Author: Monkeybrad (Page 43 of 57)

Pink Lady

July 14, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 2 Comments

I like old movies, a lot. There are whole periods of my life when I didn’t sleep much and mostly spent my nights watching them. Not just the classics, but the mid-range stuff too. Hours spent learning how to be a fella from Bogart, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Jose Ferrer. It is crazy how much influence movies and books from your formative years have on who you become, or at least who you try to become. There are a handful of these films that are truly old friends. Those few ragged VHS tapes that traveled with me, always ready to keep me company at 2:57 AM. Liam has “a thing” with 3 minutes later than that so I had to change the time to mollify him. One of those came to mind the other night as I was thinking about drinks, so join me as we stand and make the Pink Lady.

Honey Wall

July 13, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

One of the cool things about making cocktails from quarantine is having folks reach out with suggestions, requests or just comments, I love to hear how you are enjoying the drinks, or what you are doing to keep sane in this indefinite holding pattern that we call life. This drink is a direct result of my buddy, Matt, suggesting I try Tuaca liqueur. I had never heard of it, but he said it was good, I trust him on these things and I was making a liquor run anyway, so I added a bottle to my curbside pickup and here we are. So, join me as we stand and make, the Honey Wall.

Old Cuban

July 12, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Every once and a while you stumble across something amazing. That is exactly what happened with today’s drink. After making the French 75 a while ago and then the Lone Ranger, I started researching other drinks that incorporated champagne or sparkling wine. This one seemed a little weird, but we had some cheap prosecco burning a hole in our pocket so we gave it a shot. Join me now as we stand and make the Old Cuban.

Chin Up

July 11, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

There are lots of things in life you aren’t prepared for. Hell, I haven’t been ready for most of the things that have happened to me. One of the things I most admire in a person is the ability to pull things together and face whatever challenge comes to them, especially when they aren’t prepared or don’t feel up to it. It is a whole lot easier to beg off or ignore what needs to be done or just say no. Saying yes and deciding to do the thing, knowing the responsibility and that you can’t let people down, that is hard. Let’s raise a glass to the folks who turn their faces toward the wind and sail on, weather be damned. So, join me as we stand and make, the Chin Up.

Banana Boat

July 10, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

This drink is not for Ann. This drink is because I wanted to make a banana dolphin as a garnish. I mean she may be a big banana dolphin fan, I don’t know, but even if she is, it is not for her. So understand going in that the only reason I am making this drink is so we can play with the garnish. When I read the recipe, I knew it was going to suck. It calls for malibu rum and while I have enjoyed drinking it on many occasions, it generally does not play well with others. It is too sweet, has a vaguely chemical taste and honestly, the more I have learned about making drinks, the less I can stomach it. I am either going to have to find a better coconut rum, or just begin making my own. Malibu is the Midori of the rum scene, we used to be friends, but the fire is gone. How bad could this one be, let’s find out as you join me as we stand and make, the Banana Boat.

Vesper Martini

July 9, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 2 Comments

This one is a weird choice, for certain. First off, I don’t particularly care for this entire class of drinks and this version breaks the rules of bartending, so I feel a bit weird about it. It has been on my list for a while, a thing to try, but way down that list. I did not know what to make today till a random memory from eighth grade chose for me. So, join me as we stand and make, the Vesper Martini.

Enzoni

July 8, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

We stumbled upon this one a couple of weeks ago and it caught my attention. It comes from Sasha Petraske’s Milk & Honey bar in New York and is a cross between a Negroni and a Gin Sour. I don’t care for Negronis, but I love Gin Sours, so I thought that maybe this one was for me, plus it is said to be “the ideal drink to introduce a novice to Campari!” Since, I have struggled with Campari I figured I’d give it a shot, plus it has whole white grapes in it and when I got home I found that Laura had gotten fresh white grapes at the store today, I figured it was a sign. So, join me as we stand and make, the Enzoni.

The Lone Ranger

July 7, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Don’t you hate it when you believe a thing to be true only to find again and again that you were wrong, have most likely been wrong your whole life and you have no one but yourself to blame? Yeah, me either. I have spent my whole life avoiding drinks topped with sparkling wines, but the more I make them the more I see that I was just buying into some hype. That I was hating on a whole class of drinks because I was told they weren’t any good, or not manly enough for a fella to drink. Well, they were wrong and I was wrong to listen and now that I know better, I am going to be better. So here we are, back with another sparkling wine cocktail, inspired by our success with the French 75 we decided to tempt fate, yet again, with a Southwestern riff on a champagne cocktail. So, join me as we stand and make the Lone Ranger.

Devil Went Down to Georgia

July 6, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Well, this wasn’t the plan. I guess we are all saying that way too much this year. I had a craving for something refreshing this afternoon, probably with gin and chartreuse, but then things happened in the world and I felt like I should address them, with a drink, which is how I process things now, apparently. So, join me as we stand and make the Devil Went Down to Georgia.

Dr. Funk

July 5, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I wanted to experiment today, so I am trying a refreshing “new to me” tiki drink. It has been on my list for a while, but I keep going with things I like rather than exploring new territory, but not today. Today we chase the horizon, so join me as we stand and make, the classic Dr. Funk.