The Gimlet has a backstory along the lines of the Gin and Tonic. It was created as a way for the navy to incorporate lime juice into its diet to avoid scurvy. These days scurvy may be almost unheard of, but between 1500-1800 roughly two million sailors died of what was a very painful death. In the 1790’s it was discovered that lemons were responsible for holding scurvy at bay, prompting all sailors to be issued a daily dose of the citrus to be consumed in rum. In the 19th century, lemons were switched to limes because they were more…
The phrase “dog days” doesn’t actually come from our canine friends lolling around in the heat, apparently. It comes courtesy of the ancient Greek and Romans and has more of a celestial meaning than a four legged one. In July, Sirius, known as the “dog star” (because it made up the nose of the constellation, Canis Major, shaped like a dog) would rise at the same time as the sun. Because it was such a bright star, it was initially believed that its energy combined with the sun to create the hottest days of the year – the “days of…
This is a drink of the ’80’s. A time period which doesn’t have a stellar reputation for producing anything of real style or substance. Hot pink lycra, oversized shoulder pads and big hair certainly, but I think most of the cool, classy stuff belongs to a few decades earlier. But it just so happens that I was a big fan of the fuzzy navel back in the day and in a recent moment of nostalgia, decided to mix one up. Turns out there are some things that can be brought back and enjoyed all over again. The fuzzy navel is…
Many years ago in Portland, Oregon, there was an uber cool, uber chic bar named the Brazen Bean. It was in the upper part of an old Victorian house and was one of the best places to go in town for an interesting cocktail. Over time I tried many of them but I always seemed to be lured back to the Brazen Martini. So simple and chic, it consists of 1 part vodka to one part Parfait Amour. Parfait Amour is a French liqueur with hints of orange and vanilla and can sometimes prove elusive to find. If you can’t…
Consider this a PSA – do not fork over your hard earned cash to buy simple syrup. A recent Amazon search revealed a variety of bottles selling for anywhere between ten and twenty dollars. Some are artisanal and small batch and, I must admit, very nicely packaged. But the truth of the matter is that simple syrup takes minutes and pennies to make. Equal parts sugar and water heated gently in a pan until all the sugar has dissolved. That’s it. Done. Finito. Nothing could be simpler (pun intended). And once you’ve mastered the fine art of this tricky little recipe,…
I went into a local restaurant recently and asked for one of my favourite drinks — a Kir Royale. It’s a classic cocktail and one I have ordered many, many times over the years. On this particular occasion, however, the waiter was unfamiliar with it. Not too surprising — he was pretty young. I explained that it was simply champagne and creme de cassis, suggesting that surely the bartender would know how to make it. Except that she didn’t either and not only that — creme de cassis wasn’t even in the building The outcome of this story is that…
