tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68696233685226907942024-03-08T06:31:47.229-06:00Dilettante CocktailerContinuing to dabble in the fine art of the tipple (and writing about it over coffee in the morning)!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-38728498752717089552017-12-16T16:15:00.002-06:002017-12-17T06:29:14.632-06:00The ABC -- Autumn Bourbon Cidre, Or The Boozy Apple<h4>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And now, without further ado, our first ever guest blogger -- <i>THE HUSBAND!!</i></span></h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KSTH0iLfEM8/WjWZqQNmj-I/AAAAAAABYqY/Wj98g28QIocZ7fexHHGvVh3c7jvgXznKgCLcBGAs/s1600/ABC_Autumn_Bourbon_Cidre_IMG_3067_DvD_11182017-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KSTH0iLfEM8/WjWZqQNmj-I/AAAAAAABYqY/Wj98g28QIocZ7fexHHGvVh3c7jvgXznKgCLcBGAs/s320/ABC_Autumn_Bourbon_Cidre_IMG_3067_DvD_11182017-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Husband's original creation: <br />The ABC -- Autumn Bourbon Cidre, Or The Boozy Apple</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So... the other night, The (Other) Husband asked me to create a cocktail for our Friday night happy hour drink. As</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> readers know, we are avid Manhattan fans, so I wanted to do something a little different this night. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Earlier in the day I was grocery shopping and stopped by the juice counter at the local grocery store. I really dig good apple cider and picked up a quart. Little did I know this was going to be the inspiration of our cocktail hour. So as the time came to create a perfect drink for the evening, and wanting to do something new and different, I thought to my self.... <i>HMMMMMM what if i used that apple cider in some way? With... vodka...? No.... Tequila...? No.... Bourbon...? YES!</i> What a great coooombination.</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
I filled our glasses with ice, added 2 oz. of bourbon and filled the glass with cider. As this cider was a little tart, I added a 1/2 oz. of maraschino cherry juice, gave a quick stir and... <i>presto</i>...! Our happy hour cocktail.... I give you the <b>ABC -- Autumn Bourbon Cidre, Or The Boozy Apple</b>!</div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
(Dilettante: Ain't he great?! I love how different his voice is. Thanks for playing, Schnooks! ;-)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-52273967891119358982017-04-29T12:25:00.001-05:002017-04-29T12:42:58.038-05:00Highlander<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apdPFNcsiM8/WQTCrHvHkEI/AAAAAAABQrY/e0PFE9WkIQE6_XfEAsMQTclyGQnAGGeSwCLcB/s1600/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-apdPFNcsiM8/WQTCrHvHkEI/AAAAAAABQrY/e0PFE9WkIQE6_XfEAsMQTclyGQnAGGeSwCLcB/s320/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LB makes another guest photographer appearance!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been a long, late winter with colds, sinus infections, ear infections and ruptured eardrums. So there hasn't been a lot of desire to get the party on. But Dilettante's hearing is back to about 90%, spring is springing, the Red Umbrella Rooftop has been reset for the approaching season and the shakers are chilling!<br />
<br />
Over the years our neighbor friend, LB (of <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/search/label/He%20Shot%20She%20Shot" target="_blank">He Shot, She Shot</a> fame!), and I have developed a bit of a tradition. We call it a "shaker visit". Shaker visits typically happen when one or both of us are so busy with work that we can't properly hangout together. But we recognize the importance of a small break to be social, recharge our creative batteries, and then get back to matters at hand. It works this way: I go to the bar, select a cocktail, and mix it up in a shaker or mixing glass. Then I grab two glasses and hop the elevator to her floor. A short walk down the hall and I knock on her door. When she opens the door I flash a smile and say, "Shaker visit!" LB invites me in and I pour two servings from the shaker. The visit lasts only as long as the cocktail, which is a necessary constraint if there's work to be done because we have exactly zero problem hanging out for hours and hours being silly and solving the world's problems. Then it's back to work whether we like it or not! <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qjDYPVQxFu4/WQTCukBrBEI/AAAAAAABQrg/6kMOwa3rXGkEnB8rDOBJOZ5-amJWAdwmQCLcB/s1600/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-001-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qjDYPVQxFu4/WQTCukBrBEI/AAAAAAABQrg/6kMOwa3rXGkEnB8rDOBJOZ5-amJWAdwmQCLcB/s200/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-001-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LB is my inspiration for my own photography. <br />
Here she captured "my process".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Even though last night was Date Nite, with all the sickness and end-of-winter doldrums, I've been missing my LB (& my buddy, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/xB7B7-Leqx/?taken-by=laurabanick" target="_blank">Rocky</a><span id="goog_1334436979"></span><span id="goog_1334436980"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>!) and thought a shaker visit was a nice work-around. So I snuck down to their place a bit early and squeezed one in before The Husband got home from work. I selected something to kick Friday night off right and proper. In the past few weeks, when I've <i>been</i> in the mood for hard liquor, I've been in much more of a traditional vein. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders-Celebrated/dp/1402779232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326117561&sr=8-1" target="_blank">PDT</a> and <a href="http://www.deathandcompany.com/book/" target="_blank">Death & Co.</a> are great books and all. But they can be a bit hipster fussy. So I've been mixing from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cocktail-Drinks-Bible-21st-Century/dp/0670880221/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493485742&sr=8-1&keywords=harrington+and+moorhead" target="_blank">The Bible</a> again. <b>The Highlander</b> made the cut to take down to LB's place. I must have been drinking already, because I <i>swear</i> the recipe said rye. So that's what I used. But when I got home and looked at the book again, turns out it calls for scotch. Though the rye worked quite nicely. The Highlander is as smooth as butter with a respectable sweetness. The first one I made <i>sans</i> cherry. <i>La douxième</i> <i>avec</i>. Frankly, I could distinguish no difference in flavor. Though it did add to the Highlander's already jewel-like quality. <br />
<br />
I'm sure in some corners folks call this a rye Manhattan. But a rose by any other name.... And speaking of roses, it was most excellent hanging out with you, my dear LB...and of course, Rocky! xoxo<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Highlander</u><br />
1 oz. whisky (or, as it turns out, rye makes for a tasty variation)<br />
1 oz. sweet vermouth<br />
2 dashes orange bitters<br />
<br />
Stir in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kwt5O6cOVPk/WQTCuvvt7LI/AAAAAAABQrc/F9wlH35VFMsWXmwc5ru-9opEWV9X0UhaQCLcB/s1600/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kwt5O6cOVPk/WQTCuvvt7LI/AAAAAAABQrc/F9wlH35VFMsWXmwc5ru-9opEWV9X0UhaQCLcB/s320/highlander_DvD-LB_bw-color_combo042817-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And with my photo, it's officially <br />
a He Shot, She Shot shaker visit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-49605926356847167622016-12-17T17:38:00.001-06:002016-12-18T16:49:06.986-06:00Flor de Jalisco<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A50IrkWeG2I/WFXHcn74JFI/AAAAAAABM5Y/Jc5V4yaO4ZAnUmI3MoPtDh0NDG3iIG-ggCEw/s1600/flor_de_jalisco-1flor_de_jalisco_DvD_161217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A50IrkWeG2I/WFXHcn74JFI/AAAAAAABM5Y/Jc5V4yaO4ZAnUmI3MoPtDh0NDG3iIG-ggCEw/s400/flor_de_jalisco-1flor_de_jalisco_DvD_161217.jpg" width="400" /></a>I come from a family that loves food. We enjoy cooking and baking. We like eating too. But I think what it's really all about is everyone getting together around the table to laugh and enjoy each others' company. Luckily, we have many <i>good</i> cooks in the family, so the eating ain't nothing to complain about! And with a number of funny storytellers the laughter is constant and the company good company to keep!<br />
<br />
After finally giving in to the Dark Side and signing up on Facebook a year ago, I've come to regret that decision more often than not. But the one way FB has been a pleasure is the group to which my sister signed me up. It's our Cousins Cooking Club. We cousins are spread all across the country and the globe. From out ancestral New York & New Jersey all the way to New Zealand, with stops in Pennsylvania, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle. (Holler, because I'm sure I missed some!) A virtual schmear across the planet. Sadly, geography separates us. But food and the joy of cooking maintain the connections. And as much as I'm loathe to admit it, Facebook has facilitated some fun connections among a bunch of people who are related but spread way too far apart.<br />
<br />
Since Dilettante has resurfaced yet again, I've been posting on Facebook and on the Cousin's Cooking Club. Last week's post caused a cuz to speak up. So this week's featured spec is courtesy of cousin Mary Anne who generously suggested another use for our new coupes. Y aquí está: <b>Flor de Jalisco</b>.<br />
<br />
In a word, <i>num!</i> In The Husband's words, "It's a margarita!" (Ok, kinda. But <i>flor de jalisco</i> sounds more... <i>elevated</i>.) Since we don't like sweet drinks I initially thought I'd try it without the agave. But I believe in a baseline, so I always start with a recipe as it's written before I go monkeying with it. But as it turns out, no monkeying required.<br />
<br />
Delish. Make this, like, <i>now.</i> Thanks, Mary Anne! I'm thinking "Mary Anne's Flor de Jalisco" could be the featured loopy juice on the 2017 Red Umbrella Rooftop!<br />
<br />
<u>Flor de Jalisco</u><br />
2 oz. blanco tequila<br />
3/4 oz. lemon juice<br />
1/2 oz. agave<br />
1 t. orange marmalade<br />
<br />
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients and shake well. Strain into chilled coup and garnish with an orange twist.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-18179449825485942032016-12-11T13:21:00.000-06:002016-12-14T09:20:39.355-06:00Southside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-th0CokkoOsw/WE2HKGo01xI/AAAAAAABMxI/lN45UxuT4SAqEP5Q8uSMie_khVnZdq6yACLcB/s1600/Southside-1southside_DvD_161210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-th0CokkoOsw/WE2HKGo01xI/AAAAAAABMxI/lN45UxuT4SAqEP5Q8uSMie_khVnZdq6yACLcB/s400/Southside-1southside_DvD_161210.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Seems there's always something that gets in the way of a return to blogging. This time it was the fact that the electoral college is about to put an authoritarian Cheeto with the expressive capacity of a 9 year-old, tiny hands, and a bad comb-over in the White House. After waking up on November 9th to find we'd slipped into an alternate quantum reality, I simply didn't feel like doing frivolous things, like blogging about booze. Drinking to escape seemed about all I could muster. But a month on in this new bizzaro world and we're starting to find respite in the quotidian...for as long as that lasts.<br />
<br />
So, on to it....<br />
<br />
As the second snowfall of the season came down last night, I booted up Netflix on the ol' 60-inch to settle in and watch a movie. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed The Husband rummaging through the growing pile of UPS boxes collecting around the front door. Next thing, he's standing in front of me holding one out.<br />
<br />
"What's this?"<br />
<br />
"Merry Christmas, a little early. I figured you should open this now so you can enjoy it."<br />
<br />
I've been saying how much I love coups -- which are all the rage lately on the trendy bar scene. So I was totally stoked when I opened up the box to find a black Waterford box inside. And inside that were two huge lead crystal coups. Strong, deep cuts form a ring of diamonds and rays around the bottom of a massive bowl so big you could serve soup in them. With a smooth base and stem this vessel sits nice and heavy in the hand. All very masculine for cut crystal. <br />
<br />
I passed them off to The Husband to rinse out while I sprinted to the bar to leaf through PDT. The only requirement on this bev were the words "serve in a chilled coup glass". The first one I landed on was <b>Southside</b>. <br />
<br />
I didn't expect to like this at all. I am not a gin fan and there were not enough other ingredients to mask it. And we all know how The Husband feels about too much citrus in his tipple. But hey, it was all about the coup, so we were prepared to suffer through it. Yet on the first sip we both looked at each other, eyes wide and said in unison, "Wow! This is <i>good</i>!!" <br />
<br />
A perfect, smooth, balance of all the ingredients. Truly, liquid satin in a glass.<br />
<br />
Then the three ultimate raves from The Husband: "Oh, you're definitely doing this one again. I could drink these all night! Put it on the blog!"<br />
<br />
<i>Et voilà! Un autre retour....</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<u>Southside</u><br />
2 oz. gin<br />
.75 oz. lemon juice<br />
.75 oz. simple syrup<br />
4 mint leaves<br />
<br />
Muddle the syrup with the mint. Then add the rest of the ingredients and shake. Serve with no garnish in chilled coup glass! (PDT suggests double straining, but I like the flecks of mint confetti in the finished product!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-34954153845555503662016-11-05T16:53:00.000-05:002016-11-05T17:01:41.493-05:00I Ain't Afraid of No Goat! Black Me Stout<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv_uk3yXgX0/WB5Lbmr4fCI/AAAAAAABLEU/V-o2ZwpVZZw_T_CbTcFOb_CSALDUAzu_QCLcB/s1600/Black_Me_Stout-1_59A9957_DvD_161105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv_uk3yXgX0/WB5Lbmr4fCI/AAAAAAABLEU/V-o2ZwpVZZw_T_CbTcFOb_CSALDUAzu_QCLcB/s400/Black_Me_Stout-1_59A9957_DvD_161105.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Me Stout by Champion Brewing Co.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Bryant... The Cubs... <i>WIN THE WORLD SERIES</i>!!!! Bryant makes the play! It's over! And the Cubs have finally won it all in 7 and 10!"<br />
<br />
The Dilettante's been a little wrought and preoccupied the last few weeks -- what with the post-season and <i>THE CUBS WINNING THE WORLD SERIES and all!!!! </i> Yeah, that's a cup from Wrigley with both the Cubs & World Series logos on it! Uh-huh! Now that Wrigley's serving Goose Island products, maybe now they can add a stout. Like this "Black Me Stout" from Champion Brewing Company of Virginia. This is total speculation, but I think they named the brewery for the <i>WORLD <u>CHAMPION</u> CHICAGO CUBS!!!!</i> (Does Virginia have a baseball team? Nope. Gotta pick either the Nats or the O's, I guess.) <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THbh4avQ9lM/WB0AD8_TUAI/AAAAAAABK6E/z0wgQH_TbngSKN1RWmRf_eQuMjxfZ2F_wCPcB/s1600/Cubs_WS_Parade-110416-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THbh4avQ9lM/WB0AD8_TUAI/AAAAAAABK6E/z0wgQH_TbngSKN1RWmRf_eQuMjxfZ2F_wCPcB/s400/Cubs_WS_Parade-110416-001.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just soaking it all in while waiting for the start of the victory parade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not too sure about that name, but the beer is good. It is, in fact, black. Even casts a shadow in direct afternoon sunlight. Just like the can -- which had to be just out of focus so we could see the beer in the pint and <i>THE CUBS WORLD SERIES SOUVENIR CUP!!!!</i> Not too heavy, not too light. The beer that is. Not the fact that <i>THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!!</i> That's <i>totally</i> heavy! And exquisitely light! <i>Magic</i>, in fact! More bitter than sweet. The beer that is. Not that <i>THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!!</i> 'Cuz that's <i>totally sweet!</i> There are some chocolate notes -- but more cacao than cocoa. Overall, it has more of the dark sweetness that tips into bitterness characteristic of molasses, which makes it easy to enjoy multiples. You know, kinda like getting used to <i>THE CUBS WINNING THE WORLD SERIES!!!!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
(And just because it's the sweetest thing to watch...)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KAXl9Dtcz90" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-46602965483723140632016-10-24T17:00:00.001-05:002016-10-27T09:31:01.950-05:00Beer & Mussels at Corridor Brewery & Provisions<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ukczzs4Tyg/WA59piWeXcI/AAAAAAABJW0/G1IgrjPA8ao-y8MiktPE9OtcFIxgR-NKgCK4B/s1600/Corridor_Brewery-102316-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ukczzs4Tyg/WA59piWeXcI/AAAAAAABJW0/G1IgrjPA8ao-y8MiktPE9OtcFIxgR-NKgCK4B/s320/Corridor_Brewery-102316-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Michigan, Chicago, October, 23</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a last minute trip to Michigan to help with some family matters, we slid back into Chicago on a glorious Sunday afternoon to find Indian summer in full effect. As we drove along Lake Shore Drive, The Husband suggested we do dinner at a new brewery in the 'hood. We walked in the door, tossed the rollerboards in the bedroom, and splashed some water on our faces. We watered the plants and headed right back out to <a href="http://www.corridorchicago.com/" target="_blank">Corridor Brewery & Provisions</a> to water ourselves. We have at thing for mussels and they have 3 flavors on their menu -- Belgian Style with beer broth, cream buttered leek & fresh herbs; Red Curry with coconut milk, cilantro and lime; and Saffron with white wine, chicken stock, roasted potatoes, and Spanish chorizo. We decided to work our way through them, ordering one of each. But we stopped with the second. The Red Curry was so good we knew that anything to follow would be a disappointment.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkBmsmrv2UA/WA59He3yPrI/AAAAAAABJWk/OTTkZ8HXApU79a9HZ_orpKyv7YjfrlC3ACK4B/s1600/Corridor_Brewery-102316-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SkBmsmrv2UA/WA59He3yPrI/AAAAAAABJWk/OTTkZ8HXApU79a9HZ_orpKyv7YjfrlC3ACK4B/s200/Corridor_Brewery-102316-001.jpg" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A day that makes ya wanna put <br />
on a skirt, get on your<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> cycle, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">ride along the lake.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To drink, all I really wanted was an ice-cold vodka martini with half-a-dozen olives, but you don't go to a new brew pub and not order beer. So <a href="http://www.corridorchicago.com/beer-menu/" target="_blank">Freaky Deaky Belgian Breakfast Stout</a> it was. Three of them, by the time we paid the bill! And it totally tasted like breakfast. Bitter, like charred bacon. Sweet, like oatmeal; with a touch of brown sugar unifying all of it. Three went down super easy. The Husband had Doubledore Double IPA. I'm kinda one-and-done with IPA's. He took a sip and gave a wow-it's-very-citrusy holler. In a cocktail that's usually a turn-off for him. But in a beer, it seems to be the opposite. It was citrusy, and hoppy, and coriander with that slight pininess that is intriguing for the first round, but after that turns somewhat soapy and I'm out.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eqS8oKAsSnc/WA5_uRBsvSI/AAAAAAABJXc/pWgzFilmtgEOhFqIRvpxCr-Eob4_YSdWACK4B/s1600/Corridor_Brewery-102316-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eqS8oKAsSnc/WA5_uRBsvSI/AAAAAAABJXc/pWgzFilmtgEOhFqIRvpxCr-Eob4_YSdWACK4B/s320/Corridor_Brewery-102316-004.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upshot: Freaky Deaky Breakfast Belgian Stout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(After the mussels we both had the pulled pork sandwich. Decent. It could've used more sauce. Coleslaw came on it which I usually like. This slaw was just ok...until I figured out those weird, sweet things were bits-o-pineapple in it. [*All 4 AGT judges hit their buzzers simultaneously...*] The fries, however, were excellent! The stout complimented the pork very well.)<br />
<br />
All-in-all, a gorgeous night. Even after the sun went down and the sky turned inky black above the street lights, the air was beautiful. Can't believe we're down to 10 hours, 40 minutes of daylight and the steady slide into winter....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-25151944058070001672016-10-17T15:51:00.001-05:002016-10-18T16:21:50.375-05:00Dark & Limey<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exyXXGLKdkk/WAU4dC195PI/AAAAAAABJMA/OC8CaABXz2A-4Dv_FLI_IP7EVmjlallpQCK4B/s1600/dark_n_limey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exyXXGLKdkk/WAU4dC195PI/AAAAAAABJMA/OC8CaABXz2A-4Dv_FLI_IP7EVmjlallpQCK4B/s400/dark_n_limey.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">summer turns autumn</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">still rum lime soda want friends </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">turmeric makes fall</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Dark & Limey</u><br />
1 T. grated fresh turmeric<br />
2 t. granulated sugar<br />
Dash of salt<br />
1/4 t. lime zest<br />
1 1/2 oz. dark rum<br />
1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice<br />
3 ice cubes<br />
4 oz. seltzer<br />
Dash of bitters<br />
<br />
Muddle turmeric, sugar, salt, lime zest and bitters in a mixing glass. Add rum, juice, and 3 cubes. Stir until chilled. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with twist of lime rind.<br />
<br />
The <b>Dark & Limey</b> is a wonderfully light, bright fall bev I found in the October 2016 issue of <i>Cooking Light</i>. Dare I call it an autumn mojito? If you can't find fresh turmeric root you can swap a teaspoon of ground which seemed like a lot; so I used a scant teaspoon to avoid grittiness. I've made it now with both the fresh and ground. The ground did have, let's say, "mouthfeel". But on the whole, I think it was richer, which makes sense. The fresh version had a much lighter quality that made the drink seem a bit more watery. But on the whole, this is a nice cocktail for hanging out with friends and can go a couple rounds with it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-71087962727561615632015-03-29T08:50:00.000-05:002015-03-29T08:50:31.521-05:00Flor de Jerez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vA_N7FUMq88/VRc0Q3nSXJI/AAAAAAAAuGM/c2nmziUTPmE/s1600/flor_de_jerez-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vA_N7FUMq88/VRc0Q3nSXJI/AAAAAAAAuGM/c2nmziUTPmE/s1600/flor_de_jerez-1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
For a fraction of a second the ice cubes went completely airborne -- having left the scoop and not yet landed in the martini shaker. When they did land, they did so as a single mass and clattered into the bottom of the tin. Scoop buried to the hilt in the ice bin at the same time the shaker hit the bar at the end of a line of six bottles.<br />
<br />
"AND THEN HE STARTS CALLING ME BARBARELLA! <i>BARBARELLA!!! BAR-BAR-EL-LA!</i>" Katie smacked out each syllable on her side of the bar. The bartender just looked at her and nodded. The corners of his mouth tugged upward in a small polite smile that never made it to his eyes.<br />
<br />
"You're kidding," he said. "And were you in a <i>bar</i> at the time?"<br />
<br />
"YES I WAS IN A BAR --WE WERE IN A BAR. THASHOWISTARTED...STARTED THE STORY..." Katie took another pull from her margarita straw. It took her two tries to get her hands to grab the heavy glass goblet.<br />
<br />
"You were shouting in a bar, and he called you Barbarella," shaking his head, he put both hands on the bar like a couple of buttresses and locked directly onto Katie's eyes. The sincerity was way over the top, walking right to the line of sarcasm. "Men can be so cruel." Then as if someone threw a switch, he went right back to his crafting.<br />
<br />
"I KNOW! RIGHT?!<br />
<br />
"Katie, dear. You're shouting. The room just isn't that loud."<br />
<br />
"AUNT <i>GIIIII</i>NA!" Katie squealed and tumbled off her barstool. She bounced a bit in the knees, finding the floor a moment sooner than she anticipated. Gina grabbed Katie just above both elbows and held her at arm's length to fix her with a reprimanding look. "SORRY! Sorry!" she staged whispered. "Aun' Jjjina, I love you so much. You are susha dear, dear friend. Najus'to mom. But tawallavus."<br />
<br />
"I know, dear. Now -- " Gina put an index finger to her lips and returned to her stool on the other side of Emma. Katie mirrored the gesture.<br />
<br />
The bartender picked up the stained bottle of Angostura bitters and shot it twice into the iced shaker. Next he picked up the translucent plastic bottle, pointed it into the shaker and squeezed in some cane sugar syrup -1-2-3.<br />
<br />
Gina slid back up onto to her stool. More stage whispering. "Wuzzeye shouting?"<br />
<br />
Next the large plastic juice jug. 1and-2and- of fresh lemon juice. "A little bit."<br />
<br />
"Who is he to be calling <i>me</i> Barbarella, anyway? He wasn't so hot. I mean, really? Lookh at me. I don't lookhlikea... CAVEWOMAN!"<br />
<br />
From the tall, slender bottle the bartender dispensed a quarter ounce of apricot liqueur into the shot glass. Then he picked up the bottle of sherry. He preferred the higher end Amontillados for his sherry-based bevs. A full jigger splashed over the ice. Finally, the half ounce of reserved rum. He put the lid on the tin and began shaking. "You have no idea who Barbarella is, do you?" She giggled into her margarita which meant <i>no</i>. "So what's up with your mom? Why is she so sad?"<br />
<br />
"Tchh," Katie rolled her eyes so hard he practically heard them thunk against the back of her skull. "She and my dad finally split. She acts like she's entitled to lifetime happiness or something. So now her life is over and we all gotta stop what we're doing and take care of her. Like <i>my</i> life is so perfect I need to take care of hers? Spsh!"<br />
<br />
"How long were they married?" He strained the shaker contents into a coup. Instantly, the glass generated a film of condensation that perfectly aligned with the liquid in the glass. The cocktail glowed with the ambient tea lights like an amber jewel. Flecks of ice floated to the top and coated the surface in miniature, glistening constellations.<br />
<br />
"Idunno. Something likh fortyears."<br />
<br />
Another switch was thrown in the bartender, a tightly controlled mask sliding over his face as he intentionally avoided eye contact with anyone. "That's a lifetime with someone. I can understand how she might have a hard time adjusting." He slid the coup with the jewel-like amber liquid towards Katie. "Here, take a break from the margaritas for a minute."<br />
<br />
"What's this?"<br />
<br />
"It's called a Flor de Jerez. I like to pair a drink to the customer's personality."<br />
<br />
Katie concentrated to lift the delicate glass to her lips. A stringent flowery vapor hit her nostrils well ahead of the glass touching her lips. She took a sip and recoiled. A curl wrinkled her nose and pinched her eyebrows. "Oh my god!" she sputtered. "What is this?" Suddenly she was more sober than only a second ago.<br />
<br />
"I told you. It's called a Flor de Jerez."<br />
<br />
"It's so bitter."<br />
<br />
"<i>Really</i>. Guess I nailed it." Katie looked at him, cocked her head and blinked. She giggled into her Flor de Jerez which meant she didn't get it.<br />
<br />
"Men can be so cruel." The bartender looked in the direction from which the sarcasm flew. A smiling Emma sat with her elbows on the bar and her fingertips gently grasping the top of her <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2015/01/brandy-alexander.html" target="_blank">Brandy Alexander</a>. He smiled sadly. She gave him a wink.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Flor de Jerez</u><br />
1/2 oz. reserved rum<br />
1 1/2 oz. Amontillado sherry<br />
1/4 oz. apricot liqueur<br />
3/4 oz. lemon juice<br />
1/2 oz. cane sugar syrup<br />
1 dash Angostura bitters<br />
<br />
Pour all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake until cold. Strain into a coup. No garnish.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-76242181460713836132015-02-21T17:07:00.001-06:002015-03-28T18:17:00.304-05:00New Fangled-Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kG2rA4uJ0IU/VOkPq_w_EpI/AAAAAAAAtes/5sgCiBtMIOo/s1600/New_Fangled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kG2rA4uJ0IU/VOkPq_w_EpI/AAAAAAAAtes/5sgCiBtMIOo/s1600/New_Fangled.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>The family was boisterous this Sunday. One of those days when everyone is clicking, feeling connections not tensions. No one here ever needed an excuse to whip up a pitcher of Manhattans. Especially on Sundays, when they were a sweet accompaniment to the unctuous smells of roasting lamb wafting throughout the house. Given the mood today, they would be most enjoyable.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>A gale of laughter burst out of the kitchen and chained, feeding on itself, rolling out in waves. Next, Alex’s grandmother and sister practically fell through the kitchen door, their faces covered in whipped cream. Gran’s glasses were two solid disks of cream. She had her hands on Darcy’s shoulders, who guided her down the hallway to the bathroom where they could both rinse off. </i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Papa Lou stood at the small wet bar in the dining room, stirring the pitcher. He shook his head at the ruckus. Alex was next to him and leaned in. “Elles sont déjà pompette, Papa!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Ouais. Tipsy on whipped cream and we haven’t even had dinner yet. Check the rye. Your grandmother probably spiked it.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Shrieks of laughter poured from the other side of the bathroom door. While Papa Lou stirred the pitcher, Alex had two rocks glasses chilling. He dumped the icy water into the small bar sink, then dropped a sugar cube in each one and doused them with cherry bitters. He tossed a couple ice cubes in the glasses and then poured two shots of a luxurious dark Guatemalan rum into each. Finally, he topped each with a skewer of dark maraschino cherries.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Ici, Papa. I know you like your Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. But try this.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Qu’est-ce que c’est?”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“It’s called a New Fangled.” They both smirked at the punny symmetry, mischievous twinkles in both their eyes. “Think of it as a Caribbean Old Fashioned.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Papa Lou put down the long bar spoon he was using to stir the silver Manhattan pitcher and took a sip. “Fiston! C’est si bon!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Alex smiled and tapped his glass to Papa Lou’s. “tchin tchin!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Tchin tchin, fiston!” Papa Lou smiled back.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex was standing in front of his apartment door. He was out of breath. Had he been running? Had he paid Ray for the cut? Yes. Absent-mindedly he’d dropped a twenty in Ray’s hand as he gaped at the man in the chairs. Then he bolted the barber shop. He had no recollection of the two mile walk from Cappy’s to his building, past bus stops and el stations that would have gotten him home faster and warmer.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex believed in visits and signs. Every relative and pet that he’d lost throughout his life had visited him in his dreams. Papa Lou had already visited him twice. Vivid, full color, high def. There was always a message, even if words were not exchanged. Who the dream was for was never entirely clear. Was it a chance for the departed to say things they never had the chance to say? Or was it for the peace of those left behind? </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">But this was…something else. It all swirled. Cappy’s... Papa Lou... Ray’s condolescences... Papa’s doppelganger... “You look sharp...” “Rasoir..!” The cold air on his near naked scalp... The run home... The hard sounds of frozen Chicago... Jogging... Walking... Jogging... His cold-burnt lungs.... This was sheer coincidence. Had to be. No. It was a visit too. A message.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex was on the other side of his apartment door. “Oh, I am <i>definitely</i> gonna need a drink before work,” he said out loud to no one. And then he heard it. So clearly he swung his head to look in the direction from which the sound seemed to come.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Tchin tchin, fiston!”</i> </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">In moments Alex was on the couch looking out at the city, a New Fangled in his hand. He hoisted it up towards the skyline. “Tchin tchin. Tu me manques, Papa.”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><u>New Fangled</u></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">1 sugar cube</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">2 dashes of cherry bitters</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">2 1/2 oz. dark rum</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">3 maraschino cherries</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass. Shake the bitters onto the sugar cube. Fill the glass with ice and stir in the rum. Garnish with the cherries. If you don't have cherry bitters, use Angosturas and mix in a couple drops of the maraschino juice -- that is if you're using good ones, not the neon, red dye #2 kind!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-36178127186512596702015-02-15T17:23:00.000-06:002015-03-28T18:13:39.956-05:00New Fangled-Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AweTd7dkeYA/VOEoEirFPKI/AAAAAAAAtbU/sfOtK33QBSc/s1600/gabbys_window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AweTd7dkeYA/VOEoEirFPKI/AAAAAAAAtbU/sfOtK33QBSc/s1600/gabbys_window.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex stood outside the door to the <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-fangled-part-1.html#barber" target="_blank">barber shop</a>, took a deep breath, and walked in.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Alex!”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">He was dreading this. It had been four months since he’d been in. He was beyond shaggy and hated it. But he couldn’t bring himself to do much of anything since.… Especially getting his hair cut. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">This was gonna be hard. Very hard. But tonight he promised that he’d go back to work and he needed to clean up. They’d been more than understanding, giving him much longer leave than anyone would ever be entitled to and expect to still have a job. So when he looked in the mirror this morning and saw a wild man staring back, he knew he couldn’t go in looking as he did. He walked across the shop feeling outside himself, as if he were watching the scene from outside his body.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Good to see ya, man.”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">It starts. Navigating any one of several dreadful moments: 1) Keeping himself together when those who know express their sympathy; or 2) not flying off in a rage at those who know and ignore the gaping hole of loss in his life, saying nothing; or 3) that moment when he’d have to choose to share that he’d lost his grandfather and best friend when an unknowing acquaintance asks where he’s been or what he’s been up to. An emotional lose, lose, lose anyway you cut it. <i>I should have gone to Kwik Kutz.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex just nodded with a “Hey, man,” took his phone out of his pocket and had a seat to wait for his turn in Ray’s chair. By himself. The silence lasted forever. The camaraderie and silliness that he associated with this place was gone. The missing interminable. The hush in the shop that accompanied his entrance did nothing to help. Alex’s pulse throbbed in his head. He forgot to breathe. His vision was telescoping. He was about to leave when — </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Alex, you’re up,” Ray slapped the back of his chair. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">He took a deep breath to clear his head and sat awkwardly in the barber’s chair. <i>Hold it together</i>, he thought to himself. Ray spun him to face the mirror, pulled the crinkles out of a neck strip, wrapped it around his neck, then smocked him with his usual flair. Ray stood behind the chair, hands on Alex’s shoulders and spoke to him via the mirror. “It’s been a while, Shaggy. What’re we doing today?”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Just do the usual. High and tight. Start with a zero.”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Ray nodded, gave Alex’s shoulders a tap, and reached over to his counter to pick up his clippers. The long wavy curls fell away. Most of the haircut proceeded in silence. Alex always appreciated Ray’s ability to pick up on his mood and talk or not talk accordingly. As a bartender, Alex knew this was a skill that required a keen sensitivity, an ability to read all the hundreds of nonverbal cues people throw off without even knowing it. So really, he shouldn’t have been surprised by Ray’s reticence. Even though he wasn’t talking, Alex was screaming. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">There was something biblical happening to his mourning. The reflection of his shorn head in the mirror overlaid his hollowed out sadness. He felt as flat and two-dimensional as his image. Where was the ash and sackcloth? </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Then the anger hit. Dreaded Moment #2. How many times had this mark cut Papa Lou’s hair? He had nothing to say? He negated Papa’s very existence by not acknowledging he’s gone. How dare life go on as usual when this amazing light of a soul has left us! Alex simmered as Ray buzzed, cut, and trimmed in silence. The haircut nearly over, Alex was about to boil over when….</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Hey man, I’m real sorry to hear about your grandfather.” Like taking a boiling pot off the stove, the roil of Alex’s anger collapsed, millimeters from the rim. “You two were close.” It was a statement.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Best friends,” Alex squeezed out.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“That’s rough,” he said. Ray was making this moment easier. No questions. No reminiscences. No sympathetic talk about the losses in his own life. Just a couple statements of the obvious and spaces for silence. Because with this kind of loss there are no words. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">In respectful quiet, Ray practically caressed Alex’s face with the talc brush. He removed the smock and neck paper and shaved his neck. Then he gave the hand mirror to Alex and spun the chair around. Alex looked at the back of his head in the wall mirror behind him and nodded. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Via the mirror Ray looked Alex in the eye and said, “I’m keeping you both in my thoughts. We all are,” as he nodded towards the other barbers. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Thanks.”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alex lowered the hand mirror into Ray’s waiting hand and as his eyes focused on the waiting area, he caught his breath. Right in front of him sat a gentleman in his mid-seventies. Short, stocky, round, distinguished. A head full of silver-white hair with a gentle wave through it. The spitting image of Papa Lou, looking right at him. He winked at Alex with the friendly wink of barber shop fellowship. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“Looks sharp!”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-43833791597132742872015-02-08T18:47:00.002-06:002015-03-28T18:13:59.959-05:00New Fangled-Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGbRkEuSWok/VNgBQg_S7QI/AAAAAAAAtY4/uuua6k1xucE/s1600/barber-shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGbRkEuSWok/VNgBQg_S7QI/AAAAAAAAtY4/uuua6k1xucE/s1600/barber-shop.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Alex! Allons y!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Papa, y'ont pas ouvert!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Oui, y sont. J’ai déjà téléphoné!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Alex had been enjoying this lazy snow day, hanging out in his room. It was Friday, but he forgot it was a second Friday when he and his grandfather would be heading for their regular trip to the barber shop.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Alex and Papa Lou were best friends, spending much of their free time together. Both were mischievous and “full of the devil” Alex’s grandmother would always say. Alex was the only one in his family who studied French. This created a condition that had the rest of the family on edge when Alex and Papa Lou were in one of their impish moods. They loved to plot their next prank at the Sunday dinner table. “Right in front of us and we don’t even know it!” Alex’s mother would complain good naturedly.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>These biweekly trips to the barber together were times Alex treasured. Papa Lou would pick Alex up from wherever he as — school, a friend’s house, home — and they’d drive to Cappy’s. They’d sit in the chairs kibitzing with each other, the barbers, and other waiting patrons until it was their turn to get trimmed up. Papa & Alex were always a show. When they were finished they’d leave the shop and Papa would stop on the sidewalk just outside the door, look over Alex’s head and no matter the style or what he thought about it, say with gusto, “Rasoir!” Like a razor, sharp. Then he’d tussle Alex’s new coif. Alex would then give his grandfather a once over. “Rasoir!” And when he was tall enough, he’d mess Papa Lou’s new cut as well. The day always ended with a walk up the street to the Belgian waffle joint for something to eat and drink.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>But Alex just wasn’t feeling it today. It felt more like an obligation. Teenage ambivalence reared it’s head and all he wanted to do was sit in his warm room on this snowy day, playing video games.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Alex, get down here. Your grandfather’s waiting!” his mother yelled up the stairs.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Aaaaagh!” Alex yelled back as he grabbed his coat and stomped out of his room.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="barber"></a>Alex stood in front of the door to Cappy’s bundled against the cold, gloved hands jammed in his pockets, wool ski cap pulled down over his mop of hair, and his collar hiked up around his neck. He looked in through the wooden blinds on the door to this classic old barber shop. He didn’t want to go in. But when he looked at himself in the mirror this morning, he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. Of all the memories he had of he and Papa Lou, why was that one coming back now? It wasn’t a day he was particularly proud of. He’d been a surly teenager that day. He especially remembered responding in English anytime Papa spoke to him in French — their secret language that no one else in the family knew. Their bond. One of many. Papa was reaching out to him with affection and Alex rebuffed him each time. A ruthless adolescent. And this was the spot where…</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Rasoir!” </i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Alex ducked so Papa Lou couldn’t muss his new ‘do. “Pa-paa! Non!” Papa stood for a beat looking at his grandson. “D’accord… Rentron.” Ok, let's go home. And home they went. Papa Lou never stopped talking the whole way. Some in French. Some in English. And his face always seemed to be smiling, even when he wasn’t. There was something about the glint in his eyes and the slight upturning of the corners of his mouth that never completely went away. </i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>They pulled up in front of the house. Alex turned to get out of the car after deigning to give a mumbled “Thanks, Papa” when he felt a meaty hand close around his forearm.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Oh, uh-uh…”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“Aaah, Papa Louuu…!” Alex whined.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I know. But traditions are important,” Papa Lou said smiling, immune to Alex’s mood.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Alex leaned sideways towards his grandfather. Papa Lou turned sideways, took Alex’s head between his two hands, and gently turned Alex's head until they were face to face. He then proceeded to land six rapid-fire kisses roughly on the boy’s forehead. No matter how hard he tried not to, Alex grinned despite his surly self. Papa Lou released his head from his iron grip. Alex half snorted and shook his head as he pulled the door handle.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“J’t’aime, mon fils.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I love you too, Papa.” Alex begrudged, disappearing in a curtain of snow as he made his way to the front door.</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-46983230894838170492015-01-18T12:28:00.000-06:002015-03-28T18:14:24.824-05:00Gin Ricky<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9HGDh8ae60/VLv1iJQ_CmI/AAAAAAAAssk/POhnT_28b1s/s1600/gin_ricky%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9HGDh8ae60/VLv1iJQ_CmI/AAAAAAAAssk/POhnT_28b1s/s1600/gin_ricky%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" height="400" width="232" /></a></div>
Scott’s eyes opened with the sunrise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They usually did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each morning his first thought was to roll
over and wrap around Katie as she slept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was always a calculation though. He longed for the response of every
other girlfriend he ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How they yielded to the warmth of his body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He loved, too, when they wrapped around him in the middle of the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His consciousness surfaced just
long enough to sense that entwining and then submerge again, feeling strong and
protective as well as safe and protected. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Kate was not like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He suspected that she came to completely as his body molded to hers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A threat response. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her neurons firing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warning!</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Danger!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than melting into him, she solidified.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No observer would ever see it – the
imperceptible stiffening that happened on a cellular level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he felt it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It humiliated him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt spurned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Undesirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ego-crushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then there were
the occasions when she pulled his arms around her, backed up
and pressed into his pelvis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On those
mornings he soared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His senses buzzed, yet he was completely
relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world was a perfect
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these moments Scott believed Katie
did want to be with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did, in fact,
love him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Desire him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">But w</span>ith so much risk, it could never be
spontaneous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each morning it was a decision. An unsafe moment in what ought to be a safe place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should he take the chance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
cost-benefit ratio for his ego today? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning he felt strong enough to absorb likely rejection.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Uuunnh,” she groaned, and rolled out from under his arm and
as close to the edge of the bed as she could get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She grimaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Don’t….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He laid there, looking at her back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What time did you get in last night?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I have no idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think we hit every bar in the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Viagra+Triangle&defid=3331854" target="_blank">Viagra Triangle</a>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheryl and her
daddy issues.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tell me about it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Katie groaned again as she flopped her legs to the floor and hauled
herself up to sit on the side of the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She stood slowly and, holding her head, lurched towards bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked a wreck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We wound up at The Lodge where some fifty
year old with a bad toup kept buying us <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">gin
rickies</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Round after round after
round.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, I suppose you could’ve just said, ‘no’,” he called
towards the john.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“If I wanted a father, I’d bar hop with Cheryl more,” she
half yelled back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Besides, they went
down <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way</i> too easy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scott got out of bed, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and
followed her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I thought you don’t like
gin,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
didn’t taste like gin, exactly.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Rickies are good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Very bright and citrusy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
should make it this year’s summer cocktail.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do you mind terribly if we don’t talk about booze right
now?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Katie pleaded, head hanging, elbows
on either side of the sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hair fell
every which way to completely hide her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She grabbed her temples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I just
need to get through this day so I can come home and collapse after work.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ok,” Scott lilted as he turned around and headed off
towards the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But remember,” he
called back, “you have that intervention tonight with your mom & Aunt
Gina.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He couldn’t contain the smirk as he heard the words <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oh god</i> slide into the sounds of a night’s
overindulgence coming to its rightful conclusion in the sink.</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>517</o:Words>
<o:Characters>2947</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Common Elements, Inc.</o:Company>
<o:Lines>24</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>6</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>3458</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Schadenfreude.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Gin Ricky</u><br />
2 oz. gin<br />
1oz. lime juice<br />
1/2 oz. simple syrup<br />
club soda<br />
<br />
Short shake all ingredients except the soda with a few ice cubes -- just enough to put a chill to the ingredients. Pour into ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with a lime wedge.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-19962204617502032522015-01-11T12:58:00.000-06:002017-04-29T12:30:49.806-05:00Mulled White Wine<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FmcXraHozE/VLLDE6Z5_TI/AAAAAAAAsfk/y87HFhIvLZo/s1600/mulled%2Bwhite%2Bwine%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FmcXraHozE/VLLDE6Z5_TI/AAAAAAAAsfk/y87HFhIvLZo/s1600/mulled%2Bwhite%2Bwine%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Look kiddo, we love that you want to hang out with us and that you’re comfortable enough to just drop by. But you really need to get out more.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I am out. I’m not home, I’m here.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mickey smirked, raised an amusedly irked eyebrow, and looked over the tops of his readers at his son on the other side of the kitchen. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“You’re handsome, young, and single. So, when you show up on your parents’ doorstep on a Friday night with a thermos of </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mulled white wine</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, yeah, we gotta think there are better places for you to be.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“What? Where else do I have to be? Besides, I feel so English and lord-of-the-medieval-manor when I drink mulled wine. It’s a payoff of your investment in my MA. Plus, you have the best goblets to drink it from.” He clinked is father’s chalice and sipped. “What do you think about the pear in it?” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ok, let’s quit dancing around this elephant here, shall we? So it didn’t work out with Theo. That was Theo —“</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Here we go!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> “ — You have tons of talent and love to give someone —“</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“— ‘And we know there’s a guy out there who will connect with you and you with him.’” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“That’s right. But you’re not going to find him hanging out with your folks on prime club nights. Get your ass out of here and out on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_View,_Chicago#Boystown" target="_blank">Halsted</a>!” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Really, dad? Get my ass out on Halsted?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yeah," he winked, "get your ass out on Halsted.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Boundaries.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Oh, look who’s here.” Gina came into the kitchen adjusting a bangle earring and kissed Christopher on the cheek. “Is it Friday already?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Perfect. Take your son with you.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Nope. It’s girls’ night with a mission. I can only handle one broken-hearted depressive at a time."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Nice,” said Chris, and raised his glass in a sarcastic air toast to his mother. “Besides, I do <i>not</i> want to spend an evening with that Trixie bitch, Katie.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“A master’s in English, the entire language at your command, and that’s the word you choose to describe a woman. What <i>did</i> we get for our investment?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Mulled wine on a cold night delivered right to our door,” Mickey retorted, pouring her one. "Served in goblets!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gina pinched Chris’s scruffy chin affectionately. “Sweety, get your ass out on Halsted.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Mulled White Wine</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 t. black pepper corns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 t. whole cloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 bottle pinot grigio</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/8 c. granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 small bunch sage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 small bunch thyme</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rind and 2 T. juice from 1 lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 c. pear <i>eau de vie</i> or brandy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 firm, ripe pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Place the peppercorns and cloves in a medium saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until fragrant, approx. 2 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add wine, sugar sage, thyme, and lemon rind and juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer for 10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Return mixture to saucepan and stir in <i>eau de vie</i> or brandy and pear slices. Simmer over medium low heat until pears are fork-tender but still retain their shape, about 8-10 minutes. Serve placing several slices of pear in each glass as garnish.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-27184855397292545602015-01-10T11:32:00.000-06:002015-01-10T15:17:14.884-06:00Brandy Alexander<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufOefLJNTXo/VLFd2RkildI/AAAAAAAAsfI/-B6e4DJQxoY/s1600/brandy_alexander%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ufOefLJNTXo/VLFd2RkildI/AAAAAAAAsfI/-B6e4DJQxoY/s1600/brandy_alexander%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" height="266" width="400"></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Evening, Ladies. What’ll it be?”</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Emma sat down on the bar stool. The winter cold had set into the hardwood seat and seeped right through her skirt to the back of her thighs. It made her shiver on this frigid night. It didn’t help that the bar was directly across from the door and this place was so damned popular. She just knew it would never be closed long enough for her to warm up before another blast of January slithered along the floor and coiled up her legs. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“A <b>Brandy Alexander</b>.”</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“A what?”</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Jesus,” Katie whispered, rolling her eyes as only a twentysomething can do when her parent does something so unbelievably stupid. “<i>I’ll</i> have a gold margarita, please.” She said it to the bartender, but was looking at Emma with a passive aggressive smile. A mean girl.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a mistake, Emma thought. And not for the first time since leaving the house.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Emma, this is a Mexican place.” Gina was Emma’s closest friend. They met only one month after Emma moved to Chicago. They had been through hookups, boyfriends, marriages, child birth, death, and now, divorce together. There was no one Emma was closer to. They cherished each other. Closer than sisters. But sometimes Gina could be utterly clueless.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“What’s in it? Maybe I can make it for you.”</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“No, you can’t,” snapped Katie. “It’s a classic cocktail from, like nineteen-fifty-whatever, that she and my father used to drink like <i>all</i> the time. And if you make one for her she’ll just wallow in it.” She turned to Emma. “We’ve come here - on a Friday night - with <i>you - </i>to get you out of the house and have a <i>fucking</i> good time. You’re having a margarita like everyone else.” </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bartender escaped awkwardly into his phone and slowly withdrew from the scene, wandering toward the refuge of the kitchen pickup window. “Great! Now you scared off the bartender!” Katie exclaimed and spun on her stool to pout at the packed dining room. A moment later he was back. Gina asked for a gold margarita as well and he started mixing. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Emma sat, hands in her lap, staring blankly at the back bar, mirrored and up-lighted, bejeweled with glowing bottles of all shapes and colors. Gina placed her hands on Emma’s and gently spun her stool so they faced each other. “Em, it’s been five months since the paperwork was final. You have to get out of the house.”</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Emma sighed. “Please, Gina.” A divorce after 42 years of marriage. She shouldn’t have to explain the grief and devastation to her closest friend. So they sat holding hands, staring past each other.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Ok, ladies, here you go.” Katie jerked back around. “Two gold margaritas and a Brandy Alexander.” Katie grabbed her straw and rolled her eyes as she sucked. He leaned in to Emma. “I looked it up. We just don’t have any nutmeg for the top.” She looked at him. She felt her lips catching his smirk. “But we’ll call it a Brandy Alejandro so we don’t piss off <i>la princesa</i> over here," he said, nodding towards Katie. He winked. His smirk nearly broke into a full blown smile as he walked down the bar to another customer.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;"><br></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gina looked at Emma. What almost broke on the bartender had on Emma. A smile spread gently across her face. Tears brimmed but did not fall. Her heart warmed so, that she didn’t even notice another winter gust blowing in the open door.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brandy Alexander</span></u></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 oz cognac or brandy</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 oz dark creme de cacao</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 oz half and half</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup crushed ice</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nutmeg to garnish</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Combine the cognac or brandy, creme de cacao, half and half and ice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled highball glasses. Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-87214217537003424382015-01-05T16:36:00.001-06:002015-03-28T18:14:39.943-05:00Hot Buttered Rum<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ltqQJ2sxCDY/VKiFiGZhiTI/AAAAAAAAsXM/NeQq2TRLKeA/s1600/hot_buttered_rum%2B(2%2Bof%2B2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ltqQJ2sxCDY/VKiFiGZhiTI/AAAAAAAAsXM/NeQq2TRLKeA/s1600/hot_buttered_rum%2B(2%2Bof%2B2).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas came down Friday. Saturday we awoke to snow and freezing rain. Thus begins the dreary slide that is Chicago between New Year's and Memorial Day. So we are definitely in need of something to cozify. Having a <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2015/01/winter-cocktails.html" target="_blank">new bar text</a> specifically dedicated to winter cocktails is just what we need to warm our happy hour cockles!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hot Buttered Rum</b>. It sounds so rich and comforting, doesn't it? Honestly, it's just this side of gruel. The specs for this was a starting place. Tweaking was done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This bev is an exercise in delayed gratification. It gets better as you get closer to the bottom and in the end, it's all about the last mouthful </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- rich, fatty, and full of winter flavors</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The trick is to get each sip to taste this way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Hot Buttered Rum</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Butter</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 T. butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 vanilla bean</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.5 T. dark brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using a knife tip, slice the vanilla bean open and scrape the seeds from the pod into the butter. Add the sugar. Stir it all together until the vanilla seeds and sugar are well mixed throughout the butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Rum</i></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4e2vcH_Oc0/VKiFho6kWoI/AAAAAAAAsXE/6KotXZoFfIE/s1600/hot_buttered_rum%2B(1%2Bof%2B2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4e2vcH_Oc0/VKiFho6kWoI/AAAAAAAAsXE/6KotXZoFfIE/s1600/hot_buttered_rum%2B(1%2Bof%2B2).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Buttered Rum is all about the butter. <br />
Additions like vanilla bean and brown sugar make it special.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 oz. dark rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups hot water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Divide (room temperature) butter mixture between 4 toddy glasses. Add the rum mixture. Enjoy*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* : Ok, so here's the tweaking. To start, give the drink a few swirls with a spoon to break up and dissolve the butter mixture throughout the drink. It's not a bad idea to keep one handy and do it a couple times as you sip, as the butter fat will both float to the surface and settle to the bottom of glass. In this state, the drink will be more gruel-like when first sipping and become richer as you get to the bottom of the glass. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first round I made with Mount Gay rum. It's dark, but not as dark as Myers -- which I used in the second round. Additionally, I only used about 2.5 cups of hot water to the 6 ounces of rum. In the future, I'd try only 2 cups, all in an effort to get a richer experience from each sip and not just towards the bottom. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-26724313898910585482015-01-03T17:35:00.002-06:002015-03-28T18:15:29.959-05:00Winter Cocktails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kcyWLBJAKmo/VKg2_Evya4I/AAAAAAAAsW0/KpPy2Ubky0E/s1600/winter_cocktails.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weeks after Christmas are such fun as we </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">actually </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">get to </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">play</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with our gifts. In the Dilettante's case, it's delving into a bar book from The Partner </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Cocktails-Toddies-Pitchers-Cocktail/dp/1594746419/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420309962&sr=8-1&keywords=winter+cocktails" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Winter Cocktails: Mulled Ciders, Hot Toddies, Punches, Pitchers, and Cocktail Pary Snacks</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, by Mar</span><span style="background-color: #f2f9ed; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">í</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a Del Mar Sacasa. I guess I'll just have to do</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> more planning over morning coffee</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've always wanted to do more seasonal mixology. This tends to be much easier in the summer months. Tipples like <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2011/07/margarita-29-down-246-to-go.html" target="_blank">Margaritas</a>, <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2011/06/moscow-mule-25-down-250-to-go.html" target="_blank">Moscow Mules</a>, <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2012/04/pimms-cup-1.html" target="_blank">Pimm's Cups</a>, <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2012/05/caipirinha.html" target="_blank">Caipirinhas</a>, <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2012/03/corpse-reviver-2.html" target="_blank">Corpse Revivers</a> clearly refresh. But what warms and cozies during the frigid winter months? Most cocktail books don't organize themselves seasonally. So winter sippers like hot toddies and mulls aren't typically included. But I'm very excited to delve into the latest addition to the bar literature! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week we did a traditional hot toddy after a walk on a raw, lakeside New Jersey day. So, why not stick with tradition on </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a freezing, rainy day, here in Chicago</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">? Stay tuned...</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-10397155240821967852014-12-30T08:48:00.002-06:002014-12-30T08:56:23.135-06:00Hot Toddy-Or, The Siblinghood of the Traveling Mug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thr8n-lQu7A/VKK6WjkJ3aI/AAAAAAAAsL4/_83X215qq4Y/s1600/hot_toddy%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thr8n-lQu7A/VKK6WjkJ3aI/AAAAAAAAsL4/_83X215qq4Y/s1600/hot_toddy%2B(1%2Bof%2B1).jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
"After a strenuous six months of travel all over these great and glorious United States, I've finally returned home. And what perfect way to celebrate that homecoming than with a walk to the end of the lake on a damp winter's day and a <b>hot toddy</b>? Traditional? Yes. Easy? You bet. But then again, what should the holidays be? Especially when sipping with family!"<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(This post goes out to The Dilettante's sister, C. of <a href="http://onekisscreations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">One Kiss Creations</a> fame! *SMOOCHES!*)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Hot Toddy</u></div>
<div>
2 T. honey</div>
<div>
1 c. hot water</div>
<div>
6 T. bourbon</div>
<div>
2 cinnamon sticks</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bring water just to a boil. Mix with the honey. Place 3 tablespoons of bourbon and a cinnamon stick in two toddy glasses (or in this case, a traveling mug and another of wintry spirit) and pour half the hot water and honey mixture in each. Stir and garnish with a strip of lemon peel. If you'd like a bit more lemon zing, squeeze just a couple drops from the lemon.<br />
<br />
Enjoy one or two with someone you love -- and who needs their cockles warmed! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-9448968464031023612014-12-21T19:34:00.002-06:002014-12-22T10:06:52.082-06:00Drinking Chocolate<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv4qKIqyHaI/VJdcbyFFOgI/AAAAAAAArfM/HIan_WCSOZ4/s1600/drinking_chocolate-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv4qKIqyHaI/VJdcbyFFOgI/AAAAAAAArfM/HIan_WCSOZ4/s1600/drinking_chocolate-1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking chocolate- spiked or not,<br />
the perfect sippable winter dessert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been a busy week in the run-up to Christmas. While our annual Solstice celebration was pared<br />
down to just a few family and friends, there was a lot of cooking and baking to do. So no cocktails Friday night. Yet the Dilettante needs to post <i>something</i> during the fragile opening stages of a return from hiatus.<br />
<br />
At this time of year we always tend to think big when it comes to desserts. Cakes, cookies, pies, and brownies are all just delivery vehicles for over the top gooey, creamy, buttery, sugary. And I'll admit, I was no exception to this extravagance. In 6 desserts on the buffet I used 1 1/2 gallons of whole milk, a gallon of heavy cream, 2 pounds of butter, about 2 pounds of sugar, and 2 dozen eggs. My lord. Double your Crestor dosage.<br />
<br />
But here's an idea. Instead -- or in addition to fewer of the gooey, creamy, etc.-- why not make dessert drinkable?<br />
<br />
As part of the solstice dessert buffet, I included a pot of <b>drinking chocolate</b> along with decanters of cognac and Irish whiskey. Revelers had a choice of straight chocolate or to spike it according to their tastes. Simple. Elegant. Classy.<br />
<br />
Happy solstice, everyone! There will be one more minute of daylight Monday! Long live <a href="http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulethelongestnight/p/Holly_KIng_Yule.htm" target="_blank">the Oak King</a>!<br />
<br />
<u>Drinking Chocolate</u>*<br />
1 vanilla bean<br />
4 1/2 c. milk<br />
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate<br />
2 T. sugar<br />
<br />
<br />
Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise, put in a saucepan with the milk and bring to a boil. Course-chop the chocolate into small pieces and put in another saucepan with some of the warm milk to melt. Remove the bean and scrape the vanilla seeds that are left in the pod with the tip of a knife and add back to the milk. Stir the chocolate mixture into the hot milk along with the sugar.<br />
<br />
At this point you could serve it as is. But if you want a super silky drink, strain it once or twice. Drinking chocolate is not very sweet, but it is rich with intense cocoa flavor.<br />
<br />
Serve in shooter glasses as is or with cognac to make <i>Russian drinking chocolate</i> or with Irish whiskey for <i>Irish drinking chocolate</i>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*: Recipe courtesy of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Bible-Christian-Teubner/dp/0670873713/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419211854&sr=1-1&keywords=the+chocolate+bible" target="_blank">The Chocolate Bible</a></i>, by Christian Teubner, et al.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-63151433408149099402014-12-13T10:56:00.000-06:002014-12-13T10:56:37.526-06:00Coffey Park Swizzle<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iot7AJQNxnU/VIxTSBC1H7I/AAAAAAAAqn8/HImalI3yvu8/s1600/coffey_park_swizzle-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iot7AJQNxnU/VIxTSBC1H7I/AAAAAAAAqn8/HImalI3yvu8/s1600/coffey_park_swizzle-1.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pic captures my mood this season.<br />
Ambivalent and washed out when it comes to the holidays.<br />
But the Coffey Park Swizzle is a bright spot of warmth and color.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Holidays. Or, the Holla-daze. I'm finding myself a bit ambivalent about the season of light and gifting now that Thanksgiving is over. So, I thought a cocktail that tasted like a North American Christmas would help me rally. Isn't it funny how the flavors of a northern winter are downright Caribbean? All those warm spices like nutmeg and clove and allspice and ginger. I don't know whether I want to build an edible house, bake cookies shaped like amorphous little men, or make jerk chicken.<br />
<br />
The Dilettante sat down with Death & Co. over morning coffee to cruise the text looking for just the right sipper to suit the mood. (At this point I'm feeling the need to reassure that even though he was looking at a mixology text while enjoying his morning cuppa, the Dilettante does <i>not</i> have a problem. Well, let's qualify that. The Dilettante does not have a problem with <i>booze</i>. Several other categories are up for grabs!) Leafing through the pages I came across a whole section of swizzles. Interesting, but not necessarily what one thinks about as a winter beverage since swizzles are typically served in pilsners filled with crushed ice. Think adult snow cone. That's summer rooftop, right? But then <b>Coffey Park Swizzle</b> caught my eye and the taste buds began to imagine. This could be just the cocktail to jump start my mood for the winter season. But first I needed to do some <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2014/12/new-book-haul.html" target="_blank">shopping</a> and then just a bit of <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2014/12/ginger-syrup.html" target="_blank">advance prep</a> before Happy Hour!<br />
<br />
Such an interesting mix of ingredients -- both familiar and new. Even as we were taking our first sip, I really didn't know if this was gonna play out. All the ingredients -- sherry (recalling that classic short story, "The Cask of Amontillado"), French Caribbean rum, lime juice, ginger syrup, the exotic new Falernum, bitters -- each on its own was so good. But mixed incorrectly, this could easily wind up being a tall cold glass of soap.<br />
<br />
There is a lot to sort out in that first sip. The words "interesting" and "I don't know" immediately followed it. The Partner and I stood in front of the tree, warily eyeing each other. We couldn't even sit down, locked in place by that first sip, impish smirks on our faces as we processed what our taste buds were telling us. I wanted to like it, so, the next sip. Processing. By the third, we knew we had a winner. Cold, wintery, refreshing and spicy. A little ginger syrup goes a <u>long</u> way. So much so that our lips were still tingling in the cab on the way to dinner after only one round. And one round is really all an imbiber should attempt. A tall, cold aperitif that morphs as the crushed ice melts and nuances the drink's complexity. In fact, the Coffey Park Swizzle put us very much in mind of the <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2011/11/bourbon-squash-44-down-231-to-go.html" target="_blank">Bourbon Squash</a> which has become one of our summer go-tos. So summer swizzle, winter swizzle. Coffey Park could be the featured cocktail on the bar until spring.<br />
<br />
<u>Coffey Park Swizzle</u><br />
1 oz. rhum*<br />
1 oz. sherry<br />
1/4 oz. <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2014/12/new-book-haul.html" target="_blank">Falernum</a><br />
3/4 oz. lime juice<br />
3/4 oz. <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2014/12/ginger-syrup.html" target="_blank">ginger syrup</a><br />
3 dashes Angostura bitters<br />
<br />
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a shaker with only a few pieces of crushed ice and shake just until cool. Strain into a pilsner filled with crushed ice and swizzle**. Add the bitters and blend it down through the drink, swizzling and stirring to do so. Garnish with mint sprig.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*: Rhum or rhum agricole is the French Antilles version of rum, made from cane sugar as opposed to cane molasses. If you can't find the former, feel confident substituting the latter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**: The verb <i>swizzle</i> means to stir by spinning a stirring stick between both hands while drawing it up and down in the glass. The noun <i>swizzle</i> or <i>swizzle stick</i> is not what we think of today as a stir stick. It's more like a muddler with a set of short spines coming </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">perpendicularly </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">off the bottom. So when it spins it creates a bit of a vortex to mix. A regular stir stick will not do this effectively. If you can't find a swizzle stick, you can get the job done pretty well with a long bar spoon.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-24961644566559714342014-12-12T18:01:00.001-06:002014-12-13T08:02:40.909-06:00New Book Haul<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8PUZ_fLFwXY/VIxFr0KdbFI/AAAAAAAAqnk/MYL7utga404/s1600/new_haul-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8PUZ_fLFwXY/VIxFr0KdbFI/AAAAAAAAqnk/MYL7utga404/s1600/new_haul-1.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lillet rouge, Falernum, rhum agricole, ginger syrup,<br /> and a new strainer, just cuz.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love getting a new cocktail book. There's always something in it that's new to me. New information, new history, or a new spirit -- which means a field trip to <a href="http://binnys.com/" target="_blank">Binny's</a>! Here's a little preview of today's haul and anticipation of the evening's cocktail.<br />
<br />
I took advantage of seeing <i>rhum agricole</i> mentioned more than a few times in <i>Death & Co.</i> to pick some up. It's not part of tonight's cocktail, but now it's on the bar. Just from the French, I've been assuming it's a more, shall we say, "rustic" version of rum. In fact, it's rum made from cane juice instead of molasses -- the way they do it in <i>les Antilles</i> (<i>ou</i>, the French West Indies).<br />
<br />
I finally picked up some Lillet rouge. If you're a fan of the <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2012/03/corpse-reviver-2.html" target="_blank">Corpse Reviver #2</a> or the <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2011/11/vesper-42-down-233-to-go.html" target="_blank">Vesper</a>, then you're already familiar with the <i>blanc</i> variety. Not in the specs tonight, but can't wait to give it a whirl too! <br />
<br />
Falernum will be in tonight's tipple. It's an Caribbean liqueur infused with island spices. The ingredients include lime juice, sugar, almond and clove essences and white rum. Tonight's cocktail also calls for <a href="http://dilettantecocktailer.blogspot.com/2014/12/ginger-syrup.html" target="_blank">ginger syrup</a>, so I whipped up a batch this afternoon. This is going to be my new favorite thing on the bar, however it will need to be used sparingly. It is smoooooth, but spi-cy! I have a sneaking suspicion The Partner might not take to this. It is <i>hot</i>.<br />
<br />
On to the mixin' 'n' shakin'!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-21444427055368795202014-12-12T18:00:00.001-06:002014-12-13T08:03:30.184-06:00Ginger Syrup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q9RO-HBxa6E/VIt_uLlcggI/AAAAAAAAqnQ/3L6XbqCTtnM/s1600/new_haul-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q9RO-HBxa6E/VIt_uLlcggI/AAAAAAAAqnQ/3L6XbqCTtnM/s1600/new_haul-2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
The hardest part of making this amazing syrup is grating the ginger by hand. I suppose it could be done in a food processor too and it wouldn't be such a workout (note to self!).<br />
<br />
Here's how: <br />
<ol>
<li>Finely grate about 16-24 oz. of fresh ginger root.</li>
<li>Wrap the grated root in cheese cloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze all the juice out of it. Strain it 2-3 times to get all the little root and peel bits out.</li>
<li>Place 1 cup super fine sugar<span style="font-size: x-small;">*</span> in a blender with 1/2 cup of the ginger juice.</li>
<li>Run the blender until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth<span style="font-size: x-small;">**</span> (about 2 minutes)</li>
</ol>
Makes about 1.5 cups. <br />
<ol>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*: Super fine sugar is not confectioners sugar. It's finely ground sugar -- the kind we all buy by the 5 lb. bag. If you can't find it in the store, just throw some regular sugar in a food processor and let it spin for about 2-3 minutes. <i>Voilá!</i> Super fine sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**: Taste <i>gingerly</i> (***<i>groan***</i>...but I had ta!) for smoothness. It'll be sweet, but hot!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-81754633594372228882014-12-06T11:28:00.001-06:002014-12-06T13:51:36.827-06:00Death & Co. Double Fill-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ94u9xKkls/VIM61xPWhFI/AAAAAAAApsM/RMSpmff47b0/s1600/double_fillup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ94u9xKkls/VIM61xPWhFI/AAAAAAAApsM/RMSpmff47b0/s1600/double_fillup.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Ahhh...Here's to homecomings. It's good to be back and getting into a cocktail groove again. Something to look forward to in the cold, dark months ahead as winter takes hold of Chicagoland. Thanks to all who have provided feedback and encouragement during the Dilettante's hiatus. It's so affirming to hear that people read the blog and have missed it while dormant.<br />
<br />
So, why the return now? Last week, The Partner and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time. My folks -- the consummate road-trippers -- drove in from NJ with dear family friends to spend the week with us. (The Partner's folks were here and it was great stuffing them full of food and drink too; though their road trip was just from the suburbs :-) As thank you/host gifts, my folks brought two great books. One is the spark of inspiration to reboot our exploratory cocktailing and blogging. It's a <a href="http://deathandcobook.com/" target="_blank">gorgeous book</a> from the famous NYC bar, <a href="http://www.deathandcompany.com/lounge/" target="_blank">Death & Co</a>. I'm going to enjoy reading it as well as mixing from it.<br />
<br />
Friday is, of course, Date Nite. I chose our pre-dinner tipple as an homage to the gift givers. Nothing would please dad more than if he never had to stop for gas when on the road. A double gas tank? Heaven. So, <b>Double Fill-Up</b> caught my eye and seemed an appropriate choice. Reading the ingredients list, I recalled a conversation in the kitchen with mom on Thanksgiving Day. While I was preparing something she was reading over the recipe for one of the sides I made.<br />
<br />
"Pomegranate molasses? I've never heard of such a thing!" So again, Double Fill-Up seemed the right choice for our first sip from the new book they gave us.<br />
<br />
What good luck to pick a new bev for the Dilettante's return that goes right into Drink it Again, Sam. Not only does it look like a nice apple cider, it rather tastes like one too. It's very much about the play between the lemon juice and molasses that gets it there.<br />
<br />
Now, what you've all been waiting for, The Partner's reaction:<br />
<br />
"Oh. OOOOH!" as he responded to the initial refreshing tartness and then the slightest teasing sweetness in the finish. "This is <i>good!</i> This is <i>really </i>good!" Three sips later, "I'd do this one again!" He would repeat this refrain two more times on our way to dinner. And as you know, if The Partner has a second, it's a good drink and not too citrusy.<br />
<br />
So there you have it. The "inaugural reboot post". Google <i>pomegranate molasses</i> and find a store near you that carries it. Not only is it good in a cocktail, it's great in stews and salad dressings, so it will get used. Bottoms up! <br />
<br />
<u>Double Fill-Up</u><br />
2 oz. good quality rye<br />
3/4 oz. simple syrup<br />
3/4 oz. lemon juice<br />
1 tsp. pomegranate molasses<br />
3 mint leaves <br />
<br />
Shake all ingredients over ice and double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-74288093755005086172014-12-05T19:59:00.001-06:002014-12-06T14:39:09.156-06:00Is this thing on...?<i>...puh-puh-puh...</i><br />
<br />
huh--<br />
--hullo?<br />
<br />
<i>puh-puh-puh...</i><br />
<i>eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeng--</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>puh-puh...</i><br />
<br />
hello?<br />
Is this thing on?<br />
<br />
Uuh...OH! It is! Ok, here we go...<br />
<br />
So, let me just get in here...and dust...this...thing...<i>off....</i> There. All. Right.<br />
<br />
"Dude! What's up with the <i>blog</i>?!"<br />
<br />
"Are you doing the blog anymore? I know I never commented, but I read every post. I miss it!"<br />
<br />
"My RSS feed has been empty for over a year. It's lonely. I looked forward to my weekly cocktail read."<br />
<br />
Well, there's new inspiration just arrived. Stay tuned. There will be something freshly shaken, poured, toasted & posted before the weekend is out!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-2300714907696592112013-07-28T17:43:00.002-05:002013-07-28T17:43:19.824-05:00The L'Orange and The Gene Splicer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AAmCS3uRaGk/UfWaduruvCI/AAAAAAAAbL4/mke0WOZqXqo/s1600/20130728_155326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AAmCS3uRaGk/UfWaduruvCI/AAAAAAAAbL4/mke0WOZqXqo/s400/20130728_155326.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orange Popsicle, or The Gene Splicer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not the best way to start one's Sunday morning, opening the New York Times over coffee and seeing a headline heralding the demise of breakfast across the continent: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/science/a-race-to-save-the-orange-by-altering-its-dna.html?hp&_r=0" target="_blank">A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the Florida orange business coming in at $9 billion a year -- second only to Brazil globally -- you'll perhaps forgive me if I don't take beknighted little orange farmer, Ricke Kress, at face value when he suggests he's fighting against the big, bad FDA, consumer groups, and environmentalists to save the noble orange as a service to mankind. I think it's pretty safe to say it's about profits. And when the article concludes with Kress talking about how GMO technology might one day “... improve orange juice.... Maybe we can find a way to have oranges grow year-round, or get two for every one we get now on a tree.” who is he kidding? This is about Big Agribusiness doubling down on yet another mono-culture (think bananas and corn) and doing anything and everything it has to protect that monoculture, supersize its production and thus its profits. Even if it means twisting nature by inserting pig or spinach genes into orange trees to do it. <br />
<br />
Remember <i>seasonal</i> produce? Wouldn't it be great to return to them. We value things so much more when we can only enjoy them for a limited period of time each year. Scarcity not only makes things more valuable, but when it comes to food, I firmly believe scarcity makes them <i>taste</i> better. It's not like the Frankenfoods Big Agribusiness has produced to keep seasonal fruits and veggies in our supermarkets year round are <i>tastier. </i>So now we have them year round. How is it a bonus to the consumer? For all their genetic manipulation, irradiation, and nitrogen storage foods have no taste and lousy texture. Take tomatoes. So we have them year round. The outcome is that they're now orange/pink, mealy, and tasteless <i>year round</i>. Unless you're willing to shell out $5-$7 a pound for "heirlooms". Big Agribusiness is making our food supply more vulnerable to disease and species eradication the more they widdle our food stocks down to a mere handful of species. Genetic diversity is a bulwark against disease and extinction. As we're seeing with bananas and now oranges, we're just one bug away from losing some of our favorite foods. But hey, as long as Southern Gardens Citrus, or Tropicana, or Florida's Natural, or Monsanto gets those record profits in the here and now, who cares if future generations never get to eat another banana or drink another glass of OJ again. Right?<br />
<br />
OK, ranting is over. Let's drink. In the interest of genetic diversity, I made two tipples here. The first is more cocktail-like with nice depth and body. It's a little sweet, but not cloying. It's a surprisingly nice orange cocktail -- which doesn't get said too often. Let's dub this one <b>L'Orange</b>, given most of its ingredients' French pedigree. The other is a nice summer sipper -- light and tasty. In the summertime as a kid, I loved to make homemade popsicles by pouring straight OJ into popsicle molds and putting them in the freezer. So seasonal. Well, this one tastes just like that. So we can call this one <b>The Orange Popsicle, or the Gene Splicer</b>. I think I prefer the latter because it starts off as a L'Orange, but then you splice in some other ingredients, just like Southern Gardens Citrus and Monsanto!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uvvQK0CEPY/UfWadDrBeHI/AAAAAAAAbL8/hjRIj7hN7sk/s1600/20130728_152537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uvvQK0CEPY/UfWadDrBeHI/AAAAAAAAbL8/hjRIj7hN7sk/s400/20130728_152537.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L'Orange: The template DNA for The Gene Splicer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><u>L'Orange</u></b><br />
1 1/2 oz. orange juice<br />
1 1/2 oz. Lillet blanc<br />
1 oz. Cointreau<br />
<br />
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the OJ, Cointreau, and Lillet. Shake 12-15 times. Decant into a chilled martini glass. No garnish.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Orange Popcicle, or the Gene Splicer</u></b><br />
2 oz. orange juice<br />
1/2 lime juice<br />
1/2 oz. Cointreau<br />
1/2 oz. Lillet blanc<br />
2 dashes orange bitters<br />
2 oz. seltzer<br />
<br />
Pour the OJ, lime juice, Cointreau, Lillet, and bitters in a Collins glass. Fill with ice. Top with the seltzer and stir. No garnish.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869623368522690794.post-82031749307657939072013-07-04T07:03:00.002-05:002016-10-01T17:34:23.300-05:00Sloe Gin Fizz or The Cure for US Health Care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3cvMFtGRRQ/UdVg3kbJivI/AAAAAAAAa74/DdhJ-sGhD10/s1600/20130703_171841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3cvMFtGRRQ/UdVg3kbJivI/AAAAAAAAa74/DdhJ-sGhD10/s400/20130703_171841.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello, Dilettante Friends! Long time no see. Happy Fourth to you! Life’s been busy the last four months, but not without it’s cocktails, despite what the dearth of entries might suggest!</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-50a11b86-a97f-a5c3-eb5d-a03b8bed021a" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So right to it, shall we? </span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After years of wondering exactly what it was, I purchased a bottle of </span><a href="http://www.plymouthgin.com/discovery/our-range-sloe-gin.php" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sloe gin</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> about 3 months ago which promptly got shoved to the back of the bar, forgotten and unopened. It got pulled out at last weekend’s Pride celebration and once again became a priority. Wow. Sounds just like the on-again, off-again health care </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">deform</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reform in this country. But I’m getting ahead of myself...</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, though, check out that awesome single block of ice in The Partner’s Manhattan. (Prepared with orange bitters this time around. He seems to prefer that these days. I know, right? As you regulars will know, this is unexpected considering his constant whinging about classic cocktails being too citrusy and acidic. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**sigh**</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Though I will admit, they do brighten the bev up a bit.) For my birthday, The Partner’s parents contributed to the bar with a set of ice cube forms that yield these fantastic blocks of ice. Coincidentally, they didn’t even know how much we covet the look, sound, cooling power, and overall effect of these when we go to trendy, hipster, shee-shee-la-la bars.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For mini-Date Nite, on a damp, foggy, July 3rd, we closed up shop a little early. Never having had sloe gin before, I tried a sip of it straight. The Partner winced. Apparently, sloe gin figured into his days as a frat boy. Wishing me well he took his Manhattan and several steps back, waiting for me to finish making my fizz. The brand I have is Plymouth. Click the link above and read the description of the taste. Mmm-hmm. Right. Let’s just say it’s more akin to watered down cherry cough syrup from when we were kids and call it a day.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That said, I was a bit apprehensive on the first sip of fizz. But to tell the truth, it was quite delightful and refreshing. The lemon, gin and seltzer cut the medicinal sweetness of the sloe gin to nice effect. Had the weather been a bit less October in London and a bit more July in Chicago, I could have had multiple rounds of these. The Partner even ventured a cautious sip...which turned into four: “...[</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sip</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">]...Hunh...[</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sip</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">]...Oh wow...[</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sip</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">]...This is a lot different than what we drank in college...[</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sip</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">]...Sure beats drinking it straight outta a bota bag!” </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good lord.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I’ve read in my </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/us/politics/postponing-health-rules-emboldens-republicans.html?_r=0" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hometown rag</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that the administration might be postponing parts of the health care “reform” bill. Possibly, in part, in order to get Dems through the mid-terms before elements of the bill go into effect. Naturally, Republicans are making hay out of this, even though they’ve been fighting the bill tooth and nail for the past 5 years. I say, hey, what’s the rush? Politicians have enjoyed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">very</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> comfortable health care benefits for decades. So they’re good. And We The People’ve gone 237 years without a comparable safety net. What’s another two? We’re hardier stuff anyway. In the meantime, if we get sick and we’re under-age, unemployed, not employed, self-employed or our employer hovers around the cusp of 50+ employees and is tarrying about providing insurance, we always have sloe gin. Straight. For that cherry-flavored cough syrup experience of our childhood. Or Jäger. Or Pernod. Or slivovitz. Or...</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sloe Gin Fizz</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 oz. sloe gin</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 oz. gin</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1/4 oz. lemon juice</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1/4 oz. simple syrup</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shake ingredients with ice. Decant into a fizz glass with ice and top with club soda. No garnish.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05773051108711868270noreply@blogger.com0