Category: Vices (Page 41 of 83)

Drink of the Week: The Pilar Daiquiri

March 14, 2014 /

The Pilar Daiquiri.So, the first thing you’re likely to notice about today’s drink is that there’s nothing remotely Irish or St. Patrick’s Dayish about it. I admit it — I prepare these posts at least a week or so ahead, and it’s sometimes easy to get a bit mixed up about the calendar. Also, I have to admit, I don’t hang out in bars all that much — shocking, yes, I know — and, even if I did, the Irish community here in L.A. isn’t exactly as prominent as if I were in Boston or New Orleans or New York. You get a lot more reminders about the coming of Cinco de Mayo down here than St. Paddy’s Day.

So, rather than trying to trump up a Irish connection that’s complete blarney, I’ll just straight up admit that this week’s really terrific drink is mostly Cuban in origin and comes to us from the promotional team behind a really outstanding pair of new rums with a pedigree that extends to the modern day heirs of no less than daiquiri drinker #1, Papa Hemingway himself. He was said to love a good daiquiri. If so, he would definitely have loved this one.

The Pilar Daiquiri

1 1/2 ounces Papa Pilar’s Blonde Rum
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon maraschino
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Maybe stir a bit to dissolve the sugar (not needed if you’re using C&H Superfine as I do). Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Toast Papa Hemingway and all writers, including the less tortured ones.

****

Now, folks, you should understand that when freebies greet me, I feel both grateful and slightly corrupted. Also, many times we get recipes that, while quite good, could actually work with any number of brands. Nevertheless, this little number really does seem to be expressly made to complement the qualities of the dang remarkable Papa Pilar’s Blonde.

The combination of flavors from the grapefruit and maraschino liqueur in addition to the more traditional lime juice and sugar, really blends together with this uniquely flavorful blonde rum, which is delightfully heavy on notes of molasses and sports a bit of an oceanic twang.  Honestly, unless you’ve got a similar blonde rum around (are there any?) I’d stick with the simpler original daiquiri recipe I offered many moons ago.

On the other hand, if you’re going to make the investment in Papa Pilar’s, and I certainly would encourage that, I demand you make this drink right away — and yeah, that includes shelling out extra for the maraschino liqueur. That one little teaspoon of slightly bitter cherry deliciousness is important, as I learned when I accidentally cut the proportion of in half while making a two PP daiquiris for myself and a very old friend who had stopped by. Cutting the amount from one teaspoon to merely 1/2 a teaspoon threw off the drink’s balance and the result was less balanced and very tart than I would prefer, though the friend was polite about it. Every drop of maraschino is sacred but, if you need to save money, you can go with the cheaper Maraska Maraschino and leave the Luxardo for fools like me who can’t resist luxy things.

This is a drink you want to make right. It’s refreshing and nearly perfectly balanced bewteen sweet, tart, and the bittterness of the grapefruit. It’s A-1, even if I can’t try to fob it off as Papa O’Hemingway’s Irish Brew or what not.

Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Vices

Drink of the Week: The Last Word

March 7, 2014 /

The Last Word. Have you ever really had the last word in an argument? Lord knows I haven’t….and it’s so very definitely not for a lack of words, or for a lack of arguing. Ask anyone who knows me well, I love to argue and I think it’s entirely possible to disagree without being disagreeable. In fact, I barely have to disagree with you at all to, nevertheless, disagree. You can have pretty much identical politics, taste in cultural matters, cocktails, and all the rest and I’ll still argue with you about something because life is simply too short to go around agreeing with everyone all the time.

Still, no matter how important or silly the disagreement may be — or no matter how open-and-shut the case being argued — no one ever has the last word. Certainly not MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell of TV’s The Last Word, who I used to like a lot but who has gone off the deep end on odd subjects too many times for me to take too seriously. Nor even my beloved Rachel Maddow who, aside from having similar politics to my own (therefore making her a complete genius, naturally), also helped me get into this whole cocktail thing some years ago via the cocktail segments on her old Air America show. She ctually once made today’s drink on her TV show.

Nevertheless, as I was reminded by the makers of the very drinkable No.3 London Dry Gin, we may never ever get the last word in an argument, but we can all have The Last Word, and all we really need are four ingredients.

The Last Word

3/4 ounce London dry gin
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce green chartreuse
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 lime slice (optional garnish)

Combine the liquids in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake with all the vigor of your Jack Daniels-guzzling right-wing uncle facing off against your pot-smoking auntie who drives the VW station wagon with thirty bumper stickers on it. Next, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Toast the right to be as gloriously, insanely wrong in the eyes of others as you want to be.

*****

My cocktail books are still in boxes in DOTW’s enormous archives, but I can tell you that, according to Wikipedia and a few other odd blog posts, The Last Word was a pretty much forgotten prohibition era concoction until fairly recently. We are told that renowned Seattle bartender Murray Stenson singlehandedly revived the drink enough so that the rest of us could eventually hear about it.

Now, the version we are making this week, promulgated by the makers of No. 3 London Dry Gin and Nevada mixologist Francesco Lafranconi, differs from the original only with some very specific choices of brands. Mr. Franconi suggests using No. 3 London Dry Gin, of course, and also specifically calls for Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, which is more or less the standard choice, but not the only one. More about that in a second.

If you want a really lively and complex, you might even say complicated, beverage, then the Lafranconi version of this drink is definitely one good way to go. For whatever reasons the No. 3 gin and Luxardo allow the strong herbal flavors of the chartreuse to become bolder than usual, possibly because today’s featured gin has some pretty bold citrus-peel bouquet and flavor of its own. We are told that the original version of The Last Word used bathtub gin, which we imagine must have had some fairly bold aspects of its own, but probably not the tasty and aromatic No. 3 kind.

I have to admit I couldn’t resist also trying The Last Word with a very good Brand X dry gin and Maraska Maraschino, which is nearly as tasty as Luxardo but a lot cheaper. It has a slightly simpler appeal and it’s mouth feel is a bit less rich, but it’s quite good. That less uptown version of The Last Word was milder, a bit more muted. Very decent but not quite the ultimate version of the drink. Then again, I would never expect to have the last word on The Last Word.

 

Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Vices

Poker is among the best of men vices

March 1, 2014 /

Let’s face it- all kinds of vices come with a lot of pleasure. The more wrong they are, the more fun you derive out of it, be it gambling, gluttony or greed. But what could be a better bet than playing poker itself. Undeniably an evil game, poker comes not only with pleasure, but also with lots of money as well as mental stimulation. So you get to become not only rich but also smart. So, if you are taking your pick amongst all the wrong and exciting things to do, we highly recommend you take poker. In fact, here we would like to detail some of the advantages of playing poker:

Developing decision making skills: Since playing poker is a skill requiring quick thinking (is it a sport?), assessing opponents smartly, and utilizing information to make good decisions, you develop these transferable skills that help you in all aspects of life. You become a better decision maker, you learn to take chances and avoid unnecessary risks, and make calculated moves in all matters of your daily life. So, why not get good at such a game?

Interpersonal skills: If you are playing poker with real players, and not online, then it has the added benefit of introducing you to new people, helping you develop connections and network effectively. This can have huge benefits for your professional life. In fact, for this same reason, it has even been suggested that kids be introduced to poker so that they can develop these social skills early on in their lives.

Strengthening memories: According to a study, playing poker actually helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in elderly couples. If this is the case, then for everyone any age, playing poker is a healthy memory exercise. Now who wouldn’t want that?

Making you better at business: Like we said above, the skills you develop whilst playing poker help in various aspects of daily life. Particularly, this is true, where you need the same kind of strategic thinking and an ability to develop friendships by showing people how talented you are! A lot of famous diplomats and businessmen, such as Bill Gates and Barack Obama actually applied their well-developed poker skills into their work!

So, indeed it is quite true that poker is the best of men’s vices- evil it might be, but surely it has a lot to offer aside from pleasure, so why not become a player and win it all?

Lifestyle, Vices

Drink of the Week: The Rusty Nail

February 28, 2014 /

the Rusty Nail.Now that we’re finally just starting to settle down just a bit here at Drink of the Week Plaza, I thought it best to dip my big toe back into the waters of a weekly blog with a drink that is about as simple and easy to make as anything worthy of calling a cocktail.

Now, if you’re looking for an Oscar tie-in, there really isn’t one, except that the characters in “American Hustle” would undoubtedly be familiar with today’s drink, which wasn’t invented in the 1970s but pretty much embodies the spirit of a time when booze was pretty much strictly a means to a sweet end. It’s also not a horrible way to wrap up the trilogy of Scotch-based cocktails we’ve been working on for these last couple posts.

Today, I present you a drink that’s absolutely guaranteed to be more pleasurable than a bout of tetanus.

The Rusty Nail

2 1/2 ounces Scotch whiskey
1/2 ounce Drambuie
1 lemon twist (optional but desirable garnish)

Get a rocks glass and fill it with ice. Add  Drambuie — a reasonably tasty and unreasonably expensive Scotch-based liqueur — and then add some Scotch. Maybe throw on a lemon twist. Toast whomever the hell you please because this drink is perfect for people too busy to toast.

*****

In terms of ingredients and how to mix them, there are three big questions with the Rusty Nail. One is the brand of Scotch. David Wondrich tells us, not surprisingly, blended Scotches like your dad and grandpa drank are best for a Rusty Nail.  We’re talking Johnny Walker, Cutty Sark, Dewar’s and the like. I actually tried a very good single malt and my mouth instantly knew that something was amiss. Too much smoke, too much fire.

The next question is your proportion of Drambuie to Scotch. While I have a sweet tooth, I find using equal parts Scotch and Drambuie — as many older recipes have it — way, way, way too sweet. Even Wondrich’s 1/2 to 2 seemed a bit sweeter to me than I would prefer. Moreover, the boozy guru’s demand that we mix, instead of layering in, the ingredients wasn’t really working for me either. That, by the way, indicates the third big question of the Rusy Nail.

At that point, I found inspiration in my new neighborhood, or technically the next neighborhood over, as I visited a very accomplished 1970s boozery and eatery with surprisingly great food. I speak of Studio City’s the Oyster House — home of, among other tasty 1970s-esque delicacies, very delish oyster shooters, six for $6.00. Bartender Greg (at least I think it was Greg) made me a drink that was, I’m guessing, 1/2 to 2 1/2, in which he poured the Drambuie first and some Dewar’s White Label second. The result was pretty lovely, with the Drambuie at the bottom of the drink acting like a dessert t following the bracing, icy Scotch.  I went home and tried the same thing but with Grant’s, and the results were just about as good.

So what have we learned today? Well, I’m learning my new neighborhood has more than one great hangout in it. That’s lesson enough.

Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Vices

Da Luca Winery delivers Italian values under $15!

February 24, 2014 /

The word “value” is thrown around in wine circles constantly, but it can have different meanings. In some cases, people are referring to a category. For me, value is relative. A $100 wine could be a good value if it offers more complexity, depth or other qualities than similar wines in its price range. An $8 bottle could be a terrible value because it’s not a good wine and other examples outshine it. In this case, I’m talking about some Italian wines that are good values for the money and also fall into what is generally considered the value category. In this price range, I’m looking for wines that are good representatives of the grapes in question, providing sufficient varietal character. Often they are also wines that will have mass appeal. That is, you could bring them to a party and most people will be happy. The casual drinkers will find them easy-going, and the wine lovers will find enough interest in them to drink them up. Here are three examples, which for me fit all of those criteria. Three of Italy’s workhorse grapes are represented, the prices are right and the wines are tasty and food-friendly.

da_luca_1

The Da Luca 2012 IGT Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio was produced entirely from fruit sourced in the namesake region. This offering is 100 percent Pinot Grigio. It has typically modest alcohol of 12 percent and a suggested retail price of $13. A mélange of apple aromas lights up the nose of this Pinot Grigio, and hazelnut characteristics play a supporting role. The palate has Lychee fruit, apricot and apple flavors, as well as gentle bits of spice. Hints of honey and lemon ice emerge on the finish, which has sufficient length. This wine is refreshing, light and dry. It drinks nicely on its own but shines brightest when paired with foods such as salads, white meats and soft cheeses. There are way too many Pinot Grigio’s on the market that are — at best — innocuous. Many of them sell for more than this one. This offering from Da Luca is well priced and offers genuine Pinot Grigio character.

The Da Luca DOC Prosecco (NV) was produced from fruit sourced in the Treviso region of Italy. This offering is 100 percent Prosecco. It has a suggested retail price of $14. Lemon zest and crème fraiche aromas leap from the nose of this Prosecco. Take the first sip and hints of scone and stone fruits, such as nectarine, make their presence known. The finish is above average in length and shows off white pepper and biscuit characteristics. This is a dry sparkling wine which is light bodied with depth of flavor and a refreshing nature. It would be an excellent choice to pair with brunch foods.

da_luca_2

Finally, we have the Da Luca 2011 DOC Romagna 2011 Sangiovese Superiore. This wine was made from fruit sourced in the namesake region. It is composed entirely of Sangiovese and it has a suggested retail price of $13. Violet and cherry aromas waft gently from the nose of this Sangiovese, along with bits of cigar box. Strawberry and red cherry characteristics are prominent through the palate. They’re joined by earth and a copious amount of spice. Leather, warming red fruits and continued spice influences are in evidence on the finish. This wine has medium tannins which yield with some air and firm acidity. It will pair well with just about anything with red sauce on it, as well as rustic Italian foods in general. I drank it alongside a hearty lentil stew and it worked fabulously.

As I mentioned above, these wines offer good value. The Pinot Grigio in particular is a well-priced example of the grape that offers good character. If you’re looking for a house white to stock up on, a case of it would be a good choice. The Prosecco and Sangiovese are similar in that manner as well. The bottom line here is that these are wines, which are priced for everyday drinking, are also a couple of notches better and more distinguished in character and quality than many other offerings in a similar price range. Check them out, I believe you’ll agree!

Check out Gabe’s View for more wine reviews, and follow Gabe on Twitter!

Vices, Wine, Wine Reviews

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