September 2009
13 posts
3 tags
Barware: Georges Briard Linen Cocktail Napkins
Coming as I do from a long line of drinkers, I’ve inherited some truly spectacular barware. Today’s featured bit is a set of new in box linen cocktail napkins which were once the property of Great Aunt RuthAnn. RuthAnn lived in Florida in her retirement and was the kind of person who had cocktails before dinner. She was also the kind of person who smoked like mad and bought herself a...
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Absinthe
I love absinthe. I love the way it looks. I love the way it smells. I love the way it feels on my tongue and the way it tastes. But, most of all, I love the way it demands ritual. I love the fountains, the spoons, the sugar cubes, the tedious wait for a glass to finally be ready. Absinthe has all the soothing ritual of coffee combined with a hint of old-world decadence. The combination is wildly...
On hold for illness
So, I went back to work today, and apparently I’m an idiot, because we’re back to Thursday’s exciting levels of sore throat apocalypse. I’ll be back, swear, as soon as I can get this straightened out. In the interim, my father’s recommended (a) cough syrup with codeine, should I happen to have any lying around, or, failing that (b) his father’s old home remedy,...
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The (Hot) Brandy Toddy
This week I’ve been trying to give it the old college try despite a mystery illness which, according to the doctor, is (a) not strep, (b) not the flu, and (c) “probably not contagious.” I didn’t post yesterday, because I figured if I could barely swallow my own saliva, I wasn’t in shape to be assessing much of anything.
Today, I’m a little better for the...
1 tag
Sugar Cubed
I’m still in serious sore throat territory here. So, I’m kind of on hold. I did, however, buy the above sugar cubes today. I have plans for them.
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My Life Originals: the All-Purpose Hot Toddy
As mentioned earlier, I love a good hot toddy. I think they’re good for almost anything that ails you — or in this case, me. Today, I’m getting downright mauled by seasonal allergies. Although I’ve gone ahead and taken a 24-hour Claritin, the medication does little for my raw throat or foul mood.
All-Purpose Hot Toddy 2 tablespoons honey 1 shot of lemon juice 1 shot of...
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Field Work: Torre Oria NV Cava Rosado at Vino Vino
Left to my own devices, when scheduling meetings, I tend to schedule them in bars. Tonight, we are having a meeting for the graduate student conference at Vino Vino. I have a soft spot for Vino Vino, not only because it’s genuinely a lovely place to sit and drink, but because the prices are incredibly reasonable, I’ve been going there since before they got their by-their-glass...
7 tags
The Mississippi Punch
I’m not going to lie. Sometimes, I just can’t finish the drinks in The Bartender’s Guide. They’re too stiff, or too sweet, or some combination of the two. The Mississippi Punch is one such cocktail. The amount of citrus in the original recipe seems hardly enough to offset the other flavors, and the result is cloying.
So, I’m not a huge fan of the Mississippi Punch,...
6 tags
Off-Book Cocktails: the Gin Shandy
Last night, I had a few folks around for cocktails. While at some point the menu degenerated into vodka tonics — both lavender vodka tonics and the more standard variety — and cans of Lone Star, at the beginning of the evening, I was mixing up gin shandies by the pitcher. I have a special affection for by-the-pitcher drinks.
Much like the aisles of a well-stocked Wal-Mart, they...
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The Brandy Sling
The drink you see before you today is the Brandy Sling. If you are looking at that particular drink and thinking, “Why, that’s just a Brandy Toddy with some specks floating in it,” well, you’re more or less correct.
Brandy Sling. (Use small bar glass.)
The brandy sling is made with the same ingredients as the brandy toddy, except you grate a little nutmeg on top.
...
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My Life in Books: The Bartender's Guide
Apparently, once upon a time, Jerry Thomas’s The Bartender’s Guide cost $2.00. It does not cost $2.00 any longer. The lovely hardbound edition you see above costs $39.95, which is somewhat ridiculous seeing as how the book’s copyright has long past lapsed. The hardbound edition is beautiful, and it does include notes on measurement conversions and the like, but the cost puts it...