MADD Science

Now, I'm no Frank Kelly Rich, but I do get bothered by misleading and often false posters and health messages in schools.  Call me whatever name you choose, but I'm not from the school of thought that believes teaching a kid "Beer = Death" is productive.

Following a brief logic here, if you teach a kid five facts about alcohol, and two of them are "beer kills" and "drinking makes you have unprotected sex," you'll only be harming them.  While both of those statements are nominally true- since you can kill yourself by drinking too much beer, and you will be more likely to have sex when that social lubricant takes away your inhibitions.  However, any kid, no matter how smart or dumb, will figure out by the second or third time they drink, that neither of these things are true every time.  This might lead them to question or ignore all of what they've been taught about drinking.

Now, if you don't agree with that (or couldn't follow), that's fine.  Moving on to the reason I'm talking about this today: I'm no scientist, but I can read.  The article outlining this study never mentions whether there is a causal relationship, only that there is a correlation.  Simply put, there is no stated causal link between seeing a movie with drinking and drinking.  And that's MADD science, not real science.

Obama Responds to Palin on ABC Interview

I know this happened on April 8th, so it's not really news, but since I'd heard about it and never read it until today, I figured I'd post it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Here's what she (Sarah Palin) said. She said, "It's unbelievable, no other administration would do it." And then she likened it to kids on the playground. She said you're like a kid who says, "Punch me in the face, and I'm not going to retaliate." Your response?

OBAMA: I really have no response. Because last I checked, Sarah Palin's not much of an expert on nuclear issues.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But the string of criticism has been out there among other Republicans as well. They think you're restricting use of nuclear weapons too much.

OBAMA: And what I would say to them is that if the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff are comfortable with it, I'm probably going to take my advice from them and not from Sarah Palin.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But not concerned about her criticisms?

OBAMA: No.

Zing! Right?  It made me laugh out loud.  

Satanic Cocktails

Last week's newest cocktail:  The Satan Cocktail found on cocktaildb.

I was looking for a recipe that used Peychauds and the new bottle of Ouzo I just got, and I wasn't having any luck.  Since I'd never heard of Pastis, I didn't think the Satan would be something I could make.  However, with a name like the Satan Cocktail, how could I not give it a look...

Turns out the suggested substitute for Pastis is "Ouzo or other anise-flavored liqueur"  My immediate response was - how quickly can I whip one of these up?  After trying several less-than-spectacular variations on a cocktail starring Ouzo the night before, I was up for it playing a supporting role instead.

For those not in the know on Ouzo (and I count as one of these) a fun intro would be to watch the Lesbos episode of Three Sheets.  Ouzo is a anise flavored liquor, and if that doesn't help describe it, think absinthe- and if that still doesn't help, think peppermint mixed with christmas trees mixed with jaegermister.  Or something like that.  It's a powerful taste, and hard to shove aside.  Something I would like to really work with, since I had no luck whatsoever coming up with a cocktail that didn't taste like pungent dishwater.

Anyway, to the Satan Cocktail!

I used the handy-dandy glass size meter to increase the proportion in this drink, so it doesn't quite match the basic version in the database.

2 1/4 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Ouzo
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters

Pour all ingredients over ice in a shaker, shake twice, then twirl shaker and strain into cocktail glass (I like Whiskey glasses, but choose your own)

I found it to be a little harsh with just hardy stirring, and like it much better with the shake and twirl.  Your Smilage May Vary.

Coming next in the Satanic Cocktails section:  Diabolo Cocktail

Orange Liqueurs

Well, I did a little digging after a few gins last night, and discovered that my price range for the orange liqueurs I listed last time weren't accurate - I was pricing the Grand Marnier too low.

According to my sources over at google, the prices are as follows:

Grand Marnier:  $45
Contreau:           $40
Triple Sec:         $Depends, but anywhere from $5-20 for 750ml

That really turns me off to Grand Marnier and Contreau, because I feel like there is no middle ground orange liqueur.  Now I'm all for premium brands, and I drink them when I get the chance, but I seldom if ever have bought a bottle of premium at this point in my life.  I know there will come a time when my liquor shelf (cabinet? closet? larder?) extends to excellent brands of all sorts of liquors and liqueurs, but for now, I wish there were something better than the triple sec freshmen use for their kamikazes, but less expensive than the Hampton's priced Contreau/Marnier.

Last night I was having the bartender (behind the open bar) make a Bombay, Contreau, and seltzer drink that wasn't too bad.  Wasn't great, but if I tweak it, maybe it'll be better than a watered-down French Kiss.  I'll give an update if/when I get around to trying it.  Don't expect me to use Contreau though, not at $1.60 an ounce.  Maybe I'll put that bottle of Dubonnet to some more use though...

Cocktail Databases Cocktail DB

I have always relied on simple google searches for cocktail recipes.  Often I will find myself scrolling through several sites, usually one of them a cooking site, another a non-drink-dedicated site, eventually hitting a recipe that looks good.  That all looks like it is changing.  Off of a random mention on a Cocktail Virgin post, I went to CocktailDB to check it out.

It rocks.  You can use its engine to search for flavors, ingredients, recipe names, or pretty much anything else, and choose a list of recipes.  The search results are then given in a list with primary liquors (be careful here though, I got excited several times about having all the necessary ingredients only to discover when I clicked that I needed ginger beer or something), and the recipe itself will have hotlinks for all the ingredients.

The recipes always seem to use the most pricey ingredient for the spot (like grand marnier every time instead of triple sec ever), so you have to be wary, but a little bit a behind-the-bar-creativity and you can get a good recipe.

One recent substitution I did that I won't try again: Homemade raspberry simple syrup for maraschino liqueur.  Since I've never had the cocktail in question with maraschino, I don't know what it should taste like, but I know it was good, but naked, with the syrup instead.

Left: Grand Marnier for like 35$

Right: Triple Sec for like 8$

Taste? Well, different, you can taste the quality, but it's just like any other ingredient choice, and to coin a new Redfaceism: Your Smilage Will Vary.


Anyway, check out the database, but check your liquor stockpile first.

Words Matter

I've always loved Shakespeare.  In english classes in high school, at a show, or just once in a while perusing a sonnet or two, his mastery of the English language gives me immense satisfaction.  Those who know me well, know I love words.  At first, my diction can sometimes appear arrogant and unnecessary to people I first meet.  I've been told over the years by quite a few people that I have appeared to be putting people down by using big words when small ones will do.

I don't by this logic- use the word that  best fits the sentence, whether it's well known or not.  Yes, yes of course, there are times when brevity requires more terse statements, but for the most part, taking a moment to say what you mean to say precisely is very important.  In the politics of your daily relationships, how you say and what words you use matters almost as much as tone.  Creating a particular insinuation or suggestion while not saying something is important.

Getting to the point here, Obama has changed the Executive Branch's diction in a bunch of ways.  This matters, a lot.  One of the main reasons I like him so much as our president is simply his appreciation and use of words.  Read any speech he wrote (I like the speech on race in Philly the most), and you will feel the words as much as you will read them.  That man can write, and he can write meaning and clarity into topics that are often obscured and ignored.

Everyone should know at this point who pulled strings in the Bush administration - it was Rove and Cheney and their ilk that were creating imagery and nuanced language to inspire specific reactions.  Obama does the same thing, only his team seems to be closer to Google than Microsoft in purpose if you get my drift...

"Beer is a Popular Product"

Awaiting further developments on this one.  I really hope the end result is that the one guy who 'might face disciplinary measures' ends up getting fined some paltry amount - a far cry from the 25 cases he ended up getting I hope. 

Either way, it never ever occurred to me that someone would throw away beer that was expired, let alone that they would destroy it.  I will not sleep easy knowing that tonight some innocent beer will be ruthlessly destroyed just because the FDA has declared it unfit for consumption.

(By the way, click the post title for the link ;-)  )

Dalliance with Sweet Tea Vodka

I know what you're thinking - has Redface lost it?  Would you dilly or dally with sweet tea vodka or any other in the family for that matter?  Hell no!  But, you do what you need when you need a cool drink- and you innovate for what whets the throat.

Without further ado:

Triple-Half-and-Half
2 oz Spiced Rum
2 oz Sweet Tea vodka
1 oz Vodka
3 Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Fresh Lemonade


Fill shaker halfway with fresh ice, add Rum, Vodkas, Bitters, and Lemonade.  Shake, pour into Collins glass with a few more fresh cubes.  Use cask strength spiced rum here, and go lighter on the sweet tea rather than the typical heavy-handed 2 oz pour.  The vodka is there to dilute the sweetness of the sweet tea vodka.  Be generous as hell with the bitters.












This drink, when made right, manages to balance the sweetness and pack quite a punch.  Warning also, no powdered lemonade mix, and be aware that you'll get a gross back-of-the-throat stickiness if you don't use enough bitters or you use too much sweet tea.  

Sweet Vermouth

It has recently come to my attention that I should have been paying more attention all this time to what brand of vermouth I use.  I have always been an 8:1 Gin martini guy.  Call me extreme, or just say the truth: I love the taste of icy gin.  However, after reading about Noilly Prat Vermouth today over at DrinkBoy.com, I decided to try a bottle of the Noilly Prat Rouge.

Well, I'm convinced.  The Demon Of Destiny I've been drinking since I got that bottle of Absinthe this weekend,  has never tasted this way.   I had three or four with the cheap sweet vermouth, and it isn't the same cocktail.  Repeat: it is not the same cocktail with cheap sweet vermouth.


I was a little skeptical in the liquor store, and ended up not getting any grand marnier, or curaçao, since I wasn't willing to pay that much for a bottle I would us up rather quickly for a liqueur.  I might have to start stockpiling these expensive or hard to find liqueurs.  If switching to a good sweet vermouth makes that much difference, I dare say I might... ...just... ...try... ...a... ...different... Martini... Recipe...

Crazy, but this sweet vermouth has so much more apetizing of a nose and body that it might be worth trying a different martini recipe.  We'll have to wait and see.

Horsefeather

Mmmmm...
That's the ticket on a warm day, a cold Horsefeather.  I have A.J. Rathburn to thank for this gem.  I seem to like my Horsefeathers with at least 3 generous dashes of bitters, but you can choose your own amount.

Approximately Mr. Rathburn's recipe:

3 oz Bourbon
3 Dashes Bitters
Ginger Ale

Fill tall glass three quarters full with ice, add bourbon and bitters, then fill with ginger ale, stir and smile.

Surprising on the palate- the Horsefeather packs a much more complex taste than you would expect given it seems like mostly soda.  Don't be fooled by it's cooling and restorative first glance though, it packs quite a punch and by your third or fourth, you'll feel like it should be called "Lead-Footed Horse" or something more pithy than you care to think of.

Bitter Beware

It is too often hard to find a good cocktail in the average bar.  I must instead settle for a whiskey on the rocks, or a beer from the tap.  While those who know me know quite well that I have no aversion to either, I certainly size up a place in those opening moments as I attempt to order a cocktail and get turned down on ingredient after ingredient.

Most common of late, has been my transition from ordering a drink by name to asking simply if there are any bitters behind the bar.  Bitters for me has become a simpler way of finding out what kind of bar I'm in. It seems to me, though I am new to the use of bitters, that they replace almost all of what I dislike about modern cocktails with something I always missed.  Gone are the days of sugary mixers, soda fillers, juices just for flavor - I can add a dash or two of bitters, and an ounce or less of the desirable liqueur, a few ounces of the good stuff, and poof bam bang, a complex, cold, small-but-powerful cocktail is born.

I think it will be quite some time before I reach the familiarity with bitters that I have long had with the mixers I am now replacing, as I could whip up a slew of unique (and mediocre) mixed drinks from cola, and lemon-lime sodas.  I guess it all started with that good old book Imbibe!.