Month: June 2020 (Page 2 of 3)

The Curse of Jean Lafitte

June 20, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Needless to say, I’m a big fan of pirates. All my life, they’ve been there on some level and piracy in its various forms has had a larger influence on who I am than anything else I can think of. I am also a big film buff and these two worlds collide hard in the amount of my life spent with Yul Brynner, Charlotte Heston and many more in 1958’s The Buccaneer. This semi-accurate classic tells of the Battle of New Orleans and how my favorite pirate, Jean Lafitte, helped to save the fledgling United States. So it’s with a steady eye toward unhealthy anti-hero worship that I ask ask you to join me as we stand and make, The Curse of Jean Lafitte.

Grasshopper

June 19, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 9 Comments

There are all kinds of things in life we judge without thinking about it. It sucks, but we have certain prejudices. It’s not necessarily our fault, we are hard-wired to take shortcuts when it comes to some things. Our brains use a sort of shorthand that almost forces us to extrapolate opinions from past experiences and impress those feelings onto things we haven’t actually experienced or gotten to know. Some times, this is really good. Once you have had an experience with spoiled or rotten food, the mere scent of it tells you to run away. You don’t have to suffer it a second time. Other times it really sucks, when it makes us lazy. When we let our preconceptions or societal norms drive us to make snap judgements, without really considering the individual merits of the case. We do this a lot, making the easy, “I don’t want to think about it calls” about things or way worse, about people. We are born with some of this, we learn most of it, but the important thing is we have to recognize it, and that is hard to do. I ran into this today when I was making a drink and I guess we ought to talk about it. So, join me as we stand and make, The Grasshopper.

The Expedition

June 18, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

What a long strange trip it has been. There’s a lot going on in the world today, to put it mildly, and it’s got me to thinking, about a lot of things, but mostly about the journey we are all on. So join me, brothers and sisters, as we stand and make, The Expedition.

Her Majesty’s Royal Marine

June 17, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a drink called the Army & Navy, that I shamelessly stole from my buddy @bitterbotwin on instagram. It is a super lovely drink and I encourage you all to make it. It reminded me of a wonderfully refreshing coconut lemonade with a kick, and I like that. The more I thought about it and the more of them I enjoyed, the more I wanted to experiment with this drink. Laura was super supportive, because she loved the original and every time I made a variation, she got to enjoy a “control” drink. I kept playing around with different ideas and this time it paid off. So join me as we stand and make this cheekily named tribute combining land and sea forces, Her Majesty’s Royal Marine.

Sidecar

June 16, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 4 Comments

Today we have a throwback to one of the earliest cocktails, sort of. Lots of books talk about the brandy cocktail as a forerunner of modern cocktails and it certainly checks the boxes, a spirit, an acid and a sweetener. If you look at most cocktails these are the basics, they may use multiple versions of each element but for it to be a cocktail it needs the big three. So, we are gonna make a prohibition version of the original brandy cocktail. Won’t you join me as we stand and make, the Sidecar.

Jungle Bird

June 15, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Pa told me that about 90% of what you accomplish in life comes down to choosing the right partner. Speaking of that, when I got home this afternoon Laura stopped mowing the yard long enough to let me know that she’d hollowed out a pineapple for me, that it was inside on the counter and that a tiki drink would be lovely. I ran through my mental catalog and selected a classic. So, join me as we stand and make, the Jungle Bird.

Vieux Carre

June 14, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking about New Orleans lately, a lot. I’m not sure if I am missing it or if it is missing me, but there is something in the air. Who am I kidding? I am missing everywhere. I’ve been having dreams about dinners in truck stops in Oklahoma and driving across Kansas. Both noble activities, but hardly exciting, well except during tornado weather. Where was I, oh, dreaming about cafe au lait and beignets, green ones and yellow ones and wondering if the room is spinning or if it’s just me in the bar at the Hotel Montelone. Yeah, I know what it means to miss New Orleans. So, join me as we stand and make a Crescent City classic, the Vieux Carre.

Bacon Old-Fashioned

June 13, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 8 Comments

Today’s drink comes to us courtesy of the Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market. The whole family, even the pupper, popped down to the park this morning to see what was on offer. We purchased handmade soaps and baked goods, some fresh mushrooms and veggies, plus some big beautiful Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and a new neckerchief for Fiona. So, brunch was bacon and tomato sandwiches on fresh sourdough bread. A little mayo, pinch of salt, cracked black pepper, as one does. That inspired me to go ahead and make one I’ve had waiting for a bit, so join me as we stand and make, the Bacon Old-Fashioned.

The Scofflaw

June 12, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

We went into the world today. Not that we haven’t been going out for groceries and necessities, but we’ve done our best to limit trips into Nashville and Franklin. Trying to buy hyper local as best we can, supporting small business, you know, the usual. Today, I had to go in for some medical stuff, welcome to middle age, and Laura accompanied me. We resupplied our rum stock, made a grocery run and even popped into one of those big home improvement stores to pick up some stuff to fix grandmas ceiling fan. I’d like to say how impressed I was with the responsible way the public behaved, respecting each other’s space, following the one way arrows, wearing masks, covering their mouths when they coughed. I’d like to say that. Hell, I guess I could, I’ve been known to spin a tall tale or two. Instead, I guess we will just make a drink, so join me as we stand and make the classic, and much anticipated, Scofflaw.

Give Me a Dime

June 11, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

We’re gonna do something a little different for Sally’s birthday. A cream based dessert drink. Is it because she’s sweet and creamy and goes well in stemware? No, though those things may well be true. It’s simply for the name, so join me as we stand and make the oddly appellated, Give Me a Dime.