Here’s the latest Cocktail of the Month from the Substack:
It’s May, so let me give you an idea for a new drink to make for Mother’s Day. The Mint Julip wants to claim May, but I defer to Hunter S. Thompson regarding those.
The Origin
This is likely going to be one of the newest cocktails I include as a cocktail of the month for a very long time. The reason for this is that this drink was created back in the early 2000s. The drink originated in Italy, where it was based on local lemon balm liqueur (elderflower was a variant). It was unknown in the US for a reason that will likely confuse anyone under the age of 35. Elderflower liqueur (in the form of St. Germain) didn’t exist in the US until 2007.
Yeah. That’s right. Bartender’s glue isn’t even old enough to drink yet.
The Recipe
This is a spritz recipe, with a very simple recipe:
- 3 parts (1.5 oz) Elderflower Liqueur
- 4 parts (2 oz) soda water
- 4 parts (2 oz) Prosecco or other sparkling wine
- Mint – for garnish
Like all spritzes, think of the recipe as a guideline more than shackles. You can find recipes going all the way down to a 1:2:8 ratio of liqueur, soda water, and sparkling wine. Honestly, when it comes to making spritzes at home, I may measure out the accent (liqueur, amaro, what ever type of spritz it is), but I almost never measure the sparking wine. There are even times I leave out the soda water.
To make the drink, grab the glass you wish to use and fill it with ice. As you can see, I love using my beer tulips for this, although it does hold two drinks when full. Traditionally, a wine glass is the serving method. To build the drink, add some of the soda water, then add the liqueur. Add the rest of the soda water, and finish with the sparkling wine. Give a brief stir with the ice until chilled. The garnish for this is a mint bouquet, which is lightly bruised by slapping it between your hands. You want the mint lightly bruised and aromatic, if you don’t want to involve your hands, give it a light muddle before adding.
Variations
Nearly all spritzes are variants of each other in one way or another. They’re a simple template, and a refreshing crowd pleaser in summer weather. The hot and trendy one for the past several summers has been the Aperol Spritz (which is also delicious). You can swap out the elderflower liqueur for any vermouth, liqueur, or amaro you would like. You may need to change out the ratios and garnish with something different, but you’ll come out with a potable beverage (assuming you like the base you started with).
Batch Prepping
This is not a batch prepping drink. This is a go with the flow, easy pouring, adjust the ratio for your taste. If I was hosting a consternation of mothers, I would set a small station with some bottles of bubbly, soda water, several options for spritzes, and a garnish tray.
Mocktail Version
Hello those of you who don’t drink or are looking to cut back on your drinking. If you’re looking for lower alcohol drinks, this is already one. To go alcohol free for this drink, you would want to pick up elderflower syrup (or other flavored syrup). I would mix that with only the soda water (potentially with a splash of spicy ginger ale).
I hope to have provided another set of options to you when hosting people, as well as another potential drink to order at your local watering hole. Feel free to let me know what your ratio preference and spritz of choice is in the comments.
Nothing using Vanity-Branded whiskey?
I’ll be getting my branded whiskey come Spring.
I put some money into a bond issuance at a local distillery, it was backed by an asset. In this case, barrels of whiskey that were aging. I can either take the 5% interest, or claim the whiskey (you had to decide bourbon or rye early on, I chose rye).
That is a brilliant revenue mechanism.
UCS:
They did explain what would happen if they went out of business during the time of the bond. We would still have rights to the whiskey, and they would work to find a bottler willing to bottle, but we would need to pay for that process (unless you had enough bonds for a full barrel).
Mint Juleps are great, but they’re such a pain in the ass to make…
Honestly, the hard part is the crushed/shaved ice. But there is a low cost way to get around that.
Legit LOL!!!
ES:
It came from a reference made in a book I’ve been working through (Liquid Intelligence) where he talked about ice shaving instead of using a Lewis bag for crushing ice.
I should probably try elderflower something or other. I’ve tried three times to like elderberry, but have failed.
Elderflower liqueur does run into a similar issue as vermouth. It isn’t as shelf stable as full spirits, but isn’t quite delicate enough to warrant refrigeration. Some bars have the dusty bottle sitting there on the shelf, don’t try it, get a fresh (small) bottle and use it as a swap out for sweetener in some cocktails. I’m partial to it in gin and tonics.
I make an awesome elderberry flanders red sour ale.
From the AM thread – new employer or just new job?
If I recall correctly it’s the same employer but he’s being put in open-plan hell.
Unciv remembers correctly.
Open seating in half-wall cubicles. Non-stop collaboration! Yeah Team!
Official transfer date is now May 18. Physical relocation is TBD.
I’m in a similar cube. Half wall with a topper of 18 inches of tempered glass.
But to to make the bitter pill easier to swallow they gave us desks that can convert to standing. Useful only when a coworker comes over and you want to share a screen.
I am a hard core introvert. I have been in a private office for 20+ years now. Going back to the cubicle farm will be extremely hard to cope with.
It’s not all bad. Nobody likes it, but we make jokes about the days events both internal and external.
Another complication is that I am at least half a generation, if not a full generation, older than my new coworkers.
In my cube farm I’ve got one coworker of my generation and with others spanning the range.
It’s never been especially problematic and I learn things I wouldn’t otherwise.
In short, I am an anti-social introvert with no common social connections to my coworkers.
Putting me in a cubicle farm will force me to grow. {everyone cheers}
But I don’t want to fucking grow. I just want to be productive for a few more years until I decide that I can live the rest of my life without a paycheck.
I have never had an office and I would probably go stir crazy in one.
Kinnath – it sounds less like they want you to grow and more like they want you to quit.
I have to be at the plant five days a week and I’m okay with that. I’ve learned more about our business talking to the guys from the floor in the breakroom then I could ever have been if I were remote or hybrid.
And I’m also an extrovert.
Never retire!!! 😉
Unciv. No I do not want to quit. I actually like my work. I expect the new work to be interesting. I just don’t want to spend every day being stressed out by the work environment.
GT. Correct!
I have a bottle of Italicus that I haven’t really done anything with, as well as some Yuzu Dry Curacao. Time to chill a bottle of sparkling wine.
Just picked up some Sfumato and some Cardamaro. At least one bottle will be going to the niece’s for mother’s day (she’s hosting).
Hugo spritz are OK but I prefer a Nonino spritz – just not in love with elderflower.
Aperol spritz are awesome, though, when you need something lighter.
*Clears throat*
I’ve got their nocino on the shelf as well.
I am so happy the word has gotten out about Gruet. Fuck Moet, right in its overpriced ear.
I still need to do a back-to-back tasting between Louis Roderer and Bollinger.
Fuck Champagne. Prosecco for the win.
I really dislike the flavor profile of sparking white from the Champagne region.
Champagne yeast is typically the most recommended yeast to brand new wine makers because it is basically idiot proof. It will always ferment; always clean; no random funk. But it has a flavor profile that I cannot stand.
And this is the flavor profile that I get from actual Champagne.
Sparkling whites are just fine in general, but I hate the French stuff.
Moet was always the champagne that was drunk in my earlier days and yes, it’s pretty terrible. Not unrelatedly, I don’t like Dom Perignon either. I had Veuve Cliquot as part of the omakase at Morimoto’s place and it really changed my mind about the stuff. But as far as the midprice tiers go, the widow is third on my list (still need to try Bollinger). Because I do like Louis Roderer, I’ll need to try Cristal at some point, but I really need a case of ammo more than a bottle at the moment.
If you have access to a Total Wine, they have a nice selection of grower champagnes that are easier on the wallet, yet in many ways superior to the big houses. If no TW is nearby, check your local independent retailer.
Now for big-timing it on that special occasion, my fave is Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill. Divine, but bring money. Lots of money.
I used to turn my nose down at Champagne until I had Salon. Nothing like the low end stuff. Like little bubbles of heaven dancing on your tongue.
Heard good things about the Pol Rogers WCC but isn’t readily available around here to try.
I fluve Gruet. Had it at our wedding, even.
The Savage blanc de blancs is awesome – zero dose, for all you low carb people.
Honestly, I blocked the photograph to try to obfuscate the sparkling wine I’m using. It’s a weakness in my knowledge that I don’t care enough to put in the work that I would need to be as conversant there as I am for beers and whiskeys.
The mint needs to be in the back, since it’s from Great Lakes Growers, not Great Lakes Showers.
I believe I’ll hold off on this cocktail, though I highly appreciate the thought. (Now, I may be on seven months clean (again)?)
Lunch and 75 papers ‘scored.’ More good ones than usual, with the predictable duds and WTFs. One involved a grandpa being killed and Lebron time-traveling folk to Ancient Egypt. (It was a shit story, but I appreciate the originality. ‘Basketball’ makes it On Topic, so whatevs.) One was a rather, rather good romance story for an 8th grader. Kids practicing trumpet together and they’ve been feeling it for each other. At the end they hold hands and feel each other’s breath and hearts before goin’ in for the kiss. (Which lasted 11 seconds.)
Your dancing devil glass looks stout, like, as long as you didn’t severely cut your hand, looks like you could knock someone out w it.
(Go for it!)
At least for this one, you can make a mocktail version of it.
As for the glass, that’s the six hop devil tulip from Duvel. I’m 99% sure I got it in a box set with some Duvel. If not from there, than from a giveaway at a local bar.
Not right out in the open, anyway
Former President Obama on Tuesday said the president “shouldn’t have a bunch of side hustles,” signaling there should be a clear ethical standard for those occupying the Oval Office.
“A good policy that I’d like to see followed is that the president of the United States shouldn’t have a bunch of side hustles that those companies and foreign entities can invest in,” the former president told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.”
Obama’s comments come after President Trump’s critics have raised concerns with his decision to accept a Qatari jet with intentions to use the carrier as the next Air Force One.
During his second stint in office, others have flagged potential corruption as private companies back Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project and his family’s cryptocurrency stock has significantly grown.
Obama said he thought it was a “pretty obvious principle” not to engage in “side hustles” while serving as commander-in-chief.
Non profit foundations and book deals are completely different, especially if they are managed at arms length by trusted advisors.
The important thing is that any perspective president never had any way of earning of living other than politics, law, or non-profits.
All of those sources of income have no partisan leanings.
Is that why Herbert Hoover was such an unsuccessful pressident? Gave up a career as a mining engineer?
They should grift the old fashioned way by writing books that nobody reads.
“Trump’s ballroom” – what is he, gonna tear it down on his way out the door and sell it for scrap?
The Qatar jet is sketchy AF, though. Obvious influence peddling and they are not even true frenz with us.
UCS – you can hold out hope!
We Asked 100 Women The Most Attractive Quality In A Man And They All Agreed It’s Painting Tiny Warhammer Figures
https://babylonbee.com/news/we-asked-100-women-the-most-attractive-quality-in-a-man-and-they-all-agreed-its-painting-tiny-warhammer-figures
🐝
*orders battalion of Space Marines*
Right? I don’t understand the media obsession. I don’t know whoTF those two even are.
In the ded-thred WTF sed Hard to believe the Germans of all people have become so pussified.
Not hard to believe at all. WWI cured most of Europe of their habit of war, the German resumption of hostilities just means they were a little slower on the uptake.
Are you saying they did nazi the writing on the wall?
Maybe they did, but they took it a little Fuhrer than most.
I think Swiss will stay neutral on that pun.
Ze Germans haf gone soft. Zey too much enjoy Mein Kampfy chair.
I toured the Korbel factory, many many moons ago. It was interesting.
Korbel Natural suits my unrefined palate.
Glibs – what would you say is an appropriate course of action for a company employee who’s MS365 account has been compromised, and used to send out malicious URLs, three times in thirty days?
What was this person doing that made them uniquely vulnerable to account hyjacking?
Unclear at this time, but I can confirm that this subject is not very smart and almost completely tech-illiterate.
Hand that person a broom and plunger and ask them to clean the office for a living and never ever touch a company computer again.
How old is this wonder of nature?
Hanged, drawn and quartered is still fashionable and sends a message.
At the very least, talk to your manager. Back in the long ago, I’d have met with my manager, or his manager, and as high-level a rep from HR [I know, but…] as I could get. But it depends so much on your organization’s structure, size, internal politics, and your relationships with the various power structures.
I find that, in circumstances like this, it’s best to plan backwards. That is, start with the end of the, err, remediation process and work your way back from there.
So, step one would be body disposal.
Blanket party.
Speaking of well run cities
Federal and local law enforcement agencies announced a massive drug raid in multiple Southern California locations on Wednesday, arresting 18 people, including two who they believe are the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in MacArthur Park.
The raid, which was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department, focused mainly on MacArthur Park but also included arrests in Calabasas, San Gabriel and South L.A., the DEA confirmed.
——-
The DOJ said “Operation Free MacArthur Park” aims to address what it described as an open-air drug market running rampant in the park, involving massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. They noted that it is not an immigration operation.
I hope they got permission from Mayor Bass.
I hope the damn place melts in the dark.
I hate that song. 😒
Oh Noooooooooo!
Speaking of totally odd old songs, this cropped up.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QuQbus0xfhk&ra=m
Which is enough to kill everyone on the planet 40 times over and still sterilize all panets out to Bernard’s star!
Pussies. Why make a point of saying that?
Here’s your chaser for that shot.
Or this.
https://x.com/JustACineast/status/2052149335605854601
I just got an email from our medical insurance carrier saying May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Women’s Health Month…🤔
Sooo… bitches be crazy?
I have outlook rules to delete these types of messages for me.
Saves a few clicks.
Good WFH tip for 30min lunch and two mandatory 15min breaks:
1. Ensure you’ve put in an appropriate amount of work so you can…
2. Get refreshments and go to the bathroom *before* break, so you don’t waste half your break taking a shit.
This way, you may be able to ‘do’ something relaxing on your break. The things I learn. A productive Break #2 ends, and I’m back to see what shenanigans Ethan and Mason get up to with their trumpet performance before the school’s basketball game.
You get breaks?
I don’t get breaks, just the 30 minutes for lunch.
That’s the life of a salary man.