While visiting the Brown Lantern Ale House (since 1933) in Anacortes, Washington we tried a Razarita. It essentially adds raspberry liqueur, like Chambord, to a margarita. They also substitute Tajin for salt on the rim. It’s a nice variation on a classic cocktail.
What better place to enjoy the first ever cocktail than The Napoleon House Bar and Cafe in New Orleans. Accounts differ, but most experts agree that the first cocktail was the Sazerac, a blend of whisky, absinthe, bitters and sugar. Created in New Orleans in the mid-1800s, Sazeracs still hit the spot. The Napolean House Bar and Cafe occupies the first floor of the Napoleon House, designated as a historic building. The pirate Jean Lafitte helped plot a rescue of Napoleon from exile and then house him in the building but Napoleon died before all that could happen. The bar’s current owners have had it in their family for 100 years and the food, drink, and service are fit for an Emperor. Their Sazerac cocktail is made with Sazerac Rye Whiskey, simple syrup, Peychaud’s & Angostura bitters, and Herbsaint. (Herbsaint was initially named Legendre Absinthe, but Legendre had to remove the absinthe label following government initiative, so the liqueur acquired its current name.)
– Jet Cannon
Mt. St. Helens erupted on this day in 1980. Tragically, fifty-seven people died, 200 homes were destroyed, and 185 miles of road were damaged. All told, the blast resulted in over a billion dollars in damage.
Much of the terrain has recovered after being basically leveled, though the volcano remains active. Thus we celebrate with a Mt. St. Helens cocktail. There are many variations but this one is our favorite. All one needs is a Rainier beer, named after another volcanic mountain in Washington State, and Fireball cinnamon whiskey. How appropriate.
There is more than one way to consume this drink; one can:
What a blast!
– Jet Cannon
Here’s a tip kids. Write it down. When visiting a party city like Nashville or New Orleans, consider starting with a pub crawl tour. The right guide will be a wealth of information noting where to eat and drink and what to avoid. Meanwhile, you’ll learn the lay of the land and maybe pick up some history and interesting facts. We found D.J. Hayes at Ghost Adventures and he packed an enormous amount of fascinating history and useful tips into a couple hours. A self-described New Orleans Tour Guru…. Well he is just that. A Guru. He does Ghost Tours, Swamp Tours, Cemetery Tours, Voodoo Tours, Historical Tours and most importantly for Buzzed Boomers, Pub Crawls. Want to know where the best drinks and bars are? He knows cocktails. If in New Orleans, contact him at [email protected]. You’ll be glad you did, regardless of which tour you select.
Another reason we were so impressed with DJ? Let us share a quote. “Vodka is gin for children.” Couldn’t agree more.
– Jet Cannon
There are bartenders and then there are great bartenders. We often ask the great ones for a favorite drink to make or for a specialty. Head on down to the Voodoo Lounge in New Orleans. It’s not on Bourbon Street which is a plus right off the bat. Ask for a Cool Breeze. (Hope we got that right. Some drinking involved in our research and I don’t remember a drink menu being available. And our bartender’s specialty might not even be on it if they did have one.) Mango Chile Bacardi rum, cranberry and pineapple juices. You won’t be disappointed.
– Jet Cannon
When it comes to health, it’s challenging to keep up with what is good for us and what isn’t. Red wine? Eggs? Butter? So far, experts seem to agree that salt is bad. And Baby Boomers will remember that we once learned MSG, Monosodium Glutamate, was bad. It turns out it may be a healthy way to reduce our salt intake while enhancing the flavor of food. The FDA considers it safe to eat. Atlantic magazine explains this in a fascinating article. Read it here. “One highly acclaimed New York restaurant now serves an MSG martini!”
– Jet Cannon
Praise be to the few restaurants that retain the professionalism of yesteryear. El Gaucho in Seattle is one such establishment. The seasoned staff still don tuxedos. The service is excellent. The food is superb. The drinks are delightful.
We requested that Jay our bartender serve one of his favorites. Gin forward, Lillet, Cointreau, Absinthe and lemon juice. And that’s how we ended up with a Corpse Reviver #2.
Vine Pair covered the 50 Best bars awards ceremony in Mexico City. Read all about it here. New York City’s Double Chicken Please bar won top honors. The lower east side lounge offers drinkable takes on classic dishes like Cold Pizza, Japanese Noodle, and Waldorf Salad. Hmmm. They also have cocktails on tap.
No bars in our Jet City (Seattle) made the list. Zero.
– Jet Cannon
CBSNews.com reported that, “SunnyD is no longer just a sweet orange beverage sipped by kids while they watch their Saturday morning cartoons. The drink is getting a version with an adult makeover – and SunnyD cocktails will be available later this month. The company announced this week that its new SunnyD Vodka Soda drinks will be available exclusively at Walmart. Last year, Coca-Cola announced it was adding Jack Daniels to its soda to make a Jack and Coke canned beverage. Simply Lemonade also introduce a spiked drink and Pepsi announced boozy versions of Mountain Dew. Some existing ready-to-drink and beer brands also got a revamp, with Sam Adams launching a canned margarita version of its Truly hard seltzers and Budweiser releasing Budlight-branded spiked seltzers.”
Oh, why not a canned martini for us Buzzed Boomers who are constantly on the go!? Well, because we like martinis our way. Like zero vermouth. But for those of you looking for a pre-mixed martini, there are a number of portable options and Vine Pair has selected five of their favorites. Read about it here.
– Jet Cannon
Vine Pair asked bartenders about the best new vodkas that earned a spot on their bar. Read all about it here. This one was particularly intriguing to us as a fan of New York fine cuisine.
“The best new vodka on my bar would be ALB Vodka. It’s a local vodka made in Albany, N.Y., and uses water from the same reservoir that holds the water that makes NYC bagels and pizza taste so great.” —Mathew Scherl, general manager & beverage director, Lagos Restaurant & Lounge, New York City
It’s that time. Taxes are due tomorrow on April 18th. Time to pay or time to play. Either way, an Income Tax Cocktail is the answer and fully deductible (consult your own tax adviser about that). Here’s a recipe from Serious Eats..
Add gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange juice, and bitters to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange wheel and serve.
This Vine Pair article shares 14 cocktails we can make on board your favorite airliner. A few require creating some simple syrup in the terminal but most do not. So have a Gin & Tonic, Mimosa, French 75, Kalimotxo, Screwdriver, Irish Coffee, Hot Toddy, Cuba Libre, Sangria, Bloody Mary, Tom Collins, Daiquiri, Mojito or an Espresso Martini. Not only will you impress your seat mates but you’ll kill some time in the process.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: Thrillist
According to the folks in Lynchburg, Jack-and-Coke is the number on branded bar call in the universe… and beyond. Well, now it comes in a can! Hey, who has more fun that we do?!
– Jet Cannon