Travel

Wine Snob

Food and Drink, Travel / By

We just got back from Washington wine country where we tasted some of the best wines, arguably, in the world. The climate is ideal for grapes and the abundance of wineries means there are many varieties and choices, almost all of them excellent. With our sophisticated palate, we learned to appreciate the subtleties as we sipped wine after wine in the cozy tasting rooms. We ended up gravitating toward….. wine-based slushies. Yeah, a sweet, delicious Slurpee that may have had wine in it. They packed a Buzz, for sure. Wine tasting is really fun!

  • Jet Cannon

Casablanca

Food and Drink, Travel / By

Hunter S., Contributing Editor-At-Large, currently in Greece, suggested we feature a Casablanca cocktail in Buzzed Boomer.  Or he just wanted us to know what he was drinking. We’re not sure. He did include a nice picture.  A stickler for details, he wasn’t sure how it was made.  The InterWeb has a number of Casablanca cocktail recipes and they are all completely different.  In the classic movie, nobody orders a Casablanca.  What drinks are specifically ordered are a French75 and a champagne cocktail.  But since Rick (Humphrey Bogart) calls his bar a “gin-joint” and himself a “saloon-keeper”, we are going to drink….. gin….. when we watch or think about that great movie.  No champagne added.  Just ice-cold gin. 

Here’s looking at you kid.

– Jet Cannon

Photos:  Hunter S. and BBC

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Disappointment Drinking

Travel / By

Longing to live vicariously through those who vacation every day in their RV? Follow Tom & Lori as they re-experience fabulous Key West and make the best of sometimes uncooperative weather.  By uncooperative, we mean not enough wind.

  • Jet Cannon

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Fear of flying

Travel / By

We are old enough to remember when fear of flying meant there was a reasonable chance of crashing.  Flying through the weather, rather than over it.  Piston engines vibrating our body to its core.  Loud.  Navigation without GPS meant finding the airport wasn’t a given.

Today we fear delayed and cancelled flights, zero legroom, circulating viruses, crying babies ,and fellow passengers getting in fist fights.  And a booze cart that may only make one trip down the aisle in a five hour flight.

Safe travels.

– Jet Cannon

Photo:  Pinterest and ninjajournalist

Wickedly Sour and Crazy Spicy

Food and Drink, Travel / By

Kimchi, a staple food in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish, made with a widely varying selection of seasonings, including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal, etc. Wickedly sour and crazy spicy, it can be pungent enough to clear a room. It’s one of those things we don’t get at home, like Eggs Benedict and also, well, let’s leave it at that. But on vacation….. in a Bloody Mary!! Couldn’t resist.

  • Jet Cannon

Buzzed Boomer Jet 737

Good Clean Fun, Travel / By

Having recently experienced the challenges of flying on commercial airliners, Buzzed Boomer management has decided to order a Boeing Business Jet which will be re-designated the Buzzed Boomer Jet. Enough of the cramped lavatories, lack of legroom, limited food options, and seats that barely recline. The new BBJ will have a queen sized bed, showers, club seats, a nicely stocked galley/bar, a roomy lav, and a proper table at which to eat and conduct “business”.

Financing and operating expenses remain a concern but those issues are for another day.

  • Jet Cannon

Pictures: Business Insider

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Older Driver Safety Awareness Week

Travel / By

National Day Calendar reminds us this week that older drivers are more prone to accidents than younger drivers. We know some older drivers. We are one. So here’s some tips and Buzzed Boomers should pay particular attention to not mixing the Buzz with driving. Be safe.

  • Obey all traffic rules
  • Never drive in inclement weather
  • Avoid driving at night if possible
  • Never drink and drive
  • Plan the route in advance
  • Get vision checked at least once a year

 

  • Jet “Eagle Eye” Cannon
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Take Me Home Country Road

Travel / By

Buzzed Boomer readers will remember the stirring travel-tales from vagabond Airstreamer Hunter S. and his sidekick Lori. In his latest blog, Hunter ponders and qualifies and finally selects six favorite destinations from their 2021 tour. Here’s the LINK!

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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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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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