Tag: rum (Page 1 of 14)

Bad Apple

October 31, 2025 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It’s spooky season here at Stately Monkey Manor. The jack o’ lanterns are smiling from the porches and various corners of the house and all of our skeletons have exited the closet and are proudly on display as we celebrate the turning of the seasons on our descent into the holidays. After a week of rain and gloom, the sun is shining through the gloriously colorful fall foliage and you can taste the coming joys of fall in the air. As our calendars begin to fill with parties, parades, plays and travel of the season it is particularly nice to find myself at home this morning with little to do except figure out who I want to dress up as tonight and what I want to be if I ever grow up. So with a nod toward the years that have come before and a brave look forward to the memories not yet made, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Bad Apple.

Bosun Bird

February 2, 2025 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

“That’s the thing about him, he just goes till he can’t go no more.” he said, staring toward the horizon. “As far as the sea foam shows, as long as the Zephyr’s wind blows, out there is where he goes…” he trailed off as he stumbled into memory. I was not quite sure how to take that. What did he mean? Who was he talking about? That’s when I heard that shrill whistle above the waves and looked to see a long tailed white flash wheeling on the breeze. “Ah, that makes sense then.” I thought to myself as I turned and walked back up the pier toward the comfort of land and the safety of a darkened bar. It’s funny how chance meetings work, if you let them. So, in the spirit of unintentional inspiration, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Bosun Bird.

The Doctor

August 7, 2024 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Fear. That is what keeps most of us from greatness. Being scared of the consequences, what people will think, the possibility of failure, keeps us on the sidelines instead of getting out there and speaking or living our truth. It’s a shame we can’t just start in the middle sometimes, but the journey begins with that scary first step. It is like Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Still, even knowing that eternal truth, how often do we let opportunities pass us by, because, unlike Lin-Manuel, we throw away our shot? I know that I am guilty of this, in so many ways and on so many levels. You could fill the pages of many books with lists of the things I have not done, the chances I let slip by because I was too afraid to seize the moment and carpe that diem. But I am trying to do better, to be more free and to embrace the possibility that a “yes” can bring. So in the spirit of fewer regrets and swallowing some bitter pills, won’t you join me now as we stand and make The Doctor.

Ashtray Heart

August 6, 2024 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

“This is gonna want for words…”, that is what I wrote as a placeholder way back in August of ’23 when I first made this one. Now we find ourselves with the calendar nearly back to where it sat that day when I reminded myself that the work remained unfinished. Clearly, I am a big fan of procrastination, but I do hate leaving a job half done, so in the spirit of Van Halen we’re gonna finish what we’ve started, if you will join me now as we stand and make the Ashtray Heart.

100 Year Old Cigar

March 6, 2023 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Growing up in Miami I had a real love for Cuban food and culture that made me look longingly toward our nearest neighbor to the south. I always wanted to go to Havana and see those beautiful old hotels and bars with my own eyes. Of course, I am a child of the 70’s and the embargo guaranteed that all I could do was look. So, when we finally got the opportunity to visit legally, we jumped at it. I loved our time there, exploring the city, enjoying the food, culture and the cocktails. One of the things I looked most forward to was visiting the Hotel Nacional to sip on their signature cocktail while enjoying a hand-rolled Cuban cigar. That worked out, mostly, until about 30 seconds in when I remembered that even when it is one of the finest cigars on earth, I really just don’t enjoy actually smoking one. My day was much improved, when I gave up the fine stogie and focused on the cocktails and company. It turns out that some things are better in imagination than reality and that is why we experiment, to find what works for us. So with a nod toward that perpetual voyage of self-discovery, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the 100 Year Old Cigar.

Yabba Dabba Daiquiri

July 29, 2022 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

A big part of the enjoyment of drinking is the opportunity to indulge in questionable ideas. Call it the allure of the lowered inhibition or Poe’s masterfully described “imp of the perverse”, but there is something wonderfully seductive about giving in to an idea that you know is bad and just going with your self destructive tendencies. Honestly, I rarely drink to excess, but when I do, I try to make it count and indulge as many of those whims as possible. This drink was inspired by one such evening, when I did not drink to excess, but I definitely enabled many others to dance with that imp. So, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make, the Yabba Dabba Daiquiri.

Rum Rabbit Rum

June 27, 2022 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that we all have our prejudices. Now that you mention it, I suppose we have our prides as well. I am as guilty as anyone of having “preconceived judgments or opinions” especially when it comes to a gimmick. I am a sucker for a good hook, always have been. Whether it’s a cool process or an unusual ingredient, when I read about a drink I always fall for the oddballs. If it has a tincture or a cordial in it, I am all in. So, with a nod toward the complicated characters, won’t you join me as we stand and make the Rum Rabbit Rum.

Barbados Cocktail

May 6, 2022 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Serendipity. That is what we are going to call it. After all, today’s little bit of happiness meets the definition of “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a beneficial way.” How is that different from lucky? Well, I am not quite sure, but things certainly worked out and as my father would say, I’d rather be lucky, or is it serendipitous, than smart any day. So, with a nod toward fortune smiling on us, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Barbados Cocktail.

Easter Island

April 17, 2022 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

It’s gimmicky, I get that. C’mon though. How can you not kind of love a tiki drink in a chocolate bunny? Seriously, who does that? Does it even matter if it is good? On some level all you can do is sort of nod begrudgingly and make the thing, which is what I have done. So won’t you join me now and slip from the sublime to the ridiculous as we stand and make the Easter Island.

Coco No Coco

March 9, 2022 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The truth is things aren’t always going to go the way you planned. It happens all the time. We, mostly, don’t notice when they go better than expected, but when things go downhill, it can shake your faith. When that happens, all you can do is step back, take inventory and find a way to move on from that new starting point; make the best of the situation and see if, maybe, you can salvage some lemonade from all those lemons. So, in the spirit of doing the best you can with what you have, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Coco No Coco.