Friday, February 21, 2014

Island Survival

If you've been following the story of Jose Salvador Alvarenga, you'll know the man survived 14 months adrift at sea in a small fishing boat.  How?  According to him, he ate (raw) birds, fish and turtles that he caught with his own hands. He quenched his thirst with rainwater and sometimes his own urine.

No, this week's cocktail does not include any of those ingredients.

I have a minor obsession with survival tales.  I like the details about endurance.  The ingenuity of the mind when pushed to its limits.  The stories of what was consumed because it HAD to be. The triumph of the human will to live against all odds.

I think this dude is very cool:



And while my wife thinks his table manners suck, Les Stroud is awesome, too:


Reading and watching this kind of stuff has always made me wonder what it would be like (though not enough to actually go try it - I like clean water, fresh food, modern medicine, air conditioning and not having parasites). If I was going to be stranded anywhere in the world, miles from civilization and rescue, give me the tropical island.  Aside from the legitimate heat and sunburn concerns, it just seems like it would be an easier place to make your way in the food & drink department since you'd have a better than -0- chance of finding coconuts, bananas and pineapples.  Which inspired the creation of today's cocktail:

ISLAND SURVIVAL

1        oz     Coconut Rum
1.5     oz     Banana Liqueur
2        oz     Pineapple Juice

Pour ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice
Stir

Friday, February 14, 2014

My Bloody Valentine

The absolute worst of the Hallmark® Holidays is upon us:  Valentine's Day.
It's the day your kids expect chocolates at home.
Your wife expects flowers at work.
Your mistress expects a fancy dinner.
But your girlfriend expects one, too.
Your mistress finds out about your girlfriend and goes crazy.
Your wife finds out about both of them via your mistress going crazy and takes the kids (and the chocolates, flowers, car, house, savings & checking, 401K, and your soul).
Who thought this day was a good idea?

While there are many competing stories about the life & times (and martyrdom) of St. Valentine, patron saint of courtly love, the most well-known and celebrated is most likely a complete fabrication on the part of the 14th Century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (known best - pop culture wise - for his portrayal by Paul Bettany in this film).

How appropriate!  A fake holiday based on a fictional character. 
Seriously, this "holiday" is about as real as the 3D effects in this movie:




MY BLOODY VALENTINE


1.5 oz         Myer's Rum
1/2              Blood Orange (juiced)
1/2 oz         Grenadine


Pour ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice
Stir well

Happy Valentine's Day (you fakers)!

 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Black Russian

The Winter Olympics officially begin today in Sochi, Russia.  Even though we haven't yet seen the opening ceremony, there are a host of problems already making headlines like: hotels not being finished, a pillow shortage, undrinkable water, stray dogs being shot down or poisoned in the street, corruption, questionable hospitality and ungodly expenses.

The lack of preparation reached such farcical levels that journalists were tweeting photos of some of the more comical warnings they had seen in their hotels:






Needless to say, this is not doing any favors for the reputation of the one man that is most visible in this fiasco - that being the Russian President himself:


Vladimir Putin

BLACK RUSSIAN


1.5 oz          Vodka
.5 oz            Kahlua


Pour ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice
Stir 

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