September 2021

Another Excuse Bites The Dust

Endorphins, Fitness / By

Sometimes we feel too old and tired to do our strength training, even though we know about the positive benefits of lifting weights.  Then we saw Edith on goodnewsnetwork.org.

“Reaching the age of 100 in good health and good spirits is an accomplishment in its own right, but training to take home your next weightlifting trophy truly takes the (birthday) cake.  At the age of 98 years and 94 days, great-great-grandmother Edith Murway-Traina already had a Guinness World Record (GWR) as the “oldest female competitive powerlifter” under her belt—and she successfully deadlifted 150 pounds to do it. Traina’s storied win will be featured in the Guinness World Records 2022 edition.” And she’s not done.  She’s going after more.

What’s her primary motivation?  Not the trophy.  It’s applause.

Well, maybe no one is around when you finish your workout and you haven’t set any records.   Give yourself a round of applause anyway.  For Baby Boomers who are staying fit….. everyone gets a trophy.

– Dumbell Cannon

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Play Ball!

Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun / By

The playoffs are just around the corner and Liquor.com has come to the rescue!

“There is no generally accepted, classic “Baseball Cocktail.” There’s not even a “Babe Ruth Cocktail.” If there were ever a man who didn’t think a drink was something to be avoided, it was The Sultan of Swat (he was famous for putting away a quart of whiskey and ginger ale with his breakfast).

Fortunately, there is one classic with which to toast the baseball season: the Cooperstown Cocktail. It was created at the old Waldorf-Astoria hotel back before Prohibition as a tribute to the sporting types from the famed upstate town who used to drop by when they were in the city. It includes gin, equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, orange bitters and mint leaves, and it’s the refreshment you want before, during or after a nine-inning day out.”

The Cooperstown Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 ounces Tanqueray gin
  • 3/4 ounce Martini & Rossi rosso vermouth
  • 3/4 ounce Noilly Prat Original dry vermouth
  • 2 dashes The Bitter Truth orange bitters
  • 2 mint leaves
  • Garnish: mint sprig (optional)

Steps

  • Add the gin, vermouths, orange bitters and mint leaves to a mixing glass with ice.


    Stir until well-chilled and strain into a cocktail glass.

    Garnish with a mint sprig, if desired.

Cheers!

– Jet Cannon

Photo:  Liquor.com

Empress 1908 Gin

Caffeine, Food and Drink, Travel / By

“Handcrafted in small batch copper-pot stills, Empress 1908 Gin is a collaboration between Victoria Distillers and the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. On top of traditional botanicals, we add a signature blend of black tea served at the Empress Hotel and butterfly pea blossom, an exotic herb that balances the traditional citrus notes of gin with a warm herbal earthiness, and gives the gin its natural indigo colour. Empress 1908’s combination of exquisite taste, delicate aroma, soft texture, and remarkable presentation provide the perfect base for a new aesthetic of cocktail creation and enjoyment.” Did you catch the part about it being purple or indigo as they call it? The butterfly pea blossom does not interfere with a nice traditional gin flavor and the unusual color makes some interesting looking cocktails possible.

Ideally, travel to Victoria, British Columbia, stay at the historic Fairmont Empress Hotel, drop into the Q Bar, and enjoy an Empress 1908 cocktail like you’re royalty. Or a peasant. Doesn’t matter. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Need a pick-me-up? Enjoy the English tradition of afternoon high tea. But bring your wallet!

  • Jet Cannon

 

Repurposed watering Holes

Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun, Travel / By

Taking a retired facility and making it into a bar while leaving the elements of the old establishment intact, makes tossing one back just a little bit more fun.  In a previous post, we visited the Old Glory Speakeasy in Nashville, located in the boiler room of White Way Cleaners, formerly one of the largest steam cleaning facilities in Nashville.  The three story boiler is still there.  The dark, secretive atmosphere convinced us we were back in prohibition days.  

Closer to our home is the Tin Room Bar which took over a tin shop.  Ernie, the tin shop’s proprietor, is pictured on the menu.  The Tin Shop sign still hangs over the bar.  Some of the tools for bending tin are behind the bar. There’s craftsman quality poured into every cocktail.

A little farther up the road is the Anderson School which is one of the McMenamin brother’s repurposed establishments.  The hotel and grounds sport several bars with our favorite being the Principal’s Office which seats about six people and offers specialty cocktails that would make Principal Anderson proud.  Located in Bothell, Washington the hotel, bars and restaurants feature vignettes of local history throughout. You’ll leave happy and a little smarter.

In future posts, we will explore bars in an old Elk’s Temple, a bank vault, a poor farm, a brothel, a barge, a plane, a train and historic hotels.

Meanwhile, go online and see what repurposed bars are in your area.  Oftentimes, there’s a fun history lesson to go along with your cocktail.

– Jet Cannon

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It’s Bourbon Baby!

Food and Drink / By

Fall is here.  Break out the bourbon.  Per bourboncountry.com,  bourbon is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, yeast and water. The “mash bill” must have a minimum of 51% corn. For most bourbons, the average is about 70%.  Bourbon must be aged in brand new barrels which are made of white oak and have been charred on the inside.

Lots of choices out there.  Because we like a good value while not sacrificing quality, we’re trying out Costco’s Kirkland Signature bourbons.  They don’t make it in the warehouse.  Barton 1792 Distillery developed them.  We’re impressed.  They compare very nicely to our favorites.

Not a Costco member? Check out one of our go-to bourbons. Maker’s Mark.  Besides it’s excellent flavor notes, it’s fun knowing that the distiller’s grandmother came up with the name, bottle design, and insistence that every bottle be hand-dipped in red wax.  Grandpa made the hooch.

Neat, with water, or ice, or in a cocktail, enjoy bourbon’s many nuanced aromas and flavors this fall.

Cheers!

– Jet Cannon

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Music trivia

Music / By

Thanks to Onethisday.com here is some music trivia that occurred on this day in history:

1915 Cecil Chubb buys English prehistoric monument Stonehenge for £6,600. No one cared until Spinal Tap’s epic concert performance. 

1966 Jimmy Hendrix changes spelling of his name to “Jimi”

2004 Green Day release their album “American Idiot” in the US

2013 Farm Aid held in Saratoga Springs, New York; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Pete Seeger, Amos Lee, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Sasha Dobson, Carlene Carter, Pegi Young & The Survivors, and Insects vs Robots

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Feed Your Head

Food and Drink / By

Monday blues? Well today September 20th is National Pepperoni Pizza Day. That, and a cold pint of beer, and your problems are solved, mate!

Cheers!

  • Jet Cannon

 

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Yak Butter Tea

Caffeine, Endorphins, Fitness, Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun, Travel / By

Seattle writer Tantri Wija regularly amazes us with unique alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages featured in The Seattle Times.  Recently, she wrote about Himalayan butter tea which powers sherpas up Mt. Everest and the like.  Wow!  We want some.  She describes it as a power smoothie.  Okay!  Except…. We don’t have any yak butter on hand or pu-erh tea.  We could probably find grass-fed cow butter as a substitute but that would require a trip to the store.

Yet being anxious to prep for today’s Sherpa-level rowing workout, we dropped some regular butter in some regular black tea.  Let’s just say we never tasted anything quite like it (and possibly won’t ever again).  But what about the workout?  Coated-tongue in mouth, we climbed on the rower and quickly exceeded all our previous workouts.  Not really.  Our workout plan usually includes a pre-workout concoction that includes caffeine.  But telling people that our workout regimen includes cow butter tea, well, that’s worth something!  And we’ll be sure to order Himalayan butter tea, the real thing, if we ever get to the Himalyans.

Next, butter coffee.  Yeah.  That’s a thing, too.  We’ve apparently not been paying attention.

Climb every mountain…..

  • Jet Cannon
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Where’s The Beef?

Burgers, Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun / By

Growing up, we had a butcher one block away.  Mr. Roberts was the grouchy butcher and sweet Mrs. Roberts manage the tiny store.   Big candy bars were a nickel.  Supermarkets were popping up one by one but most of our meat continued to come from Robert’s Grocery.

About the same timeframe in Burien, Washington there were four butcher shops.  Today, there is one.  Thankfully.  And that’s were we get our Butcher  Buzz.  From browsing the Teriyaki Tri-Tip, the Kalbi Chicken, the Hawaiian Pork Wrap, Candy Salmon, and the homemade pepperoni to firing up the BBQ and dazzling family and friends with culinary excellence (and taking the credit), there’s magic in the process.  Oh, it costs a little more but it’s worth it. 

Support your local butcher if you’re lucky enough to have one.  They can’t compete with Costco price-wise but there’s tangible value in the experience.

– Jet Cannon

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Going Whole Hog

Good Clean Fun, Travel / By

Baby Boomers bought a lot of Harley-Davidson motorcycles over the years.  The unmistakable exhaust note is part of our classic rock collection.  Often customized, it’s rare that two Harley’s look alike.  And with all the gear and merchandise Harley markets, it’s rare two riders look alike.  Harleys are tough.  Baby Boomers are tough.

What will Harley do without the Boomers?  Euro-style bikes.  Smaller bikes?  Electric bikes?  Yeah, that’s where they’re headed because Millennials are their new market.  And that’s fine.  The big hogs belong to us.

– Jet Cannon

National TV dinner Day

Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun / By

September 10th is National TV Dinner Day.  Ah, the good old days.  Baby Boomers, remember? Before microwaves?  A full meal in an aluminum tray.  Genius.  TV trays.  One for each member of the family.  Black and white TV’s’ with rabbit ear antennas.  Three channels.  Ed Sullivan. The national anthem at midnight then sign-off.  Cold War.  Asian wars.  Riots.  Assassinations.  Segregation.  No liquor or beer sales on Sunday.   Ah, the good old days.  And compared to The Great Depression they were, we suppose.  

Looking on the bright side, we can still get a TV dinner at the grocery store or an original 1950’s Swanson dinner on eBay for around $100 bucks (so glad we didn’t eat them all, though sales are slow).  And TV trays are available from Amazon for delivery to your front door.  Ah, the good new days.

– Jet Cannon

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Singing the Tequila Blues

Food and Drink / By

We’re trying to keep a positive attitude about our beloved Tequila after reading Kate Linthicum’s excellent article in the Los Angeles Times, How Celebrities are Changing Mexico’s Tequila Industry.  Why the gloom?  It has to do with celebrities, foreign ownership, environmental concerns including pesticides, and production industrialization in the $10 billion a year industry.  Growing demand has attracted celebrities which fuels more demand.  Not necessarily a bad thing.  But of the major brands, only Jose Cuervo enjoys Mexican ownership.  Mala Vida is a smaller brand but it’s owned by the Mexican rock band Mana so we’ll check that one out as it has a good reputation.  

Back to the gloomy news, as demand for the agave plant grows, forests get bulldozed and pesticides are introduced to improve crop yields.  To produce the Tequila more efficiently, new methods are used which some think compromises the flavor.

So now what?  We’re going to pay a little more attention to Jose Cuervo variants to support Mexican ownership.  We’re sure to see more marketing to showcase environmentally-preferred farming methods used by certain brands.  And we’ll try to resist buying Tequila promoted by our favorite celebrities as they are not necessarily better.  (Note:  Sammy Hagar sold Cabo Wabo in 2007).  We’re hoping celebrity Baby Boomers in the business take pride in the quality of the product, protect the Mexican environment, and send us samples.  We’re weak that way.

– Jet Cannon

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