The Full Bar - all my pages

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Hey! I'm alive, and I'm having a drink. You should, too.

It's been nuts around here. In the middle of trying to get caught up after the earlier events of the month -- about six stories (13,000 words), editing the proofs of PA Breweries 4, and wrapping up the next issue of Malt Advocate -- I went to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans (and I'll get something up on that) last week and we took Thomas up to Boston University for orientation over the past three days (yesterday was a marathon: a big "Albanian omelette" at Victor's Diner in Watertown, four hours of orientation wrap-up at BU, then about 500 miles of driving to get around traffic, pick up Nora and the dogs in Lancaster, and home again about 11 PM). This morning Cathy and I went over to the Delaware River, turned off our cell phones, and rode fifteen miles of trail, then went to the Newtown Farmer's Market and got some good eats, and then I came home and took the dogs for a half hour walk (Maud's exercise program, and she's doing well).

So I think I've earned a drink. I built a big one of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel and ginger ale, with a lot of ice for the heat. It's tasting pretty damned good; not as sticky as Jack and Coke, but while the ginger ale is spicy, it doesn't overwhelm the whiskey. I just did a whiskey story for Massachusetts Beverage Business (it's coming out in September; my "What's Hot in Beer" piece will probably up tomorrow, including a sidebar on session beer and nanobreweries), and the JD folks told me that Jack and Ginger is the drink they're pushing: more appeal to women (not sure why), and more upscaling options: ginger ale, or Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, or muddled fresh ginger. I'll have to try the fresh ginger option...

7 comments:

Alexander D. Mitchell IV said...

Well, Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore just put on its wheat-and-ginger Golden Glory at 5.5%.....

Buddy said...

Welcome back - have a grog in honor of Black Tot Day!

John Fay said...

Jack and Ginger sounds good!

Sam Komlenic said...

Howz about Big Ben's Ginger Beer with that Jack, kind of a Lynchburg Mule??

sirbats said...

Aah you are my hero, i have longed for a blog dedicated soley to drinkers my prayer is answered. frm sirbats(twitter follower)

Anonymous said...

"turned off our cell phones"

Something society needs to do more of.

Can't wait for PA Breweries 4. I was just looking through the first edition and I can't belive how many places have come and gone.

Barm said...

Have a drink, eh? Is that an order? I guess I could, if you insist …