Tag: gin (Page 5 of 9)

Lucien Gaudin

November 11, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

We turn to Shakespeare for the text of today’s lesson. Please turn in your hymnals to Much Ado About Nothing, Act 5, Scene 1, where we find Antonio attempting to comfort Leonato, who is having none of it. And he spake, “I pray thee peace, I will be flesh and blood; For there was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently.” I get it, Leonato was upset and why not, they had just accused his daughter of “knowing the heat of a luxurious bed”. Shocking, I know. The point is, he was angry and when cautioned to not indulge his self pity and fury he told Antonio to step off and let a man have his space. I get that too. That toothache thing always stuck with me, the simple wisdom of it. It is true, no matter how many high platitudes we speak and how detached and above the fray we want to be, when something as simple as a toothache makes things personal, our true colors show. Whether sharp or dull, a toothache can just sort of linger there, a reminder that all is not well. Reminding you that you don’t control much in life, even your own body. So, please join me now and explore the bitter and the sweet, as we stand and make the Lucien Gaudin.

Twentieth Century

November 10, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

In his immortal “Still Life with Woodpecker”, Tom Robbins wrote, “If you’re honest, you sooner or later have to confront your values. Then you’re forced to separate what is right, from what is merely legal.” That can be tricky. There are a ton of things that are or were legal that were definitely not right. I know a bunch of you want to argue today, you are just itching for a fight, but I’ve still got that headache, so I’m not here for that. Slavery was the law of the land, that didn’t make it right, so concede the point and let’s move on. Old Tom has been on my mind lately. I am a child of the time that book was created for “the last quarter of the 20th century”, but I am living closer to the end of the first quarter of the 21st. I’m an Aries born under Nixon ascendent, so I am charismatic, clever and perpetually wary of all earnestness. A lot of things have changed since I joined the planet, but it looks like this century is working extra hard to repeat the lessons of the last, for those who weren’t listening to Santayana. So, let’s take a look back as we stand and make the Twentieth Century.

Fog Cutter

November 7, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

I recognize that no one gives a damn what I am drinking today. Suffice it to say there are much bigger things going on with a lot of things for folks to process as they celebrate or mourn the results of this momentous and record breaking election, so as brevity is the soul of wit, I shall be brief, as we stand and make the Fog Cutter.

Hanky Panky

November 5, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

As we enter day three of the 2020 election, patience is running thin with some folks. All day we have watched as races get closer for both candidates. Tempers are rising as the tension of not knowing begins to weigh on us all. I have watched as people, on both sides, have lashed out at others, giving voice to their frustrations. There is a lot of stuff floating around today, including a higher than average dose of misinformation. I don’t blame folks, well, I sort of do, it is pretty easy to look up info and confirm your sources before sharing, but I get it. However this goes, the waiting is hard and it is easy to want to cling to shrinking hopes and share things which confirm your biases. It happens to everyone. Both sides are concerned that there could be something nefarious going on and I understand wanting to approach things with a healthy skepticism. Well, skepticism and Occam’s Razor. Just in case, won’t you join me now as we stand and make some Hanky Panky.

Satan’s Whiskers

October 26, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Eight

Episode 8 of The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween finds our hero facing an overripe orange that must be juiced with only an old school hand reamer. Hilarity ensues as we stand and make Satan’s Whiskers.

The Green Ghost

October 22, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween 2020 – Four

It is day 4 of The Thirteen Drinks of Halloween, it is 80-something degrees outside and not feeling fall at all. So, we are going with something a little lighter and more refreshing than your typical Halloween drink. Don’t worry, it is still spooky, booze forward and lovely. So, please join me now as we stand and make The Green Ghost.

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.

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.

Neptune’s Wrath

October 1, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

We made it to October and it is time for a little magic. I mean all the way around. I want some falling leaves, the smell of a campfire, cardigans, pumpkin spice mocha, puffy vests, girls in Uggs, the whole basic autumn package. I want full moons, black cats, random ghosts and a departure from the ghoulish behavior we have seen too much of this year. I want people to celebrate the equinox, I want Reese’s Pumpkin shaped Peanut Butter Cups, because those are the ultimate form of the peanut butter cup. This is not up for discussion. So, I am going to call on one of the old gods and do a little alchemy today, there will even be fire, you’re gonna love it. So, grab your best incarnating frock and join me now as we stand and make, Neptune’s Wrath.

The Botanist

September 26, 2020 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The season is winding down at the farmers market. Fewer tomatoes, more sweet potatoes. That’s the nature of things, circle of life and all that. Pretty sure that it’s all covered in the most overplayed track in Ecclesiastes. Still there is bounty left, so we grabbed some end of season cucumbers and harvested some mint from our own garden for an end of summer cocktail. Please join me now as we stand and make, The Botanist.