Month: October 2020 (Page 2 of 4)

Wolf Bite

October 21, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Three

Here we are, howling into day three of The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween and the next step into our exploration of the spirits of the season. So far, we have made a pretty drink that doesn’t work till you make it ugly and an already macabre classic cocktail. Today we are going to go a little deeper with a drink that appears to be one thing and turns out to be quite another. So, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make, the Wolf’s Bite.

Blood & Sand

October 20, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Two

Welcome to day two of the Thirteen Drinks of Halloween. Yesterday we explored taking a basic drink, changing an ingredient and giving it a new spooky name. We also frowned upon that, because we are judgmental. Today we are going a different route, taking a drink that has a slightly spooky name and presenting it in the spirit of the season. Please join me now as we stand and make, the classic Blood and Sand.

Black Widow

October 19, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – One

Since we began this journey, I have avoided themes. So, we haven’t had Tiki Tuesdays or Midori Mondays or anything of that sort. It’s not that I don’t approve of themes, I love them, it is just that I am remarkably inconsistent and hate feeling like I “have ” to do anything. With that said, I am going to try something new and finish out the month with a series of themed cocktails, so won’t you please join me now as make the Black Widow.

Wet Congress

October 18, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

Truth is, I got so excited planning something for the coming weeks, that I forgot to actually make a drink for today. It happens, apparently. I don’t want to rush through things, but I am also tired and distracted and a poor host anyway. So, let’s skip the formalities as we stand and make the Wet Congress.

The Bijou

October 17, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

It’s fall y’all, at least that is what the hand painted sign at the farmer’s market said. Of course, it had decorative candy corn on it, so I’m not sure it can be trusted. Still, it was chilly enough that I slipped a cardigan on over my traditional black t-shirt this morning. I like those orange, red and yellow, leaves though. That breeze pushing them along the way, yeah, I’m fond of that too. Since it will rhyme and make this poetic, please you join me now as we stand and make The Bijou.

Out of the Chaos

October 16, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

This is going to be a disaster. Let’s just get that out of the way, right up front. This drink is by request of my dear friend, Leanne, who celebrates another trip around the sun on this day. She’s getting up in years, but still has a great outlook on life. It should be crystal clear, though, that this drink is entirely her fault. She sent me the recipe, supplied the ginger mead, asked me to make it and had a birthday to provide inspiration and guilt in equal measures, something she excels at. So without further delay, please join me as we stand and make, Out of the Chaos.

The Mean Fiddler

October 15, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I was thinking about the devil tonight and his gambling habit. Seemed like the right thing to do, don’t ask me why. I recalled the lyric “Now, you play a pretty mean fiddle boy…” and thought to myself, what constitutes a “mean fiddle”? Does it bite? Refuse the rosin? Whisper insults in your ear while you play? It would make more sense for the devil to be the one playing the mean fiddle, then I would understand it better. A mean fiddle is one that refuses to sound like a violin and goes with a funky bass thing. You’d be surprised just how long I went down this path, before I came up for air. It was definitely long enough to get a thirst, so won’t you join me now as we stand and make The Mean Fiddler.

The Stiletto

October 14, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I was looking for something smooth. Something that goes down easy. So, it makes perfect sense that I chose a drink that shares it’s name with a knife, sexy heels, a Marvel villain famed for his use of the blade and a rebadged Hillman Imp. Of course, one of these things is not like the others, because no one has ever, in the history of the world called the Imp, or perhaps any Hillman automobile, “sharp”. So, while looking for something smooth, I chose the sharp drink. Sounds like something I would do, let’s see how it turned out. Won’t you please join me now, as we stand and make, The Stiletto.

Thyme to Shine

October 13, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

“She wasn’t good, but she had good intentions,” Lyle sang calmly from the radio above the stove as I thought about what I had done…nearly done, really. Everything had been just right, or so I had thought. Hundreds of times before it had all worked out, but on that night, something was different. The music was right, we had everything we might need at hand, I was being attentive. How could things have gone wrong? Well, not wrong, just not right. I knew it was my fault, it was always my fault, but why? What had I done or not done? Was I being too sweet? Were my moves too enthusiastic? Would I ever find out just what I did wrong? Let’s explore this mystery together as we stand and make the Thyme to Shine.

Upside-Down Martini

October 12, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

Julia Child once said, “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.” Later, Morgan Freeman said, “She’s right, you know.” He was not responding to her, but that doesn’t make his answer any less valid. The point is we need knowledge. Whether you are making crepes, art or public policy, the only way to do it well is with knowledge and, hopefully, a bit of wisdom. So, in the spirit of learning more, please, join me now as we stand and make the Upside-Down Martini.