There are days when strong medicine is called for. This is one of those days.
A Painkiller is a rum cocktail often associated with the British Virgin Islands, its place of origin. The Painkiller is a blend of rum with four parts pineapple juice, one part cream of coconut and one part orange juice, well shaken and served on the rocks with a generous amount of fresh grated nutmeg on top.
Here’s to better days.
Cary Grant, born Archie Leach, ran away from home at 13 and began his show biz career as a juggler, stilt walker, Coney Island barker, and vaudeville actor. Reports Brittannica, he would be celebrating a birthday today if he hadn’t passed away in 1986 at age 82. We will remember him as the charming, debonair film hero.
Photo: New York Times
We should stop reading about the high cost and poor results of healthcare in the US. It’s depressing. AARP says there’s a shortage of doctors so even finding one is becoming a challenge. Getting health insurance to cover the visit is another hassle. Deny, delay, deny some more until you go away. And outcomes are about the worst in the developed world.
Is there relief in site? No. Meanwhile, the health industry and pharmaceutical companies spend millions and millions on lobbying politicians (many of whom are provided with excellent health insurance – often for life). Lobbying might make a good career, though. Thousands of jobs!
One doctor told us he thought his job would be replaced by AI in seven years. We’d still need nurses and aides but the diagnosing and treatment recommendations would be much better handled by AI. And AI would remember everything about you and everything you shared in the doctor’s office. And, by the way, your surgeon is a robot. (That’s probably not a bad thing. Never hung over or in the middle of a divorce).
What does this have to do with “catching a mellow Buzz”? It’s no wonder we drink.
– Jet Cannon
We love Vine Pair for their fine coverage of wine, spirits and more. But here’s an article that rankles us traditionalists….. “From Crispy Chicken Skin to Potato Chips, Martini Garnishes Have Run Amok”. Read it here and weep. Admittedly, some of the creations were attempts to go viral and not serious. However, here’s our opinion deftly stated by a proper New York cocktail expert.
“The essence of the garnish is to serve as a complement to enhance the sensorial experience of any cocktail,” says David Orellana, beverage director at New York’s Grand Brasserie, who believes the recent Netflix reality show “Drink Masters” has inspired these garnishes to run amok — not a good thing in his book. “At Grand Brasserie we are bound to tradition when it comes to Martini garnishes,” he says.
Thank you. Save the creativity for everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Bloody Mary’s.
Photo: Maserati Mike
Vine Pair helps out with an article on how non-alcoholic beer, and there are some good ones, can lower cholesterol. We’re not a fan of mocktails but non-alcoholic IPA’s help make Dry January more tolerable. But there’s more!
“Non-alcoholic beer may be mostly water, but it also contains plenty of nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds like polyphenols. Medical research has proven that polyphenols — which are found in hops — carry antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and can improve overall cardiovascular health.”
So drink up!
We were recently told drinking coffee on an empty stomach, which we do every morning, is harmful to our health. Particularly for women. And we know some women.
Here’s what we read in Healthline.com and it seems pretty convincing:
“Coffee increases the production of stomach acid but doesn’t appear to cause digestive issues for most people. Therefore, drinking it on an empty stomach is perfectly fine.
Coffee may cause a temporary rise in the stress hormone cortisol. Nonetheless, this is unlikely to result in health problems, regardless of whether you drink it on an empty stomach or with food.
Drinking too much coffee may cause anxiety, restlessness, migraines, and poor sleep. However, no evidence indicates that drinking it on an empty stomach affects the frequency or strength of these side effects.
Many people enjoy coffee first thing in the morning before they’ve eaten.
Despite persistent myths, little scientific evidence suggests that drinking it on an empty stomach is harmful. Rather, it likely has the same effects on your body no matter how you consume it.”
Cheers!
All the same, if you experience digestive issues when drinking coffee on an empty stomach, try having it with food instead. If you notice an improvement, it may be best to adjust your routine accordingly.
On this day in 1773, in what is known as the Boston Tea Party, American colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians threw 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company into Boston Harbor to protest a tax on tea, says Britannica. Nowadays, American’s consume around 85 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.9 billion gallons a year.
Here’s some tips for Buzzed Boomers to improve health:
So be more selective on the salty snacks and booze. Find endorphins via exercise and laughter. Stimulate the brain by reading Buzzed Boomer. Got it.
We first encountered Malort on Jack Miller’s yacht as his traditional birthday toast. It was almost a dare to drink it. Here’s how VinePair describes the flavor.
“When describing the taste of Jeppson’s Malört, Chicago’s infamous wormwood-based liqueur, people tend to get creative. A cursory glance of various Reddit subs like r/bartenders and r/Chicago reveal some solid attempts: Notes of Fresca, paint thinner, and sadness; Week-old grapefruit rinds soaked in floodwater and shame; Gasoline filtered through a week-old garbage bag; Imagine if your parents’ divorce had a flavor. The spirit is famously gnarly, and has been “enjoyed” almost exclusively in the domain of the Chicago bar scene, where it’s existed as a rite of passage for dive bar denizens and as a reliable and irreverent bartender’s handshake. But in recent years, Malört has slowly crept out of the Chicagoland area, emerging on back bars nationwide as an “IYKYK” novelty item and even appearing in bona fide cocktails.”
So there you go! Drink up and cheers!
Who doesn’t want more energy? There’s the shortcuts (and their drawbacks) and then there is the healthy way. We asked WebMD.
“Each balanced meal should have a mix of lean protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This combination can help keep you full while giving your body the vitamins and minerals that it needs.”
Did that say carbs and fat!? So getting healthy energy doesn’t sound too horrible. Read the Web MD article here for the details.
– Jet Cannon?
Gin drinkers! Tired of the same old Martini or Gin & Tonic? Food and Wine has thirteen additional gin cocktails to throw into the mix. They are the Gimlet, French 75, Ramos Gin Fiz, Aviation, Bicycle Thief (pictured above), French Blonde, Course Reviver No. 2, Negroni, Red Snapper, Singapore Sling, The Bee’s Knees, Tom Collins and Gibson Martini. Click above for the recipes.
Cheers!
We sometimes get a bit lazy and just stir up a cup of instant coffee. No coffee snobs here. Plus it saves cleaning the French press or tossing a thousand k-cups every year into the landfill. But is instant as healthy for us as regular coffee? Coffee offers some real health benefits, both mental and physical. Health.com sat down with several pots of coffee and some scientists and did a comparison. Short answer? Both are good but regular coffee is better for you. When drinking instant, go with freeze-dried. So mostly good news. And maybe it’s time for us to buy a Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker since we gave our ancient percolator away.
– Jet Cannon
