Tag Archives: drink

A good excuse for a Scotch!

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Hou ar ye? D’ye spaek Scots? Aye, juist a wee bittie. But…it’s a liitle too confusing to understand, so I’ll switch back to good old Americanized English.

Happy Tartan Day! I’ll admit that I didn’t know it existed before yesterday. But when I found out, the first thing I thought was, “What a good excuse to have a Scotch!” (And show off my Fraser plaid scarf, of course.) Heather’s family has a strong Scottish heritage, and for Christmas last year she got me a scarf made of the Fraser Hunting Weathered tartan. Mix that with The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old Scotch and we have a celebration!

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Your nose is greeted with strong notes of vanilla and butterscotch with subtle dried fruit. The taste is light, dry, and complex. It’s very drinkable with subtle spices mixed with honey, vanilla, and dried fruit. The finish is on the short side, yet delightful. Excellent all around (and the color on the bottle even matches my scarf).

Here’s tae us, guid nicht!

Happy St. Tito’s Day!

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Yes, I know there is no St. Tito. Well, at least I don’t think there is. (Is there?) So I guess I also need to officially say Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I thought I’d put an American spin on it this year, blending the totally Americanized McDonald’s Shamrock Shake with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. I don’t frequent McDonald’s very often, but if there is a highlight, the Shamrock Shake is it. If any of you managed to get to SXSW in Austin this year, I hope you  got to experience the excellence that is Tito’s vodka. Tito’s has been one of the top finalists at our vodka tasting parties (and always gotten my top vote), holding it’s own against the expensive imports.

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The Shamrock Shake made it home from the drive-thru a few ounces short of full (hey, I did say it was a highlight). I added 3 oz. of Tito’s to the shake, mixed it up and put it back in the freezer. After re-freezing, I ran it through a blender and poured it into two glasses, topping them with fresh whipped cream. A delightful St. Patrick’s Day afternoon treat.

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Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Sláinte!

Old San Juan, El Batey, and Ron del Barrilito (take me away)!

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We discovered Barrilito “three star” rum on our actual honeymoon and were instantly hooked. Enjoying a glass of this smooth aged rum in our living room always takes us right back to Old San Juan…and more specifically to El Batey, the best little dive bar in Puerto Rico (or possibly the world). Conveniently located right across the street from Hotel El Convento (our Puerto Rican home away from home), this place has cheap drinks, an eclectic mix of songs on the juke box, and loads of character (and characters!)

After our tour of the Bacardi factory in 2008, the Cuba Libre (basically a rum and Coke with lime) became a favorite cocktail of ours . Despite our fond recollections of the tour, we really prefer to make ours with Ron del Barrilito (Rum from the little Barrel) “three star.” That seems to be the consensus of many people we’ve talked with in Old San Juan. The picture below shows a Cuba Libre “El Batey style”: a small glass filled almost entirely with “three star” and ice, then topped off with Coke and a lime.

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The Cuba Libre, El Batey style.

I would also recommend just drinking the “three star” from a snifter.  It’s the older of the two Edmundo B. Fernández, Inc. rums, featuring a blend of rums aged between 6 and 10 years. Sipping will let you enjoy the layers of honey, butterscotch, molasses, spice, vanilla, smoke, nuts, and oak. The finish is warm, smoky, sweet and very lengthy.

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Ron del Barrilito “three star.” Note the neck label, the only difference from the two-star, less-aged variety.

That long finish takes us away to El Batey. The most intimidating bar we’ve ever walked into, it is also one of the most friendly and interesting. Each visit has provided great conversation with the patrons and the bartenders, and endless visual appeal. The highlight of our most recent visit was a brief chat with the owner, David Jones. He is obviously a man who knows how to enjoy himself as he was surrounded by friends, drink, and a bag of cigars. I think this photo captured him perfectly as this is how he chose to sit when I asked to photograph him; elusive, gruff, intense and relaxed all at once.

Owner David Jones.

Owner David Jones.

I leave you with a toast to David Jones, especially for choosing to leave the graffiti on the walls for over 40 years! Peruse through these highlights and imagine yourself sipping a Cuba Libre. Cheers!

Our names, still on the wall after our honeymoon visit in 2008.
Every time I look at this I see something new.
Layers of character!
The light fixtures….with business cards hanging off them.
The wall above the bar, featuring character portraits. Owner David Jones is on the left. Notice the resemblance?
There aren’t too many things that can take my eyes off the wall at El Batey. But, I will for Heather.
The El Batey entry, beckoning.

A grappa toast post!

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There is quite a storied history behind this post. But before I begin, let’s get to the toast. Cheers to our friends Gina and Dave and their new baby boy!

So…now for the story. It starts in August of 2010. Heather and I were on a short honeymoon getaway to New Orleans, eating dinner at the Green Goddess (home of the bacon sundae), when we heard Scotty the bartender and Chris the chef discussing grappa. For those of you not familiar with grappa, it’s basically a spirit distilled from the leftovers of the grapes after making wine. Prior to this trip, I may have referred to grappa as fire water. But  I was intrigued by chef Chris’s description for Suprema grappa refosco, “That’s good frakking grappa!” (Note the Battlestar Galactica expletive, as I’d prefer to keep this family friendly :) ) I ended up trying a taste and replying, “That is good!” Chef Chris just looked at me. “That’s good frakking grappa!” I amended. A cheer was given by all.

So…circle back to Dave and Gina, and trying a couple different grappas at a local restaurant after telling the above story. Both of the grappas fire waters were very disappointing. I finally managed to track down a bottle of this good frakking grappa, and am looking forward to sharing it with Dave and Gina while toasting their new family addition in person. Cheers!

Suprema grappa refosco. Worth drinking from a snifter.

Suprema grappa refosco. Worth drinking from a snifter. Your initial taste is smooth and refined with a bit of dried fruit, met with a scent of vanilla coming off the top rim. There is a long pepper finish with hints of vanilla and honey. Good frakking grappa!

Café Puerto Rico, Old San Juan. A must do!

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For the first post of the new year, I am finally following up on the new years eve post with a must do for all of you traveling to Old San Juan. Heather had done lots of research on where to go for local cuisine, and the first place the hotel concierge mentioned lined up with one of her options. Café Puerto Rico. A few blocks walk from El Convento (more on this wonderful hotel to come), we ended up on the edge of Plaza Colon and entered the cafe. It was crowded and lively and we were told to come back in 38 minutes. Yes 38. Never have we received such an exact return time. We wandered a few doors down to the Parrot Club for a cocktail, and listened to a jazz trio for 36 minutes, then quickly returned.

Heather at the Parrot Club.
A mojito seemed like an appropriate first drink, along with a coconut martini.

We were rewarded for our patience with a private table on the balcony overlooking Plaza Colon. I can’t say how lovely a view I, in particular, had without showing you my view.

Heather at Café Puerto Rico, overlooking Plaza Colon.

Heather at Café Puerto Rico, overlooking Plaza Colon.

We ordered mero (grouper) and tiritas de churrascos (skirt steak) mofongos rellenos, and a couple of tropical drinks. This ended up being our favorite meal of the trip!

Refreshing!!
Mofongos, lit with the dimmest of streetlights. Stellar.

Here are a few more visual highlights from the evening. More from Old San Juan to follow soon. Cheers!

A garita at sunset overlooking Bahia de San Juan.
Garita detail.
Bahia de San Juan at sunset. The Bacardi factory is across the bay.
La Rogativa monument.
A view down Calle Las Monjas. Cats are a prominent feature of the area.
One of the many spectacular house number signs that can be seen throughout Old San Juan.

P.S. If those of you who subscribe (thank you so much for following along!), could let me know if the galleries appear correctly in your e-mail, I’d appreciate it.  They look lovely in the on line post, but it showed up in my and Heather’s e-mail all broken and random. I’ve contacted WordPress about it, so hopefully we can get it resolved. Thanks!

Happy New Year! (Old world style)

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This may be an unconventianal New Year’s Eve post, but it really makes sense. Don’t we all ring in the new year by thinking about some highlights from the previous year? And pledging to do more of what makes you happy in the upcoming year? (And kissing your someone special as the ball drops in Times Square!) So….these pictures are from our 5th Anniversary honeymoon trip to Old San Juan — a definite highlight during this past year. And Heather and I call every trip we take together a honeymoon….which I hereby pledge to do more of this year! (Along with kissing her at midnight!)

This latest honeymoon was about eating and drinking in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a lot of cool sights in between sips and bites! I took so many pictures over the course of 4 days that it will end up as multiple posts. Here are a few highlights to get us started!

Garita at sunset.
Heather at Café Puerto Rico, overlooking Plaza Colon.
El Batey wall.
Purple balcony.
Ceviche at El Asador.
Paseo de La Princesa music man.
San Cristobal sunrise.
Old San Juan red door.
The Captain.
The iguana king.
Ceviche on the mezzanine at El Convento.
The view from El Morro.
Sunrise over El Morro.
Tranquil morning on the wall of El Morro.
Sunrise over La Perla.
Angel from Cementerio Santa Maria Magdalena De Pazzis.

So here’s to a happy, healthy, prosperous new year to you all. Cheers!

Café Puerto Rico cheers. Happy new year!!

Café Puerto Rico cheers. Happy new year!!

Have yourself a merry little pomegranate martini!

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The pomegranate: that beautiful red fruit that you walk by in the store and think, “I have to buy one.” And then you get it home and think, “what am I supposed to do with this!?” I’ve never had much luck getting a lot of juice out of one, so I’ll heavily suggest you purchase a bottle of POM Wonderful to go along with it. Cutting the pomegranate apart and grabbing some of the seeds to garnish your merry little pomegranate martini is a lot easier, albeit messy!

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In a cocktail shaker over ice add:

  • 2 oz. Tito’s vodka
  • 2 oz. POM Wonderful juice
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz. meyer lemon juice
  • 8 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters

Shake until chilled and pour into a martini glass. Toss a handful of pomegranate seeds in the glass and garnish with a meyer lemon twist.

Make enough for all and toast to your family and friends. And we’ll toast to you all having a safe and happy holiday season. Cheers!

The merry little pomegranate martini. Cheers!

The merry little pomegranate martini. Cheers!

Happy Halloween! Beware the Clemenstein!

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What could be better for Halloween than a blend of clementines and Frankenstein? Introducing…the Clemenstein! At least Frankenstein is blended into the name…..not into the drink <insert evil laugh>. The reference seemed appropriate as it’s a little bit margarita, a little bit tequila sunrise, a little bit clementine, (and a little bit mad scientist).

The drink consists of a blend of 2 ounces of reposado tequila (I used my trusty bottle of 1800), 1 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed clementine juice, 1 ounce of triple sec, and a 1/2 ounce grenadine. Oh….and I can’t forget…a chunk of dry ice to create the jaw dropping, eerie smoke effect! The dry ice prevents you from having to stir, as the violent bubbling reaction will mix up your drink for you….turning it almost blood red  <insert evil laugh>. Garnish with a twist of clementine….skin  <insert evil laugh>, serve and have a safe and happy Halloween!

**Be careful not to touch (or consume!) the dry ice…it will burn you. Use a straw to help prevent accidentally swallowing some. More info here.

The clemenstein!

Double Rainbow Sangria

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Why, you ask? Why is this post called “double rainbow” sangria? It’s just due to my wish to occasionally include pop culture references in my posts. Even somewhat dated pop culture references. But really, doesn’t the garnish on the glasses kind of remind you of a double rainbow? It wasn’t originally intentional; just fortuitous garnish karma.

So this is what we did with the Salmon Run Chardonnay that was left over from our tasting get-together. Throw some fruit, whole cloves, a splash of creme de cacao, and 3-4 oz. of brandy in with the wine….let it sit in the fridge for a day or so….and it really kicks it up a notch. Along with the blend of citrus fruits, I think apples are the key fruit addition. The raspberries were overpowered by the rest, but added a nice touch of color (and they tasted great when the sangria was gone).

This was splendid, but the same as with red wine (see our fruity, spicy, dangerously smooth version), there are many variations you could use to make white sangria. Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share while we have a sip…..cheers!

Salmon Run Sextet

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We recently held a small gathering to taste 6 different Salmon Run white wines. Okay, it was really small – just us and Chef Mark. And six bottles of wine. Yup, we had a good time!

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe……which to pick first? They all look so appealing!

Wanting to start with the driest, we first sampled the Pinot Grigio. This wine’s light straw color – almost clear – would lead you to believe that it was less flavorful than it actually was. Its aroma, with a touch of citrus, was sweeter than its flavor. On the palate, it blended a bit of grapefruit with strong notes of apple, peach, and apricot.

The Chardonnay was very straw-like, both in color and flavor. It had a scent of apple, with a flavor hinting at sour apple and artichoke. Reading this over, it sounds horrible…but it wasn’t. It was good, just not our favorite of the bunch.

The Chardonnay/Riesling blend had us intrigued. It had the sweetest scent of the bunch, with an abundance of honey and peach, as well as a hint of grapefruit. The taste was slightly creamy and sweet to start, followed by a touch of cedar, and a crisp, dry finish. We liked it.

The Rkatsiteli’s scent was a blend of fruit and asparagus, which may not sound like a good start, but this wine ended up being our unanimous favorite. The taste was of peach and apple with a bit of orange creaminess. It was a good blend of flavors that led to a “delightfully crisp finish.” This quote is actually in our tasting notes, but we can’t really remember who said it…

The Gewürztraminer had a touch of pear to start, a bit of creaminess, and a nice spice to finish. It was our second favorite of the bunch. Okay, so our notes got a little thin near the end…

The next night, we were lucky enough to have some Gewurzt left to pair nicely with our grilled swordfish and mango salsa.

We saved the Riesling for last, thinking it would be the sweetest. It was, but not overly so. It had a nice blend of peach, grapefruit, melon, and lemon. We think. My handwriting was a bit hard to read by this point.

Mysteriously, all the corks ended up next to the Riesling bottle….

Cheers to Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars to a wonderful collection of Finger Lakes white wine!