Tom Collins

An oldie but a goodie.  It was my favorite drink in my twenties.  A good Tom Collins is made with Gin, sweet and sour and for me a splash of white soda.  I know I always say this.  I can't stress enough how much better that little squirt of soda will make most drinks with sweet and sour in the recipe. 

Now when asked for a Tom Collins its made with Gin, so if you prefer Vodka you have to say it when ordering. So say a Vodka Collins.  Its sweet, sour, frothy(or should be because it should be blended) and topped off with a cherry and orange slice. 

I can not tell you how many of these litte beauty's I have enjoyed back in the day, so many I probably don't remember them all. 

Tip of the day-when drinking or mixing any drink with sweet and sour, always, always, always use a powder based sweet and sour mix.  They have the best taste. Any mixer, liquid based, just does not have the same consistancy or flavor as the powder does.  I know that it is hard to find but you should be able to find it at any large liqour store or even the small mom and pop places that have been around for a whole. If you can't find it go to your favorite bar and ask them if you can buy some from them.

Stick an umbrella in it, in fact have a party and do a whole summer based themed party.  At this time of year we could all use a warm tropical themed party to help us get through until the real thing comes along.

Yes its that time of year again when cabin fever starts taking hold and we all go a little crazy, so instead of taking out that cabin fever on our friends and loved ones take it out on a nice cold drink. Ride out the storm(be it a snow or ice) and always remember.....spring is coming my friends....spring is coming.

Hot toddys...........no ice hahaha

Wowza! Its cold, icy, rainy, snowy and nasty all around out there!  To all my friends who have to be out in it today, be careful, stay safe and get home safe and sound.  I myself was suppose to work today but it was to slick and I couldnt get out.  We started out with sleet, moved in to snow pellets and it is now pouring down ice.

Its only going to get worse, so to all my bar buddies....take care of yourselves out there. 

I decided to discuss a hot drink today to go along with the weather.  Hot toddys for everyone!  Same effect of alcohol but your nice and toasty warm on the inside.

Its 1 oz of brandy, whiskey or rum(your choice), 1 tbsp of honey, 1/4 lemon, a cup of hot water and a tea bag. 

Its right on for giving you the buzz your looking for and boostig that immune system for anyone catching something in this nasty weather.  Lemon and honey helps the throat.

When I was growing up my Mom and Dad made these all the time in the winter and when they had a cold and it really seemed to do the trick(the whiskey prolly helped with that).

They always had a bottle of whiskey handy just in case.  I think we all do. hehehe

So get home, build a fire, make your toddys, cuddle up with your snuggle buddy and ride out the storm. And if it so happens that there are quite a few new little buddys that are born in November.......we will all know why!

Tip of the day-coat the bottom of the glass with honey.

21.....for the first time.

Hello all.  Sorry I have been off line for so long.  Life! Busy busy busy. But I am back! Did you miss me?

I had some newbies in the bar last week. You know new to the bar scene....legally that is. He did all of us proud.  Drank his fair share and actually kept down the crowning and last shot of the night which was 151. We all know how nasty that stuff is.  The bottom of the barrel.

He walked out and was actually on his way to the next bar.  Ahhhh youth. Some days I miss and some days I don't. I miss the energy and the recovery time but not all the life lessons they have coming to them.

So here is to all the 21 year olds! Enjoy it! Have fun and be careful. Just remember...you will be as old as me one day. :)

Superbowl!!!

Ah yes its that time of year again. Good friends, good game, good food and good drink!  Its always a great time spending it with all your friends and indulging in all the fun and games(yeah games, because even though the big games on the television there are usually more fun and games happening all around you).

I personally go for the friends and food. hehehe. There is plenty of alcohol flowing in many forms.  Everyone has there favorite picks.  Now of course the prime choice for game day is beer.  Its American. Red white and blue through and through.  I had a fabulous time at the party I went to this year and I saw a huge selection. Beer, wine, whiskey, rum, shots and everything else that you could think of.

There is nothing like being welcomed in like a big warm hug to your friends home...and the fold.  That in itself will make you feel like you've had a few already. Good company is just the olive on top of the Martini.

So enjoy everyone, immerse yourself in the atmosphere. Enjoy every second you have with those wonderful companions. Because that's what really matters. 

Besides, they're the ones that usually pick you up off the floor and tuck you in after a long night at the bar...

A big thank you to Geoffrey and Terry! Thank you so much for inviting us all into your home. It was great fun!

Scotch....a man's drink.

In this day and age there are few men that come in the bar and order a scotch on the rocks.  Truthfullyy I thought after the huge "Mad Men" following it would start to catch on again and you would see it happen more.  But no.  I know this is strange but there is something impressive about a man ordering one.  I don't know what it is....the whole movie star icon thing or the flash back to the days of the older movies of the 50's and 60's and seeing Cary Grant, Dean Martin or James Garner order scotch.

It was the mans drink and it is even more impressive when you see a woman order one.  Very rare but very impressive.  I myself like a scotch on occasion and when I do order one the reaction I get from a bartender is always quite entertaining.  Shock, disbelief, they even look you up and down with that "who do you think you are?" look in their eyes.  Or they question you to see if you're serious.  Its great fun truly.

There many brands out there, some good, some bad and some very ugly.  Know what to look for. I myself prefer the single malts but everyone has their own tastes. There are great blended malts too.  When looking for a good affordable scotch you can always count on Dewar's, Glenlivet, Talisker, and Macallan oh and lets not forget Chivas and Johny Walker Red.


Tip of the day-try them all and see which one you like.  The general consensus is to drink it at room temperature straight up but my tip....drink it however you like it. Don't let anyone pressure you into doing it the "right way". After all its your drink and your taste that counts.

Besides...any self respecting Scotsman wouldn't let anyone tell them how to drink their scotch.  And neither should a woman. Isn't that right lassie....

Flaming Gorilla's

Ahhhhhhh. I learned to make this drink back in the late eighties and we had quite the time with it.  It is a shot, you fill the bottom of the glass with Kahlua and top it off with Bacardi 151. Now(tip of the day), the key is to place a small sipping straw in it and then after lighting it on fire you suck the shot through the straw until its empty. 

Its delicious and reminds you of chocolate milk.  But you see back then we didn't think of that.  We would pick it up, blow out the flame and shoot it.  The problem with that is the more you drink and the drunker you get the less careful you are and the less careful the bartender(no it wasn't me) is. Especially when you dribble the 151 down the side of the glasses and light them all on fire at once resulting in the bar catching on fire.

Which isn't too bad if you put it out in time.  Still, when you are all drunk and go to take that shot in hand with fire on the sides of the glass and one really drunk shooter is wearing a baseball hat, then it can get bad. hahaha.  When he went to blow it out...his hand and the shot...the oxygen heightened the flames and they shot up to his hat and it caught it on fire too.

So after we put him out(by the way he did do the shot and no one was hurt in this story.....don't try this at home) we learned a valuable lesson....

Don't wear a hat while shooting a flaming gorilla ;)

Buttery Nipple or Slippery Nipple?

There are a lot of people that come in the bar and ask for Slippery Nipples when what they really want is a Buttery Nipple.

A Slippery Nipple is a shot that is made exactly the same way as a Buttery Nipple but it is made with Sambuca and Baileys Irish Creme instead of Buttershots and Baileys.  It is also layered like the Buttery Nipple but has a completely different taste. 

Sambuca is a aniseed flavored liquor, aniseed has a black liquorice flavor. It is quite a shock to the system if you order a Slippery Nipple expecting that buttery flavor and get black liquorice instead.  Ick!

Tip for the day is, if you have a difficult time pouring these nipple(hehehe nipple) shots and getting them to layer correctly you can use a spoon and poor the Baileys over it onto the top of the shot.  If poured slowly it will layer easier and look great.

I've seen a lot of nipples in my years of bartending...although these are the only ones that get served at my bar. :)