An elderly gentleman, smartly dressed, hair well-groomed, expensive-looking suit, smelling slightly of Montblanc cologne, presenting a suave image, walks into a fancy cocktail lounge. Seated at the bar is an elderly looking lady.
The gentleman walks over, sits beside her, orders a Martini, takes a sip, turns to her, and says, “So tell me, do I come here often?”
Depends on who you ask. We were hoping it would be a Rat Pack Martini, a Marilyn Margarita, or a Dean Martin Old Fashioned. Something like that. The InterWeb suggests it’s a date shake. They are pretty good.
The Reef Bar & Grill says it’s a Palm Springs Punch. We asked our bartender if that is the Palm Springs Official Cocktail, as stated on their drink menu, or did they just make that up. “We just made that up.” Whatever. Their primary ingredients are Blackheart Spiced Rum, Triple Sec, Creme De Moyaux (???), and pineapple juice. We’ve seen other recipes use bourbon and ginger ale so it seems you can make it anyway you want. We wish we could ask Frank.
Per their Twitter, “60 years ago, a group of North London lads got a band together…today they’re one of the greatest bands in British history. The Kinks are launching a 60th Anniversary Celebration of their vital importance to popular music.”
Rolling Stone adds, “The Kinks — then the Davies brothers and the late bassist Pete Quaife — were founded in 1963, with drummer Mick Avory joining soon after. The following year, the band released their first-ever Number One single “You Really Got Me,” which was followed by “All Day and All of the Night” and another Number One, “Tired of Waiting for You,” quickly establishing the Kinks as one of the preeminent acts of the British Invasion.”
“The Journey – Part 1 — due out March 24 on 2LP and 2CD — spans from those first singles to similarly iconic tracks plucked from Kinks classics like The Village Green Preservation Society, Face to Face, Arthur and Lola Versus Powerman. The anthology also includes personal track-by-track notes about the songs penned by the Davies and Avory, who happens to be celebrating his 78th birthday today.”
“A second volume of The Journey, likely focusing on the back half of the Kinks’ immense catalog, is due out later this year. “A host of global events and activities” are also planned over the course of 2023 and 2024 to mark the Kinks’ 60th anniversary, with those plans to be announced at a later date.”
As a follow-on to Dry January, being mindful of alcohol consumption can extend the health benefits of going completely dry. Avoiding random drinking and staying within self-established boundaries is the key.
The son went to his dad and asked him, “Dad, what’s an alcoholic?”
The dad replied, “Do you see those four trees? Well, an alcoholic would see eight.”
With the effects of Covid, drive-through fast-food, and now automation reducing staff at sit-down restaurants, true professional waiters and waitresses are getting harder to find. If you can find an experienced, professional at a steakhouse or even a traditional diner, savor the experience.
Wine self-service machines are a trending thing. Why have servers at all? We’ll all just get up from the table and get our meal out of a machine when our phone notifies us.
There is nothing like a professional guiding your dining experience. Enjoy it and appreciate it whenever you can.
We recently read an article by Zack Powers in The Seattle Times about the Granite Curling Club in north Seattle. Part of the culture is for the winning team to buy the losing team the first round of drinks. Then the losing team usually reciprocates with another round.
Click here for more on these Well + Good dietician-recommended ideas for boosting energy and mood. Best read while enjoying your morning cup of coffee. Ha. The crib note version includes hydrating, getting outside for a bit, finding an enjoyable exercise, and reaching for healthy snacks.
Researchers are finding that grip strength has correlations to physical AND mental health. So our doctors should be checking it during routine physical exams. Read all about it in this USA Today article.
The Washington Post reports that Dry January can have some lasting benefits. Researchers found that people who abstained from alcohol for a month started drinking less the rest of the year and showed striking improvements in their health. On average they lost about four and a half pounds, their blood pressure dropped, and they had a “dramatic” reduction in their levels of insulin resistance, a marker for Type 2 diabetes risk. They also experienced sharp reductions in cancer-related growth factors. Dry January can also provide opportunities to form new habits — like turning down alcohol in social settings, which in the long run can be empowering.
One more day until Wet February! Here is what Vine Pair thinks are the best whiskeys IN THE WORLD! Click here. We’re hoping to get hired as a taste tester.
While we learn more about the detrimental effects of alcohol on our bodies, consumption in the US is on the rise. Hubris? Killing Covid with alcohol? Dimwittedness? Can’t read? Hard to say. But we’re approaching 8 billion gallons a year!