Author: Monkeybrad (Page 49 of 57)

Cucumber Gimlet

May 16, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It has been a great, but very long day. I got up extra early and hit some trails in North Alabama with a couple of friends for some responsible and socially distant, much-needed reconnect and recharge time. One of the weirdest things to adjust to has been not seeing people in 3D and not being able to hang out and take each other for granted. Well, that and the taking care of loved ones who are also stressed, not driving your spouse and kid crazy, keeping the wheels of essential industry turning in challenging and uncertain times while dealing with the necessities of daily existence in an era when empathy and looking out for your fellow human is increasingly politicized and sometimes derided, I mean besides those basics, it’s just really weird not to see people you love. So, when you get the chance, if you can do it in a responsible way, it is worth it to go way out in the middle of nowhere and laugh and cut up with each other from ten feet away. Especially if there’ s some hiking and picnicking involved. The thing is, it’s hot out there and the sun, she is a devil mistress, sapping you of your precious bodily fluids, even as she delivers vitamin D and recharges your batteries. As I drifted in, well after curfew, I realized I was sunburned and dehydrated, so it was time to recharge in a different way, with a bunch of cool, clear well water followed by a Cucumber Gimlet.

Dirty Shirley & The Shirley Temple

May 15, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Today, we have a two for one at Liam’s request. He asked for a cocktail of his own for his birthday and being a responsible parent, I said, “Of course.” I’ve never given kiddie cocktails much thought, because the obvious choice is the Shirley Temple and we will get to that one in a moment, but first we are gonna make the “adult” version of this kid’s classic, the Dirty Shirley.

Caesar

May 14, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I bet y’all thought I was gonna drop the ball and not post a cocktail today, since I’ve been out celebrating Liam’s 10th birthday. What you don’t know is I prepared for this by making two cocktails yesterday. Well, if you follow our Captain Rodney’s page, and you should, you know that I made a special drink to celebrate Canada’s answer to the Bloody Mary, the savory and sassy Caesar.

Cuba Libre

May 13, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

So, this afternoon, I wanted nothing more than to come home and make a fancy new cocktail with some awesome ingredients I grabbed while out in the world getting stuff for the boy’s 10th birthday tomorrow. Not gonna lie, I kinda love curbside pickup. After I got back to the office, I discovered that I had messed up some scheduling that made taking tomorrow off to celebrate problematic. Tricky, when you work for yourself and have to be responsible. So, instead of running home to make a fancy cocktail for you, I worked late and came home tired and cranky not remotely interested in making anything. Then, I thought about the Boss and what would he think if I weren’t ready to go at showtime. So, I painted on a smile and hit my marks to make a Cuba Libre in honor of Butch.

Tom Collins

May 12, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Some days things just don’t go right. Not that they go wrong, they just don’t go right. I had planned to make a different drink tonight, did all my prep work last night and everything. Only to realize the garnish I ordered hadn’t arrived yet, so I had to punt on that one. Not a big deal, adapt, move on, make something simple. What could go wrong? Well, we will see as we make the classic Tom Collins.

Cardigan

May 11, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It’s cold. In mid May, and I don’t much care for that today. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer cool days to hot ones, but I’m just tired of this weird weather and these weird times. I want to hang out with my friends and laugh too loud and too long, but that’s not where we are today, so I’m gonna suck it up, put on my cardigan, crank up The Cardigans and make a drink. This one is a request that didn’t come with a name, so we’re gonna call it the Cardigan.

Gordon’s Breakfast Cup

May 10, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers and, if you believe the statistics, congratulations on a job well done to about 70% you mother f’ers out there. My wife is an excellent mother, which makes me an excellent…mother’s fella. So, when she mentioned that this was a good brunch drink sort of day, instead of whipping out my tried and true Bloody Mary I opted for something a little more esoteric, to give her a change of pace, to break up the monotony, as it were, so join us as we make the Gordon’s Breakfast Cup.

Oaxacan Old-Fashioned

May 9, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 2 Comments

We spent the day working in the backyard, cleaning up, hanging new lights, trimming branches, burning a bunch of wood in the fire pit. You know, good honest work. It wasn’t till I walked inside for a drink that I realized I smelled like a campfire and that’s when I decided I needed a real drink, something smoky and rugged, like me. Looking at my recent acquisitions, a new stirring pitcher and a fresh bottle of mezcal made this one an easy call, the Oaxacan Old-Fashioned.

The Blinker

May 8, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

I went into the world today, didn’t want to, but there were specific nondeliverables required for Mother’s Day. I ran the errands, I wore my mask, I did my part to look out for other folks, keep my distance as a courtesy and all that. For the most part, folks were decent but one thing that made me sad was just how many people don’t understand arrows. I thought arrows were simple, you use them to know which way to go, or to indicate which way you want to go, easy right? Well, I was wrong, so we are gonna have a remedial cocktail, so we can all have a refresher on The Blinker.

Gold Rush

May 7, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Change is the only constant in this world and how you adapt says a lot about who you are. You know, the long line of evolution coming down to us is not really the survival of the fittest, but the story of how those who were most ready to adapt to the changing landscape were able to thrive. I had planned a much more complicated cocktail this evening and I had grand visions of how I’d talk about the simplicity of enjoying a complex pleasure, but it was not to be. I’ve got chores to do for my grandma and when grandma calls, you go. So, a quick and easy, chosen by Liam, cocktail it is. Like those stalwart apes in ’49 who followed the stories in the papers only to find that things were not as rosy as they’d been told, we are gonna adapt and thrive with the Gold Rush.