Tag: gin (Page 8 of 9)

Rubicon

June 2, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

It is Heidi’s birthday, so I wanted to make something northwesty in her honor. Even though I have had my fair share of drinks up that way I couldn’t think of anything that embodied Seattle, except for Raiiiiinnnnnneeeeerrrrr Beeeeeeerrrrr. Well, that and an amazing gin and tonic I once had in a bar under Pioneer Square where they made their own spruce and lavender infused liqueur as a float. Since I couldn’t infuse my own liqueur or resurrect a 30 year old beer commercial, I turned to the internet. That delivered lots of places to drink and definitely gave me a thirst for travel. “Perdition take thee, thou all-destroying but unconquering 2020; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee” he said with a hearty nod and a bit of paraphrasery to Starbuck’s boss. Sorry, where was I, oh yes, the drink. Over and over, I found references to an intriguing drink, with a flambé middle step, from Jamie Boudreau at the amazing looking Canon. So grab your tins as we make the Rubicon.

South Seas Sling

June 1, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I had other plans for tonight, but when I got home Laura had brought me a big cup of pebble ice with a request for something tiki. I ran through my mental Rolodex (that’s an old school contacts app, for you kids) trying to find something I had all the ingredients to make and sounded appetizing. I settled on a classic Singapore Sling, but after making it, taking pictures and drinking it, I decided to switch and make an infinitely more interesting variation, the South Seas Sling.

Salty Dog

May 23, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It is the Saturday before Memorial Day which usually means I’m exhausted but surrounded by friends from all over the world at GeoWoodstock. We know this year was different, even before it was rescheduled to 2021, but this weekend is always special for our crew, even more so since The Godfather left us nearly five years ago, so sit back and think about 18 years of good times as we make a Salty Dog in honor of my friend, Joe Armstrong.

The Verdant Lady

May 20, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

There are days when it is clear things aren’t going to work out the way you expected, when things are cancelled, those disappointing rainy days. I’m bad about taking them to heart, getting bummed about what might have been and overlooking how things can still be. Today’s cocktail is kinda like one of those days. I came home all fired up to make something kind of original, something I thought of today in a challenging moment, only to find I lack one crucial ingredient. Granted, that’s not a big loss, but when thrown on top of the rest of the day, it felt like a thing. Part of me just wanted to skip it and go for a walk, in the rain, petulantly. At that moment, I heard my buddy Robert’s disembodied voice in my head, like Yoda or crazy old Ben Kenobi, reminding me of that TOM Creative Group adage that, “Not every job is worth doing, is worth doing well.” So, I decided to phone it in, which is ironic for posts created entirely on my phone. Anyway, I looked at the ingredients that were already out and handy, remembered another drink that looked “ok” that used them and decided to go low effort with The Verdant Lady.

The Last Word

May 19, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 19 Comments

Sometimes, things fall off your radar. I had completely forgotten about this drink until a friend shared it with me last week and I have looked forward to making it ever since. The problem was, I didn’t have one of the ingredients, so I had to exhibit patience, which is not a thing I am known for. I mean, I can be patient…if I have to, but instant gratification is so much more fun. That said, having something to look forward to is definitely a thing. I’m a long time pleasure delayer and a strong believer that desire is often more satisfying than possession. That has been messing with me during “whatever it is we are calling this chapter of life” this week. With so many plans cancelled and the usual rituals with friends on indefinite hold, I’m kinda drifting with the tide with no clear destination in sight. Not saying it’s all been bad, it’s just different. I miss things to look forward to, but I ain’t special, we are all there, always. That’s really the thing isn’t it? We are all being pulled between desires and needs and responsibilities, all the time. But maybe, that is what makes a life. That’s a lot of words, huh? Probably too many. So, with a look to brighter days a-coming, I present The Last Word.

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.

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.

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.

Bee’s Knees

May 4, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

This morning I saw a reference to the Norse goddess, Freyja. She’s an interesting character, most remembered as the goddess of love, lust and fertility, but I prefer her “darker side” as the goddess of magic who hand picks half of the fallen who enter Valhalla, plus she’s got a sweet cat-drawn chariot drawn. Yeah, a chariot pulled by a team of cats. So much awesome. Of course, the way my mind works instead of mixing up some Viking blood concoction, I’m suddenly presenting a virtual offering to our own Nashville goddess of magic, Freya West, the human embodiment of the Bee’s Knees.

Gin Gimlet

April 29, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 3 Comments

Douglas Adams called Sunday afternoon “the long dark teatime of the soul”. It is apt and he explains it perfectly, as he always did, which, in fairness, was his thing. I’ve always felt that Wednesday’s were the weekly equivalent, but I lack his inestimable skills when it comes to communicating through the written word so I’ll just phone it in and admit that Wednesday’s got me feeling a bit of the old Ludwig Von Ennui. So when you’re a bit tired and you just want something pure, turn to the simple pleasures and when it comes to cocktails it doesn’t get much more pure and simple than the Gin Gimlet.