Secrets for Successful Indulgence

By lisala on 3/31/09 7:49pm
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I live in an area that's not just a college town, it's a college town with several small colleges, and a fair number of pubs, bars, and cocktail lounges. This means that in the course of indulging in free Wi-Fi, I'm afforded an incredible theater for watching people engage in astonishingly silly behavior around alcohol. This post is an attempt to offer some alternatives of indulging, without running quite so much risk.

First, yes, we like alcohol, not only for the amazing varieties of types and flavors it comes in, but for certain "medicinal" values as well. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to assume no one likes puking their guts out, and only the insanely masochistic like a hangover.

One of the most basic things you should do when you know you're going to have a fun night with a fair amount of imbibing is to eat something first. This does not mean a granola bar. This means real food with protein, and yes, some fat. Not just salad. Fat will actually adhere to your intestinal tract in provide a little protection against subsequent indignities. Have a steak. Or a quesadilla. Or a cheeseburger. Anything with a little substance.

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Stocking Your Home Bar

By lisala on 3/30/09 11:27am
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You don't have to rush out and spend a fortune on booze and mixers to have a reasonably well-stocked home bar. Most people who drink alcohol will have a range of drinks they're happy with—it's actually more important Images of various liquors in bottles.to have something—juice, ice tea, or soda—for the non-drinkers, for people pacing themselves, and for the designated drivers. As your experience with mixology grows, though, you'll find yourself wanting to experiment with more obscure cocktail recipes, and you may well discover yourself acquiring strong preferences for some spirits over others, and the next stage in your development as a home-bartending enthusiast—or at least, in my own—is the desire to compare and contrast different brands, to create drinks with a signature twist.

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Basic Home Bar

By lisala on 3/7/09 6:03pm
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Given the economy, and the fact that sometimes it's just nicer to enjoy a quiet drink at home, now might be a good time to think about setting up a basic home bar. You ought to be able to get the "starter set" for between a $100.00 and $125.00. That should give you the basic bartending equipment and glassware you need to make most cocktails for you and a couple of friends—but not for a large party. In another post, we'll talk about how to stock the bar with enough alcohol and mixers to begin, without going broke. I'm including ballpark prices here from online retailers, but I'm not linking to the pages. I'll include enough data that you can, if you wish, find the specific product, but honestly, I expect you'll do better shopping locally—especially after adding in the cost of shipping. I'll talk about tools first, and then glassware.

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Things That Really Should Not Be Drunk

By lisala on 2/17/09 4:28pm
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My former campus was "dry"; there were bars and a microbrewery in easy walking distance, but they were far enough away that there weren't that many inebriated undergrads. My current location is Image of a box of pre-made margaritas.situationally much closer to numerous sources of cheap booze. Several of the larger establishments have expensive signage promoting economical bulk intoxicants. This has led me to contemplate the list of things I personally find profoundly undrinkable, to the point that I consider imbibing them acts of beverage heresy.

Jägermeister

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Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By lisala on 2/14/09 6:37pm
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Despite my fierce allegiance to Maker's Mark, earlier this week I decided it's time to branch out and at least try other sorts of bourbon. I've had to make do from time to time, mostly at airports, with Wild Turkey, but there are other makers of small batch Image of a bottle of ELijah Craig 12 Year old Bourbon.Kentucky bourbon out there. Elijah Craig is one of them. To be honest, the local state liquor store wasn't overflowing with options. They had Jack Daniels, which I loathe, Wild Turkey, Knob Creek, which I've had, but don't remember as distinctive, and Elijah Craig 12-year-old. I was intrigued by the fact that the bottle describes Elijah Craig as "small batch premium bourbon," since one of the more notable differences in Marker's Mark is that it's small batch bourbon. The bottle further notes that Elijah Craig is "bottled exclusively from a dumping of 70 barrels or less."

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Maker's Mark

By lisala on 1/14/09 8:44pm
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If you go to academic conferences with Celticists, sooner or later, (well, no, it's actually always sooner) the Scots attendees, and some few of the Irish, are bringing out their special bottles of single malt.

I've been attending Celtic studies conferences for more than twenty years now, and have tried single malts many times. I'm afraid I lack the palate to appreciate them. A couple of years ago when a friend coaxed me into trying Maker's Mark bourbon I was very surprised to Image of a bottle of Maker's Markdiscover that I like it very much indeed, albeit I am somewhat heretical in that I prefer it on the rocks. (I dare not even contemplate doing the equivalent with single malt. I am given to understand that so doing would damage my immortal soul, and my academic reputation at once).

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