Tag: whiskey (Page 2 of 14)

Fernet Ramos

October 6, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

I went to a funeral today. My great uncle passed quietly in his sleep at the age of 97 while I was out of town. I accompanied my grandma as she said farewell to her brother and could not help thinking how most of that generation is gone now. The people I grew up looking up to, the leaders of the family. All those great aunts and uncles, stepping up to take their turn as elders before moving on to whatever comes next. It gives one pause. Lin Manuel sang, “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory” in Hamilton, and I get it. Though it never used to cross my worried mind, the older I get the mori memento-ing I find myself doing. So, with thoughts of that undiscovered country, I am not ready to explore yet, won’t you join me now as we stand and make, the Fernet Ramos.

Paper Plane

September 27, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

It turns out that a whole lot of life is about managing expectations. I get that. I know it, yet I fail time and again. I can’t help it. I get excited about things and truly believe they are going to be the greatest thing ever or, when I am riding the opposite side of my bipolar coin, I get down about things and truly believe they are going to be terrible, no matter what. This is not only wrong, but wrongheaded, which is worse. I have studied all the science, I understand the how’s and why’s and, intellectually, I know better. Still, when it comes to managing life, it feels like I’m riding a rollercoaster, even when the actual journey is way more merry go round. So, in the spirit of exceeding or failing to live up to expectations with little middle ground, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Paper Plane.

Flannel Shirt

September 14, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Wisdom comes from odd places. I’ve learned a lot in my nearly half century of making questionable choices. Although, I am big on preaching about saying yes to life, getting out there taking chances and experiencing new things, if I am honest, there’s a lot to be said for the comforts of home. I get that. I am all about being comfortable, especially in your own skin. That’s how I am made. Howling Wolf got it right, “I’m built for comfort, I ain’t built for speed; but I got everything all the good girls need.” What is it they need, exactly? Well, the ladies like things comfortable too, so with that in mind won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Flannel Shirt.

Smoky Worm

September 1, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

After a cloudy and cool end to August, we are back to Summer for the first day of September. Yesterday, the rains rolled through from Hurricane Ida and as the skies clouded over and the temperature dropped you could feel that hint of Autumn just around the corner. That makes me happy. Sweaters, falling leaves, pumpkin spice all the things and the promise of the holidays to come. So, I really wanted to lean into that and do a fall cocktail to kick off the month. However, the sun came back from its vacation and staked its claim on these last couple of weeks of Summer. The good news is I picked up a beautiful round, ripe watermelon at the farmer’s market that is staring at me from the kitchen, so I am full prepared to transition and celebrate this Summer of our mild content as we stand and make the Smoky Worm.

JD’s Single Barrel Sweet Tea

August 28, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I’m not really feeling this. You get it. It’s been a long day at the end of a long week with a surprising number of headaches. I’m not really complaining, I’m just tired, boss. So, I am not going to pontificate about all the things wrong in the world today or try to get folks excited about all the good things out there. Nope, I’m just gonna keep my head down, nose to the grindstone and crank out a reasonable number of words before hitting post. That’s the plan, anyway. So, I beg your patience and indulgence as we stand and make JD’s Single Barrel Sweet Tea.

The Mastadon

August 25, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful one-hundred percent!” That’s why he was there, enduring hardship after hardship, while Mayzie jetted off to Palm Beach, leaving him holding the bag. Horton keeps his promise, despite ridicule, being captured and carried away, because he was being 100% faithful to a lazy bird who abandoned him and the future, embodied in an egg. Tell me that is not a story for the kids to learn from. It’s got it all, that Dr. Seuss was a clever fella. So, with a nod toward the past and an eye on the present, won’t you join me now as we stand and make The Mastadon.

Doughnut Old-Fashioned

August 24, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 3 Comments

This is just stupid. Seriously, this is what happens when you read too many books, learn about techniques you have never practiced and stay up too late watching videos. Next thing you know you are out buying doughnuts, upgrading your pourover game and curdling milk on purpose. It was so over the top, I just had to try it, no matter that it was kind of complicated and silly. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and do the thing, which is exactly what we are going to do now. So, please open your minds and join me as we stand and make the Chocolate Doughnut Old-Fashioned.

Southern Scotsman

August 20, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

This is quite the conundrum isn’t it? Is it a drink? Is it a dessert? Are those things mutually exclusive? Do we need a spoon, a straw or is this a dive right in experience? So many questions, so little information floating around in this old monkey head. Bob Seger used to sing about “workin’ on mysteries without any clues” but maybe if we poke around a bit, we can get to the bottom of things. So, with that in mind, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Southern Scotsman.

The Patriot

August 4, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

We are always in transition. It’s the nature of the game, but we don’t always realize it. Sure, we get the graduations and marriages and all of those big days, but lots of life changing moments pass us by without fanfare, only recognizable in hindsight. For most folks, you don’t know when it happen and that’s, mostly, a good thing. As a kid, how long would you hold on if you knew it was the last time your mom was going to pick you up? How tight would you hold your own child if you realized how soon they were going to grow too large for you to carry them in from the car. We wouldn’t be able to function. How would you ever be able to say goodbye and walk away if you knew that this was the last cup of coffee you were ever going to share with a friend? Sometimes, we are blessed by ignorance. We know that all of those things are going to happen, eventually, but that’s off in the future and nothing to worry about today. So, with a nod toward those little moments, the firsts and the lasts that sweep us by, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make The Patriot.

Count Mast

July 28, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

He did not want the drink I had offered him. I got that. On some level, it made sense. After all, I had been making custom shots from a multitude of ingredients for everyone else, and I simply poured him a long pull of Jågermeister. Was it a bit lazy on my part? Sure. To be fair, he had been talking about doing bombs in college, while waiting in line, just moments before in a way that seemed a fond remembrance. What to do now, as we found ourselves in a bit of a stand off. I did not want to argue, but I was making the shots, so I got to call them. I just locked eyes and waited. After a pause, he opened, “it’s just that, well, in college, umm, well…” then I got it. He’d been poorly treated by this spirit. No wanting to prolong his discomfort, I poured an apple whiskey, topped it with blueberry schnapps and pushed it across the bar to him, before slowly and deliberately picking up that Jåger shot for a silent toast, before slowly drinking it down. As he walked away, I thought, it was a shame that he wasn’t willing to give it a chance. There are lots of things that hurt when done to excess that can be heavenly, in moderation. So, with a nod to the ghosts of college parties past, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Count Mast.