgoid and I just gasped and were flabbergasted by what we saw as cheap trickery and bad writing. But four out of five good stories makes for a good film overall, one I can recommend with one notable reservation. So if you're anti-censorship, pro-sex, or interested in Canadian film, go see it. (And if you see it - or have seen it - please let me know if you think you understand which scene I disliked.)
The Album - I popped Funkadelic's America Eats Its Young on the mp3 player yesterday and was really surprised by how good it was. The first time I listened to it I remembered being unimpressed, but this time I was really pleased. A really pleasing mix of funk, soul, and r&b; not as hard as Let's Take It To The Stage and not as sprawlingly brilliant as Maggot Brain, but a good little album to have in your collection.
The Drink - When I saw billboards for Sleeman's No. 20 Anniversary Ale popping up, I went to a number of my local liquor stores looking for it, but they didn't have any in. I finally found it when I was looking for wine on Father's Day, and I had my first bottle the other day. I really like Sleeman's Honey Brown and their Amber Ale is pretty good too, so I was expecting good things, especially from an anniversary brew. Sadly, this is pretty pathetic. Nothing special at all about it; in fact, it's actually bad. It feels bad in the mouth, smells a little off, and tastes worse than Pabst Blue Ribbon. Just dreck. The only way it's drinkable is if you either a) drink it really fast or b) turn it into a Dillinger. Never agin.
The Book - I cracked open The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time yesterday on my way to work and finished it up today. I will say that, while it's good, it's not exactly what I was expecting. The book starts off as a murder mystery with a twist: the investigator - and author of the book - is a fifteen-year-old boy with Autism, and the murder victim is his neighbor's dog. But the book is about much more than that. Author Mark Haddon's technique is really good, bordering on too tricky-cute sometimes, but it really helps the reader get into the mindset of someone with Autism as best one can (though some people would disagree). It's good, but a lot different than I was expecting, and I don't think as deserving of some of the hype it had recieved when it was released. It's good, but not life-alteringly so.
The Movie - Morgoid and I went to see Young People Fucking last night. It's a Canadian-made comedy film that's been under a bit of scrutiny in recent months thanks to its connection to the controversial Bill C-10. (I'm not going to comment much on the bill or its questionable clause, except to say that I disagree with it.) Aside from the controversy, the movie is actually pretty good: funny and thought-provoking. It's five different stories of love and/or sex, split up according to different points in the act (Prelude, Foreplay, etc.). The movie actually plays both sides very well, using controversy and the promise of titillation to get butts in seats, and then makes very well-thought-out and important points about how sex and love are seen in modern society. Well, mostly well-thought-out: there was one point in the movie (no spoilers here) where both Morgoid and I just gasped and were flabbergasted by what we saw as cheap trickery and bad writing. But four out of five good stories makes for a good film overall, one I can recommend with one notable reservation. So if you're anti-censorship, pro-sex, or interested in Canadian film, go see it. (And if you see it - or have seen it - please let me know if you think you understand which scene I disliked.)
The Album - I popped Funkadelic's America Eats Its Young on the mp3 player yesterday and was really surprised by how good it was. The first time I listened to it I remembered being unimpressed, but this time I was really pleased. A really pleasing mix of funk, soul, and r&b; not as hard as Let's Take It To The Stage and not as sprawlingly brilliant as Maggot Brain, but a good little album to have in your collection.
The Drink - When I saw billboards for Sleeman's No. 20 Anniversary Ale popping up, I went to a number of my local liquor stores looking for it, but they didn't have any in. I finally found it when I was looking for wine on Father's Day, and I had my first bottle the other day. I really like Sleeman's Honey Brown and their Amber Ale is pretty good too, so I was expecting good things, especially from an anniversary brew. Sadly, this is pretty pathetic. Nothing special at all about it; in fact, it's actually bad. It feels bad in the mouth, smells a little off, and tastes worse than Pabst Blue Ribbon. Just dreck. The only way it's drinkable is if you either a) drink it really fast or b) turn it into a Dillinger. Never agin.
The Book - I cracked open The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time yesterday on my way to work and finished it up today. I will say that, while it's good, it's not exactly what I was expecting. The book starts off as a murder mystery with a twist: the investigator - and author of the book - is a fifteen-year-old boy with Autism, and the murder victim is his neighbor's dog. But the book is about much more than that. Author Mark Haddon's technique is really good, bordering on too tricky-cute sometimes, but it really helps the reader get into the mindset of someone with Autism as best one can (though some people would disagree). It's good, but a lot different than I was expecting, and I don't think as deserving of some of the hype it had recieved when it was released. It's good, but not life-alteringly so.
Friday, May 30, 2008
What's Up "Wednesday" - Special Sasquatch Edition!
Well, yesterday was kind of a write-off, what with me sleeping for 15 hours and feeling like crap when I wasn't sleeping. But today was better, so here's a little update on my activities this weekend.
Best Show: The Flaming Lips. The opening of the show had a giant light rig that was made up to look like a UFO come down from the rafters, at which point the lead singer came out of the top of the UFO in a giant hamster ball and rolled around on top of the audience for a bit, and then came out and shot streamer cannons into the audience while giant balloons were released. And then things got WEIRD.
Best Performance: Rodrigo Y Gabriela. I only caught the last half of their set, but it was amazing. Two former members of a thrash metal band playing acoustic guitars and rocking the roof off the place, if indeed there had been a roof to rock off. Such a good performance that I had to buy their album; we listened to it on the way home and their music was as good as I remembered.
Favourite Performance: R.E.M. (I never said I was impartial.) The performance wasn't as varied or as exciting as the time I saw them in Vancouver, but Michael's voice was much better, and they did play a few songs I was surprised and delighted to hear ("Harborcoat," "Drive," and "Ignoreland" in particular). I stayed out through the rain and enjoyed every bit of it.
Biggest Surprise: The Presidents of the United States of America. I know, I wasn't expecting very much, just some guys being goofy and playing around on stage. But these guys were TIGHT. And they had so much energy, and made such a great sound from their limited, weird instruments, by the end of their set they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. I would DEFINITELY see them again if they came to town. Just a great, great performance.
Biggest Disappointment: Built to Spill. They weren't really bad, per se, but they were a big letdown after the previous band (The Hives), barely interacted at all with the audience, and a lot more mellow than I wanted at the time. I really enjoyed their last song, though, but if that was because I was slowly coming around to them or because it was just a really great song, I don't know. I'll still check them out, though; I have a feeling that they're not a great band to see if you're five hundred meters away from them.
Best Discovery: The Cave Singers. Great folk trio from Seattle; their mix was a little too loud (as was almost every performance on the secondary stage), but their music was really compelling and I downloaded an album from eMusic when I got home.
Best Moment in the Comedy Tent: Jerry Minor talking about how funny monkeys were. I've been into Jerry since his time on Mr. Show, where he delivered the immortal line, "Life is precious, and God, and The Bible." His performance on the comedy stage was so funny, I teared up numerous times. Plus, he asked my what my favourite monkey was. I was enormously happy to be a (very small) part of the performance.
Best Discovery in the Comedy Tent: Rich Fulcher. His first set was a little dead, but his second set, if I might, killed. Talked to him after the show and told him how much I enjoyed the set, and he gave me permission to watch The Mighty Boosh illegally because the DVDs weren't available here yet. So that was cool.
Biggest Disappointment in the Comedy Tent: (Well, technically it was outside the tent.) Not getting to see the Upright Citizens Brigade's ASSSSCAT show. Long-form improv comedy featuring Matt & Matt from the UCB, plus Jerry Minor, Rich Fulcher, Sean Conroy, and Tim Meadows. Would have been great to see, but the tent was at capacity and the line was going nowhere, so we walked away, a little disappointed but ready to see something else.
Best Purchase at the Festival: Chocolate-chip-cookie ice cream sandwich just before the Flaming Lips show. It was DELICIOUS and exactly what I needed.
Worst Purchase at the Festival: An $11 can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Seriously, it could have been the most disappointing beer I've ever had, and I've had beer that tastes like mushrooms before. That was entirely unneccessary, made even worse by the exorbitant price.
Best Show: The Flaming Lips. The opening of the show had a giant light rig that was made up to look like a UFO come down from the rafters, at which point the lead singer came out of the top of the UFO in a giant hamster ball and rolled around on top of the audience for a bit, and then came out and shot streamer cannons into the audience while giant balloons were released. And then things got WEIRD.
Best Performance: Rodrigo Y Gabriela. I only caught the last half of their set, but it was amazing. Two former members of a thrash metal band playing acoustic guitars and rocking the roof off the place, if indeed there had been a roof to rock off. Such a good performance that I had to buy their album; we listened to it on the way home and their music was as good as I remembered.
Favourite Performance: R.E.M. (I never said I was impartial.) The performance wasn't as varied or as exciting as the time I saw them in Vancouver, but Michael's voice was much better, and they did play a few songs I was surprised and delighted to hear ("Harborcoat," "Drive," and "Ignoreland" in particular). I stayed out through the rain and enjoyed every bit of it.
Biggest Surprise: The Presidents of the United States of America. I know, I wasn't expecting very much, just some guys being goofy and playing around on stage. But these guys were TIGHT. And they had so much energy, and made such a great sound from their limited, weird instruments, by the end of their set they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. I would DEFINITELY see them again if they came to town. Just a great, great performance.
Biggest Disappointment: Built to Spill. They weren't really bad, per se, but they were a big letdown after the previous band (The Hives), barely interacted at all with the audience, and a lot more mellow than I wanted at the time. I really enjoyed their last song, though, but if that was because I was slowly coming around to them or because it was just a really great song, I don't know. I'll still check them out, though; I have a feeling that they're not a great band to see if you're five hundred meters away from them.
Best Discovery: The Cave Singers. Great folk trio from Seattle; their mix was a little too loud (as was almost every performance on the secondary stage), but their music was really compelling and I downloaded an album from eMusic when I got home.
Best Moment in the Comedy Tent: Jerry Minor talking about how funny monkeys were. I've been into Jerry since his time on Mr. Show, where he delivered the immortal line, "Life is precious, and God, and The Bible." His performance on the comedy stage was so funny, I teared up numerous times. Plus, he asked my what my favourite monkey was. I was enormously happy to be a (very small) part of the performance.
Best Discovery in the Comedy Tent: Rich Fulcher. His first set was a little dead, but his second set, if I might, killed. Talked to him after the show and told him how much I enjoyed the set, and he gave me permission to watch The Mighty Boosh illegally because the DVDs weren't available here yet. So that was cool.
Biggest Disappointment in the Comedy Tent: (Well, technically it was outside the tent.) Not getting to see the Upright Citizens Brigade's ASSSSCAT show. Long-form improv comedy featuring Matt & Matt from the UCB, plus Jerry Minor, Rich Fulcher, Sean Conroy, and Tim Meadows. Would have been great to see, but the tent was at capacity and the line was going nowhere, so we walked away, a little disappointed but ready to see something else.
Best Purchase at the Festival: Chocolate-chip-cookie ice cream sandwich just before the Flaming Lips show. It was DELICIOUS and exactly what I needed.
Worst Purchase at the Festival: An $11 can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Seriously, it could have been the most disappointing beer I've ever had, and I've had beer that tastes like mushrooms before. That was entirely unneccessary, made even worse by the exorbitant price.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
What's Up Thursday - May 8, 2008
Offered without comment.
The Book - I've had the novel If Beale Street Could Talk (by James Baldwin) on my bookshelf for a while; it was one of the many books I rescued from my parents' storeroom before they gave them all to Goodwill. I just read it this week, and it was not what I'd expected from the cover. "A masterpiece about the love between a man and a woman..." it said on the cover: not my idea of a great read, if you want to know the truth. It made it seem like a high-class romance novel. It is decidedly not. It is about love between a man and a woman, but it is also about race and family bonds in lower-class New York City. It wasn't something I really liked, per se, but it was a well-written book. While I can't speak for the book's authenticity, it really seemed like Baldwin had captured the setting rather well, and the dialogue was top-notch. A good book, but not something I'd necessarily want to read again.
The Movie - GO SEE IRON MAN. Yea, it is good. Like I said to The Ninjas (Stolz and Stan), "Wow, who would have known that all you need to do to make a good superhero movie are good actors and not taking yourself too seriously?" Take THAT, Spider-Man 3.
The Drink - The Peach and I went to the Farmer's Market last weekend, and on the suggestion of a friend of mine I checked out Catfish Coffee Roasters, a local company that (surprisingly) roasts coffee. I picked up some coffee that was roasted the day before, and it did taste very good. I couldn't necessarily say that I found it so much more delicious than coffee that had been roasted in countries farther away and longer ago, but it was delicious and I would get more. But probably not the "Way Too Dark Roast". It's a clever name, but I don't like dark roasts that much in the first place.
The Podcast - I checked out the Most People Are DJs podcast when it was mentioned on Warren Ellis's mailing list, and it's rather good. The guy has good taste in music, and I found out a few good bands that I'd like to check out more. Worth exploring if you like off-the-beaten-track rock or electronic music.
The Real Life - I got a letter in the mailbox on Monday telling me that I passed my CASLPA exam. Funnily enough, I wasn't exited. I was just "not worried" any more. I didn't jump up and down, or say "YES!", or do a little happy dance. I just let out my breath and said, "Thank god." It was anticlimactic, but it's still good news.
The Book - I've had the novel If Beale Street Could Talk (by James Baldwin) on my bookshelf for a while; it was one of the many books I rescued from my parents' storeroom before they gave them all to Goodwill. I just read it this week, and it was not what I'd expected from the cover. "A masterpiece about the love between a man and a woman..." it said on the cover: not my idea of a great read, if you want to know the truth. It made it seem like a high-class romance novel. It is decidedly not. It is about love between a man and a woman, but it is also about race and family bonds in lower-class New York City. It wasn't something I really liked, per se, but it was a well-written book. While I can't speak for the book's authenticity, it really seemed like Baldwin had captured the setting rather well, and the dialogue was top-notch. A good book, but not something I'd necessarily want to read again.
The Movie - GO SEE IRON MAN. Yea, it is good. Like I said to The Ninjas (Stolz and Stan), "Wow, who would have known that all you need to do to make a good superhero movie are good actors and not taking yourself too seriously?" Take THAT, Spider-Man 3.
The Drink - The Peach and I went to the Farmer's Market last weekend, and on the suggestion of a friend of mine I checked out Catfish Coffee Roasters, a local company that (surprisingly) roasts coffee. I picked up some coffee that was roasted the day before, and it did taste very good. I couldn't necessarily say that I found it so much more delicious than coffee that had been roasted in countries farther away and longer ago, but it was delicious and I would get more. But probably not the "Way Too Dark Roast". It's a clever name, but I don't like dark roasts that much in the first place.
The Podcast - I checked out the Most People Are DJs podcast when it was mentioned on Warren Ellis's mailing list, and it's rather good. The guy has good taste in music, and I found out a few good bands that I'd like to check out more. Worth exploring if you like off-the-beaten-track rock or electronic music.
The Real Life - I got a letter in the mailbox on Monday telling me that I passed my CASLPA exam. Funnily enough, I wasn't exited. I was just "not worried" any more. I didn't jump up and down, or say "YES!", or do a little happy dance. I just let out my breath and said, "Thank god." It was anticlimactic, but it's still good news.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
What's Up Wednesday - April 17, 2008
Another week where I'm a day late, but I was hanging out with my brother and his ladyfriend yesterday, something I don't get to do very often, so I hope you'll forgive me. What did we do, you ask? Well, we had delicious chilli and caught up on each others' lives. But we did one more thing...
The Video Game: We played Rock Band. I'm a Guitar Hero fan, and I'm not too shabby if I might say so myself. And while I still like the GH series, it pales in comparison to Rock Band. The singing's the weakest link, as far as I've found. I don't know enough of the songs, and I like to play around with the tune, which makes me a fairly average player. So I suppose that's my failing, not the game's. The drums are REALLY fun, though, and while I've barely scratched the surface of Medium, I can see them getting ridiculous later on. I've been invited back another day to play for a longer time, and I have plans. Ooooh, I have plans...
The Movie: I picked up Akira last week, not expecting to enjoy it very much. I watched about ten minutes of it at an Anime Festival about ten years ago, and walked out. That one convention has tainted my view of anime (and, to a lesser extent, manga) for years. But after watching Akira all the way through, I have to say: it is much, MUCH better than the ten minutes I caught out of context. Certainly not for everyone, but if you can handle mild psychedelia and graphic cartoon gore, then I'd recommend Akira. Then again, I'm probably recommending it to a readership that is very likely to have already seen it.
The Drink: Monday I tried Rickard's White Ale for the first time. I have to say, it's not terrible, but it's not that great either. It kind of reminds me of Hoegaarden beer, just more expensive. I wouldn't buy it again, but I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered to me. Actually, I probably would unless if it was the only beer in the house. Ah well, it's not a complete loss. I got a variety pack when it was on sale, of Rickard's Red, White, and Honey Brown: I like their Honey Brown (not as much as Sleeman’s, but it'll do in a pinch), and the Red is decent (and good for poached eggs and beer bread). So, you know what they say about two out of three. Anyhow, I needed some beer for...
The TV Show: The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, I'm rekindling my love for Hockey Night In Canada. Specifically, the Habs/Bruins games (I missed the team falling apart this evening, thankfully), but I've also seen some of the Senators/Penguins series and snippets of a few others. I'm not really keen on some of the new personnel or technical developments at the CBC, but there's good hockey being played right now and I'm loving it.
The Real Life: Kow had a massive recording session on the weekend, which seemed to go on forever, but we got a few things accomplished and took another big chunk out of the things to do. Just...three or four more of those kinds of sessions and we’ll be done. Ugh. Three or four. I know we’re further along in the process than we’ve ever been, but right now it feels like this will never end.
The Video Game: We played Rock Band. I'm a Guitar Hero fan, and I'm not too shabby if I might say so myself. And while I still like the GH series, it pales in comparison to Rock Band. The singing's the weakest link, as far as I've found. I don't know enough of the songs, and I like to play around with the tune, which makes me a fairly average player. So I suppose that's my failing, not the game's. The drums are REALLY fun, though, and while I've barely scratched the surface of Medium, I can see them getting ridiculous later on. I've been invited back another day to play for a longer time, and I have plans. Ooooh, I have plans...
The Movie: I picked up Akira last week, not expecting to enjoy it very much. I watched about ten minutes of it at an Anime Festival about ten years ago, and walked out. That one convention has tainted my view of anime (and, to a lesser extent, manga) for years. But after watching Akira all the way through, I have to say: it is much, MUCH better than the ten minutes I caught out of context. Certainly not for everyone, but if you can handle mild psychedelia and graphic cartoon gore, then I'd recommend Akira. Then again, I'm probably recommending it to a readership that is very likely to have already seen it.
The Drink: Monday I tried Rickard's White Ale for the first time. I have to say, it's not terrible, but it's not that great either. It kind of reminds me of Hoegaarden beer, just more expensive. I wouldn't buy it again, but I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered to me. Actually, I probably would unless if it was the only beer in the house. Ah well, it's not a complete loss. I got a variety pack when it was on sale, of Rickard's Red, White, and Honey Brown: I like their Honey Brown (not as much as Sleeman’s, but it'll do in a pinch), and the Red is decent (and good for poached eggs and beer bread). So, you know what they say about two out of three. Anyhow, I needed some beer for...
The TV Show: The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, I'm rekindling my love for Hockey Night In Canada. Specifically, the Habs/Bruins games (I missed the team falling apart this evening, thankfully), but I've also seen some of the Senators/Penguins series and snippets of a few others. I'm not really keen on some of the new personnel or technical developments at the CBC, but there's good hockey being played right now and I'm loving it.
The Real Life: Kow had a massive recording session on the weekend, which seemed to go on forever, but we got a few things accomplished and took another big chunk out of the things to do. Just...three or four more of those kinds of sessions and we’ll be done. Ugh. Three or four. I know we’re further along in the process than we’ve ever been, but right now it feels like this will never end.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Two great tastes!
On Sunday, The Peach and I were cleaning out the fridge and we came across a pickle jar that had about 1 pickle in it and about 1/3 full of juice. She was going to dump it out, but then I said, "You know, I bet you can make all kinds of things with pickles. Leave it for me and I'll see what I can make with it." She looked at me with that look she gets when I say something weird but she wants to see what the results will be, so she agreed. On Monday night I typed "pickle juice recipes" into the search engine and came up with a number of hits, including the excellently-named www.ilovepickles.org. That site has a page that had recipes involving pickle and sauerkraut brine. I looked through them, and I saw a few things that I would like to try but didn't have all the ingredients for. And then I saw the final entry:
You've heard of squeezing a wedge of lime into your beer. Now, adding some dill pickle juice to your brew could be the next craze. Stir 1/8 cup dill pickle liquid into 12 ounces of your favorite beer and garnish with a pickle spear or baby dill.
You've heard of squeezing a wedge of lime into your beer. Now, adding some dill pickle juice to your brew could be the next craze. Stir 1/8 cup dill pickle liquid into 12 ounces of your favorite beer and garnish with a pickle spear or baby dill.
At first, I will admit, I was shocked. But then I thought: hold on. There's a history of adding things to beer. You can add limes to beer. There are boilermakers; in fact, there are all kinds of beer cocktails. Why not try it? What's the worst that could happen? So I did. And it was good. But it was lacking something. And then I realized what that thing was: Louisiana Hot Sauce. So let me present to you, my friends, a drink recipe that you will think is awful, but is actually surprisingly good.
The Dillinger
1 can beer (I used good ol' Pil, but I'm sure any pale beer would do)
2-3 tbsp dill pickle brine
hot sauce to taste
dill pickle slice for garnish
And no, this is not an April Fool's Day joke. I am drinking it right now and it is dill-icious. Oh, the things I get up to when my wife's away...
The Dillinger
1 can beer (I used good ol' Pil, but I'm sure any pale beer would do)
2-3 tbsp dill pickle brine
hot sauce to taste
dill pickle slice for garnish
And no, this is not an April Fool's Day joke. I am drinking it right now and it is dill-icious. Oh, the things I get up to when my wife's away...
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
A nice G 'n' T
I discovered my favourite drink rather late in life, oddly enough on a whim. I ordered a Gin and Tonic at a wedding, the first wedding I'd ever been to where I was eighteen and could actually order drinks. It sounded like something a pretentious adult would order at a bar, and since I was kind of pretentious and pretending to be grown up, I ordered it. It was served in a little plastic cup with a little wedge of lime in it, and I was hooked after my first sip. My Peach doesn't like gin or tonic water, as she finds them too bitter.
This weekend she had mentioned her dislike of tonic water again, after bemoaning our lack of soda water, something she drinks quite a lot mixed with a little juice. So I looked it up on the internet, and I came up with a few interesting things that I wanted to share. First of all, tonic water was initially created by the British East India Company; it was just soda water mixed with quite a bit of quinine, which was very good at preventing malaria. Since malaria isn't usually an issue we don't need nearly that much quinine any more, but there's still a little in there for flavour - and since quinine fluoresces under ultraviolet light, your cocktail will glow if you're at a particularly good party with black lights.
Anyhow. Initially, the British soldiers found tonic water far too bitter, so they added gin to it to make it more palatable, a strategy I think more people should use in their daily life. Are you dealing with something that's particularly hard to swallow? Just add alcohol and you're saved!
And finally, if you find tonic water a little too bitter but that's all you have in the house, you can apparently cut the taste by adding a pinch of salt, which should mask the bitterness. I haven't tried it myself, of course, but I'm thinking it's something I might spring on The Peach when she asks for a cocktail. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? She'd dislike tonic water even MORE?
(Personally, I recommend you make your G'n'T with an ounce of good gin, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of tonic water, ice, and a wedge of lime. Good any time, but especially good to cut the heat of a summer day, whether you're in India or not.)
This weekend she had mentioned her dislike of tonic water again, after bemoaning our lack of soda water, something she drinks quite a lot mixed with a little juice. So I looked it up on the internet, and I came up with a few interesting things that I wanted to share. First of all, tonic water was initially created by the British East India Company; it was just soda water mixed with quite a bit of quinine, which was very good at preventing malaria. Since malaria isn't usually an issue we don't need nearly that much quinine any more, but there's still a little in there for flavour - and since quinine fluoresces under ultraviolet light, your cocktail will glow if you're at a particularly good party with black lights.
Anyhow. Initially, the British soldiers found tonic water far too bitter, so they added gin to it to make it more palatable, a strategy I think more people should use in their daily life. Are you dealing with something that's particularly hard to swallow? Just add alcohol and you're saved!
And finally, if you find tonic water a little too bitter but that's all you have in the house, you can apparently cut the taste by adding a pinch of salt, which should mask the bitterness. I haven't tried it myself, of course, but I'm thinking it's something I might spring on The Peach when she asks for a cocktail. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? She'd dislike tonic water even MORE?
(Personally, I recommend you make your G'n'T with an ounce of good gin, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of tonic water, ice, and a wedge of lime. Good any time, but especially good to cut the heat of a summer day, whether you're in India or not.)
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Drinks Not To Try #1
Barbary Coast
2 parts light rum
1 part gin
1 part scotch
1 part creme de cacao
1 part half-and-half
From the New York Bartender's Guide, a cheap little reference book I keep on hand when I want to try an alcoholic experiment. Last night's was NOT a success. It tastes like chocolatey wood alcohol. A public service announcement from The Doc to you.
2 parts light rum
1 part gin
1 part scotch
1 part creme de cacao
1 part half-and-half
From the New York Bartender's Guide, a cheap little reference book I keep on hand when I want to try an alcoholic experiment. Last night's was NOT a success. It tastes like chocolatey wood alcohol. A public service announcement from The Doc to you.
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