Tag Archives: Ernest Hemingway

Chillin'

So This is Christmas

5 Comments

I’m not going to bore you with a long talk about the origins of Christmas and why it is where it is on the calendar, though I really want to. Suffice it to say that it is extremely unlikely that Jesus was born in what is to us the end of December. The gospel of Luke tells us shepherds were out at night guarding their flock, and that is not a winter activity.  Neither is it true, sorry my neo-pagan friends, that Christmas’s date was chosen to replace an older festival, in a sort of religious sleight of hand, as if people would not notice. No, according to some recent scholarship, it has to do with the winter solstice, thus the return of the Sun, and the equation of that Light (and Life I assume) with Christ, but this is not what this post is about. This post is about you guys, all eight of you, and wishing you, and yours, a festive, memorable and all around kick ass Christmas, I mean it. Merry Christmas. Read more

Drinkin'

Martini Time

2 Comments
aimg_0387

Honestly, writing about the martini is tricky, probably even foolhardy (Side bar: apparently Tolkien’s name comes from an old German word, tollkhun, meaning foolhardy, feel free to use that info to get into someone’s pants, you’re welcome). People can be fanatical about this drink and their views about it tend to be written in stone. There’s usually little room for discussion, and conversations can become downright vicious if martinistas feel their beliefs have been challenged in any way. Kinda like politics, but with more relevance. Personally I wonder whatever happened to sip and let sip. I’m a damn hippie I guess. Read more

Drinkin'

I’ll Have a Gimlet Please

1 Comment
aIMG_1186

The gimlet… what a drink. It has many things I enjoy in a cocktail, gin, the taste of lime (sort of), an intriguing colour and the British Navy. It is also the only current exception to drinkskultur rule #5. Shaken together vigorously it is delightful, refreshing, crisp and packs quite a punch. In order for you to have one while reading this, yes I do insist, I’ll start with the recipe. Read more

Drinkin'

Torino-Milano-Americano

5 Comments
A brace of americanos with a stormy and a Cuba libre.

TL;DR? Just drink it.

My americano

  • Ice cubes into a tall narrowish glass, be generous
  • 1.5 ounces Campari
  • 1.5 ounces sweet vermouth
  • Few drops of cocktail bitters, less is more, Angostura’s orange is especially nice
  • Stir
  • Top with soda water to taste
  • Garnish with an orange wheel or expressed lemon peel (optional)
  • Stir very briefly (keep them bubbles)

There’s no scuba diving in sight for the immediate future. I had the opportunity to go dive in a quarry, in Mohawk territory, but my bad social planning skills intervened. So instead of glorious but cold ass underwater vistas, brace yourselves for a short series on…. you know it , drinks, and probably some random thoughts to go with that. Read more

Chillin', Drinkin'

Por Cuba Libre Part 2: Some Rums And Drinks.

4 Comments
Mixed

I’ve never had any curiosity about Bacardi products. I don’t know if that comes from being turned off by the fluorescent breezer drinks at the grocery store, or the notion that anything produced in such leviathan-like proportions must of necessity be meh at best, and possibly even quite blah. However, after reading a history of the Bacardi family I grew a little intrigued, and I decided to educate myself by making cocktails keeping with Cuban drinkskultur. Please say hello to daiquiri, mojito and of course Cuba libre.  For this experiment I chose Bacardi rums from opposite ends of the spectrum. Read more