Tag: tiki (Page 1 of 4)

Set the New Year on Fire

January 13, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Ferris was right, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” This year is flying by and I am pretty sure that I have missed a ton of things already. I took couple of days off from writing at the end of last year and then a few more after we flipped the calendar. I had planned to make this drink on New Year’s Day, but instead I went hiking with the family, without giving the first thought to what you, gentle reader, would do without my musings on the day. I don’t feel a bit bad about that. In fact, I am pretty sure it is going to happen way more in the coming months. Rest assured that then you don’t hear me shouting into the dark it is because I am out living life, rather than reflecting about it. It’s a balance, as they say. I did not want to lose this drink though, so we are going to pick it up and insert it into the rotation this week as if we never missed it. So, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make, Set the New Year On Fire.

Scorpion

January 4, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I took a few days off to celebrate the New Year. Did some hiking and exploring with the family, drank a beer and ate a burger in a gloriously empty outdoor biergarten, practiced a little chainsawing and tractoring around the farm, even played some video games and read some books. I did not go to the office, or pay attention to political shenanigans going on or make any cocktails that I felt compelled to write about, though I did make some at the request of my bride. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and the bad ones as well. So I was back in the office today, doing some work, catching up on the news and now I am back behind the bottles making a little something to share with you, gentle readers. The sun comes up and the world still spins, as they say. Or at least that is what I said fourish years ago at the beginning of this chapter and it is still true here at the end. Watching folks make some odd decisions I was reminded of an old fable and a drink. So, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make the classic Scorpion.

Dumpster Fire

December 31, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 3 Comments

New Year’s Eve 2020

I’d like to say we made it, but there are still a few hours of 2020 left and if I have learned nothing else this year, it is to take nothing for granted. So, I am not gonna make any assumptions, but do hope that we will all make it till midnight and to see the sun rise on a new day. I have had a lot of thoughts about how to end this year and begin the next. It makes sense to look back on what was and celebrate the wins, mourn the losses, but I am not sure I can even remember who we were when this interminable year began, so I am just gonna make a drink and see where that takes us. So, please won’t you join me now as we stand and make an old Uncle Monkey original, the Dumpster Fire.

Norwegian Paralysis

November 14, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Stubbornness is not a virtue, but I have it in excess, as anyone who knows me will tell you. I have not felt well the last few days and woke up feeling particularly off this morning After drowning in self pity for a while I got up and got to work on the farm. I really leaned into it figuring if I was gonna feel bad, I might as well get something done. You ever do that? Punish your body for feeling bad for too long? Just me? Ok. Well, now I’m am tired. Proper tired. Arms trembling, pushing water tired, cause I’m stubborn and tired of feeling bad and trying to rest. So, in honor of my current situation, please join me now as we stand and make the tiki inspired Norwegian Paralysis.

Lake at Night

November 13, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I grew up in a pre-internet world. I remember those first shuddering steps online, back when internet CB was a thing and Netscape was the height of modernity and we weren’t even on the cutting edge. Liam and I had a long talk today about how things were in those BI (before internet) days. Back when you had to go to libraries to look things up, or amass your own library. It was fun to watch the lights come on as he figured out why we have thousands of books at home, when we could just look things up on our phone. Not that all of those volumes are BI relics, I still have a love for the tactile and old books, well, there is just something special about them. One of the great things about this free exchange of easily accessible information is how distracted you can get looking up something simple, which we will delve into deeper as we stand and make the tiki inspired Lake at Night.

Fog Cutter

November 7, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I recognize that no one gives a damn what I am drinking today. Suffice it to say there are much bigger things going on with a lot of things for folks to process as they celebrate or mourn the results of this momentous and record breaking election, so as brevity is the soul of wit, I shall be brief, as we stand and make the Fog Cutter.

Purple

November 3, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Election Day 2020 – Special Edition

It is Election Day. I suppose it is all over but the crying, now, or at least it will be in a few hours. This election has been hard on everyone. Way too much division. Too many friends fighting over things that really don’t affect their everyday lives. No one knows how things are going to shake out yet, but I hope that every vote cast by eligible voters is counted, without a bunch of divisive infighting. We may disagree on a lot of things, but having an election decided by actually counting the votes should not be one of them. More than anything, I hope that whoever comes up short at the end of the count accepts their loss with dignity and that whoever comes out on top accepts their win with humility. We have been divided on many fronts, but we are one people and neither side can afford to lose the other. Honestly, it is the political parties that are so solidly divided in their visions for our country. When you get down to it, most folks don’t live at the far edges of the spectrum. We are mostly a mix of red values and blue ideas. So, please, won’t you join me now as we stand and make Purple.

Black Magic

October 31, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Thirteen

Luck is a funny thing. When it shines on you, nothing can stop your efforts, when it turns away, even the simplest plans fall to ruin. I’ve always been a contrarian when it comes to the traditions here. 13 is my lucky number and I have a certain fondness for black cats, which makes today’s final thirteenth drink of Halloween so fitting. Won’t you please join me now as we stand and make a tribute to the tiki classic, Black Magic.

Ice-Berg

October 8, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

“The first thing you need to understand” he said, “is that no one really understands how inspiration works.” Those were the words he used, but what did he really think? He looked at the drink, saw the name, saw the adult Icee consistency, saw that bottle of Underberg and he knew what had inspired him to make this drink. He knew that he had just lied to them and he knew he was going to get caught. He had to come clean, but how? Eyes downcast, he took a deep breath, “I have something I have to tell you…” his voice trailed off. There was an awkward pause, before he carried on with renewed vigor, “but, first won’t you join me as we stand and make the Ice-Berg.”

Tiki Peat

October 5, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I was going to take the evening off, not make a drink at all, not write about it, not even take any pictures of that drink I was not going to make. My wife and I are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary, so I figured no one would mind if we took the night off. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of mead I picked up a couple of years ago that we never got around to opening. I was ready to curl up on the sofa with some soft music and a book to wait out the child falling asleep, but she had other plans. Soon I was back in the kitchen, using some new tools to fill some new glasses, cause that’s my job. So, please join me now, as we stand and make the Tiki Peat.